Helen Crump
CommentMedia Watch: swine flu backlash
It was inevitable really - gone are the stories of soaring mortality rates and brave speeches issued from behind the sandbags at Richmond House.
NewsVariation shows NHS community services ripe for efficiencies
Huge variations in the working practices of primary care trust provider arms are masking large potential efficiency savings.
NewsFirst NICE quality standards will include stroke
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is to create its first quality standards on stroke, dementia, neonatal care and venous thromboembolism.
NewsDH scraps deadline for PCT provider arm strategies
The Department of Health has scrapped its centrally set deadline for primary care trusts to create provider arm strategies. It comes amid fears of PCTs obsessed by organisational structure making poor decisions.
NewsQuality and outcomes framework: GP incentives harm care quality
The quality of care provided by GPs has decreased for some conditions where they do not receive performance related pay, a study has found.
CommentMedia Watch: GP access and swine flu panic
Proof that the Department of Health’s drive to improve GP access was working arrived from an unlikely source this week.
NewsDH defends East Midlands review
The Department of Health has defended its inquiry into alleged bullying and harassment at NHS East Midlands after it emerged that the consultant hired to conduct the review lists the strategic health authority among his clients.
NewsPCT rebranding still has a long way to go
Getting local people to understand the role of primary care trusts has proved difficult, so has the NHS rebranding helped? HSJ polled the public to find out
NewsDH will probe how row over NHS targets led to bullying claims
The Department of Health is to launch an independent review into allegations of bullying and harassment against East Midlands strategic health authority.
News£25m apprenticeships boost for NHS
Strategic health authorities are to get a £25m boost to offer young people and others NHS apprenticeships.
CommentMedia Watch: the shrill cries of the doomsayers
Depending on which paper you read this week, you could be forgiven for thinking you were living in two different countries.
NewsNHS North Lancashire appoints new chief
Former NHS North Yorkshire and York chief executive Janet Soo-Chung is to take up the reins at NHS North Lancashire.
NewsGPs could hand commissioning to private firms under Tories
GPs could be given the opportunity to bypass primary care trusts and hand commissioning to private sector organisations under Conservative plans.
NewsPCTs lash out over audit use of world class scores
Furious primary care trust chiefs have lambasted the Audit Commission after being marked down in annual reports on the basis of world class commissioning scores. They had been told they would not be judged on the measures.
NewsCalls for fresh look at women's contraception access
Women should be allowed to access contraception services without seeing a clinician if unplanned pregnancies do not fall, according to an expert group.
NewsPractice based commissioning relationships finally paying off
Primary care trusts’ efforts to formalise practice based commissioning relationships are finally paying off.
NewsFlu czar Ian Dalton sets September deadline for preparation
The NHS flu czar has given board members a September deadline to make sure they can “justify” the strength of their pandemic flu plans.
NewsSocial care green paper delayed again
The long awaited social care green paper has been delayed again.
NewsLocalism takes flight as managers seize the day
When Lord Darzi asked the NHS to come up with regional plans, managers found themselves in uncharted territory. A year on, HSJ has looked around the country to see how they fared
CommentMediawatch: Salient advice for health managers
Summer is here. How do we know? Because the newspapers are full of utterly mad health stories.