News – Page 1717

  • News

    NHS Direct relieves pressure on A&E and GPs

    2008-09-18T09:00:00Z

    I refer to your feature on NHS Direct and referrals to accident and emergency. Independent research published in June shows that NHS Direct is helping take the pressure off A&E and GP surgeries as it increasingly continues to advise callers to treat themselves at home. In fact, our most recent ...

  • News

    Integrated care warning

    2008-09-18T09:00:00Z

    Integration is in vogue. This is fine, but different enthusiasts interpret 'integration' differently. Confused enthusiasm is never a good thing on which to base health policy. At its best, such confusion could waste money; at its worst, it could cost lives.

  • News

    Cases of legionnaires' to rise

    2008-09-17T11:37:48Z

    More cases of legionnaires' disease are likely as a result of climate change, researchers predict.

  • News

    Patient information consultation begins

    2008-09-17T11:35:24Z

    Connecting for Health has launched a consultation on the use of patient information. It wants the public and health professionals to give their views on the use of patient information for purposes such as health research and managing and planning care.

  • News

    Health Professions Council president re-elected

    2008-09-17T11:32:49Z

    The Health Professions Council has re-elected Anna Van der Gaag as council president.

  • News

    Shortfall in care home funding

    2008-09-17T11:28:21Z

    An extra £540m is needed to pay for residential care for older people, research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation predicts.

  • News

    Cancer patients cannot afford prescriptions

    2008-09-17T11:25:43Z

    A third of cancer patients do not take their prescribed medicines because they cannot afford the prescription charge. Many do not know that buying prescription prepayment certificates would help with the cost.A survey by Macmillan Cancer Support found that 41 per cent of cancer patients did not know about how ...

  • News

    Health students consider quitting over debts

    2008-09-16T11:00:00Z

    Over half of all students training to become members of professions including nursing, midwifery and occupational therapy are considering quitting their studies due to debt, according to a survey by Unison.Ninety per cent of respondents believed health students should be paid a salary. Mature students with children and students from ...

  • News

    Infections prompt agency to issue blood testing guidance

    2008-09-16T11:00:00Z

    Guidance for the testing of blood glucose in residential care homes is to be issued by the Health Protection Agency after testing led to breakdowns in infection control. Five incidences of onward transmission of hepatitis B are believed to have occurred in care homes from 2004-07.

  • News

    Scottish walk-in pharmacy services launched

    2008-09-16T11:00:00Z

    Eight Scottish pharmacies are piloting walk-in services such as immunisation, health checks, nurse-led minor injury clinics, sexual healthcare and smoking cessation. The pharmacies will stay open until midnight six days a week during the pilot, which is due to run until March 2010.

  • News

    Scotland holds annual quality improvement review

    2008-09-16T11:00:00Z

    The annual review of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland will be held in public today, chaired by health secretary Nicola Sturgeon. The review will include a question and answer session with members of the public.

  • News

    NHS non-executives: what does it take to succeed?

    2008-09-16T09:00:00Z

    Mike Hay examines the skills, knowledge, behaviours and approach that successful non-executive directors need

  • News

    NHS dentists' pay tops £100,000

    2008-09-15T10:49:41Z

    The NHS Information Centre is tomorrow expected to reveal that some NHS dentists are earning £100,000 a year.

  • News

    Pension plans threaten Manx health service

    2008-09-15T10:47:27Z

    Plans now being considered by the Manx government to sever the link with the NHS pensions scheme will lead to a 'potentially disastrous staff exodus', the British Medical Association warns today.

  • News

    Stroke care improvements 'must continue'

    2008-09-15T10:44:12Z

    There has been a major improvement in the organisation of stroke care over the past two years, according to the latest National Sentinel Organisational Audit of Stroke.

  • News

    Lib Dems set to debate health policy

    2008-09-15T10:42:25Z

    The Liberal Democrats kick off the party conference season with their meeting in Bournemouth this week, with the NHS set to be a hot topic.

  • News

    Take part in HSJ’s health policy survey

    2008-09-15T10:40:27Z

    Who would make the best health secretary? Which political party's policies are the best for the NHS? Have your say in HSJ's survey of the three main parties' health policies.Vote in our poll and see the results in Thursday's magazine.

  • News

    Stroke services imporved

    2008-09-12T16:09:12Z

    Stroke services have shown marked improvement in the last two years, an audit by the Royal College of Physicians has shown.The audit of 224 hospitals in all areas of the UK except Scotland found near universal provision of specialist stroke beds.About 30 per cent are offering thrombolysis for stroke and ...

  • News

    £75m pledged to tackle childhood obesity

    2008-09-12T12:43:00Z

    The government is to launch a £75m national programme aimed at tackling childhood obesity and has asked local authorities and primary care trusts to align their local initiatives to the new brand - Change4Life.

  • News

    Top-ups should be allowed, says King's Fund chief

    2008-09-12T12:40:00Z

    The NHS should not deny treatment to patients who pay privately for unapproved drugs, King's Fund chief executive Niall Dickson has said.He told a seminar yesterday: 'The current practice on top-ups, which prohibits people from privately purchasing drugs not available on the health service while continuing a course of NHS ...