Private providers attack Monitor failure regime
Private mental health firms are lobbying for deep changes to Monitor’s proposed failure regime, claiming rules putting “patients ahead of creditors” will prevent them from borrowing.
Nearly half of GPs dealing with 'burnout'
Close to 50 per cent of doctors suffer from emotional exhaustion related to burnout, according to researchers.
RCN chief: NHS facing 'toughest year'
The Royal College of Nursing’s chief executive and general secretary has warned the NHS faces its “toughest year”, with specialist nurses losing their jobs and vulnerable patients “in the firing line”.
Give doctors stronger assisted dying powers, report says
Doctors could be given powers allowing them to help terminally ill patients to die, a report said today.
Cost of rising emergency dementia admissions revealed
There has been a 12 per cent growth over five years in the number of people with dementia admitted to hospital as an emergency, according to a report exclusively shared with HSJ.
Exclusive: Lansley to step up push on variation as second NHS atlas published
Huge regional disparities in the quality of healthcare are due to be revealed by the second NHS Atlas of Variation, and a series of additional government analyses.
Commissioners require 'significant help' with mental health tariff
Commissioners will struggle to implement an operating framework requirement to pay for mental health services under tariff without “significant help”, according to the NHS Confederation’s Mental Health Network.
NHS given another year to reduce use of 'killer' drugs
The NHS has been given an extra 16 months to hit a target to prescribe fewer antipsychotic drugs which are said by health minister Paul Burstow to “kill” dementia patients.
Down's syndrome patient died after being wrongly detained in hospital
A patient with Down’s Syndrome had his basic human rights ignored after he was detained in hospital and then kept locked up before he died, an investigation has found.
Mental health tariffs 'not fit for purpose' - NHS Confederation
Mental health trusts and commissioners have not made enough progress in devising a tariff for their services despite enthusiasm from staff, the NHS Confederation has found.
Clusters ordered to begin stocktake of 75,000 service contracts
Primary care trust clusters will have to complete a detailed stocktake of their 75,000 service contracts by the end of March 2012, in preparation for transferring them to successor commissioning bodies the following year.
FTN fails to appoint new chief executive
Sue Slipman has agreed to stay on as Foundation Trust Network chief executive until the organisation finds a new full-time replacement.
Michael White: humility is in short supply despite Lansley's 'climbdown'
It would be good to detect signs of humility and contrition in the healthcare community when the editors of three of the leading trade publications (including this one) launch a “never again” plea for more discussion and less prescriptive dogmatism next time there’s an NHS reorganisation.
'Healthcare history can help us transform elderly care today'
Looking back to the healthcare revolutions that helped transform practices in the past identifies the strength of ambition and passion that is needed to rescue modern day elderly care. But most importantly, it shows it is achievable, argues Mark Goldman.
Uniting health and social care to give dementia patients improved services
Projections that the number of people with dementia could double in 30 years will worry a health service that is already failing to adequately support patients with dementia. But making important changes to unite health and social care services could dramatically improve the quality of dementia care, writes Institute of Public Policy Research researcher Alice Sachrajda.
Transparency in London reveals hive of activity
Are the GPs in south-west London the most proactive in the capital?
An open letter from David Nicholson, chief executive of the NHS
‘We will be showcasing what is brightest and best about the NHS and healthcare in the UK’
Nick Bosanquet: Five steps to security
The pre-Christmas snow shower of documents did little to gather momentum towards better services. Rather, it added to the risk of planning blight for new organisations which have to find personnel and trial their powers and budgets. These are my five steps to rescue the change programme:
Developing a health and local government service integration model
Could one trust’s health and local government service integration be a model for the rest of the country to follow? Dr Chris Clayton reports on the successful pilot at Blackburn with Darwen PCT.
How specialist housing can improve the lives of older patients while cutting care costs
Specialist housing is an investment that could save the NHS millions a year and make lives happier, says Jeremy Porteus
How to improve care standards for dementia patients
Plenty of information and well designed bays help patients with dementia cope. Alistair Burns explains how.
How to develop a culture of excellence
Human interaction between patients and carers is central to the quality of experience and outcomes. Robert Warwick finds out how to make this part of an organisation’s culture.
Improving mental health screening for individuals in police custody
Mark Rapley and Dr Simon Sandberg find out how mental health assessments are changing in Lambeth custody suites - and the benefits that could be adopted as a result.
How transparent incident investigations are helping to develop better care
Open, family-centred investigations into incidents of avoidable harm and death are essential to develop safer care. Craig White explains how this is being achieved in Scotland.
