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Mackey: Pay bill growth list was ‘intended to start a discussion’ – Health Service Journal
NHS Improvement has told HSJ that its list of trusts with high pay bill growth was “intended to start a discussion” and the organisations are “not being targeted for cuts to their workforce”.

The consequences of living within your means – The King’s Fund Blog
The technicality (or ‘administrative error’ as the National Audit Office described it) that enabled the Department of Health to avoid breaching expenditure controls set by parliament may have spared it from the full wrath of the National Audit Office, MPs and the Public Accounts Committee; but it did little to hide the bottom line – a serious financial crisis engulfing the NHS.

NHS’s financial woes undermine quality and safety drive – BMJ
The announcement by NHS England and NHS Improvement of a “reset” of NHS finances to try to cut deficits,1 2 as well as the accusation that 63 trusts were guilty of excessive growth in their pay bill, can be seen as the end of the policy drive around quality and safety that followed the Mid Staffordshire scandal.

Stockport hospital to make 350 voluntary redundancies to tackle deficit – NHE
Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport is to cut the equivalent of 350 full-time jobs in order to cope with financial pressures. Stockport Lib Dems said that Stepping Hill had briefed staff that it has a £40m deficit and is losing £75 a minute. To cope with the deficit, it is closing surgical ward B3 on 29 July with a loss…

North West trust in turnaround scheme could cut workforce by 7pc – Health Service Journal

• Stockport Foundation Trust says it could cut up to 350 whole time equivalent posts
• HSJ understands the reduction is an estimate based on average salaries and seen as a maximum number
• KPMG have been working with the trust on a national programme that is expected to be expanded across the sector

CQC wants ‘sophisticated’ approach to safe staffing – Health Service Journal
The Care Quality Commission has tried to strike a new tone on safe staffing in its latest hospital inspection in an effort to make its position clear.

Supporting NHS finance leaders –  Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)
This report summarises the research carried out by the HFMA on behalf of Future-Focused Finance into the obstacles faced by aspiring finance leaders in achieving their career ambitions and the support available for aspiring and current finance leaders. It draws on interviews with aspiring finance leaders, the results of a survey of aspiring and current finance leaders and desk-based research.
Please note that you need to register in order to download this publication.

Financial forecasting in the NHS –  Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA)
Being able to produce an accurate operational and financial plan and then to estimate how the organisation will perform in financial terms against that plan is a key responsibility of NHS finance directors. This briefing focuses on how financial performance is estimated, predicted and reported within the NHS. It also includes a number of case studies to illustrate how the theory is applied in practice and how some organisations tackle the challenges of forecasting.
Please note that you need to register in order to download this publication.

NHS England to set up ‘Brexit unit’ to ensure smooth transition – NHE
NHS England is in the process of establishing a special unit to deal with the impact of the UK’s exit from the European Union to ensure “a smooth transition and protect the NHS”. Simon Stevens, CEO of NHS England, said at an NHS board meeting this morning that the NHS Brexit unit would “make sure, as the…

MCP Vanguard model to reach a quarter of country next year with fresh funding – NHE
A new national New Care Models funding stream will contribute to support additional multi-speciality care partnerships (MCPs) nationwide, NHS England has said, just as its chair, Sir Malcolm Grant, highlighted the importance of getting the MCP contract right in order to implement STPs and spur further integration. In an MCP contract…

Stevens: Most STPs ready by October as ‘substantial’ progress made – NHE
The sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) are on track to be agreed by autumn, the chief executive of NHS England has said. Simon Stevens told the NHS England board meeting this morning that progress on the STPs, which were submitted at the end of June, had been “very substantial” and that they were ready to develop…

NHS task and finish improvement group to tighten conflict of interest rules – NHE
A new NHS England task and finish improvement group is in the process of developing stricter rules on potential conflicts of interest such as gifts to medical practitioners. In a blog post on the NHS England website, Professor Sir Malcolm Grant, chair of NHS England, said that the group had agreed that a “principles based”…

NHS Improvement to explore new private sector partnerships -Health Service Journal
NHS Improvement is to explore new partnerships between the health service and the private sector, including the potential for further outsourcing of clinical services and the use of “independent sector management models”.

The Researcher
Health Education England and the National Institute for Health Research have launched a new digital publicationThe Reseacher.  Made by health researchers for health researchers, the magazine illustrates real-life stories of what it is like to undertake a research career.  Three editions are planned; this first edition has the theme of breaking boundaries.

NICE quality and productivity case study: lower urinary tract symptoms in men
NICE has published a quality and productivity case study from South Norfolk Healthcare Community Interest Company.  The purpose of the initiative was to improve the quality of care for men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).  The primary aim was to prevent inappropriate referrals and raise the quality of patient referrals by improving the decisions made by clinicians and their patients.  The use of patient decision aids and shared decision-making help to facilitate the quality of referrals and make better use of resources.