All articles by Dave West – Page 6
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News
NHS Wales chief to step down to focus on 26-week target
The chief executive of NHS Wales is to stand down and focus on the country's 26-week referral to treatment target, which organisations are struggling to meet.
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National NHS pay deal criticised
Nationally negotiated pay means commissioners' hands are tied from using bigger salaries to attract more good doctors, the Commons health select committee was told last week.
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Luton defends reputation after two babies die
A hospital trust has defended its high profile commitment to patient safety after an outbreak of a drug-resistant E coli strain on its neo-natal intensive care unit.
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NHS data breaches hit 75 in a year
Seventy-five breaches of data security rules by the health service have been reported to the information commissioner's office in the past year, new figures reveal.The NHS and healthcare sector is second only to the whole of the private sector at losing computers, records and data.
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Maternity services growth fails to keep up with births
Maternity services faced growing pressure on capacity and staff last year despite government commitments to improve safety and choice.Newly released reports from regional midwifery officers show midwife numbers in many areas failed to keep up with the rising birth rate in 2007-08.
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Patient choice at risk from healthcare monopolies
Primary care trusts may need to find new methods of protecting patient choice if integrated care organisations become monopoly healthcare providers.
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Hospital security fears after patient suicide
Northampton General Hospital is reviewing its security procedures after a patient shot himself dead on a ward.
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Academic health science centre race begins
Trusts hoping to form academic health science centres have been set a January deadline for applications.
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Financial turbulence threatens NHS reforms
Question over £550m earmarked for next stage reviewConcerns SHAs will be less able to support financially troubled trustsPotential refocusing on capacity over quality and choiceFears national work to define quality measures and legislate on compulsory quality accounts will be neglectedPossible funding problems for social care reforms
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Public LINks hit by delays in networking
Public and patient involvement in health and social care has been seriously set back by widespread delay in establishing local involvement networks, a report claims.
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Patients' voices in danger of drowning in paperwork
Patients could be put off taking part in NHS outcome measurement by overwhelmingly long questionnaires, market researchers fear.
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Comment
Media Watch: binge drinking
Unlike so much else in the past seven days, the value of a drink is on the way up. The Department of Health's next attempt to reduce binge drinking will include curbs on free samples and happy hours, according to press reports.
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Annual health check case study: Salford
Salford is the only primary care trust to achieve double excellent scores, having improved its quality rating from good last year.
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Annual health check case study: Dorset healthcare foundation trust
Dorset Healthcare foundation trust reached double excellent with an improvement in its resources rating from good in 2006-07.
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Long Term Conditions Alliance faces merger
Members of the Long Term Conditions Alliance were this week set to agree to merge with a new patient representation body.
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Annual health check case study: Rotherham foundation trust
Rotherham foundation trust chief executive Brian James has made significant changes since joining three years ago, and seen ratings of fair for quality and good for resources improve to double excellent, writes Dave West.
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Hospital chief suspended for poor record
The chief executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals trust John Watkinson has been suspended.
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Edwina Hart takes charge in Wales
Under plans announced last week, Welsh health minister Edwina Hart is to take direct control of the country's NHS. Dave West asks if a politician can be trusted with such a sensitive job
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Cambridgeshire trust leads way on franchising model
Private companies and foundation trusts will be invited to bid to manage a failing hospital trust.
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Welsh health minister Edwina Hart moves centre stage
Welsh health minister Edwina Hart has axed the internal market and put herself centre stage in a wholesale reform of the country's NHS.