Govt to address carer concerns
Gordon Brown says he will listen to carers’ concerns in this year’s forthcoming government strategy review. Yesterday saw the close of a consultation on how to improve the lives of Britain’s six million carers marked by an event attended by ministers. Over 1,700 submissions have been received and the government intends to work through them […]
EU healthcare proposals delayed
Plans to allow EU citizens to travel abroad for operations have been delayed. The European Commission was to unveil its unifying healthcare proposals today, but “agenda reasons” mean the plans will not be published until next year. The proposals have already come under attack from those concerned by the viability of treatment for British patients. […]
DoH ‘axes’ private sector clinics
The health secretary has denied the Department of Health (DoH) has axed controversial plans to involve private sector treatment centres in the NHS. The director general has recommended seven schemes are dropped because they do not offer value for money or are poorly used. In a ministerial statement to MPs, Alan Johnson insisted the government […]
Dentists are returning to NHS, govt claims
The government claims dental services are improving, with more patients able to access an NHS dentist. The chief dental officer today published a report outlining how dental services have been improved since the government first pledged to reform the sector last year. However, his positive claims have been strongly contested by opposition MPs and consumer […]
Lansley promises to protect the NHS
Conservatives “must deliver for the NHS”, the shadow health secretary has insisted, amid a row about the party’s plans for privatising the service. Andrew Lansley told the party conference in Bournemouth that the Tories “will ensure the NHS provides healthcare for all, free at the point of use, based on need”. His comments come after […]
Labour rebels over NHS reforms
Labour activists today defied the party leadership to back a highly critical motion condemning NHS reforms and the sell-off of NHS Logistics. Delegates at the Labour conference in Manchester dismissed health secretary Patricia Hewitt’s appeal to disregard Unison’s motion, which warns the government’s pace of reform is causing “immense damage” to many NHS services. It […]
Hewitt: NHS changes will safeguard its values
Health secretary Patricia Hewitt has hit back at critics of the government’s reform of the NHS, insisting they were vital to ensuring the service’s core values were preserved. “The changes that we are making are not simply compatible with the founding values but [are] the best way to ensure that we safeguard these values in […]
Private clinics on NHS ‘not offering value for money’
There is no evidence to suggest that private clinics given NHS contracts to deal with routine elective surgery are providing value for money, MPs have warned. The health select committee says independent sector treatment centres (ISTCs) have increased patient choice but warns they have not made any major contribution to bringing down waiting times and […]
Hewitt denies NHS privatisation reports
Patricia Hewitt has written to two national newspapers to deny reports that the government plans to privatise the NHS by stealth. Mrs Hewitt says that an advert placed by the Department of Health (DH) upon which the reports were based contained “drafting errors” and had been withdrawn. The advert in the Official Journal of European […]
NHS patients get wider choice of hospitals
NHS patients requiring hospital treatment will be able to have it anywhere in England and Wales under new plans outlined by the government today. In an extension of the choice agenda, from today patients will be able to choose from any of the 35 foundation trust hospitals across the country for their non-urgent operations. Over […]
