All Health Service Journal articles in 20 August 2009
View all stories from this issue.
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HSJ KnowledgeExtreme operations: a day in the life of NHS staff serving in Afghanistan
Fantastic facilities, intensively trained staff and copious quantities of blood are all in a day’s work for NHS staff serving in Afghanistan. And the health service could gain more from their new skills. Nick Golding reports
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NewsC diff and MRSA deaths up in Wales
The number of death certificates mentioning either MRSA or C difficile as a factor contributing to cause of death rose in Wales but fell in England last year.
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NewsNHS management stars need a leg-up to rise to the top
There is no shortage of ambitious senior managers in the NHS, so why is it so difficult to fill top posts? Charlotte Santry studied regional talent and leadership plans for clues
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HSJ KnowledgeHow to support NHS staff through retirement
Preparing employees for their retirement is good practice – and so is recognising that some staff will offer a valuable resource after they have retired, reports Stuart Shepherd
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CommentMichael White on US healthcare and NHS politics
Oh dear. Turn your back on the politicians for a few days’ holiday and when you get back they’re engaged in all-too-familiar pre-election skirmishing about the NHS being safe in our hands - but not in the other lot’s.
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LeaderToo many NHS staff in sickness and in health
The NHS is doing too little to address the annual loss of 10.3 million working days through sickness.
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CommentDon Redding on patient experience
We demand other industries deliver standards that all customers recognise, and so we should also insist on patient experience benchmarking across the NHS
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NewsPCTs decide on swine flu vaccine priority
Primary care trusts have been left to decide which frontline staff they should immunise against swine flu first, risking local variation and dispute.
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CommentDarzi's old fashioned defence of the NHS
This week turned into a free for all when it came to writing about the NHS - pretty much anyone who’s ever come into contact with it (i.e. everyone)and can string a sentence together can join in.
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NewsCQC names high death-rate NHS trusts
NHS trusts with unusually high death rates that have sparked alerts have been revealed today for the first time in a move aimed at promoting accountability and patient safety.
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LeaderHigh death rates or just more data headaches: it’s no contest
The health service has taken a brave step on the quality road this week with the publication of the names of trusts over the last two years where unusually high death rates triggered alerts with the regulator.
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CommentSheila Williams on cognitive dissonance
Why do many people continue to smoke, even though research shows they are shortening their own lives? Smokers might say “well, I’ve tried to quit so many times and it’s just too hard”, or “it keeps me calm and stress free and besides, I really enjoy it”. Welcome to the ...
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NewsClinical coding improves but third of trusts still overcharging
Hospital trusts have improved their clinical coding, but a third are still overcharging commissioners by as much as 6 per cent, the latest audit results show.
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NewsNHS chiefs told saving planet will save them money
NHS managers have been told to “set an example” by tackling climate change - and save their organisations money at the same time.
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CommentNoel Plumridge on NHS cash in a cold climate
£15bn - the “efficiency savings” the NHS is being asked to make over the coming three year cycle - is an unimaginably huge sum of money.
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NewsDavid Colin-Thomé leads review of NHS urgent care policy
A national expert group is reviewing policy on urgent and emergency care for the Department of Health in response to the next stage review, the Mid Staffordshire foundation trust scandal and spiralling demand.
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NewsFoundation trust pipeline is not blocked, insists DH
The Department of Health has denied claims the foundation trust pipeline is “on hold” despite a significant slowing of authorisations. Last year, there were 25 authorisations between January and August; this year there have been 10.
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CommentCally Bann on winter pressures
Good news: we’ve just managed to close the winter pressure beds. Even better: the summer theatre closure programme has kicked in.
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NewsChief resigns from £1.8m deficit hospital
The chief executive of a foundation trust in the South West has resigned. Dorset County Hospital foundation trust said Jan Bergman had “decided to retire early to pursue a career outside the NHS”.
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NewsRaising NHS staff wellbeing can ‘save trusts millions’
Trusts could save millions of pounds while improving patient outcomes through “simple” measures to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees, a major study has found.