HSJ Health Check

On the podcast this week we look ahead to winter and ask whether NHS England’s ten-point A&E action plan could prevent a crisis. We also discuss important changes to infection control guidance and whether this could make a difference to the ever-growing elective backlog.

On this week’s podcast, we discuss the knock-on impact covid has had on staffing and services, after medical consultants at a major acute trust warned its leadership that specialist staff shortages are causing services to become unsafe. Also, Greater Manchester’s coroner’s office has opened an unusually high number of inquests into patient deaths — higher than all the other coroners in Yorkshire, Humber and the North East combined. Should this raise concerns that hundreds of other deaths around the region are not being properly investigated? We discuss the coronial system and the legacy of Harold Shipman in Greater Manchester and beyond.

The government has announced £15.6bn extra funding for the NHS — but NHS England is having to curb its ‘long-term plan’ ambitions and considering which of its budgets to shave. This week’s HSJ Health Check podcast explores why. We also cover how NHS England’s commitment to publish core performance data broken down to identify health inequalities, among other “urgent actions” to tackle inequalities, is nearly a year overdue. Featuring Dave West, Nick Kituno and Rebecca Thomas. You can listen to HSJ Health Check on this page, or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and all the other popular podcast platforms. Send feedback to annabelle.collins@wilmingtonhealthcare.com.

This week’s HSJ Health Check podcast discusses the warnings made by a Greater Manchester coroner over the risks of remote GP appointments, following the deaths of five people. Is it fair to blame general practice for the safety concerns? We also talked about the government’s big health and care funding announcement and what it means for the NHS. Featuring Lawrence Dunhill, Jasmine Rapson and Rebecca Thomas.

This week’s HSJ Health Check podcast discusses the government comms “playbook” which, as revealed by HSJ, told trusts they should describe new wings, units and refurbishments as “new hospitals” — which they are not. We also talk about NHS England’s framework contract for salary advance schemes for NHS staff, similar to the proposal from now-collapsed Earnd. Featuring Ben Clover, Annabelle Collins and Dave West.

With seven months to go we discuss what ICSs have to do before they become statute on 1 April, amid brewing rows over who might sit on the board. We also discuss mental health provider collaboratives, which will soon be taking on budgets and ask: what can ICSs learn from them? And with yet more news of private providers being rated inadequate, we ask who is keeping a grip on care quality. Featuring Sharon Brennan, Rebecca Thomas and Annabelle Collins.

An HSJ investigation revealed this week that coroners have raised multiple concerns pandemic hospital visiting restrictions may have had a damaging effect on patient care. We discuss how vulnerable patients have been adversely affected by these covid rules and how trusts are still having to balance patient visiting with reducing the spread of covid. Also this episode- trust leaders have spoken of fears that specialised services could become fragmented under Health Bill reforms. We cover why new delegated budgets could result in ICS’ going their own way. Featuring Hayley Kirton, Jack Serle and Annabelle Collins.

Waits in NHS accident and emergency departments have risen to an all-time high, according to the latest national data, while there has been a surge in the number of people calling ambulances for the most serious types of incidents. We try and unpick why the health service is under such extreme pressure in the middle of summer. Also the ongoing international blood collection tube shortage rumbles on and we discuss the impact this is having on patients and service providers. Featuring Annabelle Collins, Alison Moore and Jack Serle

This week’s NHS Health Check podcast is dedicated to all matters staffing. We discuss the implications of the pay review and where the NHS will find the money to fund it since the government said it must come from the NHS’s own budgets; who should be paid more, chief executives of trusts or integrated care systems; and why shielding NHS staff were not given risk assessments before they returned to work as initially promised by NHS England. This week’s podcast is brought to you by Annabelle Collins, Nick Kituno and Sharon Brennan

In a leaked letter obtained by HSJ the government has told eight of the most advanced ‘40 new hospitals’ trusts to put together cheaper plans for their new buildings. Trusts are scrambling to get their new plans in by Monday and we dissect what impact this could have on the future of these crucial rebuilding schemes. We also discuss the recent announcement of 25 permanent chairs for the new integrated care boards, and of course, the appointment of new NHS CEO Amanda Pritchard. Featuring Sharon Brennan, Nick Carding and Annabelle Collins.