Primary Care – Page 305

  • News

    Unions demand 'decent' pay increase

    2006-10-24T12:00:00Z

    The 14 unions that make up the NHS Staff Council staff side have blasted a 1.5 per cent pay rise the Department of Health is predicted to propose. In a joint press conference the unions outlined their case for a 'decent' pay rise based on ...

  • News

    Rise in NHS sight tests

    2006-10-24T12:00:00Z

    Two out of three sight tests are paid for by the NHS, compared to a decade ago when almost half of all sight tests were carried out privately. The total number of sight tests has increased by 5 per cent since 2003-04 with a small ...

  • News

    More long-term contraceptives being used

    2006-10-24T00:00:00Z

    One in five women are using long acting reversible contraception such as implants and the contraceptive jab, according to research by The Information Centre for health and social care. There has been a massive increase in the numbers of women using the intrauterine system and ...

  • News

    World Health Organisation makes flu vaccine warning

    2006-10-24T00:00:00Z

    Immediate and sustained action and funding is needed if the world is to be prepared for an influenza pandemic, the World Health Organisation has said. The organisation said stocks of influenza vaccines were several billion doses short and could lead to a public health crisis ...

  • News

    Homeless people lack health support

    2006-10-24T00:00:00Z

    Eight out of 10 homeless people do not know where to get health support to help with drug, alcohol or mental health problems, according to a homeless charity. Research carried out by Broadway on the impact its healthy living centre has on homeless and vulnerably ...

  • News

    Private finance guidance for trusts published

    2006-10-23T12:00:00Z

    New draft guidance which will help NHS trusts select, evaluate and appoint private sector bidders in private finance schemes has been published by the Department of Health.The guidance has been developed in conjunction with the Treasury, private sector contractors and managers of NHS organisations that have been through private finance ...

  • News

    Lord Warner welcomes millionth choose and book referral

    2006-10-23T12:00:00Z

    More than one million referrals to specialist care have been made through choose and book by GPs across England, health minister Lord Warner has announced.He said 85 per cent of all practices were using the IT system to make referrals, and more than 6,000 practices made referrals last week.Read the ...

  • News

    Primary care trusts told to save money for 2006-07 GP payments

    2006-10-23T12:00:00Z

    Primary care trust directors of finance should accrue funds during the financial year 2006-07 to enable them to pay GPs in the first quarter of 2007-08.The guidance is published in a series of letters to trusts and GPs about this year's GP Patient Survey.Read the letters ...

  • News

    NHS could save £2.2bn by tackling inefficiency

    2006-10-23T12:00:00Z

    The NHS could save up to £2.2bn if trusts take steps to address wide variations in productivity and efficiency.The Department of Health has published its Better care, better valueindicators, which show trust-by-trust performance against a range of measures.Reducing unnecessary admissions could unlock £348m, and ...

  • News

    New head of policy at ASH

    2006-10-20T12:00:00Z

    Asthma UK policy and campaigns director Martin Dockrell has been appointed as the new head of policy at pressure group Action on Smoking and Health. Mr Dockrell was an AIDS activist in the 1980s and 1990s. For the last five years he has worked closely ...

  • News

    Improving outcomes for wheelchair users

    2006-10-20T12:00:00Z

    Out and About: wheelchairs as part of a whole systems approach to independencehas been published by the Department of Health. The document provides a view of the current state of wheelchair provision and makes recommendations on how the NHS working with partners can improve outcomes ...

  • News

    Response to NHS charges report

    2006-10-20T12:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has published its response to July's Commons health select committee report on NHS charging. The response covers charges levied on patients and families for prescription dental charges, sight tests, additional charges for some clinical services, assistance with transport costs and charges ...

  • News

    Dr Natalie-Jane Macdonald on GPs and commissioning

    2006-10-19T00:00:00Z

    'Strategic health authorities and GPs must represent the best interests of the citizen and patient... However, they face some pretty daunting challenges'

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Andrew Jones on financial influence

    2006-10-19T00:00:00Z

    'Providers under fire are likely to react to fill up their capacity and treat more invasively. This will mean more operations and more investigations.'

  • News

    'Unbundling' options promised soon

    2006-10-19T00:00:00Z

    Ministers are to review financial incentives to encourage the NHS to rehabilitate older people in the community, rather than acute settings.

  • News

    DoH pledges support teams

    2006-10-19T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health is to create a national support team to help primary care trusts and local authorities tackle public health.

  • News

    South West chief execs move in

    2006-10-19T00:00:00Z

    As senior appointments for the newly reconfigured PCTs continue to take shape, HSJbrings you the latest recruits in the South West

  • News

    Commission says sorry for PCT score mistakes

    2006-10-19T00:00:00Z

    The Healthcare Commission has apologised for sending 62 primary care trusts the wrong ratings last week. The commission was alerted to the errors by PCTs, which were given their individual scores on Tuesday, ahead of the official launch of figures for all of England on Thursday.

  • HSJ Knowledge

    'A win-win for both patient and budget'

    2006-10-19T00:00:00Z

    Finance - Claremont Medical Practice in Exmouth, East Devon

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Sharing management between hospital and community

    2006-10-19T00:00:00Z

    Glaucoma treatment: Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals foundation trust