All articles by Simon Lewis – Page 6
-
NewsPrescriptions bill up £300m despite improved value for money
The overall cost to the NHS of prescriptions rose by £300m in 2009-10, despite a slight fall in the average cost of individual items, according to NHS Information Centre data.
-
CommentMaking room for meddling in the East
While strategic health authorities wind down to their abolition – now slightly delayed – clustering has begun to meddle with the map.
-
NewsNo hospital doctors on consortia boards
Patients and other health professionals are being excluded from the “closed shop” of GP commissioning consortium boards, an HSJ investigation has found.
-
CommentMedia Watch: Lansley listens while Tories tell
Despite embarking on a “listening exercise” to hear concerns about the reforms, the health secretary tried his best to avoid confrontation with nurses last week, the Independent reported.
-
NewsPressure on local authority funds raising risk of legal action
The financial pressures facing local authorities are increasing legal disputes with the NHS, say healthcare lawyers.
-
NewsConfederation must be heard - Farrar
The NHS Confederation must make its voice heard during the listening period for the Health Bill, the body’s new chief executive has said.
-
NewsLord Howe: 'Unsustainable' NHS needs reforms
The government’s modernisation plans are necessary if the NHS is to survive, Lord Howe has said.
-
NewsSecure mental health beds blocked
A lack of “step down” services is adding to pressures on secure mental health services, say researchers.
-
NewsHealth Bill amendments 'soften' competition rules
Government amendments to the Health Bill made during the committee stage have further “softened” rules aimed at encouraging competition, according to legal analysis for HSJ.
-
NewsCommissioning Board control of GP contracts would be 'disaster'
It will be a “disaster” if primary care services are performance managed centrally, a senior GP has warned.
-
NewsHealth committee proposes strengthened 'commissioning authorities'
MPs have proposed major amendments to the Health Bill to increase the accountability of commissioning organisations.
-
NewsPeer warns of upper house opposition to Health Bill
Government concessions over the Health Bill may be insufficient to dispel “profound disquiet” over the legislation in the House of Lords, which could significantly delay its passage, a senior peer has warned.
-
NewsLeading GP groups risk creation of 'sink estate' consortia
GPs are forming commissioning groups that do not cover a defined geographic area, sometimes excluding lower performing practices.
-
NewsLansley: reform criticisms 'not valid'
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has hit back at critics of his health reforms, saying some concerns were “not valid” and opposition from unions was “not necessarily representative” of the health professions.
-
NewsLansley switches to 'any qualified provider'
Health secretary Andrew Lansley appears to have made a change in the rhetoric of the health reforms to further quell concerns over competition in the NHS.
-
NewsMonitor predicts 20 FT contract disputes
Rows over 2010-11 contracts could increase foundation trusts’ risk ratings by the end of this year, Monitor has predicted.
-
NewsWest Midlands cluster chiefs announced
NHS West Midlands has announced who will be leading the region’s five primary care trust clusters.
-
NewsMonitor 'happy' with Mid Staffs death toll
A former board director at Mid Staffordshire has spoken of his “amazement” that Monitor did not pick up on the hospital’s problems during its authorisation process to become a foundation trust.
-
NewsMPs told of budget topslicing 'risk'
Providers could face financial difficulties if commissioning consortia decide to topslice their budgets to create risk pools, the Commons health committee has heard.
-
NewsDoctors give verdict on health reform
Doctors have made clear the opposition to the Health Bill within the profession, but stopped short of opposing the bill in its entirety.