Primary Care – Page 281
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News
NHS and councils could be placed under 'single regime' for assessment
Local authorities and primary care trusts could have a 'single regime' which assesses them against joint outcome measures, under proposals due to be announced next month.
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News
New moves to tackle obesity in children
The Commons public accounts committee has published its eighth report on child obesity based on evidence from the departments of Health; Education and Skills; and Culture, Media and Sport.It is estimated the rise in obesity costs the NHS around £1bn a year.The government aims to tackle these problems by influencing ...
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Comment
Joint working: more power for councils will test relations
The government has proposed that councils and primary care trusts sign up to joint 'strategic assessments' of local health needs and, potentially, 'a single regime' to meet them (news, page 5). The details will emerge next month, but already a number of things are clear.
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Comment
NHS independence: removing politicians will leave a hole that must be filled
Would an 'independent' NHS create a worse provider monopoly than British Leyland or set it lose from the targetitis of Whitehall? Who would hold the reins of scrutiny - regulators, Parliament or local councils? Where are the models - the BBC, Scandinavia, Oregon or New Zealand? Is independence even a ...
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News
Select committee announces witnesses for patient and public involvement inquiry
The Commons health select committee has announced the witnesses for its first hearing on patient and public involvement in the NHS. The first evidence session will be held on 1 February.The committee will be hearing evidence from Department of Health national director for patients and the public Harry Cayton, National ...
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News
New website to give NHS patients more power
The Department of Health has announced the launch of a new website that will bring together information on all hospitals and treatment centres.The Choice website will allow members of the public and clinicians to access a range of information through one super site that will act as a one-stop gateway ...
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News
Schools in deprived areas to get pedometers
Children at schools in deprived areas are to be given pedometers as part of a £494,000 project to motivate inactive children to become fitter.Public health minister Caroline Flint launched the National School Pedometer Programme, which will see 250 schools across the country given 45,000 pedometers.Ms Flint said: 'Using pedometers in ...
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News
New training to reduce violence against ambulance staff
The NHS Security Management Service (SMS) has launched a new set of standards to ensure high quality training for ambulance workers for prevention of violence.SMS head of security management Richard Hampton said: 'Ambulance staff are at the forefront of NHS care and face particular risks that this training is designed ...
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News
Hewitt insists choose and book is on track
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has attacked the 'myth' that the choose and book programme to boost patient choice in the NHS is not working properly.Taking questions from the audience at health seminar hosted by the Social Market Foundation, she was challenged over claims that not all patients were being given ...
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News
Select committee to hear evidence on workforce planning
The Commons health select committee will be holding its final session on workforce planning on 25 January.The committee will be hearing from new minister Lord Hunt and Department of Health deputy director of workforce Nic Greenfield.Click here for more information
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News
Drinking levels lower in London than rest of country
Londoners are less likely to drink alcohol than the rest of the country according to a new report, London, the Highs and Lows 2, launched by mayor Ken Livingstone.Young Londoners are also less likely to use drugs than young people in other parts of ...
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News
Local government white paper plan launched
The Department for Communities and Local Government has published the implementation plan for the local government white paper.The plan covers five workstreams including one on public involvement in health, which includes details on the expansion of overview and scrutiny committees.Read the plan here
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News
Lib Dems condemn 'depressingly familiar' Tory policies
Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Norman Lamb has called the findings of the Conservative policy commission on the NHS 'depressingly familiar' and claimed that giving GPs total control of their budgets would lead to greater health inequalities.He said: 'There can be no doubt that GPs are the backbone of the primary ...
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News
DoH signs prisoner healthcare agreement
The Department of Health has signed a national partnership agreement with the Home Office covering the healthcare needs of prisoners.This updates the original agreement signed three years ago and covers all public sector prisons in England.Read the agreement here
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HSJ Knowledge
What social enterprise can do for healthcare
A social enterprise is often defined as a business that trades with a social or environmental purpose. It is not driven by profit, and reinvests surpluses back into the organisation or community.
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HSJ Knowledge
Launch of the Primary Care Genetics Society
The Primary Care Genetics Society has been established to support primary care professionals as they find themselves dealing with an ever-demanding public continually being fed information from sources such as the internet and the lay media.
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HSJ Knowledge
Patient and public involvement toolkit
Lambeth primary care trust has produced a thoroughly researched and clearly presented document on patient and public involvement.
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HSJ Knowledge
Legal briefing: the separation of provider and commissioner
There is increasing pressure on primary care trusts to ensure clarity and robust processes around the distinction between provision and commissioning of services, warns David Owen
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News
BMA slams private treatment centres
Plans for privately run clinical assessment, treat and support (CATS) centres in England could jeopardise NHS finances, threaten medical posts, and create potential conflicts of interest, the British Medical Association says today. The warning comes in response to consultation on plans for up to 10 CATS centres in Cumbria and ...
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News
Ethnic health inequalities examined
Poverty is the main factor driving the worse health experienced by black and minority ethnic groups, says the Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology today. A review of the evidence looks at the causes and patterns of health inequalities and offers policy options.Download the review from 4.30pm today