Latest news – Page 1867
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News
UK comes first in health survey
US-based health foundation The Commonwealth Fund has put the UK at the top of a health system league that compares large English-speaking countries and Germany.According to the report the UK came out top as no-one is excluded due to inability to pay and because the NHS delivers the correct and ...
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Training launched in understanding self harm
The Samaritans are launching a training course to help frontline staff who come into contact with people who self harm. The day-long course is designed to dispel common misunderstandings about self harm and equip staff with skills to support to self harmers.
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Men at far greater risk from cancer, report claims
A new report claims that men are nearly twice as likely as women to develop and die from virtually all cancers that can affect both sexes.Tackling the excess incidence of cancer in men says that particular attention needs to be paid to the need for 'male sensitive' communication strategies.For more ...
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Drug harm reduction plan published
A new drug harm reduction action plan published today is intended to help reduce the number of people dying from drug overdoses or contracting blood-borne viruses through injecting themselves with dirty needles.Around £2m will be spent on more effective treatment for drug misusers and support for rehabilitation.To read the plan ...
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Kidney disease management improving
More people with chronic kidney disease are being identified and are accessing treatment, according to the second progress report of the national service framework for renal services. The report puts the success in diagnosis and management of the condition down to it being included in the quality and outcomes framework ...
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Department of Health annual report published
The Department of Health's annual report, including an outline of its spending and investment programmes, has been published. The report includes plans for 2007-08 and progress against the department's public service agreements.To read the report click here
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BMA chair quits
British Medical Association chair James Johnson has resigned over not fully being able to express the anger felt by junior doctors over the MTAS appointments system. Mr Johnson said Association members were unhappy over a letter he recently sent to The Times. BMA treasurer Dr David Pickersgill said that the ...
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Digital x-rays across the UK by 2008, says Hewitt
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has said that digital x-rays will be available across the country by 2008. They are currently being used in every London hospital trust. It is hoped that the system will save over £6.2m in the first year and speed up diagnosis.To read more click here
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BMA chair quits
British Medical Association chair James Johnson has resigned over not fully being able to express the anger felt by junior doctors over the MTAS appointments system. Mr Johnson said Association members were unhappy over a letter he recently sent to The Times. BMA treasurer Dr David Pickersgill said that the ...
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Violent patients: legal dilemmas
The NHS has a.legal duty to provide 'reasonable services', but this does not include a legal duty to continue the services if the patient is being unreasonable.
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Dr David Jenner on the workability of PBC
Are primary care trusts and strategic health authorities really encouraging GPs to get to grips with practice-based commissioning? Or are some of them encouraging this policy to fade away?
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Half of emergency units could be axed, say Conservatives
Almost half of all NHS hospital accident and emergency units could be shut if reforms are implemented, the Conservative party has claimed. Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley said 92 departments out of 204 could be closed down or downgraded if trusts follow official guidance that A&E units should in future ...
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Nearly all A&E units meet four-hour wait
A&E services are delivering the fastest ever access to treatment, according to the latest Department of Health figures. In the year up to March 2007, 98.2 per cent of the 18.9 million people who attended A&E departments were seen, diagnosed and treated within four hours.Read the full report here
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Decision on directly enhanced services ends uncertainty
NHS Employers and the BMA's GPs committee have agreed that the 2006-07 directly enhanced services for access, and choice and booking will be rolled over into the current financial year. The move ends months of uncertainty where some Primary care Trusts have introduced locally enhanced services as interim measures.
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Millions could be saved on prescribing costs
The NHS could save up to £200m if all doctors made cheaper prescribing decisions, according to a National Audit Office report.Prescribing costs in Primary Care identified that there is scope for most PCTs to increase efficiency without affecting clinical outcomes by using more low-cost drugs. It also found there were ...
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Radical thinking needed in diabetic care, says czar
Diabetes czar Dr Sue Roberts believes those working with and affected by diabetes need to think radically about new approaches to care and NHS services. Her report on the state of diabetes care in England gives an overview including prevalence, costs, commissioning and care planning.To see the report click here
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Review of fertilisation rules launched
A review of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 has been launched in response to scientific developments and changing public opinion. The law governs assisted reproduction and embryology.To see a draft of the revised law click here
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Joined-up thinking needed in children's palliative care
Palliative care services for children and young people in England and Wales have developed in an ad hoc way and are poor in some parts of the country, a review for the Department of Health has found. It says there is a lack of understanding of children's palliative care and ...
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Staff organisations suspend membership of Mental Health Alliance
Five organisations have suspended their membership of the Mental Health Alliance so as to form their own coalition to support mental health modernisation. Amicus, the British Association of Occupational Therapists, British Psychological Society, Royal College of Nursing and Unison said they took the move reluctantly but wanted to show support ...
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Trauma and orthopaedics result in most outpatient appointments
Nearly 15 million people attended a first outpatients appointment in 2005-06, of whom 8.7 million were referred by a GP, according to figures released by The Information Centre for health and social care. Fourteen per cent of outpatient activity resulted from trauma and orthopaedics. More than three-quarters of the first ...