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Wessex Health |
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The voice of health service staff
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April 2008 |
Former NHS executive jailedFormer NHS executive has been jailed for 12 months for forging land profits in an attempt to wipe out his trust's financial deficit |
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McDonald’s to sponsor Hospitals?
Sponsorship of health services could see firms such as McDonald’s or Virgin offering financial support to NHS Hospital Wards |
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18th March 2008 |
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Health Secretary, Alan Johnson has been urged to intervene to halt plans that could lead to the legal abolition of the 146-year old health visiting profession |
Minister urged to stop “Health Visiting” being legally abolished
Unite calls on Health Secretary to halt legal changes to the Nursing and Midwifery Act |
A Health Visitor job-a-day’ is being lost |
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Without the legal status of health visiting being protected, the door will be opened further for other less-qualified staff to take on these responsibilities |
More choice will also help drive up quality and standards across the NHS |
Former NHS executive jailedA former NHS executive has been jailed for 12 months for forging land profits in an attempt to wipe out his trust's financial deficit
Former Director of Finance and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Mid Essex Hospital Services Trust Philip Neal admitted four counts of forgery
His defence told Chelmsford Crown Court he was under immense pressure to wipe out the trust's huge predicted deficit
The court heard that Neal falsified valuations of hospital land to try to make it appear that the trust had achieved bigger profits, which would have enabled the trust to record a £1m surplus for the financial year 2005-06
After the forgeries were discovered, it became apparent that the trust was £10m in deficit
McDonald’s to sponsor Hospitals?
Sponsorship of health services could see firms such as McDonald’s or Virgin offering financial support to NHS hospital wards
The move comes under plans announced by the government to allow sponsorship of health services and create a new era of open competition between hospitals
The initiative will allow private firms to create brand awareness with logos on hospital property but would not permit them to gain commercial advantage
The plans were announced by health minister Ben Bradshaw under moves to give patients more choice over the private or NHS hospitals in which they are treated from 1 April
Hospitals can compete for custom and promote their own services
There is no limit on how much hospitals can spend on advertising but the guidance code warns: “Providers will be expected to recognise the potential effect on the reputation of the NHS of disproportionate expenditure on promotional activity”
Hospitals will also be able to send direct marketing to patients but it should not cause fear or distress “without good reason”
And the code adds: “Marketing communication addressed to, targeted at or featuring children should not exploit their credulity, loyalty, vulnerability or lack of experience”
Testimonials can be used by hospitals as long as they have not been paid for and hospitals can also promote areas of good patient care
Mr Bradshaw said: “People would like to have more control and be more involved in the decisions about their illness and treatment
More choice will also help drive up quality and standards across the NHS”
Minister urged to stop “Health Visiting” being legally abolished
Unite calls on Health Secretary to halt legal changes to the Nursing and Midwifery Act
Health Secretary, Alan Johnson has been urged to intervene to halt plans that could lead to the legal abolition of the 146-year old health visiting profession
Such a move will hit families and communities, as in future healthcare professionals carrying out ‘health visiting’ duties, may not be qualified up to that standard
Now Unite/Community Practitioners’ and Health Visitors’ Association is asking for a urgent meeting with Mr Johnson to strengthen the legal status of ‘health visiting’ which was first in force at the beginning of the last century
Unite/CPHVA Acting Lead Professional Officer, Cheryll Adams said: ‘Without the legal status of health visiting being protected, the door will be opened further for other less-qualified staff to take on these responsibilities
Since it was taken out of statute we have already seen a dramatic fall in health visitor numbers.’
‘This could mean that even more mothers with postnatal depression won’t receive the support they deserve, families won’t be helped through periods of crises and more children could become victims of family dysfunction’
Unite/CPHVA predict that the complex regulatory changes proposed by government regulatory advisors will lead to the third part of the Nursing and Midwifery register – the part for specialist community public health nursing (SCPHN) – closing and with it a loss of recognition of the unique characteristics of public health practice.
The other two parts cover nurses and midwives
Cheryll Adams said: ‘This is not an arcane and ‘dry’ legal dispute, but one that will have a real impact on the public health of the UK population’
‘According to the NHS’s own workforce statistics, a ‘health visitor job-a-day’ is being lost, but at the same time ministers have re-energised their ‘family-friendly’ policies which need a full complement of health visitors for them to be implemented in homes, surgeries and clinics across the land’
‘The result of this contradictory equation is that health visiting is at a critical crossroads in its history.’ |
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27 March 2008 |
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Mr Neal was under immense pressure to wipe out the Trust's deficit |
Plans announced by the Government to allow sponsorship of health services and create a new era of open competition between hospitals |
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The initiative will allow private firms to create brand awareness with logos on hospital property |
Former Director of Finance admitted four counts of forgery |
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27 March 2008 |
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