While our analysis of key performance data in the latest quarterly monitoring report shows that NHS performance is holding up well, the survey findings from finance directors working in the health and social care sectors suggest that financial pressures are increasing.
More than 1 in 5 hospitals are set to be in deficit by the end of this financial year – a finding higher than our previous surveys and showing the financial pressures that hospitals are currently facing.
NHS commissioners are more optimistic, but more than a third of directors of adult social services are forecasting deficits, as they face severe cuts to local authority budgets.
The data analysis in January's quarterly monitoring report shows that the NHS is holding up well; with most waiting times targets being met, suggesting that hospitals are coping with winter pressures, so far.
This quarter's report also highlights the issues of delayed transfers of care, which have come under the spotlight recently. James Thompson explores the data behind the recent headlines in his audio-slideshow.
How is the health and social care system performing? January 2014 is the tenth of The King's Fund's regular quarterly monitoring reports. Find out more about the work.
Much of this is about meeting targets, a poor set of measures which accentuates all the wrong behaviours. You do have good sources of data, and good presentational skills.
Please put them to use showing us measures of demand, the prime movers in healthcare. I see handwringing about % of patients waiting over 4 hours - but I don't see the movement in demand which is driving them.
Mid November 2013 in Tenerife, I went into urinary retention and had to have a catheter. Within two days I knew I had a VERY large prostate and was advised to see an urologist as soon as possible on my return to Aberdeen. After returning on 24th Nov. GP eventually referred me as an urgent case on 5th December to urology. I decided on a private MRI scan to find out extent and location of problem. This occurred on 4th Feb. I still have to have a catheter, I paid the Spanish £1,300 which insurance took care of, and £650 for the private MRI scan, which is the Gold standard approach, condoned by consultants but not by NHS NICE. There is usually 6 months from first seeing a Dr to starting treatment speaking with other sufferers here. Due to a cancelled appointment I'll be hoping for the targeted biopsy next week. There are many company insured wage rich oil workers taking up NHS beds on private schemes. The government is encouraging this so that they can squeeze the budget of departments, and yet still demand at the same time higher performance. This is called better Efficiency. Put private patients in Private hospitals, free up beds, let the consultants catch up with the backlog of prostate and other cases. As men survive longer, more cases will present themselves, more NOT LESS facilities to cope are required. MEN UNITE lobby the government as prostate cancer (aggressive) kills a man every few minutes in this country. The government and trusts are in a mess. I'm in the firing line, and I don't like those who govern us and who are supposed to protect us, taking away or not shoring up defence systems like adequate bed numbers, nurses, and qualified supporters like radiologists, anaethetists, and consultants. They are now too thin a red line to protect the growing numbers of prostate cancer cases heading up the valley of death into the mouth of the hungry cancer canons. MEN UNITE
In Camden in inner London, a routine GP appointment has a waiting time of 2 weeks, if the surgery do not arbitrarily cancel it that is. Protestations that in 2 weeks you will be either better or dead have no effect.
There is effectively NO GP care at all, the NHS is a shambles run solely for the benefit of the staff, and has been for a long time.
Within the last month I have had 3 appointments with specialists cancelled indefinitely - one didn't even notify me beforehand. I have just booked an appointment to see my GP and the earliest I can get is one week from now.
Provision of healthcare is in tatters within my hospital trust - Mid Yorkshire,
Comments
Please put them to use showing us measures of demand, the prime movers in healthcare. I see handwringing about % of patients waiting over 4 hours - but I don't see the movement in demand which is driving them.
In Camden in inner London, a routine GP appointment has a waiting time of 2 weeks, if the surgery do not arbitrarily cancel it that is. Protestations that in 2 weeks you will be either better or dead have no effect.
There is effectively NO GP care at all, the NHS is a shambles run solely for the benefit of the staff, and has been for a long time.
Within the last month I have had 3 appointments with specialists cancelled indefinitely - one didn't even notify me beforehand. I have just booked an appointment to see my GP and the earliest I can get is one week from now.
Provision of healthcare is in tatters within my hospital trust - Mid Yorkshire,
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