Comment / Magic numbers

I’m writing my first column as HFMA president for 2013/14 as we approach the end of the second month of my year in office. My theme for this year is ‘Leading by numbers’ and it seems relevant to ask myself what key numbers are associated with the NHS right now. Two numbers immediately come

to mind. The first is the number made famous by Kevin Keegan, David Beckham and Neil Back (for soccer fans, this is the only World Cup winner): number seven. 

Since Sir Bruce Keogh published NHS services – open seven days a week: every day counts in December, many hours of thought have been put into how we can make the NHS a true seven-day service. I believe this is essential if we are serious about putting patients and outcomes at the heart of everything we do.

The demand for such services, we know, will have wide and deep effects across the NHS in England. We will need to take some big decisions as a result – not least about service configuration.

It’s imperative as we look to ‘Lead by numbers’ that finance professionals across the NHS ensure we are at the decision-making table. It was good to see – and absolutely right – the HFMA involved in the national work on seven-day services. This work helped to understand the potential costs associated with meeting the defined standards of service delivery seven days a week. We need to ensure this involvement of finance professionals is recreated locally as plans are laid for local implementation.

The numbers involved will be large and complex, including activity, workforce and costing information. Finance professionals are ideally

placed to bring all of this information together to ensure that the decisions are well informed and the right choices are made.

The second prominent number is 95 – the key performance metric of 95% of patients being dealt with by the emergency department, either treated, admitted or discharged. It is now generally accepted to be a true barometer of flow in, through and out of acute hospitals and attracts a high level of attention from media and politicians alike.

While the winter to date has been mild in comparison with last year, pressures on most A&E departments are increasing. As a result, many organisations have invested and, in many cases thrown, resources at the emergency pathway challenges.

Finance professionals, both within and outside hospitals, need to demonstrate they absolutely understand the cost of each and every intervention that has been made as part of this process.

Only with this information can they attempt to evaluate the interventions that have actually added value, assisting in enhanced patient flow and delivery of effective patient care.

I have no doubt that the HFMA’s proposed new costing institute, building on the association’s excellent work to improve costing standards, will give great assistance to finance professionals in how we cost out interventions and patient pathways.

I firmly believe the finance function has a major role to play in meeting the service and financial challenges facing the NHS. Both seven-day services and an enhanced understanding of costs and value are key areas we can – and must – really get our teeth into. These are real opportunities to lead by numbers.

I look forward to meeting you as I attend as many branch events as possible in my year as president.