October 2017 Health Update

National

1. Serious Patient Safety Incidents: Drawing on lessons from the airline industry, the September Health Service Safety Investigations Bill set up the Heatlh Service Safety Investigations Body. independent of the NHS and at arms length from government, with far reaching access to investigate serious safety incidents or risks to patient safety.

London

1. London Ambulance Service: The most urgent calls have come close to meeting target times and LAS has been reported by Sheffield University as the best performing Ambulance Trust against its key performance indicators.

Hillingdon Clinical Commissioning Group

1. Hillingdon Better Care Fund: The focus of current plans continues to be people aged over 65 years, integration of health and social care, and joint working of the NHS and Hillingdon Borough Council.  Six schemes are planned:
   1. Early intervention and prevention
   2. Support for carers
   3. Better end of life care
   4. Integration of hospital discharge
   5. Better care management and development
   6. Living with dementia.
2. Finance: At end of July 2017 the CCG was on target to achieve its planned £0.5m surplus at end of March 2018 but some risks lie ahead.
3. A&Es: For several months the CCG has failed its waiting time targets both overall and at Hillingdon Hospital, but it has had some success in reducing visits by its frequent attenders.

The Hillingdon Hospitals FT

1. Research and Development: The Trust has an extensive research portfolio covering a wide range of clinical specialities.
2. Finance: At the end of August, if the Trust continued to spend at the current rate it would end the year with a deficit of £18.9m but if now forecasts a deficit of £13.5m in March 2018.
3. Winter Plan: The Plan covers the period 1^st November to 8^th April, with lessons learned from last year’s experience including areas of concern – discharge planning, delayed transfers of care, A&E outlying, activity modelling, ambulance handovers, spot purchasing beds and pathways for patients with mental health problems.
4. Effective discharge: New discharge pathways include Discharge to Assess which has been established supported by Home Safe, re-ablement and rapid response pathways.
5. Response to Surges in Demand: Plans have been developed for creating additional inpatient capacity in extremis and for extending ambulatory care to increase admission avoidance,  Wide plans for extending external service’s support have also been developed

Royal Brompton & Harefield FT

1. New Respiratory Wing and Imaging Centre at Royal Brompton Hospital: The Trust’s planning application was approved by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea on 1^st  The Imaging Centre is expected to cost £30m, funded by sale of local land.
2. Congenital Heart Disease Proposals by NHS England: The Trust submitted a robust defence of its successful service configuration with Chelsea and Westminster NHS FT, and its long term proposals to work collaboratively with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS FT. There is a review of the  impact of the CHD proposals on respiratory services. An outcome from the consultation process is not expected until late autumn / Christmas 2017.
3. Private Practice at Harefield Hospital: New private beds are opening shortly, which are expected to raise £2m income.*