Shaping the debate: your views in the news
A monthly round-up of how we are influencing the conversation on health and care on behalf of our members.
- Our chief executive, Sir Ciarán Devane, was quoted in a report in Health Service Journal about potential delays to the abolition of NHS England. Ciarán was also quoted in further HSJ coverage of the NHS operating model.
- Matthew Hopkins, director of our acute and ambulance network, featured in a piece in the Times on NHS funding pressures ahead of the budget.
- Matthew’s comments on backlog maintenance figures were picked up by PA news and ran in the Daily Express.
- Rebecca Gray was quoted in the Guardian in an article about staffing pressures in ADHD and autism services.
- The Nursing Times ran a comment from Ciarán on the annual Skills for Care report.
- Our chair, Lord Victor Adebowale, featured in HSJ’s list of the most influential Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in health.
W/C Monday 5 October
- Our Mental Health Network director Rebecca Gray responded to the Fonagy review of prevalence and support for mental health conditions, ADHD and autism, with coverage of her comments in the BBC and Daily Mail. She was also a guest on BBC News.
- Our Acute and Ambulance Network director Matthew Hopkins was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme (47min onwards) and BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss the Health Foundation's analysis suggesting that the government’s target of treating 92% of elective patients within 18 weeks by July 2029 is unlikely to be met. He outlined the need for an honest conversation about where the NHS can get to with the resources available. Our response to Thursday’s statistics on how the NHS is facing up to the relentless growth in demand was also central to the BBC's coverage.
W/C Monday 28 September
- Our chief executive, Sir Ciarán Devane, was quoted in The Sun in a story on how six out of ten NHS A&E departments are below standard and failing inspection, with more than 100 being ordered to improve by the Care Quality Commission. He said “The scale of the challenge facing emergency care is significant. It requires focusing on more than A&E services on their own.”
- Sir Ciarán was also mentioned in a piece by the Healthcare Management and Management in Practice on NHS England’s announcement that staff suspected of improperly accessing patients’ medical records will face immediate suspension. He said, “NHS leaders will review the contents of this letter from NHS England in detail to ensure they are satisfying the national requirements.”
- The NHS Alliance also responded to prime minister Andy Burnham’s speech at the Labour Party Conference. Sir Ciarán said, “A better funded, universal National Care Service would be a huge improvement on the present situation, but it won't on its own integrate better with the NHS.” Media coverage was also secured in the Daily Mirror print and online in response to Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP’s speech. Commenting on the Sure Start programme, Sir Ciarán said, “Prevention, early intervention and joined-up support are essential if we are to give every child the best start in life and build a more sustainable health and care system."
- Our assistant director of the ICB Network, Ian Perrin, was quoted in a story by the Healthcare Leader on how cuts to integrated care boards (ICB) have seen more than £260 million spent on redundancies in the last financial year. He said, “The cost of redundancies in 2025/26 demonstrates the scale and pace of this organisational change.
