Tougher regulation for healthcare support staff – RCN

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is again calling for tougher mandatory regulation for healthcare support staff, and has released a petition signed by 2,500 staff calling for further action. The RCN argues that since healthcare support staff...<<Read More>>

Health unions consider final pension deals

Health unions, unlike their counterparts covering the civil service and teaching professions, seem prepared to sign up to a new deal on pensions reform following Government concessions on accrual rates and other technical details. Chief Secretary..<<Read More>>

Pension increases a ‘tax’ on NHS staff

Proposals to increase NHS pension contributions have been met with criticism from health professionals, with some organisations threatening that a lack of negotiation with unions could lead to strikes...<<Read More>>

Protection for NHS whistleblowers

Health staff who raise concerns about poor patient care will be protected by changes to the NHS Constitution in the future. It will be made clear that ‘whistleblowing’ is the duty of all NHS workers...<<Read More>>

Staff asked to work for free

Whipps Cross University Hospital Trust has asked its employees to give up their holidays and do un-paid work as part of ‘extraordinary financial measures’ to tackle its £4.5m deficit...<<Read More>>

Calls for stronger checks on the movement of European healthcare workers

The NHS Confederation’s European Office is calling on the EU to strengthen checks on healthcare workers moving between countries in an attempt to protect patients from unsafe practice. The...<<Read More>>

Health professionals have a ‘duty’ to get flu jab

A new initiative is encouraging health workers to get the flu jab, to tackle low immunisation rates. A recent report found that only 34.7% of NHS staff were vaccinated last year, although the flu virus caused over 600 deaths of vulnerable patients...<<Read More>>

NHS staff under pressure to work

NHS staff may be under pressure to work when sick instead of taking time off, according to the Society of Radiographers (SoR). The union wants the issue to be debated at this week’s annual TUC congress in London. Amendments to sickness and absence...
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Paramedic struck off from HPC register

Paramedic Shaun Clarke has been struck off the Health Professions Council (HPC) for misconduct. Clarke failed to declare convictions, failed to adhere to sign on for shifts and fell asleep whilst on duty. Clarke did not sign on for his shifts for one week, and although...
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NHS staff attacked during riots

Ambulance staff were attacked during the rioting in London on Monday night. Missiles were thrown by rioters while members of the London Ambulance Service were attending to the injured at several incidents, including one in Ealing, west London, where paramedics...
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NHS IT boss resigns

Christine Connelly, chief information officer at the Department of Health, has resigned after three years in the post. She said she decided to quit ahead of a reorganisation of senior management which will result in fewer director general posts. In a statement, she said...
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Surgeon on leave

David Nunn, the surgeon who interrupted a recent hospital visit by David Cameron and Nick Clegg, has requested leave. It is not known when he will return. Mr. Nunn objected to the presence of a television crew who were not following the correct dress code to be allowed in the hospital. Staff had been...
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Lansley job loss speculation continues

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, may lose his job due to the NHS reforms, according to the head of the British Medical Association. The situation has stemmed from the proposed changes, which have been heavily criticised... <<Read More>>

Hundreds of jobs to go at top hospital

One of the country’s best-rated and wealthiest NHS hospitals is cutting hundreds of jobs. At least 360 posts, including frontline staff, are expected to be axed at the Univer­sity College London Hospital following a major... <<Read More>>

Hospital opens new outpatients department to mark its centenary

The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Birmingham has welcomed the first patients to its new outpatients department, just over 100 years since it was founded. Work on a purpose-built department started back in... <<Read More>>

Regulator ‘sorry’ over Staffs deaths

The chief executive of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said she is sorry that she missed clues to the appalling levels of care at Stafford Hospital that led to hundreds of deaths in her previous role. Cynthia Bower, formerly the head of the West... <<Read More>>

No national agreement over Royal Wedding pay for NHS staff

NHS Employers has said it is “disappointed” at health unions’ rejection of its Royal Wedding pay proposal. It said the bank holiday on April 29 is costing the NHS £200 million, but that this would rise to £230 million if... <<Read More>>

Huge cost of back injuries to the NHS

Taxpayers are footing a £400 million annual bill for NHS staff who have injured their backs at work. The total includes staff sickness, absence, and wasted training. The charity BackCare says better training could avoid many of... <<Read More>>

NHS staff on long-term sick get more occupational health support

Occupational health services for NHS staff are helping to drive down sickness absence – but more long-term absent staff are suffering depression. Around 30% of staff off sick waited at least 12 weeks before an occupational... <<Read more>>

Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust appoints new chief executive

Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust has announced the appointment of James Reilly as Chief Executive. CLCH was recently established as the first and largest community NHS... <<Read more>>

Thousand pound award on offer for medical volunteers

Perioperative practitioners are being invited to submit their applications for this year’s Hilda Winifred Mears Award to be in with a chance of winning £1,000 towards a trip overseas as a medical volunteer. Hilda Winifred Mears was a... <<Read more>>

NHS Employers get online resource

Employers in the NHS who want to ensure the health and wellbeing of their staff now have a new online resource to turn to. The online resource contains all of the latest evidence in how to maintain and happy and healthy workforce. Launching... <<Read more>>

Flexible NHS development tool launched

A simplified and more flexible Knowledge and Skills Framework has been developed and published by the NHS Staff Council to help NHS staff in their appraisals. The Knowledge and Skills Framework is the career and pay progression strand... <<Read more>>

NHS staff put in charge of £900 million

The Department of Health has announced that NHS staff are to be put in charge of social enterprises which have a total value of around £900 million. This is now the third wave of proposals for social enterprises – the government also pledged an... <<Read more>>

Trust seeks new board member

The Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is looking for a new board member.CWP Chairman, David Eva, said: “This presents an excellent development opportunity for someone with the appropriate talents to be a part of an ambitious and innovative organisation. As it is a Board level...

Government announces 4,200 new health visitors

The government has announced a recruitment drive to find 4,200 new health visitors in Britain. The recruitment drive will approximately double the amount of health visitors currently serving the public. Public Health Minister Anne Milton said...

Medical community grieve death of Clare Rayner

Many within the medical community have been greatly saddened by the death of broadcaster and former nurse Claire Rayner. Claire was also vice president of the Association for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (ASBAH) for a time. Gill Winfield from ASBAH said...

NHS leader wins top accolade – again

Dr Patrick Geoghegan, chief executive of the South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, who was named NHS leader of the year 2009, has won another award. Dr Geoghegan has been given the the JW Starkey Silver Medal Award by the Royal Society for Public Health...

Hospital to close A&E and maternity services over winter

An NHS hospital in south London will be close its A&E and maternity departments over the winter period because of patient safety concerns.

Provisional monthly NHS workforce data for England published for the first time

Provisional monthly figures for headcount, full time equivalent, role count and turnover of NHS staff groups working in England (excluding primary care staff) are published today for the first time by The NHS Information Centre.

The data, which will now be published every month, covers the period from 30 September 2009 - the date used as a reference point for the latest annual workforce census - to 30 April 2010. It provisionally shows that for the NHS workforce (excluding primary...

NHS Direct to arrange new nurse working conditions

NHS Direct’s Board has agreed to progress with its plans for homeworking, following a successful pilot, providing nurses with the opportunity to experience a new way of working.

The Board has agreed that NHS Direct will recruit 100 nurse homeworkers across the organisation by March 2011 to review the benefits of homeworking on a larger scale and to trial its external recruitment approach. Current staff will also...

Ex-NHS trust chief receives £1.2 million pay-out

John Watkinson, the ex-chief executive of the Royal Cornish Hospital Trust , has received over a million pounds in compensation, following an employment investigation which found that he was dismissed unfairly.