All articles by Dave West – Page 69
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NewsCommittee's recommendations 'fit with policy', says leading GP
Several of the health committee’s key recommendations for changes to the reforms “fit with the policy” and could be made without disturbing it, a leading GP commissioner has said.
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NewsOne month's delay to NHS reforms
The Health Bill’s progress through Parliament is to be delayed by a month, HSJ understands, to give health secretary Andrew Lansley time to listen to concerns about the possible impact on the NHS.
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SupplementsThe £80bn man: GPs get ready to hold the NHS budget
HSJ’s special supplement on GP commissioning looks at the challenges facing commissioners in the new NHS.
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Blogs
Non-geographically defined consortia: Further details
GP practices in a significant minority of areas are forming groups with non-neighbouring practices. In some of those, data suggests one group is formed from better performing and/or less deprived practices.
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CommentHakin rejects 'disappointing' reform criticisms
Dame Barbara Hakin, a GP of 20 years and the woman charged by the government with developing consortium commissioning, is growing irritated by alleged misinformation about the NHS reforms, as HSJ’s Dave West finds out.
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NewsLeading GP groups risk creation of 'sink estate' consortia
GPs are forming commissioning groups that do not cover a defined geographic area, sometimes excluding lower performing practices.
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NewsEarly consortium transfers expected by commissioners
Most commissioning managers and GPs responding to an HSJ survey believe the proposed handover to consortia will happen well ahead of schedule.
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NewsHakin rules out consortia patient charges
The national lead for the government’s commissioning reforms has ruled out the prospect of consortia reducing the range of NHS services provided or extending charges.
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NewsMajor GP inquiry finds 'wide variations'
An inquiry into primary care quality has found “wide variations in performance and gaps in the quality of care”, and called for much more published information about GP services.
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NewsHowe promises to 'expose' underperforming GPs
GPs will be “monitored, supported and held to account” by consortia as the NHS moves to “expose substandard general practice”, health minister Lord Howe has told HSJ.
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NewsConfess 'longstanding problems' in consortia handovers, PCTs told
Commissioners have been told to produce handover notes for commissioning consortia so they are not left to “discover for themselves afresh” any “longstanding problems” with local services.
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NewsTwo regions' PCT groups and chief executives confirmed
Primary care trust clusters are rapidly being established ahead of the June deadline, and their chief executives appointed.
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NewsInform patients about GP service conflicts of interest - DH adviser
Patients referred to GP services commissioned by the consortium to which the practice belongs must be told of the potential conflict of interest and offered an alternative, a government adviser has told HSJ.
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NewsFormer Blair health adviser returns to Cameron's number 10
A consultant who led the health targets and finances team of Tony Blair’s delivery unit has been appointed as the new health adviser to 10 Downing Street.
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News
Pace of consortia handovers varying widely
A quarter of primary care trusts are racing ahead to hand over commissioning budgets while a third have no clear plans to “let go”.
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NewsDozens of consortia match PCT area
Nearly half of primary care trusts are expecting a single commissioning consortium to span the same geographical area that they currently cover.
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CommentYorkshire trusts could soon start to see cracks appear
The NHS in Yorkshire has for years papered over the cracks of financial unsustainability in its second largest organisation, North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust.
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NewsDH struggling to achieve consultant choice within deadline
Patients’ ability to choose between named consultant led teams for elective hospital care looks unlikely to be significantly extended by the government’s deadline in April.
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NewsConsortia staff numbers will be limited
The NHS Commissioning Board will build measures into the authorisation process for consortia to limit the number of staff they can employ directly, HSJ understands.
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NewsConsortia grapple with size pros and cons
One of the first evaluations of the development of commissioning consortia has found they are struggling with questions of size and support.