Health and care sector latest developments
Health and care sector latest development will be back on Tuesday 7 April, when it can be found on www.thenhsalliance.org
The NHS Alliance brings together the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers into a single membership organisation to represent and support the health system across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Strikes likely to go ahead
The resident doctor strike is set to go ahead as little progress has been made in negotiations between the government and the BMA.
Reporting on this likelihood is somewhat varied, with the BBC suggesting that the Prime Minister's 48-hour deadline has passed, meaning that the offer of additional training posts has now been withdrawn.
Meanwhile, The Guardian is reporting that talks will continue today, but that both sides are pessimistic that this will lead to a resolution.
Chair of the BMA's Resident Doctors Committee (RDC), Dr Jack Fletcher, accused the health secretary of having "needlessly and avoidably inflamed the dispute, ultimately pushing the chance of a deal further away."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson continued to express regret that "the BMA has decided to press ahead with strikes next week, despite conversations we have been having in recent days".
The focus now turns to plans on mitigating the strike action, which is set to start on Tuesday.
NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey has told HSJ that the health service will accelerate the design of clinical models that are less reliant on resident doctors, adding that a "long slog" of industrial action is expected over the next year.
‘We have to prove’ ICBs have value, says Mackey
Integrated care boards (ICBs) have to prove they can deliver major improvements if questions over their future are to stop, NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey told HSJ.
Sir Jim also revealed that 18,000 ICB and NHS England staff were due to be made redundant in the “space of a few weeks” as the government’s rationalisation drive reaches its climax.
The NHS chief executive acknowledged there were ongoing questions about the purpose of ICBs, as a result of the staffing cuts and uncertainty about their new role.
However, he added that he believed ICBs could make a significant contribution to meeting the service’s reform priorities and suggested NHSE would help the commissioners show the value of their “strategic commissioning” role. He said: “We have to prove that through delivery
NHS staff boycott FDP
NHS staff are boycotting the Federated Data Platform (FDP) due to it being run by Palantir.
The Financial Times highlights comments from a senior NHS official who explained that some staff are refusing to use the software, with there being "a silent majority that feel uncomfortable but wouldn't want to put their head above a parapet."
The government is said to be reviewing the NHS's contract with Palantir, as a spokesperson from the company said that "there is a lot of false information circulating about the company and how our software works."
Support young people with ADHD with work coaches, says Milburn
Former health secretary Alan Milburn has suggested that young people with ADHD and autism could be prescribed work coaches.
The Times reports that Milburn, who is leading a review of youth unemployment, explained that the current individual placement and support (IPS) service could be expanded to "young people with common mental health problems, autism, and ADHD".
This suggestion has been supported by Joe Shalam, policy director at the Centre for Social Justice, who described expanded support as a "great move".
Milburn's full review is expected in the autumn.
