Comment archive – Page 387
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LeaderPreferred provider policy: unions jilted, Burnham jolted, competition wins the day
Andy Burnham’s “preferred provider” policy is now in its death throes. What began as a speech aimed at ingratiating the health secretary with the unions ended in a put-down from the prime minister.
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CommentMedia Watch: CQC ratings fiddles
They say variety is the spice of life, and it was certainly true that there was an assortment of health stories in the media this week.
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CommentMichael White on political spin
It is rarely easy to spot when a policy statement or media report has undue political spin on it. As a hard fought general election approaches it can be near impossible.
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LeaderAt last – your chance to write a manifesto
Have you ever felt so frustrated with the political parties’ health policies that you wished you could write your own? Now your chance has come.
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CommentSteve Preston on winning at interviews
Do you have a fear of interviews? You are not alone. They can be stressful, intimidating and nerve-wracking.
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CommentJenny Owen on a new solution to health and social care funding
A solution to social care funding must be agreed to get the most benefit from joint working
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LeaderGordon Brown’s knee-jerk reaction to Mid Staffs is doomed to failure
Gordon Brown wants the power to strike you off.
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CommentNoel Plumridge on the rules of payment by results
A rules-based system. That was the aspiration in 2004 when payment by results was introduced to England’s NHS.
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CommentMedia Watch: Mid Staffs in the papers
It hasn’t been a good week for NHS PR, with the report on failings at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust filling tabloids and broadsheets alike on Thursday and Friday, and the weekend papers coming back for a second helping.
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CommentMichael White on the Mid Staffs inquiry
An anecdote and a think tank boffin came to mind as I ploughed through the undimmed horrors of Robert Francis QC’s report on the disaster at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust.
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CommentJenny Rogers on NHS staff engagement
Every half decade or so, a new wonder idea comes along in management - for instance, learning organisations, business process re-engineering, total quality management, or - aeons ago - management by objectives.
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CommentMark Britnell on the future of Agenda for Change
Agenda for Change does not need to be scrapped and renegotiated - just applied properly
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CommentMark Goldman on inspiring people
“We must reject the idea - well intentioned but dead wrong - that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become ‘more like a business’.
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LeaderDream of taking on ailing trusts founders on rocks of Good Hope
With just five weeks to go before non-foundation trusts have to outline their plans for joining the elite, there are severe doubts about the government’s aspiration for foundation trusts to rescue weaker hospitals.
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CommentSecrets, buckets and a princely opinion
After the very public spat between Andy Burnham, Andrew Lansley and Norman Lamb over the future of social care funding, and the will-they-won’t-they running commentary on which of them would attend a conference on the issue last Friday, the press were shut out of the event itself.
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CommentMichael White: NHS reorganisation row
By chance I stumbled on an NHS row which intrigues me. It is the sight of Labour ministers and their Tory shadows and wannabe successors joining forces to denounce disgraceful “scaremongering” about a hospital reorganisation.
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LeaderFoundation independence is on a knife edge
Foundation trusts are undermining their autonomy through poor governance and accountability.
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CommentKen Jarrold on preparing to vote in the general election
The general election is now within touching distance. The campaign is well underway. It is time to prepare and three points may help to do this.
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CommentMichael White: the personal care row
Seatbelts on please, crash helmets too. The pre-election row over personal care for the elderly shows alarming signs of blundering on to polling day.