NHS
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 […]
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.
‘Ring-fenced’ NHS will receive limited protection from the coalition
Do health services really justify a ring-fenced budget? Left Foot Forward's health policy expert Trevor Cheeseman examines the issue.
National standards in health and care ‘not our role’ says Coalition
Labour must define itself by defending a core level of service quality - putting back the National back into the NHS, and a new National Care Service as well.