News – Page 956
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NewsCommissioners could be forced to pay into Monitor fund
Monitor will have the power to compel providers and commissioners to pay into a fund which can be used to provide “financial assistance” if a provider goes into administration.
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NewsExtent of health secretary's powers over NHS Commissioning Board 'surprising'
The health secretary will have the power to bypass parliament in shaping the “direction” of the NHS Commissioning Board, analysis by HSJ and law firm Beachcroft has revealed.
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NewsTribunal to have responsibility for settling disputes over protected services
A tribunal will be set up to adjudicate when a provider wants to remove a “designated service” status granted by Monitor.
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NewsBill paves way for consortia bail outs and risk sharing
The Health Bill appears to create extensive potential for the NHS Commissioning Board to bail out consortia.
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NewsBill casts 'doubt' over Monitor's independence from health secretary
Lawyers have warned yesterday’s bill gives the health secretary far greater scope to direct Monitor than controversial proposals put forward by the last government.
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NewsDH 'telling councils to cut public involvement budget in half'
The Department of Health is expecting the budget of public involvement bodies to be nearly halved next year, just as ministers are promising to empower patients, HSJ has learned.
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NewsPrivate patient income cap ditching leaves FTs open to legal challenge
Government plans to lift the cap on private income for foundation trusts pose a “high” risk of NHS hospitals being challenged under state aid rules, lawyers say.
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NewsDepartment of Health: 'Staff may lose focus on patients during reforms'
The Department of Health has acknowledged that Andrew Lansley’s sweeping NHS reorganisation risks distracting staff from their £20bn savings target, and from patient care.
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NewsBill could lead to 'dilution' of pensions benefits
Monitor could push for the value of NHS pensions to be reduced under the terms of the Health Bill.
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NewsCommissioning board given 'draconian' powers
The Health Bill awards the NHS Commissioning Board “draconian” powers to intervene in and split up “failing” commissioning consortia, analysis by HSJ and NHS legal experts Beachcroft finds.
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NewsNigel Edwards to leave NHS Confederation
Nigel Edwards will end his 12 years at the NHS Confederation this summer after deciding not to put himself forward for the position of chief executive.
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NewsFramework for FT no-hopers 'in the coming weeks'
The Department of Health’s managing director of provider development has said the new arrangements for getting non-foundation trusts authorised will be published soon.
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NewsHealth secretary to have extensive powers to 'prescribe' public health functions
The Health and Social Care Bill includes wide and varied powers for the secretary of state to dictate council’s public health activities.
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Central grip tightens under 'independence' bill
The government’s ambition to liberate the NHS has been called into question after the Health and Social Care Bill published last week apparently granted wide ranging powers of intervention to the health secretary.
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NewsHealth Bill maintains light touch on consortia
The health bill published today maintains a light touch approach to requirements for commissioning consortia, but appears to leave wriggle room for more prescription in future.
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NewsCommissioning transition to cost £1.2bn
The transfer of commissioning to consortia and the NHS commissioning board will cost £1.2bn in the next two years, according to the Department of Health’s impact assessment of the Health and Social Care Bill.
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NewsDH ordered to disclose cost of swine flu vaccine
The Department of Health has been ordered to release data on the costs of last year’s swine flu vaccination programme, after it failed to comply fully with a Freedom of Information Act request.
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NewsPublic health agenda more important than NHS, says Lansley
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has criticised the “obsessive” focus on commissioning consortia, ahead of the publication of the health and social care bill later today.
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News'Stalinist' controls grip expiring SHAs
The Department of Health has handed the NHS a set of 116 performance measures and 24 further priorities for 2011-12, as its “Stalinist controls” on the transition process become clear.
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NewsInnovation Expo to profile QIPP programme
Sir David Nicholson and health minister Earl Howe are spearheading the Department of Health’s support for the 2011 Healthcare Innovation Expo, which takes place in London’s Docklands on 9-10 March.