All Policy articles – Page 244

  • News

    Monitor blocks Unison court move on private patient income

    2008-02-14T09:00:00Z

    Monitor has attempted to block Unison's judicial review by launching a three-month consultation into its interpretation of the foundation trust private patient income cap.

  • Comment

    The BMA is standing between patients and a better service

    2008-02-14T09:00:00Z

    Not content with grossly misrepresenting the government's position on opening hours, the British Medical Association has now resorted to sabotage to block modernisation of our primary care services.

  • News

    Care 'top-up' ban may face day in court

    2008-02-14T09:00:00Z

    A leading solicitor has warned that the government's ban on NHS patients 'topping up' their care will end up before the courts.

  • News

    Auditor finds PbR has 'questionable' impact on efficiency

    2008-02-14T09:00:00Z

    Payment by results has had a 'questionable' impact on driving up efficiency in the NHS, the Audit Commission has concluded.

  • News

    All or nothing: patients are told no to private top-ups

    2008-02-14T09:00:00Z

    Patients who choose to buy drugs that the NHS will not fund are being told they will have to pay for all their treatment - not just that part. Should trusts relent and offer mix-and-match packages of care, or would that mean a two-tier service? Alison Moore reports

  • News

    GPs in impossible position - BMA

    2008-02-11T11:37:00Z

    GPs have accepted an option from the Department of Health that will see practices open for a further 30 minutes a week for each 1,000 registered patients.But they feel they have been put in an impossible position, the BMA has said. All GPs will be balloted on the move later ...

  • News

    NHS reform is stalled, think tank claims

    2008-02-11T11:34:00Z

    The government is in denial about the stalled progress of NHS reforms on the ground, think tank Reform has claimed.

  • News

    Green light ISTCs, government urged

    2008-02-11T11:31:00Z

    The Confederation of British Industry has challenged the government to green light more independent sector treatment centres.

  • HSJ Knowledge

    National IT programme: log in to the future

    2008-02-11T09:00:00Z

    From robot surgeons to a comprehensive database and picture archive, electronic systems are the way forward, says Sir Jonathan Michael of BT Health. He believes security will be high and personalised care enhanced. Rebecca Norris reports

  • Comment

    Lisa Rodrigues on NHS acronyms

    2008-02-11T09:00:00Z

    Obscure abbreviations and over-complicated policies keep the NHS from focusing on what is really important

  • Comment

    Lisa Rodrigues on NHS acronyms

    2008-02-11T09:00:00Z

    Obscure abbreviations and over-complicated policies keep the NHS from focusing on what is really important

  • Comment

    Hilary Thomas on

    2008-02-08T16:03:35Z

    One of my enduring impressions of the NHS is that of mythology. Not the classical Greek type representing animal/human chimaeras but perhaps equally contradictory.There are a number of platitudes which people love to cite: “free at the point of delivery”, “the GP as gatekeeper”, and first prize has to go ...

  • Comment

    Hilary Thomas on challenging NHS rhetoric

    2008-02-08T16:03:35Z

    One of my enduring impressions of the NHS is that of mythology. Not the classical Greek type representing animal/human chimaeras but perhaps equally contradictory. There are a number of platitudes which people love to cite: “free at the point of delivery”, “the GP as gatekeeper”, and first prize has to ...

  • News

    Letter advises on waiting time data

    2008-02-08T13:06:00Z

    Department of Health national 18 weeks director Nick Chapman has written to trusts about two new collections of audiology services data that will be introduced in 2008-09.

  • News

    New target regime should give trusts local freedom

    2008-02-07T09:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has released delayed guidance on new 'vital signs' performance indicators which aim to give trusts more freedom to set local goals with less interference from the top.Under the new operating framework, trusts will be judged on three tiers of 'vital signs' - and can set local ...

  • News

    'Pay for performance' could be next, says NHS medical director

    2008-02-07T09:00:00Z

    The NHS medical director has warned managers of the national clinical audit programme that they 'must deliver' or they could lose their contract.

  • News

    Council opposes East Sussex maternity plans

    2008-02-07T09:00:00Z

    Changes to maternity services in East Sussex have been put on hold after the county council's health scrutiny committee referred the plans to the health secretary.

  • News

    Scotland's personal care policy questioned

    2008-02-07T09:00:00Z

    Scotland's flagship free personal care policy needs to be better funded and managed if it is to work in the future, the public spending watchdog warned last week. A report from Audit Scotland reveals budget shortfalls and ambiguities in the way the policy was implemented.

  • News

    Unison takes Monitor to court in wake of income cap silence

    2008-02-07T09:00:00Z

    Unison has launched judicial review proceedings against foundation trust regulator Monitor in a bid to stop trusts using arm's-length organisations to expand private patient work.

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Local control puts boards under the spotlight

    2008-02-07T09:00:00Z

    The drive for local autonomy means non-executives and chairs are under ever-closer scrutiny. The body charged with recruiting them hopes to prepare them through improved selection and training