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Health secretary Wes Streeting has announced that the country’s best-run hospitals and community health trusts will be handed more independence, which will include greater financial flexibility. buff.ly/sUply0G

The shortlists for the HFMA awards 2025 are out! We had a record number of nominations this year – a testament to the exceptional work across the NHS finance community. Huge thanks to everyone who nominated, our sponsors and our judging panels. Congrats to all shortlisted entries! buff.ly/HEJzIjO

The HFMA 2025 annual conference is just three weeks away! Join 500+ NHS finance peers to network, learn, and think differently about the future of the NHS. Limited packages and discounts available, don’t miss out. buff.ly/YR0Hzx1

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being used across the NHS and features in the 10-year health plan. This briefing introduces AI, its uses, benefits and risks, plus key factors for implementation and governance. You can read the briefing here: buff.ly/2eSgoQM

A great first forum as part of our newly launched CEO Network in London today. Thank you to our speakers including Bas Sadiq, Hardev Virdee, Dr Penny Dash and Sir Jeremy Hunt, our event sponsors AdviseInc, and to all of our delegates for joining. Stay tuned for future events: buff.ly/2HDsaEs

This case study from Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust shows how prioritising staff development during financial challenge improved culture, morale and performance. Read more: buff.ly/9h7z2bS

Changes in payment approaches and allocations, released in the planning guidance covering the next three years, represent the ‘biggest shake-up of the NHS financial regime in more than a decade’, NHS England said. Read more here: buff.ly/YHvAh8u

The government's 10-year health plan cannot succeed unless NHS financial flows are changed, but this will require courage from NHS leaders, says the NHS Confederation's Skeena Williamson in this HFMA blog. buff.ly/TacHBDk

The government’s liability for NHS clinical negligence claims in England has risen to £60bn, four times the figure it stood at in 2006/07, according to a report from the National Audit Office (NAO). Read more here: buff.ly/f0nCAHA

Catch up on the latest from our policy team in this monthly update, including: - Developing realistic medium-term financial plans - Exploring the 10-year plan for NHS finance staff - Roundtable discussions on value-based healthcare - Motivating teams through financial challenges buff.ly/riQ81sr

Some of the #NHSfinance news headlines from this week include: 🔉 Social care vacancy rates fall but recruitment challenges persist 🔉 More capital investment ‘critical’ to deliver the 10-year health plan 🔉 NHS clinical negligence liability costs rise to £60m Get the full stories: buff.ly/xyXwihs

In the latest episode of HFMAtalk, Phill Wells, deputy chief financial officer - strategic finance, NHS England, provides a detailed overview and takes questions on the NHS 10-year plan and its impact on finance professionals within the health service. Listen to the episode here: buff.ly/NdktkuD

Today we celebrated the graduation of the latest group of students from the HFMA qualifications programme. Congratulations to all of our graduates, and thank you for being a part of what was a wonderful event!

FINAL REMINDER! Nominations for the HFMA Awards 2025 close today Friday 10 October at 5pm! Help us shine a light on the outstanding work in healthcare finance – submit your entry today and celebrate with us at the annual conference in December. buff.ly/GpMQoPr

Policy alert: Digitally supported monitoring in inpatient mental health: a case study from NHS mental health trusts, www.hfma.org.uk/publications...

Digital medicine, genomics, AI and robotics could transform healthcare. This case study shows how digital technologies boost risk management, care quality and efficiency in mental health inpatient facilities. buff.ly/Jo5s0DC

Prime minister Keir Starmer used his keynote speech at the Labour Party conference last week to announce the launch of an NHS ‘online hospital’ for elective care that will give patients more control over their treatment. buff.ly/iOfKle4

The NHS in Wales remains a long way from living within its means, according to Audit Wales, after it reported that all seven health boards again breached their statutory duty to break even in 2024/25. buff.ly/6TN8Uij

HFMA networks connect finance professionals to share solutions, discuss challenges, and provide a unified voice. Free to join for anyone in an HFMA partner organisation. See upcoming events and get involved: buff.ly/mc0om4M

To mark our 75th anniversary, we’ve been speaking with members about how the HFMA has shaped their careers. In this video, George Bentley, management accountant at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, reflects on his experience just two years after joining.

NHS England has revealed that it has reduced its carbon footprint by 14% since 2019 and by 68% since 1990. buff.ly/IFYEf1F

The HFMA’s updated pocket guide to NHS finance is out now. Perfect for finance staff, non-executive directors, clinicians, managers, or anyone wanting to understand how NHS finance works and fits into the wider NHS. Check it out: buff.ly/lJbIBCP

Integrated care boards (ICBs) and NHS providers will be subject to mid-year reviews over the next six weeks to assess ongoing plans to deliver key priorities within budget, NHS England announced last week. buff.ly/aaIKv3q

The HFMA, with NHS England’s support, has explored how finance teams can tackle health inequalities. This briefing shares case studies showing finance staff driving real improvements in patient outcomes and offering transferable ideas for use across the UK. buff.ly/oxxajUZ

The HFMA has recently launched its 2025–2030 strategy, Preparing for the future. Watch our short animation for an overview of the strategy, then read the full plan online: buff.ly/JxrB9PT

The HFMA executive qualifications route autumn 2025 intake is open – bursaries available! ✅ Online delivery & expert tutors ✅ Full module access & support ✅ Networking opportunities 📚 Assessment completes your journey before an optional MBA* Register interest: buff.ly/iEIFL0h *fees apply

In this month’s update from the HFMA policy and technical team: 🔹HFMA support for finance colleagues 🔹The annual HFMA member survey 🔹Pocket guide to NHS finance 🔹An update on the nominations for the HFMA awards 2025 🔹Details on our policy committees that have vacancies 🔹And more! buff.ly/ZsdvTbi

New bite-sized HFMAtalk: editor Steve Brown unpacks NHS financial pressures, cuts, and uncertainty for staff. We explore the impact on integrated care boards and the urgent need for clarity from NHS England. Listen here: buff.ly/SZpFq5l

The HFMA’s updated pocket guide to NHS finance is out now. Perfect for finance staff, non-executive directors, clinicians, managers, or anyone wanting to understand how NHS finance works and fits into the wider NHS. Check it out: buff.ly/lJbIBCP

Five chief finance officers offer their perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the government's 10-year plan. Read what they had to say here: buff.ly/qgfLG7d

Five NHS CFOs give their views on the government’s 10-year plan in the new Healthcare Finance. Also in this issue: • challenges in recruiting to senior finance roles • NHS England’s Local Cost Collection initiative • how tech could reshape the finance function Read more: buff.ly/bYPT051

The government was given a further reminder that its industrial action challenges in the NHS are not yet over, as consultant doctors indicated their willingness to strike to restore their pay. buff.ly/JUdmqnO

Combining/reorganising NHS bodies is significant and complex and it has a huge impact on finance teams. This new HFMA member briefing is designed to support colleagues to put in place a finance function that will meet reorganisation objectives and the requirements of the new bodies. buff.ly/pMKMlVc

The independent sector now accounts for nearly 29% of mental health bed capacity in England with the NHS now reliant on this extra capacity for routine care, according to new analysis by the King’s Fund. HFMA members, read the full story here: buff.ly/5EJP4Mt

The HFMA resource and guidance database is a new tool collating HFMA and external guidance across different topics into MS Excel format, allowing filtering and detailed searching capabilities. The database is freely available here: buff.ly/BpLDvhZ

#NHSfinance news NHS England has revealed details of a capital incentive scheme that aims to drive improvements in providers’ referral-to-treatment (RTT) performance. HFMA members, read the full story here:

The HFMA’s mental health and learning disability network gives finance professionals space to share challenges, solutions and support. New chair Adrian Snarr reflects on his first six months, highlighting collaboration and peer learning. Read more: buff.ly/M4EByix

NHS England declared this year’s cost submission as part of the National Cost Collection a success with fewer problems, timely uploads and improved data quality. HFMA members, read the full story:

The latest HFMAtalk goes inside UHCW NHS Trust, where clinical staff share how the Virginia Mason Production System has been embedded. The trust reports improvements in patient care, stronger staff engagement and financial savings. Listen on all major podcast platforms or here: buff.ly/4DpAbnO

Introducing the HFMA resource and guidance database! A new tool bringing together information from all six of our topic guidance maps into one MS Excel format. You can now explore guidance across multiple topics in the way that works best for you. The database is available here: buff.ly/BpLDvhZ

Integrated care boards have been left ‘between a rock and a hard place’ over whether they should take forward redundancy schemes to hit demanding cost reduction targets. Read the full story, including a response from Emma Knowles, HFMA director of policy and communications: buff.ly/UnZQlP9

As we look back at our award winners from 2024, we’re excited to see the nominations coming in for the 2025. There is still plenty of time to nominate, view the categories, entry criteria, and further details on the awards on the HFMA website: buff.ly/Tku6zSQ

GPs are the most pressured group in the medical workforce, according to the GMC's Workplace experiences 2025 report, with 6/10 saying that they found it difficult to provide sufficient patient care on a weekly basis compared with 4/10 for all doctors. Full story for HFMA members:

AI is a much discussed topic for creating benefit in the NHS at the moment. Can it really produce the huge changes it promises? Will we be replaced? And how would they bring change safely to services, processes and patient care. Fiona Boyle shares her recent experience of AI here: buff.ly/IhxLK0x

On the most recent HFMAtalk, Phillip Branford, environmental and sustainability officer at Sheffield Children's Hospital, outlines the trust's award-winning work to decommission its nitrous oxide and pipeline systems, discussing the process, challenges and positive impact. 🎧 buff.ly/rICks76

It’s a time of change for charity finance and governance. There is a revised charity governance code, a streamlined code of fundraising practice, and the new charities statement of recommended practice. Andrew Machin considers these changes in this blog: buff.ly/ZeUlNJU @nhscharitiestogether.co.uk

Improving sustainability and reducing health inequalities are crucial for finance managers. However, with high waiting lists and tight budgets, will these issues get the necessary focus? A recent HFMA roundtable, supported by Medtronic, asked this question: buff.ly/BPUGACz

NHS leaders reported reduced disruption from the resident doctors' strike, which ended on Wednesday. However, other staff groups this week joined doctors in rejecting the government’s pay offer. HFMA members, read the full story here: buff.ly/8rzON0R

New HFMAtalk episode! Hear how Sheffield Children’s Hospital decommissioned its nitrous oxide system — a move that earned them the 2024 HFMA Environmental Sustainability Award. Finance and clinical teams, working together for real change. Listen here: buff.ly/sGl6Jn8 #NHS #Sustainability #HFMA