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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Yvette Cooper speaking in north London before Andy Burnham says "We cannot keep walking around this problem" - argues it was 50 years ago Barbara Castle first sought to integrate health and social care

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Trailer tonight for Andy Burnham social care speech tomorrow No10 again emphasises the link with NHS pressures - the Notes claim "cuts to social care funding between 2010 and 2018 led to an estimated additional half a million A&E attendances a year for people aged 65 and over".

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

(Also, Burnham's two biggest areas of focus when it comes to the DHSC, making the order paper on the final day)

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

the top of one of my pieces the other day.... horrific experiences deciding whether to use "" over the years

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Some irony in Healthwatch England's findings being cited in the case for the government's proposed NHS Modernisation Bill - the bill that will also scrap HWE

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

New ICB chairs in South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester will for the first time report to their elected Mayors (as health commissioners), as well as to NHS England/SofS on their NHS responsibilities. Could make for an interesting dynamic

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Co-chairs named for DHSC advisory group on frailty & dementia MSF , including @jkdhesi.bsky.social & neighbourhood health guidance is expected to (finally) land this week I understand The centre has been slow on integrated care policy lately, but they're some small steps forward...

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

DHSC declining to confirm a Phase 2 for the neighbourhood implementation programme In reply to a Parliamentary question from @helenmorganlibdem.bsky.social

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

A (positive) pre-Christmas flu update, thanks to UKHSA for publishing a day early RSV (mostly affects the very young and very old) at a fairly high rate & some signs it is still rising, though

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Some more assessment of this from over on LinkedIn

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

flu latest, from UK Health Security Agency

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

Congrats to Sally Warren - now made official as DG adult social care

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

This feels like a 'brave' re-commitment from govt to abolish NHSE 'within 2 years' (of July, when the 10 Year Plan was published) Abolition Bill isn't due to enter parliament till Spring 2026 - passage could easily take a year - then quite a few technicalities to sort out

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

thanks. This is the CMO summary slide

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Claire has overseen a period of pretty substantial (unprecedented?) growth in spending on mental health services ... Yet it's miles away from meeting need and demand The commitment to that growing investment now very clearly at an end

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

curious to see these CIs on the ranks, too

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Top line here appears a little misleading - being taken over by new management is not quite the same as 'shutting' It does reflect big pressure and big change to the current model, though

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

BMA says resident doctors are pressing ahead with the strikes --- NHS leaders have so far held off from cancelling or rescheduling planned care; they'll now have to decide whether to persist with that 'game of chicken', or wait and see how it plays out on Friday morning

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Reminds of these comments from January www.hsj.co.uk/integrated-c...

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

Three former senior leaders at Countess of Chester have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, and bailed

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

@tomdolphin.bsky.social has been elected BMA Council chair, at this rather important time for medical industrial relations

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Funnily enough I covered some of the potential for NHS redistribution - and the dilemmas involved - back in February t.co/HXqFPu5hjd Great news that Streeting is now addressing these things, but he is miss-selling what's going on with deficit/funding ICS allocations

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Hope you're right... but I fear the main reason volume & quality is broken is still the resource/demand mismatch since 2010.

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 12/06/2025

What has changed since the 2014 Five Year Forward View, to mean the NHS will this time have more success creating these integrated provider organisations?

Five year forward view clip on MCPs and PACS

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 14/05/2025

Another ingenious 'have the provocative headlines but we won't give you the actual document' move from DHSC @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social So everyone can hear / read about the news in the morning without concerning themselves with the actual facts

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

NEW The NHS's new national chiefs today adopting unvarnished short termism in the objectives they are giving to local organisations for this year www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/co... HSJ story soon on what's in and out in the shorter list of priorities

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Ministers - more health checks are not game changing, actual action on public health would be game changing as per @sebrees1.bsky.social & co bsky.app/profile/sebr... and @felly500.bsky.social hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r... and @swoolnoughtkf.bsky.social hsj.co.uk/service-rede...

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

"Bandwidth" for effective prevention measures is being sucked up by NHS obsession in politics and media - including the 10-year plan && Locally, ICBs should use clinical voice to "give councils grief" over taking action My interview with @felly500.bsky.social www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

'bombard providers with conflicting instructions? moi?'

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

As sure as winter turns to astronomical spring... The 10-year health plan is pencilled in for June

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

The Integrator: Do ICBs have a future? www.hsj.co.uk/expert-brief...

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

this is my summing up, the actual source is these - www.gov.uk/government/c...

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

the questions of restructure of the centre also reminds me of this piece from early 2020, at the point Matt Hancock was looking to take back control from NHSE Headline point still stands: Take NHS England’s power - but don’t give it to ministers t.co/l0um14KIDk

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

Careful what you wish for - new data to Dec 24 was published first thing this morning The pattern continued from June NHS England has many more staff But DHSC is now proportionately bigger compared to pre-covid - 30% bigger, compared to 12% for NHSE The core department grew through 2024

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

DHSC is smaller but proportionately has grown a lot more - including through early 2024 That is largely but not entirely due to bringing parts of public health 'back in house' - discounting that, at last count, DHSC was 30% bigger than pre covid. NHSE was 20% bigger than pre covid

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

Much talk of big cuts to central civil service & NHS England - here's some numbers for context The 'new' NHSE is indeed huge. It grew in covid, then took on some v big new functions - provider regulation, tech & staffing It then cut steeply (4000wte, 22%) in 2023-24

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

Penny Dash formally confirmed as NHS England chair www.gov.uk/government/p...

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Providers with the biggest problems - no big change, tho East Lancs is reporting 1,000+ year-plus waiters. Previously only 32 - showing there's still big reporting/data problems.

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Much less adults waiting a year+ but there's some problem areas Weight/obesity - rocketed in past 6ms. Steep demand rise linked to new drugs, services swamped, only some even recording it. Steady growth in rehab - pretty absurd to wait a year+. Also a recent rise in audiology

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

The detail on year-plus waiters reveals the real big problems Especially the huge one, children seeking diagnosis and help for neurological issues, especially Autism and ADHD. Needs and awareness exploding, not helped at early stage, leading to more severe problems

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Here's some of the biggest total waiting lists by service. Like the list overall, they're pretty static over the past year. (NB these lists don't really capture some big but quicker-response 'unplanned' community work like much district nursing, intermediate care.)

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

Right, here's an update on the community health services waiting list - that's the one govt is largely ignoring, axing the national objective to cut it last month. Data to December shows another rise (c2,500) in kids waiting a year or more for help, small fall for adults (c.200)

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Who's shaping the 10-year health plan, and what it tells us www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

The Integrator: Redistributing the NHS wealth www.hsj.co.uk/expert-brief...

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

The trust's chair - sharply criticised in the verdict - has now resigned

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

New cohort life expectancy calcs from the ONS - showing how, while they still think life expectancy is growing (and mortality falling), it's less so than was anticipated a few years ago

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Dave West @ HSJ @davewwest.bsky.social · 14/02/2025

Statement from the former CEO, Susan Gilby. She says "The time for these behaviours to be acceptable within the NHS is over"

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