BOUYGUES UK’s Post

Super interesting development in the HSJ today. NHS England's clinical lead for emergency medicine Chris Moulton has called for primary care to shift to being salaried. Let me explain why this is interesting, and then why I agree. A few years ago, I heard rumblings from a notable leader that this was being discussed and proposed internally, but not publicly. Clearly the political masters in their true blue ties were not supportive or confident enough to put that into the open domain. However, with the new political master in a red tie having already signalled that he's interested in reforming the GP contract, perhaps it feels more politically safe to advocate for it. Or potentially to start teasing it. Especially since it was aired at the NHS Providers conference. Remember that NHS England is laser focused on controlling the narrative from leaders, and whilst he may be speaking outside of that, it's unlikely given the platform. Now, why do I think this is a good idea (expecting grenades back). The Carr Hill model + QoF model (or what's left of it) + DES model = crap: 1. it disincentivises innovation, and forces prioritisation based on business objectives, which we need to move away from (silo mentality). 2. it forces doctors to prioritise things that aren't care. 3. as we've seen it means that national approaches or budget initiatives screw them over or create mess. 4. it becomes separately lobbied and is too much down to an annual power game which inhibits change. 5. It puts too much pressure on GP partners to get by, or it can occasionally lead to unreasonable role inequality where partner pay is higher than is reasonable. 6. Which forces GPs to have to consider profit vs care objectives. 7. It can lead to General Practice issues not being shared by local systems. All of the above is compounded by the fact that in the pandemic and post pandemic maelstrom PCNs haven't really been fully baked and feel like a constant compromised bolt on between two ideological model. Now expecting some kick back, but I think it's good to see this particular wind shifting and hope that we'll finally see a better discussion about an ideal general practice model. https://lnkd.in/eJ9Mi9gG

Liam Cahill The idea of moving to salaried GPs has been floated for some years and it is an interesting debate. An ideal healthcare system will incentivise all working in it to collaborate to deliver appropriate and high quality care at a low cost. The current system of remunerating GPs has some misaligned incentives - eg QoF was poorly designed. However, GPs are generally run as efficient small businesses which treat patients as customers, albeit it is getting much harder to see one. Many GPs are already paid salaries within partner owned practices, but I am sceptical that moving all GPs to a salary will improve the alignment of incentives and ultimately lead to a better system. Doctors in secondary care appear to be mainly salaried, but many earn most of their income from undertaking additional work through agencies, insourcing companies, backlog reporting companies, and or treating NHS and private patients in private hospitals - their productivity during their salaried hours is very low compared to international benchmarks (partly due to poor processes that they work with)

At Massachusetts General Hospital, work is well underway on new $1.9 billion clinical care facility The Phillip and Susan Ragon Building will house the Mass General Cancer Center and the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center, with 482 single-bed rooms and other hospital amenities. https://lnkd.in/gba8RkZk

Urgent Call for a More Integrated Approach in NHS Services!! After dedicating a combined 75 years to working in the NHS, my husband and I have experienced firsthand the challenges faced by patients within the system. Recently, my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Shockingly, despite our deep familiarity with the NHS, we had to turn to private healthcare to receive a timely diagnosis. Now, facing another health concern! —we find ourselves navigating a fragmented system. Instead of seeing his consultant, he has been offered an appointment at a different hospital, different consultant scheduled for the beginning of August. This delay and lack of continuity in care highlight a critical gap in our healthcare system. We have spent the last 2 hours working our way around the system! With today’s technological advancements, it is disheartening to see a lack of integration in patient care within the NHS. We are fortunate to understand how to navigate these complexities, but what about those who do not have our background? It is a tough admission to say that the system is broken, but recognising this is the first step toward meaningful reform. We need an NHS that champions not only advanced technologies but also a truly integrated approach to patient care, ensuring that every patient receives timely and consistent treatment. #NHSReform #Healthcare #PatientCare

Recently, the prime minister shared plans for NHS reforms that could bring some big changes to healthcare. Highlights included: - Longer operating hours for community diagnostic centres (CDCs). - A bigger focus on treating cancer patients within 18 weeks. - More surgical hubs on the way. - Involving private companies to help manage NHS cases which is a notable move given the earlier debate about how different parties might approach private providers. For imaging, these changes could be significant. More CDCs mean more scans, and surgical hubs and streamlined cancer pathways will rely heavily on imaging support. The government plans on reducing the elective care backlog and that requires better waiting list management and changes to NHS care delivery. This can be achieved with cross-departmental efforts across government. #NHS #Healthcare #Radiology

The Memorial Hermann Houston Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU) recently became the first in the world to earn Mobile Stroke Unit Certification by DNV Healthcare USA Inc. (DNV Healthcare), an approved health care accreditation organization through Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). “This certification further validates our work and what we’ve proven—stroke patients have better outcomes when evaluated, imaged and treated at the site of the emergency before being transferred to the nearest hospital,” said James Grotta, MD, a neurologist and the director of stroke research for the Clinical Institute for Research and Innovation at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4gpezb5. #Stroke #Houston #TexasMedicalCenter

What useful advice from an industry expert! 🚀 Make sure you're following our Evolution Digital Health for more exciting things to come!

The release of the 2024 Darzi review made difficult reading for those that care passionately both about healthcare provision in England and the overarching principles of the NHS. Darzi identifies the key challenges patients are facing, particularly long waiting times for essential services like surgery, A&E, mental health, and cancer treatment. The report highlights that inefficiencies in hospital care and underinvestment in infrastructure are significant barriers to improving patient outcomes. With about 7.6 million people on waiting lists and delays in cancer care, patient experience has been severely impacted. Social care’s challenges have compounded these issues, as hospital beds are often occupied by patients awaiting support outside hospitals. This strains the system, negatively affecting staff morale and productivity. For NPC, the report offers future optimism and opportunity. Specifically to work with and on behalf of Practices in our Alliance to influence or hopefully lead some of the changes required, specially with the report emphasising the need to shift care from hospitals to communities and primary care aligning it closely with NPC's mission. Overall these opportunities highlight the need for a long-awaited shift towards prevention and care closer to home, potentially offering an invigorated and transforming role for Primary Care as a whole over the next decade. James Leeming Richard Parker Wayne Bolt Simon George Emma Smith Rachel Arkieson

Shreya Mehta, Kriyana Reddy, & Drs. Jay Giri, & Ashwin Nathan, discuss promising solutions to disparities in TAVR access, including the TARGET: Aortic Stenosis Initiative, to help provide care to underserved and underdiagnosed patients.

Welcome to The Veterans Newsletter (10/4)! In today's edition: ~The VA Medical Center in Buffalo, NY, is under scrutiny for delays in patient care. ~Keep track of the 182 elected veterans who won congressional seats as well as those running for office. ~The VA has launched a new telehealth program to assist in improving emergency care for veterans. ~The VA has implemented new regulations to expand eligibility for benefits based on the character of discharge. ~Explore how the VA is using 3-D printed radiotherapy blouses to revolutionize cancer care for veterans. ~The story of a Korean War hero. ~And more… https://lnkd.in/gDjRiMvR