Hospital Doctor articles from December 2005

Hospital Doctor archives from December 2005

Making NHS regulators to measure.(National Health Service)
December 1, 2005... As the private sector becomes increasingly involved in healthcare, is it time for Ofhealth? Jennifer Veitch examines the pros and cons With demands on the NHS growing, trusts and health authorities must be able to justify their expenditure....

Leaked report shows plans to close DGHs.
December 1, 2005... services By Melanie Newman melanie.newman@rbi.co.uk The end of the DGH is heralded in a leaked report being compiled in Whitehall by an influential advisory body. 'The current configuration of acute hospital services is...

Is consultancy an investment?
December 1, 2005... editorial comment What does McKinsey & Co do? Well, it is a management consulting firm that helps organisations improve their performance. Fair enough. So, what did McKinsey do for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust? ...

letters.
December 1, 2005... More cause for complaint Sir, Despite the criticism of the GMC's performance, the number of complaints it receives gives a clear indication that it retains both patient and public confidence ('Complaints reform will make it worse', 10...

Drop in standing will damage recruitment.
December 1, 2005... medical professionalism By Emma Vere-Jones emma.vere.jones@rbi.co.uk A decline in medical professionalism would have a more negative impact on hospital medicine than it would on general practice, junior doctors believe. ...

Trust refuses to reveal spending.
December 1, 2005... finances A foundation trust is suppressing details of multi-million pound payments to a global management consultancy firm. Hospital Doctor understands Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust has paid McKinsey & Co millions of pounds...

Contract to give 15% pay hike for top SAS doctors.
December 1, 2005... By Melanie Newman melanie.newman@rbi.co.uk Doctors at the top of the reformed staff and associate specialist (SAS) grade could earn up to 15 per cent more than current salaries, Hospital Doctor has learned. All current SAS doctors...

MMC career break plan.(Modernising Medical Careers)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2005... training A new career framework unveiled this week will allow doctors greater movement between training and service posts, Modernising Medical Careers (MMC) has said. The proposals suggest doctors who want to put their training on...

Prescription for change.
December 8, 2005... The Government has made a hasty U-turn after its plans to open up prescribing rights to nurses and pharmacists met a barrage of criticism. Jennifer Veitch finds out how far the new rights will go When the DoH announced it was giving nurses...

letters.
December 8, 2005... is medicine Still strangled by the old school tie? Patronising patronage Sir, I was truly horrified to read Prof Rosemary Crompton's comments ('Old school tie network still active in medicine', 17 November, page 3). This suggested...

Seniors fight cuts to paid activities.
December 8, 2005... Contract By Will Beacham will.beacham@rbi.co.uk Consultants working at cash-strapped trusts must not bow to pressure from managers to cut their contracts, the BMA has said. There is increasing evidence that trusts are...

Call to form forum to boost medical power.(Brief Article)
December 8, 2005... professionalism By Emma Vere-Jones emma.vere.jones@rbi.co.uk A new national forum of medical leaders must be launched to give the profession a more influential voice on health policy, a Royal College of Physicians of London (RCP)...

Prisoners' organs sold.
December 8, 2005... transplantation Organs from executed prisoners in China are being sold through websites to UK 'transplant tourists', Hospital Doctor can reveal. www.transplantsinternational.com, which specialises in 'healthcare for foreigners',...

BMA attacked over race case handling.
December 8, 2005... inequality The BMA's commitment to fighting inequality is under question after its own equal opportunities committee (EOC) chairman denounced it as a 'crap organisation'. Delegates at a conference challenged Prof Aneez Esmail over the...

Stop speaking from sidelines.
December 8, 2005... editorial comment The medical profession's relationship with society has changed profoundly in recent years. Amazing advances in medical science and the Government's embrace of patient involvement in its massive reform programme...

Tripled fees spark anger.
December 8, 2005... By Melanie Newman melanie.newman@rbi.co.uk Massive hikes in fees to join the specialist register have provoked outrage from trainees and staff and associate specialist (SAS) doctors. Charges to trainees for their Certificates of...

Smooth operator.
December 15, 2005... The surgeon who shot to fame for slashing waiting times by dual operating attributes his success to challenging the status quo - and persuading NHS managers. Janis Smy reports Mr John Petri hates waiting lists. And having worked without...

Specialist register to hold more data.
December 15, 2005... GMC By Emma Vere-Jones emma.vere.jones@rbi.co.uk The specialist register could, in future, hold a much wider range of information on doctors, the GMC president has suggested. It was agreed at last week's council meeting that...

Give trainees a reason to stay.
December 15, 2005... editorial comment One of the advantages of being a doctor is developing internationally desirable and transferable skills. Doors that are closed to normal professionals often spring open for doctors, much to the benefit of overseas...

Day cases forced to pay for 'free' drugs.
December 15, 2005... prescribing By Melanie Newman melanie.newman@rbi.co.uk Trusts are penalising day surgery patients by making them pay for painkillers which are free for inpatients, the British Association of Day Surgery (BADS) claims. ...

DoH tackles job debacle.(United Kingdom. Department of Health)
December 15, 2005... By Emma Vere-Jones emma.vere.jones@rbi.co.uk The Government is at last taking steps to deal with the juniors' employment crisis, as a new survey shows that competition for posts is still increasing. The Royal College of Physicians...

Legal costs force [pounds sterling]6m GMC deficit.
December 15, 2005... regulation The GMC will be forced to dip into its financial reserves next year to cover a [pounds sterling]6m predicted deficit which has resulted from rapidly rising legal costs. In the 2006-07 budget, the resources committee predicts...

'Patients put at risk by Capio'.(Brief Article)
December 15, 2005... outsourcing Capio has put patients at risk by employing an overseas surgeon without adequate training, the GMC has been told. A report to the GMC on seven joint replacement operations performed in 2004 by the French surgeon, who was...

letters.
December 15, 2005... Back to the beginning Sir, It is a bit rich that the DoH should propose compulsory, individual indemnity for doctors (17 November, page 2). One of the advantages of advancing years is that the long-term memory is preserved. In days of...