http://www.hsj.co.uk http://www.hsj.co.uk http://www.hsj.co.uk/magazine/graphics/logo.png http://www.hsj.co.uk http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/reforming-the-funding-of-long-term-care-in-the-us/5059977.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/reforming-the-funding-of-long-term-care-in-the-us/5059977.blog The US is not that different from Europe in the funding of long term care but urgent reform is needed. costafon@hsph.harvard.edu (Joan-Costa Font) Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:01 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/man-of-steel/5059997.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/man-of-steel/5059997.blog Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope – somewhat surprisingly, it’s Phil Morley, chief executive of Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust.It’s fair to say Mr Morley threw himself headlong into the organisation’s Workout at Work day by appearing in a short film made especially for the event.The video, which was supposed to be for employees’ eyes only but later surfaced on YouTube, begins with an interesting insight into the l Tue, 18 Jun 2013 14:19 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/can-clinicians-make-good-managers/5059978.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/can-clinicians-make-good-managers/5059978.blog In the new NHS, having the necessary management skills is more relevant than your professional background Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:34 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/implementing-localism/5059818.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/implementing-localism/5059818.blog A particularly bold and probing parliamentary question has caught End Game’s eye.Dominic Raab, Tory MP for Surrey’s Esher and Walton ward, exhibiting his finest scrutiny skills, queried of health minister Norman Lamb last Tuesday: “What progress his department has made on implementing local commissioning of NHS services?”Mr Lamb – ignoring what may be something of a national/local contradiction in the question itself – duly explained that 211 clinical commissioning groups had be Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:39 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/all-fall-down/5059866.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/all-fall-down/5059866.blog Heartiest End Game congratulations go to Greater Manchester Commissioning Support Unit, whose stand was named best in the exhibition at the Commissioning Show.One of the best things about the GM CSU’s stand was a game of giant Jenga. The bricks were marked with corporate branding and descriptions of their various service lines, which neatly offset the added excitement of the game being bigger than normal.End Game agreed not to be snarky about it, which means we are not allowed m Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:24 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/open-sesame/5059845.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/open-sesame/5059845.blog Among the few perks of being a hack is being able to stumble into various events, often late and smelling of last night’s indulgences, mumbling the word “press” and watching the doors magically open.We’re like modern day Ali Babas, but without the cave full of treasure.But the old “open sesame” trick wasn’t working at the Commissioning Show this week as End Game found itself stuck outside a talk by NHS England bigwig Tim Kelsey with the rest of the disgruntled hoi polloi. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:29 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/are-the-best-leaders-the-special-ones/5059639.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/are-the-best-leaders-the-special-ones/5059639.blog How do you convince staff to do things “your way”? Tue, 11 Jun 2013 11:01 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/an-ear-to-the-ground/5059509.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/an-ear-to-the-ground/5059509.blog Regular readers may remember that End Game got the willies a few weeks ago when something called @DHMonitoring started following a couple of HSJ’s more high profile tweeters.After all, the name was a bit creepy, and it did feel a bit like someone had brazenly parked a van with a massive satellite dish on top outside our home.Still, nothing to hide, nothing to fear.Perhaps concerned Mon, 10 Jun 2013 09:31 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/soubry-watch/5059542.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/soubry-watch/5059542.blog End Game is the biggest fan of public health minister Anna Soubry and was distressed to see her dragged into controversy after attempting to make a sensible point about women doctors.The minister for shooting from the hip - as her distractors unfairly label her - got herself in trouble during a Westminster Hall debate after her Conservative colleague Anne McIntosh made some remarks about the “burden” women doctors place on the NHS when they inconveniently have babies and go part time. Fri, 7 Jun 2013 12:30 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-new-nhs-ceo-think-about-the-challenges-first/5059371.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-new-nhs-ceo-think-about-the-challenges-first/5059371.blog Let’s put the guessing of David Nicholson’s successor to one side and focus on the challenges facing the next NHS England chief executive Mon, 3 Jun 2013 11:34 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-hospital-standardised-morality-rate/5059214.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-hospital-standardised-morality-rate/5059214.blog As the post-Francis funk over patient safety enters its fourth month, it seems that NHS lifers are finally beginning to point their fingers of blame directly into their own faces.In particular, at the loose morals plaguing the NHS.Evidence of this was spotted at a recent patient safety event, where a brainstorming session yielded a blackboard full of reasons why it was hard to improve patient safety. Fri, 31 May 2013 13:53 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/scotland-slips-on-outpatient-waits/5059158.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/scotland-slips-on-outpatient-waits/5059158.blog Scotland is slipping badly on its least-enforced waiting times target. It’s not looking good for the most enforced one either. Wed, 29 May 2013 16:36 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/thinking-the-unthinkable/5059136.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/thinking-the-unthinkable/5059136.blog End Game warmly congratulates the Conservative Party for bravely recognising the scale of the challenge the NHS faces, and daring to think outside the box in public.In this case “the box” they are thinking outside of is the principle of treatment based on clinical need.A Tory consultation paper picked up by The Independent Wed, 29 May 2013 16:24 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/more-nhs-related-cakes/5059135.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/more-nhs-related-cakes/5059135.blog After the extraordinary “Bristol stool tart”, End Game is delighted to learn that that more clinicians have decided to express their love for their jobs through the medium of cake.Members of the Royal College of Midwives have done themselves proud (and End Game a favour) by producing a breathtaking array of birthing-related cakes.Visit their Faceboo Wed, 29 May 2013 10:06 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-english-waiting-list-is-bigger-than-first-thought/5059122.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-english-waiting-list-is-bigger-than-first-thought/5059122.blog After fixing a slip in my calculations, the adjusted English waiting list turns out to be bigger than first estimated. Tue, 28 May 2013 09:08 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/scents-and-sensibility/5059005.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/scents-and-sensibility/5059005.blog End Game has a wide range of interests, but normally we draw the line at cosmetics, so when a perfumer sent in a press release about some new smells they’ve made, we were all about hit “delete” without further thought.But just before we did, we got a whiff of something rather more tasty.It turns out that pong-mongers Ashleigh & Burwood have managed to represent Westminster using only scent.The blurb says: “Imagine yourself amongst the historical seats of Parliament wi Fri, 24 May 2013 15:43 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-wisdom-of-crowds/5058999.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-wisdom-of-crowds/5058999.blog The group campaigning for Stafford Hospital to remain open now have a new song to get behind, End Game learns.Titled 50,000 People Can’t Be Wrong, the song is available to listen to on YouTube or to download from Amazon.In End Game’s experience, NHS songs tend to fall into three categories: contemporary and preferably involving some rap; Wed, 22 May 2013 17:35 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-bristol-stool-tart/5058983.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-bristol-stool-tart/5058983.blog Readers who work in a clinically-focused setting will be familiar with the Bristol Stool Chart – a table which helps doctors and nurses understand digestive health by setting out seven distinct categories of human faeces.Sometimes a pictorial version can be seen on wards or in staff rooms.Well, presumably concerned that existing illustrations were not appetising enough, one innovative team has made it into a cake. Wed, 22 May 2013 09:46 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/a-touching-message/5058943.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/a-touching-message/5058943.blog It is gratifying to discover that the NHS in Warrington continues to nurture bold and experimental approaches to the English language.Regular readers may recall that the commissioning support unit for Cheshire, Warrington and Wirral last year won one of the Plain English Campaign’s Golden Bull awards – given for the “best examples of gobbledygook” – for a piece of writing that included the poetic phrase: “Building in equality and risk impact assessments the options are taken through a Wed, 22 May 2013 09:45 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-dhs-epic-quest/5058905.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-dhs-epic-quest/5058905.blog The government’s Care Bill “will give people peace of mind in hospital, care homes and their own homes”, trumpets the headline of a recent Department of Health press release.Excellent. End Game is all in favour of peace of mind. How are ministers going to impart it to the nation?Helpfully, a sub-headline elaborates: “Swift action following Francis report and epic changes to care laws”.End Game is reliably informed that “epic” is young person speak for “good” and, on occas Tue, 21 May 2013 11:36 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/little-known-foi-exemptions-from-csu-cassander/5058729.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/little-known-foi-exemptions-from-csu-cassander/5058729.blog End Game’s esteemed colleague CSU Cassander identifies some little known exemptions to the pesky Freedom of Information Act Fri, 17 May 2013 14:52 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/sharp-increase-in-english-waiting-list/5058745.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/sharp-increase-in-english-waiting-list/5058745.blog The number of patients waiting rose sharply in March, and is now higher than in recent years and may indicate waiting time pressures to come. But bed pressures over winter do not explain all the increase Fri, 17 May 2013 09:58 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/challenge-the-myth-of-integrated-care/5058664.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/challenge-the-myth-of-integrated-care/5058664.blog Integrated care is not immune from the problems that affect the existing health and social care system. Wed, 15 May 2013 08:00 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-new-nhs-can-transform-mental-health-care/5058492.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-new-nhs-can-transform-mental-health-care/5058492.blog Under the NHS mandate, new commissioners have the chance to improve mental health care throughout the NHS. Mon, 13 May 2013 08:00 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-problem-with-superficial-inspections/5058368.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-problem-with-superficial-inspections/5058368.blog Some inspections of health and care providers are note much deepe than someone inspecting a second-hand car by going around and kicking the tyres. Wed, 8 May 2013 11:53 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/ae-needs-a-sticking-plaster-as-well-as-an-overhaul/5058245.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/ae-needs-a-sticking-plaster-as-well-as-an-overhaul/5058245.blog A&E services a struggling to keep up with growing demand. Chris Hopson offers some possible solutions Tue, 7 May 2013 12:38 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-mystery-of-the-missing-waiting-list-patients/5058131.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-mystery-of-the-missing-waiting-list-patients/5058131.blog Thousands of patients are apparently missing from the English waiting list. February is 28 days long. Together, those facts help us work out what on earth might be going on. Wed, 1 May 2013 10:11 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/cut-the-newspeak-out-of-redundancy-announcements/5058012.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/cut-the-newspeak-out-of-redundancy-announcements/5058012.blog Managers and politicians should be upfront and clear when announcing bad news, not hiding behind jargon. Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:03 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/your-18-week-waits-february-2013-data/5057699.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/your-18-week-waits-february-2013-data/5057699.blog The local picture on one-year and 18-week waits across England, updated with the latest data. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:46 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-new-culture-of-openness-in-action/5057631.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/the-new-culture-of-openness-in-action/5057631.blog End Game was delighted to discover that as part of NHS England’s ongoing commitment to transparency, one of its senior managers has apparently started her own blog.It comes from Samantha Riley, the organisation’s director of insight. Title: “Samantha Riley’s Insight Blog (Which is Hopefully Insightful!)”Yes, hopefully it is.Actually, End Game hopes the blog continues to develop the literary voice evidenced in the most recent entry, which – although not particularly recent Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:42 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/could-the-rooney-rule-work-in-the-public-sector/5057760.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/could-the-rooney-rule-work-in-the-public-sector/5057760.blog A look at how attitudes to race have changed in public sector recrutiment. Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:32 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/wicked-whispers/5057633.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/wicked-whispers/5057633.blog Which outspoken advocate of accurate data turned up late to a seminar recently because they wrote down the wrong time?End Game would love to tell you, but the event was held under solemn Chatham House rule conditions. Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:00 GMT http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/my-trusty-little-revenue-raiser/5057641.blog?referrer=RSS http://www.hsj.co.uk/opinion/blogs/my-trusty-little-revenue-raiser/5057641.blog End Game is all for NHS hospitals diversifying as the squeeze on their traditional sources of income continues, but we’re starting to wonder just how far this is going to go.In a flurry of entrepreneurialism, Salisbury Foundation Trust has launched a line of moisturising creams, based on one used by the trust to help burns victims.“My Trusty Little Sunflower Cream” hit the market on April 12. It contains five per cent pure sunflower oil and no “parabens” – both attractive featur Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:24 GMT