Service design – Page 166

  • News

    NHS staff risk losing pay and pensions, says union

    2007-04-20T00:00:00Z

    Tens of thousands of NHS staff could lose out on pay and pensions if they are transferred to privately-run social enterprises, Amicus has warned.A report from the union said social enterprises are outside the NHS and Agenda for Change pay conditions would not necessarily apply.Read the report here

  • Comment

    It's up to executive teams to champion productive wards

    2007-04-19T00:00:56Z

    Do ward staff need the encouragement and support of their executive team to get on and make changes to improve everyday processes?

  • News

    BMA recommends GPs get PBC guarantees from primary care trusts

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    Advice to GPs to demand assurances in writing from primary care trusts over possible savings from practice-based commissioning could see doctors and PCT managers reach an impasse.

  • News

    Move a fifth of surgery to specialists, says Darzi

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    A fifth of all planned surgery should be concentrated at specialist hospitals, according to a report by Professor Sir Ara Darzi, the national adviser on surgery.

  • News

    New consultant contract 'not value for money'

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    The new hospital consultant contract is not delivering expected value for money, according to a National Audit Office report.

  • News

    NHS University: 'embarrassing' failure to deliver value for money, says government review

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    The NHS University, the internal training and education body which cost £72m and was scrapped after less than two years, delivered 'too little too late', according to a scathing report that the government tried to suppress.

  • News

    Top-level shake-up continues at DoH

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    The reorganisation of top-level management in the Department of Health is to be continued following the departure of Bill McCarthy, its director of policy and strategy.

  • News

    MPs urgently demand a new IT strategy

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    A Commons scrutiny committee has said 'urgent' action is needed to rescue the national IT programme.

  • News

    RCN will back closures - as long as patients benefit

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    The Royal College of Nursing will give its support to hospital closures but only if they are in the best interests of patient care, its new general secretary has said.

  • News

    NHS Employers call for revamp of overseas staff rules

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    All healthcare occupations should be wiped off a list of roles the Home Office says can be filled quickly by people from overseas, according to NHS Employers.

  • News

    Error data shows concern over coding

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    Comparative analysis of patient safety using a set of US indicators has heightened concerns about the quality of NHS trust coding, according to a Dr Foster Intelligence study.

  • News

    How crude tariffs are getting under the skin of specialists

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    Dermatologists and rheumatologists have claimed their specialties are under threat of bankruptcy and patient care at risk as the payment by results tariffs do not cover costs. Is a move into community care services really a better option, asks Daloni Carlisle

  • Comment

    Time to draw a line under Granger era

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    The national programme for IT is reeling from its most damning verdict yet - this week's report from the Commons public accounts committee that condemns uncertainty over the schedule of implementation and value for money (see news, page 9).

  • Comment

    Emma Dent

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    'Are managers walking round with clipboards counting smiles and small talk exchanges?'

  • News

    Cancer charity warning over HRT link

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    Cancer Research UK has highlighted a study published in the Lancet that has found women who take hormone replacement therapy are more likely to be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and to die of the disease.Results from the Million Women Study, the biggest of its kind in the world, show that ...

  • News

    Abortion research leads to call for better education

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    New research conducted by Southampton University shows that because of myths about what having an abortion is like, women can be too frightened to seek counselling or treatment earlier.Many do not know where to get impartial information about unintended pregnancy or abortion. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service is calling for ...

  • News

    NAO says consultants' contract is poor value

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    Under the new NHS consultants' contract, consultants in England are earning on average 25 per cent more than three years ago but are working the same number of hours or less states the report from the National Audit Office.The report on the contract found that while it has the potential ...

  • News

    Doctor's union responds to regulatory fees announcement

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    The British Medical Association has responded to the Healthcare Commission's announcement to reduce its registration fees for independent doctors.The proposed reduction in the yearly registration fee is from £2,240 to £1,335.Read the response here

  • News

    Diagnostic test waiting times released by DoH

    2007-04-19T00:00:00Z

    Diagnostics waiting times and activity data for February and the census of all diagnostic tests up to December 31 2006 have been published by the Department of Health.The data shows progress in tackling waiting times for tests such as scans. The monthly data gives the waiting times for 15 key ...

  • HSJ Knowledge

    David Amos on grievances

    2007-04-16T10:10:13Z

    Groups of professionals find it remarkably difficult to talk about anything other than the day job. A cluster of doctors will swap stories - in confidence of course - about interesting and demanding patients.