All articles by Seamus Ward
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Here's the catch
NHS fraud: Their hard-bitten Philip Marlowe image may be spurious, but the counter-fraud service is tracking down millions of pounds stolen from NHS coffers. Seamus Ward reports
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The tender touch
PRIVATE FINANCE INITIATIVE: Capacity is limited in the building sector to meet demand for health service private finance initiatives. Seamus Ward reports on how the market is gearing up
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Dial M for. . . medical advice
NHS Direct has handled 5 million calls since its launch in 1998, and surveys show overwhelming user satisfaction. But has its impact lived up to expectations, asks Seamus Ward
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The great divide
New 'fast-track' ambulatory care centres that separate elective diagnosis and treatment from emergency work are part of the government's plans for spending private finance, alongside the building of new hospitals, writes Seamus Ward
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Pillow talk
The Patient Power initiative will make life easier for patients - though at a cost - with a bedside TV and phone and potentially the Internet. Seamus Ward reports
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Let's spend the cash together
To go it alone, join other trusts or contract out? Seamus Ward looks at challenges facing NHS procurement purchasers
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Take the money and run?
Are managers being paid over the odds when their contracts are terminated? And why do NHS employers refuse to reveal severance payments in defiance of official guidance? Seamus Ward reports
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Technology to fit the bill
It costs the health service up to £65 to process just one invoice, but the electronic solutions in the pipeline will mean significant savings, says Seamus Ward
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Not just acute idea
The private finance initiative's sphere of influence is spreading far beyond the acute hospitals of the first wave - a trend further boosted by the NHS plan. Seamus Ward reports
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Recovery positions
The General Medical Council is under attack but, Seamus Ward reports, its rearguard action is well underway