Issue 3: Polyclinics; Anaesthetist-free; NHS Choices; Hospital or Commercial Business?
Polyclinics will cause upheaval, says Cameron
Source: The Guardian; 22nd April 2008
Gordon Brown is imposing the biggest upheaval in primary healthcare in more than a century by abolishing small GP practices in favour of a network of larger polyclinics.
Mr Cameron is criticising polyclinics. He claims GP practices will go the way of the local post office. That’s a shame and he has a point. At Credo we like our family GPs. Some of us prefer to travel back to our home towns than go to see a GP at a private practice (paid for by health insurance). The continuity of care from someone who’s known you from birth just isn’t the same as that from a visiting bright young GP who won’t be there the next time you want to make an appointment.
Polyclinics should mean more not less
Source: Medical News Today; 21st April 2008
The NHS Alliance, who represent frontline clinicians and managers in primary care, says that Polyclinics should enable the NHS to offer patients more services - and more locally.
Clinicians appear to be slightly more in favour of polyclinics.
Man hypnotizes himself and has bone-cutting thumb operation without anaesthetic
Source: Medical News Today; 19th April 2008
Doctors were amazed when Alex Lenkei, a professional hypnotist, underwent a thumb operation which required sawing and chiselling of a bone without any anaesthetic - and he said he did not feel a thing during the 80-minute operation at Worthing and Southlands Hospital, West Sussex, England.
There are c.10,000 Anaesthetists in the UK and it’s a rather competitive field (private sector fees are under pressure). But anaesthetist-free surgery is possibly the biggest threat to their profession yet. Not to worry, we don’t think it will catch on soon.
NHS Choices publishes 18-week wait data
Source: eHealthInsider; 16th April 2008
The Department of Health is making 18-week referral to treatment times available to patients on the NHS Choices website.
All good stuff. The more a patient knows about the hospitals they could be treated in, the more likely ‘choice’ will proliferate.
Credo comment
Hospital or commercial business?
Successful hospital trusts need to be both. A well run hospital will provide excellent services that can be delivered with a net surplus. But where to start? A good place, is a close and critical analysis of the cost base.
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