All Health Service Journal articles in Opinion – Page 12

  • News

    Time to break the circle of negativity

    2007-02-08T10:27:00Z

    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.

  • Comment

    Hilary Thomas on reconfiguration and supercasinos

    2007-02-05T00:00:00Z

    So far this year I've enjoyed a strange mixture of speaking to the public about the case for change; getting involved in what I might loosely term 'people processes' - all of which has been a rich source of learning; and finding myself in a new-found role of professional patient.

  • News

    Transplant dilemmas

    2007-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Chris Rudge writes of the need to increase donors for organ transplants, yet 20 years ago the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital was successfully doing this and the process was stopped.

  • News

    Job cuts at Hillingdon

    2007-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Having seen your article today, I am sure I am not going to be the only person sounding totally aghast at what is being proposed in Hillingdon PCT.

  • News

    Closing the skills gap with the private sector

    2007-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Just a quick feedback on the excellent article by Neil Goodwin which made points that need to be explored by NHS managers when providing patient-led services.

  • News

    Lack of can-do exposed by Sir Gerry

    2007-02-05T00:00:00Z

    Clive Savory makes some valid points about Sir Gerry Robinson's much-publicised troubleshooting visit to Rotherham General Hospital.

  • Comment

    Angela Coulter on the national patients survey

    2007-02-05T00:00:00Z

    'Access to GPs has dramatically improved!' claims the government. 'Nonsense, it's got worse!' yells the Daily Express.

  • Comment

    Your Humble Servant: disaster planning

    2007-02-01T00:00:00Z

    ‘Four black Mercedes limousines with police outriders screeched to a halt outside trust HQ heralding the arrival of the McKashsky consultants’

  • Comment

    Clinical engagement: the beginning of reform is the end point

    2007-02-01T00:00:00Z

    The fall-out from Sir Gerry Robinson's TV programme on NHS management continues, and this week two very different commentators address the central issue of what is holding back managers and clinicians from working together properly.

  • Comment

    'Unacceptable risk' to acutes exposed by PCTs' contract

    2007-02-01T00:00:00Z

    The final model contract released last week has provoked fierce resistance from hospital providers, which have little time for the argument that it rebalances the power levels between primary care trusts and acutes. For more, read New model contract threatens survival, foundations warn.

  • News

    Transplants policy

    2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

    Chris Rudge writes of the need to increase donors for organ transplants, yet 20 years ago the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital was successfully doing this and the process was stopped. I was then a junior staff nurse on the intensive care unit there, which ran a protocol called 'elective ...

  • Comment

    Clinical coding

    2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

    Regarding thr piece in HSJ by Tim Kelsey of Dr Foster Intelligence: 'Clinical record taking has been left to coders for too long.' Excuse me? Clinical information is recorded by clinicians. Coders then translate this information into clinical codes in accordance with National Standards.

  • News

    Patient choice online

    2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

    Although the Minister's announcement of a new supersite supporting patient choice is something to look forward to, personal experience of the system leaves deep misgivings about just how effectively a web based service will work with a paper-based mind set.

  • News

    Political accountability for health

    2007-01-30T00:00:00Z

    Congratulations on you superb and balanced debate on politics in healthcare! It was clear from your panel that strategic direction and accountability must lie with politicians when public money is being spent - a very welcome stance, it is just a shame that it does not happen now.

  • Comment

    Neil Goodwin on the training challenge for NHS managers

    2007-01-29T00:00:00Z

    'Foundation trusts will need to lead the way in learning to establish effective working relationships with their investors, namely primary care trusts and practice-based commissioners, and being proactive in discussing future strategy.'

  • News

    Roger Noon on six immediate steps to better change management

    2007-01-29T00:00:00Z

    I don't envy the leaders of PCTs. Following the recent rationalisation programme, they are under more pressure than ever to deliver improvements in healthcare within tight budgets and aggressive timescales. This against a backdrop of continuous political, policy, regulatory and clinical change.

  • Comment

    NHS independence: removing politicians will leave a hole that must be filled

    2007-01-25T00:00:00Z

    Would an 'independent' NHS create a worse provider monopoly than British Leyland or set it lose from the targetitis of Whitehall? Who would hold the reins of scrutiny - regulators, Parliament or local councils? Where are the models - the BBC, Scandinavia, Oregon or New Zealand? Is independence even a ...

  • News

    Emma Dent

    2007-01-25T00:00:00Z

    'Any man willing to keep you company in a room full of hormonal women is a keeper'

  • Comment

    Joint working: more power for councils will test relations

    2007-01-25T00:00:00Z

    The government has proposed that councils and primary care trusts sign up to joint 'strategic assessments' of local health needs and, potentially, 'a single regime' to meet them (news, page 5). The details will emerge next month, but already a number of things are clear.

  • News

    Complaints and Criticisms.

    2007-01-24T00:00:00Z

    During my years as a CHC Chief Officer, I was repeatedly aggravated by letters from NHS managers in reply to individual complaints or to CHC comments on local plans that said, in essence, that what was being done was in accordance with policy and/or guidance.