All Health Service Journal articles in 19 February 2009
View all stories from this issue.
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News
Scheme launched to reduce unnecessary ambulance call outs
From today ambulance services across England will be able to direct patients to GPs or other health services when they call 999 but do not need an ambulance.The scheme, called NHS Pathways, follows a two year trial in the North East.
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News
Capita acquires healthcare data firm CHKS
Outsourcing specialist Capita has bought healthcare information firm CHKS for £11.6m.
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News
PCTs urged to promote dental helplines
Primary care trusts must do more to promote telephone helplines for patients trying to find a dentist, the Citizen's Advice Bureau has said.
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News
DH to embark on sick leave push
The Department of Health is looking for organisations to take part in a pilot scheme aimed at getting people on sick leave back to work more quickly.
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Comment
Andrea Sutcliffe on embedding quality in the NHS
As other HSJ columnists have pointed out, the NHS operating framework for 2009-10, published by the Department of Health in December, sets out a challenging agenda for boards over the next year.
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News
NHS Confederation names new chief executive
Acting NHS Confederation chief executive Steve Barnett has been given the post permanently.The confederation has been searching for a new chief executive since last May when Gill Morgan left to become permanent secretary to the Welsh Assembly.
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News
Monitor takes fight for FT freedoms to the House of Lords
Monitor has launched a challenge to the government in Parliament to protect foundation trust freedoms and its role as their regulator.The regulator believes proposals in the Health Bill compromise foundation trusts' independence by requiring them to send quality accounts to the health secretary.
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News
NHS top-up rules set for rewrite as fear of litigation mounts
The government is expected to rewrite its guidance on implementing cancer czar Mike Richards' recommendations for top-up payments.Trusts have been observing the draft guidance since it was published in November.
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News
Emma Dent on reader feedback
Shocking as readers may find this, feedback from the audience is quite rare for most journalists.
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News
Dementia strategy: high hopes but who will pay?
The dementia strategy promises dedicated memory services in every town, but with only £150m over two years can primary care trusts afford the sophisticated teams this requires? Charlotte Santry reports
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Comment
Simon Stevens on NHS lessons from the circus
At a recent dinner I found myself sitting next to the worldwide chief operating officer of Cirque du Soleil.
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News
Michael White on the NHS cash crisis
Funny really. As the public mood darkens, the dog that should have loudly barked during Alan Johnson's monthly grilling by MPs, health question time in the Commons, was still conspicuous by its silence.
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News
Half of patients may not get lifesaving care
Differences in medical opinion mean some critically ill patients have just a 50 per cent chance of lifesaving emergency treatment, despite being likely to survive if they receive it.
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News
Unions confront Care Quality Commission over jobs
The Care Quality Commission is heading for clashes with unions before it has even launched.With just over a month until the commission absorbs the three health and social care watchdogs, around 300 staff are still in the dark about their fate.
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Leader
Brent PCT's story shows power of leadership
The extraordinary turnaround in the performance of Brent teaching primary care trust is a powerful example of how first class leadership transforms the NHS.
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News
'Remarkable' PCT beats crisis
The recovery of a primary care trust dogged by financial and performance failings has been dubbed 'remarkable'.Brent PCT was criticised for an 'arrogant and isolated' approach, 'serious failings' of corporate governance, 'very poor' financial oversight and creating a 'schism' between itself and its GPs, in a report published last year.
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HSJ KnowledgeA look at non-attendance at outpatient appointments
Last year in England, around 11 per cent of patients failed to attend an outpatient appointment. This equates to 5 million appointments a year. Non-attendance at outpatient appointments - known as did not attends (DNA) - has a significant impact on the NHS in terms of cost and increased waiting ...
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Comment
NHS still ageist after all these years
Despite various promises to the contrary, age discrimination is alive and well in the NHS. Directors from two older people’s charities hope new legislation will change this
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News
Ruth Carnall rejects Stalinist jibe after chiefs resign
An article in last week's HSJ following the resignation of two London trust chief executives gave 'false comfort' to 'people who seek to excuse poor performance rather than rise to the challenges', NHS London chief executive Ruth Carnall has said.
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Leader
Lords quality accounts fight may cause an unpleasant sensation
The latest scrap between Monitor and the Department of Health has just kicked off in the House of Lords.