NHS Direct takes 250,000 festive calls
NHS Direct received more than a quarter of a million calls over the Christmas and New Year break, an increase of 16% on the same time last year. The health helpline answered 255,562 calls between 20 December and 1 January, compared to 221,225 during the same time last year. The busiest day was December 27, […]
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New media core to pandemic flu plans
A UK-wide 24-hour telephone and web-based service would be the only route for people to get anti-viral medicines in the event of a flu pandemic, according to the latest guidance. The advice from the British Medical Association’s General Practitioner Committee and the Royal College of General Practitioners, backed by the Department of Health, warns that […]
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Software aids planning for pandemic flu
More than 2,000 GP practices are to receive software to help them complete pandemic flu contingency plans. The software, the iQ Pandemic Flu Planner, is produced by specialist software company iQ Medical, which has already won contracts with East of England strategic health authority and several primary care trusts to supply the planning tool to […]
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Germany’s e-health smartcard scaled back
Key clinical components of Germany’s flagship national e-health smartcard programme look set to be dropped or delayed because of problems encountered in the first seven pilot sites.
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US sets out privacy principles for EHRs
The US Department of Health and Human Services has published new privacy guidelines for electronic health records (EHRs), based on providing citizens with the ability to choose how far they want to share information. The new guidelines set out eight principals, desigend to facilitate the adoption of electronic health records by providing a consistent approach […]
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GMC rejects calls for inquiry into MTAS
The General Medical Council has rejected calls for it to investigate the IT and selection procedures for Modernising Medical Careers. Doctors’ pressure group Remedy UK wrote to the GMC in October urging it to investigate centralised, computer-based application process for MMC and the role of the senior doctors responsible for it. Remedy asked the GMC […]
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Yorkshire Darzi centres use TPP
The first GP-led health centre is using TPP’s SystmOne and 20 more Darzi-style centres will go live with the clinical system, the company has announced. The Hillside Bridge Healthcare Centre in Bradford was opened by health secretary Alan Johnson and will be followed by 151 more open-access centres providing GP services 12 hours a day, […]
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NHS Direct’s 68 revenue sharing numbers
NHS Direct has almost 70 revenue-sharing telephone lines in addition to the 0845 number for its health advice line, a Freedom of Information Act request has revealed. David Hickson, a campaigner against use of revenue-sharing numbers, submitted an FoI request in October and has received a list of 68 0845 numbers used by NHS Direct, […]
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Hospitals advised to end mobile phone bans
Hospitals in England have been told to consider allowing “more liberal use of mobile phones”, following new guidance issued today by the Department of Health.
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Procurement blocks innovation: report
The Policy Exchange has attacked the government for not doing enough to drive innovation in the NHS and called for a shake-up of financial incentives and procurement processes to drive new technologies and working practices into the service. The right-leaning think-tank says that as things stand, new drugs, devices and other technologies “inch” their way […]
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