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NHS England has announced the incoming team who will help lead the organisation’s transition into the Department of Health and Social Care. The team – called the NHS Transformation Executive Team – will replace the current NHS England Executive Group and will support ongoing business priorities, statutory functions and day to day delivery.
Except for the deputy chief executive officer, all colleagues will be in post on 1 April 2025 to support this critical work.
The new team – drawn from the existing executive and the wider NHS on secondment – has been appointed following discussion with the Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care senior officials, incoming chair Dr Penny Dash and NHS England’s Board. All appointments are subject to the approval of the Board. Permanent recruitment and appointments will be made when the future form and structure is more clear.
Read more: NHS England names new executive team to lead transition
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On 20 January 2025, the government confirmed funding and a realistic timetable to put the New Hospital Programme on track to deliver all its hospital projects. This provides certainty on the next steps for the New Hospital Programme.
The Rt Hon Wes Streeting MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care: Following the 2024 General Election, the Chancellor and I set out to undertake a review of the New Hospital Programme (NHP) to provide a realistic and affordable timetable for delivery.
The NHP was announced in October 2020 to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030. Despite the claim, there were not 40 ‘new’ schemes and some were just refurbishments or extensions. To put it simply - there were not 40 of them, they were not all new and many were not even hospitals.
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Innovative IT software designed to tackle waiting lists and reduce discharge delays has been rolled out across more than two thirds of the NHS. The NHS Federated Data Platform securely brings together data currently held in separate systems, making it easier for staff to access key information so they can provide quicker and more joined-up care for millions of patients across the country. A year since its introduction, 87 NHS acute hospital trusts and 28 integrated care boards in England have signed up so far. The platform brings together real-time data, such as the number of beds in hospital, the size of elective waiting lists, staff rosters, the availability of medical supplies and social care places so staff can then plan their resources better. New data published today show hospital trusts using the NHS Federated Data Platform have each treated on average 114 more inpatients in theatres every month since introducing the tool.
The platform has come as part of the NHS’ plan to reform patient care and provide maximum value for taxpayers, with figures showing new initiatives to boost productivity have helped the NHS save £2 billion in the first 5 months of this financial year to be reinvested into patient care.
Read more: Millions of patients benefitting from improved care as new NHS IT software rolled out
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Actions before and after the actual surgery in theatres will impact on theatre productivity. Inefficiencies already identified pre-Covid were amplified during the pandemic. Ensuring hospitals reset their surgical pathways and processes, while maintaining capacity to teach and train, is vital to improve theatre productivity and efficiency. It will enable more efficient use of the sessions we can currently staff and run and will provide a firm base on which to increase our estate usage.
Improvements to theatre productivity require a full team effort and should not be seen as the sole responsibility of theatres. Input and action are required across the surgical and perioperative pathways and providers should ensure this work is taken forward by relevant teams working collaboratively and in an aligned way with dedicated clinical ownership and executive support. Improving productivity means delivering as much clinical value for patients as possible with the resources we have, while maintaining safety and improving staff engagement and morale. A whole provider approach is needed with all clinical, operational and theatre teams considering how the elements within their control contribute to the overall value of surgical services and care.
Read more: The Theatres, surgery and perioperative care clinical and operational improvement guide
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The NHS is trialling blood pressure checks at dentist and optometry appointments to help find people at hidden risks of stroke or heart attacks.
The scheme which will be up and running in the coming months follows the success of NHS community pharmacy blood pressure checks, which has delivered more than a million checks in the last year and allows people to keep on top of their risk of cardiovascular disease without the need for an appointment.
As high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, it is estimated that 4.2 million people in England have the condition without knowing it. If you have high blood pressure, reducing it even a small amount can help lower your risk of stroke, heart attacks, kidney disease and vascular dementia. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is to get a blood pressure test.
