Health Service Journal
5 March 2009
View all stories from this issue.
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BME mental health: patchwork picture says volumes
Censuses of mental health inpatients confirm disproportionate numbers from black and ethnic minority groups. Ignoring the causes of this discrepancy does them a disservice -
Capita: Choices and CHKS are route into NHS
Capita plans to use its NHS Choices contract, and newly acquired healthcare information firm CHKS, to help it sell patient experience services to the rest of the NHS. -
Chair named for south east London super-trust
A chair has been appointed to the proposed merged hospital trust in south east London. -
Chris Ham slams anti-competition guidance
Agreements between hospitals over the provision of specialist services could be seen as a criminal breach of competition rules. -
DH consults on speeding up drug decisions
Health minister Lord Darzi has launched a consultation designed to speed up access to new drugs and reduce variation between primary care trust areas. -
Donaldson's alcohol proposal deserves attention, say economists
The chief medical officer’s proposals for a minimum price of 50p per unit of alcohol “merit some serious consideration,” the Institute for Fiscal Studies says. -
Emergency planning: could you deliver in a disaster?
A hospital that once dealt with the aftermath of a plane crash has emergency planning down to a science. Stuart Shepherd reports -
Emma Dent on eating for two
'Pregnancy puts surprisingly little demand on your calorie intake, with the average woman needing no extra calories during the first six months, and only 200 more a day for the last three - the equivalent of just half a ham sandwich.' -
Flaws exposed in NHS winter planning
The NHS must improve the way it deals with the increased demand for hospital care in winter months, director general of NHS finance, performance and operations David Flory has said.Mr Flory said in the quarterly update on performance that he was 'disappointed' that the NHS as a whole had missed its target to see 98 per cent of patients in accident and emergency departments within four hours. -
For the highest calibre NHS leaders, this is your chance to shine
As HSJ's exclusive world class commissioning league table reveals this week, most primary care trusts have emerged from the first round of world class commissioning with good foundations in place. -
FT chief resigns ahead of watchdog report
A foundation trust is facing a “crisis of public confidence” after its chief executive and chair resigned ahead of a Healthcare Commission report.Monitor has stepped in to appoint replacements at Mid Staffordshire foundation trust, which gained foundation status on 1 February last year. -
Healthcare 100: the best places to work revealed
The HSJ and Nursing Times Healthcare 100 has revealed the best overall healthcare employer in the UK to be Kent independent provider Benenden Hospital trust. -
Is your employer in the Healthcare 100 club?
Do you work for one of the best health employers in the country? -
Jason Warner on improving learning disabilities services
There is evidence that many people with a learning disability are more susceptible to poorer health than the rest of the UK population. -
Jenny Rogers on NHS whistleblowing dilemmas
When talk turns to whistleblowing in the public sector, and how organisations can make it easier for the whistle to be heard, the solution usually suggested is a whistleblowing policy. -
Maidstone trust drops closure plans
A trust has abandoned plans to centralise emergency trauma and orthopaedic work – despite having the support of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel and the health secretary. -
Margaret Edwards leaves Yorkshire and the Humber SHA
Margaret Edwards, the chief executive of Yorkshire and the Humber strategic health authority, is leaving her post, HSJ can reveal.Ms Edwards became chief executive of the SHA when it was formed in 2006. -
Mark Britnell confirms DH is still mulling over PCT freedoms
The range of perks that will eventually be on offer to the best performing commissioners is still being hammered out by the Department of Health and the Treasury. -
Media Watch: NHS free lunch
The truth is out: working in the NHS is one long, free lunch. -
Michael White on contaminated blood
It never ceases to amaze me how society attaches different value to different lives. -
Mike Cooke on health research and innovation
The health research and innovation field is complex but exciting. It needs to be joined up much more in future to make research and researchers more 'service facing' and also to make the NHS more receptive to translating research and innovation into clinical practice. -
Monitor picks chief executive for Mid Staffordshire
Monitor has picked an interim chief executive for Mid Staffordshire foundation trust. -
Monitor withdraws quality accounts challenge
Foundation trusts will have to send quality accounts to the government, health minister Lord Darzi has insisted. -
NHS chiefs forced to defend Agenda for Change
MPs have attacked health chiefs for failing to ensure Agenda for Change delivered promised gains in staff productivity. -
NHS is a 'brutal' place for its leaders
The NHS is a “brutal” and “arbitrary” system in which to be a chief executive, according to leaders interviewed by the NHS Confederation.Its report, Reforming Leadership Development… Again, examines whythis area is reformed so often. Health minister Lord Darzi’s leadership proposals in his next stage review are the fourth reorganisation of leadership development in 10 years. -
NHS told to learn from 'exemplary' military healthcare
NHS accident and emergency services should take lessons from the 'exemplary' care provided to injured troops on the front line, the Healthcare Commission has urged.A Healthcare Commission report published today praises field hospitals for reaching casualties quickly, ensuring staff receive excellent training and using innovative approaches to treatment. -
North West clocks up highest green scores
The best performance on commissioning was in the North West. -
Personal health budgets: the patient is always right
Will individual health budgets help patients get the best care or leave the NHS struggling with increased costs and new ethical dilemmas? Kaye McIntosh reports -
Practice based commissioning drive begins in Brent
The first project in a new government funded drive to improve practice based commissioning has been launched in Brent. -
Rise in women hit by mental illness
The Department of Health wants primary care trusts to improve access to psychological therapies for people suffering from common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. -
Scotland to outlaw sale of alcohol to under 21s
The Scottish government today published its alcohol action strategy, which could see some areas ban the sale of alcohol to under 21s. -
Scottish bill to ban private GP provision
Health policy in Scotland has moved further from English policy with a bill that will prevent private companies from running GP services. -
Services missed opportunities to prevent killings
A mental health patient who killed four people was let down by systemic failures, professional errors and a lack of resources, an investigation has found. -
SHA chief Margaret Edwards to lead productivity unit
Margaret Edwards, the chief executive of Yorkshire and the Humber strategic health authority, has left to head up a new national NHS productivity unit.She has agreed to lead the unit, set up by NHS chief executive David Nicholson and based in NHS London, and will start as national director of productivity and efficiency once she returns from a short break of a week or two. -
Sir Michael Rawlins reappointed NICE chair
Sir Michael Rawlins has been reappointed as chair of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence after a special exemption to allow him to extend his tenure. -
Stephen Eames on the new NHS leadership
I recently read some research comparing performance between NHS hospitals and UK private sector hospitals and industrial companies. -
Super-trust bidders aim for London lead
London’s would-be “super-trusts” claim it would be disastrous for the capital’s international research standing if any of them were not accredited. -
Talk to me: PCTs hone their haggling skills
World class commissioning demands new skills of primary care trusts – not least managing the market to get the highest quality and best value care for patients. Helen Crump finds out how they are coping -
Team coaching: strategy for success
With little sense of purpose, one team was struggling to get anything done. Coach Sheila Williams explains how she helped -
The Clinical Leaders Network: delivering better care
Dr Amir Hannan talks about how the Clinical Leaders Network has helped him deliver a new clinical assessment and treatment service in Greater Manchester -
Treasury PFI scheme could be funded by NHS underspends
NHS capital underspends could be clawed back by the Treasury to fund its plans to lend money to stalled private finance initiative schemes, HSJ has been told. -
Triple red rated PCT outlines its transformation plans
The chief executive of one of the poorest performers in this year’s world class commissioning process has promised his primary care trust will be “a different organisation” by next year. -
Trust by trust patient safety information published for first time
The National Patient Safety Agency is to begin publishing patient safety incident reports from all hospital trusts in England and Wales today. -
Wales announces hospital improvements
Welsh health minister Edwina Hart has announced capital funding for a list of new hospital equipment and building improvements. -
World class commissioning league table: PCTs exceed expectations in year one
Primary care trusts have made a solid start on world class commissioning and 27 have led the way with green lights for strategy, board governance and finance.
