28th August 2015

• HSCIC publish figures showing rise in treatment of NHS patients in independent hospitals
• Department of Health reveals plans for the Independent Patient Safety Investigation Service
• Government announces new House of Lords members
• Jeremy Corbyn would free NHS trusts from PFI debt

HSCIC publish figures showing rise in treatment of NHS patients in independent hospitals

The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) this week examined monthly hospital admissions statistics from June 2014-May 2015, focusing on the number of NHS-funded admissions to non-NHS providers.

HSCIC found that the number of hospital admissions for NHS patients treated by non-NHS providers has risen by 10.4% from 2013-14 to 2014-15, and this figure has increased almost fourfold from 2007-08. The proportion of NHS-funded treatments taking place in non-NHS providers was 3.3% in 2014-15.

The proportion of NHS-funded knee replacements being carried out by non-NHS providers between 2007 and 2015 has increased from 8.8% to 24.4%. Over the same period, the proportion of hip replacements has increased from 5.5% to 16.9%, the figure for inguinal hernia repairs has risen from 5% to 21.6%, and the proportion of cataract procedures has increased from 2.6% to 15% between 2007 and 2015. 

For outpatient admissions, NHS-funded treatments provided by non-NHS providers accounted for 6% of all outpatient attendances in 2014-15, with significant increases in the number of outpatient treatments in non-NHS providers for trauma and orthopaedics, general surgery, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) procedures between 2010 and 2015.

Department of Health reveals plans for the Independent Patient Safety Investigation Service

The Department of Health has announced that Dr Mike Durkin, Director of Patient Safety at NHS England, will chair an expert advisory group to examine how to implement the Independent Patient Safety Investigation Service (IPSIS) announced by the Health Secretary last month. IPSIS will begin its work in April 2016, and will offer support and guidance to NHS organisations on serious patient safety incidents, whilst carrying out some investigations itself.

To assist with the expert advisory group’s work in advising on the design, scope and governance of IPSIS, the Department of Health has launched a consultation requesting views from service users, families, clinical staff and others working in patient safety. 

Members of the group are still to be confirmed but it will comprise professional and personal expertise in patient experience, safety, investigation, and the delivery of health and social care. 

Government announces new House of Lords members

The Prime Minister’s nominations for new appointed life peers were announced yesterday as part of the Dissolution Honours List, which also grants knighthoods and other honours customarily after the election of a new government.

The list comprises 26 new Conservative, 11 new Liberal Democrat, and 8 new Labour peers, and includes former MPs, councillors and political advisors. 

Among those receiving nominations is former Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, who after spending seven years in opposition as Shadow Health Secretary, shepherded the coalition government’s NHS reforms through Parliament into law in 2012. Dame Dawn Primarolo, former Labour MP, Health Minister between 2007 and 2009, and most recently Deputy Speaker in the House of Commons, is also on the list, along with Dame Tessa Jowell, who served as Public Health Minister between 1997 and 1999, and is a Labour candidate for London Mayor.

Jeremy Corbyn would free NHS trusts from PFI debt

Labour leadership frontrunner Jeremy Corbyn MP has pledged that as leader of the opposition he would campaign for a bailout fund to remove Private Finance Initiatives (PFI) debt from NHS trusts. 

PFI funds were used by the last Labour government to build new hospitals and invest in NHS services. The financing schemes were criticised at the time by Mr Corbyn and other backbench MPs for incurring debt on hospitals. Mr Corbyn has called for an end to hospitals repaying PFI debt at the expense of funding frontline services through the government buying the debt from NHS trusts. Labour London mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan MP has also spoken in favour of a similar measure for London NHS trusts.