Category Archives: Useful links

Bookmarks for April 30th through May 2nd

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These are my links for April 30th through May 2nd:

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Get up to speed with issues in nursing with The Independent’s series

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The Independent has been running an in-depth series on the ‘crisis in nursing’, by Christina Patterson. It’s a useful read if you want to understand how the profession and the wider NHS have changed through the 20th and 21st centuries, as well as how to tackle a big subject from various angles (historical perspective; case study; personal experiences; training; culture).

Links and key passages with contacts and reports in bold below:

Part 1: A crisis in nursing: Six operations, six stays in hospital – and six first-hand experiences of the care that doesn’t care enough Continue reading →

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The leaked draft NHS reforms risk register

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Health Bill Transition Risk Register NC 15 Oct 10 Dept Bd Version v1

A draft version of the risk register that was prepared – but not released – as part of the Health and Social Care Bill has been leaked and is available above.

The leaked document has been widely reported on, with The Guardian noting that it suggests “Emergencies in the NHS could be less well managed under the government’s controversial health reforms”.

Other risks it reports include:

• “Greater costs if new GP-led consortiums make greater use of the private sector. “One example of area where system could be more costly is if GP Consortia makes use of private sector organisations/staff which adds costs to the overall system.”

• “A danger that the new system is set up too quickly, threatening the running of the NHS.

• “A loss of financial control. “Financial control is lost due to the restructuring of budgets distributed between or allocated to organisations within the system [to be clarified],” it said.

• “Unfavourable media coverage. “Public reputation. There is a risk that the transition will be presented in a negative light via the media. Two of the biggest risks which have already surfaced in the media are i) that the reforms will continue to be characterised through the prism of privatisation and ii) financial cuts.”

The Telegraph says

“it lists 43 points ranging from fears for staff morale to problems with transferring responsibilities through workers who are also at risk.

“The document, dated September 2010, was handed to health writer and commentator Roy Lilley after repeated refusals by the Government to publish the register.”

Anything else you can find?

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The new health system visualised by the BBC

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The structure of the NHS

The structure of the NHS - image from BBC News

Here’s a useful ‘before and after’ illustration of the structure of the NHS now, and as it will look (as of April 2013) after the changes implemented by the Government. It helpfully illustrates the flow of money and accountability in the new system.

Do you know of any other useful resources on the restructure?

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Video: Doctor’s questions to Lansley during visit to Royal Free Hospital

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The Green Benches blog about the video above showing Dr Ron Singer‘s questions to Andrew Lansley about the proposed health reforms, during his controversial visit to the Royal Free Hospital. Lansley doesn’t stop to answer.

Singer is, according to the blog, “a retired GP and President of the General Practitioner’s Union with 30 years experience”.

The video follows previous reporting of the stage management of the visit.

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Want to investigate GP patient lists?

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UPDATE (Feb 24 2012): You can find GP surgery-level data on demographics and other contextual information on the NHS IC Indicators site.

We’ve been following developments related to GP patient lists and proposals to abolish GP boundaries for a while, and this week saw some particularly interesting developments .

Pule reported that Department of Health advisory body Primary Care Commissioning had issued guidance on “brutal new GP list cleansing targets next year”:

“[T]he guidance lists successful list-cleansing schemes and gives examples of targeted campaigns in South Gloucestershire, South West Essex and Berkshire West which resulted in the removal of 24,000 ghost patients.

“They include sending verification letters to all patients aged over 90 to 100 years and annually to all immigrants. If they do not respond, then these patients will be given a FP69 flag to inform their GP the patient will be removed from their list.

“They also say anyone who is out of the country for three months or more should be automatically struck off GP lists and that multi-occupancy dwellings should be targeted.”

Meanwhile Eastlondonlines reported on 2 of the 6 places chosen to pilot abolishing GP boundaries for a year from the beginning of April. These are: Continue reading →

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Link: Health Investor

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Here’s a useful news source to follow if you’re interested in the industry around health: Health Investor covers “important political and business developments” in the health sector, profiles major players, and reports on the deals being made.

There’s also a database of those deals (described as an “archive” on the navigation) but you need to be a subscriber to access that and some of the more in-depth content. At £400 per year you may need to find a friend or a library that subscribes – there’s also a “Free trial” that includes a “restricted web pass”…

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Link: the One GP’s Protest blog

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If you’re interested in issues related to GPs, it’s worth taking a look at George Farrelly’s One GP’s Protest blog. George talks about his own concerns based on his experiences of being a GP, as well as points he’s spotted elsewhere in the online health community.

These include the pilots on removing boundaries to GP practices (“The ultimate aim (covert) is the de-regulation of English general practice”) and experiences on trying to deliver care to a patient at a distance, with a more detailed exploration of the issue here.

He’s also written about the problems with registration policy – an issue I’ve been exploring myself. In particular, he talks about the 2004 GP Contract, a useful document for anyone exploring issues relating to general practice.

Which makes me think – a post explaining the contract would be particularly useful. Would anyone like to blog about the 2004 Contract? 

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