Dave West @ HSJ
@davewwest.bsky.social
Deputy Editor of Health Service Journal. News on the English health and care system, its policy, performance and leadership.
https://www.hsj.co.uk/dave-west/2231.contributor?page=1
https://www.hsj.co.uk/dave-west/2231.contributor?page=1
flu latest, from UK Health Security Agency
November 6, 2025 at 2:21 PM
flu latest, from UK Health Security Agency
The cycle of constant, repeated (affected?) shock and horror
November 5, 2025 at 4:34 PM
The cycle of constant, repeated (affected?) shock and horror
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
This is terrible
Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer have plummeted in Britain
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer have plummeted in Britain
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer have plummeted in Britain
Blame declining confidence, a lack of convenience and rising complacency
www.economist.com
November 1, 2025 at 2:10 AM
This is terrible
Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer have plummeted in Britain
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Vaccinations to prevent cervical cancer have plummeted in Britain
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
NEW. PLEASE READ.
A landmark case which every NHS Board, nurse and midwife, and HR staff member should learn from. All credit to the Board for such an honest statement. And to Evonne Hunt, Chief Nurse
A landmark case which every NHS Board, nurse and midwife, and HR staff member should learn from. All credit to the Board for such an honest statement. And to Evonne Hunt, Chief Nurse
November 1, 2025 at 9:41 AM
NEW. PLEASE READ.
A landmark case which every NHS Board, nurse and midwife, and HR staff member should learn from. All credit to the Board for such an honest statement. And to Evonne Hunt, Chief Nurse
A landmark case which every NHS Board, nurse and midwife, and HR staff member should learn from. All credit to the Board for such an honest statement. And to Evonne Hunt, Chief Nurse
Congrats to Sally Warren - now made official as DG adult social care
October 30, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Congrats to Sally Warren - now made official as DG adult social care
Excl - the Chancellor, along with communities and transport secs, have appointed the first “envoy for the Northern Growth Corridor” to “develop a plan to support growth across the north”.
www.hsj.co.uk/integrated-c...
www.hsj.co.uk/integrated-c...
Exclusive: Director quits DHSC for senior regional role
The second permanent secretary of the Department of Health and Social Care, Tom Riordan, is leaving after only a year in the post for a newly created cross-government role.
www.hsj.co.uk
October 28, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Excl - the Chancellor, along with communities and transport secs, have appointed the first “envoy for the Northern Growth Corridor” to “develop a plan to support growth across the north”.
www.hsj.co.uk/integrated-c...
www.hsj.co.uk/integrated-c...
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
❗ Big policy news - the schools white paper will not be published this Autumn as promised
Instead ministers want more time to consult on their SEND reforms, and are now promising it will come 'early in the new year'
Probably the right call, but still frustrating
schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-whit...
Instead ministers want more time to consult on their SEND reforms, and are now promising it will come 'early in the new year'
Probably the right call, but still frustrating
schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-whit...
Schools white paper delayed until next year
Autumn deadline will be missed as ministers take more time to consider controversial SEND reforms
schoolsweek.co.uk
October 22, 2025 at 2:06 PM
❗ Big policy news - the schools white paper will not be published this Autumn as promised
Instead ministers want more time to consult on their SEND reforms, and are now promising it will come 'early in the new year'
Probably the right call, but still frustrating
schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-whit...
Instead ministers want more time to consult on their SEND reforms, and are now promising it will come 'early in the new year'
Probably the right call, but still frustrating
schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-whit...
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
I'm glad and pleased that @thekingsfund.bsky.social is now a supporter of @healthequals.bsky.social, the campaign for tackling pernicious, unjust, economically damaging AND PREVENTABLE inequalities in health.
October 21, 2025 at 7:57 AM
I'm glad and pleased that @thekingsfund.bsky.social is now a supporter of @healthequals.bsky.social, the campaign for tackling pernicious, unjust, economically damaging AND PREVENTABLE inequalities in health.
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
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
October 21, 2025 at 6:31 AM
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
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
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
Sir Chris Whitty says people were forced indoors too much during Covid pandemic and says he thought that at the time
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
October 20, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Sir Chris Whitty says people were forced indoors too much during Covid pandemic and says he thought that at the time
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
There is a good chance that this will be the most important economic fact in all of our lives.
October 3, 2025 at 9:03 AM
There is a good chance that this will be the most important economic fact in all of our lives.
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
roll-out of social prescribing in England's primary care system
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Rapid ⬆️ in Px
Doesn't appear to a rapid increase in the £ available for services to which people are referred
If this were referrals to orthopaedics that wouldn't be ok
not ok in this context
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Rapid ⬆️ in Px
Doesn't appear to a rapid increase in the £ available for services to which people are referred
If this were referrals to orthopaedics that wouldn't be ok
not ok in this context
National roll-out of social prescribing in England's primary care system: a longitudinal observational study using Clinical Practice Research Datalink data
Social prescribing has expanded rapidly in England, far exceeding initial targets
of 900 000 patients by 2023–24, suggesting broad service acceptability. Progress is
being made in reaching specific ta...
www.thelancet.com
September 27, 2025 at 8:08 PM
roll-out of social prescribing in England's primary care system
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Rapid ⬆️ in Px
Doesn't appear to a rapid increase in the £ available for services to which people are referred
If this were referrals to orthopaedics that wouldn't be ok
not ok in this context
www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Rapid ⬆️ in Px
Doesn't appear to a rapid increase in the £ available for services to which people are referred
If this were referrals to orthopaedics that wouldn't be ok
not ok in this context
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
The Health & Social Care Secretary announced launch of pilot scheme where adults waiting for gender services will receive clinical & emotional support. It is fundamentally wrong that so many #LGBT+ people still face challenges when accessing #healthcare
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Support for adults facing staggering waits for gender services
Adults waiting for gender services will receive clinical and emotional support from a new wellbeing pilot.
www.gov.uk
September 22, 2025 at 11:38 AM
The Health & Social Care Secretary announced launch of pilot scheme where adults waiting for gender services will receive clinical & emotional support. It is fundamentally wrong that so many #LGBT+ people still face challenges when accessing #healthcare
www.gov.uk/government/n...
www.gov.uk/government/n...
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
This ain’t bad from Streeting. Need much more of this from senior politicians across the spectrum www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
We must tackle rising tide of racism and homophobia claiming to be free speech, says Streeting
Exclusive: Health secretary says Labour cannot afford to ignore far-right protests as Starmer under pressure
www.theguardian.com
September 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM
This ain’t bad from Streeting. Need much more of this from senior politicians across the spectrum www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
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
The commitment to that growing investment now very clearly at an end
September 11, 2025 at 6:33 PM
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
The commitment to that growing investment now very clearly at an end
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
Wrote paper in 2001 about problems in constructing composite performance measure league tables- comparing WHO attempt to rank worlds health systems and FIFA rankings of countries footie teams! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1258/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
September 10, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Wrote paper in 2001 about problems in constructing composite performance measure league tables- comparing WHO attempt to rank worlds health systems and FIFA rankings of countries footie teams! journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1258/...
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
ALERT!: we need a statistician!
September 9, 2025 at 8:58 PM
ALERT!: we need a statistician!
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
To be fair the Framework itself makes no claims that it is for patient choice - simply that publishing it is 'to support transparency'.
September 9, 2025 at 7:37 PM
To be fair the Framework itself makes no claims that it is for patient choice - simply that publishing it is 'to support transparency'.
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
Impact of the lock-out to segment three for Trusts that fail the financial test. Plotting average score against assigned ranking
September 9, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Impact of the lock-out to segment three for Trusts that fail the financial test. Plotting average score against assigned ranking
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
I knew you’d ask! From DH method u posted it seems the source of variation (needed to generate CIs) comes from variation in services trusts’ provide. Bootstrapping (10k repeated sampling of data) can generate a mean etc from which CIs can be calculated. Please can a proper statistcian explain!
September 9, 2025 at 6:21 PM
I knew you’d ask! From DH method u posted it seems the source of variation (needed to generate CIs) comes from variation in services trusts’ provide. Bootstrapping (10k repeated sampling of data) can generate a mean etc from which CIs can be calculated. Please can a proper statistcian explain!
bottom of the league? it's not so bad, you might actually be nearly top of the league
Those confidence intervals in full!
September 9, 2025 at 3:22 PM
bottom of the league? it's not so bad, you might actually be nearly top of the league
Reposted by Dave West @ HSJ
Those confidence intervals in full!
September 9, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Those confidence intervals in full!