A MORI poll found that 92% of people trust doctors to tell the truth, teachers came in second with 89%. Only 20% of people trust journalists to tell the truth and 72% believe they actively lie. Politicians were slightly higher up the table with 22% believing that they tell the truth.The reaction of respondents to questions about trust were also reflected in their answers about satisfaction with the way certain professions do their job. The majority (55%) of people choosing ‘very satisfied’ picked nurses, followed by doctors (39%) and teachers (34%). Dissatisfaction was generally reserved for politicians and government ministers, however, a certain amount of finger-pointing was directed at judges, lawyers and the police although nowhere near the level of politicians.
The role of the Teacher Training Agency has been extended to include the professional development of teachers and the training of school support staff including teaching assistants. The Agency will become the key organisation which will coordinate efforts of all those involved in providing professional development for teachers. It will support a national network that will help every teacher to improve their classroom practice, become an expert in their chosen specialism and have the opportunity to continually learn on the job.The remit of the Agency is also being widened to cover teaching assistants and support staff so that the skills of the whole teaching workforce will be maximised. School Standards Minister David Miliband said: “The potential gains from up-skilling the school support staff sector are huge. School support staff play a vital role in complementing the work of teachers and they have a crucial role to play in raising standards and enabling every child to reach their potential. I look forward to seeing bursars, caretakers, learning mentors, teaching assistants and all school support staff benefit.”
The Commission for Health Improvement reports that hospital care has significantly improved over the last four years and is now more focused on the needs of patients. It notes progress in reducing waiting times in A&E and for outpatients appointments. But the Commission is concerned that there is still too much variation in the care provided within hospitals and across hospitals depending on where a patient gets treated. There are more trusts with a three star rating, but the number of trusts with zero stars has increased.Progress on areas that really matter to patients, such as being treated in safe and clean environments, having privacy and dignity and having a good experience of care prior to diagnosis and continuing through discharge from hospital, is still variable. Some services are of an unacceptable quality. There is also a lack of clinical leadership. While performance targets have driven improvements to care, they should not replace local response to patients’ needs. The Commission urges trusts to concentrate on redesigning services with quality in mind.