Health and care sector latest developments

BMA to put government offer to resident doctors in England

The government has put forward an offer on ending the jobs crisis for doctors in England. The offer includes:

• Emergency legislation in the New Year to prioritise UK medical graduates and other doctors with significant experience working in the NHS for specialty training role.
• The increase of specialty training posts over the next three years from the 1,000 announced in the 10 Year Health Plan, to 4,000. These posts will be repurposed from ‘locally employed’ roles already present in the health service.
• Bringing forward 1,000 of those training posts to start in 2026.
• Funding mandatory Royal College examination and membership fees for resident doctors.

The BMA will consult resident doctor members in England to see if they want to call off strike action on the 17 December. A survey of members will run online, closing on Monday 15 December.

Corridor care ‘endemic’ in UK

New research has suggested that corridor care is ‘endemic’ in the UK.

A study, published by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine's (RCEM) trainee emergency research network (Tern) and reported by The Guardian, found that in A&E departments one in five patients are being treated in hallways, offices and cupboards.

Almost every A&E department analysed was found to use corridor care as a result of overcrowding and long delays in receiving treatment.

RCEM's president, Dr Ian Higginson, condemned corridor care as a "shameful practice", arguing that patients "have been failed by successive governments."

A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care pledged to "turn around the shocking situation we inherited", highlighting that the department "will be publishing corridor waiting figures for the first time".

Health minister gives evidence to Lords Public Services Committee inquiry on medicines security

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety Dr Zubir Ahmed MP gave evidence to the Lords Public Services Committee inquiry on medicines security this morning. The minister answered questions on medicines stock and waste, the UK-US medicines deal agreed last month and innovative medicines.

He used his appearance at the committee to announce that across the UK patients will benefit from innovative treatments following a cut in rebate costs for companies by more than a third.

‘Collaboration’ explains sharp performance boost, say trusts

South Western has seen substantial improvement in response times over the past 12 months, which it attributes to ‘collaboration’ with local providers and integrated care boards.

South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust has often had the longest response times nationally for category 2 calls since 2021.

Last winter its response times were nearly 20 minutes longer than the national average, and in winter 2022 they were more than an hour over the average.

This was largely driven by the emergence of very long delays in handing over ambulance patients at many of the region’s A&Es – these have also been persistently among the longest nationally.

Chief executive to leave within weeks after decade at major trust

The chief executive of a major hospital trust will leave this month after a decade in post, it has announced.

Roland Sinker, who joined Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust in late 2015, is to step down at the end of the year. He will join the University of Cambridge to lead a major review of its work and plans for inclusive innovation and growth.

The trust said the move “aligns with an 18-month succession plan at CUH corresponding with Roland’s tenth year at the organisation”. 

Deputy chief executive Nicola Ayton will become acting chief executive next month, before recruitment for a substantive successor.

Mr Sinker said: “Ten years on from joining CUH, I’m now excited to take on this new challenge at the University of Cambridge, where I can leverage the strong partnerships we have in Cambridge to accelerate progress and help define a fully inclusive innovation and growth strategy to benefit the region and the entire UK.”

Redundancy rules relaxed for NHSE and ICB staff

NHS England staff taking voluntary redundancy (VR) will no longer face payment clawbacks if they get a job in government outside of health.

The terms for the scheme initially said that those who left, then got a job ‘in the NHS, government departments or arm’s length bodies’ within a defined period, would lose part of their payout.

The VR scheme was agreed last month after lengthy delays in an agreement between the NHS and Treasury, and applies to NHS England, integrated care boards and commissioning support units.

The restriction applies for six months for all staff, and a further six months for very senior managers and anyone whose VR payment is more than £100,000.

However, NHS England has now told staff the clawback will not apply to anyone getting a job in a government department other than the Department of Health and Social Care, nor to arm’s-length bodies under other departments.

For those with skills and experience relevant to general national public sector roles, this represents a significant curbing of the restriction, which previously applied to some 613 government organisations. Some staff had argued the restriction was dissuading them from applying for VR, which is open until Sunday (14 December).

Flu vaccinations urged to protect families this Christmas

Flu infections are surging among children, raising concerns they will pass the virus to older relatives over Christmas, prompting NHS leaders to stress that it is “now or never” for families to get children vaccinated.

As The Telegraph reports, vaccination rates remain low despite high flu activity, leading the NHS to expand access through pop up clinics in community venues, with all children aged two to 17 eligible for a free nasal spray vaccine.

Some schools have introduced temporary Covid-style measures to curb outbreaks, while health officials warn that this year’s flu strain is highly infectious and could place significant pressure on hospitals over the festive period.