Primary Care – Page 289

  • 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

    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

    Central procurement to fill GP gaps

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The government is to take control of the majority of procurements for GP services in 30 under-doctored areas in England, HSJ has learned.

  • News

    DoH invites private bids for PCT management

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Scores of private consultancy and insurance firms are vying to win a place on a list of companies government-sanctioned to manage commissioning for primary care trusts.

  • News

    Audit Commission and NAO calls for debt bail-outs

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Ministers should reconsider their decision not to bail out trusts with historic deficits, a report by the Audit Commission and National Audit Office has recommended.

  • News

    Demand management 'not a panacea'

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The NHS risks 'pinning too much' on the financial gains of demand management, a leading voice in primary care has warned.

  • News

    Some trusts will stay in red, MPs warn

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Some NHS trusts will never get back into financial balance, one of the government's turnaround advisers has admitted.

  • News

    Chair quits over private power

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    A primary care trust chair has resigned in protest at the increasing role of the private sector in the NHS. Rochdale PCT chair Debbie Abrahams spoke to HSJ after her announcement at a public demonstration in Manchester.

  • News

    LIFT eight times more expensive, MPs told

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Primary care trusts are paying up to eight times as much per patient for GP surgeries built by local improvement finance trusts, a report from the Commons public accounts committee has found.

  • News

    DoH says avoid public health redundancies

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The Department of Health has decreed that 'all reasonable steps' should be taken to avoid making primary care trust public health directors redundant to enable the NHS to retain their specialist knowledge.

  • News

    Lord Warner: PCT commissioning advert blunder 'only human'

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Health minister Lord Warner has labelled his department's hurried withdrawal of an advertisement to contract out primary care trust management services as 'unfortunate' ' but stood by the government's assertion of the need to bring in private sector commissioning experience.

  • News

    PCTs oppose Manchester maternity shake-up

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Plans for a shake-up of children's and maternity services in Manchester are under fire because one corner of the city could be left without inpatient services.

  • News

    Charity should be 'hard-wired' to reform

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Charities and not-for-profit healthcare organisations need to be 'hard-wired' to the government's 'ongoing reform programmes', a government taskforce has said.

  • News

    Tender rules loosened for commissioners

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Practice-based commissioners will not have go out to open tender 'in many cases' when switching where they send patients, the government's guidance on commissioning was expected to rule today.

  • News

    Service 'collapse' warning

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The clinical director of a sexual health service has warned that it is on the brink of collapse because of spending cuts.

  • News

    Inside track: primary care

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Lack of jobs, money and clarity on reform are the main ingredients of primary care trust managers' daily grind at the moment. It hardly makes an attractive package. One PCT senior manager told Inside Track that they are moving sector after a career in primary care, because they are 'buggered ...

  • News

    New group to co-ordinate specialisms

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    A new national body will be set up by the Department of Health to co-ordinate the commissioning of specialist paediatric and orthopaedic services.

  • News

    Managers betrayed by outsourcing, says union

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    The government expects private companies to form consortia to bid for places as approved commissioning support suppliers, NHS acting chief executive Sir Ian Caruthers has revealed.

  • News

    GP rewards for innovation

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    Primary care trusts should 'invest to save' by handing out more cash incentives to GP practices to help with achieving system reform priorities, the government has said.

  • News

    Monitor settles payment by results row

    2007-01-01T00:00:00Z

    A public dispute between the foundation trust and primary care trust in Bournemouth over payments under payment by results has been settled.