Features
David Kelly: campaigning doctors close in on full inquest
By Mike Broad - 2nd September 2010
The campaign for a full inquest into David Kelly's death has taken an important step forward with the attorney general's office reportedly examining files relating to the weapon in ...
Clinical Excellence Awards: a full listing of recipient doctors
By Mike Broad - 10th August 2010
The ACCEA has halved the number of clinical excellence awards handed out nationally in 2010. Only 317 national awards have been given to senior doctors in England and Wales. Th ...
Guidance strives to boost confidence in genetic testing
By Mike Broad - 6th August 2010
The government is seeking to introduce better protection for consumers using private genetic testing services through new guidelines launched this week. There's a growing fear ...
NHS outcomes framework consultation: submit your views
By Mike Broad - 25th July 2010
The white paper, Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS, set out the government's intention to achieve better outcomes in the NHS and become more responsive to patients' needs. ...
Emergency hospital admissions: how do we reverse the rise?
By Mike Broad - 12th July 2010
The number one issue facing the NHS in England is reversing the 'unsustainable' rise in emergency hospital admissions, the think tank Nuffield Trust has warned. Its study reveals ...
How to redesign mental health services - a summary
By Mike Broad - 2nd July 2010
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has made 17 new recommendations for the redesign of mental health services. The paper, Looking Ahead: Future development of UK mental health serv ...
Interview: Dr Porter, chair of BMA's consultants committee
By Mike Broad - 28th June 2010
Hospital Dr invited Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA's consultants committee, and consultant anaesthetist in Coventry, to answer 13 questions and complete a half finished sente ...
Temple's recommendations on medical training under the WTD
By Mike Broad - 23rd June 2010
The Working Time Directive was fully implemented into the NHS in August 2009. Widespread concern has emerged about the ability of the NHS to continue to deliver safe services and ...
McKinsey's vision for raising productivity in the NHS
By Mike Broad - 9th June 2010
The full scale of controversial plans drawn up by management consultants to raise the productivity of consultants across England has been revealed. A report produced for the previ ...
CMO's view of 2009: swine flu, alcohol pricing and quality
By Mike Broad - 26th May 2010
Prof Sir Liam Donaldson, the Chief Medical Officer for England, stands down this week. He's been in post for 12 years, during the same period as the Labour government. His annual r ...
The coalition government's priorities on healthcare
By Mike Broad - 24th May 2010
The government has published its plans for the NHS, merging the policy commitments of the two parties. The document, called The coalition: our plans for government, starts by say ...
Barriers to career progession for medical managers
By Mike Broad - 10th May 2010
A new study involving 22 trust chief executives with medical backgrounds provides important insight into medical leadership within the NHS. Medical chief executives in the NHS c ...
Harnessing the benefits of the independent sector - a briefing
By Mike Broad - 30th April 2010
NHS Partners Network, which represents independent sector health organisations, has launched a briefing document entitled Harnessing the benefits of the independent sector: priori ...
Royal colleges speak out in favour of service reconfiguration
By Mike Broad - 29th April 2010
A group of leading medical organisations have sent a letter to The Guardian in support of service change. They fear the debate is being misrepresented in the media. Here is the le ...
Interview: Professor Stephenson, president of the RCPCH
By Mike Broad - 22nd April 2010
Hospital Dr invited Professor Terence Stephenson, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health (RCPCH) to answer 13 questions and complete a half written senten ...
After 13 years of Labour, do we have a high performing NHS?
By Mike Broad - 13th April 2010
Opposition parties are painting a picture of an NHS with major deficiencies. The Labour government, however, believes that the NHS is 'good' but needs further transformation to bec ...
At-a-glance guide to Obama's healthcare reforms in the US
By Mike Broad - 29th March 2010
After a rough ride, Democrats in the US have begun to seize back control of the healthcare debate. A package of amendments to the landmark US healthcare reform law, which extends ...
A manifesto for the NHS: the RCP's ten-year vision
By Mike Broad - 22nd March 2010
The Royal College of Physicians has launched a manifesto ahead of the general election hoping to influence the health policies of the next government. Introducing the manifesto, ...
Political parties' healthcare proposals: at-a-glance guide
By Mike Broad - 13th March 2010
What do our political parties stand for when it comes to healthcare policy? With an election looming, most probably on 6 May, it's time to examine their political promises. The fol ...
Revalidation: it's time to express your opinions to the GMC
By Francesca Robinson - 9th March 2010
The GMC has launched a consultation on revalidation and is seeking the profession's feedback to help them shape the final process. The consultation asks 20 questions covering: 1 ...
What has been the impact of the market in the NHS?
By Mike Broad - 9th March 2010
A new study, by think tank Civitas, has questioned the achievements of NHS reforms in introducing competition and driving performance. NHS 'internal' or 'quasi' market policies in ...
Interview: Prof Sir Neil Douglas, chairman of AMRC
By Mike Broad - 2nd March 2010
Hospital Dr invited Prof Sir Neil Douglas, chairman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, to answer 13 questions and complete a half finished sentence. 1. What is the ...
Leadership in the NHS: leaving the comfort zone
By Bob Mathers - 28th February 2010
As classical scholars know, the god of the doorway is Januarius. At his annual reappearance, most of us begin to look to the year ahead with renewed optimism and ambition. We are ...
Marmot Review: Reducing health inequalities in England
By Mike Broad - 20th February 2010
In November 2008, Professor Sir Michael Marmot was asked by the health secretary to chair an independent review to propose the most effective evidence-based strategies for reducing ...
Haiti earthquake - the medical challenges one month on
By Francesca Robinson - 19th February 2010
One month after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti, the numbers are still difficult to digest: it caused more than 200,000 deaths and 300,000 injuries. Some of the first Brit ...
Employment rights when applying for training jobs
By Mike Broad - 15th February 2010
Campaigning group Remedy recently forced the government, following a legal challenge, to delay their plans to exempt deaneries from employment agency legislation. This is of signi ...
How major trauma care in England should be run
By Mike Broad - 12th February 2010
There are at least 20,000 cases of major trauma each year in England, the most common cause being a road traffic accident, which results in 5,400 deaths. There are currently 193 ...
FTN paper on cutting consultant's terms & conditions
By Mike Broad - 10th February 2010
This is the full text of the Foundation Trust Network (FTN) document leaked to Unison and then run originally in The Guardian: 1. Introduction In July 2009 FTN undertook a surve ...
Review into the regulation of education and training
By Mike Broad - 8th February 2010
The GMC is going through an enormous period of change, with the introduction of revalidation, the merger with PMETB and the shift in responsibility for adjudication in fitness to ...
Interview: Prof Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, RCOG president
By Mike Broad - 8th February 2010
Hospital Dr invited Professor Sir Sabaratnam Arulkumaran, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), to answer 12 questions and complete a half fini ...
The General Medical Council's strategy 2010 to 2013
By Mike Broad - 1st February 2010
The GMC is entering a defining period. Many of initiatives intended to make it more accessible, independent and attentive are coming to pass. Revalidation is finally happening, ...
Interview: Prof Ian Gilmore, president of the RCP
By Mike Broad - 25th January 2010
Hospital Dr invited Prof Ian Gilmore, president of the Royal College of Physicians to answer 12 questions and complete a half finished sentence 1. What is the biggest ch ...
Twelve step plan for boosting the public's health
By Mike Broad - 21st January 2010
The Royal Society of Public Health and UK Faculty of Public Health want the political parties to adopt a 12-step wish list to boost the nation's health. They claim practical steps ...
Look after yourself as well as your patients
By Susan Kersley - 21st January 2010
When you are overwhelmed with the pressures of working at the hospital, you may be neglecting your own health and well-being. We often spend too much of our time and energy looking ...
A plan for rescuing the UK's medical research sector
By Mike Broad - 17th January 2010
Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) has contacted the major political parties ahead of the general election to outline its vision for UK medical science. It claims that groundbreak ...
The Revenue offers tax-avoiding consultants an amnesty
By Mike Broad - 12th January 2010
The economic downturn is having far reaching consequences for hospital doctors. Not only is it threatening the funding of their services, and their pay rises, for years to come ...
The Conservatives' health manifesto: at-a-glance
By Mike Broad - 7th January 2010
The New Year has brought the opening salvos of the general election campaign, which is expected to be held in May. This week, the Conservatives published the first chapter of i ...
Advice on integrating with the medical community
By Susan Kersley - 3rd January 2010
When you are a doctor one of the major challenges is about belonging to the 'medical community'. As a junior, staff grade or consultant, you are also part of a part of that communi ...
Political differences in privatising NHS services
By Mike Broad - 2nd January 2010
As we enter a general election year, many are wondering what the differences are between Labour and the Conservatives when it comes to health. It's a subject we'll be returning to ...
Tips on making your New Year's resolutions a reality
By Susan Kersley - 16th December 2009
As we come to the end of another year it's that predictable time for time to both reflect and look forward to a better life in 2010. The New Year is also a time for resolutions a ...
"From good to great": Andy Burnham's five-year plan
By Mike Broad - 13th December 2009
Health secretary Andy Burnham addressed NHS chief executives last week, and he used the opportunity to outline a five-year plan for the NHS. He described it as upbeat, gritty an ...
Interview: Mr John Black, president of the RCS
By Mike Broad - 8th December 2009
Hospital Dr invited Mr John Black, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England to answer 12 questions and complete a half finished sentence... 1. What is the bigge ...
Sustainable future sought for the NHS by BMA's election manifesto
By Mike Broad - 3rd December 2009
With a General Election due to be called at some stage in the next few months, the BMA launched its manifesto - Standing up for doctors, Standing up for health - this week. It off ...
The challenges for Iraqi doctors in working abroad
By Shatha Al Juburi - 27th November 2009
Figures suggest the number of Iraqi doctors in Britain has exceeded 5,000, with more than 3,800 living in London alone. They can count former minister Lord Ara Darzi, whose real na ...
Time to discuss direct payments and personal health budgets
By Mike Broad - 24th November 2009
The Health Act, which received royal assent on 12 November, will introduce direct payments into health care. Direct payments will be one way of delivering a personal health bu ...
Advice for doctors on managing end-of-life care
By Dr Michael Devlin, deputy head of advisory services at the MDU - 23rd November 2009
Poor communication between doctors, and with patients and relatives, is compromising good end-of-life care according to the recently published National Enquiry into Patient Outcome ...
Improving cultural awareness in your communications
Bob Mathers - 18th November 2009
A company, Today Translations, recently placed an advert in The Glasgow Herald seeking speakers of 'Glaswegian'. Candidates, it said, must understand "vocabulary, accent and nuanc ...
Interview: Prof Peter Rubin, chair of the GMC
By Mike Broad - 12th November 2009
Hospital Dr invites Professor Peter Rubin, chair of the GMC, and Professor of Therapeutics at the University of Nottingham, to answer 12 questions and complete a half writt ...
The Conservative Party reveals its priorities for the NHS
By Mike Broad - 12th November 2009
The Tories recently released their five priorities healthcare. It's as long on rhetoric, as it's short on detail - but that's to be expected for such a politicised document. It doe ...
Communicating to influence in a multi-disciplinary world
By Bob Mathers - 9th November 2009
"Communications technology is shrinking the world." But one consequence is that technology is sidelining our personal ability to communicate. Is the cause: 1. Generational? Most ...
At-a-glance: BMA's select committee submission on PFI
By Mike Broad - 3rd November 2009
The select committee on economic affairs is currently running an inquiry into private finance projects and off-balance sheet debt. Last month, the BMA submitted a response on PF ...
South Asian doctors deserve recognition for their contribution
By Mike Broad - 28th October 2009
Migrant doctors have made a huge contribution to the NHS over the past 60 years and yet it has gone largely unrecognised. In an attempt to rectify this, researchers at the Open ...
Tips on how to open better channels of communication
By Bob Mathers - 21st October 2009
The biggest barrier to communication is other people. We know they are affected by moods, stresses, hidden agendas, personal insecurities, etc. While we cannot change their persona ...
Summary of the Annual Health Check of NHS trusts
By Mike Broad - 20th October 2009
The Care Quality Commission is responsible for assessing and reporting on the performance of all NHS organisations in England against measures and priorities set by government. ...
Breaking down the barriers to female medical leadership
By Mike Broad - 16th October 2009
A new report, called Women Doctors: Making a Difference, identifies the barriers preventing female doctors from reaching senior positions and sets out how to address them. It's be ...
Interview: Dr Christine Tomkins, MDU chief executive
By Mike Broad - 14th October 2009
Hospital Dr invites Dr Christine Tomkins, chief executive of the MDU, to answer 12 questions and complete a half written sentence: 1. What is the biggest challenge ...
The introduction of modules - or credentials - into training
By Patricia Le Rolland, PMETB's director of quality, and Dr John Jenkins, chair of the Credentialing Steering Group - 12th October 2009
Credentialing - or modules, as some call them - in postgraduate medical education and training has been frequently debated in recent years. The definitions and arguments surroun ...
Health pressures mount globally for the big economies
By Mike Broad - 5th October 2009
A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit examines the challenges facing different healthcare systems around the world. For all the different permutations in healthcare system ...
ISTC programme at a cross roads over damning evidence
By Mike Broad - 29th September 2009
There's nothing new in the quality of care at Independent Sector Treatment Centres being questioned. It has been going on for years. But, significantly, it's increasingly based on ...
Managing time enables doctors to improve effectiveness. Part 3
By Bob Mathers - 22nd September 2009
Doctors are increasingly seen as 'managers', people who manage. But why are a few much more effective than the rests? Research indicates it is energy and focus which separates 90% ...
How can consultants cope with change and learn new skills
By Dr Anita Houghton - 16th September 2009
One of the most difficult problems with imposed change is when it goes against what you believe is right. This is a values issue and values are, by their nature, strong and hard to ...
British consultants set the record straight in US health debate
By Mike Broad - 14th September 2009
Members of the public and politicians all twittered their support for the NHS when it was criticised by American Republicans this summer, but a group of consultants has taken a mor ...
Techniques for consultants to manage their time. Part 2
By Bob Mathers - 7th September 2009
In the second part of this series, we look at how a doctor has to establish their priorities in order to manage their time effectively. Personal goals are the reference points ...
Campaign calls on NHS to take a lead on climate change
By Mike Broad - 7th September 2009
So, how are you or your trust going to cut your carbon emissions by 10% over the next year? That's the question that a new, high profile campaign, called 10:10, is asking of eve ...
How can consultants gain more control over their time? Part 1
By Bob Mathers - 24th August 2009
Our time doesn't just depend on us. In a doctor's day-to-day life, fatigue, stress, interruptions and real life keep intervening. Managing handovers, planning work then re-plannin ...
Making more of mentoring schemes for NHS doctors
By Mike Broad - 22nd August 2009
Mentoring is like motherhood and apple pie, it's hard to dislike as an idea. In many organisations, all over the country, HR will suddenly get excited about introducing a mentorin ...
Tips on cutting medical jargon and improving communication
By Dr Emma Cuzner, MDU medico-legal adviser - 17th August 2009
Doctors and the NHS were criticised recently for using "inaccessible language" by the Plain English Campaign. The growth in management-speak in the NHS - with such phrases a ...
Government's unequivocal response to WTD petition
By Mike Broad - 10th August 2009
The government has responded to a petition on the 10 Downing Street website calling for trainee surgeons to be allowed to work up to a 65-hour week, rather than the 48-hour week wh ...
Getting NICE to better support medical innovation: a briefing
By Mike Broad - 5th August 2009
Earlier this year Sir Ian Kennedy was asked by Sir Michael Rawlins, the chairman of NICE, to undertake a study into medical innovation, in response to views expressed by Sir David ...
Time to review the policy of testing doctors for HIV
By Mike Broad - 16th July 2009
New research by the Journal of Medical Ethics questions whether routine HIV testing of healthcare workers is ethical and should continue. It reveals that juniors are being inappro ...
Consultant role has transformed - have you kept up?
By Dr Anita Houghton - 3rd July 2009
In my first article, Coming to terms with being a consultant, I reflected on the pressures on consultants to change, and how hard this can be for people who have been working in a ...
UK's reputation for research and innovation under threat
By Mike Broad - 24th June 2009
On the face of it, the staffing levels of medical clinical academics in medical schools have improved. The annual staff survey published recently by the Medical Schools Council sh ...
Will women have what it takes to lead the profession?
By Mike Broad - 18th June 2009
There's much to celebrate on the advancement of women within the medical profession. It wasn't so long ago that women faced considerable, and at times seemingly insurmountable, ba ...
Coming to terms with being a consultant
By Dr Anita Houghton - 26th May 2009
NHS consultants are no strangers to change, so the implementation of the 48 hour week should not come as any great shock to the system. After all, we've handled regular restructuri ...
Juniors lack confidence in MMC
By Mike Broad - 21st April 2009
Doctors continue to have little confidence in standards of training and care delivered under Modernising Medical Careers (MMC), a survey by Remedy UK reveals. Despite a y ...
Review of prescription charges
By Mike Broad - 21st April 2009
In April, prescription charges for cancer patients in England were abolished. While oncologists are relieved that the government has removed a significant deterrent to their pat ...