Latest news – Page 1934

  • News

    Monitor will demand service level figures from foundation trusts

    2006-12-07T07:08:00Z

    Monitor is set to instruct foundation trusts to provide more accurate information about the financial performance of each of their services.

  • News

    Alberti: managers are not believed, instead clinicians must lead

    2006-12-07T07:06:00Z

    The reports launched this week, written by national emergency access director Professor Sir George Alberti and national heart disease and stroke director Professor Roger Boyle, argue that traditional accident and emergency departments are not the best places to treat many patients, writes Daniel Martin.

  • News

    Hewitt claims just 1 in 9 job cuts are down to redesigns

    2006-12-07T07:00:00Z

    Only one in nine NHS redundancies so far this year has come as a result of Commissioning a Patient-led NHS, health secretary Patricia Hewitt has told MPs.

  • News

    Flint hints at ringfenced public health funds

    2006-12-07T07:00:00Z

    Public health minister Caroline Flint has hinted that the government may consider 'ringfencing' funds for specific public health initiatives.

  • News

    Audit Commission says PCTs should fine acutes for errors

    2006-12-07T07:00:00Z

    The job of clinical coding should be given a higher priority within NHS trusts in order to make payment by results work, according to the Audit Commission.

  • News

    Hit squads set to swoop over Scottish cancer targets

    2006-12-07T07:00:00Z

    Cancer hit squads are to be sent into Scottish NHS boards to ensure that targets on waiting times are met.

  • News

    New scrutiny for IT programme as bigger role for SHAs mooted

    2006-12-07T07:00:00Z

    Major changes to the national programme for IT in the NHS have been signalled as the NHS chief executive launched a review and MPs announced an inquiry.

  • News

    News analysis Trusts feel impact as PFI and payment by results collide

    2006-12-07T07:00:00Z

    Four days after arrival in post, new trust chief executive Mary Wells found herself working with a crisis team sent in to turn around a maternity unit in serious trouble. Eighteen months later, Daloni Carlisle hears what was wrong and how it was tackled

  • News

    Comment: Why a US management guru has vital questions for the NHS

    2006-12-07T07:00:00Z

    'Michael Porter's book has caught the imagination of many of the most influential voices in NHS reform and has been occupying minds at the highest level throughout this year.'

  • News

    Northern Ireland surgical waiting times falling

    2006-12-07T00:00:00Z

    Health minister Paul Goggins has announced that the number of people waiting six months for surgery at the end of September was 3,786, a drop of 1,358 (26.4 per cent) on the previous quarter. The number of people waiting six months for outpatient appointments fell by 11,168 over the same ...

  • News

    Fatal hepatitis B warning for care homes

    2006-12-07T00:00:00Z

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority has issued a warning of the danger of spreading Hepatitis B due to inappropriate use of certain lancing devices in care homes. It has already resulted in 18 confirmed cases since March 2004 causing acute infection and three deaths in six homes.The MHRA ...

  • News

    Become a 'dignity in care' champion

    2006-12-07T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has written to all strategic health authorities, local authorities and primary care trusts asking them to raise the profile of treating people receiving care services with dignity and to encourage local people to sign up as champions to spread best practice.Read more ...

  • News

    £18.5m boost for independent living

    2006-12-07T00:00:00Z

    Health minister Ivan Lewis today named 10 successful local authority partnerships which will share an £18.5m fund designed to help older people maintain an independent life.The award is part of the Partnerships for Older People Projects (POPPs), where services are targeted towards people with a broad range of needs from ...

  • News

    New stroke toolkit will save lives

    2006-12-07T00:00:00Z

    National director for heart disease Professor Roger Boyle has issued new guidance and a toolkit providing advice to commissioners on good practice on improving stroke services. It highlights key issues to consider and summarises supporting resources.The toolkit, ASSET, is to assist NHS commissioners modernise stroke services. By using their own ...

  • News

    £1m ploughed into Northern Irish telehealth initiatives

    2006-12-06T00:00:00Z

    Northern Ireland health minister Paul Goggins pledged £1m for telehealth and telemedicine projects in the health service.He said the new technologies would help the NHS cope with the impact of an ageing population.Read the press release here

  • News

    Welsh hospices to benefit from funding boost

    2006-12-06T00:00:00Z

    Hospices are to benefit from £14.4m for 'key services' pledged by Welsh finance minister Sue Essex.Under the Welsh National Assembly's revised budget, hospices will benefit from the extra funds along with schools, higher education, foster care, domestic violence victims, disabled children and firefighters.

  • News

    Measures to make people fitter unveiled

    2006-12-06T00:00:00Z

    A package of measures to help inactive people become fitter have been unveiled by public health minister Caroline Flint.She said pilots had shown that physical activity interventions are cost-effective and can save the NHS money in the long-term by reducing ill health.An exercise referral scheme resulted in more than 70 ...

  • News

    Sir Liam: public health was rushed

    2006-12-06T00:00:00Z

    The chief medical officer for England has revealed that he was given just two hours to insert a reference to public health into the Department of Health's key policy document, Commissioning a Patient-led NHS.

  • News

    PCTs 'should have more responsibility for prisoners'

    2006-12-06T00:00:00Z

    Primary care trusts should be given responsibility and funding for the treatment of prisoners outside jail, to ensure that decisions not to treat people within the prison walls are based on clinical imperatives.The 'escorts and bedwatches' study, jointly funded by the Department of Health ...

  • News

    Alliance warns of NHS emergency

    2006-12-06T00:00:00Z

    The NHS will face a 'medical emergency' if it fails to get clinicians - especially GPs - on board for its reform agenda, according to NHS Alliance chair Dr Michael Dixon.He told the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence conference that new professional executive committees must include greater clinical ...