The NHS has been at the heart of political debate in this election campaign, but how are the NHS’s founding principles reflected in parties’ manifestos? […]
NHS
Julia Simons: Why I challenged Boris Johnson on the NHS and climate
A couple of weeks ago, Boris Johnson visited Addenbrookes hospital—telling almost none of the staff he would be there. I encountered him entirely by accident, as I was leaving clinic. […]
Beccy Baird: Is workforce the solution to improving access to GPs?
People’s inability to get a convenient appointment with their GP practice dominates conversations about the NHS and it wasn’t a surprise that political parties would look to address access in […]
Alf Collins: We still pay far too little attention to patient feedback, patient involvement, and patient leadership
I gave up on medicine very early in my career. When I started medical school in the seventies, it seemed to be a brutal business, with little thought given to […]
Standing up for effective communication: why we should sit
Despite considerable changes in the staffing and provision of acute care, the hospital ward round remains a defining moment for the doctor-patient relationship. The interaction may sometimes be brief, but […]
Clinical teams are navigating a maze of national quality indicators
Quality indicators tend to proliferate over time in health systems, and the NHS in England is no exception. Tracking and measuring the quality of care has multiple functions, including holding […]
Ian Hamilton: New guidelines for prescribing medicinal cannabis—another dashed hope for patients
New guidance from NICE leaves us no clearer about the effectiveness of medicinal cannabis, says Ian Hamilton […]
Nathan Hodson: GP practices that require photo ID for registration risk excluding those most in need of care
The government’s plan to introduce a voter ID law is a dangerous prospect, but many GP surgeries have similar policies, says Nathan Hodson […]
Martin McKee: Is the NHS “on the table” after Brexit? Looking beyond the soundbites
The election campaign has only just started and already the consequences of Brexit for the NHS are dominating the news. Jeremy Corbyn’s speech at the launch of Labour’s campaign was […]
David Oliver: A speech to be proud of?
A couple of weeks ago Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in England gave a speech at the annual NHS Providers’ Conference. Unexpectedly, he popped […]