All Opinion/columnist articles – Page 30
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CommentDebate: is general practice pulling its weight in the efficiency challenge?
On 30 June, HSJ columnist Noel Plumridge suggested primary care should carry its share of the £20bn Nicholson challenge, alluding to the Nuffield Trust’s March recommendation that primary care “should become a key focus of the quality, innovation, productivity and prevention agenda”. Noel’s article led to this correspondence with Pat ...
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Comment'If the reforms go wrong, the potential risk to public health huge'
Andrew Lansley’s new vision for public health must overcome tough tests if it is to grow into a healthy being, says Alan Maryon-Davis.
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Comment'Real change in public health will be made more difficult if service transfers are delayed'
The positive steps in transferring public health services to local control will be marred by the delay of children’s services until 2015 under recent government proposals. Graham Burgess argues the public health strategy needs more coherence if local commissioning plans are not to be undermined.
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CommentSally Gainsbury: PROMs prove McKinsey right - nearly
The latest crop of patient reported outcome measures confirm huge numbers of patients do not feel any better after undergoing one of four measuredprocedures, and quite a few report feeling worse.
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Comment‘Inert’ or improving: the state of medical regulation
Alan Maynard argues the GMC’s ‘feeble’ regulation of doctors does little to benefit the NHS, but chief executive Niall Dickson says a new approach will protect patients.
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CommentCarving out a path for clinically led commissioning
The big question nervously whispered in the shadows of the corridors of power is: “what will be different about clinically led commissioning?”. Many have sought the answer - few have found it. Paul Zollinger-Read sheds some light on the direction clinically led commissioning might take.
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CommentSally Gainsbury: the £2bn secret subsidy
Will the £500m ministers plan to spend each year on not sorting out failing hospitals suffice?
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CommentThe crucial role health charities have to play
Never has there been a more important time to strengthen the relationships we have with hospital charities. And with more than 280 NHS charities across the UK, are we maximising these relationships that bring unquestionable benefits to our patients and staff, asks Peter Homa.
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CommentCynthia Bower interview: replacing the 'light touch' with a firm grip
Amid heavy political pressure, the Care Quality Commission is preparing to replace its “light touch” style with annual inspections of every provider. So is its chief executive ready to do battle? Cynthia Bower talks to HSJ’s Charlotte Santry.
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CommentNoel Plumridge: the price of reputation
How would you feel about a health insurer that took your premium payments and then turned down your claim, not on the basis of an alleged pre-existing condition, or something in the contractual small print, but simply because it considered your illness a low priority?
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CommentPerfect placement: getting patients out of hospital and onto their preferred pathway
The biggest problem facing West Hertfordshire Hospital Trust is giving patients who no longer requiring hospital treatment the support and care they do need in the next stage of their pathway efficiently and cost effectively. Chief executive Jan Filochowski looks at the issue.
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CommentLocal services need the backup of national support
We’ve all gone local these days. The health secretary is handing power to GPs. NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson is giving a bigger say to patients.
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CommentSally Gainsbury: what price public health?
How much does the NHS spend on public health? It is an important question because, whatever the amount is, it will be hacked off the NHS commissioning budget from 2013-14 onwards and passed over to those hungry colleagues in local authorities.
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CommentHow to lead NHS transformation
The discussion in GP land continues to rage between those who oppose the reforms, and those who support them.
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CommentHealthWatch: local scrutiny and national tension
Although the listening exercise was meant to encompass every aspect of the proposed changes to the NHS, an important part of the reforms has been slipping under everyone’s radar - HealthWatch.
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CommentProgress in the community: how TCS has helped community providers
With the Transforming Community Services transfers largely complete, attention turns to realising the benefits this sector of the NHS can now bring. Dr Kate Fallon looks at the progress that has been made.
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Blogs
DH sweeps long-waits under the carpet
Surely the deputy chief executive of the NHS in England cannot be encouraging Trusts to sweep their long-waiters under the carpet and ignore them?
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CommentPower to the patients: promised improvements to patient choice need backing up
A change in what “choice” represents in policy has great potential for patients. Now that change needs to be backed with a firm will to implement it, writes Health Foundation chief executive Stephen Thornton.
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CommentAndrew Lansley: the strength of feeling shows why we had to listen
Readers of HSJ will need no reminding that the NHS Future Forum recently published its recommendations on the Health and Social Care Bill. Nor that parliamentary scrutiny has begun on its amendments.
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CommentInvestment alone is not enough to solve the social care crisis
It is now well established that there is a crisis in social care and that we urgently need more money in the system. But we must also reform the way care services are organised and delivered: a priority that has been absent from recent debate, says IPPR researcher Laura Bradley.