All Comment articles – Page 303
-
Comment
Hilary Thomas on reconfiguration and supercasinos
2007 is promising to be a good year. I'm an optimist - it has to be!
-
Comment
Hilary Thomas on reconfiguration and supercasinos
So far this year I've enjoyed a strange mixture of speaking to the public about the case for change; getting involved in what I might loosely term 'people processes' - all of which has been a rich source of learning; and finding myself in a new-found role of professional patient.
-
Comment
Angela Coulter on the national patients survey
'Access to GPs has dramatically improved!' claims the government. 'Nonsense, it's got worse!' yells the Daily Express.
-
Comment
Your Humble Servant: disaster planning
‘Four black Mercedes limousines with police outriders screeched to a halt outside trust HQ heralding the arrival of the McKashsky consultants’
-
Comment
Clinical engagement: the beginning of reform is the end point
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
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.
-
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.
-
Comment
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.'
-
Comment
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 ...
-
Comment
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.
-
Comment
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 ...
-
Comment
Mike Cooke on mental health
'The reason? A lost couple of inches of trouser protection over my backside. My local notoriety was re-established.'
-
Comment
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
-
Comment
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 ...
-
Comment
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.
-
Comment
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.
-
Comment
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.
-
Comment
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.
-
Comment
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.'