Dave West @ HSJ
@davewwest.bsky.social
Deputy Editor of Health Service Journal. News on the English health and care system, its policy, performance and leadership.
https://www.hsj.co.uk/dave-west/2231.contributor?page=1
https://www.hsj.co.uk/dave-west/2231.contributor?page=1
flu latest, from UK Health Security Agency
November 6, 2025 at 2:21 PM
flu latest, from UK Health Security Agency
Congrats to Sally Warren - now made official as DG adult social care
October 30, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Congrats to Sally Warren - now made official as DG adult social care
This feels like a 'brave' re-commitment from govt to abolish NHSE 'within 2 years' (of July, when the 10 Year Plan was published)
Abolition Bill isn't due to enter parliament till Spring 2026 - passage could easily take a year - then quite a few technicalities to sort out
Abolition Bill isn't due to enter parliament till Spring 2026 - passage could easily take a year - then quite a few technicalities to sort out
October 21, 2025 at 6:31 AM
This feels like a 'brave' re-commitment from govt to abolish NHSE 'within 2 years' (of July, when the 10 Year Plan was published)
Abolition Bill isn't due to enter parliament till Spring 2026 - passage could easily take a year - then quite a few technicalities to sort out
Abolition Bill isn't due to enter parliament till Spring 2026 - passage could easily take a year - then quite a few technicalities to sort out
thanks. This is the CMO summary slide
October 3, 2025 at 11:19 AM
thanks. This is the CMO summary slide
Claire has overseen a period of pretty substantial (unprecedented?) growth in spending on mental health services ... Yet it's miles away from meeting need and demand
The commitment to that growing investment now very clearly at an end
The commitment to that growing investment now very clearly at an end
September 11, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Claire has overseen a period of pretty substantial (unprecedented?) growth in spending on mental health services ... Yet it's miles away from meeting need and demand
The commitment to that growing investment now very clearly at an end
The commitment to that growing investment now very clearly at an end
this should clear things up
September 9, 2025 at 4:39 PM
this should clear things up
curious to see these CIs on the ranks, too
September 9, 2025 at 8:22 AM
curious to see these CIs on the ranks, too
Top line here appears a little misleading - being taken over by new management is not quite the same as 'shutting'
It does reflect big pressure and big change to the current model, though
It does reflect big pressure and big change to the current model, though
September 8, 2025 at 6:04 AM
Top line here appears a little misleading - being taken over by new management is not quite the same as 'shutting'
It does reflect big pressure and big change to the current model, though
It does reflect big pressure and big change to the current model, though
BMA says resident doctors are pressing ahead with the strikes ---
NHS leaders have so far held off from cancelling or rescheduling planned care; they'll now have to decide whether to persist with that 'game of chicken', or wait and see how it plays out on Friday morning
NHS leaders have so far held off from cancelling or rescheduling planned care; they'll now have to decide whether to persist with that 'game of chicken', or wait and see how it plays out on Friday morning
July 22, 2025 at 2:49 PM
BMA says resident doctors are pressing ahead with the strikes ---
NHS leaders have so far held off from cancelling or rescheduling planned care; they'll now have to decide whether to persist with that 'game of chicken', or wait and see how it plays out on Friday morning
NHS leaders have so far held off from cancelling or rescheduling planned care; they'll now have to decide whether to persist with that 'game of chicken', or wait and see how it plays out on Friday morning
July 3, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Three former senior leaders at Countess of Chester have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, and bailed
July 1, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Three former senior leaders at Countess of Chester have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, and bailed
@tomdolphin.bsky.social has been elected BMA Council chair, at this rather important time for medical industrial relations
June 25, 2025 at 8:09 PM
@tomdolphin.bsky.social has been elected BMA Council chair, at this rather important time for medical industrial relations
Funnily enough I covered some of the potential for NHS redistribution - and the dilemmas involved - back in February
t.co/HXqFPu5hjd
Great news that Streeting is now addressing these things, but he is miss-selling what's going on with deficit/funding ICS allocations
t.co/HXqFPu5hjd
Great news that Streeting is now addressing these things, but he is miss-selling what's going on with deficit/funding ICS allocations
June 25, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Funnily enough I covered some of the potential for NHS redistribution - and the dilemmas involved - back in February
t.co/HXqFPu5hjd
Great news that Streeting is now addressing these things, but he is miss-selling what's going on with deficit/funding ICS allocations
t.co/HXqFPu5hjd
Great news that Streeting is now addressing these things, but he is miss-selling what's going on with deficit/funding ICS allocations
Hope you're right... but I fear the main reason volume & quality is broken is still the resource/demand mismatch since 2010.
June 13, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Hope you're right... but I fear the main reason volume & quality is broken is still the resource/demand mismatch since 2010.
What has changed since the 2014 Five Year Forward View, to mean the NHS will this time have more success creating these integrated provider organisations?
June 12, 2025 at 2:59 PM
What has changed since the 2014 Five Year Forward View, to mean the NHS will this time have more success creating these integrated provider organisations?
Another ingenious 'have the provocative headlines but we won't give you the actual document' move from DHSC @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social
So everyone can hear / read about the news in the morning without concerning themselves with the actual facts
So everyone can hear / read about the news in the morning without concerning themselves with the actual facts
May 14, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Another ingenious 'have the provocative headlines but we won't give you the actual document' move from DHSC @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social
So everyone can hear / read about the news in the morning without concerning themselves with the actual facts
So everyone can hear / read about the news in the morning without concerning themselves with the actual facts
NEW The NHS's new national chiefs today adopting unvarnished short termism in the objectives they are giving to local organisations for this year
www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/co...
HSJ story soon on what's in and out in the shorter list of priorities
www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/co...
HSJ story soon on what's in and out in the shorter list of priorities
May 12, 2025 at 2:55 PM
NEW The NHS's new national chiefs today adopting unvarnished short termism in the objectives they are giving to local organisations for this year
www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/co...
HSJ story soon on what's in and out in the shorter list of priorities
www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/co...
HSJ story soon on what's in and out in the shorter list of priorities
Ministers - more health checks are not game changing, actual action on public health would be game changing
as per @sebrees1.bsky.social & co bsky.app/profile/sebr...
and
@felly500.bsky.social hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...
and @swoolnoughtkf.bsky.social
hsj.co.uk/service-rede...
as per @sebrees1.bsky.social & co bsky.app/profile/sebr...
and
@felly500.bsky.social hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...
and @swoolnoughtkf.bsky.social
hsj.co.uk/service-rede...
April 24, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Ministers - more health checks are not game changing, actual action on public health would be game changing
as per @sebrees1.bsky.social & co bsky.app/profile/sebr...
and
@felly500.bsky.social hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...
and @swoolnoughtkf.bsky.social
hsj.co.uk/service-rede...
as per @sebrees1.bsky.social & co bsky.app/profile/sebr...
and
@felly500.bsky.social hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...
and @swoolnoughtkf.bsky.social
hsj.co.uk/service-rede...
"Bandwidth" for effective prevention measures is being sucked up by NHS obsession in politics and media - including the 10-year plan
&& Locally, ICBs should use clinical voice to "give councils grief" over taking action
My interview with @felly500.bsky.social
www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...
&& Locally, ICBs should use clinical voice to "give councils grief" over taking action
My interview with @felly500.bsky.social
www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...
April 1, 2025 at 5:40 AM
"Bandwidth" for effective prevention measures is being sucked up by NHS obsession in politics and media - including the 10-year plan
&& Locally, ICBs should use clinical voice to "give councils grief" over taking action
My interview with @felly500.bsky.social
www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...
&& Locally, ICBs should use clinical voice to "give councils grief" over taking action
My interview with @felly500.bsky.social
www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...
'bombard providers with conflicting instructions? moi?'
March 27, 2025 at 3:10 PM
'bombard providers with conflicting instructions? moi?'
As sure as winter turns to astronomical spring... The 10-year health plan is pencilled in for June
March 25, 2025 at 3:07 PM
As sure as winter turns to astronomical spring... The 10-year health plan is pencilled in for June
The Integrator: Do ICBs have a future?
www.hsj.co.uk/expert-brief...
www.hsj.co.uk/expert-brief...
March 18, 2025 at 8:05 AM
The Integrator: Do ICBs have a future?
www.hsj.co.uk/expert-brief...
www.hsj.co.uk/expert-brief...
in case you were in any doubt...
March 13, 2025 at 11:06 AM
in case you were in any doubt...
this is my summing up, the actual source is these - www.gov.uk/government/c...
March 12, 2025 at 7:34 AM
this is my summing up, the actual source is these - www.gov.uk/government/c...
the questions of restructure of the centre also reminds me of this piece from early 2020, at the point Matt Hancock was looking to take back control from NHSE
Headline point still stands:
Take NHS England’s power - but don’t give it to ministers
t.co/l0um14KIDk
Headline point still stands:
Take NHS England’s power - but don’t give it to ministers
t.co/l0um14KIDk
March 11, 2025 at 12:22 PM
the questions of restructure of the centre also reminds me of this piece from early 2020, at the point Matt Hancock was looking to take back control from NHSE
Headline point still stands:
Take NHS England’s power - but don’t give it to ministers
t.co/l0um14KIDk
Headline point still stands:
Take NHS England’s power - but don’t give it to ministers
t.co/l0um14KIDk