Why are we still waiting? Annual report on hospital waiting times

Why are we still waiting? Annual report on hospital waiting times  The Patients Association has released its fourth annual report on hospital waiting times for surgical procedures in England, revealing inconsistent reporting by hospital trusts, unacceptable waiting times and poor patient experiences.

The report highlights poor performance in the NHS and negative patient experiences and, once again, shows significant variations in waiting times across England, suggesting a ’postcode lottery’ when it comes to accessing healthcare. Long waiting times and cancelled operations continue to be an issue.

See also:

• NHS patients waiting longer for routine operations under coalition The Guardian

Lock-out for striking pathology staff at Northampton General Hospital ‘could last for weeks’

Lock-out for striking pathology staff at Northampton General Hospital ‘could last for weeks’ Temporary staff are set to continue filling in for blood scientists at Northampton General Hospital after talks failed to resolve the deadlock between the hospital and the pathology department.

The ACAS conciliatory body hosted ‘exploratory’ talks yesterday between the Unite union and a hospital HR manager.

Navigating the gap between volume and value

Navigating the gap between volume and value This guide provides step-by-step information on the financial planning process and how it can help an organisation evaluate the impact of repositioning initiatives as it moves towards value-based care and payment. Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence

VIDEO: Health regulator 'fails to get' NHS

VIDEO: Health regulator 'fails to get' NHS Monitor, the body that regulates health services in England, needs to get better at identifying NHS trusts which are at risk of failure, a group of MPs has said. BBC News

African states agree Ebola strategy

African states agree Ebola strategy Health ministers from 11 West African states agree a common strategy to fight an Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 400 people. BBC News

See also:

• Ebola outbreak: WHO calls for ‘drastic action’ to halt spread of the virus across West Africa The Independent
• What is Ebola and how is it spread? The Independent
• Ebola out of control in West Africa as health workers rush to trace 1500 possible victims The Daily Telegraph

Decline in trials for Alzheimer's

Decline in trials for Alzheimer's More than 99% of drug trials for Alzheimer's disease in the past decade have failed, according to a study. BBC News

Can the Japanese car factory methods that transformed a Seattle hospital work on the NHS?

Can the Japanese car factory methods that transformed a Seattle hospital work on the NHS? Ten years ago, Virginia Mason Hospital adopted adopted a revolutionary approach that encouraged staff to report problems without fear of repercussions. The Daily Telegraph

David Cameron accused of misrepresenting A&E waiting times to Parliament

David Cameron accused of misrepresenting A&E waiting times to Parliament David Cameron has been accused of misleading MPs over A&E waiting times, after a claim he made three times was challenged by the politically neutral House of Commons Library. The Independent

Further talks scheduled at ACAS next week between Northampton General Hospital and pathology staff

Further talks scheduled at ACAS next week between Northampton General Hospital and pathology staff Further roundtable talks between Northampton General Hospital and biomedical staff who have been locked out of the hospital will be held next week. Northampton Herald and Post

Accountable care organisations in the US and England

Accountable care organisations in the US and England Accountable care organisations in the United States and Englanddescribes the different types of ACOs emerging in the United States; presents some early evidence on their performance; assesses the future for ACOs; and discusses the implication of these developments for integrated care initiatives in England. The King's Fund

Flu fighter resources ordering system now live

Flu fighter resources ordering system now live Free printed campaign materials for your local staff flu vaccination campaign can now be ordered from our online system. NHS Employers

In the red? The state of the NHS finances

In the red? The state of the NHS finances This briefing focuses on the breakdown of commissioner spending on NHS and non-NHS providers in the acute, community and mental health sectors. It updates previous analysis published by the Nuffield Trust and IFS in May 2013 on the private/ public provider mix in the NHS and is extracted from a forthcoming report. Nuffield Trust

NHS plan 'a recipe for disaster'

NHS plan 'a recipe for disaster' Cutting back on hospital services in England before community services are geared up to provide care is a "recipe for disaster", MPs say. BBC News

See also:

• VIDEO: NHS plan 'a recipe for disaster' BBC News

NHS surgery 'age discrimination'

NHS surgery 'age discrimination' Age discrimination may be preventing older people from having access to vital surgery, a report suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Access all ages 2: Exploring variations in access to surgery among older people Age UK & Royal College of Surgeons

VIDEO: UK FGM failure 'a national scandal'

VIDEO: UK FGM failure 'a national scandal' A report by MPs claims the failure to tackle female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK is a "national scandal" that has affected as many as 170,000 women. BBC News

See also:

• Female genital mutilation: the case for a national action plan Home Affairs Select Committee

Caldicott to oversee care.data pilot

Caldicott to oversee care.data pilot The pilot phase of the controversial care.data programme will be subject to scrutiny from an independent panel led by Dame Fiona Caldicott, NHS England has revealed. E-Health Insider

NHS England rules out further local QOF schemes this year

NHS England rules out further local QOF schemes this year NHS England has ruled out the possibility of supporting additional local QOF schemes this financial year, a decision welcomed by the GPC. GP Online

NHS cancer care: planned switch to private contracts in £700m plans

NHS cancer care: planned switch to private contracts in £700m plans Private health firms ready to bid for £1.2bn worth of outsourced services at Staffordshire clinical commissioning group areas

Cancer care in the NHS could be privatised for the first time in the health service's biggest ever outsourcing of services worth over £1.2bn.

A host of private healthcare firms have already expressed interest in securing a £689m, 10-year contract to provide cancer care at four NHS GP-led clinical commissioning group areas in Staffordshire. Continue reading... The Guardian

PM must exclude NHS from EU-US trade deal or it could be sued, union warns

PM must exclude NHS from EU-US trade deal or it could be sued, union warns Healthcare workers, patients’ groups and the country’s biggest union are urging the Prime Minister to exclude the NHS from a “monster” new EU-US free trade deal they claim could make it impossible for botched privatisations ever to be renationalised. The Independent

Doctors forced to act as a surrogate social service, says British Medical Journal

Doctors forced to act as a surrogate social service, says British Medical Journal

Hundreds of thousands of victims of government cuts to welfare are becoming ill as a result, with doctors becoming a “surrogate social service,” according to the British Medical Journal (BMJ). The Independent