Correspondence

FT Bulletin 7 October 2015

Published 7 October 2015

Applies to England

1. For information

1.1 Chief Executive of NHS Improvement announced

NHS Improvement is being formed to drive and support both urgent improvements at the frontline and the long term sustainability of the healthcare system. Alongside that, it will be the health sector regulator.

NHS Improvement will bring together Monitor, the NHS Trust Development Authority (TDA), the Patient Safety Team from NHS England, the Advancing Change Team from NHS Improving Quality and the Intensive Support Teams from NHS Interim Management and Support.

Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, has been appointed as NHS Improvement’s Chief Executive. He will be in post full time from 1 November 2015.

1.2 What did non-executive directors (NEDs) tell us they want support on?

Thanks to all the NEDs who took part in our survey earlier this year. Over 60% of you told us that your motivations for becoming a NED are being fulfilled but we know that there is more we can do to help.

In addition, over 100 of you offered to help support training sessions by sharing your experience with colleagues and so we’ll be arranging a series of informal, half-day seminars on areas including:

• improving culture
• strategy
• financial turnaround

We’ll be contacting those of you who are interested in speaking at these events which will run under Chatham House rules and without anyone from Monitor’s regulatory team present.

Please email lara.sonola@monitor.gov.uk for more information or to express interest in attending or presenting.

1.3 Does anyone on your board have chief executive potential?

We’ve heard from provider boards that not enough is being done to invest in developing the pipeline for chief executive roles, and that this is reflected in how difficult it is to build strong shortlists for these posts.

To address this, alongside the NHS TDA, NHS Leadership Academy and NHS Providers, we’ve established the ‘Aspiring Chief Executive Programme’. Through an open selection process, the programme will identify a group of 14 aspiring chief executives and then enable them to experience a demanding, assessed learning programme that is designed to ensure that they are ready for the job when the opportunity arises.

If you are in an executive role and think you would like the challenge of being a chief executive, then read more about the programme and apply.

Please also share these details with anyone on your executive board who you believe would make a strong candidate.

Applications open from 9 October.

2. Webinars

2.1 Co-commissioning primary care: how the rules can support you in improving local services

Thursday 15 October

12:30pm to 1:30pm

Who is it for?

This will be primarily for commissioning roles but others may also find some of the topics discussed of interest.

Why join?

To find out more about how commissioners can commission the best services for your patients, through assessing local need and using flexible contracting approaches, while remaining within the rules on procurement, patient choice and competition.

We will:

• highlight specific findings relevant to commissioners from Monitor’s report on improving GP services
• hear from a commissioner who is undertaking co-commissioning about the challenges faced, and plans for the future
• explore how the commissioning rules can help clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) achieve their primary care improvement plans

You can email any challenges or issues you would like us to discuss to events@monitor.gov.uk until 5pm on Friday 9 October; all submissions will remain anonymous.

Register now for this webinar

2.2 A&E delays: method, findings and next steps

Thursday 22 October

1pm to 2pm

Who it for?

Anyone interested in and/or working in the healthcare sector, and the following roles within foundation trusts,

NHS trusts and independent providers:

• clinicians
• NHS analysts
• strategy, operations and business development directors/equivalent
• think tank healthcare researchers
• academics

Why join?

To hear an outline of the method, key findings and next steps being explored by us and the wider sector to prevent A&E delays. This follows our recently published report and recommendations looking at reasons why the 4 hour A&E standard was missed during Q3 2014/15, reaching its lowest level for more than 10 years.

Register for this webinar to:

• find out how we analysed A&E performance and developed evidence based policy
• gain an understanding of our key findings
• find out what Monitor and other arm’s length bodies are doing to support much challenged emergency care systems through the Emergency Care Improvement Programme (ECIP)
• ask questions about the report during our Q&A

Register for this webinar now.

3. Events

3.1 Board induction day

Monitor’s offices, Waterloo, London

Thursday 12 November

Who is it for?

Newly appointed chairs and chief executives of NHS foundation trusts who have not had prior experience of Monitor’s foundation trust assessment process.

Why attend?

Come along to our free event and find out about the following areas that will help you in your role:

• our role, including an overview of pricing and competition
• the NHS foundation trust legal framework
• the regulatory regime: including the risk assessment framework and enforcement processes
• quality and quality governance
• foundation trust governance, including working effectively with governors
• current issues in the NHS

Places are limited so if you would like to enquire about a place or be kept informed of future dates, please contact mel.baldwin@monitor.gov.uk.

3.2 Making improvements in mortality (in partnership with the NHS TDA and The Health Foundation)

London

Thursday 26 November

Who is it for?

NHS foundation trust and NHS trust medical directors and nursing directors.

Why attend?

This free event will focus on the forthcoming national mortality review, with Mike Durkin, Director of Patient Safety at NHS England, delivering the keynote speech.

Colleagues will share their experiences and talk about the approaches they’ve taken with case note reviews and the use of care bundles, in improving care and reducing avoidable mortality.

The aims of this event are to:

• share practical strategies for promoting best practice and behaviours
• reduce variability

We encourage you to attend this engaging and informative event and you can sign up to secure your place now.

4. External updates

4.1 From the Department of Health (DH): Payment of tenancy charges

DH has contacted foundation trust accountable officers, chief executives and chief finance officers about the large value of outstanding NHS Property Services (NHSPS) and Community Health Partnerships (CHP) invoices, including a significant amount unpaid from 2014/15 and 2013/14.

In some cases, information and system challenges following the handover from primary care trusts contributed to slower processing and a higher than expected level of queries and disputes in relation to the tenancy charges for these years. However, please note that:

• funding disputes with commissioners cannot be grounds for withholding or delaying payment of tenancy charges to NHSPS or CHP
• whole invoices should not be held back from payment due to a query or dispute about only part of the charge: the undisputed parts of any invoices must be paid within the normal payment timeframes
• the undisputed parts of any outstanding invoices from 2014/15 and earlier should be settled immediately

NHSPS and CHP have begun raising invoices for 2015/16 and these should be settled within the payment terms contracted or otherwise following the sector’s best practice of 15 days from invoice date.

If you have any queries about this, then please email Ben.masterson@dh.gsi.gov.uk at DH.

4.2 From the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN): Data requirements for treating private patients

In April new regulations from the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) Private Healthcare Market Investigation Order took effect, impacting both independent and NHS providers of privately funded treatment.

Many foundation trusts treating private patients have already taken action to identify high value consultant incentives but there are further requirements to publish better information on private healthcare options, similar to that available to NHS patients through Choices.

The CMA appointed the PHIN to manage this data collection and publish the new information. They have already written to all NHS hospitals known to provide private treatment to advise of this but they are still waiting for some responses.

Information will be published from April 2017, so preparation is required now. If your trust provides any private treatment and you have not already made contact with PHIN, please do so by emailing info@PHIN.org.uk or calling 020 7307 2862.

5. Get in touch

5.1 Our latest job opportunities

For more information or to apply, please visit our recruitment website joinmonitor.com.

5.2 Queries or feedback

If you have any queries about the information in this bulletin, please contact your relationship manager at Monitor.

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5.4 Publications

All of our publications are available to download from our publications section.