Latest news – Page 1946

  • News

    Scottish smoking ban 'could wipe out lung cancer'

    2006-11-06T00:00:00Z

    In his first annual report Dr Harry Burns, chief medical officer for Scotland, says that the ban on smoking which was introduced in March has already reduced passive smoking levels and is encouraging more people to quit. He said that the ban, coupled with a decline in rates of smoking-related ...

  • News

    Ambulance trusts 'must improve performance data'

    2006-11-06T00:00:00Z

    Ambulance trust boards need 'accurate and timely' performance information to drive improvements in information so the ambulance service can play a key role in ensuring patients receive appropriate care in the right environment, according to a new report by health information company Dr Foster Intelligence.The report will appear ...

  • News

    Cancer audit in sight

    2006-11-06T00:00:00Z

    The Information Centre is preparing to audit hospitals' care of patients with gastro-intestinal cancer

  • News

    Diabetes commissioning toolkit launched

    2006-11-06T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has published a commissioning toolkit which provides advice on how to carry out a needs assessment for a local diabetes population. The toolkit also includes a generic specification for diabetes care, highlighting recognised quality markers and suggesting key outcomes for services.Read the toolkit ...

  • News

    More choice for mental health service users

    2006-11-06T00:00:00Z

    Mental health service users will have powers to chose their own path through services and retain more control over their lives and the treatments they receive under new guidance, Our Choices in Mental Health, published today by the Department of Health.www.mhchoice.org.uk

  • News

    'Emotional blackmail' of nursing staff

    2006-11-04T09:00:00Z

    I do not have a problem with teamwork and continuing part-time care. However, this excuse is trotted out every time money has to be saved. It's a form of emotional blackmail of already hard-pressed nursing staff.

  • News

    Granger tops NHS earners list

    2006-11-03T00:00:00Z

    The average salary of the 12 highest earners in the NHS is £183,000, according to an analysis of senior executives' pay in the public sector for 2004-05.The figures from the Taxpayers' Alliance show the top two NHS earners are Connecting for Health chief executive Richard Granger, with a £285,000 salary, ...

  • News

    Nicholson to give evidence to spending enquiry

    2006-11-03T00:00:00Z

    NHS chief executive David Nicholson, acting permanent secretary Hugh Taylor and finance director Richard Douglas are to give evidence to the Commons health committee on 23 November as part of its inquiry into NHS expenditure. Health secretary Patricia Hewitt will face the committee on 29 November.

  • News

    Select committee to investigate patient involvement

    2006-11-03T00:00:00Z

    The Commons health select committee is to carry out an inquiry into public and patient involvement early next year. Although the terms of reference will not be announced until after the Queen's Speech on 15 November, the committee said it intends to consider issues such as the powers and make-up ...

  • News

    DoH publishes details of long-term conditions pilots

    2006-11-03T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has published details of major pilot schemes to demonstrate how care can be shifted from hospitals to the community. The demonstrator programme for long-term conditions will examine how a whole systems approach - including use of electronic assistive technologies - can ...

  • News

    Health sector has worst staff illness

    2006-11-03T00:00:00Z

    The health and social care sector accounted for the highest number of self-reported, work-related illness per 100,000 people in 2005-06, according to the Health and Safety Commission's Health and safety statistics for 2005-06.The report said there were 4,100 self-reported work-related illnesses per 100,000 people involved in health and social work, ...

  • News

    Report targets partnership working between health and schools

    2006-11-03T00:00:00Z

    The Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health have published a report on how extended schools can help health professionals achieve targets on issues such as teenage pregnancy, immunisation and childhood obesity. The Extended Schools and ...

  • News

    LINks to get scrutiny role

    2006-11-02T11:00:00Z

    Local Involvement Networks will be given a legal right to inspect NHS, social care, voluntary and independent sector organisations, health minister Rosie Winterton said this week.

  • News

    Push to publish clinical data

    2006-11-02T11:00:00Z

    The Department of Health is to look at ways of providing clinical outcome information for independent treatment centres. The government's response to the Commons health select committee's report on ITCs conceded that without robust information on clinical quality, patients cannot make an informed choice.

  • News

    Government urges quicker action on infection rates

    2006-11-02T11:00:00Z

    The government has said it will urge the Healthcare Commission to move more quickly to take action against trusts with high levels of healthcare-acquired infection.

  • News

    Troubleshooter drops in to save PCT with £43m debt

    2006-11-02T11:00:00Z

    A primary care trust with a cumulative debt of £43m has drafted in a troubleshooter to examine 'new management options', including bringing in expertise from the private sector or other NHS bodies.

  • News

    Latest IT delays a 'catastrophe'

    2006-11-02T11:00:00Z

    Just two of the 22 acute trusts which promised in June to implement NHS Connecting for Health patient administration systems by the end of October have fully done so. Two more have partially introduced the systems.

  • News

    PCTs told to implement radical changes to LAAs

    2006-11-02T11:00:00Z

    Primary care trusts will be expected to develop more flexible agreements with councils under proposals outlined in a white paper for local government reform.

  • News

    Scotland motors into the future as England gears up for change

    2006-11-02T11:00:00Z

    Scotland is already getting stuck into the tough decisions involved in redesigning its health services, but in many parts of England managers are still perceived to lack the mandate they need to make their own plans. Jennifer Trueland examines the big divide

  • News

    Burden of unbundling the tariff falls on quality of local data

    2006-11-02T11:00:00Z

    This week's 'road testing' of the payment by results tariff for 2007-08 will, the Department of Health hopes, result in considerably less noise than the late and broken one released in January. The DoH says it is not looking for any comment or complaint about what the tariff should or ...