Pete Mason on NHS teamwork
Exceptional teamwork doesn’t just happen, it develops. The secret of truly exceptional teams is that they know how to develop in order to achieve outstanding performance and extraordinary results.
Andy McKeon: NHS cash alone won’t end health inequalities
One strategy every six months under Labour has failed to produce results for children under five
Paul Corrigan on suspending NHS incentives
Research from the London School of Economics published in December gave insight into how competition within the NHS is benefiting patients.
Michael White on political spin
It is rarely easy to spot when a policy statement or media report has undue political spin on it. As a hard fought general election approaches it can be near impossible.
Steve Preston on winning at interviews
Do you have a fear of interviews? You are not alone. They can be stressful, intimidating and nerve-wracking.
Jenny Owen on a new solution to health and social care funding
A solution to social care funding must be agreed to get the most benefit from joint working
Noel Plumridge on the rules of payment by results
A rules-based system. That was the aspiration in 2004 when payment by results was introduced to England’s NHS.
Michael White on the Mid Staffs inquiry
An anecdote and a think tank boffin came to mind as I ploughed through the undimmed horrors of Robert Francis QC’s report on the disaster at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust.
Jenny Rogers on NHS staff engagement
Every half decade or so, a new wonder idea comes along in management - for instance, learning organisations, business process re-engineering, total quality management, or - aeons ago - management by objectives.
Mark Britnell on the future of Agenda for Change
Agenda for Change does not need to be scrapped and renegotiated - just applied properly
Mark Goldman on inspiring people
“We must reject the idea - well intentioned but dead wrong - that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become ‘more like a business’.
Michael White: NHS reorganisation row
By chance I stumbled on an NHS row which intrigues me. It is the sight of Labour ministers and their Tory shadows and wannabe successors joining forces to denounce disgraceful “scaremongering” about a hospital reorganisation.
Ken Jarrold on preparing to vote in the general election
The general election is now within touching distance. The campaign is well underway. It is time to prepare and three points may help to do this.
Michael White: the personal care row
Seatbelts on please, crash helmets too. The pre-election row over personal care for the elderly shows alarming signs of blundering on to polling day.
Alan Maynard: could the Tories give PCTs bite?
The ‘toothless bulldogs’ of the NHS might hope for more control over purchasing under the Conservatives
Andrew Jones on the politics of wellbeing
Election season is upon us and the aspiring communicator can only watch in awe as the main protagonists wheel out their proven strategists and presenters.
End Game
Ask a stupid question...
Pharmacists spend a lot of time talking about coughs, colds and stomach upsets, but at Southampton General Hospital they deal with a more intriguing set of dilemmas.
Media Watch
Media Watch: CQC ratings fiddles
They say variety is the spice of life, and it was certainly true that there was an assortment of health stories in the media this week.
The water tower speech
On 9th March 1961 Enoch Powell, the Minister of Health, addressed the annual conference of the National Association of Mental Health.
Preferred provider – the saga continues
Preferred Provider - the saga continues
Shape up or ship out
I am not an ogre, I am not particularly harsh, I do not consider myself to be radical and I am not trying to be deliberately provocative but I do think that saying there will be no reduction in jobs is at best short sighted and at worst a lie.
Preferred provider policy: unions jilted, Burnham jolted, competition wins the day
Andy Burnham’s “preferred provider” policy is now in its death throes. What began as a speech aimed at ingratiating the health secretary with the unions ended in a put-down from the prime minister.
