News – Page 1875
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News
Northern Ireland launches medical information scheme
Plans to distribute 80,000 bottles to older people to record basic personal and medical details in case of an emergency have been unveiled by Northern Ireland criminal justice minister David Hanson.The details will be kept in a special bottle and stored in a fridge. Those arriving to provide assistance will ...
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Committee calls for action on mental health discrimination
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.
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Junior doctors will work abroad, says BMA
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.
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Unison pushes zero tolerance campaign on violence against staff
Delegates at Unison's annual health conference in Brighton have called for national action to drive forward the zero tolerance campaign against violence in the NHS.The union is campaigning for harsher penalties for those found guilty of assaulting NHS workers.
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Variations in patient care continue, says Dr Foster
Despite a year of record investment variations in standards of care remain, according to the Dr Foster Intelligence Hospital Guide, launched today.Among the findings in the 2007 guide, mortality rates are falling with 95 per cent of trusts improving over the past five years. But only 10 trusts provided robust ...
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Delayed dicharge can hinder patient safety
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.
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Commissioning and clinicians
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.
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Drug dilemma
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.
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Drug use falls, claims information centre
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 ...
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Committee prepares to scrutinise Mental Health Bill
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 ...
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Pressure group calls for healthcare funding debate
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 ...
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Health workers to vote on strike action
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 ...
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Four Seasons names chief operating officer
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. ...
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Government pledges £30m for safer women's mental health wards
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 ...
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Toolkit for better hip and knee replacements
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
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Hospital patients to get VTE risk assessments
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 ...
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NHS staff risk losing pay and pensions, says union
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
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Correction: restructuring of acute trusts
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 ...
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HSJ got it wrong over acute trust 'hitlist'
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. ...
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Move a fifth of surgery to specialists, says Darzi
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.