Health Service Journal
24 June 2010
View all stories from this issue.
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‘HCAs can help boost satisfaction ratings’ claim
A three-year study into the role of healthcare assistants funded by the Department of Health suggests their strong connection to patients can help trusts improve satisfaction ratings. -
Andrew Lansley challenges a decade of NHS spending
Health secretary Andrew Lansley assures HSJ editor Alastair McLellan that funding is still to rise annually - but the scale and rationale for any increases will differ vastly from recent years -
Book Review: Obliquity
Complex goals can be reached by some roundabout routes, says Phil Swann -
Cally Bann: 'Remember it’s not over until the fat vuvuzela’s blown'
Yes, I want to win the bid to run the community health services. I know there are a few more stages to go. And I know we looked good on paper, and thought that we’d taken our best team to the pitch. And yes, I know the one about the best-laid plans of mice and men. -
Changes at trust after patient records lost
Security measures have been tightened at a hospital trust after the physiotherapy records of 2,000 patients were lost or destroyed. -
Conservatives warming to vertical integration, says Nuffield director
The Conservatives are warming towards the vertical integration of community services, the director of the Nuffield Trust has told a meeting at the NHS Confederation annual conference in Liverpool. -
Consultant loses £1m Barts damages claim
A consultant anaesthetist who claims his back was injured after he was knocked unconscious by a theatre light during an operation has lost his £1m High Court damages claim. -
County wide leadership role for Essex chief exec
NHS South West Essex chief executive Pam Court is to lead a county wide programme of service transformation, including preparing for GP commissioning and reducing management costs. -
CQC review uncovers nursing failures and poor staff supervision
Nursing failures and poor staff supervision were discovered at a mental health unit after an investigation into the deaths of six elderly patients, the Care Quality Commission has said. -
CT technology for acute cardiac care will make an entrance at Healthcare Innovation EXPO
The second Healthcare Innovation Expo will be an opportunity for cardiologists and radiologists to see what the Aquilion ONE dynamic volume CT scanner is already delivering with its CT cardio-angiogram. -
DH raises cost-cuts target by a third
The Department of Health has increased the size of the reduction in NHS management costs by March 2012 by more than a third. -
Easton: 'QIPP and Lansley reform are the same thing'
The government’s NHS reforms must be seen as part of the process of saving £20bn, the NHS quality and productivity tsar has said. -
Essential items for your NHS recession survival kit
The lean thinking needed during hard economic times is an eye opener for better management, says Phil Kenmore -
Flood hit Cumbrian town seeks new community hospital
NHS Cumbria has submitted a planning application for a community hospital in Cockermouth. -
FT pioneers lifestyle intervention for acute patients
A foundation trust has begun a service targeting the lifestyle of its patients while they are in hospital, which it hopes will result in future financial benefits. -
FTs urged to use governors on incident inquiry panels
Patient safety can ‘benefit’ when governors sit on serious incident inquiry panels, according to non-executive director at the country’s first mental health foundation trust. -
Future NHS accountability unclear, warns think tank
The head of the King’s Fund Chris Ham has told delegates at the NHS Confederation annual conference that a test of health secretary Andrew Lansley’s commitment to taking the politics out of the NHS could come as the first big crisis. -
Government must heed restructuring lessons, says Confed
The government should be “held accountable” for the results of its plans to restructure the health service, the NHS Confederation has said. -
GPhC appoints communications chief
Hugh Simpson has been appointed as the new director of policy and communications at the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). -
Healthcare Innovation EXPO to showcase the latest technology to help you and your patients
The second Healthcare Innovation EXPO will be showcasing the latest mobile health and social care solutions for community-based healthcare teams. -
Healthcare Innovations EXPO will showcase cardiac biochip technology
The second Healthcare Innovations EXPO will feature the latest technology and scientific developments that can help change the outcomes for tens of thousands of people presenting at hospitals across the country with chest pain and suspected heart attack. -
HealthVault launch highlights IT policy vacuum
Microsoft today launched its personal health information product HealthVault in the UK, highlighting the lack of clarity about the government’s NHS IT policy. -
HSJ Awards 2010: Quality and Productivity
Take a look at last year’s winners to help you put together a winning entry -
HSJ Awards 2010: Workforce Development
Take a look at last year’s winners to help you put together a winning entry -
HSJ survey: How closely do you work with local government?
In light of the new government’s commitment to closer collaboration between NHS organisations and councils, HSJ and our sister title Local Government Chronicle would like to find out how much joint working there is at present. -
HSJ wins top industry award
HSJ has won the most prestigious award in the publishing industry: business media brand of the year, recognising its excellence across its publishing, digital and events activities. -
Jon Restell on NHS executive pay
Good employment practice does not make good politics in the bear-pit arena of public sector executive pay, fashioned in the recession, the expenses scandal and “fisca-geddon”. -
Lansley halts maternity unit closure
Plans to close a maternity unit in the North West have been put on hold by the health secretary. -
Lansley must keep information flowing while NHS targets ebb away
Andrew Lansley’s keynote speech at this week’s NHS Confederation conference could be the largest audience of health service managers he will ever address as health secretary. -
Lansley promises clear accountability rules
Health secretary Andrew Lansley will set out a clear framework of accountability for his reformed NHS, he told the NHS Confederation conference today. -
Lansley tells Confed: NHS needs strong management
The health secretary has told the NHS Confederation conference the NHS needs “strong management” and his reforms will be “exciting” for good managers and leaders. -
Leeds NHS trust 'may cut 300 jobs'
Bosses at an NHS mental health trust plan to save £11.4m by cutting 300 jobs over the next three years, the Yorkshire Post has reported. -
Locum efficiency drive could save £6m, says report
Scottish hospitals could save £6 million a year if they used locum doctors more efficiently, a public spending watchdog has said. -
Lord Hutton to lead NHS pension probe
NHS pensions are to be scrutinised by an independent commission formed to address the “growing disparity” between provision in the public and private sectors. -
Managers must not underestimate effect of EU law
NHS managers should not underestimate the effect EU law could have on the supply and organisation of their services, a NHS Confederation session was told. -
Managers need to be 'open' with staff about redundancy risk
NHS managers must be honest with staff about the possibility of redundancies when they talk to them about the need to improve productivity, workforce experts have told delegates. -
Managing stress in the NHS – the legal perspective
It is normal to feel some degree of stress at work and employers can avoid compensation claims by giving reasonable support, says Andrew Craggs -
Media Watch: public sector pensions
In the build-up to Tuesday’s Budget, it was open season on public sector pensions. -
Membership model failure has made Confed 'stronger', says chair
The NHS Confederation has emerged from the failure of the NHS Employers’ membership scheme a stronger organisation, according to its chair Sir Keith Pearson. -
Mental health innovation: how to drive quality from pilot to practice
Mental health services are providing the NHS with clear examples of quality and productivity projects that have significant outcomes, says Andy McKeon -
Michael White on hospital reconfigurations
“Oh joy, oh bliss. Now we will get some answers,” I told myself as we were waiting for George Osborne’s emergency cuts budget - (we are still waiting for details of Andrew Lansley’s Brave New NHS World). -
Middle managers biggest losers in training squeeze
Operational managers will be the biggest NHS losers as the spending squeeze shrinks career development funds, according to a survey shared exclusively with HSJ. -
MSPs back Parkinson's care changes
Members of Scottish parliament have agreed to take action to ensure people with Parkinson’s disease are given their medication on time when they are admitted to hospital. -
New ways of providing better cancer and end of life care at home
The second Healthcare Innovation EXPO will shine a light on the savings that can be made by providing chemotherapy at home and home-based end of life care. -
NHS medical director says GPs will need more scrutiny
The NHS medical director has acknowledged new methods need to be found to scrutinise GP performance and hold them accountable. -
NHS patient data security 'concerning'
Data security measures currently in place at NHS trusts and other medical facilities are a “concern”, according to the Information Commissioner’s Office. -
NHS staff seek justice over parking
A solicitor representing doctors and nurses at Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare Trust is challenging a ban on staff using an on-site car park between 7.30am and 8pm. -
NHS Surrey attracts Hertfordshire chief exec
NHS Surrey has appointed Anne Walker as its new chief executive. -
NICE calls to slash transfat levels
Small changes to people’s diets that make them more healthy could prevent tens of thousands of deaths each year from heart disease and stroke, experts have claimed. -
Obama’s ‘chief mobiliser’ working with NHS
The man behind Barack Obama’s presidential election campaign is working with the NHS Institute on a campaign to engage frontline staff on improving productivity. -
Operating framework: management costs to be slashed by £220m this year
The government has published its revised NHS operating framework, setting tough goals for reducing management costs and removing key performance targets. -
Patient safety programme hailed
A patient safety programme has played a major role in helping reduce the number of unexpected hospital deaths, health secretary Nicola Sturgeon has said. -
PCT to downgrade A&E despite Lansley policy
The first major reconfiguration decision since the general election was taken last week, with NHS Nottinghamshire County deciding to downgrade an accident and emergency department. -
PCTs to 'road test' direct payments to patients
Primary care trusts in London and Liverpool will be among the first to “road test” direct payments for personal health budgets, care services minister Paul Burstow announced today. -
PCTs will be able to 'park' provider arms
Primary care trusts will be allowed to “park” their provider arms with other NHS organisations in order to meet the deadlines for transforming community services, under the revised operating framework. -
Pool NHS and social care budgets, says Confed acting chief exec
Pooled health and social care budgets should be considered in order to help get through the public sector spending squeeze, NHS Confederation acting chief executive Nigel Edwards has said. -
Pressure eases on 18-weeks referral
Performance management of the 18 weeks referral-to-treatment and primary care access targets will stop immediately, the revised operating framework states. -
Productivity gains unlikely without clinician 'buy in' and better information
Improving information quality and getting clinicians “on board” are crucial if the NHS is to improve its productivity, a management consultant has warned. -
Public pay and pensions squeeze 'fair'
Prime minister David Cameron has said that it was “fair” that public sector workers should face a pay and pensions squeeze in this week’s emergency Budget. -
Quality advisers say all NHS information should go online
Nearly all information for the NHS would be published online after being collected by a single national body, under proposals being considered by the government. -
Remote patient management takes centre stage at Healthcare Innovation EXPO
The second Healthcare Innovation Expo will feature the latest solutions and systems that are helping healthcare professionals around the world provide better quality care at home for patients with chronic diseases and to help those patients improve the self management of their condition. -
Robot hospital workers testing under way
A fleet of robots is to carry out day-to-day tasks at an NHS hospital, it has been revealed. -
Sheila Williams on coping with change in the NHS
Change is a constant, whether we want it or not. So when change arrives on our doorstep, as it most certainly is about to do, we need to bring all our emotional intelligence to bear on the situation, so we can adjust and help others to adjust accordingly. -
Sir Hugh Taylor resigns from DH
Department of Health permanent secretary Sir Hugh Taylor has told colleagues he is leaving the department to take up the role of chair of Guy’s and St Thomas’s Foundation Trust. -
Sir Michael Marmot 'nervous' about health equalities implications of budget
Sir Michael Marmot, author of the “Fair Society, Healthy Lives” report published earlier this year, has told a plenary session of the NHS Confederation conference that the changes to the benefits system made him “nervous about the redistribution” of wealth, and the effects that would have on health. -
SW Essex community services to integrate with FT
The provider arm of NHS South West Essex is to be vertically integrated with North East London Foundation Trust, under the transforming community services programme. -
Take a bow as HSJ scoops awards glory
Last week, HSJ was named Media Brand of the Year in the Periodical Publishing Association awards. -
Tell boards 'patient stories' to keep safety on agenda
Getting boards to listen to “patient stories” about safety breakdowns can be a powerful tool for engagement, according to a manager who is pioneering the approach at her hospital. -
The journey to the job of NHS chief executive
Research among chief executives pinned down the aspirations as well as the accomplishments that lead to the top, say Linda Barber and Carol Pickering -
The latest remote patient care solutions to be on show at Innovation EXPO
Tunstall Healthcare, one of the world’s leading providers of telehealthcare solutions, will be amongst the 200 exhibitors taking part in the second Healthcare Innovations EXPO. -
The patient will see you now: rebalancing relationships in the NHS
We know the consequences of a care system that treats communities as units of need and leaves passive patients waiting to be told what to do. It is inefficient and ineffective. It is also unsafe and leaves whole communities with poor access. It is time for a radical rethink of how we design and deliver services. -
Total Place could improve health and social care integration - Confed
Integrating health and social care services at “neighbourhood” level could deliver tailored care, reducing deprivation and improving value for money, the NHS Confederation says. -
Tougher version of CQC annual health check scrapped
A tougher version of the annual health check that would have branded struggling trusts “poor” has been scrapped in light of the change of government and revised operating framework. -
Trusts should be ‘thinking big’ in their savings plans
Organisations making cash-releasing savings must embrace large scale change and “think big”, a myth-busting report by the NHS Confederation warns. -
Union leader calls for action to fight cuts
A senior union leader has called for an emergency meeting of the TUC to plan a campaign of industrial and political action against expected cuts in the pay and pensions of public sector workers. -
Why the NHS should devote 5 per cent of its budget to public health
It may seem crazy talk, but the NHS should devote 5 per cent of its budget to public health. We can’t afford not to, says John Middleton
