NHS
Joining the new power dots
Donna Hall explains that ‘permanently wiring new power’ into the way the organisation and system do business takes time and is difficult, but it is the only way it will work for the long-term.
Money for something
The Spending Round announcement last week seems a positive move for the sector on the face of it, but raises questions over the the future balance between central control and local discretion says David Phillips.
Hitting the accelerator on integration
A new report launched today at the Healthcare Innovation Expo outlines 15 practical actions for accelerating integrated care. Ewan King and Fiona Russell explain how the resource aims to help practitioners make better use of available evidence.
Improved efficiency saves hundreds of millions
London boroughs have saved almost half a billion pounds in adult social care by improving efficiency, a report has revealed.
Taking health inequalities out of the shadows
A conference on health and health inequalities has highlighted the importance of taking a life course approach and the need for public health teams to develop a narrative that takes account of people’s social circumstances. Claire Laurent reports
Everyday Britain's silent crisis in care
Ben Page says that while Britain is bothering about Brexit and more this summer, hardly anyone is paying attention to the 'much less talked about' crisis in children's services that's 'becoming acute'.
Social care feels the squeeze on staffing
The increasing shortage of adult care staff has been highlighted in two reports last week, with the sector having the second highest vacancy rate among public services. Michael Burton reports
Give councils the powers, funding and tools they need to deliver
James Jamieson has a message for Boris Johnson: Give us the powers, freedoms, flexibilities and funding and we will deliver your post-Brexit vision that transforms this country for the better.
Uncertainty does not bode well for the settlement
Michael Burton says 'the prosaic matter of local government finance seems to be taking a back seat'. Will new chief secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak finally be able to deliver on his February promise 'to get more certainty'?
Directors urge action ahead of new immigration rules
The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) has urged action as Government considers whether to exempt the care sector from new immigration rules.
Will this shifty approach to spending be the pattern?
What was interesting about the recent NHS £1.8bn capital spending pledge by Boris Johnson was how quickly it was exposed, says Michael Burton.
Rising care staff numbers fail to keep pace with demand
Adult social care has the second largest percentage of job vacancies across the public sector after the NHS, according to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
EXCLUSIVE: Charity Commission to intervene in £2.4bn rates dispute
Charity Commission experts will be called on to help the High Court settle the long-running legal dispute between councils and NHS trusts over rates relief.
LGA: Audit deadline should be pushed back
The July audit deadline should be pushed back to September 30 for future years, the Local Government Association (LGA) has told ministers.
EXCLUSIVE: Dawes in 'internal focus' warning
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) top mandarin has warned council chiefs that the department will have an internal focus for a while, The MJ understands.
Court date set for councils' £2bn tax dispute with NHS trusts
A court date has been set for the long-running legal dispute between councils and NHS trusts over rates relief.
Is the ‘under the radar’ devolution of the NHS the future for our health and social care system?
Phil Hope and Steve Barwick highlight a new essay collection that reveals an ‘under the radar’ trend for devolution of the NHS. They ask: is devolution the future for health and social care?
Time to reassess children’s mental health
In over a third of local areas spending on children’s low-level mental health services dropped in real terms between 2016/17 and 2018/19. Charlotte Levey says councils need to work alongside health partners to prioritise vital provision.
Government must invest to take pressure off hospitals, says ADASS
Central government needs to invest in social care and primary health in a bid to take the pressure off hospitals, the president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has said.
EXCLUSIVE: Unison to make 'bold' pay claim
Unison is poised to ask local government employers for a 10% pay rise in a ‘bold’ claim being submitted for 2020/21, The MJ has learnt.