Cameron’s reforms risk being undone by weak accountability structures
ippr’s Jonathon Clifton argues David Cameron’s reforms to public services risk being undone by the weak accountability structures he is putting in place.
NHS
Simon Hughes: “I oppose EMA cut, housing benefit cut and NHS reforms”
At today’s Fabian Society conference Simon Hughes said that he opposed the cuts to Education Maintenance Allowance and housing benefit and the NHS reforms.
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?
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