Next STF payments depend solely on financial performance – HSJ NHS trusts will not be penalised for missing waiting targets in the last three months of 2016-17, as part of new efforts to curb the financial deficit. Bookings now open for joint Brexit events – NHS Employers Bookings are now open…

STPs clash over possible ‘repatriation’ of services – Health Service Journal Two sustainability and transformation plan areas are in disagreement over a plan to reconfigure cardiovascular services, with one key provider trust citing concerns that “longstanding strong clinical relationships are under threat”. ‘A&E special measures’ proposal rejected – Health Service Journal A…

  The effect of hospital ownership on quality of care: evidence from England – Centre for Health Economics This research investigates whether quality of care differs between public and private hospitals in England with data on 3.8 million publicly-funded patients receiving 133 planned (non-emergency) treatments in 393 public and 190 private…

Prognostic Accuracy of Sepsis-3 Criteria for In-Hospital Mortality Among Patients With Suspected Infection Presenting to the Emergency Department This piece of research has lead to a practice changing update on DynaMed Plus*. It concludes that among adults with suspected infection admitted to an ICU, an increase in SOFA score of…

New drive to make sure trust staff sleep on night shifts – HSJ All 15,000 staff at one of the country’s leading hospitals are being encouraged to take their breaks – including sleep during night shifts – to protect patients. End of life care for adults: Quality standard [QS13] –…

  Maternity Challenge Fund NHS England has announced the winners for the latest round of the Maternity Challenge Fund.  Three projects are each being awarded £50,000 to explore innovative ways to use women’s and their partners’ feedback to improve maternity services.  The winning trusts are Gloucester Hospitals, Southport and Ormskirk…

New publication by Mr Soni, North West Regional Spinal Injuries Centre, Southport Hospital Long-term survival after traumatic spinal cord injury: a 70-year British study. Savic G, DeVivo MJ, Frankel HL, Jamous MA, Soni BM, Charlifue S. Analyse long-term survival after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) in Great Britain over the 70-year study…

Three-way merger to create largest CCG in England – HSJ Three clinical commissioning groups in Merseyside have announced plans to merge, after NHS England “paved the way” for discussions to start.  Liverpool, South Sefton and Southport and Formby CCGs said formal talks will begin in April, with the aim of…