Health Service Journal
January 2007
View all stories from this issue.
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10 high-impact changes for service improvement and delivery
'We sought evidence to show which areas realised the greatest benefit the 10 high-impact changes. We wanted to find out how these benefits changes might be measured in relation to the impact on service users and carers, staff and organisations, service delivery and social care outcomes' -
BMA slams back-to-work cuts
The British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners have criticised the Government for making 'indefensible' cuts to back-to-work programs.In a joint statement, the BMA and RCGP say such cuts are exacerbating GP shortages and damaging patient care.They urge ministers to restore funding to the GP returner schemes that helped ease GP shortages from 2002 to 2006. -
Bradford City MDC - tackling obesity
'They cannot do enough to participate' -
Brent relapse prevention project
An award-winning project aims to maintain the recovery of people with complex mental health needs who use other services -
Cannock Chase - the Route to Health
'It has been phenomenally received' -
Commission appoints new head of independent healthcare
The Healthcare Commission has appointed Jon Billings as head of independent healthcare.Mr Billing has been acting in the post since March 2006 and was previously in charge of the Commission's London and South East Region operations team.He takes the role as the commission moves to inspecting fewer independent healthcare sites using a self-assessment and risk-based approach.Read the press release -
Consultation on disabled facilities grants
The government has published a consultation document on its proposals to improve the disabled facilities grant programme.The report is a response to the findings and recommendations of the independent Bristol University report on the programme in 2005. The consultation period closes on 13 April.Read the document here -
Consumers switch on to healthy eating message
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has revealed a rise in demand for fruit and vegetables in the last year as the public starts to adopt healthier lifestyles.New figures suggest people bought more fruit and vegetables in 2005-06, while buying less confectionary and soft drinks.The Expenditure and Food Survey also indicates a fall in spending on alcoholic drinks.Read the press r -
Cross the divide and rule
Chief executives have switched between primary care and acute trusts. Jenifer Taylor examines how the roles and the demands differ, looks at the reasons behind the moves and discusses with three top managers their plans -
Delivering quality and value: focus on HR
Delivering quality and value: Focus on HR -
DoH publishes travel expenses consultation
The Department of Health has published consultation on the hospital travel costs scheme, which allows those on low incomes to claim travel expenses.The document looks at how the scheme can be changed to reflect a shift in care closer to home.Read the consultation here -
Early intervention in psychosis team
Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster's early intervention in psychosis team has a range of help available over a three-year period for clients aged 14 to 35 who have experienced an episode of psychosis. -
Ethnicity and health
This document reviews the evidence on ethnic health inequalities, the causes and policy options. It is a useful document for parliamentarians working on the policy options for tackling ethnic inequalities in health. -
First Annual NHS Networks Conference
The First Annual NHS Networks Conference, held in November, offered delegates the opportunity to find out more about networking. -
Gail Richards on achieving 18-week targets
Efforts to m -
Greenich LBC - an appetite for improvement
'The olympics is such a huge international brand' -
Health committee to investigate audiology
The Commons health committee has announced a short inquiry into audiology services in England.The committee says it is particularly interested in whether accurate data on waiting times for audiology services is available and why services appear to lag behind other specialties in terms of waiting times and access.It also wants to examine whether the NHS has the capacity to treat the numbers of patients waiting for treatment and how big a role the private sector should play in aud -
Information stations
Tom Morgan and Nick Coyle on how valuable data from QOF results can help compare GP performance and improve patient care -
Innovation: pulling the dragon's teeth
A Dragons' Denstyle business incubator helping those suffering from mental ill-health is being starved of funds as it falls between departmental responsibilities. Naomi Chambers and Leigh Wharton describe its benefits -
Labour MP slams workforce planning
Labour MP and health select committee member Dr Howard Stoate has criticised a 'boom and bust' culture in NHS workforce planning and argued against local planning.Speaking at a committee hearing yesterday, he said a lack of centralised workforce planning meant the NHS was 'chasing its tail'. -
Launch of the Primary Care Genetics Society
The Primary Care Genetics Society has been established to support primary care professionals as they find themselves dealing with an ever-demanding public continually being fed information from sources such as the internet and the lay media. -
Learning disabilities care 'outmoded and institutionalised'
The Healthcare Commission has found evidence of neglect of people with learning disabilities at Sutton and Merton primary care trust.'Outmoded and institutionalised' care was deemed to have led to the problems, according to a report from the regulator.It described some of the environments in which people lived as 'impoverished' and 'completely unsatisfactory'. -
Legal briefing: medical care for prisoners
The challenges faced by primary care trusts in delivering health services to prisoners have been seriously underestimated, says David Lock -
Legal briefing: the separation of provider and commissioner
There is increasing pressure on primary care trusts to ensure clarity and robust processes around the distinction between provision and commissioning of services, warns David Owen -
Making the most of local area agreements
Using LAAs to combat health inequalities is all well and good in theory, but how do you use them to your best advantage and measure their success in the real world? Saba Salman finds out -
More power to scrutiny
Stuart Shepherd looks at how scrutiny committees are tackling the growing problem of obesity in Britain -
Neil Griffiths on measuring and managing
'My concern though is that the dashboard will be working in a vehicle in which we still have the clutch pedal on the passenger side, the brake in the back and the steering wheel in the boot.' -
New bursary scheme announced
The Department for Health has announced changes to the September 2007 NHS bursary scheme.Rent will become a deductible expense for all student nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and medical and dental students, when calculating their childcare allowances.The changes have been agreed with unions, and they include an increase in the basic allowance, and the introduction of a new parents' learning allowance. -
NHS should treat gambling addiction
The British Medical Association has called for gambling treatment to be made available on the NHS.In recommendations to help healthcare professionals deal with the growing problem of gambling addiction, it calls for gambling operators to pay at least £10m a year to fund research, prevention and intervention programmes.From September new gambling laws will allow 24-hour facilities.Find ou -
Nursing code gets overhaul
The Nursing and Midwifery Council is reviewing its rulebook for UK nurses and midwives. The Code of Conduct is to be made clearer and updated to reflect today's healthcare needs.The draft code was agreed in December and the NMC will be holding a series of focus groups and seminars around the country. The consultation closes on 20 March.Read the draft code here -
Old is not ill
With more and more people living longer, the health service and its partners must address some communities' low expectations on quality of life, says Claire Laurent -
Overweight drivers urged to detox
The RAC Foundation has called for overweight drivers to look at their habits after finding that they are twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured in road accidents.Every hour spent behind the wheel increases the risk of obesity, says the charitable foundation.www.racfoundation.org -
Patient and public involvement toolkit
Lambeth primary care trust has produced a thoroughly researched and clearly presented document on patient and public involvement. -
Pension guidance released
The Department of Health has produced a guide for staff leaving NHS employment but wishing to continue their membership of the NHS pension scheme.The guidance also sets out advice about employer responsibilities for pension provision where staff have to leave the scheme.Read the guide here -
Report calls for more support for employing disabled people
Employers should be trained in the support available in employing a disabled person, according to the Public Accounts Committee.A report on the Department for Work and Pension's support for disabled people says more flexible employment advice should be given to disabled people, that current service provision is patchy and that work concentrated on getting people into work rather than keeping a job they had before becoming disabled. -
Ruth Hussey on prevention
By now, New Year -
Smoking cessation more successful in deprived areas, says report
Primary care trusts in areas of deprivation are providing the best approach to reducing smoking levels, says the Healthcare Commission in a report today.Half the PCTs rated excellent were in deprived areas where smoking is most prevalent.Read the report here -
Solid data bears comparison
Hospital discharge planning decisions need hard facts to back them up, as Mathew Mackenzie and Marion Scholes explain -
South Tyneside urgent care team
The South Tyneside urgent care team is a multidisciplinary team that provides intensive therapeutic interventions to people who have a substantial or critical level of mental health need. It was highly commended in the high-impact changes for mental health Positive Practice Award 2006. -
Stockton-on-Tees - Strength in firm foundations
'In partnership with the community and voluntary sector, we have sought to involve local people in identifying both needs and solutions' -
Survey highlights equipment funding shortage
The Information Centre for health and social care has reported 'anecdotal evidence' that health funding of integrated community equipment schemes for items such as stairlifts and hearing loops 'has been a problem, and one that is getting more acute'.The results of a survey of 51 local authority directors of adult social services highlights two authorities mentioning a funding issue with their health partners.In one case there was a 20 per cent shortfall in health funding and in -
Targeting health - a duty of well-being
Councils can make the most of their powers to build healthy communities, by making sure local shops sell affordable and accessible healthy food, says Saba Salman -
Trainee specialists doubt future of NHS
A British Medical Association survey shows that one in four specialist trainee doctors is worried about the impact on their training of government plans to treat more patients outside hospital.Research in the Postgraduate Medical Journalshows that many doctors are anxious about changes to their training programme and about the impact of wider NHS reforms on their career development.BMA junior doctors committee chair Dr Jo Hilborne said that if more patients were t -
US best practice on diabetes care
Knowledge gained from a Health Foundation fellowship trip to the US is being brought into play in Bolton -
What social enterprise can do for healthcare
A social enterprise is often defined as a business that trades with a social or environmental purpose. It is not driven by profit, and reinvests surpluses back into the organisation or community. -
Work together to lessen the gap
Local government can play a key role in improving the quality of people's lives. Achieving this requires stronger partnerships at local level and aligning incentives for health inequalities
