The Scalpel's Blog

Across National Health Executive’s The Scalpel Blog,  you’ll find an assortment of opinions on health policy and NHS news from NHE’s guest bloggers, editorial board members, in-house reporters, and regular contributors.

Interested in becoming a guest blogger? Email the editorial team.

Organ Donation Week: Having the conversation

11.09.20: As part of Organ Donation Week, NHE’s Matt Roberts spoke with our Managing Director Roy Rowlands about the importance of raising awareness for the subject and having these conversations; as families, organisations and individuals. ...

Covid-19 can signal a new deal with the public on health

28.08.20: Danny Mortimer, Chief Executive, NHS Employers & Deputy Chief Executive, NHS Confederation The common enemy of coronavirus united the public side by side with the NHS in a way that many had not seen in their lifetimes and for...

Making research more accessible and attractive in our hospitals

27.08.20: Professor Cheng-Hock Toh, Academic Vice-President, Royal College of Physicians UK medical and scientific research is a global success story, encompassing Nobel prize-winning breakthroughs, novel drug discoveries and world-leading scientific...

Calling the NHS a ‘Covid-only service’ is untrue, unfair and potentially dangerous

12.08.20: Chris Hopson, Chief Executive, NHS Providers Last week the NHS was widely described as providing a ‘Covid-19 only’ service for much of the last few months. Frontline NHS trust leaders are frustrated and disappointed at this desc...

Adopting intelligent automation technology in the health service

06.08.20: Darren Atkins, Chief Technology Officer (Artificial Intelligence & Automation), East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust featured on Episode 11 of NHE’s Finger on the Pulse podcast.   “What I say to all the or...

Supporting complex needs and providing a caring environment

05.08.20: Dr Nichola Stefanou, Director of Clinical Practice, Home Group With the UK government announcing a £62m funding package to speed up the discharge of people with learning disabilities and autism from hospital, Dr Nichola Stefanou expla...

Investing in people to reap the full benefits of data in the NHS

03.08.20: Adam Mayer, Senior Manager, Qlik Data has the power to drastically improve patient care delivery within our healthcare services. From managing key operational issues, to identifying patterns to inform population health strategies, it&r...

Improving population health: How trusts contribute to prevention

31.07.20: Leonora Volpe, Policy Advisor, NHS Providers The idea that the NHS should be involved in prevention is not a new one. However, in an environment of strained resources and widening health inequalities, with low investment in public serv...

How to create an effective personalised care plan

23.07.20: Rachel Georgiou, Operations Manager, Health Exchange   Personalised care will play an increasing role in the future of delivering healthcare. By 2024, personalised care is expected to benefit up to 2.5 million people in the UK. A...

Respiratory conditions: Reducing mortality rates and closing the gap on health inequalities

22.07.20: Jennifer Watts, Interim Programme Director for System Support and Evaluation, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)   Respiratory disease affects 1 in 5 people and is the third biggest cause of death in En...

Redesigning OPAT: Improved Capacity, Better Patient Care

20.07.20: Dr Mogjan H Sani, Director Medicines Optimisation, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust Rebecca Alexander, Associate Chief Pharmacist Clinical Services, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust Richard Cowan, Lead Antim...

NHS at 72: Managing mental health services going forward

03.07.20: Sean Duggan, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Network Let’s take this opportunity to reflect on the amazing achievements of our health system over the past few months. But as we recognise the best of the NHS and its response to th...

AAC, PHPs & Me: Could the life sciences sector benefit the NHS?

30.06.20: Matt Roberts, NHE Editorial Lead Yes, would be the simple answer. There are significant skills and expertise within the sector which the NHS could tap into; that much has been a largely agreed upon fact for some time. The ability to further...

The mental health victims of the pandemic – the role of intervention

22.06.20: Parminder Sandhu, Mental Health Services Manager for Health Exchange As the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic continues, there is increased awareness that the virus is causing problems far beyond physical illness. So, what are some of...

NICE recommendations to improve the lives of children, young people

16.06.20: Judith Richardson, Acting Director for Health and Social Care at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), discusses her views on the latest NICE impact report on children’s and young people’s healthcare. Chi...

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latest healthcare news

Organ Donation Week: Having the conversation

11/09/2020Organ Donation Week: Having the conversation

As part of Organ Donation Week, NHE’s Matt Roberts spoke with our Managing Director Roy Rowlands about the importance of raising aware... more >
Grant funding awarded for unique Nurse Innovation Fellow position

11/09/2020Grant funding awarded for unique Nurse Innovation Fellow position

Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust has been awarded a grant from the Burdett Trust for Nursing to fund a unique Nursing Innovation Fell... more >
National trial to investigative best treatment for childhood asthma

11/09/2020National trial to investigative best treatment for childhood asthma

An innovative new £1.5m national clinical trial looking at finding the best treatment for childhood asthma has been funded by NIHR. Le... more >

editor's comment

26/06/2020Adapting and Innovating

Matt Roberts, National Health Executive Editorial Lead. NHE May/June 2020 Edition We’ve been through so much as a health sector and a society in recent months with coronavirus and nothing can take away from the loss and difficulties that we’ve faced but it vital we also don’t disregard the amazing efforts we’v... read more >

last word

Haseeb Ahmad: ‘We all have a role to play in getting innovations quicker’

Haseeb Ahmad: ‘We all have a role to play in getting innovations quicker’

Haseeb Ahmad, president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), sits down with National Health Executive as part of our Last Word Q&A series. Would you talk us through your career in healthcare? My parents both worked in the NHS on the frontline. My mum was a GP, and my dad was a nephrologist in inner city L... more > more last word articles >

the scalpel's daily blog

Organ Donation Week: Having the conversation

11/09/2020Organ Donation Week: Having the conversation

As part of Organ Donation Week, NHE’s Matt Roberts spoke with our Managing Director Roy Rowlands about the importance of raising awareness for the subject and having these conversations; as families, organisations and individuals. We don’t often like to think about the end, but as Organ Donation Week – which has run... more >
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NHS England dementia director prescribes rugby for mental health and dementia patients

23/09/2019NHS England dementia director prescribes rugby for mental health and dementia patients

Reason to celebrate as NHS says watching rugby can be good for your mental health and wellbeing. As the best rugby players in the world repr... more >
Peter Kyle MP: It’s time to say thank you this Public Service Day

21/06/2019Peter Kyle MP: It’s time to say thank you this Public Service Day

Taking time to say thank you is one of the hidden pillars of a society. Being on the receiving end of some “thanks” can make communit... more >
Nurses named as least-appreciated public sector workers

13/06/2019Nurses named as least-appreciated public sector workers

Nurses have been named as the most under-appreciated public sector professionals as new research reveals how shockingly under-vauled our NHS, edu... more >
Creating the Cardigan integrated care centre

10/06/2019Creating the Cardigan integrated care centre

Peter Skitt, county director and commissioner for Ceredigion Hywel Dda University Health Board, looks ahead to the new integrated care centre bei... more >

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interviews

Organ Donation Week: Having the conversation

11/09/2020Organ Donation Week: Having the conversation

As part of Organ Donation Week, NHE’s Matt Roberts spoke with our Managing Director Roy Rowlands about the importance of raising aware... more >
Matt Hancock says GP recruitment is on the rise to support ‘bedrock of the NHS’

24/10/2019Matt Hancock says GP recruitment is on the rise to support ‘bedrock of the NHS’

Today, speaking at the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) annual conference, Matt Hancock highlighted what he believes to be the three... more >
NHS dreams come true for Teesside domestic

17/09/2019NHS dreams come true for Teesside domestic

Over 20 years ago, a Teesside hospital cleaner put down her mop and took steps towards her midwifery dreams. Lisa Payne has been delivering ... more >
How can winter pressures be dealt with? Introduce a National Social Care Service, RCP president suggests

24/10/2018How can winter pressures be dealt with? Introduce a National Social Care Service, RCP president suggests

A dedicated national social care service could be a potential solution to surging demand burdening acute health providers over the winter months,... more >