Healthcare Markets

The Department of Health (DH) has announced the date when the long announced patient cap on foundation trust (FT) private income will be lifted.

MedeAnalytics’ (the technology systems provider) FT Navigator business intelligence and analytics solution is being employed by Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust.

Westfield Contributory Health Scheme reported a successful’ year for the period ending 31 March 2012 despite declaring a 2.3% fall in earned premiums from £53m in 2011 to £51.8m. The not-for-profit organisation reported an increase in the number of customers it serves and surplus on ordinary activities before tax was £5.5m, a decrease on 2011’s £8.5m.

Philip Scott chief executive of the Priory Group has announced he is to step down. Mr Scott joined the group as chief executive in 2007 and in the course of long term business planning for the group has indicated to the Board he is unable to commit for a further five years.

The National Audit Office (NAO) has highlighted key trends and variations in the delivery of healthcare across the UK. There are considerable variations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in areas such as health outcomes, spending, staffing and quality. Spending on health services in the UK more than doubled in cash terms in the last decade. The rate of increase has been broadly similar in all four nations but spending per person continues to vary. In 2010-11, despite devoting a higher proportion of total public spending to health, England spent the least on health per person.

The Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) first quarterly report shows that 82% of all independent acute and mental health providers are meeting all the CQC’s essential standards.

Non-executive directors have been appointed to the NHS Commissioning Board. It was confirmed last month that Lord Adebowale, Margaret Casely-Hayford, Dame Moira Gibb and Naguib Kheraj were set to join the board.

An administrator has been appointed to the South London Healthcare NHS Trust after it ran into financial trouble last month.

Service users at Cygnet Health Care’s hospital in Beckton, Greater London, have been learning how to interview potential new employees. The scheme is part of mental healthcare and heroin detox provider Cygnet’s strategy to help service users shape the delivery of care at Cygnet facilities. The initiative comes along with the launch of the new Cygnet Health Care website, http://www.cygnethealth.co.uk/, and the roll-out of Cygnet Health Care Welcome Guides manuals describing life at Cygnet Health Care facilities, created with the collaborative input of service users.

MedicX Fund, the specialist primary care infrastructure investor in modern, purpose-built, primary healthcare properties in the United Kingdom, has completed the acquisition of a portfolio of 31 completed and fully let primary care medical centres. The purchase is by way of a corporate acquisition for an initial cash consideration of £16.1 million including transaction costs of £1.6 million, and the assumption of existing debt of £63.8 million.