All Health Service Journal articles in Opinion – Page 4
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Comment
David Woodhead on gathering evidence
'Science might come up with some interesting ideas, but ultimately the likelihood of adopting evidence is driven by our values. Mass sterilisation of young men might be an effective method of reducing teenage pregnancies, although for good reasons it would not be considered practical'
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News
LINks must respect patients' wishes when conducting visits
The Department of Health's.limitations on visits to care homes by local involvement networks.(LINks) is, in my view,.a patently obvious ploy to reduce the power of the public to have their rightful say (see 'LINks scrutiny system to bar patient networks from access to key services').
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Comment
Chris Ham on integrating to compete in the NHS
'Instead of separating the roles of buyers and sellers in the NHS, the government needs to encourage closer integration between hospitals and GPs'
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News
Why can't LINks have access to care homes?
In your.article on local involvement networks (LINks),.a spokesman from the Commission for Social Care Inspection was reported as.saying they had concerns about giving LINks right of entry to care homes (see.'LINks scrutiny system to bar patient networks from access to key services').
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Comment
Report points to NHS culture of bullying and bureaucracy
'Middle managers need more support to survive in the treacherous terrain between their bosses and clinicians'
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Comment
BMA must engage, not take cheap shots
'Shouting from the sidelines will secure more newspaper column inches than engagement, but it will achieve less'
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Comment
Minor injuries units are valuable for predicting outcomes
Geraint Lewis's comments on using clinicians' knowledge to predict.outcomes was very interesting ('Tapping into staff knowledge').
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Comment
Hilary Thomas on her honeymoon period
'I am like a pig in the proverbial. I am no longer part of a demoralised, cynical workforce, ground down by the inevitability of stasis and rigidity'
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News
Robina Shah on a day in the life of Patricia Hewitt
Trust chair Robina Shah spends an exhausting day in the shadow of health secretary Patricia Hewitt
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Comment
Early consultation with scrutiny committees is key
Your article about health scrutiny (opinion, page 20, 31 May) made the point that it is helpful to involve councillors on health overview scrutiny committees when considering.service changes at an early stage. That is absolutely right.
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Comment
Private sector's role is irrelevant for efficient commissioning
You report on a possible deceleration in NHS commissioning of private sector healthcare provision ('Private slow-down expected as service prepares for Brown'). It may seem odd to hear a private sector organisation saying this, but if such a phenomenon occurs, it will not necessarily be a bad thing. This is ...
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Comment
Vulnerable patients and carers need to be recognised
According to David Lock's article ('David Lock on continuing care liability'): 'There is a serious danger that the new single national criteria for NHS continuing care will result in a substantial number of high-cost care packages being transferred from local authorities to the NHS.'
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Comment
Thumbs up to Monitor's business plan
I am referring to Monitor's business plan announced last month ('Monitor takes tougher line to prepare for wave of FT plans'). Personally, I think this approach is absolutely right. Having just been deferred at Birmingham and Solihull mental health trust for a few months, we have worked hard to have ...
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News
BMA's failure to support medical training
NHS Confederation chief executive Gill Morgan may believe that the British Medical Association has recently been playing a 'constructive role' in policy development ('Resignation over MTAS row 'could weaken' BMA').
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News
BBC-style management model will not work in the NHS
In response to your article - BBC-style management could save NHS from 'political ice', I can't think of a much worse model to aim for than the BBC. It is effectively funded as a tax on all TV owners, irrespective of whether they actually use the service or not. And ...
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Comment
Social services are at last fighting back
David Lock stated in your.article ('David Lock on continuing care liability'): 'A line must be drawn somewhere between health and social care... the social services lobby appears to have been highly effective at persuading the team designing the new eligibility criteria that 'care needs' can usually mean 'healthcare needs', and ...
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Comment
Independent treatment centre move redefines choice
'The DoH appears to be considering pushing PCTs to use independent sector treatment centres.- even to the extent of trying to steer patient choice'
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News
Bill exposes flaws in plans for greater patient involvement
'One of the strengths of the local involvement networks was supposed to be that, rather than examining the services in a particular institution, they could range across a whole area to gain a rounded view of all aspects of services users' experiences'
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Comment
Bear the burden of getting care just right
As patients demand more, it is vital to control variation while preserving truly personalised delivery, argue Geraint Lewis and Phyllis Shelton