All articles by Simon Lewis – Page 4
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HSJ Local
South West Essex urged to take ‘firm line’ on provider quality
PERFORMANCE: NHS South West Essex should “consider alternative providers” if care at Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals Foundation Trust does not improve, its strategic health authority has warned.
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NewsMental health strategy needs plan, say managers
Mental health managers have demanded the Department of Health reveals how the mental health strategy would be implemented, amid warnings of growing “frustration” and government cuts hitting services.
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NewsMinister sets out OFT's role in hospital mergers
The Office of Fair Trading will consider most foundation trust mergers under the terms of the Health Bill, it has emerged.
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NewsPatients paying premium for surgery calls, say MPs
MPs have raised concerns that patients are facing “additional charges” to call GP surgeries, despite the practice being banned by the government.
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NewsDemand management schemes 'not proven'
Schemes being used to manage demand for hospital care have “limited evidence” and some may increase costs, NHS managers have been told.
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NewsMental health facing 'critical window' of opportunity
The mental health sector needs to take advantage of a “critical window” to be involved in the changes to the NHS, Department of Health figures have said.
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NewsWarning over social care integration 'barriers'
The barriers to integration between health and social care have worsened in the last year, the president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has said.
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HSJ Local
Suffolk mental health trust risks £2m arbitration
COMMERCIAL: A mental health trust in the East of England may be “heading to arbitration” over the terms of its talking therapies programme, having failed to sign its contract for the current financial year.
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CommentMedia Watch: backstreet operations and the threat to Human Rights
The “milking of the health service” was the message coming loud and clear from Monday’s Daily Mail as it accused the NHS of a “fertility free for all”.
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NewsFears over mental health gap in commissioning knowledge
Revisions to the Health Bill have failed to address concerns that mental health will be under-represented in commissioning, a trust chief executive has warned.
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NewsData shows mixed results in reducing 'low value' treatments
The NHS has reduced activity related to some “ineffective” treatments, but has not managed to stop the rise in other “low clinical value” procedures, according to data analysed for HSJ.
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NewsFlory highlights 'unacceptable' waiting times
Improvement is expected after “unacceptable” waiting times this winter, the NHS deputy chief executive has said.
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News‘Specialist’ doctors on CCG boards could be GPs
The “hospital doctors” due to sit on the boards of clinical commissioning groups will not have to be currently working in acute care and may even be serving GPs, HSJ has learned.
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NewsHealth secretary gains powers over NHS Commissioning Board in amended bill
The health secretary is to be given the power to intervene in “particular cases” of “significant failure” by the NHS Commissioning Board, under the newly amended Health Bill.
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NewsCommissioning groups that cross boundaries may have to reform
Eleven commissioning groups crossing local authority boundaries may have to reform due to new rules announced by the government, HSJ has found.
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News
Recommendations on new allocation formula expected in July
The government intends to give clinical commissioning groups shadow budget allocations this year, despite removing the deadline for the groups to take on their full financial responsibility in April 2013.
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NewsGroups to commission for 'their whole population'
The Health Bill will make explicit that clinical commissioning groups must commission for “whole populations, not just registered patients”, the government has said.
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NewsBoard membership requirements to be set out in regulations
Key changes to the NHS reforms to widen clinical involvement in commissioning will not be written into legislation.
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NewsCircle floats on stock market
The independent healthcare company set to run Hinchingbrooke Health Care Trust as the first UK hospital franchise was floated last week on AIM, a part of the London Stock Exchange.
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NewsLansley: 'We want to take people with us'
Concessions in the NHS reforms were made under pressure from the medical professions, health secretary Andrew Lansley admitted in a speech to GPs yesterday.