All Commissioning articles – Page 254
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Supplements
Round table - clinical priorities: a dose of realism
Wonder drugs will play a part in transforming healthcare - but a roundtable of experts brought together by HSJ and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry said implementing best practice could be even more important. Alexis Nolan reports
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Comment
Sophia Christie on fighting change
Besieged by change, senior managers in the NHS are adept at resisting it while apparently leading it.
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News
PCTs may call for foundation style freedoms
Primary care trusts could push for freedom to determine senior managers' pay as a reward for becoming world class commissioners.
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News
London's neediest areas are worst off
London primary care trusts facing the biggest health challenges are saddled with the greatest funding shortfalls, a new coalition of private and voluntary organisations has warned.
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News
NHS service providers can advertise under new code
NHS trusts and independent providers of NHS services have the freedom from today to advertise direct to patients - but must abide by a new code of conduct.
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News
DH admits target on health inequalities is hard to meet
The Department of Health has admitted that it will be 'difficult' to meet its target to reduce health inequalities.
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Comment
David Woodhead and Valerie James on tackling decommissioning
Government is stepping away from setting central targets and relinquishing direct control over delivery. Locally identified needs and priorities will take their place. Directors of public health and commissioning will be at the vanguard of service reform in the health service and local councils.
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News
GPs urge PCTs to remain flexible
Primary care trusts will have to negotiate with family doctors over how to implement extended hours locally after the overwhelming majority of GPs voted to accept the government’s proposed deal.
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News
FESC is thrown open without Treasury probe
The Department of Health has extended its commissioning support programme without carrying out an expected value-for-money assessment of the scheme, HSJ has learned.Health secretary Alan Johnson announced last week that the framework for procuring external support for commissioners, FESC, is now open to all primary care trusts to buy in ...
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News
Patients demand 'creativity' in dental commissioning
Primary care trusts successful at commissioning dental services should be able to take over from those that are failing, says the Patients Association.
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News
PCTs pressured to lose provider arm
Strategic health authorities are forcing primary care trusts to divest themselves of their provider functions, PCT chiefs have claimed.
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News
GPs fail to help with appointments audit
Primary care trusts have been unable to complete an audit of the number of GP appointments provided by practices because GPs have refused to hand over the information, following British Medical Association advice.
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Comment
West Kent patient safety
Contrary to the comments made by shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley, West Kent primary care trust came into being in October 2006, some six months after the start of the outbreak of C difficile at hospitals run by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells trust, writes Bob Deans
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HSJ Knowledge
Home-grown change will reshape the NHS
The number of primary care trusts needs to reduce further, but another top-down reorganisation should be avoided - this time world class commissioning will drive a natural, bottom-up change
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News
Patient affairs lead is 'not a new czar'
The Department of Health has appointed a new diabetes czar and a director of patient and public affairs.
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HSJ Knowledge
Richard Gleave on healthcare wholesalers
Mastering the latest management jargon is as much of a skill in the US as it is in the NHS. Even after several months, I am still a novice and get especially confused by the sporting analogies: it is easy to guess what is meant by a 'play book', but ...
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HSJ Knowledge
How to close the readmission revolving door
New software takes the guesswork out of assessing readmission risk, helping services to target resources. Louise Hunt reports
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News
Confed responds to NAO report
Commenting on yesterday's NAO report on the GP contract, NHS Confederation primary care trust network director David Stout said: 'The work of PCTs in world class commissioning recognises the need to make better use of contractual levers to improve the commissioning of general practice and develop a range of skills ...
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News
Tee calls for cash incentives
NHS Direct could be paid extra to focus on taking calls from patients living in deprived areas or with specific health needs, its chief executive Matt Tee has revealed.
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News
Eleventh-hour changes to GP contract left PCTs with bill
The introduction of the new GP contract led to a 57 per cent increase in payments to practices in just three years, the National Audit Office has found. The huge increase was fuelled by a last-minute concession to the British Medical Association that sidelined the government's own priority to tackle ...