The use of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) to protect children from malaria has risen six-fold in the past seven years, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust. Despite this success, however, 90 million children still do not have access to this simple protective tool, and remain at risk from the life-threatening disease. Malaria kills
Full Post: Use of insecticide-treated bed nets increases, but 90 million African children still exposed to malaria
Giving patients money to buy their own healthcare paves the way for top-up payments and undermines the founding principles of the NHS, UNISON has warned as the Government published its Healthcare Bill.
The bill will allow NHS patients in England to be given cash payments to buy physiotherapy, home nursing and other healthcare.
Ministers have not yet worked out the full details of how the scheme will work or how much of the NHS’s ?100bn budget will be handed over to individual patients.
But UNISON head of health Karen Jennings warned: “There is a world of difference between giving patients greater say over their treatment, which we support, and giving them money to buy-in their own healthcare.
“Choosing the most effective treatment from a range of options is not an easy decision for patients,” she added.
“We are in real danger of creating a situation where patients use their personal budget ineffectively and then, like Oliver Twist, go back for more. Or, patients will be persuaded to top up their budgets from their own savings undermining the very founding principle of free healthcare for all.”
The scheme will be voluntary and will not cover NHS emergency services. The bill will allow pilot schemes to be set up across England this year to test the idea.
“I have no doubt that these pilots will bring to light a whole range of problems,” said Ms Jennings.
“I can see massive implications for workforce planning, NHS budgets, a two tier-NHS, staff training and development and the possibility of greater rationing.
“Against this background the pilots must be rigorous and long enough to gauge the longer-term implications. We are already seeing the damaging impact of personal budgets in social care as the results of rolling-out the system before time. We cannot allow the same to happen in the NHS.”
The bill also includes measures to:
- require all NHS bodies and other providers of NHS services to “have regard” to the NHS constitution, due to be published next week;
- require NHS organisations to publish quality accounts;
- “protect patients and staff from failing NHS services”;
- introduce prizes to “encourage enterprise and innovation within the NHS”.
http://www.unison.org.uk/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Related Posts:
The government needs to rethink its approach to NHS reforms, says UNISON, in the wake of a new damning report on the cost of commissioning and outsourcing. It should concentrate on giving NHS patients the care they need - and value for money - rather than using reforms to outsource services and ‘throw precious money
Full Post: Rethink urged on NHS outsourcing
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about a fraudulent scheme to extort money from consumers by callers who falsely identify themselves as “FDA special agents” or other FDA officials. Several instances have been reported to the FDA of calls enticing consumers to purchase discounted prescription drugs by wiring funds to one
Full Post: FDA warns public of extortion scam by FDA impersonators
A national poll by the Australian medical research body, Research Australia, has found that many Australians are worried about developing a range of chronic diseases during their lifetime, particularly diseases such as arthritis. According to Research Australia more than 40% are worried about developing arthritis, more than a third worry about the risk of depression
Full Post: Worrying about your health? more government money will help you stay well
In Washington, DC, The George Washington University Hospital’s (GWUH) internal survey shows employee satisfaction with hospital communication increased by 33 percent. The increase is a result of communication with hospital staff, visitors and patients via a mixture of interactive PC screensavers and Digital Signage presentations. The solution also includes an Emergency Alert functionality to
Full Post: Hospital ups employee satisfaction 33 percent with ‘on screen’ internal communications
Leaders in health care and health care policy feel strongly that the way we pay for health care in the U.S. must be fundamentally reformed. The latest Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey reports that more than two-thirds (69%) of respondents expressed strong dissatisfaction with the current system, which is generally based on
Full Post: Survey finds health care in the U.S. must be fundamentally reformed --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
