All Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) articles – Page 139

  • Growth
    News

    Fees hike will make CQC 'more accountable', says Behan

    2016-01-25T13:00:00Z

    CQC’s greater reliance on fees will mean “becoming more accountable”, says chief executive David Behan says CQC is in a similar financial position to many of the organisations it regulates Providers “will expect us to demonstrate value for money” Increasing the share of the Care Quality Commission’s funding ...

  • Crispin Dowler
    Comment

    Moves to rescue the DH's bottom line look increasingly desperate

    2016-01-25T09:58:00Z

    As the NHS approaches the end of one of the toughest years in its history, the Deparment of Health is going to desperate measures not to bust its budget, writes Crispin Dowler

  • NHS estates
    News

    Carter report: Hospitals face new limits on underused land

    2016-01-22T17:45:00Z

    Carter recommends hospitals be ordered to operate with no more than 35 per cent non-clinical floor space and 2.5 per cent unoccupied or underused space DH should set up “invest to save energy fund” to cut down on power bills All trusts must be at average or above levels ...

  • Computers
    News

    NHS has ‘systemically failed’ to use buying power, says Carter

    2016-01-22T17:39:00Z

    Better procurement practices could save between £750m and £1bn by 2020 Carte report expected to say there has been “systematic failure” to capitalise on NHS buying power Trusts to be urged to invest in their electronic procurement catalogues, before national system finalised The Carter review is expected to ...

  • Axe
    News

    HSCIC faces 30 per cent grant cut

    2016-01-22T17:10:00Z

    30 per cent cut to HSCIC grant based on spending review assumptions, finance chief says Cut yet to be confirmed by Department of Health Spending review showed non-ringfenced NHS bodies faced big cuts The Health and Social Care Information Centre has estimated it faces a 30 per cent ...

  • Nurses
    News

    Carter to back new measure of nurse productivity

    2016-01-22T13:17:00Z

    Carter to call for new “principal” measure of nursing deployment to be introduced from April “Care hours per patient day” derived from nursing and healthcare assistant hours per inpatient Review expected to call for “national people strategy” to tackle absenteeism, bullying and turnover Will also back clampdown on use ...

  • Guz_Sir_David_Dalton_005
    News

    Exclusive: Government offers major concessions in bid to break junior doctors dispute

    2016-01-22T09:47:00Z

    Leaked letter from Sir David Dalton reveals significant change in stance from NHS Employers and government New offer includes limits on Saturday working and enhanced Saturday pay for some doctors Negotiations were scheduled to continue today between NHS Employers and BMA The government has offered major concessions to ...

  • Busy hospital
    News

    NICE leak reaction: Trusts should use guidance says college president

    2016-01-21T09:33:00Z

    Royal College of Emergency Medicine president says scale of A&E understaffing could be 50 per cent Dr Cliff Mann says trusts should use leaked NICE guideline to conduct gap analysis on nurse staffing levels CQC expects providers to use “any tool they deem appropriate” to ensure safe care ...

  • coins toppling
    News

    NHS ordered to use fines to boost DH bottom line

    2016-01-20T17:12:00Z

    All fines for breaches of performance targets must now be used to improve provider or commissioner bottom lines, national bodies have decreed Commissioners will not be able to use money from fines to address causes of poor performance Move is intended to help Department of Health avoid blowing its ...

  • Nurse doctor hospital
    News

    Exclusive: NICE experts called for minimum staff ratios in leaked guidance

    2016-01-20T00:01:00Z

    Guidelines for A&E safe staffing, leaked to HSJ, recommended minimum nurse/patient ratios Documents suggest lower nursing numbers linked to poor patient outcomes Ratio recommendations were made despite government resistance Read the guidance Suppressed NICE safe staffing guidance for hospital emergency departments called for the NHS to implement minimum ...

  • Shaun_Lintern
    Comment

    Expert view: Leaked safe staffing guideline demands action from the NHS

    2016-01-20T00:01:00Z

    HSJ’s patient safety correspondent Shaun Lintern argues that NICE’s leaked accident and emergency recommendations mean providers must take action.

  • Houses of Parliament
    News

    Exclusive: Government 'downgrades' independence of patient champion body

    2016-01-18T18:00:00Z

    HSJ investigation establishes Healthwatch England’s role and independence have been “downgraded” Healthwatch England’s chair and chief executive have left in recent months - the chief executive will be replaced with a “national director” Its leaders will report to the CQC instead of directly to DH Norman Lamb says patient ...

  • Agency nurse3
    News

    NICE releases safe staffing evidence reviews to HSJ

    2016-01-18T17:38:00Z

    NICE non-executive directors conclude publishing evidence reviews is in the public interest Sir Andrew Dillon had argued publishing the reviews could disrupt the management of the NHS Guidelines for A&E nurse staffing have not been published The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has today released to ...

  • Innovation and technology
    News

    European rules boost patient record sharing flexibility

    2016-01-18T07:00:00Z

    EU parliament deal “clarifies” ability of health providers to share data with social care and other bodies Data protection changes will increase admin costs for trusts, NHS Confederation says NHS bodies will be given greater flexibility to share patient data with social care providers and other organisations following ...

  • Richmond House
    News

    New DH permanent secretary appointed

    2016-01-15T13:51:00Z

    Current education permanent secretary to move to DH Chris Wormald has previously worked at Cabinet Office and Department for Communities and Local Government Appointment comes at a time of extreme financial pressure The Department for Education’s top civil servant is to take over at the Department of Health ...

  • Surgical gloves
    News

    Hospitals to publish what they paid for 100 items

    2016-01-15T12:06:00Z

    Prices paid by trusts for 100 items to be published Spending data on all acute trust procurement to be submitted by next Wednesday Acute trusts will have to publish the prices they pay for 100 commonly-used items, as part of a push on procurement efficiency, the health secretary ...

  • Sir David Dalton
    News

    Dalton: government ‘muddled’ seven day services message

    2016-01-14T09:50:00Z

    Sir David Dalton says trainee doctors likely to have to make least extra effort to improve seven day services Sir David to begin talks with BMA on junior doctors’ contract today He says BMA has shown it can “land a punch” on health secretary but should now “lower temperature” ...

  • Hospital Clock
    News

    ‘Collapsing’ out of hours providers would get help, says Burt

    2016-01-13T11:48:00Z

    Minister says he has not seen evidence that outof hours providers are being squeezed by GP practices piloting extended opening hours Government would step in if services were affected by doctors choosing to work at pilot sites The government would step in to save GP out of hours ...

  • Shaun Lintern
    Comment

    Doctors’ strike: Breakdown in trust could take years to repair

    2016-01-12T17:54:00Z

    HSJ workforce correspondent Shaun Lintern takes stock after the first day of the junior doctors’ strike

  • Burt Alistair
    News

    Minister: Seven day GP pledge has been ‘misinterpreted’

    2016-01-12T14:03:00Z

    Government’s commitment to seven-day GP services has been misinterpreted, says minister Plans for rolling out new models of enhanced access to GPs will be published soon Alistair Burt: ‘Binary divide’ between innovation-ready practices and failing providers The government’s pledge to ensure seven-day access to GP services has been ...