Latest news – Page 1893
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Diagnostic test waiting times released
The Department of Health has released data that it claims will help in delivering the 18-week target.It states that the diagnostic test waiting times data for December 2006 shows the NHS's progress.The DoH states: 'The monthly data published gives the waiting times for 15 key diagnostic tests carried out in ...
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Olympic committee appoints chief medic
The London Olympic organising committee has announced the appointment of Dr Richard Budgett as its chief medical officer.Dr Budgett stated: 'I am very excited about this role and honoured to be appointed to such a crucial post. London 2012 has been a wonderful stimulus for all types of health-related activity ...
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Numbers of attacks on high security staff revealed
Statistics released under a Freedom of Information request have revealed more than 27 attacks on staff take place per week at England's three high secure former special hospitals.A total of 4,248 attacks took place between 2004 and 2006. Conservative health shadow Tim Loughton said the figures were very worrying.
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New faces at NHS London
Anthony Sumara has been appointed as turnaround director at NHS London. Mr Sumara will take up the post immediately while continuing as interim chief executive of Hillingdon primary care trust.NHS London has also appointed Paul Baumann as its director of finance and performance.Read more here
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DoH responds to cross-border healthcare debate
The Department of Health has responded to a European Commission communication on cross-border healthcare.The response covers the 'increasing challenge in providing sustainable health services in the face of demographic ageing and globalisation'.Read the response here
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Cancer reform strategy working groups announced
Six working groups have been set up to contribute to the Department of Health's cancer reform strategy board.The groups will look at service models, commissioning and levers for change, costs and value for money, clinical data collection, public awareness and early detection and patient experience.Read the full list of group ...
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Level of third sector involvement mapped
A survey of the involvement of the third sector in health and social care has found 35,000 third sector organisations currently provide services in England and a further 1,600 plan to do so in the next three to five years.Funding for these services amounts to £12bn a year, of which ...
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Former NHS chief calls for more help for developing countries
A report by former NHS chief executive Lord Crisp has called for the UK to support the health plans of developing countries.Lord Crisp called for more training of health workers through an NHS scholarship scheme and committing aid to the education of health workers.Read the report here
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Survey reveals widespread ignorance of sexual health issues
A survey by the Family Planning Association (fpa) shows widespread confusion and misunderstanding of sex and reproduction.In the survey 50 per cent of people did not know what would prevent a woman becoming pregnant if she took steps immediately after sex and only 4 per cent said the sex education ...
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Conservatives claim treatment is being 'deliberately delayed'
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley has claimed that patients are being deliberately denied treatment so that primary care trusts can balance their books by the end of the financial year.His comments follow a BBC survey that indicates that a quarter of all primary care trusts in England are asking patients ...
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New book on patient-doctor consultations
A new book aims to improve communication between health professionals and patients.Te Patient-Doctor Consultation in Primary Care: theory and practiceoffers practical advice on how to improve listening and communication skills.The book also discusses the best approach to involving patients in the decision-making process of their healthcare.Order the book here
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Government 'did not consult' on visa restrictions for foreign doctors
The High Court has ruled that the government did not consult with the medical profession, or follow necessary race relations procedures, before restricting employment opportunities for doctors from outside the EU.The ruling comes in response to a legal challenge to last year's decision by the government to prevent non-EU doctors ...
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Minister wants patients copied in to clinicians' letters
Health minister Rosie Winterton has said healthcare professionals should make more effort to routinely copy letters between clinicians to their patients.Ms Winterton is to write to all professional bodies, including the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing, urging them to encourage members to copy patients into correspondence ...
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If not now, when? Taking action on alcohol
The time is ripe for developing strategic steps to tackle the havoc wreaked by alcohol misuse, says Libby Ranzetta
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Use of management consultants
I always enjoy the wit and irony of the inside back cover. How delighted I was to see that you have now carried it into the body of your journal under the headline 'SHA pays £2m for firm to size up PCT commissioning' as the independent and objective firm chosen ...
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Social care spend up 10 per cent
Spending on public sector social care services for adults and children rose by 10 per cent over the past two years to reach £19.3bn in 2005-06, according to the Information Centre for health and social care.Spending on services for adults and older people, which accounts for 74 per cent of ...
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Scottish ambulance delays rise
The number of ambulances across Scotland taking longer than an hour to reach an emergency incident has risen from 71 to 179 over the last six years, despite an increase of 25 per cent in the number of trained crews available, according to the Scottish National Party.www.snp.org/news
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Cancer reform strategy board named
Health minister Rosie Winterton has announced the 29 members of the Department of Health's cancer reform strategy board that will build on the 2000 cancer plan.The group will be chaired by national cancer director Professor Mike Richards and will develop a new strategy through six working groups: service models; commissioning ...
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Hewitt defends fall in bed numbers
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has been attacked for describing cuts to bed numbers as a sign of 'success' in a presentation to the cabinet.In a webchat this week she also highlighted how improvements in community nursing in Dudley to support those with long-term conditions had 'slashed' emergency admissions and meant ...
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Time to break the circle of negativity
There's no row like a family row and the NHS family is not an exception. It has long been recognised that the NHS's own staff can often be the worst ambassadors for what is happening in the service, nationally and locally.