NHS Resource Centre News: Round- Up
Welcome to the Microsoft NHS Resource Centre’s seven day round up of the latest news from the NHS and the healthcare IT sector:
New entitlements to healthcare
Prime Minister Gordon Brown has set out a new programme for his government that includes turning NHS targets into ‘entitlements.’ Building Britain’s Future has six new entitlements for patients, including treatment within 18 weeks and free health checks for the over 40s. However, it also sets out plans for a new NHS performance regime and warns that the public sector will need to make substantial efficiency savings. Other ideas include more social housing and school reforms.
• Find out more on the Number 10 Downing Street website
Doctors leaders say ‘stop playing with the NHS’
The head of the British Medical Association has told politicians that they should not treat the NHS as a ‘toy’ in which they can play with new policy ideas. At the BMA’s annual representative meeting in Liverpool, Dr Hamish Meldrum also called for an end to the internal market and the involvement of the private sector in healthcare. He said “expensive” management consultants could not solve the coming financial problems of the NHS.
• Read the Guardian’s coverage of this story
Official heatwave warning issued
The Met Office has triggered a “level two” heatwave alert on behalf of the Department of Health. This puts health and public services on alert that high day and night-time temperatures are expected in at least two regions of the country, which could cause health problems for the very young, the old and people with serious illnesses. The Met Office says daytime temperatures in London could hit 32C this week, with night-time temperatures staying at around 20C.
• Read the official press release on the News Distribution Services website
Quality indicators and guides for community services
The Department of Health has published more than 70 quality indicators for community services, alongside six guides to modernising them. The guides cover everything from improving prevention services to improving end of life care and include a number of ideas that depend on IT. For example, they suggest telephone and IT support services can be used to cut visits and that computer systems can be used to record and share care plans.
• Read the press release on the News Distribution Services website
Cervical cancer campaign launched
Health minister Ann Keen has promised a drive to help GPs and practice nurses to recognise and act on the symptoms of cervical cancer. She has also promised a campaign to persuade more women in their 20s and 30s to take up screening. However, she has ruled out reducing the age at which screening starts, which some campaigners had wanted following the death of celebrity Jade Goody. An expert group found this would cause too many false alarms.
• Read the press release on the News Distribution Services website