- Seventeen NHS hospitals have dangerously low numbers of nurses – Telegraph – The hospitals, many of them busy district generals, were issued with warnings by the Care Quality Commission after its latest inspections, the body has disclosed.
Each was told it did not have enough staff “to keep people safe and meet their health and welfare needs” — the standard every part of the health service must meet. - Practices will have to work for CCG premiums – News – Practice Business – Dame Barbara had previously suggested the CCGs might hand these quality payments directly to GPs, but speaking to Pulse last week she instead insisted that GPs would have to earn them by meeting improvement targets in specific areas, like diabetes, for example.”We are recommending that the quality premium can only be used to improve services for patients,” Dame Barbara told the GP magazine.
“I don’t believe [offering bonuses directly to practices] would fit that definition.”
A spokesperson for the NHS Commissioning Board reiterated that CCGs would be free to set their own local priorities and improvement programmes.
- NHS Commissioning Board ‘to impose individuals on CCG boards’ | News Article | Pulse Today – Dame Barbara said: ‘I think it is likely we will see CCGs with conditions of level four and above.’Under level four conditions, the Commissioning Board places a specific team or individual on to the CCG board. Level five would see the CCG’s accountable officer replaced while level six would mean some of the CCG’s specific functions would be removed.
- Patient leaders concerned over CCG lay member strength | News | Health Service Journal – A review commissioned by the Department of Health and published earlier this month, called Embedding patient and public engagement in CCGs, looked at a small number of emerging CCGs to examine what support they needed to strengthen involvement.It highlighted concern about the experience and skills of some lay members, how they had been appointed, and the support and payment provided.
The report by consultancies the Moore Adamson Craig Partnership and InHealth Associates said: “Some CCGs provided them with contracts specifying remuneration, others with expenses and others with nothing at all.” It said the “roles need to be understood, supported, developed and rewarded”.
- Sir Ian Kennedy: Patients at risk from Mid-Staffs care failings across NHS – Telegraph – The Healthcare Commission system identified higher than normal mortality rates at Mid Staffs.
His comments follow the resignation of Amanda Pollard, an inspector at the CQC, who said that the regulator would not be able to spot another Mid Staffs scenario.
She said poor training of inspectors, along with irregular inspection of hospitals and a culture of bullying at the watchdog, had left the public at risk.
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