in brief

Chairs of strategic health authorities and primary care trusts will be paid£20,420 from April to reflect the new responsibilities and anticipated time commitment to the role, the Department of Health announced this week.Trust chairs will receive the same allowance.

Hammersmith Hospitals trust is to lease a private hospital in west London for 15 years to increase its capacity and cut waiting times for orthopaedic surgery.Stamford Hospital will provide a sevenday inpatient and outpatient service for orthopaedic patients from across London.

The Department of Health has published Information Strategy for Older People to support the national service framework for older people and the NHS plan.The strategy identifies the requirements for the information infrastructure, systems and services required to deliver the older people programme.

www. doh. gov. uk/ipu/strategy/ nsf/4. htm

Publisher Dr Foster has released league tables comparing hospitals by overall quality, mortality rates and waiting times.The overall quality index puts the Royal London Hospital and St Bartholomew's Hospital - both part of Barts and the London trust - top of the ratings, while 17 hospitals vie for last place.

www. drfoster. co. uk

The total number of patients waiting to be admitted to hospitals in England rose by 7,900 (0.8 per cent) between the end of December 2001 and the end of January 2002.The total waiting rose by 19,200 in the year to January 2002, according to Department of Health figures.

In the 28 February edition of HSJ (page 8), the email address supplied for a scheme set up by the Multiple Sclerosis Society and three drug companies to provide funds for multiple sclerosis specialist nurses was wrong.The correct address is: priorityservices1@ mssociety. org. uk