Costing has a key role to play in the drive for higher quality services for patients. Costing is not – or at least should not be confined to the finance department. It is not an activity done solely to meet central demands for information about productivity and costs. Nor is it just to inform tariff … Continue reading
As a midwife, I was interested to learn that the impact of the negative culture and poor standards at Mid Staffs extended to the maternity service. Highlighting the woeful prioritising of cost over care, the report brought to mind the marvels and frustrations I’ve encountered during the course of my 35 years working in the … Continue reading
The nursing profession is facing exceptionally difficult times. Deep cuts to frontline services, continued attacks on terms and conditions and an unrelenting degree of media scrutiny are all taking their toll on the profession. There is also, of course, the publication of the seminal Francis report, which gives nursing – and indeed anyone working in … Continue reading
The Government has taken a significant step in committing to reform adult social care funding, alongside the wider reforms contained within the Draft Care and Support Bill. This will make the system simpler and clearer and improve the individual’s experience of care and support. While no one would deny that we’re now moving in the … Continue reading
There is a change going on in the way we think about healthcare. The realisation that we can no longer afford to do what we’ve always done is looming large for all suppliers. Whether it’s expressed as the Nicholson Challenge or described eloquently as Hospitals on the edge, our existing systems have grown up with … Continue reading
Hospitals in financial trouble need assistance not castigation from politicians and a proper dialogue with the communities they serve, says NHS Confederation chief executive Mike Farrar. Financial pressures are mounting on the NHS and a growing number of hospital trusts are finding themselves pushed towards a cliff edge. The NHS budget is flat when other … Continue reading
Much has changed in the hospital sector in recent years. Hospitals are more open in the way they do business, regulation has increased significantly, access times have fallen dramatically, infrastructure has improved, patient satisfaction has increased, and we have become steadily busier. There has been a relentless rise in activity, which until recently has been … Continue reading
