All articles by End Game – Page 6
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Blogs
Ministerial pedigree
End Game was impressed to discover that Norman Lamb is a descendent of the painter Henry Lamb, who was part of Sickert’s Camden Town group of post-impressionists.Thanks to a parliamentary question, we now know that the care services minister has a few of his ancestor’s works up on the wall ...
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Blogs
Greenhorn Nicholson
The departing NHS England chief executive Sir David Nicholson has been accused of many, many things, but naivety has not been among them as far as End Game can recall.But perhaps he’s a more innocent soul than we thought.We learn that Sir David recently gave a speech to an audience ...
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Blogs
Particularly pleasing
The Sunday Times list of the most influential and inspiring people in healthcare, compiled in partnership with Debrett’s People of Today, made for interesting reading, we thought.There were a few notable absences from the list selected by an “expert panel”, with neither the current nor incoming chief executives of NHS ...
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Blogs
Journalists for the Ethical Treatment of Women
There are many joys that come from End Game’s status working on a noted health publication, but foremost among them is that we get kept abreast of what’s going on in the world of eating.That’s because many mailing list machines think that “health policy” and “mindless guff about food” are ...
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Blogs
Mob-ilising for great care
What’s in a name? End Game ponders not the name a celebrity might give their first born child – that’s way too easy. The name is selected to attract the most tabloid column inches.No, End Game is contemplating, not for the first time, the meaning of the names given to ...
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Blogs
Committee pity
A recent health committee select hearing provided a fine example of our greatest political minds offering their learned insights into the health system.Sir Bruce Keogh was summoned to discuss a wide ranging agenda focused on his review of accident and emergency services, but also rambling into broader topics such as ...
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Blogs
Young people: Always board
End Game was uplifted to learn NHS England has opened its doors to the nation’s young people.Recent board papers reveal that the mega quango was an enthusiastic participant in “Children’s Takeover Day”, which was all about listening, and learning, and engaging, and connecting.The write up does not confirm whether Bill ...
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Blogs
All stand together
There is probably a book to be written about the naming of operations by public bodies.One of those books you see on the counter of a book shop by the till, the kind you think “that will make a temporarily amusing gift for a relative to whose Christmas present I ...
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Blogs
Honest PR
There are so many things to love about commissioning support units that it can be difficult to know where to begin.This week, it’s their transparency and honesty that End Game loves best of all. When we were faced recently with the potentially soul destroying task of ringing round lots of ...
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Blogs
Metaphor to die for
End Game was recently reminded that sound bites can be largely catagorised into one of three broad groups:1. The good: “It’s the economy, stupid” - well done to Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign strategist James Carville. Jolly clever. 2. The bad: remember Nick Clegg claiming ...
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Blogs
Game for a laugh
Nothing says happy new year quite like a laboured and mirthless joke about NHS privatisation.So big End Game thanks to London Health Emergency, those funsters, for sending us a new board game to ease the January blues.The group, who are celebrating 30 years of constant panic this year, have devised ...
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Blogs
Heavy duties
Before you judge a person you should walk a mile in their shoes, goes the famous maxim.Or to quote Billy Connolly: “Never judge a man before you have walked a mile in his shoes, then you’re a mile away, and you’ve got his shoes”.Staff at one hospital have taken the ...
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Blogs
Improving the world, one message at a time
A misdirected email chain gives us insight into two of End Game’s favourite subjects: the relationship between the Department of Health and NHS England, and the everyday life of public relations professionals.The scene is a dreary Monday 6 January, millions are miserably returning to work after a holiday – among ...
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Blogs
Ministry of Truth
End Game is a passionate advocate of grown up debate, so of course we welcome any a ministerial letter that begins with the words, “I am very sorry”.The penitent in question was Dan Poulter, who was appealing to shadow health minister Liz Kendall for forgiveness regarding “inaccuracies” in answers to ...
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Blogs
GPs neglected, again
In the run up to the Yuletide holiday, many hospital chiefs received what End Game considers the ultimate Christmas gift: a personal call from the secretary of state for health.Alas, there’s only so much time a cabinet minister can spend yacking on the dog and bone, but fear not, Mr ...
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Blogs
Ta-ra Farrar
Joint ventures are soon to be all the rage, we hear.And innovation has always been important to the NHS Confederation, that pace setter in the vanguard of change.So what better occasion for the spirit of the age to be felt than at Confed chief Mike Farrar’s leaving party, which the ...
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Blogs
Esio Cat
As Roald Dahl’s regular illustrator, Quentin Blake drew snozzcumbers and Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. But even such a colourful imagination as his can struggle to comprehend the mysteries of NHS bureaucracy.Mr Blake sketched a new logo for Whittington Health Trust in north London: a goggle-eyed but chipper looking black cat, ...
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Blogs
An apple a day
Vitality is an attribute normally associated with eating a leading brand of dog food – so End Game has long wondered what possessed a string of GP practices in Birmingham to call themselves “Vitality Partnership”.There are no dogs to be found on their website though. Overall that’s probably for the ...
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Blogs
Kick the hornet's nest
An Essex trust is looking forward to welcoming a new intake of Filipino nurses, and sees no risk in the recruitment because they’re “more highly trained” than their English counterparts.The somewhat blunt assertion appeared in a paper discussed at Basildon and Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group’s latest board meeting and was ...
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Blogs
A gift fit for a Queen
In times of austerity, few things glisten in HSJ email inboxes as much as press releases announcing £30m donations to hospitals.This is especially true when the organisation’s chairman announces it will grow by a quarter, with additional operating theatres, wards and consulting rooms being built.So which trust would be the ...