News – Page 1882
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Proposals to update law on infectious diseases
Public health minister Caroline Flint today welcomed the publication of a consultation paper setting out the government's proposals for changes to the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984.Ms Flint called for legislation to promote an 'effective and proportionate' response to the potential spread of infectious diseases and contamination.Read more ...
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Blair sets out principles for public service reform
Prime minister Tony Blair told a public service reform conference yesterday that changing public services must give people more power, ensure diversity of supply and offer specific help to those most in need.Mr Blair said massive increased investment in services had been needed, and had yielded more hospitals, lower waiting ...
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Computer says 'yes' to more accessible therapy
Computer-based therapy for milder, but more common mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety should be made available to any patients in England who could benefit from it from April, according to health secretary Patricia Hewitt.Computerised cognitive behavioural therapy is a first-line treatment for people with anxiety and depression, ...
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Doctors to issue 'information prescriptions'
Doctors and other health professionals will prescribe information as well as pills under a new schemed launched by health secretary Patricia Hewitt.People with long-term conditions or social care needs will receive 'information prescriptions' to guide them to relevant information about their condition.Find out more here
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New NHS London chief executive named
Ruth Carnell has been appointed chief executive of NHS London, after taking on the post on an interim basis last September when David Nicholson was appointed NHS chief executive.Mr Nicholson commented: ëI strongly believe we have found the right person to lead the NHS in London. Since she took up ...
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Care UK set for Mercury Health takeover
Care UK has agreed a conditional contract with Tribal Group to buy Mercury Health for £31.5m, as well as assuming debts of £20.7m and repaying inter-company borrowing of £24.6m.Among the conditions for the acquisition to go ahead is approval from the Department of Health for the change of ownership. If ...
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New social enterprise guide published
The Social Enterprise Coalition and law firm Hempsons have published a guide on social enterprise in health and social care designed for commissioners and providers.Healthy Business includes nine case studies highlighting the diversity of social enterprises already operating in health and social care. The coalition will set up a health ...
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Go-ahead for judicial review on drug recommendations
The High Court has cleared the way for the first judicial review challenging how the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence reaches decisions on drug recommendations.Alzheimer's drug manufacturer Eisai and its co-promotion partner Pfizer were granted permission for a review yesterday on the decision by NICE not to recommend ...
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Hewitt to host public summit
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt is hosting a citizens' summit today for 90 members of the public who were involved in the listening exercises for the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say white paper.They will have the opportunity to discuss the implementation of the white paper since last January and the ...
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Low-weight births increasing, says report
More babies are being born at dangerously low weights than in 1989, according to a report from the Fabian Society.Born Unequal says 67 of every 1,000 babies had low birth weight in 1989, rising to 76 by 1999 and 78 by 2006. The report calls for mandatory one-to-one care for ...
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RCGP names new chair
Professor Stephen Field has been named as the next chair of the Royal College of GPs when Professor Mayur Lakhani finishes his three-year term of office in November.Professor Field is GP in Birmingham, regional postgraduate dean for West Midlands Deanery and chair of the RCGP's professional development board.Read the press ...
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Best practice: how to predict length of stay
Asking patients to answer a unique set of questions about themselves helps assign them to the right beds from the beginning. Heather Waterman and Cherry Mason detail how a new allocation system has been working
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BMA calls GP pay meeting
The British Medical Association GP committee has invited local medical committee secretaries to a meeting to discuss the response to the GP pay award.The meeting will also cover the current state of general practice in the UK. It is scheduled for 19 April and will be chaired by committee chair ...
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Welsh cancer funding announced
Welsh cancer services are to receive £4.5m of extra funding from the Welsh Assembly government.Minister for health and social services Dr Brian Gibbons said the funds were to support the implementation of recommendations from a recent review of cancer services.
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Postcode lottery for dental care
A survey by consumer magazine Which? has found big regional variations in the availability of NHS dental care and a continuing lack of practitioners taking on new patients.Its research showed 36 per cent of practices are taking on new NHS patients. The areas with the highest proportion of practices doing ...
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First anniversary of Scottish smoking ban welcomed
First Minister Jack McConnell has welcomed the first anniversary of the Scottish ban on smoking in enclosed public places.Mr McConnell said the move was one of the greatest achievements of devolution.Read the press release here
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Patchy progress for endoscopy services
Long waits for endoscopies have been eliminated in many parts of the country but some areas are still experiencing long delays, according to a report by the Healthcare Commission.In the South East half of all patients had been waiting more than 26 weeks for the procedure, while less than 0.2 ...
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New labour: the Welsh clinical pathway for childbirth
Swansea University professor of midwifery Billie Hunter has researched into the clinical pathway in Wales, a system designed to document childbirth more carefully
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NICE issues home births warning
Women should be warned that babies born at home have a higher risk of dying, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has warned.Its guidance suggests women be reassured that the risk of their baby dying during childbirth is low wherever they are born - 5.1 deaths per 1,000 ...
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Minister launches smoke ban countdown
The government is stepping up its campaign to help businesses get ready for the smoking ban, which comes into force on 1 July.Launching the 100-day countdown, public health minister Caroline Flint said: 'The new law will protect everyone from the harm of second-hand smoke at work and in public places, ...