All Independent providers articles – Page 72

  • News

    Trusts prepare for hard sell to earn picky patients' custom

    2007-01-18T00:00:00Z

    DoH guidelines have opened the door for hospitals to use commercial advertising techniques. Is this necessary for healthy competition or a green light for unseemly publicity battles? Kaye McIntosh hears some early pledges of fair play

  • News

    Data on ISTCs' clinical quality is 'extremely poor', says Healthcare Commission

    2007-01-18T00:00:00Z

    National data on the clinical quality of independent sector treatment centres is 'incomplete and of extremely poor quality', according to a review by the Healthcare Commission.

  • News

    Commission appoints new head of independent healthcare

    2007-01-16T00:00:00Z

    The Healthcare Commission has appointed Jon Billings as head of independent healthcare.Mr Billing has been acting in the post since March 2006 and was previously in charge of the Commission's London and South East Region operations team.He takes the role as the commission moves to inspecting fewer independent healthcare sites ...

  • Comment

    Speak out

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The IPPR's Joe Farrington-Douglas says private companies may be able to give valuable support to commissioners - but decisions about who gets what healthcare must remain public and accountable

  • Comment

    Michael White on politics

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    'Some Labour MPs suspect the NHS could have run more such centres just as well'

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Special report on ISTCs: Opportunity knocks

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Independent sector involvement in the NHS has sparked fierce criticism. But consultants Andy Mullins and colleagues argue that it will be a catalyst for the innovation needed to ensure the long-term survival of the service

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Special report: PCT futures

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    In December, HSJran the PCT Futures conference in London, bringing together a wide range of speakers from government, primary care and the independent sector. In this special report we examine some of the main themes to emerge, from the complex arguments around splitting commissioning ...

  • News

    Minister unveils social enterprise start-up fund

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    A £73m social enterprise fund will be given to start-up social enterprises in health and social care, according to health minister Ivan Lewis.

  • News

    Minister: end third sector 'mutual loathing'

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Commissioners have been urged not to hold third sector health services at 'arm's length'.

  • News

    Higher costs warning on independent sector

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Uncertainty over the role of the independent sector is likely to result in higher costs to the NHS, less innovation and a 'muddle' which will put patients in danger, the King's Fund has warned.

  • Comment

    Michael White on consultants

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Chairing a session at a recent Unison conference on the future of the NHS I chided Clive Efford, Labour MP for Eltham in south London, after he had cheerfully abused consultants. I think the word he used was 'spivs', unaware that the room was full of them, including the nice ...

  • News

    Potential conflicts investigated

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health is 'constantly' checking for conflicts of interests arising for firms such as McKinsey hired to give the government advice, MPs heard last week.

  • News

    NHS Confederation consults on private sector membership

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Private providers, not-for-profit health companies, and voluntary organisations could become full members of the NHS Confederation, if existing members support new proposals to bring the independent sector on board.

  • News

    One-quarter opposed to independent Confed membership

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    A quarter of NHS Confederation members are opposed to including independent providers of NHS services in its core membership, a consultation has revealed.

  • News

    Private companies to join support framework

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health is set to announce next week the list of private companies that have won a place on the government's national framework for procuring external support for commissioners, HSJ has learned.

  • Comment

    Sophia Christie on lessons from Sweden

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    One of the most distinctive characteristics of NHS trusts' work with US company Kaiser Permanente is also one of the least commented upon. Kaiser Health Plan is an insurance company in an exclusive partnership with the Permanente Medical Group, run as a profit share company for the participating partner doctors.

  • News

    Chair quits over private power

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    A primary care trust chair has resigned in protest at the increasing role of the private sector in the NHS. Rochdale PCT chair Debbie Abrahams spoke to HSJ after her announcement at a public demonstration in Manchester.

  • News

    MPs find no evidence of improved value from independent treatment centres

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    There is no evidence that the Department of Health's independent treatment centre programme represents value for money or performs better than the NHS, according to a damning report.

  • News

    Scotland: first privately run treatment centre signed

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Contracts were signed last week for Scotland's first privately run regional treatment centre for NHS patients.

  • News

    Care UK chief urges swift ISTC take-up

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Chief executive Mike Parish sounds a cautionary note that government must move quickly to ensure a local ownership care system takes route