Top performing children's hospital gets £4m bonus for A&E turn arounds
A children's hospital has been given a £4m bonus after being recognised as one of the top performing NHS trusts in England for seeing A&E patients within four hours.Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust in Liverpool came second in national rankings, with 89.3% of patients seen within the target, and it had the second lowest number of patients waiting more than 12 hours.Meanwhile, NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board and NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board have been handed £5m for having the best ambulance response times in 2024-25.The cash is handed out by NHS England from a £150m pot to the best performing and most improved hospital trusts in 2024-25.
The urgent and emergency care capital incentive scheme awards trusts who see and discharge most A&E patients within the NHS target of four hours.It also recognises those who have cut the number of 12-hour waits in emergency departments and improved ambulance response time.
'More to do'
Alder Hey in Liverpool was also in the top five trusts with the highest four-hour performance when comparing March 2024 to March 2025.NHS Greater Manchester had an ambulance response time of 23 minutes 57 seconds to category 2 callouts, which include patients suffering burns, epilepsy and strokes or chest pain.In NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria, that response time was 26 minutes 20 seconds.Elsewhere in the north west of England, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Trust all received £2m.The cash was for improving on their 12-hour wait times in March 2024 until March 2025. Five other NHS organisations in the region have all received £1m for improving A&E waiting times.They include trusts in Bolton, Tameside and Glossop, and Stockport, alongside the Countess of Chester Hospital, and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.Dr Michael Gregory, regional medical director for NHS England, said staff had worked "incredibly hard to deliver high quality urgent and emergency services".He said that was reflected in the achievement of being named as some of England's best performing trusts."We recognise there is more to do and we are committed to working with NHS organisations in the North-West to continue this journey of improvement", he added.
Read more stories from Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
35 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Women's Prize for Fiction ‘greatest honour' as an intersex woman, says winner
Dutch author Yael van der Wouden won the accolade for her debut novel, The Safekeep, and used her winner's speech to champion the trans community, who have 'changed the system' and 'fought for health care'. The book, which explores repressed desire and the unresolved aftermath of the Holocaust in post-Second World War Netherlands, was described as an 'astonishing debut' by the head of the judges. The ceremony, held in central London on Thursday, saw the non-fiction prize awarded to physician Dr Rachel Clarke for The Story Of A Heart, which explores the human experience behind organ donation. In her winner's speech, after thanking the judges, van der Wouden said: 'I was a girl until I turned 13, and then, as I hit puberty, all that was supposed to happen did not quite happen. 'And if it did happen, it happened too much, and all at once my girlhood became an uncertain fact. 'I won't thrill you too much with the specifics, but the long and the short of it is that, hormonally, I'm intersex. 'This little fact defined my life throughout my teens, until I advocated for the health care that I needed. 'The surgery and the hormones that I needed, which not all intersex people need. Not all intersex people feel at odds with their gender presentation. 'I mention the fact that I did, because in the few precious moments here on stage, I am receiving, truly, the greatest honour of my life as a woman, presenting to you as a woman, and accepting this Women's Prize. Aria Aber, Miranda July, Nussaibah Younis, Elizabeth Strout, Sanam Mahloudji and Yael van der Wouden at the ceremony (Ian West Media Assignments/PA) 'And that is because of every single trans person who's fought for health care, who changed the system, the law, societal standards, themselves. I stand on their shoulders.' The NHS website says intersex, or differences in sex development (DSD), is a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs that mean a person's sex development is different to most. In contrast, people who are transgender identify as a gender separate to the sex they were born in and sometimes go through gender-affirming surgery. Van der Wouden's novel follows Isabel, a young woman whose life in solitude is upended when her brother's girlfriend Eva comes to live in their family house in what turns into a summer of obsession, suspicion and desire. The chairwoman of the judges for the fiction prize, writer Kit de Waal, said: 'This astonishing debut is a classic in the making, a story to be loved and appreciated for generations to come. Books like this don't come along every day.' Van der Wouden will receive £30,000 and a limited-edition bronze statuette known as the Bessie, which was created and donated by artist Grizel Niven. Rachel Clarke won the non-fiction prize (Ian West Media Assignments/PA) The judging panel for the Women's Prize for Fiction included novelist and journalist Diana Evans, author and journalist Bryony Gordon, writer and magazine editor Deborah Joseph, and musician and composer Amelia Warner. Clarke said she has 'literally been a feminist since I was too young to know what that word even meant', as she collected her award. The physician's book recounts two family stories, documenting how medical staff take care of nine-year-old Kiera in her final hours after a car accident, while offering a new life to nine-year-old Max who is suffering from heart failure from a viral infection. Clarke, who is behind the books Breathtaking and Your Life In My Hands: A Junior Doctor's Story, will receive £30,000 and a limited-edition piece of art known as the Charlotte, both gifted by the Charlotte Aitken Trust. The judging panel for the non-fiction prize included writer and broadcaster Dr Leah Broad, whose work focuses on women's cultural history, and novelist and critic Elizabeth Buchan. Previous winners of the fiction prize include Tayari Jones for An American Marriage and Madeline Miller for The Song Of Achilles, while the first non-fiction prize was awarded last year to Naomi Klein for Doppelganger: A Trip Into The Mirror World. The awards were announced by the Women's Prize Trust, a UK charity that aims to 'create equitable opportunities for women in the world of books and beyond'.
Glasgow Times
37 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Women's Prize for Fiction ‘greatest honour' as an intersex woman, says winner
Dutch author Yael van der Wouden won the accolade for her debut novel, The Safekeep, and used her winner's speech to champion the trans community, who have 'changed the system' and 'fought for health care'. The book, which explores repressed desire and the unresolved aftermath of the Holocaust in post-Second World War Netherlands, was described as an 'astonishing debut' by the head of the judges. The ceremony, held in central London on Thursday, saw the non-fiction prize awarded to physician Dr Rachel Clarke for The Story Of A Heart, which explores the human experience behind organ donation. In her winner's speech, after thanking the judges, van der Wouden said: 'I was a girl until I turned 13, and then, as I hit puberty, all that was supposed to happen did not quite happen. 'And if it did happen, it happened too much, and all at once my girlhood became an uncertain fact. 'I won't thrill you too much with the specifics, but the long and the short of it is that, hormonally, I'm intersex. 'This little fact defined my life throughout my teens, until I advocated for the health care that I needed. 'The surgery and the hormones that I needed, which not all intersex people need. Not all intersex people feel at odds with their gender presentation. 'I mention the fact that I did, because in the few precious moments here on stage, I am receiving, truly, the greatest honour of my life as a woman, presenting to you as a woman, and accepting this Women's Prize. Aria Aber, Miranda July, Nussaibah Younis, Elizabeth Strout, Sanam Mahloudji and Yael van der Wouden at the ceremony (Ian West Media Assignments/PA) 'And that is because of every single trans person who's fought for health care, who changed the system, the law, societal standards, themselves. I stand on their shoulders.' The NHS website says intersex, or differences in sex development (DSD), is a group of rare conditions involving genes, hormones and reproductive organs that mean a person's sex development is different to most. In contrast, people who are transgender identify as a gender separate to the sex they were born in and sometimes go through gender-affirming surgery. Van der Wouden's novel follows Isabel, a young woman whose life in solitude is upended when her brother's girlfriend Eva comes to live in their family house in what turns into a summer of obsession, suspicion and desire. The chairwoman of the judges for the fiction prize, writer Kit de Waal, said: 'This astonishing debut is a classic in the making, a story to be loved and appreciated for generations to come. Books like this don't come along every day.' Van der Wouden will receive £30,000 and a limited-edition bronze statuette known as the Bessie, which was created and donated by artist Grizel Niven. Rachel Clarke won the non-fiction prize (Ian West Media Assignments/PA) The judging panel for the Women's Prize for Fiction included novelist and journalist Diana Evans, author and journalist Bryony Gordon, writer and magazine editor Deborah Joseph, and musician and composer Amelia Warner. Clarke said she has 'literally been a feminist since I was too young to know what that word even meant', as she collected her award. The physician's book recounts two family stories, documenting how medical staff take care of nine-year-old Kiera in her final hours after a car accident, while offering a new life to nine-year-old Max who is suffering from heart failure from a viral infection. Clarke, who is behind the books Breathtaking and Your Life In My Hands: A Junior Doctor's Story, will receive £30,000 and a limited-edition piece of art known as the Charlotte, both gifted by the Charlotte Aitken Trust. The judging panel for the non-fiction prize included writer and broadcaster Dr Leah Broad, whose work focuses on women's cultural history, and novelist and critic Elizabeth Buchan. Previous winners of the fiction prize include Tayari Jones for An American Marriage and Madeline Miller for The Song Of Achilles, while the first non-fiction prize was awarded last year to Naomi Klein for Doppelganger: A Trip Into The Mirror World. The awards were announced by the Women's Prize Trust, a UK charity that aims to 'create equitable opportunities for women in the world of books and beyond'.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
How employers can help support Britain's ‘invisible army' of three million carers
EACH week, around three million people clock off from their jobs and start a second, unpaid, role as a carer. This unsung and often invisible army of helpers keeps the nation functioning, providing vital support to elderly or disabled family members and friends. 3 Estimates vary but between seven to nine per cent of the workforce also have caring responsibilities, with charity Employers For Carers saying that 59 per cent of these are women. Not-for-profit organisation Carers UK estimates that two-thirds of us will become a carer at some point in our lives, with up to 600 people a day quitting work to do this. However, juggling such responsibilities with work is a huge challenge. Studies show that 44 per cent of carers in employment have developed mental or physical health conditions, while a quarter have reduced their working hours in order to cope. It is Carers Week, with employers being urged to identify carers within their workforce and put support in place to retain them. Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said: 'It takes two years on average for someone to identify themselves as a carer. 'As a result, they often don't come forward for support in the workplace and can miss out on vital help. "This is why we encourage employers to raise awareness among managers and staff.' This year's Carers Week theme is Caring About Equality, highlighting that those looking after family members or friends face a greater risk of poverty, social isolation and poor mental and physical health. Helen added: 'One of the main drivers of poverty is the difficulty of combining paid work with unpaid care. 'We are urging more employers to go further in adopting more carer-friendly measures in the workplace and make a difference for those able to juggle work and care.' One of the main ways employers can support staff is with flexible working. Research from insurance agency the Phoenix Group found that two in five working carers would not have a job without flexible working. Alongside this, an increasing number of firms are offering paid carer's leave. While the Carer's Leave Act 2023 gives employees the right to five days of unpaid leave, Virgin Media O2 offers five paid days while the TSB gives 70 hours each year. Rumana Akthair is an IT security apprentice for Virgin Media O2 and a carer. She supports her dad who has mobility issues, a heart condition and diabetes, and also helps her mum, who is a carer herself and lives with arthritis. Rumana, 35, from London, said: 'Co-ordinating medication, attending appointments and managing day-to-day care requires flexibility, often during working hours. 'However, my employer is incredibly supportive, and with the flexibility afforded, the impact on my work is limited. 'We need broader recognition that caring comes in many forms and can include supporting friends, neighbours and extended family. 'The level of understanding and support has made a real difference, not just to my professional growth, but to my overall wellbeing.' Nisha Marwaha, a director at Virgin Media O2, said: 'Carers already have a lot on their plates and we want our people to be able to support friends and family without worrying about taking time off work or not getting paid. 'This support is vital to creating an environment where everyone can be their best at work and help their loved ones when they need them.' Find out more at HOW TO BE A CARE CONFIDENT EMPLOYER Encourage employees to identify themselves as carers. Include questions about caring in staff surveys or enable self-declaration through a self-service HR system or online form. lAsk carers about their support needs, including what type of help they would like in the workplace. lUse a clear definition of caring and carers – and include this in workplace policies to encourage take-up of support. Introduce a carer policy in your company or organisation, outlining in one place all the support available. Educate managers so they are equipped to identify and support carers in their team. Include caring in manager training and create a line-manager toolkit with guidance on what to do if an employee has caring responsibilities. PATERNITY LEAVE IS A DAD JOKE PATERNITY leave in the UK is the worst in Europe, according to campaign group The Dad Shift. New fathers are entitled to a fortnight off at £187.18 a week, though many firms pay more. 3 Mars UK was recently recognised as our most family-friendly firm, offering dads 26 weeks off at 90 per cent of normal pay. Ahead of Father's Day, Mars revenue management director Mike Shepard, dad to Sterling, four, and Conrad, seven months, shares his advice for firms to get it right. EVOLVE WITH THE PARENTING JOURNEY: From navigating school commitments to becoming a grandparent, the parenting journey spans decades, so flexibility isn't a one-time fix, it's a continuous dialogue. It's one thing having an enhanced parental leave policy, but leaders' active encouragement is key to removing any stigma. CHAMPION MEANINGFUL LEAVE: Business leaders can lead where policy lags by introducing enhanced time off and normalising fathers to take it. REDEFINE THE RETURN-TO-WORK EXPERIENCE: Coming back from parental leave isn't about 'slotting back in'. It's an emotional, mental and logistical adjustment. Start conversations early about flexibility, priorities and working style, leading with what will best suit a family's new reality. MAXIMISE PERFORMANCE AND WELLBEING: It's hard to support what you don't know, so encourage open dialogue. Vital to the success of my own team's productivity is them feeling safe voicing what works for them, whether it's flexible hours, hybrid working or changes in responsibility. USE PEER GROUPS TO DRIVE CHANGE: Internal parenting networks are powerful tools. Foster these groups to build a community and spark ideas that can drive meaningful change from within. LOVE ISLE IS A TITLE MYSTERY LOVE ISLAND, hosted by Maya Jama, is back on our screens and it is not just the hot bods grabbing our attention – but also their day jobs, and what they mean. Online searches for 'marketing engineer', 'payroll specialist' and 'energy broker' jumped more than 5,000 per cent last week, according to data from jobs forum RateMyApprenticeship. 3 Co-founder Oliver Sidwell says: 'Seeing someone on screen talk about a job you've never heard of sparks curiosity, and that's what we're seeing now. 'Roles like marketing engineer or energy broker are not on the radar for most school leavers, but should be. "These are well-paid, in-demand jobs and don't always require a university route.' IT'S BEST TO ASK … AND FAST JOB applicants should try to ask questions early in an interview to steer it in a direction that plays to their strengths. That is the advice from Dr George Sik, of psychometric testing firm Eras, as the number of job vacancies in the UK plunged to its lowest level in four years with just 781,000 up for grabs. As competition for positions intensifies, Dr Sik suggests good questions to put to your potential employer, which include, 'What are the most important goals for this role in the next six to 12 months?', 'What challenges or changes is the team currently navigating?' and, 'What makes someone exceptional in this role, as opposed to just good?' He adds: 'These questions show initiative and let you reframe the interview.' But leave it too long into the chat, and Dr Sik warns: 'By that point, it's too late to influence the direction of the conversation.'
