Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the finding of the recent Group B Strep Support report that cases relating to group B Strep cost the NHS £40 million in compensation, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve prevention of and (b) reduce instances of clinical negligence relating to that infection.
Answered by Jackie Doyle-Price
The Department is aware of the recent Group B Strep Support report, published in December 2018, regarding clinical negligence costs incurred by the National Health Service relating to cases of Group B Streptococcus.
The Department notes the report’s recommendations regarding adherence to guidelines, which reinforce the Department’s expectation that all health professionals adhere to the relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance and consider that provided by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, as specifically mentioned in the report.
The Healthcare Safety Investigations Branch (HSIB) has now been established and begun rolling out its approach to investigations of unexplained severe brain injury, intrapartum stillbirths, early neonatal and maternal deaths in England so that the NHS learns from what went wrong and uses this to prevent future tragedies. The HSIB will involve families and are in the process of developing an effective family engagement service.
NHS Resolution fully supports improving greater and earlier recognition of this very serious infection in neonates, establishing an early notification scheme for severe harm in maternity in 2016, and reviewing all cases of possible brain injury reported to them, prior to the receipt of a claim.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of the change in the pension cap on the number of (a) consultants and (b) GPs leaving the NHS.
Answered by Stephen Hammond
Membership data from the NHS Pension Scheme shows the number of hospital doctors and general practitioners (GPs) claiming their pension earlier than their normal retirement age. We cannot identify consultants separately, who belong to the hospital doctor group. This group also contains associate specialists and doctors in training. However, claiming a National Health Service pension does not necessarily mean the individual has left NHS service permanently. The 'retire and return' employment flexibility enables NHS employers to support skilled and experienced staff who may otherwise retire and leave service, to continue working longer.
The following table shows the number of hospital doctors and GPs claiming their NHS pension on a voluntary early retirement basis from the 1995 NHS Pension Scheme.
Scheme Year | Hospital doctors | GPs |
2010-11 | 286 | 443 |
2011-12 | 315 | 513 |
2012-13 | 387 | 591 |
2013-14 | 406 | 746 |
2014-15 | 453 | 739 |
2015-16 | 494 | 695 |
2016-17 | 490 | 721 |
2017-18 | 424 | 588 |
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what courses the NHS Leadership Academy provide for candidates for management positions in the NHS; and what the scope is of those courses.
Answered by Steve Barclay
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 10 September to Question 170653.
The NHS Leadership Academy offers a range of leadership development interventions for health and care staff at all levels, including a portfolio of nationally delivered programmes, from entry level to Chief Executive and beyond. The vast majority of interventions are open to all staff, clinical and non-clinical, at the appropriate leadership level, with the exception of some programmes which have been designed for a specific part of the workforce, for example the Clinical Executive Fast Track Scheme for clinicians and the Mary Seacole programme for community pharmacy.
In terms of staff aspiring to progress their careers, the NHS Leadership Academy offers several aspirant programmes at different levels – for example the Aspiring Chief Executive programme, the Nye Bevan programme for aspiring directors and the new Rosalind Franklin programme which aims to help clinical or non-clinical mid-level leaders. All of these programmes support more National Health Service staff become outstanding leaders, and in turn help improve patient care, people’s health and their experiences of the NHS.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to expand the role of qualified nurses in primary care.
Answered by Steve Brine
The General Practice Nursing (GPN) Ten Point Plan was launched in July 2017 consisting of £15 million of investment from the General Practice Forward View funding allocation to support actions to address workforce challenges and support improvements in general practice nursing.
As part of the implementation of the GPN Ten Point Plan, NHS England has commissioned work to set out the core capabilities of nursing advanced clinical practitioners and this framework will provide a solid foundation for nursing staff to broaden their scope of practice in the future.
As of March 2018, there were 491 more full time equivalent nurses working in general practice compared to September 2015.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how and where the NHS Leadership Academy's courses are delivered.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The NHS Leadership Academy’s courses take many forms and are delivered in a variety of ways responsive to the identified requirement or request. The Academy offers a range of tools, models, programmes and expertise which may include:
- Online learning - virtual campus, which includes programme films, interactive content, academic content, assignments, discussion forums and online resources;
- Face to face workshops, action learning sets, development days, networks, working with expert facilitators delivered either at the National Leadership Academy main office in Leeds or locally around the country;
- European exchange/study visits;
- Work based application and placements; and
- Onsite bespoke delivery.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what courses are run by the NHS Leadership Academy.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The NHS Leadership Academy is hosted by Health Education England and currently offer national leadership development programmes aimed at all levels of leadership and disciplines including:
- Aspiring Chief Executive – A fully resourced, strategic response to the challenge of how we identify, develop and deploy our most senior leaders;
- Aspiring Director of Nursing – Aimed at experienced deputy directors of nursing or nurses/midwives in comparable positions to develop them to become executive nurses;
- Chief Executive Development Network – A membership network aimed at supporting chief executives with development to face challenging roles;
- Chief Pharmacist programme – A 12-month programme aimed at pharmacists;
- Clinical Executive Fast Track – A multi-professional 36-month talent scheme designed to develop clinicians as leaders;
- Edward Jenner – Programme to support leadership skills to help the workforce better care for patients, lead services and provide leadership. Designed for newly qualified nursing and clinical staff and leaders at the beginning of their career;
- Elizabeth Garrett Anderson – Aimed at mid/senior-level leaders from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds who are aspiring to take on more senior roles. This part-residential programme brings together healthcare, business and academic experts;
- Future Clinical Commissioning Leaders – Nine-month programme aimed at clinicians working or hoping to work in commissioning;
- Ethical Mentoring – Programme to support the delivery of mentoring in a timely, relevant and impactful fashion and aimed at all levels of staff;
- Graduate Management Training Scheme – Aimed at graduates with high potential to develop leadership knowledge and capabilities to work in the National Health Service;
- Health and Care Leaders Scheme – Comprises of the ‘Aspiring Director scheme’ and ‘2025 Leaders’ – for aspiring chief executives in arm’s length bodies and Director Generals in the Department. ‘2025 leaders’ aims to develop candidates in Director roles within their organisation. ‘Aspiring Directors’ is aimed at staff of band 8c, 9d, 9 (or equivalent);
- Hope European Exchange – Exchange programme between hospitals in Europe for those with healthcare managerial responsibilities aimed at managers or clinicians with three years’ management experience;
- Mary Seacole - Six-month leadership development programme designed for first time leaders in healthcare;
- Nye Bevan – A 12-month programme aimed at senior leaders looking to move into board role;
- Ready Now – Aimed at band 8a (or equivalent) aspiring black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) leaders to realise potential toward a board level position;
- Return to Work Mentoring – Mentoring scheme aimed at leaders of all levels returning to work after an extend leave period;
- Rosalind Franklin – A nine-month programme to shape the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours of clinical or non-clinical mid-level leaders; and
- Stepping Up - Aimed at BAME leaders and aspiring BAME leaders across healthcare working in bands 5 to 7 (or equivalent). Designed to develop candidates’ skills and leadership abilities to create transformational change in equality and diversity across healthcare.
The Leadership Academy’s budget for 2018/19 is £47.8 million.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department allocates to the NHS Leadership Academy.
Answered by Steve Barclay
The NHS Leadership Academy is hosted by Health Education England and currently offer national leadership development programmes aimed at all levels of leadership and disciplines including:
- Aspiring Chief Executive – A fully resourced, strategic response to the challenge of how we identify, develop and deploy our most senior leaders;
- Aspiring Director of Nursing – Aimed at experienced deputy directors of nursing or nurses/midwives in comparable positions to develop them to become executive nurses;
- Chief Executive Development Network – A membership network aimed at supporting chief executives with development to face challenging roles;
- Chief Pharmacist programme – A 12-month programme aimed at pharmacists;
- Clinical Executive Fast Track – A multi-professional 36-month talent scheme designed to develop clinicians as leaders;
- Edward Jenner – Programme to support leadership skills to help the workforce better care for patients, lead services and provide leadership. Designed for newly qualified nursing and clinical staff and leaders at the beginning of their career;
- Elizabeth Garrett Anderson – Aimed at mid/senior-level leaders from both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds who are aspiring to take on more senior roles. This part-residential programme brings together healthcare, business and academic experts;
- Future Clinical Commissioning Leaders – Nine-month programme aimed at clinicians working or hoping to work in commissioning;
- Ethical Mentoring – Programme to support the delivery of mentoring in a timely, relevant and impactful fashion and aimed at all levels of staff;
- Graduate Management Training Scheme – Aimed at graduates with high potential to develop leadership knowledge and capabilities to work in the National Health Service;
- Health and Care Leaders Scheme – Comprises of the ‘Aspiring Director scheme’ and ‘2025 Leaders’ – for aspiring chief executives in arm’s length bodies and Director Generals in the Department. ‘2025 leaders’ aims to develop candidates in Director roles within their organisation. ‘Aspiring Directors’ is aimed at staff of band 8c, 9d, 9 (or equivalent);
- Hope European Exchange – Exchange programme between hospitals in Europe for those with healthcare managerial responsibilities aimed at managers or clinicians with three years’ management experience;
- Mary Seacole - Six-month leadership development programme designed for first time leaders in healthcare;
- Nye Bevan – A 12-month programme aimed at senior leaders looking to move into board role;
- Ready Now – Aimed at band 8a (or equivalent) aspiring black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) leaders to realise potential toward a board level position;
- Return to Work Mentoring – Mentoring scheme aimed at leaders of all levels returning to work after an extend leave period;
- Rosalind Franklin – A nine-month programme to shape the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours of clinical or non-clinical mid-level leaders; and
- Stepping Up - Aimed at BAME leaders and aspiring BAME leaders across healthcare working in bands 5 to 7 (or equivalent). Designed to develop candidates’ skills and leadership abilities to create transformational change in equality and diversity across healthcare.
The Leadership Academy’s budget for 2018/19 is £47.8 million.
Asked by: Lord Soames of Fletching (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the variation in the quality of NHS services.
Answered by Caroline Dinenage
Unwarranted variation in care can be due to a range of factors – it can be caused by cultural, clinical, and patient factors, and the specific causes will differ between specialisms, locations and care settings.
Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) is a national programme designed to improve medical care within the National Health Service by reducing unwarranted variations. By tackling variations in the way services are delivered across the NHS, and by sharing best practice between trusts, GIRFT identifies changes that will help improve care and patient outcomes, as well as delivering efficiencies such as the reduction of unnecessary procedures and cost savings.
The GIRFT programme provides trusts with detailed data and information to allow organisations to understand any unwarranted variation in the care they provide, and guidance on how to improve their care in line with their peers. Further information is available at the following link:
http://gettingitrightfirsttime.co.uk/
In addition, NHS Improvement produces a variety of resources designed at improving quality, and runs events for NHS staff where best practice is shared. Where a trust is under-performing, NHS Improvement can take regulatory action and put it into financial special measures or quality special measures.
The latest figures from the Care Quality Commission show that 13 acute NHS hospital trusts (specialist and non-specialist), and one community health NHS trust, are rated as outstanding (figures correct as at 3 September 2018).