A report by a committee of MPs said that big pay rises given to hospital consultants in England had failed to translate into a better service for patients. Consultants' pay rose by 27 per cent in two years to an average of £110,000, after a new contract was introduced in 2003. But working hours decreased, suggesting that productivity fell by 0.5 per cent in the first year of the contract.
Source: Pay Modernisation: A New Contract for NHS Consultants in England, Fifty-ninth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 506, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NHS Employers press release | Kings Fund press release | BMA press release | Liberal Democrats press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Telegraph report
Date: 2007-Nov
The government began consultation on options for a new careers framework for post-registration nursing. It proposed a framework built around five different patient care pathways.
Source: Towards a Framework for Post Registration Nursing Careers, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Consultation document | DH press release | RCN press release
Date: 2007-Nov
The report of an independent inquiry (led by Professor Sir John Tooke) said that the national computerized application system for doctors' postgraduate training should be scrapped, following serious failings.
Source: Aspiring to Excellence: Findings and recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into Modernising Medical Careers, MMC Inquiry c/o Universities UK (enquiries@mmcinquiry.org.uk)
Links: Hansard | BMA press release | NHS Employers press release | RCP press release | Liberal Democrats press release | Observer report
Date: 2007-Oct
A paper examined the future of the medical workforce. Doctors of the future would need a more modular approach to training which enabled them to step in and out of training, research, academia, and service roles, take career breaks or spend more time on the management of clinical services. The focus on community-based care would require the expansion of generalist skills and the development of some super-specialist teams.
Source: The Future of the Medical Workforce, NHS Employers (0113 306 3000)
Links: NHS Employers press release
Date: 2007-Oct
A report examined the future of England's health and care workforce. Several factors pointed to a looming crisis in the provision of care. Individuals, families, and communities needed to feel empowered to take control of their health, well-being, and care. Political central control should be disengaged from local solutions. The effective delivery of these changes depended on leadership and vision to re-engage with the public and care workforce.
Source: Sandra Dawson et al., Engaging with Care: A vision for the health and care workforce of England, Nuffield Trust (020 631 8450)
Date: 2007-Sep
A think-tank report said that the introduction of the most ambitious pay reform in the National Health Service?s history cost far more than expected, and failed to deliver the intended increases in productivity. Patients would never feel the intended benefits from the reform without changes in the working patterns and productivity of nurses and other staff.
Source: James Buchan and David Evans, Realising the Benefits? Assessing the implementation of Agenda for Change, King?s Fund (020 7307 2591)
Links: Report | King's Fund press release | NHS Employers press release | Civitas press release | FT report | Guardian report
Date: 2007-Jul
An article examined the growth of overseas nurse recruitment to the United Kingdom.
Source: Stephen Bach, 'Going global? The regulation of nurse migration in the UK', British Journal of Industrial Relations, Volume 45 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jun
A report by a committee of MPs said that the National Health Service was spending too much on temporary nursing staff to cover absences - 9 per cent of the total nursing budget.
Source: Improving the Use of Temporary Nursing Staff in NHS Acute and Foundation Trusts, Twenty-ninth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 142, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NHS Employers press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jun
The sex equality watchdog said that poor pay and staff turnover were undermining the female-dominated caring professions. Work traditionally done by women was undervalued because of stereotypical views of women in caring roles - they were perceived as 'naturally' good at the job, with insufficient investment in or recognition of their skills.
Source: Damian Grimshaw and Jill Rubery, Undervaluing Women's Work, Working Paper 53, Equal Opportunities Commission (0161 833 9244)
Links: Working Paper | Summary | EOC press release | Guardian report
Date: 2007-May
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on workforce planning in the National Health Service. Detailed planning was best delivered locally by those who were in a position to respond to patient needs.
Source: The Government Response to the Health Select Committee Report on Workforce Planning, Cm 7085, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2007-May
A paper argued that managers were essential to the success of the National Health Service.
Source: Management in the NHS: The Facts, NHS Confederation (020 7959 7272)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-May
The government announced that a new online application system for junior doctors (the Medical Training Application Service) was to be abandoned after the initial round of recruitment ended in June 2007. The system had been heavily criticized for unfairness.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 15 May 2007, columns 30-31WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | BMA press release | RCPsych press release | Guardian report | BBC report | FT report
Date: 2007-May
An article examined gender-related differences in National Health Service management. Women managers appeared to acknowledge that they could not behave 'front stage' in the same way with doctors as they often did in their 'outside stage' encounters with them: but the additional strategies they utilized while outside stage were key elements to their repertoire for getting things done.
Source: Ian Greener, 'The politics of gender in the NHS: impression management and "getting things done"', Gender, Work and Organization, Volume 14 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-May
The government announced an independent review of the 'Modernising Medical Careers' programme for appointing junior doctors to consultant training posts, which had been criticized as unfair. An organization representing doctors said that over 50 per cent of junior doctors were likely to leave the United Kingdom if their applications for jobs through the new system were unsuccessful.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Debate 16 April 2007, columns 40-50, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 24 April 2007, British Medical Association (020 7383 6244)
Links: Hansard | DH press release (1) | DH press release (2) | BMA press release | RCPsych press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | BBC report (1) | BBC report (2) | Telegraph report
Date: 2007-Apr
An audit report said that despite a pay rise of 27 per cent under a new contract, National Health Service consultants in England were not providing more flexible care or spending more time with patients. The 2003 agreement had also cost more than expected.
Source: Pay Modernisation: A new contract for NHS consultants in England, HC 335 (Session 2006-07), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NAO press release | NHS Employers press release | BMA press release | BBC report | Guardian report | FT report
Date: 2007-Apr
A trade union report said that patients were being harmed by job cuts in the nursing profession caused by continuing National Health Service deficits.
Source: Our NHS - Today and Tomorrow, Royal College of Nursing (020 7409 3333)
Links: Report | NHS Employers press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Apr
An article examined health support work in the context of recent social policy and studies of professionalization. Health support workers were not only an important area of study in their own right, but also raised interesting questions about the broader process of health policy-making and professionalization.
Source: Mike Saks and Judith Allsop, 'Social policy, professional regulation and health support work in the United Kingdom', Social Policy and Society, Volume 6 Issue 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Apr
A study found that the risks of disclosing unseen disabilities and health conditions in the teaching, nursing, and social work professions were compounded by the stigma attached to them. Major shifts in attitudes and behaviour were needed in the workplace to overcome fears about disclosure. Disclosure of mental health conditions was particularly stigmatized, and considered to be a high-risk strategy that could lead to the exclusion of an individual from training or employment and affect progression in these professions.
Source: Nicky Stanley, Julie Ridley, Jill Manthorpe, Jessica Harris and Alan Hurst, Disclosing Disability: Disabled students and practitioners in social work, nursing and teaching, Disability Rights Commission (08457 622633)
Links: Report | DRC press release
Date: 2007-Mar
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government's handling of National Health Service workforce planning was a 'disastrous failure'. An excessive focus on targets had led to poor long-term management, with NHS trusts recruiting far more staff than they could afford to pay.
Source: Workforce Planning, Fourth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 171, House of Commons Health Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | BMA press release | NHS Employers press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2007-Mar
The government announced an urgent review into the first round of a new process of recruitment and selection into specialist training through the Medical Training and Application Service (MTAS), launched in January 2007. It said that it was clear that there had been a number of problems with the process, creating a high degree of insecurity among applicants and more widely in the profession. The review reported (after three days) that 'shortcomings' had been found. The government approved immediate steps to strengthen the interview process, including allowing applicants to provide CVs and portfolios to support their applications.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 7 March 2007, columns 131-132WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 13 March 2007, columns 9-10WS, TSO
Links: Hansard (1) | Hansard (2) | Hansard (3) | DH press release (1) | DH press release (2) | BMA press release | RCP press release | RSM press release | Guardian report (1) | Guardian report (2) | Personnel Today report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Mar
The government published its response to the recommendations of four separate inquiries into medical malpractice (including the Shipman Inquiry into the murder of several hundred patients by a family doctor). It sought to draw general lessons from the inquiries, and to propose action that would enhance the safety of patients in all healthcare settings and for all professional groups. A linked report provided an overview of all the action the government was taking in response to the recommendations of the Shipman Inquiry.
Source: Safeguarding Patients: The government's response to the recommendations of the Shipman Inquiry's fifth report and to the recommendations of the Ayling, Neale and Kerr/Haslam Inquiries, Cm 7015, Department of Health, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Learning from Tragedy, Keeping Patients Safe: Overview of the government's action programme in response to the recommendations of the Shipman Inquiry, Cm 7014, Department of Health, TSO
Links: Report | Shipman action report | DH press release
Date: 2007-Feb
Date: 2007-Feb
A survey found that around 75,000 National Health Service staff were attacked by patients in 2006, costing the NHS more than £100 million in extra security, absenteeism, training of staff, and legal bills.
Source: BBC report, 26 February 2007
Links: BBC report
Date: 2007-Feb
A draft workforce strategy (leaked to the press) reportedly said that the National Health Service in England was heading for an unwanted surplus of 3,200 consultants by March 2011. There would also be 16,200 too many therapists, scientists, and technicians. But there would be shortages of 14,000 nurses, 1,200 family doctors, and 1,100 junior doctors.
Source: The Guardian, 4 January 2007
Links: Guardian report | BBC report | Personnel Today report | FT report | BMA press release
Date: 2007-Jan
The government announced new proposals to engage with National Health Service staff, and empower them to lead reform of the health service. The announcement followed publication of a report by a Health Minister on time he spent with healthcare professionals to get an insight into the day-to-day experiences of staff.
Source: Press release 31 January 2007, Department of Health (020 7210 4850) | Andy Burnham MP (Minister of State for Delivery and Reform), Days out in NHS: Listening to NHS staff, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: DH press release | Report | Letter
Date: 2007-Jan
The Secretary of State for Health reportedly said that, with hindsight, the government should have capped the money family doctors could take out of their practices under the terms of their new contract agreed in 2004.
Source: BBC report, 19 January 2007
Links: BBC report | BMA press release | Guardian report | Personnel Today report
Date: 2007-Jan
