London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The Health Secretary praised the head of a London NHS trust “busting” through waiting list backlogs as he unveiled sweeping reforms for the health service.
The UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting mentioned the work being done by Matthew Trainer at Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust which he emphasised had been “in and out of special measures” and the headlines for years.
Who is leading improvements at Barking and Havering Trust?
“It now has an excellent leader in Matthew Trainer who is leading a competent team who are doing national leading work,” he said. The east London trust was now acknowledged as one of the fastest improving in the country, he added.
“They are breaking through backlogs using reformed methods of working in a way that puts them at the head of the pack,” Ilford North MP Mr Streeting highlighted. “That is what outstanding administration delivers. It’s not unreasonable to expect great leadership in a service as important as the NHS.”
What is the purpose of the new leadership college?
He reported a new college of leadership and clinical leadership to drive up standards among health bosses. “Where they are outstanding, we will give them more freedom, more flexibility, more power and authority,” he added. And where they are falling behind we will maintain them to a high standard.” He stresses how Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust had once had a “merry-go-round” of senior leaders and had been known as a “troubled trust” but had now been turned around.
How will poor-performing NHS trusts face accountability?
Under the country-wide reforms, failing hospitals will be called and shamed in league tables and NHS managers sacked if they cannot enhance patient care and take control of finances. Mr Streeting was due to tell authorities at the NHS Providers conference in Liverpool that there “will be no more bonuses for failure” as he sets out a package of measures aimed at tackling poor performance.
What incentives are planned for successful NHS leaders?
Successful health leaders will be given financial and career inducements to go into struggling trusts to enhance them. NHS trusts can expect to be rated on a range of indicators such as finances, delivery of services, patient access to care and the competency of administration.
What are NHS leaders’ concerns about these reforms?
On the other hand, NHS bosses hit back at the moves, stating it could demoralise staff and blamed ministers for “falling for the appealing notion of a magic productivity tree which will make the NHS more efficient just by bouncing the magic tree harder”. Under the Government schemes, persistently failing managers will be substituted and turnaround teams sent into trusts that are driving big financial deficits or delivering patients poor service. NHS trusts could be prohibited from using agencies to cover staffing holes such as healthcare assistants and cleaners, in a bid to slash the £3 billion a year spent on agency employees.