Lansley’s “weasel words” hide coalition’s true intentions for NHS
The Coalition is trying to hide its big idea for health – the privitisation of commissioning and further use of private sector providers in the NHS. Why not be honest?
NHS
Cuts to council funding will make ‘bed blocking’ problem worse
In a survey, 50 per cent of doctors say the bed blocking problem is worse than last year; with cuts to council funding, Age UK fears the problem will get worse.
Where will the NHS go from here?
Director of the Socialist Health Association, Martin Rathfelder, discusses the future of the NHS.
Cuts to NHS and social care services likely, says health select committee
The likelihood of cuts to health and social care services, and the destabilising effect of the Coalition’s market-driven NHS reforms, were endorsed today in a remarkable health select committee report. The committee, with a coalition majority and chaired by ex-Tory health secretary Stephen Dorrell, was reporting on implications and risks from the Spending Review.
The shocking rise of violence in the NHS
Unison general secretary Dave Prentis writes about the shocking rise in violence against NHS staff – and the poor proesectution rate, currently only 1.9 pc.
Thin end of the wedge? Private firm to run NHS hospital
Imagine the letters “NHS” were removed from your local hospital’s name. Would that worry you as a prospective patient? This scenario has not happened yet – but is getting closer. Last week saw the announcement of England’s first district hospital where all clinical services will be run by a private company. With the coalition’s Health Bill imminent, concerns about NHS local care becoming a franchise for big private operators are moving centre stage.
Community action alone cannot meet elderly care challenge
A new report on social isolation in care homes has been launched by the Relatives and Residents Association (R&RA). The findings show that at least 40,000 elderly people in care homes in England are living in social isolation and that as many as 13,000 are completely ‘without kith or kin’ and receive no letters, calls or visits at all.
Limiting child access to cigarettes – Coalition must enforce health act
Our guest writer is Tom Yates, a working NHS doctor Last month, health minister Andrew Lansley said his Department would “tell Parliament in due course” whether it intends to implement measures, contained in the 2009 Health Act, banning cigarette vendingtest
Not so NICE: Warning of drug industry influence on NHS
No-one likes to talk about rationing health services, especially politicians. Yet rationing decisions are necessary in all health systems without limitless budgets, since demand will always exceed supply. The question is: who makes the decision, and on what basis?
Warnings NHS faces real terms funding reduction of 1 per cent a year
A leading health think tank has warned the NHS faces a funding gap of £6 billion a year by 2015. The King’s Fund says that, contrary to George Osborne’s claim the NHS will get an annual real-terms rise of 0.1 per cent, the NHS will in effect face a reduction of more than 1 per cent a year if it is to maintain existing levels of treatment and cover, given changes in the population.