All News articles – Page 1348
-
News
Government 'did not consult' on visa restrictions for foreign doctors
The High Court has ruled that the government did not consult with the medical profession, or follow necessary race relations procedures, before restricting employment opportunities for doctors from outside the EU.The ruling comes in response to a legal challenge to last year's decision by the government to prevent non-EU doctors ...
-
News
Minister wants patients copied in to clinicians' letters
Health minister Rosie Winterton has said healthcare professionals should make more effort to routinely copy letters between clinicians to their patients.Ms Winterton is to write to all professional bodies, including the British Medical Association and the Royal College of Nursing, urging them to encourage members to copy patients into correspondence ...
-
News
New book on patient-doctor consultations
A new book aims to improve communication between health professionals and patients.Te Patient-Doctor Consultation in Primary Care: theory and practiceoffers practical advice on how to improve listening and communication skills.The book also discusses the best approach to involving patients in the decision-making process of their healthcare.Order the book here
-
News
Conservatives claim treatment is being 'deliberately delayed'
Shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley has claimed that patients are being deliberately denied treatment so that primary care trusts can balance their books by the end of the financial year.His comments follow a BBC survey that indicates that a quarter of all primary care trusts in England are asking patients ...
-
News
If not now, when? Taking action on alcohol
The time is ripe for developing strategic steps to tackle the havoc wreaked by alcohol misuse, says Libby Ranzetta
-
News
Cancer reform strategy board named
Health minister Rosie Winterton has announced the 29 members of the Department of Health's cancer reform strategy board that will build on the 2000 cancer plan.The group will be chaired by national cancer director Professor Mike Richards and will develop a new strategy through six working groups: service models; commissioning ...
-
News
Hewitt defends fall in bed numbers
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has been attacked for describing cuts to bed numbers as a sign of 'success' in a presentation to the cabinet.In a webchat this week she also highlighted how improvements in community nursing in Dudley to support those with long-term conditions had 'slashed' emergency admissions and meant ...
-
News
Scottish ambulance delays rise
The number of ambulances across Scotland taking longer than an hour to reach an emergency incident has risen from 71 to 179 over the last six years, despite an increase of 25 per cent in the number of trained crews available, according to the Scottish National Party.www.snp.org/news
-
News
Social care spend up 10 per cent
Spending on public sector social care services for adults and children rose by 10 per cent over the past two years to reach £19.3bn in 2005-06, according to the Information Centre for health and social care.Spending on services for adults and older people, which accounts for 74 per cent of ...
-
News
Time to break the circle of negativity
There's no row like a family row and the NHS family is not an exception. It has long been recognised that the NHS's own staff can often be the worst ambassadors for what is happening in the service, nationally and locally.
-
News
National Audit Office slates DoH over £12m Dr Foster deal
The Department of Health has been savaged by the National Audit Office for the handling of its £12m deal with healthcare information analysts Dr Foster.
-
News
GPs to face tougher tests on surgery
The government is to publish national standards for minor surgery carried out in primary care.
-
News
Government warns PCTs over dentistry capacity
Patients may have to resort to emergency care, or find an alternative practice, because their dentists have fulfilled their annual contracts too soon.
-
News
SHA pays £2m for firm to size up PCT commissioning
South Central strategic health authority has called in turnaround specialists PricewaterhouseCoopers to assess whether its nine primary care trusts should contract out their commissioning functions to the private sector.
-
News
Patients could be told costs of care
Patients could be told the 'actual value' of the health services they are using in a bid to make them use the NHS more responsibly and relieve pressure on staff.
-
News
News anlaysis: germinators look to Europe for next ideas in superbug war
The Dutch experience shows it is possible to get on top of MRSA and other superbugs - but it will be costly. Meanwhile, some UK hospitals are pioneering simple but effective strategies that could help turn the tide of deadly infections, writes Alison Moore
-
News
New funding for parent support services
Families minister Beverley Hughes has announced that £7.5m will be spent on information and support services for parents.From April 10 pilot areas will offer new mothers extra help from their midwife and health visitor. The health-led schemes are modelled on a version in the US which helps to reduce accidental ...
-
News
NICE to develop new range of guidance
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has been asked to develop guidance on new treatments for breast and lung cancer, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, obesity and rheumatoid arthritis.The additional topics for its forward work programme were welcomed by chief executive Andrew Dillon. He said that the treatments were ...
-
News
MHRA to consult on Cyclo-f
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is to carry out a consultation on whether Cyclo-f, a medicine for the treatment of heavy periods, should be available over the counter.Dr June Raine, director of vigilance and risk management of medicines at the MHRA, says that being able to buy the ...
-
News
Society calls for end to unnecessary suffering
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has called on the government to stop the unnecessary suffering caused by accidents to 2 million children each year by backing the recommendations in a new report from the Audit Commission and Healthcare Commission.The report, Better ...