News – Page 1950
-
News
Conservatives launch initiative on patient involvement
The Conservatives have launched a consultation on the future of public and patient involvement in health.The concept of HealthWatch was outlined by Conservative leader David Cameron and shadow health minister Andrew Lansley in a speech to the King's Fund earlier this month.At a summit today Mr Lansley will highlight the ...
-
News
Suicide rate continues to fall
Suicide rates in England have continued to fall and are now at their lowest ever level, according to new figures.The three-year average is now 8.5 deaths per 100,000, down from a baseline of 9.4 deaths per 100,000 in 1995.The Department of Health has published a new guide giving advice on ...
-
News
Lords consider Commons amendments to NHS Redress Bill
The bill to streamline the handling of NHS complaints has returned to the Lords, where peers have failed to reach agreement with MPs over its provisions.Peers yesterday voted by 149 to 133 to back an amendment to ensure that investigations were carried out by a body independent of that against ...
-
News
Action plan for audiology services
An action plan is being developed to improve access to audiology services including those outside the 18-week waiting time, a Department of Health minister has announced.Social care minister Ivan Lewis said in a parliamentary written answer that ministers were aware of long waits for audiology services.
-
News
Hewitt warns: patients will vote with feet
Patients will 'vote with their feet' and refuse to be treated at poorly performing hospitals, health secretary Patricia Hewitt has said.
-
News
DoH publishes new smoking cessation figures
The Department of Health has published the latest quarterly statistics on access to smoking cessation services. It shows Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority had the highest proportion of successful quitters (63 per cent) while Cheshire and Merseyside SHA reported the lowest (41 per cent). ...
-
News
Fall in Welsh waiting times
The number of people waiting for over eight months for inpatient or day-case treatment in Wales has fallen by 737 over the last quarter - a 10.5 per cent reduction. In outpatients, the number of people waiting over eight months for a first appointment has ...
-
News
Mayor calls for action on Muslim health in London
London mayor Ken Livingstone has called on NHS organisations to act on the recommendations of the first ever large-scale report on the lives of Muslims in the capital One in twelve Londoners is Muslim and the report finds that their health is disproportionately affected by ...
-
News
Occupational therapy
I read with great delight the article by David Woodheadreferring to the virtues of working on an allotment and how beneficial it is.
-
News
NPSA and menus
Your article 'NPSA attacks meaningless glossy menus' (news, 12 October, page 16) misrepresents my comments at the patient safety fringe event during the Conservative Party conference.
-
News
New pay-off packages to reflect length of service
New redundancy and retirement packages based on length of service rather than age have been agreed by the Department of Health.
-
News
Inappropriate admissions: guidance to urge 12.5pc cut
The prime minister's delivery unit is taking a key role in shaping 'crisp' new guidance for primary care trusts to reduce inappropriate hospital admissions and save over £1.4bn a year.
-
News
PbR 'fundamentally flawed' says coding chief
The current system of payment by results is 'fundamentally flawed and unacceptable' the head of the Professional Association of Clinical Coders warned last week.
-
News
Call to scrap funding formula
The NHS funding formula is based on an untested scientific premise and should be scrapped, the chief economic advisor to the Department of Health was told last week.
-
News
PCT to lose 90 posts in £29m cuts plan
A primary care trust has announced plans to cut up to 90 jobs in response to the Department of Health requirement to balance its books within one financial year.
-
News
Efficiency savings costed at £2.2bn
The Department of Health is to expand the number of productivity indicators on which trusts are compared as the first set of figures revealed the NHS could save £2.2bn a year if it improved its efficiency.
-
News
New regulations on mental capacity research
The government has responded to the consultation on the Mental Capacity Act draft regulations, governing people with impaired mental capacity and their involvement in research work.The response covers proposals for appointing a body to oversee research arrangements for people who previously gave consent, then subsequently lost the mental capacity to ...
-
News
New incontinence guidelines
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has launched new guidelines to improve the management and care of the estimated 5 million women in the UK suffering from urinary incontinence. Topics include diagnosis, treatments and training. http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=378930
-
News
West Midlands chiefs named
HSJ introduces eight new primary care trust chief executives appointed by NHS West Midlands
-
News
Warner: PCT consultations 'pretty inept'
Primary care trusts have been criticised by government ministers and opposition MPs for sparking public protests by their handling of reconfigurations.