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Four things we learned from NHS England’s board meeting

Four things we learned from NHS England’s board meeting
By Angela Sharda
9 February 2018



It’s been a turbulent few months for the NHS, with rising flu rates, longer waits in A&E and increasing pressure on our already overstretched healthcare system.

It’s been a turbulent few months for the NHS, with rising flu rates, longer waits in A&E and increasing pressure on our already overstretched healthcare system.

So Healthcare Leader was interested to hear which topics would surface when NHS England met for their board meeting earlier this week.

Read on for our pick of the most interesting points.

1.    NHS England will give more support for CCGs…

As expected the board agreed to create the £400m Commissioners Support Fund to ‘support those CCGs that would otherwise be unable to live within their means for 2018/19’.

2…and provide additional cash

It also agreed to release an additional £600m from reserves for CCGs. It will be distributed using a target allocation formula that considers population, health need and inequalities.

CCG allocations were also updated to reflect latest GP registered risks, population projections and any CCG mergers.

3. It will work more closely with other organisations

NHS England and NHS Improvement aim to work more closely ‘to support integrated care and integrated change programmes’ in their work monitoring CCGs and trusts across STP areas, NHS England chairman Sir Malcolm Grant said.

4. It will crack down on cyber security

Last May’s WannaCry malware attack posed a serious problem across the NHS, including GP practices.

NHSE’s director of operations and information told the board cyber security ‘is a responsibility for every GP practice, every CCG board. They need to take this as seriously as part of their obligation  – the same as quality of care.’

His comments came as the board discussed a report into the NHS WannaCry cyber attack, which recommends every board has an executive director as data security lead.

Unsurprisingly, the board heard that cyber security will be part of the curriculum at the new Digital Academy, which is open to chief clinical information officers, chief information officers, and senior operational, technical and clinical managers.

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