Comment archive – Page 434
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Comment
Clinical coding
Regarding thr piece in HSJ by Tim Kelsey of Dr Foster Intelligence: 'Clinical record taking has been left to coders for too long.' Excuse me? Clinical information is recorded by clinicians. Coders then translate this information into clinical codes in accordance with National Standards.
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Neil Goodwin on the training challenge for NHS managers
'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.'
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Joint working: more power for councils will test relations
The government has proposed that councils and primary care trusts sign up to joint 'strategic assessments' of local health needs and, potentially, 'a single regime' to meet them (news, page 5). The details will emerge next month, but already a number of things are clear.
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NHS independence: removing politicians will leave a hole that must be filled
Would an 'independent' NHS create a worse provider monopoly than British Leyland or set it lose from the targetitis of Whitehall? Who would hold the reins of scrutiny - regulators, Parliament or local councils? Where are the models - the BBC, Scandinavia, Oregon or New Zealand? Is independence even a ...
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Response to Gerry Robinson and Brian James
Comments on Gerry Robinson's contribution and the programme in general seem to reflect comments in almost any discussion about 'NHS' and 'management'. The issues are so emotional for so many people that it's difficult to overcome bias. As a change manager, with some experience of the NHS, my bias will ...
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Clive Savory on Gerry Robinson and NHS fixes
Sir Gerry Robinson's bid to 'save the NHS' sparked much debate. But is outside help really a prerequisite for progress? Clive Savory investigates
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Mike Cooke on mental health
'The reason? A lost couple of inches of trouser protection over my backside. My local notoriety was re-established.'
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Letters about cleaning contracts
The comments by Andy Burnham ( read the story here) are not surprising as he has made them on a number of other occasions, but it is disappointing to see a government minister publicly taking such a short-sighted view.
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Independent sector falls down on data
A level playing field is the holy grail of trust managers who see themselves as competing with the private sector for clinical work. Key to that is confidence that patients and their GPs will be able to make informed choices about where they should go for treatment.
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No quick fixes but Sir Gerry did find room for improvement
Last week's BBC2 programme, Can Gerry Robinson fix the NHS?, may not have fixed anything by itself but has certainly got the NHS talking. Inevitably there is a range of views about both the diagnosis and cure put forward by the business guru during his stint ...
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More readers responses to Gerry Robinson TV programme.
I appreciate the disappointment Brian felt about the programme and the programme makers. However, I would argue that there are some critical defects with the approach that says much about the 'Gerry Robinson' style.
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Readers responses to Gerry Robinson TV programme
We would like to address the recent programme 'Can Gerry Robinson fix the NHS?' and the comments made in return by Brian James, Chief Executive of Rotherham Foundation Trust.
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Rotherham chief executive Brian James on why Gerry Robinson can't fix the NHS
'Disappointingly, Sir Gerry never seized the opportunity to explore and challenge consultants as to how they could be more efficient and productive, which is ultimately the key to eradicating waiting times. The opportunity was sacrificed for a much simpler story of consultants versus managers, with both sides presented as stereotypes.'
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A prescription for professionalism
What ideas like NHS independence lack is not the eye-catching headline or even the fine detail but the implementation and local connection
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Dr Pat Troop on managing the Polonium-210 outbreak
Staff have learned what it is like to work intensively at that speed under public and political scrutiny, and it has been useful training for future events, such as pandemic flu
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Comment
Key themes for change
The NHS has lost a great deal of talent in recent years. As a result it's lost much of its corporate memory
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Comment
Support is vital to change
It is at the front line where the drive for financial recovery overwhelms any opportunity to invest in the means to change the dynamics
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Mental health and ministerial promises
Why should the Government be believed when it hints at non-statutory answers to some of the issues around reform of mental health law (Michael White column, 4 January, page 10). The evidence tells us that we should be very wary of trusting them.
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Superbug memo: scale of problem in no doubt as MRSA paper admits failure
The memo considers - and rightly rejects - the case for primary care trusts to fine acute trusts for MRSA rates