Nursing needs its leaders to respond to FrancisNursing Times
David Williams
David Williams is a Nursing Times and HSJ reporter.
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Bucks trust told to improve on staffing after CQC visit
26-Apr-2013
Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust has been warned to improve its staffing levels and training for nurses following an unannounced inspection. -
Royal Bournemouth trials cardiology specialist nurses
25-Apr-2013
The Royal Bournemouth Hospital is trialling a new advanced nurse practitioner role to enhance patient care, prevent re-admissions and reduce staff pressures. -
NHS 111 failures have 'let patients down', NHS England admits
15-Apr-2013
Patients have been “let down” by the “unacceptable” failure of some NHS 111 services, NHS England directors have admitted. -
Poor data in NHS under scrutiny following Leeds row
15-Apr-2013
NHS England medical director Sir Bruce Keogh has criticised clinicians and organisations which do not gather or report quality data in the wake of the Leeds children’s heart surgery controversy. -
CNO opens nurse focused research unit
29-Jan-2013
The NHS Commissioning Board’s chief nursing officer Jane Cummings visited University Hospitals Southampton Foundation Trust yesterday to open a new unit focusing on frontline innovation. -
Lamb: Learning disability hospitals should be 'throttled'
10-Dec-2012
Alternative facilities should be commissioned for the majority of people with learning disabilities or autism who currently live in larger inpatient hospitals, the care services minister has said. -
'Rapid reduction' in hospital care planned post Winterbourne View
10-Dec-2012
The treatment of all people with learning disabilities receiving inpatient care is to be reviewed, ahead of a drive to rapidly reduce hospital placements and increase community provision. -
Maternity unit closed over 'working practices' concern
19-Nov-2012
Oxford University Hospitals Trust has suspended births at its Cotswold Maternity Unit in Chipping Norton amid concerns about “working practices” at the unit. -
Nurses 'warned children about Savile'
11-Oct-2012
Nurses advised young patients to “pretend to be asleep” when Sir Jimmy Savile was visiting their hospital, it has been claimed. -
Orthopaedics hospital overspends on agency staff
1-Oct-2012
The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital Foundation Trust’s spend on agency staffing for month three was over plan on agency staffing and medical locums. -
Lib Dems line up to attack regional pay plans
26-Sep-2012
The Liberal Democrats have voted overwhelmingly to adopt a policy opposing local pay in the public sector, in a move expected to put new pressure on employers considering breaking away from national deals. -
Level of avoidable harm to NHS patients revealed
3-Sep-2012
More than 20% of patients suffer avoidable harm during their care at some trusts, a national survey of frontline NHS services has revealed. -
NHS board to recruit second senior nurse
28-Aug-2012
The NHS Commissioning Board last week begin the recruitment process for 19 senior director posts, all with salaries of more than £100,000. -
Next phase of NHS reforms will see PCTs shed 800 jobs
8-Aug-2012
Up to 800 senior nurses and other primary care trust staff are likely to lose their jobs in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester, heralding the start of a final round of job cuts in the transition to the new NHS structure. -
New trust director role for nursing academic
27-Jul-2012
David Sines has been appointed to the board of Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust as an associate non-executive director. -
Trust looks to Portugal for new nursing recruits
26-Jul-2012
Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust is planning to recruit nurses from Portugal amid staffing shortages and an over-reliance on temporary staff. -
Ministers duck social care funding reform
18-Jul-2012
Plans to overhaul social care in England have been met with disappointment after ministers refused to commit to a new funding system. -
NICE guidance urges wider screening for type two diabetes
13-Jul-2012
Risk assessments should be given to all adults who are not pregnant and aged over 40 for type 2 diabetes, according to latest guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. -
RCN slams indecision on social care funding
11-Jul-2012
Plans to overhaul the social care system in England outlined today have been dismissed as “cold comfort” by the Royal College of Nursing. -
Decision on social care funding reform delayed
11-Jul-2012
Ministers have confirmed they cannot commit to a cap on the cost of social care until 2015 – and suggested the amount patients have to pay could be higher than the level recommended by an independent review of care funding. -
Trust plans to boost ward sister role
25-Jun-2012
A hospital trust has announced it is to recruit 40 band 5 nurses in order to help enable ward sisters to devote more of their time to leadership and management roles. -
Satisfaction in NHS plummets due to concern over government reforms
12-Jun-2012
Public satisfaction with the NHS saw its largest-ever drop last year as ministers highlighted weaknesses in the service to justify the Health and Social Care Act, and senior clinicians spoke out against the reforms. -
Trust introduces 'ward matrons' to boost nurse leadership
15 May 2012
A hospital trust has created a new “ward matron” post in a bid to improve care quality and boost the status of its ward managers. -
'Ward matrons' to manage care 24/7 at Sandwell trust
9-May-2012
Sandwell and West Birmingham Trust is planning to create “ward matrons” in a bid to balance budgets and improve care quality. -
NHS chief 'disappointed' at lack of local pay deals
28-Apr-2012
The health service’s efficiency chief has said it is “disappointing” that only one foundation trust has so far moved away from the Agenda for Change pay framework – and added that nursing jobs will change “radically” in the coming years. -
Bill amendment on HCA regulation withdrawn
14-Mar-2012
Baroness Emerton has withdrawn an amendment to the health bill, which would have brought in statutory regulation for healthcare assistants, to the disappointment of nursing unions. -
Ambulances stuck outside A&E as acute beds closed
13 March 2012
EXCLUSIVE: Accident and emergency nurses across London are being left unable to treat patients who are stuck outside in ambulances because of bed shortages. -
Diabetes variations 'outrageous', minister admits
27-Feb-2012
Health minister Paul Burstow has said variations in quality of care for diabetes are “outrageous” and that there was a “compelling” case for hiring more specialist nurses. -
'Landmark ruling' on AfC should be warning to other trusts
26-Feb-2012
A landmark ruling that a trust acted unlawfully in attempting to break away from national terms and conditions should act as a deterrent to further attacks on Agenda for Change, according to nursing unions. -
Hospital trust acted unlawfully in attempt to block pay increments
23-Feb-2012
A hospital trust acted unlawfully in attempting to stop pay progressions for staff claiming sickness leave, an employment tribunal has found. -
Simple COPD score could help nurses predict exacerbation severity
27-Jan-2012
Nurses can use a simple, eight-question test to accurately measure and predict the severity of symptoms in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to UK researchers. -
NICE guidance advises caution on asthma heat treatment
26-Jan-2012
Clinicians should take special care when deciding whether to use new non-drug treatment for severe asthma because more research is needed into the practice, latest guidance state. -
Nurse-led MS services are a 'win-win', MPs told
19-Jan-2012
Neurology experts have praised a nurse-led multiple sclerosis service to an influential MPs committee, and called for stronger clinical leadership in the Department of Health. -
Nurses 'frustrated' by lack of joined up data
13-Jan-2012
Nurses and other clinicians need to change their mindset when it comes to the use of information, according to independent government advisors. -
Neurology services get worse despite extra cash
16-Dec-2011
Standards of care for patients with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis and motor neurone disease have fallen in recent years, despite receiving 38% more funding, a report has warned. -
Health visitor target 'causes nursing teams to be split up'
8-Dec-2011
The government’s target to hire 4,200 more health visitors is causing multi-skilled nursing teams working across health and social care to be disbanded, according to a report. -
Exclusive: Palliative care threatened by staff shortages
6 December 2011
Palliative care is under threat due to a shortage of specialist nurses, a report is expected to warn this week. -
Ministers focus on older people's care ahead of Operating Framework launch
24-Nov-2011
Ministers are stressing the importance of supporting care for older people as they prepare to release the NHS Operating Framework today. -
Nurse-led social enterprise moves into social care
22-Nov-2011
A pioneering nurse-led social enterprise is helping to redesign community and social care services to provide better and more joined up services for older patients so they can remain at home. -
RCN claims 56,000 NHS posts cut or at risk
20-Nov-2011
More than 56,000 NHS posts have been lost or become at risk over the past 18 months, according to latest data gathered by the Royal College of Nursing as part of its Frontline First campaign. -
RCN threatens to ballot in January over pensions
10-Nov-2011
The Royal College of Nursing council has agreed to ballot members for unprecedented industrial action in January if no further progress is made over pensions. -
RCN under fire from members over changes to indemnity scheme
28-Oct-2011
The Royal College of Nursing was forced this week to defend a decision to withdraw its indemnity cover for nurses working in general practice. -
RCN ballot 'inevitable' unless ministers row back on pensions
27-Oct-2011
The Royal College of Nursing has warned ministers that balloting on industrial action is “inevitable” if ministers do not change their plans on pension reform. -
RCN rejects five-year subscription rates plan
27-Oct-2011
Proposals to allow the Royal College of Nursing council to raise subscription fees by 2% above the consumer price index measure of inflation have failed to secure enough support from members. -
HCAs granted full membership of RCN
27-Oct-2011
The Royal College of Nursing has voted overwhelmingly in favour of allowing full membership for healthcare support workers. -
Nurses should be made more aware of genetics, report finds
24-Oct-2011
Genetics should be incorporated into mainstream nursing practice, which has failed to keep pace with scientific developments, the chief nursing officer has been told. -
Call for HCA regulation reaches the Lords
14-Oct-2011
Lack of regulation for healthcare assistants is “unsatisfactory” and mandatory nurse staffing ratios should be introduced, peers have told the House of Lords. -
Lords pass Health Bill at second reading
12-Oct-2011
The House of Lords has voted through the government’s Health and Social Care Bill at its second reading, defeating motions to place sections under greater scrutiny or stop it in its tracks altogether. -
Baroness backs RCN’s calls for mandatory nurse staffing levels
12-Oct-2011
The House of Lords will vote today on the government’s Health and Social Care bill, following a two-day debate involving 100 peers. -
Union calls for 'inflation busting' pay rise after 2012-13
7-Oct-2011
Unison has called for an “inflation busting pay uplift” for nurses after the current two-year pay freeze comes to an end. -
Slow takeup for key Big Society social enterprise scheme
27-Sep-2011
A government programme designed to enable nurses to set up social enterprises to run their own services has seen slow take up, amid fears about job security. -
European guidance recommends screening pregnant women for heart disease
5-Sep-2011
Cardiology experts have recommended that pregnant women be screened for heart disease, amid rising prevalence among new mothers. -
Future Forum nurse "shocked" by inconsistencies in training
26-Aug-2011
Shock has been expressed about the lack of continuing professional development for nurses in some parts of the NHS by a leading member of the NHS Future Forum. -
Shake-up for blood pressure diagnosis backed by NICE
24-Aug-2011
New guidelines on identifying cases of hypertension have been hailed as the biggest shake-up in blood pressure diagnosis in more than a century. -
NMC plans 'phased return' for Pilgrim Hospital students
18-Aug-2011
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has announced that it will work towards a “phased return” of student nurses and midwives to the Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, Lincolnshire. -
Southampton nurses produce women's cancer guide
16-Aug-2011
Two nurses have compiled a guide to breast and gynaecological cancers, with the aim of providing a comprehensive text for patients and medical staff. -
NMC snubs calls for clarity on Lincolnshire student withdrawal
15-Aug-2011
Nursing staff and students have been left in the dark by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, which has snubbed calls to explain why it stopped training at a Lincolnshire hospital. -
Warnings over staff cuts after negligence costs rise
11-Aug-2011
Cuts to staffing and training budgets have been described as a “false economy” and “short sighted” after new figures showed the spiralling cost of lawsuits against the NHS. -
All student nurses withdrawn from Lincolnshire hospital amid CQC concerns
29-Jul-2011
The Nursing and Midwifery Council has withdrawn 100 student nurses from a hospital in Lincolnshire after the Care Quality Commission raised “serious concerns” about the learning environment. -
Birmingham hospital cuts death rate through drugs scrutiny
11-Jul-2011
A hospital has cut emergency mortality rates by a fifth through rigourous scrutiny of how antibiotics are administered to patients. -
Nurses sought to stamp out Olympics doping
28-Jun-2011
Nurses are to be recruited to play a key role in stamping out the use of performance-enhancing drugs during the 2012 Olympics. -
Trust bucks trend by hiring nurses
3-Jun-2011
A hospital trust in the West Midlands is bucking the national trend by increasing its number of qualified nurses in a bid to improve care and save money. -
Reform delay leaves nurses in limbo
31 May 2011
The government looks likely to leave nurses and the rest of the NHS workforce in limbo as its health reforms face further significant delays. -
Specialist nurses boost care for lung cancer patients
24 May 2011
Lung cancer patients who see a specialist cancer nurse are more than twice as likely to receive active treatment for the disease as those who do not, a major national study has shown. -
Nurses vow to fight changes to terms and conditions
17 May 2011
Nurses have threatened to take employers to tribunal if they try to stop incremental pay rises, after research suggested that NHS providers would cut by pay costs by £1.9bn this year. -
NHS listening exercise leader will not recommend 'tokenism'
26-Apr-2011
The GP leading the government’s “listening exercise” on NHS reforms has told Nursing Times he recognises the need for varied clinical input into commissioning, but warns he wants to avoid “token” gestures. -
Tuition fees announcement this autumn, says Milton
15-Apr-2011
Health minister Anne Milton has revealed that the Department of Health is in talks with the Treasury about how to fund university tuition fees for nurses, and plans to make an announcement on the subject in the autumn. -
Lansley apologises to nurses following 'rebuke' over reforms
13-Apr-2011
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has sought to emphasise the role nurses should play in commissioning, after being “rebuked” in a no confidence vote by the Royal College of Nursing. -
Nurses vote in favour of law on staffing ratios
13-Apr-2011
The Royal College of Nursing has called on its leaders to campaign for legally enforceable staff-to-patient ratios, despite fears that the measure could prompt a “race to the bottom” to minimum levels. -
RCN passes vote of 'no confidence' in Lansley and reforms
13-Apr-2011
Royal College of Nursing members have overwelmingly passed a vote of no confidence in health secretary Andrew Lansley’s management of the NHS reforms. -
Nurses accuse Andrew Lansley of lacking the 'guts' to face RCN congress
12-Apr-2011
Nurses have accused Andrew Lansley of not having “the guts” to face the Royal College of Nursing annual congress, while also tabling a vote of no confidence in his management of the NHS reforms. -
Milton: Local pay increment freezes still on the table
12-Apr-2011
Trusts will be encouraged to decide locally with nursing staff whether to freeze increments in return for increased job security, health minister Anne Milton has indicated. -
Nurses given 'right to provide' through social enterprise
5-Apr-2011
The government has failed to clarify whether nurses that set up new “social enterprise” schemes will able to keep their NHS pension. -
Stress takes its toll on NHS Direct nurses
30-Mar-2011
Stress is by far the most common cause of long-term absence among staff at NHS Direct. -
NHS nurse numbers fall, official figures show
29-Mar-2011
Years of continuing growth in the number of registered nurses in the NHS has come to an end with the workforce now beginning to shrink, official figures show. -
CQC threatens mental health FT with enforcement action over failings
28-Feb-2011
Inspectors have called for urgent improvements at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust after finding it to be in breach of five essential standards.
