Failed NHS records system
- HealthInvestor magazine has an article on the failed NHS records system. HealthInvestor – Article: NHS trusts forced to use failing suppliers
- The Department of Health fears a protracted legal battle with its IT suppliers.
- The Public Accounts Committee has severely criticised the Department of Health’s renegotiation of the failed NHS records system.
Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotheram has slammed the government’s NHS reforms, which will see Liverpool lose £33.3 million.
The BMA warns of gaps in NHS reforms.
Tory MP calls his hospital crap for not providing the NHS that the Tory party along with the Liberal-Democrat Tory party is abolishing.
- Conservative election poster 2010
A few recent news articles about the UK’s Conservative and Liberal-Democrat coalition government – the ConDem’s – brutal attack on the National Health Service.
When suppliers attack and the NHS cowers | PublicTechnology.net
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In written evidence to the Public Accounts Committee for its latest damning report on the National Programme for IT, officials at the Department of Health admit that they fear a prolonged and expensive legal battle with three of its main ICT providers.
During the PAC hearing in May, former NHS director of informatics Christine Connelly rejected the notion put to her by MPs that US supplier CSC had the department “over a barrel” when it came to trying to renegotiate contracts that the DoH itself concedes are not working for it.
But in its written evidence the DoH paints a rather different picture, noting that the potential for legal conflict is incredibly high – and suggesting that the DoH may indeed be held over the proverbial barrel.
DoH officials warn: “Both BT and CSC have been clear that they are not willing simply to walk away. Therefore, it is safe to assume that some form of dispute will occur and that both suppliers will seek to recover costs. Legal advice provided to the Department indicates there is a risk of some unquantifiable “collateral damage” to the Fujitsu existing claim and the risk of suppliers working in unison against the Department is significant.”
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BT slammed over NHS NPfIT ‘value for money’ claim – PC Advisor
Liverpool MP slams unbelievable NHS cuts > Local News > News | Click Liverpool
Liverpool Walton MP Steve Rotheram has slammed the government’s NHS reforms, which will see Liverpool lose £33.3 million.
Liverpool is second only to Manchester, which will lose £41.7 million, as the worst hit region of the North West.
The figures contrast greatly with areas further south, such as Surrey and Hampshire, who will benefit by £61.4 million and £52 million respectively.
Speaking upon hearing the announcement, Steve explained: “I feared from the moment David Cameron got his hands on the NHS, that hospitals and GP practices across Liverpool were going to suffer.
“It would appear my nightmare has become a reality today.
“How can this Tory government claim that we are all in this together when the Prime Minister’s Health Authority area gains millions of pounds and regions, such as ours, lose millions?
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BMA warns of gaps in health reform | GPonline.com
There are worrying gaps in the government’s plans to reform the public health system in England, the BMA has warned.
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But Dr Keith Reid, co-chairman of the BMA’s public health medicine committee, said it was ‘disappointing’ that concerns remained about how health issues, such as obesity, alcohol misuse and STIs, should best be tackled.
Dr Reid added that the financial climate and NHS restructuring meant posts in public health were being cut.
‘We do not want a situation where local authorities are handed the keys to public health, only to find that the engine has gone,’ he said.
The BMA wants a commitment from the government to maintain the current level of public health specialist posts.
GPs face a difficult commissioning climate | GPonline.com
In an exclusive interview with GP, NHS Confederation chief executive Mike Farrar said clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) would face more difficult circumstances and tougher decisions than PCTs.
He said CCGs may struggle to find support from experienced PCT managers as many would already have left the NHS.
Mr Farrar said it was ‘very important’ that the NHS recognised just how big the challenge was for CCGs.
‘The circumstances CCGs face are tougher, there are tougher decisions to take, and PCT managers tended to have a career in being developed as managers,’ he said.
‘PCTs also had slightly easier relationships with the organisations around them.’
Mr Farrar said that although GPs were ‘very skilled individuals’ they may lack some of the knowledge that is needed to run CCGs.
He said clinicians often had little experience in controversial decision-making, consulting the public and doing media work. ‘Not every GP will be particularly happy giving lots of quotes to their local newspaper,’ he said.
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More leading NHS hospitals predict financial problems – Telegraph
In total 21 Foundation Trusts say they will likely experience cash problems over the next year, up from 13 the last time they were surveyed.
Meanwhile 16 of the hospitals say they are at risk of failing to meet a key target to treat patients on time, while a similar amount may breach A&E waiting time limits.
And in further evidence of the pressure the NHS is coming under, more than half of the Primary Care Trusts that pay for treatment say they are failing to make unprecedented savings of £20billion by 2015 as ordered by the Government.
The regulator for the semi-independent Foundation Trust sector, Monitor, is now warning hospitals not to try to balance their books by cutting back on patient care.
Its chairman, Dr David Bennett, said: “The challenge of reducing costs must be met, but it is essential that good patient care is at the heart of this. This year we have put extra focus on identifying the potential risks to quality that could result from each trust’s plan.
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Unite has demanded that the government reverses its NHS ‘cuts’ policy in the wake of a new survey today (Thursday 4 August) showing that primary care trusts (PCTs) are struggling to meet their ‘efficiency targets’.
Unite, the largest union in the country, said that ministers have failed to realise the extent of the damage done by their edict that the NHS must save £20 billion by 2015.
An investigation by the GP newspaper revealed that 59 per cent of PCTs are failing to hit NHS efficiency targets for this year.
Unite national officer for health, Rachael Maskell, said: ‘”I have made strong representations at the NHS Staff Council about the expectation on trusts to make the largest cuts to the health service since its formation in 1948.
”It might be the case that the government has not fully understood the damage that such cuts would cause – it is one thing to look at cold statistics produced by Treasury mandarins, but quite another turning away elderly patients in pain.
”Unite is asking that these ‘efficiency savings’ are reviewed or the government will be responsible for damaging the life chances of thousands of patients.
”Ministers continue to argue that more resources are going into the NHS. However, the increased budget and the savings from the cuts are all going to fund the expensive and bureaucratic health system that David Cameron and Nick Clegg are introducing in the Health and Social Care bill.
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Lansley ‘breaks pledge on voice for patients’ – Main Section – Yorkshire Post
HEALTH Secretary Andrew Lansley was yesterday accused of breaking a pledge to give a bigger voice to patients in the NHS.
Under the Government’s NHS reform plans, patients will be given a key role in new HealthWatch networks.
Some 75 local Healthwatch pathfinders were launched yesterday to champion patients’ views and experiences and advise new groups of GPs in shaping local services.
But campaigners claimed the new organisations, which will evolve from existing Local Involvement Networks (LINks), were being starved of cash to develop before they take on new powers in October next year and were already struggling following public spending cuts of up to 70 per cent in their budgets.
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MP slams ‘crap’ hospital for turning away A&E patients | Politics
A Tory MP has attacked an NHS hospital as “chronically, institutionally, dysfunctionally crap” after it shut its A&E department for five hours because it was too busy.
Henry Smith made the comments on Facebook after patients were turned away from East Surrey Hospital in Redhill last week and diverted to hospitals in Brighton and Tunbridge Wells.
Michael Wilson, the chief executive of Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, said the hospital was one of the busiest in the country and needed the support of its local MPs.
Mr Wilson added: “For a short period last Tuesday evening the emergency department at East Surrey Hospital was only accepting seriously ill patients brought in by ambulance.”
Mr Smith, MP for Crawley, said: “It is absolutely appalling East Surrey closed… this is a frightening illustration that we need more provision.”