Read Jack Serle's latest HSJi Review, which notes that the new leadership team at NHS England has been anointed by the “transition CEO” Sir Jim Mackey.

Almost all the new appointments are chief executives from large acute provider trusts, reflecting the central goal for the next year: reducing the number of people waiting more than 18 weeks for elective care. Read the full article here.

Latest investigations

Bedfordshire Hospitals Foundation Trust

BHFT needs to reduce its reliance on escalation beds. The trust is among the worst 10 acute providers against the new elective care target. BHFT is seeking funding for a surgical care unit and a new community diagnostic centre in Luton. Improvement action is underway after the Care Quality Commission rated its maternity service as “inadequate”. The trust has instated a financial recovery plan. Fragile services may be consolidated with MKUH next year. Ageing infrastructure is disrupting patient care, and a new car park is needed.

Royal Berkshire Foundation Trust

There is a focus on diverting patients away from accident and emergency. An urgent care centre is set to open on the Royal Berks site. The trust is expanding the use of virtual wards and same-day emergency care. The date for the new hospital has been pushed back to 2040. An elective care centre is opening this year. The trust is struggling to deliver its financial plan, with efforts focused on cutting non-clinical staff and reducing bank costs. There is also a system-wide focus on reducing spending on high-cost drugs.

Humber and North Yorkshire ICS

The integrated care board has struggled to get the system’s providers to work together. Two acute trusts are involved in the joint procurement of an electronic patient record. A controversial service reconfiguration is underway in the east of the patch. The biggest performance challenge is emergency care. Management consultants have been brought in to improve patient flow. Poor cancer performance has led to national intervention. The system deficit is set to double due to rising cost pressures. The ICB has not been able to realise its planned continuing healthcare savings. An overreliance on non-recurrent measures this year will make 2025-26 even tougher. Providers will be pushed further on headcount reduction.

Data

Last week the following data points were updated:

• Emergency care streaming indicator, Type 1 Departments - Major A&E %, Emergency care streaming indicator, Type 3 Departments - Other A&E/Minor Injury Unit, Discharge delays due to ‘internal’ reasons, Discharge delays due to ‘external’ reasons, 12 hour A&E waits, 12 hour A&E waits (% of total attendances), Four hours A&E performance (all patients), A&E attendances, % beds occupied by delayed discharges, Super stranded patients of Acute for Feb
• Discharge delays due to ‘internal’ reasons, Discharge delays due to ‘external’ reasons of ICS for Feb
• Number of cases waiting over one year, Proportion of cases waiting over one year % of Acute, community, and specialist for Jan
• Faster Diagnosis Standard of Acute for Jan
• 18 week waiting time target of Acute,Sp,Com for Q4 2024-25
• CQC Rating of Acute, SP, MH, Com, Amb for Q4 2024-25
• Elective patients waiting more than 18 weeks of Acute, Sp for Q4 2024-25
• NHS talking therapies of MH for Q4 2024-25
• Year-plus waiters of ICS for Q4 2024-25
• 62 day cancer target, 31 day cancer target of Scotland for Q3 2024-25
• Providers with 'outstanding' leadership of ICS for Q4 2024-25
• % Domain rated good or outstanding, % sites rated good or outstanding, % sites rated well led, Number of Sites, Number of Sites rated by CQC, Sites rated good, Sites rated inadequate, Sites rated outstanding, Sites rated requires improvement, Leadership, Telephone numbers, Website Address of Private Providers for Q4 2024-25
• Name of Wales, Scotland for March
• Main Location, Number Details, Telephone Number of Acute,Sp,Com,MH,Amb for Q3 2024-25
• Location of Wales, Private Providers for Q4 2024-25
• Phone number, About the board link, Board paper link of Wales, Scotland for Q4 2024-25
• Strategic Plan of ICS for 2024-29