All Acute care articles – Page 452

  • News

    Rise in 13-week waits

    2007-02-02T00:00:00Z

    More than 180,000 patients were waiting for more than 13 weeks for hospital treatment in England at the end of December, an increase of more than 15,000, according to government statistics.The number of patients waiting more than 20 weeks also rose, by 2,000, last month to 46,000.See the full figures ...

  • News

    Managers left 'to flounder'

    2007-02-01T00:00:00Z

    A catalogue of failures including appalling planning, rows, and lukewarm support from the Department of Health led to the collapse of London's Paddington health campus scheme, according to a Commons public accounts committee report.

  • Comment

    Your Humble Servant: disaster planning

    2007-02-01T00:00:00Z

    ‘Four black Mercedes limousines with police outriders screeched to a halt outside trust HQ heralding the arrival of the McKashsky consultants’

  • News

    In or out: contractors braced for a domestic over cleaning

    2007-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Andy Burnham is expected to tell the prime minister that hospital cleaners should be part of the 'NHS family', but the companies providing services complain that poor trust management and contracting are to blame for low standards. Alison Moore digs the dirt

  • Comment

    Clinical engagement: the beginning of reform is the end point

    2007-02-01T00:00:00Z

    The fall-out from Sir Gerry Robinson's TV programme on NHS management continues, and this week two very different commentators address the central issue of what is holding back managers and clinicians from working together properly.

  • Comment

    'Unacceptable risk' to acutes exposed by PCTs' contract

    2007-02-01T00:00:00Z

    The final model contract released last week has provoked fierce resistance from hospital providers, which have little time for the argument that it rebalances the power levels between primary care trusts and acutes. For more, read New model contract threatens survival, foundations warn.

  • News

    C difficile cases up 5pc on last year, says HPA

    2007-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Cases of the infection Clostridium difficile have risen by over 5 per cent in the past year, according to figures published this week by the Health Protection Agency.

  • News

    Hewitt to take part in live web chat

    2007-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Next week you will be able to quiz the health secretary about the future of the NHS in a live webchat on the Number 10 website.It will take place on Thursday 8 February from 10.45am and last for an hour. The webchat is the first in a series addressing the ...

  • News

    New chair of NHS Litigation Authority

    2007-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Professor Dame Joan Higgins has been appointed as the new chair of the NHS Litigation Authority.Dame Joan is Emeritus Professor of Health Policy at the University of Manchester and outgoing chair of the Christie Hospital Trust. She is also chair of the patient information advisory group at the Department of ...

  • News

    Monitor authorises four new foundation trusts

    2007-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Four more trusts have been given foundation status by Monitor, taking the total to 58.The newly authorised trusts are: Birmingham Children's Hospital; Country Durham and Darlington Acute hospitals; The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital; and Sherwood Forest Hospitals.Monitor chair Bill Moyes said: 'These authorisations continue the progress towards establishing the majority of ...

  • News

    5 per cent rise in C difficile cases

    2007-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Cases of the infection Clostridium difficilehave risen by over 5 per cent in the past year, according to figures published by the Health Protection Agency.The figures show 42,625 cases of C difficilefor the first three-quarters of 2006, showing ...

  • News

    Voluntary organisations to share £23.9m pot

    2007-01-31T00:00:00Z

    Around 700 voluntary and community sector organisations will share a £23.9m pot of government grants, according to care services minister Ivan Lewis.The Department of Health's section 64 scheme will give an average of £44,000 to fund 132 new grants and 256 continuing grants. The Opportunities for Volunteering scheme will have ...

  • News

    Ethnicity and health

    2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

    This document reviews the evidence on ethnic health inequalities, the causes and policy options. It is a useful document for parliamentarians working on the policy options for tackling ethnic inequalities in health.

  • News

    Clostridium difficile rates on the rise

    2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

    Rates of Clostridium difficileinfection increased by 5.5 per cent in patients aged 65 years and over in the first three quarters of 2006, compared to the same period in 2005, according to figures published by the Health Protection Agency.However rates of MRSA blood infection ...

  • News

    Unions: NHS chaplaincy services being slashed

    2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

    Amicus and the College of Health Care Chaplains have claimed the NHS chaplaincy service is under attack after compiling a list of areas where services have been cut.The organisations claim chaplains are seen as soft targets for cost cutting.

  • News

    Police called in to tackle Belfast hospital attacks

    2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

    Uniformed police officers will be stationed in a Belfast hospital accident and emergency department as part of a zero tolerance approach to attacks on health staff by the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety.Two officers will be in the City Hospital on Thursday, Friday and Saturday ...

  • News

    MPs slam £900m construction project failure

    2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

    The Commons public accounts committee has slammed the failed development of the £900m Paddington Health Campus.A report on the collapsed scheme said NHS staff were out of their depth and bad decisions were made worse by appalling planning and cost forecasting.Read the report here

  • News

    Five-point plan for older people's services unveiled

    2007-01-29T00:00:00Z

    NHS national director for older people's services Professor Ian Philp has recommended a five-point plan to improve older people's services.His report Recipe for Carehighlights: early intervention; long-term conditions management; early supported discharge; acute hospital care when needed; and partnership working.Professor Philp acknowledged that this ...

  • News

    DoH names renal services 'czar'

    2007-01-29T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has named Dr Donal O'Donoghue for the newly created post of 'renal services czar'.Dr O'Donoghue has been a consultant renal physician at Salford Royal Hospitals foundation trust since 1992, was involved in the development of the NSF and is co-chair of the DoH renal advisory group.Read ...

  • Comment

    Neil Goodwin on the training challenge for NHS managers

    2007-01-29T00:00:00Z

    'Foundation trusts will need to lead the way in learning to establish effective working relationships with their investors, namely primary care trusts and practice-based commissioners, and being proactive in discussing future strategy.'