News – Page 1953

  • News

    Legal age to buy tobacco to rise

    2007-01-02T00:00:00Z

    The legal minimum age to buy tobacco is to rise from 16 to 18 on 1 July. The move is intended to make it easier for retailers to spot under-age smokers and reduce the numbers of teenagers who smoke. A campaign to raise awareness of the change will be launched ...

  • News

    2007 a make or break year for NHS, says think tank

    2007-01-02T00:00:00Z

    A failure to tackle rising costs and to invest in modern services means that 2007 is a make or break year for the NHS, according to a report by think tank Reform. The report says the service's long-term strength has been sapped by the lack of an underpinning costed reform ...

  • News

    Monitor concern over foundation progress

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Less than half of acute and mental health trusts are likely to reach foundation status by 2008, regulator Monitor has said.

  • News

    Sir Ian warns against complacency after 'creditable' recovery

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Cutting the NHS's net deficit to £512m was a 'creditable' performance ' but cannot be used an excuse for complacency, acting chief executive Sir Ian Carruthers told HSJ.

  • News

    Every GP practice to get kitemark rating

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Every GP surgery is to be rated from next year under a kitemark scheme backed by the Department of Health.

  • News

    Penalty fines total millions on IT

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Trusts are being fined millions of pounds for failing to lend staff to computer contractors running the troubled national IT programme.

  • News

    East Sussex A&E proposals criticised by local MPs

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Trust considers alternating emergency care service between hospitals

  • News

    Foundation concern over £28m in unpaid bills

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Nine foundation trusts have 'significant concerns' over whether outstanding bills will be paid by primary care trusts. The trusts are warning that £28m might have to be written off.

  • News

    Treaty clash between regulatory rivals

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Friction between regulators Monitor and the Healthcare Commission was growing this week over the former's reluctance to sign up to a concordat designed to reduce the regulatory burden on trusts.

  • News

    Politicians in line for a drubbing, ahead of Confed debate

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Patient and public involvement is a 'sham' and politicians are 'pretty useless' at explaining NHS reform, key NHS figures have warned.

  • News

    Inside track: public health

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    What's on managers' minds this week

  • News

    Comms failure hampered London bombing response

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    London Ambulance Service trust has accepted that the breakdown of the mobile network and the configuration of its radio system led to 'communications difficulties' that hampered the NHS response to the bombings in London on 7 July last year.

  • News

    GP star-rating talks called off over fears of misuse

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Any system of 'star-ratings' for GPs now looks unlikely after the Royal College of GPs broke off talks with the government over the proposals.

  • News

    Higher costs warning on independent sector

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Uncertainty over the role of the independent sector is likely to result in higher costs to the NHS, less innovation and a 'muddle' which will put patients in danger, the King's Fund has warned.

  • News

    MPs to probe IT programme

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    MPs on the Commons health select committee are set to investigate the NHS IT programme later this year in response to a letter from 23 computer experts. MPs will examine the national programme and decide whether there is a need for an independent audit.

  • News

    DoH opts out of traffic light rating for PCTs

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has decided not to give primary care trusts an overall traffic-light rating at the end of fitness for purpose assessments.

  • News

    MPs return to redress bill

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The NHS Redress Bill returns to the House of Commons this week. The bill aims to introduce simpler, faster ways of responding to low-value clinical negligence cases. Conservatives will seek to defend key amendments won earlier this year in the House of Lords.

  • News

    Test strip price cut is 'step back' in diabetes care

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    People with diabetes could suffer if the Department of Health goes ahead with planned cuts in the prices for glucose testing strips, an industry body has warned.

  • News

    Inside track: social services

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    What's on managers' minds this week

  • News

    Foundation governance definitely not kids' stuff

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Monitor has stepped in to prevent a foundation trust appointing children as governors.