NHS institutions have become key battlegrounds in the election campaign. And while the government appears to have learnt a lesson about involving the public in reconfigurations, having lost the Wyre Forest seat in 2001, some trusts have reacted against being used as political footballs and banned all political activity on site, including visits from candidates.

Hospitals, Public↗

PubMed2005

Controversial prompts system dumped over 'target' concerns.

The controversial 472 prompts proposed for the new NHS ratings system have been ditched because of fears they could turn into a set of must-do targets, the Healthcare Commission announced today. During 2005-06 the commission will concentrate on measuring performance against 24 core standards describing basic levels of performance.

Organizational Objectives↗

PubMed2005

Patients offered pick of any ITC or foundation by 2006.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Choice Behavior↗

PubMed2005

'Red tape, scrutiny and naming and shaming': the new ratings.

NHS chief executives fear the Healthcare Commission's new ratings system will be beset by bureaucracy and ineffective scrutiny, and that trusts will be unfairly named and shamed. Although the majority of respondents to an HSJ survey praised the proposals, 81 per cent feared that the 472 'prompts' would become proxy targets.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2005

Healthcare Commission calls for help as complaints flood in.

The NHS's new complaints system is buckling under massive pressure. The Healthcare Commission is facing a backlog of more than 3,700 grievances and a private company will be brought in next week to help clear the build-up. The commission expects to receive 9,000 complaints by the end of its first year--almost double the number anticipated.

Patient Advocacy↗

PubMed2004