All News articles – Page 1286

  • News

    Committee calls for action on mental health discrimination

    2007-04-24T00:00:00Z

    The Lords European Union committee has called on the government and the EU to provide greater protection from discrimination for people with mental health problems.The committee said people suffering from mental health problems often face discrimination in health services and employment.

  • News

    Junior doctors will work abroad, says BMA

    2007-04-24T00:00:00Z

    Over 50 per cent of junior doctors are likely to leave the UK if their applications for jobs through the medical training application service are unsuccessful, according to the British Medical Association.The BMA is calling for an urgent meeting with the health secretary following a survey of 648 applicants.

  • News

    Delayed dicharge can hinder patient safety

    2007-04-23T15:20:44Z

    In response to your article on bed-blocking (12 April) Alison Moore is right to highlight the problems of delayed transfer of care, but fails to convey the problems that patients experience.

  • News

    Commissioning and clinicians

    2007-04-23T10:43:58Z

    The ideals of commissioning are mocked. One may sympathise with policy-making born of frustration, but when rhetoric begets sham and folly, then challenge should be clearly heard.

  • News

    Drug dilemma

    2007-04-23T10:43:00Z

    I was puzzled by David Lock's advice in NICE rulings to PCTs to have a policy to refuse to fund emerging treatments except in exceptional circumstances.

  • News

    Four Seasons names chief operating officer

    2007-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Dr Pete Calveley has been appointed chief operating officer of independent provider Four Seasons Health Care. Dr Calveley joined Four Seasons in November 2005 as primary care medical director, while also continuing his role as a GP and primary care trust director in Lincolnshire.His new role is a full-time position. ...

  • News

    Drug use falls, claims information centre

    2007-04-23T00:00:00Z

    The number of people in contact with structured drug treatment services rose by 13 per cent from 2004-05 to 2005-06 and was more than double those in 1998-99, according to figures from the Information Centre for health and social care.The Statistics on Drug Misuse: England, 2007 report shows that drugs ...

  • News

    Pressure group calls for healthcare funding debate

    2007-04-23T00:00:00Z

    UK healthcare is not free at the point of delivery and in perpetuating this idea politicians are stifling proper debate on future funding of healthcare, says a report from Doctors for Reform.The report, written by three doctors, including oncologist Karol Sikora, highlights 20 case studies to show how patients are ...

  • News

    Committee prepares to scrutinise Mental Health Bill

    2007-04-23T00:00:00Z

    The British Medical Association, Royal College of Nurses and Royal College of Psychiatrists will be among those giving evidence to a cross-party committee scrutinising the Mental Health Bill before it passes through the Commons.Peers and MPs will focus on the six areas of the bill amended after votes in the ...

  • News

    Health workers to vote on strike action

    2007-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Delegates at trade union Unison's health conference in Brighton will today vote on a ballot for strike action in protest at the government's proposed 2.5 per cent pay increase.Yesterday health workers voted to campaign against payment by results, set up a campaign against all forms of privatisation and marketisation, oppose ...

  • News

    NHS staff risk losing pay and pensions, says union

    2007-04-20T00:00:00Z

    Tens of thousands of NHS staff could lose out on pay and pensions if they are transferred to privately-run social enterprises, Amicus has warned.A report from the union said social enterprises are outside the NHS and Agenda for Change pay conditions would not necessarily apply.Read the report here

  • News

    Toolkit for better hip and knee replacements

    2007-04-20T00:00:00Z

    A toolkit for orthopaedic teams to improve efficiency in primary hip and knee replacements has been launched by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.It identifies the six key characteristics of high performing organisations and includes audit tools for managers and teams to improve patient care.Read the report here

  • News

    Hospital patients to get VTE risk assessments

    2007-04-20T00:00:00Z

    Every patient should be assessed for potentially fatal blood clots on admission to hospital, chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson announced as he launched a working party report on venous thromboembolism (VTE).A national risk assessment tool is being developed for clinicians to detect the complications of VTE, which include deep ...

  • News

    Correction: restructuring of acute trusts

    2007-04-20T00:00:00Z

    On Thursday HSJ published a story about Department of Health plans to restructure a number of financially troubled acute trusts (news, page 5, 20 April). As part of this story we published a list of likely candidates, based on their published rating by the Healthcare Commission and published work by ...

  • News

    HSJ got it wrong over acute trust 'hitlist'

    2007-04-20T00:00:00Z

    I was shocked and disappointed to read allegations in HSJ that Surrey and Sussex Healthcare trust could be merging with or have its services taken over by Frimley Park Hospital foundation trust. There is absolutely no truth in this suggestion as reported by Helen Mooney (news, page 5, 19 April. ...

  • News

    Government pledges £30m for safer women's mental health wards

    2007-04-20T00:00:00Z

    Up to £30m in funding has been awarded to improve safety in adult inpatient mental health wards, particularly for women service users, following the safety issues highlighted in the National Patient Safety Agency report With Safety in Mind.National director for mental health, Louis Appleby, said in a letter to mental ...

  • News

    Diagnostic test waiting times released by DoH

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    Diagnostics waiting times and activity data for February and the census of all diagnostic tests up to December 31 2006 have been published by the Department of Health.The data shows progress in tackling waiting times for tests such as scans. The monthly data gives the waiting times for 15 key ...

  • News

    MPs urgently demand a new IT strategy

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    A Commons scrutiny committee has said 'urgent' action is needed to rescue the national IT programme.

  • News

    NHS University: 'embarrassing' failure to deliver value for money, says government review

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    The NHS University, the internal training and education body which cost £72m and was scrapped after less than two years, delivered 'too little too late', according to a scathing report that the government tried to suppress.

  • News

    Move a fifth of surgery to specialists, says Darzi

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    A fifth of all planned surgery should be concentrated at specialist hospitals, according to a report by Professor Sir Ara Darzi, the national adviser on surgery.