Geordie GUM website may spare patients’ blushes
Newcastle PCT have launched a website for their genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic with the help of the local rugby team and a cartoon mascot, Blush. The site, which contains a self-diagnosis section, a step-by-step guide to visiting the clinic and an A-Z of infections, was opened by Stuart Grimes and Joe Shaw from the Newcastle Falcons. “Staff […]
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The productivity guessing game
Introducing new IT systems should improve productivity – but how will the NHS know? Healthcare commentator, Roy Lilley, doubts whether current efforts to measure improvements will win any medals.
Feature
The future of digital imaging
The government recently announced that all acute trusts in England will move to PACS within the next three years. This is a huge undertaking both in terms of costs and especially change management…
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Treasury plans £6.8bn NHS savings through IT
Today’s Gershon report, “Releasing resources to the front line: Independent Review of Public Sector Efficiency", has said that IT reform is critical to the NHS achieving its target of saving of £6.8bn by 2008. The report was published on the same day that Chancellor Gordon Brown announced the Treasury’s 2004 spending review in Parliament, which […]
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NPfIT helps NHS management consultant bill rise 185%
The government’s rapidly growing bill for management consultancy hit £1 billion last year, double the amount spent the previous year. Among the increases was a 185% increase in NHS expenditure on management consultants. Figures published by the Management Consultancies Association revealed that central government doubled its spending on management consultancy last year to £1 billion, making it […]
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Hull-York students learn with virtual patients
Students at the Hull-York Medical School have become the first in England to incorporate the use of online virtual patients into their studies. The school, part of the new generation of medical schools in England, has adopted the use of virtual patients to support its problem-based approach to learning which brings students in contact with […]
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Budget 2003:Chancellor Stands By Spending Plans
Chancellor Gordon Brown this week reaffirmed public spending plans due to deliver 7.2% growth in NHS spending over the next five years, including unprecedented investment in healthcare IT. Delivering the 2003 Budget, he told the Commons, “We have not been, and will not be, diverted from increasing investment on our health and public services at […]
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National Programme ‘Mobilises’ for Delivery
The shape of things to come on NHS IT started to become clearer during the course of Healthcare Computing with a series of key announcements made on how and when the NHS IT Programme is moving from its initial ‘mobilisation phase’ to focus on delivery, and the key personnel who will be responsible. Five Local […]
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‘Trust Me’, I’m the Director-General
NHS Director-General of IT Richard Granger this week used his first major public speech to make a personal appeal to the NHS IT community, clinicians and suppliers to rally behind him and back his route map for modernising NHS IT. In a keenly anticipated announcement he told a packed audience at HC 2003 in Harrogate […]
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Carry On Spending and Modernising, Says Brown
Chancellor Gordon Brown has ordered the NHS to carry on with plans for extra spending and modernisation despite shortfalls in national revenues which have forced up borrowing. The Financial Times reported that borrowing would have to rise by £20bn – almost twice the figure forecast back in April – to enable the government to stick […]
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