Trusts told to make savings ‘never delivered before by NHS’ (HCSA via HSJ)

NHS trusts are now facing challenging savings targets as high as 5 per cent of their total costs, which many say will be impossible to deliver. Sources told HSJ there was widespread scepticism about how deliverable the asks for 2022-23 will be.

Lifecycle comment: The savings target for the NHS is especially challenging given the inflationary market that we now face. Energy and fuel costs seem likely to rise as global crises persist, compounded by a reduction in supply due to supplier failure and reduced output from China. What’s more, the NHS is being asked to meet net-zero targets, both internally and throughout its supply chain by 2045.

We are, however, starting to see more joined-up thinking in these areas where delivery of savings is not just in isolation but as part of a broader strategy to address sustainability, social value, value-based procurement and supply chain management.

This approach is something that Lifecycle has long since championed and developed service offerings to the NHS and wider public sector in line with these strategic objectives.

Read more.
Read on HSJ (subscription required).

Councils warn of ‘budget blackhole’ due to social care underfunding (Care Home Professional)

Councils have warned they could face a ‘budget blackhole’ due to the underfunding of adult social care reform. With only £5.4bn ring-fenced for social care of the £36bn raised from the health and social care levy over the next three years, councils are concerned that the funding falls short of the likely costs involved, the Local Government Association (LGA) warned.

Read more.

NHSEI has created Net Zero and Social Value guidance (NHS England)

With the requirement for NHS organisations to take account of net zero and social value in the procurement of goods and services from the 1 April, NHSEI has created Net Zero and Social Value guidance which offers a step-by-step guide on how to embed net zero and social value throughout the procurement lifecycle, with a particular focus at the pre-procurement stage. 

Read more.

Care homes facing widespread closures under social care reforms (Care Home Professional)

Care homes could face widespread closures under new social care reforms because the government has “seriously underestimated” the cost of the proposals, a report has warned. A report for the County Councils Network (CCN) by LaingBuisson found the government had underestimated the costs of reform by at least £850m a year.

Read more.

NHS waiting list in England rises again to 6.1 million as medics warn winter pressures becoming ‘year round’ (The i)

The number of people waiting for non-urgent operations on the NHS in England has risen again to more than 6.1 million people, as health bosses warn winter pressures on hospitals risk becoming “whole year challenges”. Some 6,104,056 patients were on the waiting list for elective treatment at the end of January – a rise of 37,000 on the previous month. James Illman of HSJ shared an ominous chart of waiting list growth.

Read more.

UK Healthcare Quarterly Update: People, Patients, and Performance drive Policy and Practice

Suhail Mirza, author of the Laing Buisson UK Healthcare Workforce & Recruitment Market Report 2020, surveys some of the most notable developments within the NHS and takes a brief look at broader policy initiatives trailed by the government.

Read more.