HSJ Health Check

On Monday night all ambulance services in England declared the highest level of alert. We discuss why the NHS is under such terrible pressure in July and the dangerous impact this is having on patients, staff and services. Also more discussion about major job cuts announced within NHS England - is this a necessary change or will it consume too much time at a crucial moment for the NHS?

Tough times are ahead for the NHS, with a “nightmare” new health and social care secretary appointed and performance spiralling. On this episode we discuss the shocking true extent of the cancer care backlog after leaked figures revealed there are now over 10,000 people waiting over 104 days following a cancer referral. Also this week, disappointing elective activity has forced NHS England to look at watering down elective financial targets, while one trust starts using “social value judgements” to decide who gets treatment first.

The NHS is facing a major reorganisation this year, including within NHS England itself. On this episode we discuss the challenges and power struggles that lie ahead and who has the toughest job of all; the newly appointed chief workforce officer. Annabelle is joined by HSJ editor Alastair McLellan.

Race and racism in NHS leadership and workforce, and health inequalities, are the subject of this week’s HSJ Health Check podcast. We look back to some of the debates on the issues at – and around – last week’s NHS ConfedExpo conference. We explore the prospects for progress, and important context including diversity in integrated care system leadership and NHS England’s leadership. With HSJ equality, diversity and inclusion correspondent Nick Kituno, finance correspondent Henry Anderson, and deputy editor Dave West.

This week the news team bring you the podcast from the NHS Confed/Expo conference in Liverpool. Annabelle Collins, Lawrence Dunhill and Dave West are joined by guest Charlotte Augst, chief executive of charity National Voices. We cover the biggest talking points from this year’s conference, including Amanda Pritchard’s debut NHS Confed speech as NHSE CEO, the health secretary’s vision for ‘reform trusts’  and the continued uncertainty around ICS development.

The chief executives of Sandwell and West Birmingham, Countess of Chester, King's College and Croydon hospitals trusts - some of the worst affected through the covid pandemic - discuss what lessons can be learned, including more sharing of waiting lists and staff, developing critical care, addressing unequal resources, the resource gap, fast decision making and local leadership. Part two of two. See hsj.co.uk for analysis on the trusts hit hardest by covid.

The chief executives of Sandwell and West Birmingham, Countess of Chester, King's College and Croydon hospitals trusts - some of the worst affected through the covid pandemic - reflect on how they dealt with the fear and uncertainty of wave one, and the impact on staff then and now. Part one of two. See hsj.co.uk for analysis on the trusts hit hardest by covid.

This week our focus is on new ways of delivering care in the NHS. We discuss why the NHS is not on trajectory to meet its virtual ward ambitions and what needs to be done to gain the confidence of clinicians. Also an update on digital health service provider Babylon and why this major player is cautious about further NHS expansion. Plus our insight on virtual versus face-to-face GP appointment trends. Featuring Annabelle Collins, James Illman and Shruti Trivedi.

“Our project is in jeopardy.” This is according to one trust working on long-needed major hospital redevelopments, which were promised by the government in the run-up to the 2019 general election. HSJ revealed this week each project has only been given £1m to cover their planning costs – an amount which falls far below what is needed. We discuss why this could see the critical work delayed even further. Also an update on the ongoing ambulance crisis in the NHS after it emerged a patient waited 24-hours in an ambulance while waiting to be handed over to A&E. Link to video: https://twitter.com/HSJnews/status/1526447482661650432

On this week’s episode we discuss NHS England’s own staff survey results, which reveals the best and worst performing departments and regions and delivers a particularly worrying verdict on the People Directorate. We also turn again to integrated care systems, and this time focus on why in some areas a power struggle could emerge between ‘place’ and the system-wide leadership. Also, an update on two-year waiters in the NHS, a closer look at the trusts with the longest backlogs and why for some key performance targets will likely be missed.