Latest news – Page 1898
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News
DoH: reforms cutting unnecessary appointments
The Department of Health says GPs are sending fewer patients to hospital for unnecessary appointments following government reforms to give practices a greater say in procurement and provision of services.Evidence from early practice-based commissioning adopters shows that practices have cut patient referrals for hospital treatment by between 25 and 33 ...
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Watchdog appoints three new commissioners
The Healthcare Commission today welcomes Professor Deirdre Kelly, Clare Dodgson, and Clifford Prior as commissioners.The trio will join the twelve current commissioners tasked with driving quality in healthcare and public health. Read the press release here
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Staffordshire Ambulance trust faces safety probe
The Healthcare Commission has launched an investigation into Staffordshire Ambulance Service trust to establish whether it has adequate systems and processes in place to ensure the safety of patients.Serious concerns about the service have been raised concerning arrangements for clinical governance, management and leadership, safety issues and the quality of ...
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Watchdog seeks people involved in learning disabilities
The Healthcare Commission is seeking people with learning disabilities, family members, carers and other workers in the sector to take part in what will be the largest audit of learning disability services ever done in England.Up to 200 services will be inspected and data will be collected from more than ...
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£1m recovered from Welsh fraud
The NHS Counter Fraud Service annual report for Wales reveals that specialists recovered £1,079,659 via civil action in 2005-06.This along and other reductions were made possible through point of service checks introduced in 2001, in which patients must tick a box on a form to say they are entitled to ...
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'Third sector' inquiry launched
The Commons public administration committee has launched an inquiry into the growing trend towards government buying or commissioning services from the third sector - charity or voluntary organisations and non-government organisations.The committee's inquiry aims to explore the costs and benefits of the policy, and to judge the effectiveness of the ...
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Doctors criticise patient involvement plans
The British Medical Association has said that government proposals to give patients and the public in England more say in the NHS are likely to fail due to insufficient resources.The BMA's patient liaison group criticises the plans to replace patient forums with new local involvement networks (LINks) without addressing resourcing ...
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PCTs fight UCLH over data validity
Three primary care trusts are disputing the validity of a massive increase in activity at a flagship London hospital.
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IHM calls for better training
Managers need better training and more rigorous checks, and are being held back by limited opportunities to develop their skills, the Commons health select committee heard at last Thursday's workforce planning inquiry.
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Conservatives call for in-house laundries to fight infection
Trusts should be obliged to provide changing and laundry facilities as part of the war on infection control, the Conservatives have said.
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PCTs wanted for interactive media health service
The government is calling on strategic health authorities to suggest primary care trusts to test NHS Health Direct, a new interactive media service to help people improve their health.
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Crucial decision looms on the future of the NHS IT programme
The project to overhaul NHS IT is at a crossroads. With Lord Hunt back at the helm, the signs are that the programme will shift its focus to performance management. Lyn Whitfield looks at whether local accountability really is the next step
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NHS and councils could be placed under 'single regime' for assessment
Local authorities and primary care trusts could have a 'single regime' which assesses them against joint outcome measures, under proposals due to be announced next month.
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Confed criticises public consultation bill
The NHS Confederation has criticised the government's new bill on public involvement in health services for placing a duty of consultation on providers, as well as commissioners.
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New moves to tackle obesity in children
The Commons public accounts committee has published its eighth report on child obesity based on evidence from the departments of Health; Education and Skills; and Culture, Media and Sport.It is estimated the rise in obesity costs the NHS around £1bn a year.The government aims to tackle these problems by influencing ...
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Hewitt rejects council's block on closure of mental health clinic
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has overruled objections from local councils and agreed to the closure of a south London emergency clinic for people with mental health problems.
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Hewitt rejects council's block on closure of mental health clinic
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has overruled objections from local councils and agreed to the closure of a south London emergency clinic for people with mental health problems.
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Public wants politics left out of treatment decision, says survey
Decisions on NHS treatments should be made by clinicians, public representatives and managers - and not politicians, according to a MORI poll for the NHS Confederation.
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Leeds trust names new chief
Maggie Boyle has been appointed chief executive of Leeds Teaching Hospitals trust.'Ms Boyle has been appointed for her skills, past experience and demonstrable track record of success in other similar organisations,' said trust chair Martin Buckley.Ms Boyle is currently chief executive of Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals trust. From ...