Primary Care – Page 274
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News
BMA defends GPs over out-of-hours criticism
The British Medical Association has said that the quality of out-of-hours services is the responsibility of the local NHS - not GPs.GP committee chair Dr Hamish Meldrum agreed with the findings of a Public Accounts Committee report on out-of-hours care, but rejected the report's assertion that GPs were the only ...
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News
DIY service improvement kit launched
Doctors, nurses and call handlers will be able to assess their ability to identify emergencies, the quality of their advice and speed of response using a new clinical audit toolkit to help improve the standard of out-of-hours services.The arrangements are set out in a document published by health minister Andy ...
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News
Minister responds to continuing care report
The minister for care services Ivan Lewis has responded to the report by the health service ombudsman Retrospective Continuing Care and Redress.He recognised the difficult decisions faced by families considering residential care and said the government would isssue guidance in response to the ombudsman's recommendations.Read more here
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News
Lord Crisp heads bid to tackle health worker shortage
A World Health Organisation international task force co-chaired by former NHS chief executive Lord Crisp met for the first time today to tackle the global shortage of health workers.The shortfall of workers worldwide is around 4.3 million in 57 countries, including 1 million in 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Initial ...
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News
Patients fear effects of nursing shortages
A YouGov poll commissioned by the Royal College of Nursing has found the public are concerned that nurse under-staffing will have a detrimental effect on patient safety.Over 70 per cent thought that if more nurses were employed standards of healthcare would improve. Ninety-three per cent felt the NHS has a ...
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News
DoH publishes partnerships guidance
The Department of Health has published guidance on the role of third sector providers in health and social care.The guidance includes case studies on how effective commissioning of the third sector can lead to a more innovative and dynamic service.Read the guidance here
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News
Over a million dental check-ups not being provided
Dental contacts statistics have shown that over 1.5 million units of dental activity (each worth one check-up) have not yet been provided under the new contract.The Department of Health said the amount of dental activity commissioned by the NHS continued to rise and more have been recommissioned than were lost ...
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News
Healthcheck consultation launched
The Healthcare Commission is to consult on plans to drive a culture of safety through the NHS, using its annual assessments of NHS organisations to monitor rates of healthcare-acquired infection and compliance with the hygiene code.The proposals also include a stronger focus on clinical effectiveness and commissioning.Find out more here
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News
Commission to look at learning disabilities accusations
The Healthcare Commission has said it will review six cases highlighted by learning disability charity Mencap of people with learning disabilities who died from physical illnesses.Mencap has accused the NHS of institutional discrimination against people with learning disabilities, saying their physical health needs are ignored.Meanwhile the Department of Health has ...
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Comment
Tristan Reuser on clinical engagement
The re-engineering of health systems requires traditional barriers between primary and secondary care to come down, writes Tristan Reuser
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News
Nurses encouraged to complain over pay
Nurses have been encouraged to write to their MPs to complain about this year's pay settlement.The Royal College of Nursing is urging its members to point out to their MP that this year's pay deal will mean an effective pay cut for nurses, when the rate of inflation is taken ...
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News
PCTs have 'taken their eye off the ball' on audiology
Some primary care trusts and strategic health authorities have 'taken their eye off the ball', and allowed waiting times for audiology services to lengthen, health minister Ivan Lewis has told the Commons health select committee.Mr Lewis told the committee's investigation into audiology services that the provision of hearing aids had ...
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News
Flu vaccine success
General practice staff delivered excellent levels of flu vaccination this winter despite vaccine deliveries being delayed by several weeks, health secretary Patricia Hewitt said in a written statement this morning. Figures from the Health Protection Agency showed that at the end of January 2007, vaccine uptake in those aged 65 ...
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News
Diabetes care improving
Diagnosis of diabetes is improving and the NHS must step up to the challenge of providing high-quality care for everybody, according to a new report looking at the delivery of diabetes services. The Way Ahead: the local challenge, published today, looks at the progress made in improving diabetes care four ...
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News
PCT network attacks 'unfair' reporting of top-slice effect
Primary care leaders are calling for changes to the way finances are reported after it emerged that the vast majority of current primary care trust debts are the result of top-slicing.
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News
Government envisions a budget for every patient
Individual budgets as piloted in social care could be used in healthcare, according to the government's Commissioning framework for health and well being.
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Comment
Look to the long term for 2020 vision on climate change
With front-page headlines this week warning that the UK's policies on climate change are set to achieve their 2020 milestone 30 years too late, the scale of the environmental challenge ahead becomes yet more daunting.
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News
News analysis: Primary care chiefs: a reorganisation too far
In the second of a three-part series, Victoria Vaughan turned to primary care trust chief executives for their views on Tony Blair's legacy to the NHS. They were found angry and disheartened by continued change.
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Comment
Restoring confidence requires an end to financial fudges
.'With the NHS moving .towards a more transparent. market, top-down decisions. on the distribution of funds. must not become the norm.'.