External contributors – Page 274
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Shread letter
Daloni Carlisle (News) and Jo Stephenson (Media Watch) reporting in today's HSJ compound the frequently reported myth that the actress Lesley Ash contractedMRSA. She did not. The infection Ms Ash had was caused by a standard, non-meticillin resistant strain of Staph aureus.Some journalists have taken to calling this MSSA (Meticillin ...
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Thompson letter
Looking at your (thankfully scant) covering of the Leslie Ash compensation award (HSJ 24/1) I'm tempted to use three words - inequalities, inequalities and, last but not least, inequalities.Why? Well given that health inequalities is at the heart (sic) of all our concerns for the NHS I'm iterested to know ...
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Trevor Ludlam on
The National Programme for IT was established to deliver front-line systems and services that would deliver major benefits for NHS organisations, staff and patients. Nottinghamshire Health Informatics Service has been steadily turning the vision of integrated information, communication and technology into a reality.Having just retired as director of Nottinghamshire Health ...
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Cheshire letter
Dear Sir We refer to the report published on 17th January “Warning over damage caused by competition”. I am pleased to report that the Royal College of Physicians has been working on this very issue, and invited members of theAlliance, the RCGP and more recently the RCPCH to join ...
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McDevitt letter
Dear Editor,The Born inBradfordproject (pages 22-25, 31 January) studyingBradford's high infant mortality rate is an important study. However, there are a couple of key factors which, in my opinion, did not get due inter-connected emphasis in the article. FirstlyBradford's high infant mortality rate is likely to be partly explained, but ...
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Media Watch: agency nurses
Agency nurses are raking it in with some hospitals paying them more than £120 an hour, according to figures obtained by the Conservatives.
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Emma Dent on NHS pride
One of the ironic things about writing about healthcare for a living is that if you are well yourself, you rarely get to see ill health in the raw.
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Michael White on social care's big year
This is a big year for social care, possibly the biggest for a generation, says minister Ivan Lewis whenever he gets the chance. 'We've got to get it right.'
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Malcolm Lowe-Lauri on the need for evidence
There's a scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where a king has an errant son under guard. After a father-son exchange, he prepares to leave and asks the guards to stay with his son. After walking a short distance, he turns to find them walking behind him. There ...
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All Our Yesterdays
February 13, 1948, Public Assistance Journal and Health & Hospital Review During a parliament debate on the National Assistance Bill, Sir H Webbe said it "almost made him treble to think of the responsibility and terrible power which Members of Parliament had over the loves of ordinary human beings. It ...
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Richard Craven on extending out-of-hours services
Developing innovative clinics and treatment centres will only improve patients' access to care if we also provide clear guidance on how to use these services appropriately
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Tobacco - why now is the time for battle
With smoke-filled public rooms already fading into the past following the smooth introduction of smoke-free laws, it is easy to understand how the public health focus might shift away from tobacco use. But smoking must remain the number one concern for everyone who cares about inequalities in health and tackling ...
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Comment
Richard Craven on extending out-of-hours services
Developing innovative clinics and treatment centres will only improve patients' access to care if we also provide clear guidance on how to use these services appropriately
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Comment
Tobacco - why now is the time for battle
With smoke-filled public rooms already fading into the past following the smooth introduction of smoke-free laws, it is easy to understand how the public health focus might shift away from tobacco use. But smoking must remain the number one concern for everyone who cares about inequalities in health and tackling ...
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Comment
World class credibility gap in the NHS
Management and leadership are a lot about clarifying a desired future and then helping people and organisations to get there. 'Clarity' and 'help' are not used often enough to describe NHS management. However, 'world class commissioning' does not clarify or help. It is likely to become 'wc' commissioning and be ...
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Comment
World class credibility gap in the NHS
Management and leadership are a lot about clarifying a desired future and then helping people and organisations to get there. 'Clarity' and 'help' are not used often enough to describe NHS management. However, 'world class commissioning' does not clarify or help. It is likely to become 'wc' commissioning and be ...
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Comment
Your Humble Servant: democratic ravings
To: Don Wise, chief executiveFrom: Paul Servant, assistant chief executiveRe: Moooo
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Media Watch: donations row
Health secretary Alan Johnson was big news this week, as a row over a donation to his campaign to become Labour deputy leader spread across front pages faster than a hospital superbug.
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Michael White on Johnson's donation troubles
I shall resist the temptation to make fatcat jokes this week. But I don't think I'm sticking my neck out in predicting that Alan Johnson's trouble over that £3,000 donation to his deputy leadership campaign will not lead to the health secretary's resignation.
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Comment
Patients could hold answer to gender work rate differences
For the increasing number of female consultants, research this week that concludes they are less productive than their male counterparts is likely to make them bristle.