The Operating Theatre Journal Archived News 2003

News 2003

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News 2003

ON-LINE BOOST FOR NHS RECRUITMENT - www.nhs.uk/jobs
December 9th, 2003
A New website allows candidates to view and apply for NHS jobs on-line

Health minister John Hutton on the 3rd of December 2003 launched an on-line recruitment service for the NHS, which allows candidates to view job adverts and apply for positions on one website.

Forty-six NHS organisations have been picked to spearhead the new service (which is available at www.nhs.uk/jobs) and will start to advertise jobs on-line from this week. The service will be rolled out nationally in the NHS from March 2004.

The service is expected to save #24 million per year once it is rolled out in 2004.

John Hutton said: "To build on our success in increasing the numbers of key staff in the NHS we need to make it much easier for people to find out what jobs are available. We also need to speed up recruitment so that people can access the rewarding careers that the NHS has to offer.

"I am delighted that the Department is leading the way with the introduction of this service, which will not only help the NHS to recruit the people it needs, but also help candidates to find and apply for the jobs they want with as much ease as possible."

Department of Health figures suggest that as many as a quarter of a million people find new jobs in the NHS each year. The new service will allow NHS organisations to advertise jobs to millions of people at the touch of a button. It also means that there will be one place at which people can find and apply for jobs across the NHS.

The service is one of a number of Department of Health initiatives that will radically improve recruitment and retention of staff in the NHS.

www.suspension-nhs.org
December 9th, 2003
The National Audit Office report into suspensions (www.nao.gov.uk) found there had been 567 nurses and midwives suspended for longer than a month, in a 15 month period. There is no requirement to report suspensions under one month. In other words, there is a national epidemic of suspensions in the NHS and that did not include community staff, and people working in Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Clearly something is going horribly wrong with the system! In the meantime, this site is helping people to cope. Visit: www.suspension-nhs.org

NICE looks at alternatives to hysterectomy
August 28th, 2003
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is assessing a microwave treatment, and a technique that uses a heated balloon to destroy the lining of the uterus, for NHS use. Professor Bill Dunlop, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, commented, "The use of these techniques may, in some cases, provide an alternative to more drastic surgery in the treatment of women suffering menorrhagia [heavy menstrual periods] and avoid the need for a hysterectomy." The new methods destroy only the endometrium, and can be carried out at day surgery with local anaesthetic. (The Daily Telegraph Online 28/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

A blow to the chest can kill
August 28th, 2003
Even a light blow to the chest - equivalent to being hit by a cricket ball - could cause a fatal heart attack. However, scientists are now a little closer to understanding what causes these unusual sporting deaths. An article in New Scientist reveals that a ball must hit the unlucky person at exactly the wrong point in their heartbeat cycle for death to ensue. Chest protectors worn by sportsmen offer little protection, it is claimed. The condition is called "commotio cordis", and was first documented in 1876. It is extremely rare - but a study in the US found 128 cases, most involving strikes by baseballs or softballs. Research conducted by Dr Mark Link, from the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston, suggests that the blow causes a "spike" in blood pressure which stretches the heart muscle. This starts a chemical chain reaction which causes the organ to contract far too early, stopping it mid-cycle. (BBC News Online 28/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Revolutionary device "helps breathing"
August 28th, 2003
A new device is set to revolutionise care for babies and children suffering from breathing difficulties, scientists claim. Researchers at the University of Southampton and Great Ormond Street Hospital in London are currently designing a new "sensing mat" to measure effectiveness of chest physiotherapy. The sensing mat is fixed over the child's chest wall and will measure the pressure between the physiotherapist's and the chest wall. Youngsters' breathing will be monitored before, during and after the treatment to discover any changes. "Once we find out which techniques are most effective, the information could then be used in future clinical trials of best practice," said researcher Rachael Gregson. (BBC News Online 28/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Proposals for the Statutory Regulation of Operating Department Practitioners
August 26th, 2003
Enhancing Public Protection Proposals for the Statutory Regulation of Operating Department Practitioners August 2003 Consultation Exercise: Further information may be found at the following website: http://www.doh.gov.uk/regsodpconsult/

Blood transfusion errors
August 26th, 2003
As many as 15 people may have died and dozens required intensive treatment last year after being given the wrong type of blood, according to the latest report from Serious Hazards of Transfusion (SHOT) - an independent group made up of NHS clinicians. They say the true figure could be twice as high, because half of hospitals reported no transfusion errors at all, which they regard as highly unlikely. (The Independent Online 26/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

First hospital goes to private sector for salvage
August 21st, 2003
A failing NHS hospital has become the first to be run by a private company. The Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield, the West Midlands, has formally signed a three-year franchise agreement with Secta in a contract worth £1.3 million. Under the deal Anne Heast, who has held a number of jobs in the NHS, will be appointed chief executive on a salary of £122,500. In the most recent NHS performance ratings, the Good Hope Hospital was one of 14 acute trusts awarded no stars. (The Times Online 20/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Cannabis pain relief trial
August 21st, 2003
NHS patients are to be given cannabis as part of a trial by the Medical Research Council to find out if the drug really can help to relieve pain. Patients will receive a standardised cannabis extract or tetrahydrocannabinol - the active ingredient in cannabis - in capsule form, and will be asked about their pain and general well-being over a six hour-period. Lead researcher Dr Anita Holdcroft says, "We need to assess the scientific merits of some of the anecdotal evidence and we need to do this in the same way as any other experimental pain treatment." (BBC News Online 20/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NAO looks at NHS computer scheme
August 19th, 2003
Fears that the computerisation of large parts of the NHS could descend into chaos have prompted the National Audit Office (NAO) to review the scheme at its start. The office has already contacted the Department of Health to investigate the move to bring wide-ranging changes to technology used every day in the health service. Normally, the NAO only begins such investigations once projects have been implemented. (The Independent Online 19/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

New CO treatment possible
August 19th, 2003
A form of carbon monoxide developed by UK scientists could help heart attack victims to recover. Researchers at the University of Sheffield and the Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research in London have developed a molecule - CORM-3 - which releases carbon monoxide at low concentrations, and they believe it could protect heart cells from lack of oxygen and other physical stresses suffered when a heart artery is blocked. (BBC News Online 19/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Heterosexual AIDS figures rise
August 19th, 2003
The number of heterosexual patients diagnosed with HIV has risen sharply since the beginning of this year, according to figures from the Health Protection Agency. It says 1,094 heterosexuals tested HIV positive in the six months to June, in comparison with 761 in the first six months of 2002. It appears that two-thirds of heterosexual infections are in people who contracted the virus in Africa. (BBC News Online 19/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Surgery could relieve migraine
August 18th, 2003
Doctors in the US say an operation to remove key muscles in the forehead and neck could stop the pain of chronic migraine. Dr Bahman Guyuron, of the Zeeba Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, developed the theory that some muscles may pinch nerves after observing that botox injections, which temporarily paralyse the muscle underneath the skin, appear to offer some respite to sufferers. (BBC News Online 18/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Disdain for catering ratings
August 14th, 2003
A claim by the government that every hospital has passed food and hygiene checks has been dismissed as "untrustworthy" by patients' groups and opposition parties. They say Department of Health ratings introduced two years ago bear no resemblance to the reality of patients' experiences. Dr Liam Fox, the shadow Health Secretary, says, "Everybody knows that you cannot trust the Department of Health's statistics assessing its own performance when they are created by the department itself. The ratings bear no relation to the quality of care that patients receive." (The Independent Online 14/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

New heart surgery technique
August 14th, 2003
Surgeons at Harefield Hospital have performed the first heart bypass operations in the UK using only local anaesthetic. They say post-operative recovery is quicker, though the British Heart Foundation says large-scale trials are still needed to test the effectiveness of the procedure. Consultant cardiac surgeon Mohamed Amrani, who carried out the operations, says, "The level of the patients' consciousness during the operation and their recovery time, have been very impressive. Our first patient, who was operated on in the morning, was sitting up in bed, eating and reading the newspaper by the afternoon." (The Independent Online 14/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Patients taken off waiting lists while on holiday
August 13th, 2003
Patients are being suspended from hospital waiting lists while they go on holiday. One London hospital sent patients a form asking them about their holiday dates, and telling them their holiday period will be added to their waiting time. Chris Grayling, the Conservative health spokesman, said forcing people to choose between a holiday and early treatment was "unacceptable" and that it was another way for the health service to "make the figures look better". University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, defended its policy and said the question about holidays was "purely to ensure that we do not schedule their admission dates during that period". (The Independent 13/08/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

S&N pulls out of Centerpulse bid
August 7th, 2003
Zimmer Holdings of the US is poised to become the world's largest orthopaedics company after the UK's Smith & Nephew (S&N) yesterday (06/08/03) pulled out of the £2 billion bid battle for Centerpulse, Europe's largest manufacturer of artificial hips and knees. The battle for supremacy in the growing orthopaedics market erupted in May when Zimmer trumped S&N's £1.5 billion agreed takeover of Swiss-based Centerpulse. Centerpulse says there are still formalities before Zimmer's offer is formally accepted, but that the outcome is a foregone conclusion.(Financial Times 07/08/03; p.19)

Scientists to check CJD transplant risk
August 5th, 2003
The government is planning to establish whether vCJD might be accidentally transferred from organ and tissue donors to patients undergoing transplant surgery. Blood, nerve tissue, tonsils and appendices from known victims of vCJD are already measured for infectivity, but the research programme is to be extended to cover organs and tissues routinely transplanted. Scientific and ethical advisers to the Department of Health are seeking to assess the risk of Britain's organ and tissue transplant programmes worsening the vCJD outbreak. (The Guardian 05/08/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Foundation hospitals marked down
August 5th, 2003
The government's method of selecting foundation hospitals was condemned as a fraud yesterday (04/08/03) after the Liberal Democrats exposed glaring inconsistencies in the official data of the NHS. Evan Harris, the party's health spokesman, found that those hospitals getting the top three-star rating were among the worst performers in a survey looking at the experience of 250,000 patients in England. Nine of the three-star hospitals were identified by patients as "worst performers". Dr Harris said the results show the government's star rating system as a "huge fraud". (The Guardian 05/08/03; p.9) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Tories pledge health reforms
August 4th, 2003
The Conservatives last night (03/08/03) warned that the government's failure to modernise its approach to public health is creating a "timebomb" of disease which could "swamp the NHS". Dr Liam Fox, the shadow health secretary, called for the urgent creation of a public health commission, and identified HIV/Aids, tuberculosis, diabetes caused by obesity, and sexually transmitted problems, as significant threats. Dr Fox underlined his concerns and promised that a Conservative government would clamp down on "health tourism". (The Guardian 04/08/03; p.6) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Nurses told to boycott NHS staff agency
August 4th, 2003
The Royal College of Nursing is considering telling nurses not to work for a government organisation set up to counter the growing cost of using agency staff. If nurses decide not to join NHS Professionals - the Department of Health's nationwide staff agency - then it is unlikely the organisation will succeed. In a damning report in March, the Audit Commission found it was "experiencing major difficulties including incurring a significant ongoing financial deficit". The DoH has now decided to make NHS Professionals a special health authority to impose a "stronger management structure". The RCN, already concerned about the organisation's bureaucracy, says that such a move can only make matters worse, and is considering withdrawing its support for NHS Professionals. (The Daily Telegraph 04/08/03; p.8) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Energy discovery
August 4th, 2003
Researchers in Japan are developing a method of drawing power from blood glucose, mimicking the way the body generates energy from food. Scientists at Panasonic's Nanotechnology Research Laboratory near Kyoto say the "bio-nano" generator could be used to run devices embedded in the body. Dr Kazuo Eda, says, "It is like the metabolism of food. Human bodies can process glucose and obtain energy. When glucose is oxidised, electrons can be obtained." (Ananova 04/08/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Private surgery to be increased
July 31st, 2003
The prime minister is to announce an expansion of private healthcare to cut NHS waiting lists. Mr Blair will use his monthly press conference to disclose that a chain of privately run, fast-track surgical centres is to be extended to provide an extra 125,000 operations a year by 2008. All the operations will be in orthopaedics where NHS waiting lists are longest. However, the Royal College of Surgeons has warned that the clinics could be staffed by second-class surgeons flown in for three-month periods by US, Canadian and German firms. (The Independent Online 30/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

TV dramas "put lives at risk"
July 31st, 2003
Members of the emergency services are concerned that television dramas are putting lives at risk by broadcasting misleading portrayals of their work. A report by the Broadcasting Standards Commission has found that viewers are convinced of the accuracy of drama programmes such as the BBC's Casualty series, and use them to make critical judgements. The commission interviewed police and ambulance workers, as well as 2,000 members of the public. Workers complained that misleading advice in fictional programmes had put lives in danger. (The Independent 30/07/03; p.8) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

More to apply for foundation status
July 31st, 2003
Tony Blair will today (30/07/03) announce plans to more than double the size of his controversial foundation hospitals reform programme. The prime minister will invite 38 extra top-performing hospitals to apply for foundation status. He believes the reforms will force hospitals to become modern, consumer-friendly institutions, able to respond swiftly to patients' demands. Only 25 hospitals are currently being considered for foundation status. Now all 63 trusts that have been awarded the top grade of three stars by the independent health regulator could be included in the scheme by the election. (The Times Online 30/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hospitals to get "risk managers"
July 28th, 2003
Every hospital in the country is to appoint a "Harold Shipman spotter" to prevent another mass murderer striking in the health service. Under new plans, every NHS trust and health authority will be required to appoint a "risk manager" to investigate concerns of patients, staff and coroners. He or she will liaise with a senior officer in the police force. When a complaint is made the two will decide if suspicions need to be taken further or can be handled internally. The arrangement was drawn up by the Department of Health and the Association of Chief Police Officers last month. (The Times 28/07/03; p.7) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

More people going private
July 28th, 2003
The number of people covered privately for medical care rose marginally last year, according to the analyst Laing and Buisson. The increase came despite the huge sums the government is injecting into the NHS. The numbers covered by private medical insurance fell marginally in 2002 - down 0.3 per cent. But a strong switch by companies to taking on the risk of providing medical cover for their employees saw a rise in the total covered to 7.55 million - a total increase of 1 per cent. (Financial Times 28/07/03; p.4) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Doctor complaints up
July 28th, 2003
A record number of doctors were investigated by the GMC last year. As in previous years, the vast majority of complaints against doctors were dismissed for lack of evidence or because the complaint did not fall under the GMC's remit. Most of the allegations related to clinical care, but there were also a sizeable number of cases in which doctors were accused of dishonesty, sexual assault or indecency. The 238 cases examined by the professional conduct committee resulted in 72 doctors being suspended or struck off. (BBC News Online 28/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hospital "too hot for health"
July 24th, 2003
A £184 million hospital that opened two months ago is so hot inside that it poses a serious risk to patients' well-being, a public health expert has said. The Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, the biggest privately funded hospital in Britain, is operating at extremely high temperatures, according to Michael Garraway, Emeritus Professor of Public Health at Edinburgh University. Poor ventilation at the hospital has left ward temperatures at up to 35C, causing several medical workers to faint. Prof Garraway described the situation as deplorable and dangerous for patient care. (The Times 24/07/03; p.13) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Trust turbulence
July 24th, 2003
A London teaching hospital has replaced its chief executive with a "troubleshooter" just as an employment tribunal is discussing the dismissal of the trust's finance director. St George's NHS Trust has been taken over by Peter Homa, the chief executive of the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI). In addition to the decision on the case of finance director Ian Perkin, who is accused of "whistleblowing", Mr Homa will have to face a separate action brought by Geeta Nargund, a consultant gynaecologist, who recently received a high court apology and a six figure libel settlement arising from comments made by the trust's medical director. (Guardian Unlimited 24/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NICE looks to lifestyle change
July 24th, 2003
New NHS guidance will require doctors to advise some patients to change their lifestyles. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has gone further than any government body so far in suggesting that patients have a responsibility to make lifestyle changes to help health professionals manage progressive diseases. The new guidelines, designed to sit alongside professional advice from the royal colleges and other health bodies, bring the greatest pressure yet to bear on patients. (Guardian Unlimited 24/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

First tongue transplant success
July 22nd, 2003
Doctors in Vienna have carried out the first successful tongue transplant on a human being. A 42-year-old man underwent a 14-hour operation at the city's General Hospital on Saturday (19/07/03), in which doctors removed a malignant tumour and attached the new tongue. (Ananova 22/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Women "lying" for cosmetic surgery
July 22nd, 2003
Women are pretending to be depressed or exaggerating their symptoms in order to obtain free cosmetic surgery on the NHS, according to a university survey. Guidelines designed to help plastic surgeons decide who is entitled to treatment are widely ignored. This is because the guidelines say that such operations are justifiable "exceptionally" for psychological reasons, and many surgeons find it hard to judge true psychological distress and easier to say yes if a woman makes enough fuss. The research, from the University of Liverpool, found that some women were exaggerating depression in order to persuade doctors to refer them for surgery. (The Times 22/07/03; p.4) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Surgeons rebuked over "free trips"
July 17th, 2003
Leading orthopaedic surgeons are receiving "trips for hips" as part of a drive by manufacturers to persuade them to use their products, the National Audit Office says today (17/07/03). The overseas training trips - many of which are not declared in health trust public registers - are backed up by financial incentives to encourage trusts to try new prostheses. A third of the authorities said these incentives influenced their purchasing policies. However, the thrust of the report reveals that patients are in fact getting a better deal as a result. Waiting times have dropped and hip replacement standards are also rising. (The Guardian 17/07/03; p.9) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hospitals to face snap inspections
July 17th, 2003
Hospitals are to face snap visits in a radical change to the way the health service is inspected. The Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection - which is due to take over the inspection of all NHS organisations in April - aims to drop routine inspections of NHS hospitals, organisations and private hospitals. The visits will be replaced by a "much more targeted and focused" approach, aimed at encouraging both NHS organisations and private healthcare providers to set their own programmes for improvement. (Financial Times 17/07/03; p.4) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Reid pushes patient choice
July 17th, 2003
Within three years, NHS patients will be able to choose the hospital in which they want their operation. There will be a choice from lists of up to five establishments. The health secretary has also outlined his intention to grant patients greater choice in their GP or midwife. Mr Reid has issued guidance to the NHS on how to implement new patient choice initiatives, which are meant to ensure there is no discrepancy between the treatment received in the private sector and the NHS. (The Independent Online 17/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Trusts dropped from foundation shortlist
July 17th, 2003
Four NHS trusts have been removed from the shortlist for the first wave of foundation hospitals after failing to make the grade in league tables. The trusts are casualties of the star rating system that assesses 45 performance indicators, including waiting times, deaths after surgery and the quality of hospital food. The trusts - Aintree, Walsall, Newcastle upon Tyne and Essex Rivers - have questioned the basis of the judgement. John Rostill, chief executive of Walsall Hospitals trust, says, "It is hugely demoralising. The question people are asking me is what do we have to do to get three stars?" (The Independent Online 16/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Performance decline in non-hospital trusts
July 17th, 2003
The release of the star ratings for health providers shows a decline in performance by ambulance services and mental health trusts. Almost half of the 31 ambulance services have seen a drop over the year, while only two improved. Among mental health trusts, 14 out of 88 received three stars while more than a third managed just one or none at all. Matt Tee, project director for star ratings at the Commission for Health Improvement, says, "The measured performance has certainly declined [...] Maybe what we are seeing is that [the services] are evaluating their performance better." (The Independent Online 16/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Call for radical change to NHS
July 15th, 2003
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) says the government is tinkering with the structure of the NHS instead of introducing the working practices needed to improve patient care. The institute has called for the recruitment and training of new types of staff, including "healthcare practitioners" who could take on work from overstretched GPs, and "information brokers" who would tell patients what they need to know about their conditions and diseases. Liz Kendall, the IPPR's associate director, says, "Successive governments have focused more on changing the structures of the NHS than on reforming working practices." (Guardian Unlimited 15/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Agency staff bill "doubles"
July 14th, 2003
Spending on agency doctors and nurses to plug acute staff shortages in the NHS has more than doubled since Labour came to power, according to research by the Liberal Democrats. The government's own figures show a 147 per cent rise in the cost of hiring temporary staff in England, from £303 million in 1997 to £749 million last year. In total, England's 176 hospital trusts have spent almost £2.5 billion on agency nurses and doctors in the past five years. The findings were compiled by the Department of Health in response to a parliamentary question. (The Daily Telegraph 14/07/03; p.7) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS hospitals to market services
July 14th, 2003
NHS hospitals are likely to start advertising for business as the health service gives patients the right to choose which hospital to go to for routine surgery, ministers have been told. A small army of patient advisers will have to be recruited as well, to help patients navigate their way round the new system. The findings were set out in a document from the health department's strategy unit, examining what will happen when privately run fast-track surgery centres are set up, and when patients are offered a choice of hospital for non-emergency surgery. (Financial Times 14/07/03; p.3) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Working hours rules "threaten services"
July 14th, 2003
The Royal College of Physicians says more than one in five hospitals in the UK may have to close their accident and emergency units at night because of a shortage of doctors. College President Professor Carol Black is to meet Health Minister John Hutton tomorrow (15/07/03) to discuss her concerns. Ministers have ruled out delaying the implementation of the working time directive for three to six years to allow time for extra doctors to be recruited. (The Independent Online 14/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

New screening programme under consideration
July 14th, 2003
The authorities are looking into the use of screening in the NHS for aortic aneurysms, which at present can only be treated effectively with surgery. A study published by the Medical Research Council last year suggested that screening could save thousands of lives each year. The National Screening Committee has commissioned a further study to examine the cost implications of introducing a routine screening programme for men over the age of 65. (BBC News Online 14/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Remote consulting "costly" for NHS
July 11th, 2003
Technology that allows doctors to carry out remote consultations could save the NHS money. But research published today (11/07/03) suggests that virtual consultations cost more than face-to-face appointments, though they do save time. Videoconferencing costs £724 per patient, compared with £625 for standard consultations. (Financial Times 11/07/03; p13) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Health Professions Council Register to open on July 9th 2003
July 7th, 2003
Parliament approves rules and protection of professional title becomes legal

The Health Professions Council (HPC) Register will open on Wednesday July 9th 2003 under its newly approved rules. Around 145,000 registered health professionals in the UK will therefore have their professional titles protected from this date.

Protected titles The old CPSM Register and the rules under which it operated, will come to a close after more than 30 years. With these changes, the term 'State Registered' will disappear as a legally recognised term. In its place comes a more modern legislative framework that gives registrants the right to use a range of commonly recognised protected titles. This is something for which the professions have been campaigning for many years. Under the new rules those people using these titles but not registered with the HPC can and will be prosecuted.

Re-registration Registration with HPC will now become a biennial (two-yearly) process. Registrants must state when they re-register that they have continued to meet Standards of conduct, performance and ethics, and the Standards of proficiency set by the HPC.

Grandparenting July 9th 2003 is also the start of the Grandparenting process by which practising professionals who are not registered and do not hold an approved qualification can apply for registration. Professionals applying through this route will use their experience rather than their educational qualifications in order to demonstrate how they meet the Standards of proficiency.

The Grandparenting process will last for two years after which the only route onto the HPC Register will be through graduation from approved educational programmes.

New professions New professions can now also seek registration via the HPC and so far initial enquiries have been made by almost forty professions. Already the Council has heard submissions from the Association of Operating Department Practitioners, and the British Psychological Society, and has recommended to the Secretary of State that these professions are the next to join the register.

The new HPC The new rules will mean that the HPC will ask registrants and applicants for more information than before, and the new operational structure put in place by HPC will speed up applications and lead to improved customer service.

"It is very important the HPC increases its service standards to registrants. We have been working hard to put the systems in place to do this and we will publish standards against which we will measure ourselves. Registrants and the public deserve a first class service standard from us; now our rules are in place, that is what we will aim to deliver." said Marc Seale, Chief Executive and Registrar.

HPC will be communicating with all registrants over the next few weeks about how the changes in the registration process affect them. Included in this will be explanations of the new fee structure, which after consultation has been set at £60 per year, along with copies of the Standards of proficiency and Standards of conduct, performance and ethics which registrants must be familiar with.

Those registrants currently on the old CPSM register will be automatically transferred onto the new HPC register and will therefore be able to continue to practise using their professional titles. The new rules will give HPC greater scope to deal with those that do not meet the standards it has set for its 12 professions, including those that use a title illegally.

"I have said from the start that I wanted HPC to be the best health regulator in the UK," said Professor Norma Brook, President of HPC. "We have come a long way over the past year towards achieving that goal. Now that the new Register is opening, registrants will benefit from improved service levels and processes, and the public will benefit from our increased ability to deal with practitioners who are not fit to practise."

Siamese twins risking everything
July 7th, 2003
More than 100 surgeons, anaesthetists and support staff yesterday (06/07/03) began an operation to separate 29-year-old Siamese twin sisters joined at the head. They are the oldest such twins to undergo this type of separation surgery. Doctors have warned the sisters that they are risking death for the chance to live separate lives. The operation is expected to last at least 48 hours, and doctors say it is possible because the twins have separate brains. (The Daily Telegraph 07/07/03; p.11) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hospital debts "will affect services"
July 7th, 2003
NHS hospitals are facing growing debts that could lead to cuts in healthcare, according to a survey by the Conservative Party. The report says the finances of many hospitals have worsened in the past 12 months, despite the investment of extra government money. The shadow health secretary, Dr Liam Fox, says, "The situation has deteriorated very markedly over only one year. Deficits from the previous year must be cleared from the current year's budget, with inevitable reductions in services offered." (The Independent Online 07/07/03)

Womb transplant babies
July 2nd, 2003
The first human babies to be carried to term in transplanted wombs could be born within three years, a leading fertility specialist has predicted. The announcement came after mice born from transplanted wombs were found to be healthy and fertile. If the operation can be perfected for humans, it will offer the chance of a natural pregnancy to thousands of women who are unable to conceive because their wombs have been damaged by disease or have been removed. Mat Brannstrom, a fertility expert at Sahlgrenska University in Sweden, says it is even technically possible for men to receive implanted wombs. (The Guardian 02/07/03; p.6) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk

Disease outbreak warning
July 2nd, 2003
Doctors warn that the UK is not prepared to deal with the outbreak of a new disease or a bioterrorist attack, which could overwhelm the NHS and threaten a public-order catastrophe. At its annual conference in Torquay the British Medical Association (BMA) has called for measures to deal with serious threats to public health, while its board of science is preparing a report on bioterrorism and dealing with outbreaks of disease for publication next year. (The Independent Online 02/07/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Infection fear over uniform washing
June 30th, 2003
Lives could be put at risk because nurses are washing their uniforms at home, a survey has shown. Only a minority of hospitals have their own laundries where uniforms can be washed at sufficiently high temperature to ensure they are sterilised. Therefore, most nurses wash them at home, and wear them while travelling to work. An NHS guideline says soiled or infected laundry should be washed with programmes that achieve thermal or chemical disinfection. But 95 per cent of nurses in a survey said they washed their uniforms at home in domestic machines without such capabilities.(The Times 30/06/03; p.9) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Dealing with NHS legal claims
June 30th, 2003
Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer for England, is to publish a document today (30/06/03) outlining new ways of dealing with claims against the NHS. In recent years there has been a sharp rise in the cost of compensating patients for clinical errors. Official figures show the NHS now pays out more than £4 billion a year to settle claims - in comparison with £2.3 billion five years ago. Sir Liam's report is expected to include proposals to speed up settlements, after a report by the National Audit Office showed that cases take an average of five-and-a-half years. (BBC News Online 30/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Patients' champion lays out position
June 25th, 2003
The chairman of the new Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection says he wants his organisation to look at the NHS from the patient's perspective. Professor Ian Kennedy, who was the chairman of the inquiry into Bristol Royal Infirmary's heart surgery on children, says there must be an awareness of the danger of patients falling through cracks in the system, for instance between their GP and hospital. In a speech to the NHS Confederation in Glasgow today (25/06/03) he will point to two areas - "the patient journey" and the rights of children. (Guardian Online 25/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Boy "died from scalpel nick"
June 25th, 2003
A teenager died because a surgeon mistakenly nicked the boy's stomach with a scalpel during an operation, his mother told an inquest yesterday (24/06/03). Richard Ensor went into the Bristol Royal Infirmary for an operation to repair a reflux condition. His mother told the inquest that Dr Richard Spicer, a consultant paediatric surgeon, left a hole in her son's stomach large enough for food to seep through. Dr Spicer denies nicking the stomach with his scalpel, and says it ruptured spontaneously. (The Times 25/06/03; p.8) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hospital rebels look to recruit ex-ministers
June 25th, 2003
Labour dissidents are intensifying efforts to recruit former ministers to join the rebellion over foundation hospitals, amid hopes that at least two more senior figures will vote against the Bill in the Commons next month. Their efforts come as a survey reveals that health service managers think foundation hospitals are among the least important of the changes about to be introduced in the NHS - and are sceptical that they will improve patient care. Labour rebels say Michael Meacher, the former environment minister, and Clare Short, the former international development secretary, are close to joining their ranks. (Financial Times 25/06/03; p.3) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Genetic future for the NHS
June 25th, 2003
The government is to spend £50 million to bring the genetic revolution into the mainstream of the NHS. There will be wider antenatal screening, and soon babies could have their genetic profiles recorded at birth. This would indicate their inherited risks of disease, potentially allowing for individually designed treatments. The health secretary, Dr John Reid, says the NHS is uniquely suited to capture the benefits of the genetics revolution and protect against the inequalities of private insurance-based health systems - which raise the spectre of a genetic "superclass" of the well and insurable, and an underclass of the unwell and uninsurable.(Guardian Online 25/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Midwives concerned over rise in Caesareans
June 25th, 2003
Almost a quarter of Welsh women are going under the knife as natural births go out of fashion. The rising Caesarean rate - the highest in the UK - is a symptom of pregnancy being perceived as an illness, midwives will say today (25/06/03). They believe women are not being given all the facts to help them decide between a natural delivery and surgical intervention. Research by the Economic and Social Research Council reveals 23.3 per cent of women who gave birth at the turn of the century underwent a Caesarean section in Wales, compared with 21.6 per cent in the UK. (The Western Mail 25/06/03; p.1) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Sacked NHS manager gets £218,000
June 24th, 2003
A sacked hospital manager who was awarded £218,439 compensation after winning her claim for unfair dismissal, had been treated with "arrogance and contempt" by the NHS trust that employed her, a tribunal found. Barbara Harris, who was fired from her post as chief executive of the Royal United Hospital Trust in Bath, Somerset, became a "sacrificial scapegoat" for the expedience of the trust, the employment tribunal concluded. In what was believed to be the first case of its kind successfully brought against an NHS trust by a chief executive, the tribunal awarded aggravated damages to Mrs Harris. (The Daily Telegraph 24/06/03; p.9) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Blood pressure risks "underestimated"
June 24th, 2003
As many as 62,000 lives a year could be saved in Britain if people with raised blood pressure were treated effectively, a report says today (24/06/03). Another 120,000 could avoid non-fatal strokes or heart attacks if their high blood pressure was treated. Prof Graham MacGregor, chairman of the Blood Pressure Association and an author of the study, said the risks from high blood pressure had been "greatly underestimated". The study found that less than 10 per cent of people with high blood pressure have the condition controlled effectively. (The Daily Telegraph 24/06/03; p.9) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Medical Technical Officers Pay Scale Increases 2003
June 23rd, 2003
*Increases to National Salary Scales 2003/4. *Increases in Emergency Duty Payments *Increases to London Allowances

Full details of the arrangements available at: www.doh.gov.uk/coinh.htm Look for reference: Advance Letter (PTB) 1/2003. or visit: http://www.info.doh.gov.uk/doh/coin4.nsf/Circulars?ReadForm

New discovery on poisonous gas
June 23rd, 2003
It appears that carbon monoxide plays a vital role in the digestive system. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in the US say it could be used to help people with certain digestive disorders and could the amount of time patients spend in hospital after operations. The researchers say they believe the gas helps regulate the squeezing action that pushes matter along the intestine, and early studies suggest animals given a dose of carbon monoxide prior to abdominal surgery recover intestinal function far more quickly. (BBC News Online 23/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Medical complex planned
June 23rd, 2003
Birmingham is to become the national centre for training Armed Forces medical staff. The Ministry of Defence is looking for a 40-acre site in the city for its training and education facilities for nurses, doctors and medical assistants. The facility will be run by the Defence Medical Education and Training Agency, which trains about 7,000 military medical students each year on 56 courses. (The Birmingham Post 23/06/03; p.1) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Cancer patients waiting "longer"
June 16th, 2003
Patients are waiting longer for cancer treatment today than they were three years ago when the government first made the disease a national priority, one of the UK's leading hospitals said yesterday (15/06/03). Managers at the Christie Hospital in Manchester said that before the government's cancer plan was launched in 2000, patients were waiting about five weeks from the time of diagnosis to the start of radiotherapy treatment. Patients are now waiting eight weeks. Clinicians have said they are unlikely to meet the government target of no patient waiting more than a month for treatment by 2005. (The Times 16/06/03; p.10) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Tories call for crackdown on "NHS tourism"
June 16th, 2003
The Conservatives called for a crackdown on "NHS tourism" yesterday (15/06/03) after claims that the health service was being overwhelmed by AIDS sufferers from abroad. After doctors across the country said that up to two thirds of new HIV sufferers were foreign, Dr Liam Fox, the shadow health secretary, called for immediate action, including the screening of those travelling from areas of high risk to protect NHS resources. A spokesman for the Department of Health said an investigation was being undertaken. (The Daily Telegraph 16/06/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

National stress code
June 16th, 2003
Draft guidelines have been published for a national safety code intended to cut down on workplace stress. It is hoped the experiment, launched by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), will form the basis of a legal code of practice under which employers could be prosecuted for infringements. If the pilot scheme is successful the HSE will introduce work-related stress audits in its routine health and safety inspections using new, nationally agreed minimum standards. (Guardian Online 16/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Reid becomes new health minister
June 13th, 2003
Leader of the Commons Dr John Reid has been appointed the new health minister by Downing Street to fill the gap left by Alan Milburn. His appointment underlines the prime minister's determination to drive forward NHS reform. But the cabinet reshuffle sees a more senior generation of politicians coming into play, including Charles Clark at education and Patricia Hewitt at trade, and many believe none of the MPs have the aura of a future Labour leader that has now been lost with the younger Mr Milburn. (Financial Times 13/06/03; p.3) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Obese "have equal risk of complications"
June 13th, 2003
Doctors in Switzerland say people who are to undergo surgery because they are obese should not have to lose weight before the operation. Surgeons often refuse to operate on patients who are significantly overweight because of the increased risk of complications. However, Dr Pierre-Alain Clavien and colleagues at Zurich's University Hospital conclude from a study of more than 6,000 patients that the obese do not suffer any more complications than other patients. Dr Clavien says, "Obesity alone is not a risk factor for postoperative complications. The regressive attitude towards general surgery in obese patients is no longer justified." (BBC News Online 13/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Doctors welcome Milburn's resignation
June 13th, 2003
Hospital doctors welcomed Alan Milburn's resignation yesterday (12/06/03). Dr Evan Harris, the Liberal Democrat health spokesman, derided Mr Milburn's "abrasive style", which he said made him a formidable performer in the Commons, but had alienated the entire NHS. Dr Ian Bogle, chairman of the British Medical Association, gave Mr Milburn credit for securing "an enormous injection of money" for the NHS and the modernisation of the service. However, he criticised Mr Milburn's attempt to "manage the consulting room" from Whitehall, saying he should not have tried to do the clinician's work from the Department of Health. (The Guardian 13/06/03; p.6) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Facilities "influence Caesarean rate"
June 13th, 2003
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) says poor facilities in maternity units are leading to increased numbers of Caesarean operations. The NCT's survey of new mothers shows that those who do not feel they have the space, privacy and control they need are more likely to have emergency Caesareans than those who do. A particular finding of the survey is that women are most likely to say they had the kind of facilities they needed if they did not give birth in hospital, prompting the NCT to renew its call for all women to have the choice of a home birth. (BBC News Online 13/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hospitals complain about "unfair" inspections
June 11th, 2003
Government reports into the performance of England's 250 acute hospitals are inconsistent, unsubstantiated and unfair, a study has found. Hospital trusts lose millions of pounds a year in funding if they fail to do well in inspections carried out by the Commission for Health Improvement. But a survey of hospital managers reveals that less than half were happy with their reviews. They accused the commission of coming to unsubstantiated conclusions and writing inconsistent reports. The study is likely to increase pressure for the hospital inspection process to be overhauled. (The Times 11/06/03; p.4) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Second GMC appearance for surgeon
June 10th, 2003
A cosmetic surgeon is before the GMC for a second time, after being struck off more than ten years ago. Dr Fayez Ibrahim Suliman Abu-Mahfouz, who was subsequently reinstated, is charged with leaving five patients disfigured and in pain. Dr Abu-Mahfouz, who runs the London Cosmetic Laser Centre, is accused of serious professional misconduct. He was struck off the register in 1987 when he failed to refer a patient he knew to be in a critical condition to hospital. In that instance the GMC accused him of a "lamentable standard of professional care and attention". (The Independent Online 10/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Call for better pain services
June 9th, 2003
Nine big hospitals have had to close their waiting lists to patients suffering from chronic pain within the past year because they cannot cope with the demand, according to a survey by independent research organisation Dr Foster. Beverley Collett, president of the Pain Society, says, "This report highlights the highly variable provision of specialist services." Graham Archard, chairman of the Royal College of GPs' primary care pain management group, said it was time to develop practical measures that improve the management of pain. (The Independent 09/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Doctors taught to write more clearly
June 9th, 2003
Hospitals are spending hundreds of thousands of pounds a year teaching doctors and nurses to write better patient notes. Concerned by litigation for medical negligence, which last year cost the NHS £392 million, nearly 100 NHS trusts are providing detailed training to their staff on note-taking that will stand up in court. Problems include not recording the times at which procedures were carried out, using acronyms that are not understood by other members of staff and failing to record information on basic patient care. (The Times 09/06/03; p.1) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Surgeon charged with deaths
June 6th, 2003
A surgeon who was struck off the medical register after the deaths of four women patients was yesterday (05/06/03) charged with manslaughter. Steven Walker, of Camberley, Surrey, had worked as a surgeon at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital. He was charged with three counts of manslaughter, one of theft and another of an act which had a tendency to pervert the course of justice. Mr Walker had previously mounted a successful appeal against being struck off for serious professional misconduct. (The Times 06/06/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Health advisor urges change of pace
June 6th, 2003
The head of the Department of Health's strategy unit says ministers' impatience to see the results of new investment in the NHS is threatening its survival. Professor Chris Ham says changing big organisations is slow work and can only succeed step by step. However, he says, the pressures of the electoral cycle and the demands of the public to see rapid improvement mean ministers are drawn to radical solutions that evidence shows nearly always fail. (The Independent Online 06/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hospital watchdog staff win reprieve
June 5th, 2003
A reprieve yesterday (04/06/03) means that community health councils (CHCs), the patients' watchdogs that were to be abolished in September, will now continue until December. The announcement came as staff were preparing for redundancy. The government had been criticised for its poor handling of the issue. David Lammy, the health minister, said yesterday that the government had decided CHCs would continue monitoring the NHS until December 1 when new patient forums would be in place. (The Daily Telegraph 05/06/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Audit Commission warning of foundation scheme
June 5th, 2003
The Audit Commission says foundation hospitals may fail and put billions of pounds of public money at risk unless the government introduces stricter assessment of NHS management. The commission believes the star rating system is too narrowly based and fails to pick up serious weaknesses in some trusts. In a report entitled Achieving the NHS Plan, the organisation also says there are too many targets, which are distorting priorities, causing more than half of NHS trusts in England to resort to one-off measures to boost performance. (The Independent Online 05/06/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Non-emergency operations to rise
May 29th, 2003
About 285,000 more NHS operations will be carried out in GP surgeries and outpatient clinics over the next three years, the Department of Health said yesterday (28/05/03). Over the next few weeks the 28 strategic health authorities across England will publish their local development plans for the coming three years. According to the plans, the total number of non-emergency NHS operations, including the extra numbers outside hospitals, will rise by about 17 per cent by 2006. (Financial Times 29/05/03; p.4) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Decontamination units "days away"
May 29th, 2003
The UK's first mobile mass decontamination units for people caught in chemical, biological and nuclear terrorist attacks will be delivered within days. The 26-tonne vehicles will be based at strategic fire stations around London as Britain remains on high alert for a possible terrorist strike. The vehicles hold large tents with walk-through showers and will be able to handle 200 people an hour. The government says decisions on when to use mass decontamination will be taken by the ambulance service in consultation with a senior fire officer and the police commander. (The Times 29/05/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Doubts over foundation hospitals
May 29th, 2003
Tony Blair's plans to create an elite group of foundation hospitals are flawed, the chairman of the Audit Commission said yesterday (27/05/03). James Strachan, who is responsible for checking that public money is spent properly, said the government was planning to give certain hospital managers greater freedom without being sure that they had the ability to make proper use of it. Although he said that the Audit Commission "strongly supports" the devolution of responsibility and funding to the frontline, he cast doubt on the way in which ministers were achieving their aim. (The Daily Telegraph 28/05/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Heart death "better averted by surgery"
May 29th, 2003
Surgery can reduce the risk of cardiac death arising from restriction in blood flow to the heart further than treatment with medication, according to researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Coronary artery bypass or angioplasty achieves a death rate of 2 per cent, whereas drug therapy produces a rate of 6.7 per cent. The effect is particularly marked in women, especially the elderly and those with diabetes. (HealthScout 28/05/03)

Hospital consultants threaten strikes
May 22nd, 2003
Hospital consultants threatened industrial action yesterday (21/05/03) over their stalled negotiations with the government on a new contract. Doctors meeting in London set a three-month deadline for Alan Milburn, the Health Secretary, to return to the negotiating table. Consultants rejected a proposed contract, with a pay rise worth an average of 19 per cent over three years, last year. (The Independent 22/05/03; p.6) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Cataract surgery delays to be cut
May 22nd, 2003
Long waits for cataract operations should be reduced as a result of a £56 million programme launched yesterday (21/05/03) by Alan Milburn, the Health Secretary. The programme aims to reduce the average waiting time to six weeks. Patients currently have to wait more than three months for cataract treatment. The new money will be given to primary care trusts to pay for extra operations. (The Times 22/05/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Milburn seeks new doctor-patient relationship
May 22nd, 2003
The Health Secretary says a breakdown of trust between doctors and patients is causing tension and uncertainty in the NHS. Mr Milburn has set up an inquiry under the Chief Medical Officer into how a new relationship between the profession and patients could be established. He says changes in medical education may be needed to encourage doctors to treat patients as equals, and there might have to be changes in the law to stop patients running to the courts to claim damages when doctors make mistakes. (Guardian Online 21/05/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Boy "died through neglect"
May 20th, 2003
An inquest jury has found that the death of a nine-year-old boy during a routine operation was caused in part by neglect. Tony Clowes was starved of oxygen because a tube leading to an anaesthetic machine at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford was blocked. A post-mortem examination found that he had suffered irreversible brain damage because of a lack of oxygen. An inquest jury at Chelmsford coroners' court has returned a verdict of "accident contributed to by system neglect". (The Independent Online 20/05/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Call to legalise organ trade
May 20th, 2003
The president of the Royal Society of Medicine's transplant committee has called on the government to license the sale of human organs in the UK. Professor Nadey Hakim believes a regulated market of organ donors would cut "transplant tourism". He says, "As this trade is going on anyway, why not have a controlled trade where if someone wants to donate a kidney for a particular price, that would be acceptable. If it's done safely the donor will not suffer." (BBC News Online 20/05/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Surgeon resigns over "shabby theatres"
May 15th, 2003
A consultant surgeon has quit his hospital post over "shabby, dirty, ill-equipped and understaffed" theatres, in a 2,400-word resignation letter. Geoffrey Anderson, who has worked at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth for eight years said he was frustrated by the "steady erosion of the infrastructure necessary to practise as an orthopaedic surgeon in a safe and appropriate manner". Paul Roberts, chief executive of the Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust said he believed their patients received safe and reliable treatment. (The Daily Telegraph 15/05/03; p.6) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Chemotherapy unit "short of money"
May 15th, 2003
Patients needing chemotherapy are being put on a waiting list for treatment at the Christie Hospital in Manchester, which is short of money. The hospital needs an additional £1.5 million to treat all the patients it expects to see in 2003, and its head of chemotherapy, Professor Robert Hawkins, says the delays could lead to deaths. The Christie Hospital NHS Trust is the largest cancer treatment centre of its kind in Europe and an international leader in research and development. It has had substantial investment in recent years but not enough to keep up with the constant demand for services. (Guardian Online 15/05/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Foundation hopefuls named
May 15th, 2003
The government has named the first 29 candidates that will apply to become foundation trusts. The top-performing hospitals include the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust and the Royal Devon and Exeter Trust. The health secretary says 12 of the trusts are in deprived areas and foundation status would give them greater freedom to tackle local health inequalities. (The Independent Online 15/05/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Isle of Man moves towards euthanasia
May 14th, 2003
The Isle of Man could become a centre for assisted suicide after members of the Manx parliament voted overwhelmingly yesterday (13/05/03) in favour of introducing a Bill to legalise voluntary euthanasia. Members of the House of Keys voted for a Bill to allow terminally ill adults the right to choose medical help to die. The Voluntary Euthanasia Society welcomed the vote and called on the British parliament to support the issue. (The Daily Telegraph 14/05/03; p.7) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hospitals "falsifying improvements"
May 14th, 2003
A survey by the British Medical Association (BMA) shows that two-thirds of NHS emergency departments in England falsified improvements in their waiting times during the week chosen by ministers to measure performance. A poll of 500 A&E consultants found that 56 per cent hired extra doctors and nurses for the period when they knew they would be assessed, while a quarter required staff to work double or extended shifts and 14 per cent cancelled routine surgery to free beds and relieve bottlenecks. (Guardian Unlimited 13/05/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

"Best" hospitals have worst death rates
May 12th, 2003
Patients are more likely to die at hospitals rated as outstanding by the government than those labelled as failing, an investigation has revealed. The government's system of measuring hospital performance has been found to have fundamental flaws, casting doubt on its standard for choosing the first foundation trusts. Research shows that a third of hospital trusts with the highest mortality rates have been commended as best performers by ministers. Figures from the Dr Foster Unit at Imperial College, London - an independent authority on hospital performance - show that nearly half the potential foundation hospitals had more deaths than average over a three-year period. (The Times 12/05/03; p.1) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Post-mortem control to be tightened
May 12th, 2003
Health Secretary Alan Milburn will today (12/05/03) promise further measures to ensure people's organs are not kept for research after they die without the knowledge of their families. He is expected to tell the House of Commons that rules governing coroners' powers to order investigations of bodies need further tightening. His announcement is to coincide with the publication of a report into how organs removed as part of post-mortems have been used for research. (The Guardian 12/05/03; p.7) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Call for star ratings to be scrapped
May 12th, 2003
The government was urged yesterday (11/05/03) to scrap its highly controversial star rating system for hospitals and replace it with tests that reflect patients' experiences. Hospital trusts are measured against nine "key targets" and 28 indicators. However, a clinically outstanding hospital can get no stars, while one that is failing medically can get more. This is because none of the key targets are clinical - they include waiting times, cleanliness and financial measures. The Conservatives have called for the star rating system to be scrapped entirely and replaced by a more detailed inspection looking at all areas of hospital performance. (The Times 12/05/03; p.5) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Overseas recruiting ban takes time to show
May 12th, 2003
Figures from the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) show that more than 3,400 nurses from countries where recruitment is not supposed to take place were registered in the UK last year. This is 900 fewer than last year, but almost a third more than were recruited from developing countries two years ago, when a ban came into force. The NMC says all overseas applicants have to complete up to six months of supervised practice before they can register, and it is possible there will be a further rise in overseas registrations this year. Trusts were banned from recruiting in South Africa and the West Indies in 1999, and the prohibition was extended to all developing countries in 2001. (The Independent Online 12/05/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NICE rules on shock treatment
May 2nd, 2003
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) says electric shock therapy should be used only as a last resort, and should be restricted to patients who are severely depressed, catatonic or have had a prolonged or severe manic episode. NICE rejected calls for the treatment to be made available to people with less severe depression or those with schizophrenia. The most recent figures show that between January and March 1999, 2,835 people had the treatment, which involves placing electrodes on the temples, and delivering a small electrical current. Almost two out of three patients were unable to give their consent. (BBC News Online 02/05/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Consultant "lied about operation"
May 2nd, 2003
A court has heard that a senior consultant lied about a fatal operation that should not have been carried out in the first place. Paul Worsley QC, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that urologist Huraise Syed's claim at an inquiry that his patient at Dewsbury District Hospital in West Yorkshire "just faded away" was a travesty of the fact that he had cut an artery by mistake. Mr Syed then compounded his mistakes by leaving a trainee to close the wound when bleeding had not been staunched, he said. (Guardian Unlimited 02/05/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Cost to NHS of bad procedures
April 30th, 2003
The National Audit Office (NAO) says poor health and safety procedures at NHS hospitals in England have led to a 24 per cent increase in staff accidents. More than a fifth of the 297 trusts in England say staff shortages and increased workloads are behind the phenomenon, which has caused an increase in sick leave, putting pressure on wards. The NAO says accidents cost the NHS at least £173 million in staff absences, injury benefits, and out-of-court settlements in 2001-2, but that "the true cost is substantially more, once staff replacement costs, treatment costs, and court compensation awards are taken into account". (Guardian Unlimited 30/04/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

"Vegetarian" dies of CJD
April 28th, 2003
A student who was brought up as a vegetarian has died of variant CJD, the human form of "mad cow" disease. Jorawar Gill, 20, from near Sutton Coldfield, died after suffering from vCJD for two years. His family think he contracted the disease by eating gelatin, and want to know why it took a year for his condition to be diagnosed. A link has been established between gelatin and vCJD. Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where he was initially treated, said his symptoms were not typical of those associated with vCJD. (The Times 28/04/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Glucose test warning
April 28th, 2003
NHS staff have been warned that drugs containing maltose can interfere with glucose test results for diabetics. The substance cause meters to overestimate the amount of glucose circulating in the blood, leading patients to inject more insulin in an attempt to bring levels down. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has called on doctors, nurses, laboratory and pharmaceutical staff to double-check instructions on blood glucose meters used by hospital patients who may be taking drugs containing maltose. (BBC News Online 28/04/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS private-sector boost
April 23rd, 2003
NHS trusts have received a record boost in their private work at a time when more than one million NHS patients are still on hospital waiting lists. Income from private patients rose 7.6 per cent to £359 million in 2001-02, almost twice the rate of growth in the two previous years, according to latest figures published by private health consultants Laing and Buisson. The NHS is the largest provider of private care in the UK, with 3,000 pay beds. (The Independent 23/04/03; p.4) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS inquiry "another tax rise"
April 23rd, 2003
The Tories accused Gordon Brown yesterday (22/04/03) of planning to use a new inquiry into the NHS as an excuse for a further tax rise. Derek Wanless has apparently been asked by the Treasury to update last year's report on health service funding. Liam Fox, the shadow health secretary said, "It looks as though the NHS is going to be the excuse that the Chancellor uses in the future to tax us even more heavily." (The Independent 23/04/03; p.4) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Doubts thrown on cause of SARS
April 23rd, 2003
Doubt was cast yesterday (22/04/03) on whether the Corona virus is the cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Dr Frank Plummer, scientific director of the Canadian Microbiology Laboratory, said that only 40 per cent of the Canadian SARS victims were found to have the Corona virus. "We have found no other virus but the connection between SARS and corona is actually very weak," he said. (The Independent 23/04/03; p.5) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Britons cannot sue MoD for hospital mistakes
April 22nd, 2003
British soldiers and their dependents who have suffered serious injuries through negligence by German hospitals caring for them under contracts with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have been barred from suing the ministry. In a high court test case decided last week, the parents of a five-year-old boy left with severe brain damage after his birth in a German hospital were told that the MoD could not be held liable. The ruling raises questions about the rights of Britons sent to other EU countries by NHS trusts for operations to sue the NHS if their treatment goes wrong. (The Guardian 22/04/03; p.8) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Night nurses "to replace doctors"
April 22nd, 2003
Hospital wards may run without doctors at night under government plans to comply with new European working regulations. From next year, trainee doctors will only be allowed to work an average of 58 hours a week, rather than the 80 hours they often work. The government is currently testing schemes across the country where doctors are replaced by a new grade of senior nurses, who provide clinical support during weekends and nights. (The Times 22/04/03; p.4) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Anaesthetists cleared of fixing fees
April 16th, 2003
Groups of anaesthetists across England and Wales who have joined forces to charge common fees for treating private patients have been found not guilty of price-fixing by the Office of Fair Trading. The verdict is likely to alarm ministerial advisers in Downing Street and the Department of Health as it could lead to groups of consultants quitting the NHS and selling their services back on their own terms. The investigation followed complaints by private health insurers that the consultants were fixing their prices for treating private patients. (Financial Times 16/04/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Nurses support pay reform
April 16th, 2003
More than 80 per cent of nurses have voted to support the Agenda for Change pay reforms, according to the Royal College of Nursing. Members of the Royal College of Midwives also voted for the change, with 93.1 per cent supporting it. Agenda for Change covers all NHS staff except doctors and dentists, and will provide a basic rise of 12.5 per cent over three years, with more than twice that for some staff. (The Independent Online 16/04/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS readiness "patchy"
April 16th, 2003
The Commons public accounts committee says some NHS trusts are still not prepared enough to cope with a terrorist attack. Its report comes five months after a study by the National Audit Office concluded the NHS would struggle to cope in the event of a major strike. However, the Department of Health says it has done "a huge amount of work" to ensure the NHS would be able to deal effectively with casualties in the event of an attack. (BBC News Online 16/04/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Doctors suspended in porn inquiry
April 10th, 2003
NHS trusts have suspended nine doctors following accusations that they downloaded pornographic images of children from the Internet. The doctors are being investigated as part of Operation Ore, the largest investigation into child pornography carried out in the UK. They have also been suspended from practice by the General Medical Council pending full professional conduct hearings which could see them struck off the medical register. (The Guardian 07/04/03; p.13) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Transplant hazard
April 10th, 2003
Research indicates that five patients who developed Kaposi's sarcoma after an organ transplant may have received cancer seed cells with the donor organ. The virus that causes the illness can usually be eliminated by the body, but scientists at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy say tumour cells from the organ donor can contribute to malignancy. Scottish doctors recently reported two cases of patients developing melanoma from transplanted kidneys despite the fact that the donor had been successfully treated for the cancer many years earlier. (CNN Online 07/04/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Unison call to oppose foundation trusts
April 10th, 2003
The health workers' union Unison is to ask its annual conference in Harrogate to back an increased campaign against the government's foundation hospital scheme. Unison's leaders say the scheme will result in the creation of a "two-tier" health service, and they want to raise the level of their resistance to the development. General secretary Dave Prentis says, "We are at a crossroads and the NHS won't exist as we know it if the government persists with plans to introduce foundation trusts." (BBC News Online 07/04/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

First UK "blood washing" operation
April 10th, 2003
A woman with an over-strength immune system is aiming to be the first person in Britain to undergo a "blood washing" operation that will allow her to receive a life-saving kidney transplant. Michelle Oury, 23, is perfectly matched with her brother's kidney but her body will reject the transplant because she has had so many blood transfusions and has built up more antibodies than she should have. The "blood washing" procedure, previously only available in the US, is not available on the NHS and will cost Miss Oury £8,000. (The Daily Telegraph 07/04/03; p.12) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Doctors "unprepared for terrorist attack"
April 6th, 2003
A survey of doctors in mobile medical teams in the south-west of England suggests they are unaware of what to do in the event of a biochemical attack. Only three of the 77 doctors questioned thought they had been adequately prepared for their role, although they had been trained as medical incident officers. Researcher Alexia Karantana, of the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, says, "We suspect that our findings are not unique and encourage other acute trusts to look closely at their staff's knowledge and training, and act according." (Sky News Online 04/04/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Patients paying for private healthcare triples
April 6th, 2003
The number of patients paying for private hospital treatment out of their own pocket has tripled since Labour took power in 1997, according to the latest figures from the Independent Healthcare Association. The numbers have kept on rising since the government first started putting extra money into the National Health Service. At the same time, NHS hospitals have been boosting their income from private patients at a time when they are under pressure from the government to cut NHS waiting times. (Financial Times 04/04/03; p.6) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Trust suffering from staff problems
April 1st, 2003
The Commission for Health Improvement (CHI) says maternity services at Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust, in Middlesex and Surrey, are putting mothers and babies at risk because they are "acutely" understaffed and have poor relationships between consultants, which "pose a risk to the quality of patient care and a barrier to more effective teamwork". Glenn Douglas, chief executive of the trust, says it has already made "significant improvements" to its maternity services since the start of CHI's investigation. (The Independent Online 01/04/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Health reforms "threatened"
April 1st, 2003
The government's promise to reduce NHS waiting times and standards of care may be more difficult to keep after a series of disputes over the pay of more than a million health service staff. Government plans depend on the willingness of staff to achieve large increases in "productivity" but at present negotiations with consultants are deadlocked, GPs are said to be likely to reject their proposed new contract, and UNISON may reject Agenda for Change at a special health conference next week. (The Independent Online 31/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Doctor may face birth hearing
April 1st, 2003
An anaesthetist accused of negligence while caring for a woman who died after giving birth at a private London hospital faces a disciplinary hearing. The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) has completed an inquiry into the death of Tracey Sampson and concluded that charges of serious professional misconduct should be considered. The findings have been passed to the General Medical Council. It is the first time the NCSC, a new government body responsible for inspecting standards of care at private hospitals, has made such a recommendation. (The Times 31/03/03; p.15) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

New procedure "relieves sleep apnoea"
April 1st, 2003
Sleep apnoea in children may be alleviated by an operation called a "partial tonsillectomy". Dr Max April, of Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, says, "We leave about 15 per cent of the tissue in the throat so that no raw muscle is exposed, which reduces bleeding, scarring and pain." Doctors at a number of US hospitals say the procedure shows excellent results with immediate improvement in breathing. (HealthScout 31/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Drug errors "affect one patient a day"
March 28th, 2003
Research shows that at least one patient a day in large hospitals in the UK is at risk because of mistakes in the preparation or administration of intravenous drugs. In two hospitals assessed by UK and German academics, errors were made in 49 per cent of doses delivered by nurses, with serious errors in 1 per cent of cases. The results are published in the British Medical Journal. (Guardian Online 28/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hospital trust relies on £7.5 million loan
March 26th, 2003
A hospital trust at the centre of a storm of criticism has taken out a £7.5 million loan amid rumours it ran out of money to pay staff salaries. The Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust has borrowed the money from the local Strategic Health Authority. Finance Director Paul Taylor has warned that the trust must find ways of making savings so it can pay off the loan over the next financial year. A Trust spokesman said a significant part of the overspend was on agency nurses, but that it had "since recruited a substantial number of nurses". (The Birmingham Post 26/03/03; p.7) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

The greatest doctor in the world, ever
March 23rd, 2003
A London GP, who pioneered anaesthetics with his work with ether, has been voted the greatest doctor of all time. Sir John Snow eclipsed every other doctor in a survey by Hospital Doctor magazine. Readers were asked to vote from a shortlist of Dr Snow, Hippocrates, Cicely Saunders - who founded the modern hospice movement - Edward Jenner, and Sir William Osier, who fostered medical education and advocated learning medicine at the bedside. (Guardian Unlimited 21/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS negligence claims up by £850 million
March 23rd, 2003
Clinical negligence claims against the NHS rose by £850 million last year a sum that would run three London teaching hospitals for 12 months. The total liabilities - the amount the health service expects to pay out in coming years - reached £5.25 billion in March 2002, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). In the year 2001-02 it paid out £446 million. The NAO says a "key cause" of the rise is "changed assumptions made by actuaries". Also, responsibility for settling small claims has passed from trusts to the NHS Litigation Authority, which keeps more accurate figures. (The Independent Online 21/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

"Day surgery would reduce waiting lists"
March 23rd, 2003
At a conference in London today (21/03/03), the British Association of Day Surgery (BADS) will stress the benefits to patients and the NHS of carrying out procedures such as varicose vein and hernia operations in a day. The BADS says despite the government's wish to reduce waiting times as quickly as possible, many doctors are reluctant to recommend day care because they see inpatient treatment as the norm. Mr David Ralphs, president of the BADS, says, "Patients must learn to ask if their operation could be undertaken as a day case; surgeons must learn to offer." (BBC News Online 21/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

New UK pneumonia cases
March 20th, 2003
The Department of Health says two new cases of a deadly strain of pneumonia have been identified in the UK. One patient is in a specialist isolation unit at the Royal Free Hospital in London and another is being treated at home in Swansea, south Wales. The virus appears to have spread from China, Hong Kong and South-east Asia - 264 cases have been identified worldwide, and the illness has been linked to 14 deaths. However, researchers now claim to have identified the family of viruses the infectious agent comes from - raising hopes of an effective treatment. (The Independent 20/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS trust faces ruin over nurses agency
March 19th, 2003
The National Health Service's effort to set up its own nursing agency was so badly planned and executed that the ambulance trust appointed to help run it is facing financial ruin. The agency was launched in 2000 to help reduce the £500 million a year hospitals were paying to private nursing agencies for staff. A report by the Audit Commission said the agency was underfunded and left to sink or swim by the Department of Health. IT also said expansion was too rapid. (The Times 19/03/03; p.19) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Military hospitals stretched to the limit
March 19th, 2003
British forces field hospitals are so short-staffed they would not be able to cope with a sustained campaign in Iraq, a senior army doctor warned yesterday (18/03/03). Lt-Col Kevin Beaton, the senior medical officer for the British battle group in the Kuwaiti desert, said the limited resources would be overwhelmed by a campaign of more than six months. He added that they would not cope with the number of casualties from both sides expected in the opening days of war. (The Scotsman 19/03/03; p.1) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Government urged to delay limiting doctors' hours
March 17th, 2003
The UK's hospitals face collapse within 16 months unless the government breaks European law on doctors' working hours, the Royal College of Physicians is warning. It says there are too few doctors and cutting their hours will leave hospitals with "gaping holes" in their cover, posing a "direct and alarming threat to safe levels of patient care". A solution would be for the government to delay implementing the limit on hours, in breach of European law, leaving it liable to heavy fines and open to legal action by doctors. (The Independent 17/03/03; p.9) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS "will share" war casualties
March 13th, 2003
The government has confirmed that troops injured in the Gulf will be dispersed around the UK to ensure that no hospital is overwhelmed. The Department of Health and the Ministry of Defence says wounded soldiers will be flown to different airports on a rotation basis in order to share the burden. However, the Conservative party has expressed surprise at the fact the service personnel will be treated alongside civilians. Tory spokesman Chris Grayling says, "The danger is that we could have patients thrown out of hospital beds to cope with casualties from the Gulf." (The Independent 13/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Health reforms "could be curbed"
March 13th, 2003
A leading health economist says the Health Secretary's plans for the future running of hospitals may be impeded by restrictions that will curb the hospitals' freedom. John Appleby, chief economist at the King's Fund, believes the new trusts will be accountable to four organisations - their own governance boards, the independent regulator which will limit their borrowing, the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection, and their primary care trust. He says that any planned entrepreneurial activity will have to satisfy the requirements of all these bodies. (The Independent Online 13/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Milburn to cap private work in hospitals
March 11th, 2003
In a bid to persuade Labour MPs of the merit of foundation hospitals, Health Secretary Alan Milburn has said there will be a strict limit on the use of NHS facilities for private patients if every trust achieves foundation status. The use of NHS wards for private practice has been unlimited since the health service was set up in 1948 but has long been cause for resentment in the public sector. Mr Milburn hopes the move will convince Labour MPs that he has no interest in "privatising" hospitals. (The Independent 11/03/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

PM renews health spending promises
March 11th, 2003
The Prime Minister has renewed his commitment to reform the NHS and promised that growth in health service spending will continue well into a third Labour term. He was responding to a report saying that although the NHS is making progress after decades of under-investment, there are still "considerable gaps in capacity, with shortages of staff, outdated equipment and old buildings". Jenny Simpson, chief executive of the British Association of Medical Managers, says, "A couple of years ago the NHS was quietly expiring, but now it is perking up." (Guardian Online 11/03/02) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Ministers "restraining" new NHS watchdog
March 6th, 2003
Ministers are being accused of trying to neuter a new health watchdog so they can control potentially damaging investigations into the state of the NHS. A Bill setting up the Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection will be published later this month. A senior Whitehall source said last night (05/03/03), however, that a draft of the legislation showed the Department of Health was seeking to water down previous guarantees of the commission's independence. (The Times 06/03/03; p.4) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

"No real bioterror defence"
March 6th, 2003
The British Medical Association (BMA) says the government's green paper on biological and chemical weapons does not tackle the risk of highly contagious biological agents being spread by someone who had deliberately been infected. Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's head of science, says the only real defence against bioterrorism is to prevent the development of chemical and biological weapons, because "no medical response exists to counter unknown biological weapons or weapons for which there is no vaccine and/or no successful treatment". (Guardian Unlimited 06/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Consultants threaten resignation
March 6th, 2003
The British Medical Association (BMA) says at least 7,000 consultants will resign from the NHS if the government persists in its refusal to re-open negotiations on pay and conditions. A deal rejected by BMA members in October offered a pay rise of 19 per cent over three years -most consultants feared it would give hospital managers the power to enforce evening and weekend work. (Guardian Unlimited 06/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS hospitals forced to compete for patients
March 6th, 2003
NHS hospitals in England will have to compete for patients under a new approach announced by the government yesterday (05/03/03). The health secretary told leaders of more than 300 primary care trusts to stop feeling obliged to send patients to their local hospital. Instead, they should "flex their muscles" and choose the hospital that could offer the best quality of care and shortest waiting times. (The Guardian 06/03/03; p.12) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

"Superbug" spreading beyond hospitals
March 6th, 2003
There are fears that strains of MRSA, a problem infection in hospitals and nursing homes, are spreading among healthy people in the community. Most of the new strains appear to contain a gene called PVL, which is responsible for the production of a toxic protein, and doctors believe this causes the spread of MRSA between healthy people with unbroken skin, who would not normally pick up infections in this way. (BBC News Online 06/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Waiting figures fixed to hit NHS targets
March 5th, 2003
More than 250 patients at South Manchester University Hospitals NHS trust were left waiting longer than the maximum permitted time for treatment because of a waiting list scam designed to meet government targets, a report revealed yesterday (04/03/03). The patients "suffered pain, disability or distress for longer than would otherwise have been the case" because they were not declared as having exceeded the maximum waiting time, the report by Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority said. (The Independent 05/03/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Every trust "should become a foundation"
March 5th, 2003
The health secretary has predicted that every NHS trust in England could operate independently of Whitehall control within four years. Mr Milburn says he has never intended that foundation status be limited only to a small number of elite institutions. The Department of Health published a list yesterday (04/03/03) of 32 high-performing trusts that had expressed an interest in the plans and said a shortlist would be announced in the autumn. (The Independent 05/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Trusts warned to be ready for casualties
March 3rd, 2003
The Ministry of Defence has announced that 28 health authorities in England have been told to prepare for war casualties in the event of conflict with Iraq. Briefings carried out so far identify hospitals and emergency medical sites near airports and other ports of entry, and include discussion of how to treat the victims of biological and chemical warfare. (The Independent 03/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

MPs oppose foundation scheme
March 3rd, 2003
More than 100 Labour MPs, including former Health Secretary Frank Dobson, are openly opposed to elements of the government's foundation hospital scheme, as permitted in legislation to be brought to the Commons next week. Mr Dobson says, "Our commitment to the NHS distinguishes us from the Tories. Talk now of co-payment - in other words, charges, fees and perhaps vouchers - cannot possibly do anything other than discriminate in favour of the well-informed and well-off." (The Independent 03/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Headhunt for NHS boardrooms
March 3rd, 2003
Health Secretary Alan Milburn is appointing headhunters to seek high-powered managers to bring a harder-hitting entrepreneurial culture into the boardrooms of the NHS in England. He wants young managers from the private sector for the boards of hospitals and primary care trusts. A ministerial source said, "The NHS has got to go out and headhunt. We need the best thirty-somethings to go and run services. We have to make sure that money is well spent and the NHS is well managed, especially now that the people are going to have to pay more tax." (Guardian Unlimited 03/03/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Woman dies after operating table collapses
February 28th, 2003
A coroner was last night investigating the death of a 70-year-old woman after an accident during her routine heart surgery when the operating table broke. The team continued with the operation at Derriford hospital, Plymouth, after summoning extra doctors and nurses to hold the £50,000 hi-tech table steady. The surgeons did not believe that was a cause of her death. She was jolted forward as the table broke, but, said the hospital, she did not fall to the floor. (The Guardian 28/02/03; p.17) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Derriford a leader in surgery
February 28th, 2003
Despite the recent bad publicity surrounding the use of a dessert spoon in operations at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, the hospital still has some of the best surgical outcomes in Britain. Figures from the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons show that the hospital has a success rate of 99 per cent for heart bypass surgery, the second best in Britain, and is top for heart valve operations. The hospital was awarded one star out of three in government ratings last year. (The Times 28/02/03; p.5) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

"Reconsider" mobile ban in hospitals
February 28th, 2003
There have been calls for the partial lifting of the ban on mobile phones in hospitals. In a letter to The Lancet, doctors at St Mary's hospital and Imperial College, London, argue that "the absence of any real evidence of risk to patients' safety, coupled with advances in hand held technology, should cause hospital trusts and their advisory bodies to reappraise restriction". They say bans on phone use are already widely ignored by patients and staff, with some doctors even leaving their mobiles switched on in operating theatres. (Guardian Unlimited 28/02/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

CJD "in decline"
February 28th, 2003
Scientists monitoring variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease (vCJD) say the worst of the infection is over. The National CJD Surveillance Unit believes the number of people dying from the disease each year is falling, but warns that it is too early to conclude that it is in permanent decline. The disease has killed 122 people in the UK since it emerged in 1995, and eight are thought to be living with it. (BBC News Online 28/02/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

UK hospitals cleaning up
February 27th, 2003
Department of Health figures suggest that 60 per cent of hospitals achieved "good" standards of cleanliness last year, compared to 44 per cent in 2001. Although no hospital was classified as having "poor" cleanliness levels, opposition parties dismiss the claims. Shadow Health Secretary Dr Liam Fox asks, "If standards of cleanliness in hospitals are as good as ministers claim, why is the level of hospital-acquired infections so high?" (BBC News Online 27/02/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

First PFI hospital under criticism
February 27th, 2003
The management of the first private finance initiative (PFI) hospital was criticised yesterday by the Commission for Health Improvement. Its report says the North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, whose chief executive resigned last week, lacks leadership, direction and planning. The trust's Cumberland Infirmary has suffered a series of problems, including sewage leaks, and unions have claimed that it has 89 fewer beds than the one it replaced. (The Independent Online 27/02/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

BSE epidemic scaled down
February 26th, 2003
Scientists have again scaled down the predicted epidemic of human BSE. A study published today by a leading team of epidemiologists at Imperial College London has lowered the number of future deaths to fewer than 7,000. Millions of people were exposed to BSE-infected beef in the 1980s and 1990s and it was initially estimated that as many as 100,000 people could succumb to the incurable brain disease. (The Daily Telegraph 26/02/03; p.6) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS renal services at point of collapse
February 26th, 2003
A report has warned that the NHS will not be able to cope with a predicted increase in patients suffering from kidney disease because units are already working to full capacity or beyond. The number of patients requiring kidney dialysis or a transplant is expected to increase by 30 per cent by 2010, but care is already being affected by pressurised services. Many patients are diagnosed at a late stage in the illness, even though early referral can significantly reduce hospital admissions, a further indication of staff shortages. (The Scotsman 26/02/03; p.2) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

New rules for NHS record access
February 25th, 2003
The health secretary says NHS patients will not, after all, be allowed to alter information recorded in their medical records. In addition, there are likely to be charges of up to £50 for access to records, and it may not be possible to see them at less than 40 days' notice. The decision by the Department of Health is to be raised today (25/02/03) at a meeting of the advisory committee on implementing the freedom of information act. (Guardian Unlimited 25/02/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Hip patients go private
February 21st, 2003
Almost 600 patients who have waited more than six months for hip and knee surgery on the NHS are to be treated in private hospitals. Malcolm Chisholm, the Scottish health minister, announced yesterday (20/01/03) that £5 million would be made available to carry out 590 orthopaedic operations in the private sector. The latest figures say that 4,126 patients have been waiting more than six months for orthopaedic surgery.(The Scotsman Online 21/02/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Surgeon "had to use dessertspoon"
February 20th, 2003
A tribunal has heard how a consultant orthopaedic surgeon was given a dessertspoon to carry out a hip replacement operation. Godfrey Charnley, who spent £150 of his own money to buy the necessary surgical instrument, also alleges that managers at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth bullied him into manipulating waiting list figures to avert a £2.5 million fine. (Guardian Unlimited 20/02/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

New remit for NICE
February 19th, 2003
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) will now check the safety of all new procedures that make a cut or hole in the body, or use X-rays, lasers or ultrasound. Surgeons who want to try out new procedures will have to notify NICE, and inform patients about the risks and benefits of the proposed treatment, and tell them it is untested. Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, the chief medical officer, said the absence of a mechanism for protecting patient safety was a "gap that needed to be closed". (The Independent Online 19/02/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

NHS to recruit foreign surgeons
February 19th, 2003
The NHS is to draft in teams of surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses from South Africa in an effort to reduce waiting lists for hip operations in north-west England. The region's health authorities intend to recruit teams of 40-50 orthopaedic specialists, the first of which will start work in a new 28-bed facility at Southport and Formby District General Hospital on Merseyside in June. Teams will work on a six-week rotation until September, by which time 300 operations should have been carried out. (Guardian Online 19/02/03) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Milburn denies poaching foreign nurses
February 12th, 2003
Britain was still poaching nurses from developing countries, the Conservatives said in Parliament yesterday. The Tories claimed that around half the private agencies used by the NHS to bring in foreign medical professionals were not signed up to the government's code of conduct. Health Secretary Alan Milburn, however, said, "We do no actively recruit from developing countries." He praised foreign staff, saying, "Without those overseas clinical health professionals, the NHS would not be able to provide the quality of care it does." (The Daily Telegraph 12/02/03; p.12) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

Human remains "left by firm to rot at roadside"
February 12th, 2003
The Times (12/02/03) reports that one of the biggest hospital waste disposal companies in Britain is facing a huge fine today after being convicted of leaving human tissue to rot in dozens of trailers around the country. Eurocare Environmental Services left human remains in unrefrigerated, soft-sided lorry trailers in car parks for up to five months and deliberately disposed of large amounts of body fluids into public water supplies. Eurocare, which disposes of 45,000 tonnes of hospital waste a year, pleaded guilty to the charges in the most wide-scale and deliberate breach of clinical waste regulations uncovered in Britain. (The Times 12/02/03; p5) © HMG Worldwide 2003 http://www.health-news.co.uk/

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