News highlights this fortnight are: Route Map Event - Now Booking New funding for community projects to produce their own energy Sustainability in hospital food highlighted at event To view the ful..more
A new study from independent think tank New Economics Foundation (NEF) warns against further ‘marketisation’ of the NHS, saying that the majority of global evidence shows markets fail to delive..more
Despite spending less than planned on estates and facilities, Foundation Trusts have plunged deeper into the red according to the latest figures released by health watchdog Monitor.The report to Mo..more
The latest issue of HefmA Pulse has just gone to press and will be landing on your desk in a few days.Look out for articles on Guy’s and St Thomas’ money-saving EPC, better space management, wint..more
What chance does the NHS have of getting the general public to use A&E Departments responsibly when even the Health Secretary admits he took his children to A&E at the weekend rather than w..more
At a press briefing on 24th November the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesperson answered questions on the NHS, as well as on the EU and Russia.When asked about NHS funding, the PMOS said the Gove..more
The new HBN 00-08 has now been published on GOV.UK.Please click here to view a copy of the document. This building note is split into two parts. Part A outlines how efficiencies in the running of lan..more
News highlights this fortnight are: Save the date - Route Map event 29 Jan 2015 Leeds The NHS could save millions by reducing waste Call for research proposals into public health and climate change ..more
NHS staff have threatened further strike action next month if the government does not agree to the 1% pay rise demanded by the union.NHS staff have threatened further strike action next month if the..more
Plans to make parks in London, as well as Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square smoke free have been put forward.The plans were made within the ‘radical’ Better Health for London report, which w..more
News highlights this fortnight are: NHS Sustainability Day 2015 roadshows start at NHS Employers Free sustainability networking site for health organisations NHS Innovation Challenge Prizes worth £..more
Patient watchdogs have said that hospitals in Wales are not giving enough support to people with hearing loss.Community health councils (CHC) visited 68 areas around 22 hospitals, claiming that 33 ha..more
Hospitals in the UK have been told to cut their parking costs for certain groups under new government guidelines.Relatives of those who were seriously ill or had to stay in hospital for long periods ..more
A new report from the Food Standards Panel detailing how NHS hospitals should develop and maintain a food and drink strategy has recently been released.The Panel has recommended that work should co..more
A short letter to all members from Nigel Myhill Dear All On my last day as your National Chair, I would like to write to thank all National Officers, Branch Officers and members for all the help and ..more
News highlights this fortnight are: Monitoring overheating in wards £20m in Government money available for energy efficient equipment NHS Property Services survey seeks tenants' views To view the ..more
According to the latest figures released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) the number of complaints made about NHS care in England has increased to an average of 480 every da..more
Hospital caterers in England have been charged with improving the food served to patients under new measures announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.The new standards, which will be enforced thro..more
An elderly man who died after he was found collapsed in a hospital car park in Redhill could have been hit by a vehicle, Surrey Police have said, although he may have been struck down by an illne..more
Some failing NHS hospitals are ‘in denial’ about the inadequate care and services offered for patients, a top medical watchdog has said.In an interview with The Independent, Chief Inspector of H..more
Musgrove Park Hospital's Art for Life team has created a new space for displaying artists’ work: 'The Wall' is a 24m long space within the main access route, linking Queen's Building to the new J..more
Proposals by Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group to close and downgrade A&E departments could force doctors to diagnose and treat patients via internet video call, reports The Mail on Sunda..more
News highlights this fortnight are: Government adviser's report shows need for swift action to prepare for climate change New scorecard to help sustainable procurement of food and catering supplies ..more
A new Marks and Spencer Simply Food store and café opened its doors to hospital patients, visitors and staff at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital on 23rd July.Situated in the new Jubilee Building..more
In welcoming the publication of DEFRA’s Plan for Public Procurement, Stephanie Gibney, Ethical and Sustainability Manager at NHS Supply Chain, said: “We have a commitment to responsible nutriti..more
A new report claims that the low priority given to NHS Engineers is leading to problems caused by faulty medical equipment, cancelled operations, poor value for money for taxpayers and even deaths...more
Auditors have referred 19 NHS Trusts to the Health Secretary in the last year for failing to meet their statutory break-even duty, compared with five in 2012-13.The Audit Commission reviewed the fi..more
The new online NHS Procurement Atlas of Variation will help hospitals to compare prices and identify where they need to drive down costs so they can invest in more doctors and nurses to care for pa..more
Monitor’s recently released Board report on the performance of the NHS Foundation Trust sector in 2013/14 shows that, among moves to tackle the failures of care highlighted by the Francis report ..more
Speaking at an NHS Improving Quality event in London on 22nd July, “Delivering Services, Seven Days A Week”, NHS England’s National Clinical Director Sir Bruce Keogh told delegates: “We all..more
Cooks, cleaners, healthcare assistants and porters are among those being balloted – alongside nurses, therapists, paramedics and medical secretaries - on industrial action, including strikes, ove..more
News highlights this fortnight are: New modules on metrics, R&D and Social Value New online interactive map shows health and wellbeing board priorities Win a £30,000 shower unit for your workpl..more
More than 64,000 operations were scrapped at the last minute in 2013 – the highest figure for a decade, it has been revealed.Reportedly, 64,192 of planned 2013/2014 operations have been cancelled f..more
Patient care in England is at risk because of a shortfall in the number of registered nurses, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has claimed.The accusations come following new figures showing that u..more
The NHS in England will face a funding gap of up to £2bn for the next financial year, according to the BBC.Senior health sources have said that from April 2015, growing costs will outstrip the money..more
News highlights this fortnight are: Consultation – three new modules to support the Sustainable Development Strategy SDMP Survey results SDMP examples - NHS Supply Chain To view the full bullet..more
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has cleared the proposed takeover of Heatherwood and Wexham Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Heatherwood and Wexham) by Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundati..more
Sir Marcus Setchell, the Consultant responsible for delivering Prince George, has officially launched the ‘Save Barts Great Hall’ campaign, which is seeking to raise money to restore the Great ..more
Health sector regulator Monitor has opened an investigation into whether West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has breached its licence to provide healthcare for patients due to concerns about its fina..more
[h5] The 17th HefmA National Conference & Exhibition welcomed a record number of delegates who enjoyed a programme of high profile and inspirational speakers dedicated to ensuring best practice..more
To coincide with World Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Day on 19th May, the charity ‘forCrohns’, in conjunction with the Hospital Caterers Association (HCA), has announced a new initiative tha..more
[h5]As always the first day of the HefmA National Conference and Exhibition culminated in the prestigious Gala Awards Presentation Dinner which recognised and celebrated the winners of the 2014 Hef..more
[h5] Ian Daccus, Chair of the London and South East branch, opened the 17th HefmA National Conference & Exhibition at the Hilton Brighton Metropole Hotel on Thursday 15th May by welcoming deleg..more
Hospitals across the UK are preparing to receive potentially lifesaving deep vein thrombosis (DVT) equipment, as part of the national Living Longer Lives programme.The campaign is to be headed up b..more
Public satisfaction with the accident and emergency (A&E) services in the NHS has dropped to its lowest level, according to British social Attitudes survey data.The report, which was published ..more
News highlights this fortnight are: CRC update for Phase 1 CRC update for Phase 2 Global Green and Healthy Hospitals To view the full bulletin click here
Two businesses have pledged their support for Airedale Hospital’s bid to raise £100,000 for resources in its new emergency department.The hospital cares for patients from Pendle and Craven and ai..more
Due to a ‘rip-off’ contract with the private sector, The Royal Blackburn and Burnley General, which are in special measures, will have to pay back almost £1bn by 2041 in interest charges.Due t..more
All NHS staff will be able to receive specialist dementia training by 2018, a new government mandate has revealed.The government has called on Health Education England (HEE) to roll out the programme..more
Simon Stevens, the new head of NHS England, has launched a series of reviews and inquiries to look at the financial sustainability, structure and openness of the NHS.The structure review will consi..more
Department of Health and NHS England have joined together to form a plan to provide personalised, proactive care for people who need it most.‘Transforming Primary Care’ sets out plans for more p..more
More needs to be done to deliver transformational change even though the NHS is making ‘significant’ savings, according to the Department of Health (DH).This response came following the Health ..more
About 10% of NHS patients have resisted making complaints about poor standards because they fear complaining would affect the quality of care and treatment they receive, a new study has revealed.Th..more
NHS England plans to spend £230m ensuring all GP practices across England have high-quality IT systems.The investment aims to improve the quality of GP care by enhancing patients’ experience of se..more
Retail catering will be taken to a new level for visitors and staff at the Royal London and St Bartholomew’s hospitals thanks to support service provider, Carillion, and their five-year partnersh..more
Data has been released on more than 450 occasions, including 56 times to private sector firms, according to the first audit of data disclosures by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSC..more
Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has become the first NHS hospital in the UK to achieve a Gold Standard for food award.NUH has achieved the Soil Association’s Gold Food for Life Cat..more
80% of EU doctors who are working as GPs in the NHS have never had their language skills tested, a freedom of information request has shown.This comes after calls to tighten up assessment, following..more
News highlights this fortnight are: SDMP Annual Survey 2013/14 Identifying High GHG prescription items CRC update for Phase 1 and 2 To view the full bulletin click here
Tableware manufacturer, Steelite International, has been awarded a new contract to supply crockery to Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.The supply of Steelite’s Simplicity Rio range ..more
Staffing information about nurses, midwives and care staff deployed for each shift must now be displayed in all NHS trusts with inpatient areas.Trusts have until the end of June to comply with the ne..more
Sustaining public trust in health data will need a clear focus on transparency, effectiveness and security, according to chair of the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), Kingsley Man..more
Plans were discussed to expand the number of staff who train as reservists for the armed forces, during a summit delivered by the NHS Employers organisation, NHS England and Health Education Englan..more
Table manufacturer, Steelite International, has been awarded a new contract to supply crockery to Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.The supply of Steelite’s Simplicity Rio range of t..more
Despite a rising bill for free prescriptions in Scotland, the NHS is delivering ‘value for money’, Scottish health secretary Alex Neil has claimed.NHS reimbursement and remuneration figures for..more
News highlights this fortnight are: Annual Reporting SDMP Survey Under the Weather - Adaption toolkit To view the full bulletin click here
Britain’s best-selling women’s monthly magazine recently approached Hefma to comment on the controversial issue of hospital carparking, which has featured in national media in recent weeks.The ..more
The health select committee has found that the NHS needs fundamental change to meet the needs of patients.MPs said that the speed of the transformation was not sufficient enough to meet the challenge..more
Work on Broadmoor hospital’s £242m redevelopment has begun, the NHS has announced.The work includes 10 new wards and accommodation for 210 patients, new gardens, recreation areas and extensive lan..more
The roll-out of NHS England’s patient data sharing scheme is to be delayed until autumn 2014, it has been revealed.Care.data was due to begin in April, but following been concerns over NHS England..more
The latest NHS Staff Survey results have been released with 64.7% of staff claiming that they would recommend their organisation to friends and family for treatment.These figures are up 2.1% on 201..more
The King’s Fund has issued a seven-step plan for changes to community services, claiming that the policy up to now has failed to achieve the plans of moving care out of hospitals and closer to pe..more
New research suggests that investing in the NHS workforce could see a return on investment of 3:1.A pilot study at Sheffield Hallam University found that 71% of staff who took part in a new workplace..more
Two new reviews aim to improve leadership in the NHS as well as help the health service to make best use of leaders helping to turn around struggling trusts.Health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced t..more
There has been ‘significant’ progress in turning around the hospitals that have been placed in special measures, Monitor and NHS Trust Development Authority have recently reported.The new repor..more
[h3] After a day of deliberation, we are pleased to announce the shortlist for the HefmA Awards 2014 [/h3] Estates Manager of the Year Malcolm Aiston Northumberland, Tyne and ..more
It has been revealed that patients living in West Sussex will benefit from the introduction of a range of innovative blood-tracking systems.MSoft eSolutions’ Bloodhound solution will be implemente..more
Following the Stafford Hospital scandal, experts believe that financial pressures could get in the way of the drive to improve care.Last week it was announced that almost one in three NHS trusts is ..more
Due to pressure from budget cuts, the number of frail elderly and disabled people received care at home has dropped by a third in five years.The new study revealing this information claimed that co..more
The chief inspector of hospitals has recently found that although Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust has a positive and open culture, there are a number of basic areas that need improvement.The chief..more
In the year since the Francis report was published, the NHS has seen ‘a real shift’, according to health secretary, Jeremy Hunt.On 6th February last year, the Francis Inquiry published its recomm..more
News highlights this fortnight are: Publication launch event for "Under The Weather - Improving Health, Wellbeing & Resilience in a Changing Climate" Sustainable Development Strategy launched Si..more
A new audit shows that over half of NHS trusts have a mental wellbeing policy to support staff.However, while more trusts have organisation-wide plans on health and wellbeing, 24% do not monitor the ..more
The Prince of Wales recently hosted a reception to celebrate the movements of hospital food in England.In the newly published CQUINs guidelines, it was highlighted that hospitals should be providing ..more
The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published a toolkit to help improve conditions for frail elderly patients.The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published a toolkit to help improve condi..more
Government plans to reform education, training and workforce planning in the NHS have been described as ‘complex, inflexible and unfair’ by the Commons Health Select Committee.A new report by t..more
Department of Health consultation draft on Health Technical Memorandum 00HefmA is consulting members on the Health Technical Memorandum 00 from the Department of Health.Please read the document by cl..more
Birmingham Children’s Hospital has recently launched a feedback app, the first of its kind in the NHS.After identifying that its existing methods, such as feedback cards, were failing to appeal..more
MPs have approved the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) new approach to regulation, introducing an Ofsted-like regulation system into hospitals.The health select committee regarded the news surveill..more
Former NHS chief executive, Lord Crisp, has claimed that more black and minority nurses are needed in leadership and management roles.This new response comes ten years on from publishing the race eq..more
According to new analysis by The King’s Fund, over a fifth of hospital trusts and one in eight clinical commissioning groups (CGCs) are expected to be in deficit by the end of 2014.The quarterly ..more
In an interview with the BBC, deputy prime minister Nick Clegg attacked the NHS mental healthcare sector for its poor treatment of patients.He said it was ‘just plain wrong’ to treat the illness..more
According to a campaign group, almost 70% of contracts for NHS services in England between April-December 2013 were awarded to private firms.NHS reforms mean that ‘qualified providers’ can bid t..more
Hospital linen is being electronically tagged to stop up to £400,000 worth going missing every year in Wales.Aneurin Bevan University Health Board's laundry service processes 12 million pieces of li..more
It has been announced that the number of patients waiting longer than they should for diagnostic services such as MRI scans and ultrasounds has trebled in Wales in the last two-years.The figures al..more
For the first time, NHS England is to start collecting data on patient care from GPs in order to get a better understanding of patients’ backgrounds.Although hospital data is already collected, t..more
A computer-generated image showing the layout of the Watford Health Campus has been released. However, the new hospital facilities promised are still unclear.The new masterplan has been unveiled to..more
News highlights this fortnight are: New strategy launched this month CRC Update Route Map event - 29 January 2014 To view the full bulletin click here
The Department of Health, HSE and Industry have revamped HTM 55 now labeled Health Building Note (HBN) 00-10 Part D: Windows and associated hardware.The Department of Health, HSE and Industry have ..more