Privacy fears raised as NHS IT project ploughs ahead
By Ian Dunt Doctors’ organisations and privacy groups have raised concerned about the implications of the new NHS IT system. The British Medical Association (BMA) said that patients lack information about how many of their personal details are put on the database and that it is too hard for them to opt out if they […]
Stafford Hospital inquiry into ‘appalling’ care findings out today
By Emmeline Saunders A hospital which provided “appalling” levels of care for its patients has heard the findings of an official inquiry into complaints made by families and campaigners. Patients at Stafford Hospital were left for days without food, water or pain relief, and some were told to lie in their own filth, according to […]
No more homeopathy on the NHS, MPs demand
By politics.co.uk staff A damning new report on the use of homeopathy in the NHS by an influential panel of MPs has demanded an end to government funding of the controversial treatments. The science and technology committee also said the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) should not allow homeopathic product labels to make […]
Lib Dems offer carer ‘holidays’
By politics.co.uk staff Nick Clegg wants to reallocate spending contained in the personal care at home bill to provide a week’s holiday for the country’s hardest-working carers. He is set to announce in a speech later that he would back the switching of £460 million of spending to give those caring unpaid for over 50 […]
Tories boycott Labour care talks
By Ian Dunt The Tories will boycott Labour-organised discussions on a national care service, after branding them a government smokescreen. Andy Burnham, health secretary, will be holding talks with charities, local authorities and care providers to discuss the provision of elderly care, a subject which has prompted bitter rows in the Commons this month. But […]
Burnham raises home care stakes
By politics.co.uk staff The NHS should not be afraid of transforming services from hospital to the home, health secretary Andy Burnham will say later. It comes as he announces government ambitions towards providing more care at home, including dialysis for around 7,000 potential people. His calls are likely to give last week’s clashes over Labour’s […]
Councils ‘face elderly challenge’
By politics.co.uk staff Local authorities are likely to struggle with the rising costs of looking after elderly people if they do not innovate to achieve savings, the Audit Commission has warned. Its ‘Under Pressure’ report attacks councils for not knowing enough about the costs of their ageing population and warns savings from preventive services could […]
‘Shocking’ NHS accident inaction condemned
By Alex Stevenson A widespread failure across the NHS to comply with patient safety standards has been described as “shocking” by the Action Against Medical Accidents (AvMA) charity. Its freedom of information request about the number of unresolved alerts issued by the National Patient Safety Agency revealed that 80 NHS Trusts have not complied with […]
Acrimony sours elderly care debate
By Alex Stevenson Prospects for cross-party talks on reforming elderly care in England and Wales diminished over the weekend as the media glare hardened negotiating positions. Health secretary Andy Burnham and his Conservative and Liberal Democrat shadows Andrew Lansley and Norman Lamb appeared together on BBC1’s The Politics Show to discuss the state of their […]
Mandy attacks Cameron’s death tax ‘wrecking ball’
By Alex Stevenson Peter Mandelson has intervened in the ‘death tax’ debate by calling David Cameron’s alleged decision to cut off cross-party talks “contemptible”. It follows shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley’s denial that he walked out of talks on reforming social care because the Conservative leader told him to. Mr Lansley launched a ‘death tax’ […]
