All Blogs articles – Page 7
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Blogs
Contract planning, or last minute scramble?
Last minute deals, plans that nobody believes in… does the annual contracting round have to be like this?
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Blogs
All stand together
There is probably a book to be written about the naming of operations by public bodies.One of those books you see on the counter of a book shop by the till, the kind you think “that will make a temporarily amusing gift for a relative to whose Christmas present I ...
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Blogs
Your 18 week waits: November 2013 data
Interactive maps of local NHS waits around England, showing the pressures and one year waits, with links to all the detail by organisation and specialty.
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Blogs
Honest PR
There are so many things to love about commissioning support units that it can be difficult to know where to begin.This week, it’s their transparency and honesty that End Game loves best of all. When we were faced recently with the potentially soul destroying task of ringing round lots of ...
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Blogs
18 week waits still holding
The NHS held steady on 18 weeks with an increase in admissions, despite signs of increased pressure on waiting times.
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Blogs
Metaphor to die for
End Game was recently reminded that sound bites can be largely catagorised into one of three broad groups:1. The good: “It’s the economy, stupid” - well done to Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign strategist James Carville. Jolly clever. 2. The bad: remember Nick Clegg claiming ...
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Blogs
Game for a laugh
Nothing says happy new year quite like a laboured and mirthless joke about NHS privatisation.So big End Game thanks to London Health Emergency, those funsters, for sending us a new board game to ease the January blues.The group, who are celebrating 30 years of constant panic this year, have devised ...
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BlogsThe dilemma of a tough management decision
Managers are sometimes faced with decisions which will test their leadership skills, their willingness to act and their ability to reason over emotion
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Blogs
Six pack sensation
Three health secretaries turned up to the farewell bash of outgoing NHS Confederation chief executive Mike Farrar just before Christmas. Jeremy Hunt was joined by Alan Milburn and Patricia Hewitt – the former two spending at least 20 minutes locked in animated private conversation.Mr Farrar’s distinguished contribution to the NHS ...
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Blogs
Heavy duties
Before you judge a person you should walk a mile in their shoes, goes the famous maxim.Or to quote Billy Connolly: “Never judge a man before you have walked a mile in his shoes, then you’re a mile away, and you’ve got his shoes”.Staff at one hospital have taken the ...
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Blogs
Improving the world, one message at a time
A misdirected email chain gives us insight into two of End Game’s favourite subjects: the relationship between the Department of Health and NHS England, and the everyday life of public relations professionals.The scene is a dreary Monday 6 January, millions are miserably returning to work after a holiday – among ...
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BlogsNew year, time to get a new job?
Seeeking feedback and reacting to it is now an important aspect of senior management
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Blogs
Ministry of Truth
End Game is a passionate advocate of grown up debate, so of course we welcome any a ministerial letter that begins with the words, “I am very sorry”.The penitent in question was Dan Poulter, who was appealing to shadow health minister Liz Kendall for forgiveness regarding “inaccuracies” in answers to ...
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Blogs
GPs neglected, again
In the run up to the Yuletide holiday, many hospital chiefs received what End Game considers the ultimate Christmas gift: a personal call from the secretary of state for health.Alas, there’s only so much time a cabinet minister can spend yacking on the dog and bone, but fear not, Mr ...
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Blogs
No cause for alarm
At last month’s NHS England board meeting chief nursing officer Jane Cummings seemed surprised by the dramatic response her talk on compassionate care received.As she settled in to her subject - the six Cs to help create a culture of compassion among nurses and midwives - a fire alarm cut ...
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Blogs
Prior's biggest fan
End Game always loves an opportunity to interrogate the Care Quality Commission and we had a particularly nasty question waiting to lob in the direction of its chair at an improving patient care conference last month.However, following his speech on the commission’s new inspection regime David Prior made a swift ...
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Blogs
Why Sherlock could never be an NHS manager
Emotional intelligence is increasingly seen as an important skill for people in the top jobs
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Blogs
Politicians want to slay the beast that never was
MPs bashing the NHS is about softening up the public for the Americanisation of services
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BlogsLonger life expectancy can be too much of a good thing
An ageing society has to address ethical issues about when and how people choose to die