All articles by Steve Ford – Page 23
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NewsNHS uniform rethink
The Department of Health has amended its guidance on NHS uniforms and workwear to address concerns that Muslim clinicians and students were facing discrimination because of universal policies requiring them to dress “bare below the elbows”.
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CommentMedia Watch: budget cut déjà vu
HSJ readers may have been forgiven for getting a sense of déjà vu when reading the national press this week. The Daily Telegraph front page on Saturday warned its readers to expect “Hospital wards to shut in secret NHS cuts”.
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News‘Aggressive’ PCTs provoke legal threat
The National Association of Primary Care is considering legal action against primary care trusts taking an aggressive stance when renegotiating personal medical services contracts to make savings.
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NewsRoyal College of Physicians elects president
Sir Richard Thompson has been elected president of the Royal College of Physicians.
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NewsSix PCTs allowed to keep status quo on structure
Six primary care trusts have been given approval in principle by the government to continue as direct provider organisations.
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NewsPCTs 'too passive on commissioning'
Primary care trusts are “too passive and lack the clinical knowledge” to commission services effectively, according to a damning report from MPs.
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NewsRoyal College of GPs elects first female chair in 50 years
The Royal College of GPs has elected its first female chair in 50 years.
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NewsLambeth and Southwark provider arms to integrate with Guy's and St Thomas’
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation Trust is to take over the running of community services in Lambeth and Southwark.
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CommentMedia Watch: CQC registration and the staff survey
Obama and Jade Goody topped the pre-Budget headlines this week, but last week ended with two stories of interest to NHS managers: the first trusts to register with the Care Quality Commission and the NHS staff survey.
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NewsSpecialised commissioning advisory body to be created
A national advisory body is to be created for commissioning specialised services and treatments for extremely rare conditions.
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NewsCambridgeshire PCT provider arm to become first 'community NHS trust'
The provider arm of Cambridgeshire primary care trust is to become the country’s first community NHS trust on its journey towards foundation status.
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NewsRCGP sets out post election wish list
The Royal College of GPs has called for longer consultation times and longer GP training in a manifesto targeted at whichever party wins the election.
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NewsSHAs pressurising PCTs into vertical integration
Primary care trusts in at least four regions are under pressure from their strategic health authorities to vertically integrate their provider arms with acute or mental health trusts, HSJ has learned.
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NewsWorld class commissioning scores to top charts
The Department of Health is expecting the best primary care trusts to receive the highest score available under world class commissioning this year for the first time.
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NewsDH advocacy of integration ‘not credible’
The Department of Health is rarely a “credible advocate” for the integration of health and social care services because its policies are often contradictory, say senior NHS managers with dual local authority roles.
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NewsDH action needed to fill gaps in NHS data
Filling huge gaps in primary care data is vital if commissioning is to become more effective, public health experts have warned.
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NewsChief exec swaps Norfolk for Channel Islands
The chief executive of NHS Norfolk has announced she is to step down in order to take up a post in the Channel Islands.
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NewsResearch points to huge out of hours spending variations
The Patients Association has criticised primary care trusts over significant variations in out of hours spending.
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NewsNHS Manchester tables complex community restructuring plan
Community services in Manchester look set to be split up and integrated among a wide range of providers under a complex set of proposals.
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CommentMedia Watch: CQC ratings fiddles
They say variety is the spice of life, and it was certainly true that there was an assortment of health stories in the media this week.