Health-geekery October 2016

One of the challenges in my job is the sheer amount of information that crosses my desk; making sense of it, sifting out what is relevant, piggy-backing on the analysis of others while recognising that they too will have their own agenda.

A list of third-party links like the one below isn't the solution, but it is a way of ordering and keeping track of things. I'll try and mainly link to places that aren't hidden behind a paywall, but in the case of the Health Service Journal (HSJ) the issue is that the site itself is essential reading for anyone in the business.

And why put it on the blog? Hopefully it will be useful to others as well, but at least I'll know where to find it!

15 October - the Care Quality Commission launched its annual State Of Care Report

"More than 80 per cent of GP practices and six out of ten of adult social care services inspected by us so far have been rated as good or outstanding. Of the hospitals rated, 38 per cent were also found to be good or outstanding.

However, alongside these encouraging findings, there remains significant variation in quality and an unacceptable level of poor care. Up to 31 May 2015, 7 per cent of acute, primary medical and adult social care services had been rated as inadequate."

PS - the Walton Centre (specialist centre for brain and spinal conditions on Merseyside) got an outstanding rating from CQC.

And the somewhat less upbeat response from National Voices 

NV is the umbrella group for health and social care charities - the MND Association is unsurprisingly a member.

"The CQC’s State of Care report exposes the effects of chronic underfunding of social care services. Today we see people left to fund their own care, providers unable to deliver services, and a knock-on effect on overstretched NHS services as people repeatedly need help due to inadequate care arrangements."

National Voices' representation to the Treasury ahead of the Autumn Statement is also a very useful 'state of health and social care address' from the charity sector and well worth a look.

And while the NV love-in continues, here's their briefing on the current Health front-bench and their shadows.

Sustainability And Transformation Plans 

Birmingham first local area to publish its full STP submission (despite being told not to).

Birmingham City Council's Director for People has already expressed concern that there is too much focus on NHS finances in the STP proposal rather than a system-wide solution for health and social care (article here behind the HSJ paywall)

Behold the orientation briefing from Healthwatch Birmingham (plus the official NHS guidance on engaging communities in STP's)

Added 4 November - a round-up of further reporting online. Links do not imply endorsement, natch.

Birmingham Mail
Birmingham And Solihull Social Economy Consortium
Chamberlain Files (part the first)
Chamberlain Files (part the second)
Digital Health
Healthwatch Birmingham
Keep Our NHS Public Birmingham (pre-publication)
Local Medical Committee (pre-publication)
Local Medical Committee (post-publication)
Public Sector Executive
Solihull councillor Ken Hawkins

Further links collating known information on as many STP's as possible can be found on the Health Campaigns Together site.

King's Fund report on social care for older people

"The picture that emerges is of social care providers under pressure, struggling to retain staff, maintain quality and stay in business; local authorities making unenviable choices about where to make reductions; a complex set of causes of delays in discharging older people from hospital; and the voluntary sector keeping services going even when funding was curtailed."

25 October: Systems Not Structures Report on transformation of health and social care in Northern Ireland 

Written by committee chaired by international health expert Professor Rafael Bengoa, welcomed by NI Government. 

Full report, Executive summary, BBC article

At first glance, useful proposals and phrases from the executive summary:

• People in Northern Ireland are disproportionately high users of urgent care, perhaps due to the absence [...] of alternatives.
• 2 of the 3 ‘Triple Aims’ are improving patient experience of care and reducing the per capita cost of care, which are things we're talking about already (especially the former, pragmatically the latter).
• Recognition that some services are so specialist that they must be delivered at a Northern Ireland level.
• Support for exploring innovative primary care models (e.g. community nurse-led care models)

I'd like to add a transcript of Health Committee discussions from 27 October - the Minister for Health Michelle O'Neill + Professor Bengoa were briefing them on the report and how the Government sees it (broadly speaking, we know they like it). Unfortunately, I think it may have been in closed session.

Stark figures in Wales

Report from the Health Foundation analyses the demand and cost pressures facing the NHS in Wales up to 2019/20 and in the decade beyond.

At least £700m of efficiency savings needed, saieth the report.

And finally ... Uptown Trust Ranking

New oversight ratings for every NHS Trust (in England) from NHS Improvement - you'll need a Health Service Journal subscription to have a look at this.