News

• Monitor calls for firm focus on service transformation
  Ft regulator Monitor has stepped up calls for foundation trusts to plan for ‘fundamental changes to service delivery’ over the coming five years.
• HFMA unveils awards shortlist
  Four finance directors have been shortlisted in the competition to be HFMA Finance Director of the Year.
• NCB considers general readiness assessment
  The NHS Commissioning Board finance function is considering how it might deliver an ongoing assurance process to assess finance managers’ readiness for chief finance officer roles.
• HFMA backs MH stability
  The HFMA’s Mental Health Faculty has backed plans to produce contracts based on the new cluster currency in 2013/14, but has called for contracts to continue to be within the financial envelope of existing contracts.
• Audit Scotland calls for longer term focus
  Scottish health boards broke even for the fourth year in a row in 2011/12, but the positive picture overall did not reflect the pressures faced by the boards, according to Audit Scotland.
• Welsh NHS faces further cuts
  The Welsh government has insisted it is protecting NHS funding despite proposing reductions in frontline NHS revenue funding for 2013/14.
• News review - Seamus Ward assesses the past month in healthcare finance
  October was party conference season and, as is traditional, the two main political parties traded blows over the health service. But beneath the brickbats, there were some interesting policy developments emerging.
• News analysis: Emergency cover
  Seamus Ward examines calls for a review of the marginal rate for emergency admissions

Comment

• Financial value
  Finance teams need healthy self-esteem so they can play a full part in the transformation of services needed across the NHS, writes Sue Jacques
• Time for some straight talking
  If we are serious about change and productivity improvement, we can’t afford to ignore core costs – however sensitive the issues, writes Keith Wood
• Forging ahead
  As we approach the annual conference, the feedback we receive on a daily basis from the service is that times are getting tougher.

Features

• Pay review
  Some believe the South West Pay Consortium is the first step in dismantling national pay bargaining; others say trusts must tackle pay if they are to remain financially sustainable. Seamus Ward examines how the consortium’s actions tie in with national negotiations on Agenda for Change
  Download Pay review PDF
• Equal opportunities
  Continuing our analysis of the issues being considered as part of Monitor’s fair playing field review, we look at education and training and taxation. Seamus Ward reports
  Download Equal opportunities PDF
• Stepping into the unknown
  Innovation is how the NHS will meet its current service challenges – and that will involve more risk taking. But what does that mean for NHS finance directors, asks Steve Brown
  Download Stepping into the unknown PDF
• Collective protection
  While the NHS appreciates the value of a risk-pooling approach to meeting the costs of clinical negligence claims, there have been calls for changes to current contribution arrangements. Tom Fothergill outlines the NHS Litigation Authority’s proposed response
  Download Collective protection PDF
• Into chartered territory
  HFMA president Sue Jacques and chief executive Mark Knight report on the association’s bid to break new ground and gain chartered status
  Download Into chartered territory PDF
• Delivering quality ONLINE ONLY
  Quality was the central focus of a joint HFMA/ACCA/CIPFA health finance conference in Scotland in October. Ian Waugh reports
  Download Delivering quality PDF
• Technical round-up
  Our monthly review of the latest technical guidance and reports, with links to the original documents
  Download Technical round-up PDF
• NICE update
  The guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in October
  Download NICE update PDF
• In the fast lane
  The ‘Making a difference’ residentials were designed to help finance managers quickly gain the skills they need to deliver sustainable improvement
  Download In the fast lane PDF