Read Jack Serle's latest HSJi Review, which discusses how Trusts across England are accelerating efforts to integrate mental and physical health services with primary and community care. Read the full article here.

Latest Investigations

Bedfordshire Hospitals Foundation Trust

The Trust set a breakeven plan for 2025–26, but was already off plan before mid-year. Mental health nurses represent 60 per cent of all its agency spend, reflecting ongoing workforce pressures. The Trust estate is in a poor condition, with no prospect of major redevelopment, while a £170m expansion in capacity will shortly go online at Luton and Dunstable. Elective hub plans are in process after it secured government seed funding, though the East West Rail development risks causing major problems for car parking. An improvement in elective performance was delivered after a major validation drive, and the Trust is now seeking a partner for a £27m new diagnostic centre. Meanwhile, BHFT is investing heavily in maternity staffing after being placed in the national support programme — NHSE’s maternity safety support programme for trusts where significant concerns over safety and quality have been identified.

University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire Trust

UHCW ranked 132 out of 134 acute trusts in the NHSE league table, reflecting significant performance challenges. The Trust is struggling to meet its £76.1m savings target and to find recurrent savings, with efficiencies largely reliant on a huge reduction in the use of bank staff and a vacancy freeze. AI is being used to validate waiting lists and improve outpatient efficiency, while Rugby Hospital is being redeveloped as a “cold” site to support elective recovery. The Trust is now running adult community services in Coventry and has been chosen as one of the pioneers of the government’s “neighbourhood health service.”

The Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust

PAHT is increasingly gaining powers to commission local health and care services, with its local place being one of 42 pioneers chosen to lead neighbourhood health. The Trust is exploring a joint GP fellowship with another provider and ranked 120 out of 134 trusts in the England league table. Elective, cancer, and diagnostic waits remain challenged, while the Trust must cut costs by 6 per cent of its operating expenditure in 2025–26. PAHT is reviewing plans to restructure its clinical divisions, and the long-delayed rebuild of PAHT under the New Hospital Programme continues to face setbacks. However, the shift to neighbourhood care means physically moving services into the community, and the reduced size and cost of the rebuild could help get it approved.

Data points

The following data points were updated this week:

• Quarterly staff absence rates for Acute,Sp,Com,MH,Amb in Q1 2025-26
• Total Workforce for Acute,Sp,Com,MH,Amb in Q2 2025-26
• Workforce- Medical staff for Acute,Sp,Com in Q2 2025-26
• Workforce- Other Staff, Workforce- Nursing Staff for Acute,Sp,Com in Q2 2025-26
• Workforce- Amb Staff for Amb in Q2 2025-26
• GPs per 100,000 population, GP nurses per 100,000 population, Nursing workforce for ICS in Q2 2025-26
• Expenditure on Primary Healthcare Services, Expenditure on healthcare from other providers, Expenditure on Hospital and Community Health Services, Net operating costs for the financial year, Gross capital expenditure, Tax payers equity for Only Swansea health board (Wales) in 2024-25
• Annual reports for Scotland in 2024-25
• Annual Report, Link to Quality Accounts for Acute,Sp,Com,MH,Amb in 2024-25