All Health Service Journal articles in 2006 – Page 11
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Public health specialists must tackle working age health issues
Health minister Lord Hunt has warned of the danger that being out of work could shorten life expectancy and urged public health professionals to ensure that the health benefits of work are recognised.Speaking at a King's Fund event the minister said: 'I urge public health specialists to tackle working age ...
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NHS data not accurate enough to monitor doctors
The Royal College of Physicians has said that a pilot scheme it has established to help doctors check information collected about patients has shown that the data is not accurate enough to be used for monitoring the performance of individual physicians.The director of the RCP's health informatics unit said: 'Data ...
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Guide to help achieve 18-week target launched
A tool to help trusts achieve the 18-week waiting-time target will be launched today by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Achievement at an HSJconference. The No Delays Achievermatches trust data with service improvement tools to produce plans for hitting the target.The guide is in four parts. Download them here, ...
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£10m cash boost for NHS Plus
A new capital fund of £10m has been awarded to improve the provision of occupational health services to NHS staff. It will also increase the availability of NHS Plus - the network of NHS occupational health departments that provide health services to small- and medium-sized employers.Announcing the new funding health ...
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Inpatient waiting-time figures
Almost 200 patients were waiting over 26 weeks at the end of September, the Department of Health has said. Of 198 patients for whom English commissioners are responsible, 21 were waiting in Welsh hospitals. The number of patients waiting over 20 weeks was down by ...
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New clinical trials agreement for NHS trusts
The Department of Health has agreed a revised model clinical trials agreement which will speed up approvals for drug industry-sponsored trials on NHS patients. A partnership between the NHS, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry and the Bio Industry Association will provide a clear ...
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50th foundation trust approved
Three new foundation trusts have been approved by regulator Monitor, bringing the total to 52. The 50th foundation trust is South London and Maudsley. Tavistock and Portman trust and University Hospital of South Manchester trust have also been authorised. To ...
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Chief medical officer proposes overhaul of expert witness programme
Chief medical officer Professor Sir Liam Donaldson has proposed a radical overhaul of the system for providing medical expert witnesses for family courts.Sir Liam has proposed that teams of specialist doctors and other professionals in NHS organisations will improve quality through mentoring, supervision and peer review. A National Knowledge Service ...
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Lansley slams PFI 'lunacy'
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley has described hospital private finance initiatives as 'complete lunacy' after government responses to his parliamentary questions showed that the NHS will pay private sector contractors £53bn for hospitals worth only £8bn. Mr Lansley is calling for a 'fundamental review' of how the NHS accesses capital ...
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New figures show improvement in inpatient waits
The proportion of patients waiting under 13 weeks for an inpatient appointment rose year on year in September from 70.8 per cent to 74.7 per cent, according to figures published today by the Department of Health. The median waiting time was 7.4 weeks, down on the 7.9 weeks recorded in ...
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Patients allowed to opt out of care records service
Patients will have the right to opt out of having their information shared through the NHS care records service, health minister Lord Warner told HSJ's Demystifying the National Programme for IT conference yesterday.Under the government implied consent model, those who do not opt out will be deemed to have given ...
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Hewitt calls for alcopops tax hike
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has written to chancellor Gordon Brown asking for an increase in taxes on alcopops and other drinks favoured by teenagers to curb binge drinking.Earlier this month Ms Hewitt launched the 'Know Your Limits' campaign against excessive drinking in the under-25 age group. In June, the Information ...
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Doncaster therapy pilot sees 1,000 clients
A pilot scheme in Doncaster to improve access to talking therapies for people with mental health problems has seen 1,000 clients in its first three months. The scheme is one of two pilots designed to help people with mild to moderate depression to get back into work and off incapacity ...
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Government responds to report on ITCs
The government has published its response to the Commons health select committee's report on independent treatment centres.The committee's report criticised the role of ITCs and said their performance had been variable.In its response the Department of Health has promised to provide more information to patients on which to base their ...
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Suicide rate continues to fall
Suicide rates in England have continued to fall and are now at their lowest ever level, according to new figures.The three-year average is now 8.5 deaths per 100,000, down from a baseline of 9.4 deaths per 100,000 in 1995.The Department of Health has published a new guide giving advice on ...
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Conservatives launch initiative on patient involvement
The Conservatives have launched a consultation on the future of public and patient involvement in health.The concept of HealthWatch was outlined by Conservative leader David Cameron and shadow health minister Andrew Lansley in a speech to the King's Fund earlier this month.At a summit today Mr Lansley will highlight the ...
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Lords consider Commons amendments to NHS Redress Bill
The bill to streamline the handling of NHS complaints has returned to the Lords, where peers have failed to reach agreement with MPs over its provisions.Peers yesterday voted by 149 to 133 to back an amendment to ensure that investigations were carried out by a body independent of that against ...
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Action plan for audiology services
An action plan is being developed to improve access to audiology services including those outside the 18-week waiting time, a Department of Health minister has announced.Social care minister Ivan Lewis said in a parliamentary written answer that ministers were aware of long waits for audiology services.
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New incontinence guidelines
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has launched new guidelines to improve the management and care of the estimated 5 million women in the UK suffering from urinary incontinence. Topics include diagnosis, treatments and training. http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=378930
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Community petitions: threshold options revealed in DoH paper
Details of the way 'community petitions' could be used to trigger formal service reviews have been revealed in a Department of Health paper.