Doctor articles from July 2006

Doctor archives from July 2006

Privatisation worries aired.
July 11, 2006... NHS reforms Doctors have voiced concerns about privatisation to the Government at the first of two 'health summits'. The meeting between Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt and representatives from the BMA and royal colleges was held...

GPs alerted to pertussis risk in child cough.
July 11, 2006... Study backs vaccination booster for teenagers Paola Accalai GPs have been advised to consider a potential diagnosis of pertussis in any child who presents with persistent cough. New data suggest the disease is endemic in UK...

Jab uptake probe.(investigations on observed fall in childhood vaccine coverage)
July 11, 2006... Immunisation The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is investigating an observed fall in childhood vaccine coverage at two London PCTs that installed a new computerised child health monitoring system. The HPA said data submitted by Barking...

GPs dismiss 40% PBC uptake claim.
July 11, 2006... Commissioning Cathy Comerford GPs have rubbished Govern-ment claims that 40% of practices in England have taken up practice-based commissioning (PBC), saying that the true figure is half this. Figures published last week by Health...

LIFT 'keeping funds from other services'.
July 11, 2006... Funding Cathy Comerford LIFT, the public-private partnership scheme to build new GP premises, may be diverting resources from other primary care needs, MPs have warned. A report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), published last...

Pension deal for co-habitees.
July 11, 2006... Pensions Unmarried partners of deceased doctors are likely to get 'survivor pensions' under a deal being negotiated on the NHS pensions scheme. And it might even be possible to backdate any agreed change, according to Dr Andrew...

Practices get stuck in label row.
July 11, 2006... Scotland GPs in Glasgow have been left feeling a wee bit peeved at the latest bit of NHS bureaucracy sent to trouble them. Managers at local hospital trusts have refused to allow practices to preprint the date and time on urine and...

'Swap to another beta-blocker'.
July 11, 2006... Hypertension GPs facing patients worried about being on a beta-blocker, especially atenolol, could consider switching them to another member of the class, say GP specialists. Updated NICE hypertension guidance removed beta-blockers as...

'Scapegoats again'.(general medical council)
July 25, 2006... Exclusive survey: First yardstick of profession's reaction to CMO's regulation proposals Steve Ford Doctors have overwhelmingly rejected most of the Chief Medical Officer's key proposals to overhaul regulation post-Shipman. This is...

Commission allergy services, GPs told.
July 25, 2006... Immunology Adam Legge Practice-based commissioning (PBC) will be the key to improving inadequate allergy services, according to a review from the DoH. The move represents a further example of ministers and their advisers...

Education proposals under fire.
July 25, 2006... Regulation The Chief Medical Officer's proposed changes to the regulation of trainee doctors has drawn opposition from the profession's leaders. The CMO's proposals for medical regulation, published last week, include moving...

Pneumococcal loophole.
July 25, 2006... Immunisation Some children will be left vulnerable under a loophole in the pneumococcal vaccination catch-up programme, warn primary care immunisation specialists. Berkshire GP Dr George Kassianos, the RCGP's immunisation spokesman,...

Training post fiasco 'must not be repeated'.(Brief article)
July 25, 2006... Workforce GP course organisers are demanding better workforce planning to prevent a repeat of the recent fiasco that left junior doctors facing unemployment. As Doctor reported last month, 29 junior doctors received letters from the...

Warning over curbs on OTC prescribing.
July 25, 2006... Prescribing Amena Saleem GPs could find patients logging complaints against them if they refuse to prescribe medicines that are available over the counter, warn medico-legal specialists. The concerns come as a PCT in Suffolk attempts...