The Scalpel's Blog

Mid Yorks Hospitals NHS Trust: Our improvement journey

28.05.19: Chief executive of the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Martin Barkley, writes for NHE to guide us through his trust’s improvement journey. It’s arguably a hackneyed phrase in the NHS, but Mid Yorkshire really has been on a si...

The Oldham Model

28.05.19: Dr Carolyn Wilkins OBE, accountable officer of NHS Oldham CCG and chief executive of Oldham Council, provides an overview of the health and social care integration work taking place in the borough. Under the Oldham Cares banner our alliance...

How are we improving outcomes for those affected by stroke?

28.05.19: Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), provides her view on the newly published NICE impact report on stroke. Stroke is one of the greatest health challenges of our ti...

The introduction of state indemnity and the continued importance of MDO membership

22.05.19: Dr Caroline Fryar, head of advisory services at the Medical Defence Union (MDU), explains why medical defence organisation (MDO) membership remains important following the introduction of state indemnity. On 1 April 2019, state indemnity fo...

System working in an uncertain world

09.05.19: What, exactly, is an integrated care system? Well, it’s unclear, writes Kacey Cogle, policy advisor at NHS Providers. On the NHS England website, integrated care systems (ICSs) are not clearly defined, referring to STPs (sustainabilit...

Empower your reader, choose print

07.05.19: We are on a digital rollercoaster, swirling and twirling through a variety of different online advertising platforms – have we forgotten about traditional marketing platforms such as print? The UK is currently the global leader in adv...

Our Health Heroes

16.04.19: Dean Royles, strategic workforce advisor at Skills for Health and co-author of ‘An Introduction to Human Resource Management,’ discusses the upcoming Our Health Heroes Awards. There are many metaphors to describe staff working i...

Improving patient flow in west London

10.04.19: Sonya Clinch, West London NHS Trust’s head of operations for access and urgent care, tells us how her trust dealt with significant pressures in its services. Maintaining good patient flow is challenging in many trusts, often because t...

NICE recommends monofilament debridement technology for use in acute or chronic wounds

08.04.19: Following a comprehensive review, NICE’s Medical Technology Guidance has recommended Debrisoft pad (10x10cm), Debrisoft Lolly and Debrisoft pad (13x20cm), manufactured by Lohmann & Rauscher, as part of the management of acute or chroni...

The benefits of bringing volunteers to the heart of your hospital

03.04.19: Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, outlines the benefits of bringing volunteers into hospitals, as well as the valuable work of Helpforce. Volunteers have always been involved in the NHS, and it&...

Hello Future: adressing the NHS workforce crisis

27.03.19: With the current NHS workforce crisis viewed by many as the biggest threat to the success of the NHS Long-Term Plan, Tasy Warn, director of employment services at NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS), describes some of the innovative solutions...

What progress are we making to transform our population’s mental health?

25.03.19: Professor Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health and Social Care at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence - NICE - provides her view of the newly published NICE impact report on mental health. Mental hea...

Personal Health Budgets: empowering individuals

20.03.19: Jon Baker, PHBChoices director at NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) believes that the extension of Personal Health Budgets (PHBs) is a great opportunity for clinical commissioning groups (CCG) to expand and improve care provision – pr...

Focusing on hand injury prevention would ensure vital benefits for the public and the NHS

18.03.19: Ian McNab, consultant orthopaedic hand surgeon and council member of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, outlines how a focus on prevention to hand injury could wider benefits for the NHS and general public. The NHS Long-Term Plan...

NHS Trusts collaborate with industry to improve cancer patient outcomes

12.03.19: Novartis Oncology has worked with the NHS on 55 JWPs since 2014, focusing on areas including improving the patient experience, redesigning cancer services, harnessing service data, and piloting innovative care models. JWPs can lead to rapid...