All News articles – Page 2216

  • News

    Suppliers to NHS Direct's telephone triage pilot likely to win many of its second-wave contracts

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    The 35m worth of contracts announced this month for the second wave of the NHS Direct telephone helpline are likely to go to many of the suppliers who provided the initial pilot telephone triage systems.

  • News

    Creature comforts

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Pets - or companion animals - have a role in public health, say campaigners. Barbara Millar looks at growing interest in the therapeutic value of furry friends

  • News

    'Tick-box' patient survey comes in for criticism over lack of detail

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Details of how the first nationwide survey of NHS patients' experiences will be organised have received a sceptical response from managers and consumer groups.

  • News

    The shape of things to come

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    The NHS regions are being redrawn with effects for the whole of the NHS, and the power of central government.

  • News

    Paramedics are committed to ensuring interventions are clinically effective

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Patrick Butler's reports (News, page 5, 6 August; News Focus, page 10, 13 August) of the Ambulance Service Association's recent conference question the clinical effectiveness of paramedics.

  • News

    Welcome for 'clearing houses'

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Managers' leaders have warmly welcomed plans to establish 'clearing houses' for NHS staff affected by the government's reforms.

  • News

    Denizens of Grub Street crave a little openness Civil servants should end their defensiveness for the sake of debate

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    One corner of government activity has remained virtually immune from the initiatives which began with the Citizen's Charter to ensure anyone encountering a public sector organisation is treated in a fair, courteous, prompt and open manner. All too often, Whitehall press offices feel under no obligation to treat the journalists ...

  • News

    Chartered territory

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    For the first time, CIPFA's new president is from the NHS - and a woman. She talks to Matthew Limb

  • News

    In brief

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Guidelines for setting up primary care groups contain virtually no recommendations on information technology solutions, or money to build them, according to GP computing experts.'There is not and will not be an IT solution or detailed specifications for primary care groups,' said a regional GP computer adviser. Part of the ...

  • News

    Cash for online booking trials

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has allocated 5m to piloting an online hospital appointment booking system for GPs in England and Wales. The aim is for patients to know their appointment date before they leave the GP surgery.

  • News

    Omagh blast puts disaster strategy to ultimate test

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    A casualty of the Omagh bombing (right) is rushed to a helicopter to be airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.

  • News

    The evidence on complementary medicine could challenge old beliefs

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    I was disappointed to read David Crosby's attack on complementary medicine (Letters, 30 July). It is inaccurate to suggest that all complementary therapies are untested or untestable. Therapies that have been extensively researched include acupuncture, osteopathy and chiropractic approaches, all of which are being increasingly integrated alongside orthodox medicine.

  • News

    ...while others have been campaigning on GP registration for years and want to see the figures

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Community health councils have been campaigning about GP registration for 25 years. This year's focus is on information about the number of patients removed from GP lists. The structured publication of the numbers nationally is important.

  • News

    Patients Association says doctors must explain the reasons...

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    I was very disappointed by the tone of Steve Ainsworth's article ('Omission to explain', page 27, 30 July) arguing that GPs should not need to give patients reasons for removal from their lists.

  • News

    MPs 'appalled' by slow response to IT bug danger

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    An influential Commons committee has said it was 'astonished' and 'appalled' by the health service's response to the year 2000 computer software problem.

  • News

    New Alzheimer's care

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Our report on Alzheimer's disease (News, page 4, 9 July) aims to provide a base for thinking about improvements in care.

  • News

    Animals and healthcare through the ages

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    The use of animals in therapeutic programmes is an ancient practice, first recorded in 9th century Belgium, when disabled people were allowed to care for animals in the belief that it would 're-establish the harmony of soul and body'.

  • News

    Surgeon off duty after phone row

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    A Welsh trust has suspended a consultant surgeon after she smashed a telephone against a wall. Janet Higgs claims the incident happened on 27 July because she was frustrated at not being able to operate on a patient.

  • News

    'Shotgun affair' is a grossly wrong portrayal

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    David Crosby's provocative letter about your News Focus on integrated healthcare (letters, 4 June), clearly demands a response. I was at the conference referred to. Mr Crosby's representation of Iain Chalmers as 'acting as a catalyst for a shotgun affair' between orthodox and complementary medicine is grossly wrong. Your article ...

  • News

    Advice on unravelling primary care funding

    1998-08-20T00:00:00Z

    Practice finance Your questions answered By John Dean Radcliffe 145 pages 16.50