NHS trusts and private care providers should compete on price as well as quality under payment by results, according to shadow health secretary Andrew Lansley.
Mammoth PFI commitments appear to have had their day in the NHS, now that the government is prizing competition above all else. Smaller, self-financed projects are emerging as the way forward
A strategic health authority at the centre of a row over whether it was rushing the transfer of primary care trust services has denied it jumped the gun.
NHS managers have rejected the Audit Commission's claim that poor financial management, rather than lack of funds, is responsible for the 'postcode lottery' in access to new drugs and treatments.
Changes to GP access targets to ensure patients can book in advance will fail to tackle the underlying cause of the problems with appointments, the British Medical Association has claimed.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber has challenged the government to make good its pledge to improve employment terms and conditions for hundreds of thousands of public sector agency staff.
Schools are improving, but some are still performing well below their best. Ofsted chief David Bell explains how a lean, mean, new inspection regime will sweep up these laggards and help them to...
The Department of Health has written an urgent letter to strategic health authorities urging them to stop drawing up commissioning plans for when primary care trusts end their provider role in 2008.
Sixty years of the welfare state have failed to ensure that those in most need of public services have adequate access to them, leading to 'wide and persisting inequality', research has found.
The IRA's decision to end armed conflict finally gives Northern Ireland's citizens the chance of a normal life. But this means setting up democratic systems to replace political structures built...
It seems the 'Berlin Wall' dividing health and social care might finally be coming down, as ministers finalise a combined white paper. But will this lead to a merger of social services departments...
A deal between unions and contractors is 'imminent' in the long-running row over private firms' refusal to offer the Agenda for Change pay and conditions deal to staff working in the NHS, Public...
Northern Ireland's health service is set for major reorganisation, following the publication of its version of the Wanless review, conducted by Professor John Appleby, health economist at the King's...
An extra £65m is to be spent on health centres, clinics and other primary care facilities in Scotland, First Minister Jack McConnell announced this week.
The Health and Safety Executive is to encourage more public bodies to sign up to a new occupational risk index to help combat rising insurance premiums.
Finally, a hospital waiting time target that should genuinely help patients. But can the tough new plan to cut the time from GP referral to treatment to 18 weeks be achieved? Anthony Harrison and...
Many of Bexley council's school pupils were being educated in huts, with winds raging through broken windows. Then the chance of a £30m PFI refurbishment programme came along. Mike Ellsmore explains...
The joint government/trade union body the Public Services Forum has swung into action to set up two panels to assess problematic sickness absence and diversity issues.
