Category Archives: hospital

Minister calls for new mental health service targets

November 2, 2013   Carers, hospital, mental health, Norfolk

The introduction of hospital-style treatment targets would help address the “institutional bias” against mental health services, a health minister said.

Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk. Picture: Denise Bradley Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk. Picture: Denise Bradley

Saturday, November 2, 2013
7:00 AM

The introduction of hospital-style treatment targets would help address the “institutional bias” against mental health services, a health minister said.

Norman Lamb said he was determined to address the imbalance between physical health and mental health by bringing in new targets by the time of the next general election.

The North Norfolk MP and health minister yesterday said that hospitals had targets to treat patients needing non-emergency surgery within 18 weeks. However there were no similar targets or a payment by results system for mental health trusts.

Mr Lamb said that the introduction of targets would help to focus more NHS commissioner funding towards mental health services and it was “totally frustrating” how long it was taking to change things.

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NHS Direct to close down next year

October 24, 2013   Carers, health, hospital

24 October 2013 Last updated at 12:24

NHS Direct to close down next year

Woman on the phone Patients have struggled to get through to the 111 helpline

NHS Direct – one of the most recognisable names in the NHS – will be closed down in England next year.

The organisation, which is an NHS trust, got into financial difficulty after winning a number of the contracts for the 111 phone line.

It had already said it was pulling out of those – and this latest decision means its other services will closed or transferred to other NHS bodies.

The NHS Direct service began 15 years ago.

It ran the national telephone advice line from the late 1990s until April this year, when the 111 service was launched.

The 111 service was split into 46 different contracts and NHS Direct won 11 of them.

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NHS patients ‘should not face constant moves’

September 12, 2013   Carers, disability, hospital, mental health

Patients often face multiple moves around hospital

By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News

Hospital ward The era of NHS patients being shunted around hospitals needs to end, an expert group says.

The Future Hospital Commission – set up by the Royal College of Physicians – said a radical revamp in structures was needed to bring care to the patient.

This was particularly true for frail people with complex needs, who often faced multiple moves once admitted to hospital, the report said.

It also recommended closer working with teams in the community.

The commission said this could involve doctors and nurses running clinics in the community and even visiting people in their own homes – as is already happening in a few places.

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