All articles by Dave West – Page 6
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News
Paramedics prepare for terrorism threat
Primary care trusts will for the first time have to fund ambulance services to be prepared for terrorist attacks and other major emergencies from next year.
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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: 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Hospital chief suspended for poor record
The chief executive of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals trust John Watkinson has been suspended.
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Former chief and board slated in £87m Bromley debt probe
A highly critical report into how a hospital trust built up more than £87m of debt has uncovered serious failings by its former chief executive and board.