At the end of what has been an excellent World Cup, an editorial in the Lancet has echoed the alarm which many will have felt at the spectacle being sullied by the poor management of players who were apparently concussed. Uruguay’s Alvero Pereira lay motionless for some time during a game with England. Argentina’s Javier […]
There appears to be no shortage of opinion at the moment about the financial predicaments facing the NHS, with concerns being raised about its realistic life expectancy. Lead stories are grabbing the headlines on an almost daily basis. Take for example the BBC Health report prompted by a Nuffield Trust survey which concludes that […]
Several recent and current healthcare news stories from different viewpoints are colliding to create increasing alarm over the future pressures upon the NHS. The Health Select Committee has highlight the fact that dealing long term health conditions, such as diabetes, accounts for 70% of all health spending to be focused upon just 30% of patients. […]
Hot on the heels of last week’s headline grabbing story regarding the new website which, as part of its brief, will name and shame NHS Trusts which have been rated poor for honesty and openness, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has gone on record to state that he wants to expose doctors whose failure to spot […]
A dominant story in the news this week has been the output and reaction to a government review which suggested that a fifth of hospital trusts in England may be covering up mistakes. As part of their actions to stop 6000 preventable deaths over the next three years, a new website has been launched allowing […]
The topic of appraisal, particularly in relation to revalidation, has been a focus of discussion at the British Medical Association’s Annual Representative Meeting this week. Although doctors were keen to stress that they had welcomed and embraced what they believed would be a valuable process, which would make better doctors and benefit patients, the report […]
Satisfaction with the NHS in Scotland has increased significantly in the last decade, research suggests. According to an official survey of almost 1,500 members of the public (rather than patients), satisfaction with the NHS in Scotland has increased significantly in the last decade. 61% of those polled were either very or quite satisfied with the […]
One of the main recommendations of the Francis report into the failings at Stafford hospital was that all hospital patients should know the name of the senior doctor in charge of their care. They should also know the name of a nurse who can answer their questions. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges published its advice […]
At this time of year, many of us will be turning our attention to holiday planning. After the initial thoughts about where and when to enjoy a well end break, the question which inevitably follows has to be: What happens when I’m away? For some reason, there has been a recent flurry of comment on […]
Ongoing improvement to the care and experience of both patients and their families is of utmost importance to everyone involved in healthcare – but how? Anything which helps us to answer that question must be applauded and an excellent example has arrived this week in the shape of the Patient and Family Centred Care Toolkit, […]
