A think-tank report said that the widespread financial problems facing the National Health Service would worsen, and patient services would suffer, unless the government introduced a more effective regime to deal with hospital failure.
Source: Keith Palmer, How Should we Deal with Hospital Failure?, King s Fund (020 7307 2591)
Links: Report | King's Fund press release | NHS Confederation press release
Date: 2005-Dec
An article said that nurses were the key to restoring public confidence in hospital care. Nurses should be central to the running of all aspects of hospitals, not just those areas deemed appropriate by the medical profession. This would require improved leadership and enhanced opportunities for nurses.
Source: Nick Black, 'Rise and demise of the hospital: a reappraisal of nursing': Subtitle, British Medical Journal, 10 December 2005
Links: Extract | LSHTM press release
Date: 2005-Dec
An audit report said that around a half of incidents in which National Health Service hospital patients were unintentionally harmed could have been avoided, if lessons from previous incidents had been learned.
Source: A Safer Place for Patients: Learning to improve patient safety, HC 456 (Session 2005-06), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NAO press release
Date: 2005-Nov
A report made recommendations to improve the service for disabled children in hospital and their families.
Source: Care at its Best: Overview report of the multidisciplinary regional inspection of the service for disabled children in hospital, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety/Northern Ireland Executive (028 9052 0500)
Links: Report (pdf) | NIE press release
Date: 2005-Oct
The healthcare inspectorate said that most patients were happy with the standard of care they received in accident and emergency departments: but performance varied widely between hospitals.
Source: Acute Hospital Portfolio Review - Accident and Emergency, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (020 7448 9200)
Links: Report (pdf) | CHAI press release | DH press release | NHS Confederation press release
Date: 2005-Aug
The healthcare inspectorate said that hospitals could reduce pressure on ward beds and bring down waiting lists, and at the same time provide better care for patients, by using day surgery more efficiently.
Source: Day Surgery, Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection (020 7448 9200)
Links: Report (pdf) | CHAI press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that the Department of Health lacked a full grip on the extent and impact of hospital-acquired infections.
Source: Improving Patient Care by Reducing the Risk of Hospital Acquired Infection: A progress report, Twenty-fourth Report (Session 2005-06), HC 554, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report
Date: 2005-Jun
The government announced plans (in the Queen's speech) for a Health Improvement and Protection Bill. The Bill would create new laws to improve hospital hygiene standards. It would also introduce a smoking ban in some areas.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Debate 17 May 2005, columns 29-31, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | ASH press release | Guardian report
Date: 2005-May
A new book compared the experiences of the United Kingdom and the United States in the publication of key outcomes data on hospital performance.
Source: Anne Mason and Andrew Street, To Publish or Not? Experience and evidence about publishing hospital outcomes data, Office of Health Economics (020 7930 9203)
Links: Summary
Date: 2005-Apr
A report by a committee of MPs welcomed improved access to emergency care, but identified a number of problems associated with standards and training.
Source: Department of Health: Improving Emergency Care in England, Sixteenth Report (Session 2004-05), HC 445, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NHS Confed press release
Date: 2005-Mar
A survey found that 8 out of 10 accident and emergency departments in England said that clinical concerns had arisen because of pressure placed on them to see patients within the 4-hour target.
Source: BMA Survey of A&E Waiting Times, British Medical Association (020 7387 4499)
Links: Report (pdf) | BMA press release
Date: 2005-Mar
