News – Page 1797

  • News

    Distance to GPs will treble, claim Conservatives

    2008-06-09T11:01:00Z

    Government plans to introduce polyclinics will treble the distance patients have to travel to see a GP, from at least half a mile to at least one and a half miles, the Conservatives have claimed.

  • News

    Healthy communities fund launched

    2008-06-09T10:56:00Z

    Every town in England will have the chance to bid for up to £5m for schemes to make their inhabitants healthier and more active, health minister Dawn Primarolo has announced.

  • News

    Health inequalities plans announced

    2008-06-09T10:46:00Z

    Health secretary Alan Johnson has announced details of £34m of spending on local programmes to tackle health inequalities, including £19m to improve life expectancy and reduce infant mortality.A national support team for alcohol will be set up to help areas with the highest rates of alcohol-related hospital admissions. ...

  • News

    NHS reforms damaging patient care, say academics

    2008-06-06T11:48:00Z

    Simplistic and untested NHS reforms are inadvertently damaging patient care in GP surgeries, argue a group of academics writing in the latest edition of the BMJ.

  • News

    Government hits target on modern matrons

    2008-06-06T11:44:00Z

    There are now more than 5,500 modern matrons working in the NHS, according to figures announced by the Department of Health today.

  • News

    Proceed with caution on polyclinics, says King's Fund

    2008-06-06T11:42:00Z

    Primary care trusts should only proceed with new polyclinics if there are clear benefits to local communities, the King's Fund has said in a new report.

  • News

    Nurses support three-year pay deal

    2008-06-06T11:39:00Z

    Members of the Royal College of Nursing are strongly in favour of a government pay deal worth 7.99 per cent over three years.

  • News

    One in five NHS trusts still in deficit, say MPs

    2008-06-06T11:36:00Z

    More than one in five NHS organisations are still in deficit despite 'very commendable' efforts to turn the NHS's finances around, MPs on the public accounts committee have said.The Department of Health and NHS achieved a surplus of £515m in 2006-07, but 82 out of 372 NHS organisations are in ...

  • News

    Darzi review: East Midlands opts for local focus

    2008-06-05T14:50:00Z

    NHS East Midlands has focused on localism in its regional Darzi vision.The strategic health authority said it had divided its patch into smaller areas to make sure its proposals reflect the diversity of its residents.

  • News

    New guidance to develop PCT boards

    2008-06-05T11:58:00Z

    The Department of Health today published guidance on boosting the skills and competence of primary care trust leaders.PCTs will be expected to use the guidance to commission local programmes to develop board members.

  • News

    NHS surplus achieved at expense of training, says BMA

    2008-06-05T11:54:00Z

    Doctors' leaders today called for funding for NHS staff training to be protected from raids by cash-strapped trusts.

  • News

    Fewer people treated by NHS dentists

    2008-06-05T11:48:00Z

    The number of patients seen by an NHS dentist has dropped since the introduction of the new dental contract, according to figures published by the NHS Information Centre.

  • News

    £900,000 to help disabled people live independently

    2008-06-05T11:44:00Z

    The government has announced £900,000 of extra funding for schemes to help disabled people lead more independent lives.

  • News

    Northern Ireland to pilot dementia advocacy service

    2008-06-05T11:42:00Z

    A project to pilot and evaluate advocacy services for people with dementia and their carers has been launched in Northern Ireland.

  • News

    Fewer deaths could mean more pay for consultants

    2008-06-05T09:00:00Z

    Hospital consultants’ pay could be linked to outcomes such as the number of patients who die in their care, the NHS medical director has signalled.

  • News

    Auditors query PCT attempts to reduce last year's surplus

    2008-06-05T09:00:00Z

    Auditors are querying NHS organisations' attempts to minimise the surpluses they have reported in their 2007-08 accounts.Analysis by HSJ suggests new accountancy policies and provisions allowed NHS organisations to deflate their surpluses by up to £1.3bn.

  • News

    Parliament warns on NHS underspend damage

    2008-06-05T09:00:00Z

    More than one in five NHS organisations were still in deficit by the close of the 2006-07 financial year, despite the health service itself achieving surplus.

  • News

    Private providers and human rights

    2008-06-05T09:00:00Z

    You report that a question mark remains over whether private providers in the NHS are subject to the Human Rights Act. Any attempts to narrow the scope of the act need to be robustly challenged, because this would leave people vulnerable to abuse, writes Jean Candler

  • News

    New King's College Hospital chief

    2008-06-05T09:00:00Z

    I was interested to read Tim Smart's comment with reference to his work at BT and his intentions for King's College Hospital foundation trust, where he has been appointed chief executive, writes Jane Molloy

  • News

    Change management rules

    2008-06-05T09:00:00Z

    Helen Bevan's piece is excellent, writes Jazz Singh