NHS
Social care is the election’s Cinderella service
Michael Burton says the main parties fall over themselves to shower largesse on the NHS and claim the service is at death’s door through underfunding, while social care’s role in reducing NHS costs is barely mentioned.
We will all pay the price for not spending on care
Heather Jameson says the Government is tinkering on the edges of the welfare reforms in an effort to ease the pressure, but it is not enough. The cost of care is phenomenal – both in terms of the cash and the long-term damage.
Hopson warning over politicising health and social care
Politicians should avoid using the NHS as a weapon during the General Election and instead offer ‘proper, sustainable’ solutions for the social care crisis, a leading health sector figure has argued.
Kent’s very own powerhouse
Cllr Paul Carter has stepped down as leader of Kent CC. Now he plans to apply his energies to local care and the vocational agenda, including apprenticeships. Ann McGauran reports
Roll-out of mental health support for rough sleepers begins
A £12m scheme to provide mental health support for rough sleepers has been launched.
COSLA conference: 'Devolved powers have stopped at Holyrood'
It is a ‘sad paradox’ of devolution that powers handed to Scotland 20 years ago have stopped at Holyrood, the president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has said.
Prepare for the 5G revolution
Local authorities are aware 5G is imminent and could have a dramatic effect on their frontline services according to a survey by The MJ and BT, as Michael Burton reports.
Who are you talking to?
Who you regularly sit down with and who you talk to one-to-one makes a difference and who gets to talk to who varies from one authority to another, says Blair Mcpherson.
HEALTH MJ: Delays still block UK hospital beds
Latest NHS England figures show continuing relentless pressure on emergency admissions and too many beds still occupied by elderly patients who are better off with community care.
HEALTH MJ: PFI costs ‘damaging investment in NHS’, says think-ta
Safety hazards, sewage leaks and falling ceilings are major risks at hospitals after decades of under-investment and the legacy of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) in hospitals, researchers said.
HEALTH MJ: Tool predicts MRH after hospital discharge
Researchers have a developed a new tool to assess the likelihood of an older adult suffering from medication-related harm (MRH) after discharge from hospital.
HEALTH MJ: NHS performance slips on waiting times
Waiting times for treatment at NHS hospitals have continued to lengthen over the last year, according to figures from NHS England.
HEALTH MJ: Addressing welfare state inequalities
Solutions to the social care funding problem are there, says Michael Burton - they just need leadership from politicians to deliver them.
HEALTH MJ: NHS spending second lowest in G7, says ONS
Spending on health in the UK is the second lowest per head in the major industrialised countries but average compared to the world’s 25 largest economies according to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.
Call for new audit oversight body
A new type of oversight body for local audit that would take a strategic approach to addressing the sector’s sustainability challenges is needed, a top auditor has suggested.
Let’s make a collective effort
Julie Ogley argues that we need to take a wider view that puts the focus on the integration of adult social care with all other key public services.
Joining the new power dots
Donna Hall explains that ‘permanently wiring new power’ into the way the organisation and system do business takes time and is difficult, but it is the only way it will work for the long-term.
Money for something
The Spending Round announcement last week seems a positive move for the sector on the face of it, but raises questions over the the future balance between central control and local discretion says David Phillips.
Hitting the accelerator on integration
A new report launched today at the Healthcare Innovation Expo outlines 15 practical actions for accelerating integrated care. Ewan King and Fiona Russell explain how the resource aims to help practitioners make better use of available evidence.
Improved efficiency saves hundreds of millions
London boroughs have saved almost half a billion pounds in adult social care by improving efficiency, a report has revealed.