All Health Service Journal articles in October 2006 – Page 4

  • HSJ Knowledge

    The Health of Minority Ethnic Groups

    2006-10-20T00:00:00Z

    Document from the Office of National Statistics, based on the 2004 Health Survey for England, and published in April 2006. It examines a range of health indicators among ethnic minority populations, including blood pressure, exercise levels, smoking and alcohol use, and obesity. Among the findings: diabetes was almost four times ...

  • News

    Primary care trusts told to save money for 2006-07 GP payments

    2006-10-23T12:00:00Z

    Primary care trust directors of finance should accrue funds during the financial year 2006-07 to enable them to pay GPs in the first quarter of 2007-08.The guidance is published in a series of letters to trusts and GPs about this year's GP Patient Survey.Read the letters ...

  • News

    NHS could save £2.2bn by tackling inefficiency

    2006-10-23T12:00:00Z

    The NHS could save up to £2.2bn if trusts take steps to address wide variations in productivity and efficiency.The Department of Health has published its Better care, better valueindicators, which show trust-by-trust performance against a range of measures.Reducing unnecessary admissions could unlock £348m, and ...

  • News

    Lord Warner welcomes millionth choose and book referral

    2006-10-23T12:00:00Z

    More than one million referrals to specialist care have been made through choose and book by GPs across England, health minister Lord Warner has announced.He said 85 per cent of all practices were using the IT system to make referrals, and more than 6,000 practices made referrals last week.Read the ...

  • News

    Private finance guidance for trusts published

    2006-10-23T12:00:00Z

    New draft guidance which will help NHS trusts select, evaluate and appoint private sector bidders in private finance schemes has been published by the Department of Health.The guidance has been developed in conjunction with the Treasury, private sector contractors and managers of NHS organisations that have been through private finance ...

  • News

    More long-term contraceptives being used

    2006-10-24T00:00:00Z

    One in five women are using long acting reversible contraception such as implants and the contraceptive jab, according to research by The Information Centre for health and social care. There has been a massive increase in the numbers of women using the intrauterine system and ...

  • News

    Boosting nursing numbers could save lives, says RCN

    2006-10-24T00:00:00Z

    Patients on wards with fewer nurses are more likely to experience complications, according to research launched by the Royal College of Nursing. The research also found that nurses working on wards with lower numbers of nurses are more likely to experience burn out.Read the press release ...

  • News

    Homeless people lack health support

    2006-10-24T00:00:00Z

    Eight out of 10 homeless people do not know where to get health support to help with drug, alcohol or mental health problems, according to a homeless charity. Research carried out by Broadway on the impact its healthy living centre has on homeless and vulnerably ...

  • News

    Unions demand 'decent' pay increase

    2006-10-24T12:00:00Z

    The 14 unions that make up the NHS Staff Council staff side have blasted a 1.5 per cent pay rise the Department of Health is predicted to propose. In a joint press conference the unions outlined their case for a 'decent' pay rise based on ...

  • News

    Rise in NHS sight tests

    2006-10-24T12:00:00Z

    Two out of three sight tests are paid for by the NHS, compared to a decade ago when almost half of all sight tests were carried out privately. The total number of sight tests has increased by 5 per cent since 2003-04 with a small ...

  • News

    Inappropriate admissions: guidance to urge 12.5pc cut

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    The prime minister's delivery unit is taking a key role in shaping 'crisp' new guidance for primary care trusts to reduce inappropriate hospital admissions and save over £1.4bn a year.

  • News

    PCT to lose 90 posts in £29m cuts plan

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    A primary care trust has announced plans to cut up to 90 jobs in response to the Department of Health requirement to balance its books within one financial year.

  • News

    Tips for achieving the 18-week target

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    There is no magic solution to achieving the 18-week target from GP referral to hospital treatment; but the secret is to tighten up all aspects of every element of the patient's journey.

  • News

    Mayor calls for action on Muslim health in London

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    London mayor Ken Livingstone has called on NHS organisations to act on the recommendations of the first ever large-scale report on the lives of Muslims in the capital One in twelve Londoners is Muslim and the report finds that their health is disproportionately affected by ...

  • News

    News analysis: time to give PECs the muscle to make a real difference

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    Professional executive committees have been weighed down by corporate affairs and unable to influence strategy and clinical design, so the DoH's decision to review them has been widely welcomed. But what will the new PECs look like? Daloni Carlisle finds out

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Andrew Castle on measuring performance

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    'If we are interested in productivity, quality of output and whether services are being delivered on time and at the right cost, theatre use is not the right measure.'

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Productive ward: stand by your bed

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    Inpatient care swallows funds and staff time. Jennifer Taylor reports on a pilot scheme that aims to break the cycle

  • HSJ Knowledge

    Legal Briefing: resolving payment disputes between PCTs and foundation trusts

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    As the NHS becomes accustomed to the legally-binding contracts between primary care trusts and foundation trusts, the main pressure points are beginning to emerge.

  • News

    Call to scrap funding formula

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    The NHS funding formula is based on an untested scientific premise and should be scrapped, the chief economic advisor to the Department of Health was told last week.

  • News

    DoH publishes new smoking cessation figures

    2006-10-25T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has published the latest quarterly statistics on access to smoking cessation services. It shows Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority had the highest proportion of successful quitters (63 per cent) while Cheshire and Merseyside SHA reported the lowest (41 per cent). ...