corporate accountability - 21st September

23/08/2010 by Patrick Keady.

With over 1,500 safety practitioners working in healthcare, the IOSH Healthcare Group has just announced its autumn conference. Taking place in Cheshire on 21st September, the programme explores corporate accountability corporate manslaughter, violence in the workplace and the role of Directors and Managers for health & safety. Presentations will be delivered by members of the Group, University of Glamorgan and Morgan Cole solicitors.

 

For details, click ‘events’ at www.betteroutcomes.org

Posted in Safety, NHS, Health and | Print | No Comments »

whistleblowing

22/08/2010 by Patrick Keady.

Channel 4 News reported that 17 NHS Doctors signed compromise agreements  each year since 2000

Read the full story at the ‘news’ page at www.betteroutcomes.org

 

Meanwhile, the Social Partnership Forum published their guide in July, promoting best practice in devising, implementing and auditing whistleblowing

policies and procedures. Link to it at ‘publications’ at www.betteroutcomes.org

Posted in Safety, NHS, Patient | Print | No Comments »

RCN and NHS managers

20/08/2010 by Patrick Keady.

“The contribution of SHA and PCT staff to achieving improvements in health care over recent years must not be underestimated.

Dr Peter Carter,  RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary,  20th July 2010. To read the full article, click ‘news’ at www.betteroutcomes.org

Posted in NHS, Strategy | Print | No Comments »

only 4% of NHSLA cases go to court

19/08/2010 by Patrick Keady.

DH is retaining the NHSLA. But, read on.  60% of acute trusts, 31% of mental health and learning disability trusts, 70% of maternity services and no ambulance trusts were at levels 2 or 3 of NHSLA’s risk management standards in March of this year.  Solicitors succeeding in clinical negligence claims bill up to £450 per hour, and a success fee of 100%. NHSLA secures the very best of the defence market for £205 an hour, and no success fees. But, DH is exploring opportunities for greater commercial involvement. NHSLA is relocating to offices in London and Harrogate.

Link to NHSLA’s annual report via ‘publications’ at  www.betteroutcomes.org

Posted in Safety, Risk Management, NHS, Legislation, Patient, Health and | Print | No Comments »

respond by 18th October !

29/07/2010 by Patrick Keady.

Published in July,  Equity and Excellence : liberating the NHS looks towards an NHS in England - that is slimmed down, smartened up and democratised to deliver better quality care.  Out goes what remains of Aneurin Bevan’s nationalised vision, and out too is the New Labour Government’s regime of process targets, replacing them with outcomes measures.

 

There will be a new role for Local Authorities to facilitate closer working between health and social care services, to support patient choice, to improve public health and enhance commissioning.

The White Paper spells out Government plans to make the NHS more competitive, with NHS Providers being more accountable and transparent.

 

England’s 35,000 GPs will have control of about £70bn. Clustered in GP Consortia, they are to be given freedom and responsibility for buying care from Providers, within and outside the NHS. GPs will be unable to generate a surplus. And should they fail, they will not be personally liable.

 

While Monitor superintends NHS Foundation Trusts at the moment,  the White Paper proposes to turn Monitor into a full-blown economic regulator to oversee a healthcare market in the same way that Ofcom and Ofgem oversee the markets in communications and energy.

 

Consideration will be given to abolishing the cap on private income that NHS Foundation Trusts can earn and whether any surplus can be re-invested in the organisation, although they will not be privatised.

 

While GPs may find sufficient power to shelter from the full impact of competition, Liberating the NHS challenges doctors too. Patients will get more choice and control. This will be backed by an information revolution to involve Patients in their care, designed around them and achieving, in Mr Lansley’s words, No decisions about me, without me.

 

March 2014 is an important milestone for NHS Trusts - they will be or have become part of, an NHS Foundation Trust. They will be subject to regulation from Monitor, and will be given new freedoms as part of the largest and most vibrant social enterprise sector in the world.

 

The Secretary for State will hold the NHS Commissioning Board to account for delivering better health outcomes through a national NHS Outcomes Framework.

 

Link to all of the Department of Health’s Liberating the NHS consultations at the ‘consultations’ pages at www.betteroutcomes.org

Posted in NHS, Governance, Legislation, Patient, Strategy | Print | No Comments »

Yokoso Japan - health and healthcare

15/05/2010 by Patrick Keady.

Statistics (from www.nationmaster.com)

 

Population density in Japan is 37% higher than here in the UK. Their Life expectancy at birth is 4% higher and Healthy life expectancy is 6% higher.

 

The birth rate per 1,000 people is 30% less and the proportion of the population that is obese in the Japan is one seventh that in the UK.  The percentage of daily smokers in Japan is higher - 30.3%, compared with 26% in the UK.

 

The percentage of people dying from circulatory disease per 100,000 people in Japan, is 75% less and the proportion of deaths from heart disease per 100,000 is four times less than in the UK. Infant mortality per 1,000 live births is 2.8 in Japan and 4.93 in the UK.

 

Total Expenditure on health services as % of GDP in Japan is less than in the UK - 7.8% versus 8.1%. They have almost three times as many Hospital beds per 1,000 people.

 

While the numbers of Physicians per 1,000 people are similar in Japan and the UK, people in Japan have three times as many consultations with Doctors.

 

The number of Nurses per 1,000 people in Japan is less than in the UK - 7.8, compared with 8.8 in the UK.

 

About Patrick Keady

 

Patrick helps NHS organisations make better decisions. A former NHS Director of Governance and Strategy, he received awards from the BMA and IOSH. Patrick is a Company Director, a Trustee at a Chartered professional body and Editorial Board member at a peer-reviewed Journal. For more information, click www.betteroutcomes.org

 

Posted in Darzi, Patrick Keady, Public Health, Safety, NHS, Health and, Patient, Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »

Yokoso Japan - sights, sakura, food and more

01/05/2010 by Patrick Keady.

   

Just returned from a 21 day holiday in Japan, that was extended to 35 days !.  And this is my list of favourites from Japan. Elsewhere on this blog, you will find comparisons of health services in Japan and the UK.

 

 

Favourite City/Town: Nara

 

Other Cities and towns visited: Tokyo, Hakata, Kagoshima, Nara, Kyoto, Koyasan, Nagoya, Hakone-Yumoto, Hakodate and Sapporo

 

 

Favourite Historic Sight: Senganen

 

Other historic sights visited:

Nara - Todaiji Daibutsuden, Tempura Asuka, Ninjatsudo Hall, Sangatsudo Hall, Tamukeyama-Hachimangu, Kasuga Taisha, Gangoji, Kofukuji, Kaneiji and Toshogu

Koyasan - Daito, Kondo, Saito, Fukuchiin, Ichijin, Tokugawa, Kongobu-Ji, Treasure Museum, Reihokan Museum, Fudoudo, Kompan Daito, Daimon and Daighi Kyokai
Kyoto - Higashi Honganji, Nishi Honganji, Kinkakuji, Ninnaji and Ryoanji.
Kagoshima – Reimeikan and Tenmonkan

Tokyo - Imperial Palace, Sensoji and Asakusajinja

 

 

Favourite Sights: Sakura and Shinjuku Gyoen

 

Other sights visited:

Kagoshima - Sakurajima volcano
Tokyo - Sony Building, Nissan Building, Toyota Auto-Salon, Tokyo Tower, Rappongi Hills, Asahi TV, Marunouchi Building, Imperial Theater, International Forum, Metropolitian Art Space, Sunshine City Observatory, Metropolitian Government Building Observatory, Midtown, Meijijingu, Nihombashi bridge, Electric City, Ueno Onshi and Nakanise

Nagoya - Toyota Plant

Sapporo - TV Tower, Morning Market and Clock Tower
Hakodate - Mount Ropeway and Red Brick Warehouses

 

 

Favourite Food: Shojin-ryori

 

Other memorable food - Crab, Kagoshima Ramen, Mochi, Tontsuka, Ekiban Bentobox, Sukiya

 

 

Favourite accommodation: Rengejoin

Other accommodation:

Ryokan Matsumae - Nara

Ryokan Kyoraku - Kyoto
Tokyo House, Ikebukuru

Ichinoyu Honkan, Hakone

Cassiopeia, Tokyo to Sapporo

Toyoko-Inn - Hakata-guchi ekimae 2, Kagoshima Chuoeki Higashi-guchi, Nagoya-eki Sakura-guchi Honkan, Sapporo-eki Kitaguchi, Hakodate Ekimae Asaichi, Akabane Iwabuchi Ekimae and Tozai-Sen Nishi-kasai

 

Favourite train: Shinkansen Tsubame – between Kagoshima and Shinyatsushiro

 

Other trains travelled: Cassiopeia, Narita Express, Shinkansen Yatsushiro, Relay Tsubame, Shinkansen Tsubame, Shinkansen Hikari Railstar, Shinkansen Kodama, JR Nara Line, JR Yamatoji Line, Nankai Koya, JR Osaka-Loop Line, JR Special, Rapid Service, Hakonetozan Railroad, Odakayu Hakone, JR Saikyo Line, Super-Hokuto, Hakucho, Hayate, Spacia Nikko and Shinkansen Hikari

 

 

Other helpful Websites:

Spring 2010 in Japan

Toyota Plant tour

 

Shinkansen N700

 

Hyperdia

The Japan Times

NHK World

Japan International Broadcasting Inc

Updated  27th October 2010

 

About Patrick Keady

 

Patrick helps NHS organisations make better decisions. A former NHS Director of Governance and Strategy, he received awards from the BMA and IOSH. Patrick is a Company Director, a Trustee at a Chartered professional body and Editorial Board member at a peer-reviewed Journal. For more information, click www.betteroutcomes.org

 

 

Posted in Innovation, Patrick Keady, NHS | Print | No Comments »

NHS National Quality Board - interim report

15/04/2010 by Patrick Keady.

HSJ reported today that there is lack of information on the safety and effectiveness of much NHS care and that this has been spelled out in an interim report from members of the NHS National Quality Board.

One of the NHSs prevailing beliefs seems to be, that individuals will perform better and their organisations will flourish …. when we reward the behaviours that we seek … and punish the behaviours that we dislike. This approach works well for simple, routine, rule-based work.

But NHS workers undertake other types of work, where non-routine creative and conceptual capabilities are also required.

I believe that Quality in the NHS will improve significantly when PCTs and Trusts demonstrate to their staff, that they understand what it is that really motivates their employees - the motivation of making progress in their work, improving quality and the simple satisfaction of getting better at what matters.

We know that businesses with transcendent purposes survive and continue to deliver excellent services to their customers. Too bad that ICI, Boeing and some of the large banks focussed too much on targets, and too little on purpose.

NHS targets are good. They continue to challenge clinical teams and Trusts. They have played a key role in improving the NHS. But more and more we are seeing that targets, potent as they are, can be an insufficient impetus for NHS staff and organisations. They do not get everyone leaping out of bed in the morning and racing to the wards, patients homes, theatres and meetings …. to do deliver excellent patient care.

The BBC’s Panorama team discovered earlier this year, that Trusts were incorrectly assessing performance, potentially distorting their standing in the CQC’s Annual Health Check. 17 out of the 28 Trusts visited by the CQC in 2009, made incorrect assessments. Did Mid-Staffs and Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells focus too much on targets, and too little on purpose?

While much has been written on aspects of Quality in the NHS, I would like the outputs from the NHS Quality Board to be short and to the point. To focus on Quality outcomes from the perspectives of the Treasury/National Insurance contributors, patients and employees.

And while the NHS focuses on purpose, that its satisfied employees will be racing to the wards, peoples homes, theatres and meetings …. to continue doing what motivates them best - making progress in their work, improving quality and the simple satisfaction of getting better at what matters.

 

About Patrick Keady

Patrick helps NHS organisations make better decisions. A former NHS Director of Governance and Strategy, he received awards from the BMA and IOSH. Patrick is a Company Director, a Trustee at a Chartered professional body and Editorial Board member at a peer-reviewed Journal. For more information, click www.betteroutcomes.org

Posted in Risk Management, Innovation, Safety, NHS, Governance, Patient | Print | No Comments »

Fundamentals of Governance

19/01/2010 by Patrick Keady.

HSJs Fundamentals of Governance took place in London, late last year.

Click here to see my review of the Conference. For a .pdf, contact me via www.betteroutcomes.org

 

About Patrick Keady

Patrick helps NHS organisations make better decisions. A former NHS Director of Governance and Strategy, he received awards from the BMA and IOSH. Patrick is a Company Director, a Trustee at a Chartered professional body and Editorial Board member at a peer-reviewed Journal. For more information, click www.betteroutcomes.org

Posted in Patrick Keady, Risk Management, NHS, Governance, Legislation, Uncategorized | Print | No Comments »

Does the NHS need management consultants?

21/12/2009 by Patrick Keady.

 

Every week, I receive two or three phonecalls about assignments in NHS risk management, governance and safety. However, many of the proposed assignments would be a waste of NHS time and NHS money.

 

Earlier this year, a PCT asked me to lead on corporate governance, health & safety, risk management, information management, health records, complaints, claims, moving and handling and commissioning strategy.

 

I challenged the potential client to describe in a few short sentences, what they wanted me to achieve, and by when. They were unable to see or tell me what success might look like.

 

So, I offered them telephone coaching, free-of-charge. The PCT soon saw that my input would be very worthwhile in one discreet project, where my independent insight and skill-set was just right.

 

The project is mission-critical to the PCT. They were happy with my daily rates too ! And during the course of the phone conversations, the potential client identified in-house people that could lead on many of the other pieces of work.

 

NHS organisations need to clearly think about what they want to achieve, before contacting independent consultants.

 

 

About Patrick Keady

Patrick helps NHS organisations make better decisions. A former NHS Director of Governance and Strategy, he received awards from the BMA and IOSH. Patrick is a Company Director, a Trustee at a Chartered professional body and Editorial Board member at a peer-reviewed Journal. For more information, click www.betteroutcomes.org

Posted in Patrick Keady, Risk Management, Innovation, Safety, NHS, Patient, Governance, Health and | Print | No Comments »