Primary Care – Page 301

  • News

    Widespread uptake of PBC incentives

    2006-11-24T00:00:00Z

    Eight-one per cent of practices had taken advantage of incentive payments to implement practice-based commissioning by the end of September, according to new figures from the Department of Health. This is up from 74 per cent in August.Eighty-two per cent of PCTs have put in place arrangements to support PBC, ...

  • News

    How Middle England turned into a nation of reconfiguration rebels

    2006-11-23T11:29:44Z

    Demonstrations against changes to hospital services have brought thousands on to the streets. Tash Shifrin spoke to some of the campaigners about their aims

  • News

    Author of reconfiguration blueprint rails against 'wrong, confusing and puzzling' opposition

    2006-11-23T11:28:33Z

    The man who wrote the blueprint for Scottish health services has hit out at politicians and unions who originally backed his plans but are now opposing them as they are rolled out locally.

  • News

    Doctors to provide treatment at threatened site

    2006-11-23T11:27:43Z

    Teams of GPs have used their commissioning skills to help keep open a community hospital that was threatened with closure.

  • News

    Joint health and social care regulation body delayed as plans are left out of Queen's Speech

    2006-11-23T11:24:36Z

    The merger of the health and social care inspectorates looks set to be delayed by at least six months following the absence of a bill to implement it in the Queen's Speech.

  • News

    GP shortage procurement scheme may be abolished

    2006-11-23T11:20:54Z

    The government's national procurement programme for under-doctored areas looks set to be drastically scaled back or scrapped.

  • Comment

    Six of the best on health inequalities

    2006-11-23T11:06:31Z

    Despite its presence on the so-called Selbie Six list of NHS priorities for 2006-07, tackling health inequalities is proving a significant challenge for many primary care trusts.

  • News

    PEC proposals promise equality for clinicians and managers

    2006-11-23T10:56:39Z

    Clinicians and managers will be expected to work together to take joint decisions on commissioning under radical proposals to reform professional executive committees.

  • Comment

    Data protection

    2006-11-20T12:07:15Z

    'The DoH said... that data processing agreements were being put in place to comply with the Data Protection Act'. (Click herefor story.) Agreements with whom?

  • Comment

    Listening to complaints

    2006-11-20T11:58:20Z

    David Lee's article on listening to complaints was engaging. What would have been really useful is a sense of what has actually changed in the day-to-day operation of services and the impact on patient care, efficiency and staff relations.

  • Comment

    Funding formula

    2006-11-20T11:57:28Z

    I am delighted that you reported calls to scrap the NHS funding formula on the evidence given to the health select committee by Professors Asthana, Stone and McCormick.

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Breath of fresh air on self-care

    2006-11-20T10:41:27Z

    Self-care often has a very poor reputation among primary care trust staff - yet it can bring substantial cash savings and improve health.

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Helen Bevan on the push for productivity

    2006-11-20T10:40:27Z

    'Over the past 10 years, we have learned a great deal about applying the principles of modern operations management to healthcare delivery'

  • News

    New role for former Audit Commission chair

    2006-11-20T00:00:00Z

    James Strachan, until recently chairman of the Audit Commission, has been appointed a non-executive director of Care UK PLC.One of the largest health and social care providers in the UK, Care UK operates 90 community-based care homes, runs a range of primary care services including GP out of hours services ...

  • Comment

    Andrew Jones on conspiracy or cock-up

    2006-11-19T10:00:00Z

    'It could be kindly argued that, by general lack of enthusiasm, a third of the country is yet to churn out any meaningful health activity data, yet alone customise or dynamise it to specific local goals. Perhaps more telling is that two-thirds have yet to even put together a simple ...

  • Comment

    Dianne Leyland on the lack of clarity over local involvement networks

    2006-11-19T00:00:00Z

    Voluntary and community groups must be actively involved if LINks are to work. Yet the sectors' goodwill, undermined by the botched creation of patient forums, is eroding further.

  • News

    Government passion cools on £50m safe-sex drive

    2006-11-16T10:00:00Z

    The government appears to have abandoned its pledge to spend £50m on safe-sex campaigns.

  • News

    Healthier lives but ever-widening inequalities: what price progress?

    2006-11-16T10:00:00Z

    While London's spearhead primary care trusts look likely to meet their national targets on inequalities, there is a growing differential in specific disease areas and between geographical areas which threatens to undermine long-term advances. Daloni Carlisle reports

  • News

    Turnaround help for a third of acutes as deficits reach £1.2bn gross

    2006-11-16T10:00:00Z

    More than one-third of all acute trusts and a quarter of all primary care trusts are receiving turnaround support as it was revealed that deficits in the NHS are climbing again.

  • News

    New dental strategy for Northern Ireland

    2006-11-16T00:00:00Z

    Northern Ireland health minister Paul Goggins has unveiled a strategy to reform primary care dental services.The strategy includes a clearer focus on disease prevention, moves to ensure better access to services, local commissioning and a new remuneration system for dentists.Mr Goggins said that despite examples of good practice, the current ...