Here are the health-related links that have caught our eyes between July 12th and September 19th:
- The transfer of NHS assets to a central company marks the end of localism | Society | The Guardian– Tied to proposals for the centralisation of local NHS assets in a new, standalone company – the antithesis of localism – the powers represent, in reality, muscular centralism. For “big society”, read big government bent on privatising an NHS estate inherited often from local councils and charities.On the planning front, Pickles has now ruled that councils can be ignored when applications for large developments are tabled. They will be determined by a fast-track process at the already overworked Planning Inspectorate. The last government established an Infrastructure Planning Commission to do just that. Pickles scrapped it.
- European Health Journalism – Online Resources for Journalists – a variety of resources from the HeaRT Training Sessions are now available to access on the European Health Journalism website
- BBC News – Pregnancy clinical negligence case payouts top £70m – A Freedom of Information request showed NHS Health Scotland closed 30 cases between January 2009 and June 2011.
- NHS centre run by private firm charges patients for treatment – Sheffield – Local News – Postcode Gazette– The Broad Street centre is branded as an NHS service – which leads patients to believe treatment is free.But the centre is actually run by private healthcare provider One Medicare, as part of a contract awarded by NHS Sheffield.
The walk-in centre is in the constituency of Labour MP for Sheffield Central, Paul Blomfield. He said he was “shocked” at the discovery, adding: “The walk-in centre is breaking the fundamental principle of the NHS – that treatment should be free at the point of use.
- Third of CCGs reluctant to become statutory bodies, PM warned | News | Health Service Journal – The prime minister and health secretary have been warned that a third of clinical commissioning groups would rather not become statutory bodies because of the burden of bureaucracy involved.
