Archives for April 2006

THE FALL AND RISE OF THE NHS

Features, PublicNet: 28 April, 2006

By David J Hunter This article was first published in Public Management and Policy and is reproduced by permission of the Association. http://www.cipfa.org.uk/pmpa/index.cfm The National Health Service is frequently in the headlines and this is largely because in the last 25 years it has undergone some 12 major re-organisations. The author highlights the twists and turns from moving to market forces through centralisation to decentralisation. He argues for a modified conception of public service in the 21st century and one that embraces notions of public participation through citizenship and a refreshed conception of professionalism which is best described as ‘responsible autonomy’.



HEALTH SECRETARY CALLS FOR MORE CUTS IN NHS SPENDING ON AGENCY STAFF

Headlines, PublicNet: 28 April, 2006

The Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt, who has been roundly criticised for suggesting that the health service has had its best year in spite of the announcement of job losses at a number of NHS trusts, has highlighted recommendations from a report claiming that 78 million pounds could be saved by improving staff productivity and reducing the money spent on agency staff.She told the Human Resources in the NHS conference in Birmingham that most NHS resocurces were invested in staff and so using them as effectively as possible was crucial for patient care, staff satisfaction and financial efficiency. She quoted figures for potential savings included in a report from the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement.

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COMMISSIONER POINTS TO PETS TO SAFEGUARD PERSONAL INFORMATION

Headlines, PublicNet: 28 April, 2006

The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued new guidelines on PETs – privacy enhancing technologies – designed to protect personal information relating to the growing number of people using e-mail and the Internet to interact with public bodies and businesses.The traditional of view of PETs has been to regard them as software or other systems that allow individuals to withhold their identity when using electronic operating systems. Examples include anonymous web browsers, specialist email services, and digital cash systems. But the new ICO guidance says the systems include any technology that exists to protect or enhance an individual’s privacy. For example, the ICO says, a system that allowed a doctor to see all the details of a medical record but only allowed a receptionist to access contact and administrative information would be using a privacy enhancing approach.

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BUILT TO CHANGE: HOW TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINED ORGANISATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Book News, PublicNet: 27 April, 2006

By Edward E. Lawler and Chris Worley.In this groundbreaking book, organizational effectiveness experts Edward Lawler and Christopher Worley show how organizations can be “built to change” so they can last and succeed. Instead of striving to create a highly reliable Swiss watch that consistently produces the same behavior, they argue organizations need to be designed in ways that stimulate and facilitate change. Built to Change focuses on identifying practices and designs that organizations can adopt so that they are able to change. As Lawler and Worley point out, organizations that foster continuous change are closely connected to their environments, reward experimentation, learn about new practices and technologies and commit to continuously improving performance.

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STAFF WIN PRAISE AS WELSH WAITING LIST TARGETS ARE HIT

Headlines, PublicNet: 27 April, 2006

National Health Service staff in Wales have been congratulated after new figures showing that Trusts across Wales have met the target that no patient should wait more than 12 months for inpatient treatment or a first outpatient appointment. The end of the year waiting times have been described as a record achievement.The new figures show a big drop in the last year in the number of people waiting more than a year. In March last year there were 840 people facing long waits for inpatient care. The number of people waiting over 12 months for a first outpatient appointment has fallen from 13,860 last March to just 15 now. All of those are Welsh residents waiting for an appointment from an English NHS Trust.

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INQUIRY TO SCRUTINISE FUTURE OF EUROPEAN FUNDS IN SCOTLAND

Headlines, PublicNet: 27 April, 2006

With Scotland facing a big reduction in its share of European structural funds, the Scottish Parliament has launched an inquiry into how future rounds of funding should be distributed. The investigation will also look at how to make best use of the money that is available.The Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee wants to take written evidence on how best to spend the funds, which were worth over a billion pounds to Scotland from 2000 until this year. Now, because of the enlargement of the European Union from 15 to 25 member states, the money available for Scotland could be cut by as much as 55 per cent over the next six years.

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FLEXIBLE WORKING

Abstracts, PublicNet: 26 April, 2006

This special feature from E-Government Bulletin presents a snapshot of how flexible working is being adopted increasingly across local government. The steady growth of flexible working generally across the public sector is tied to the development of new technologies such as mobile computing and the Internet including using the Internet to make phone calls. As well as quoting examples of successful flexible working, the feature explores other issues that are involved such as organisational efficiency, property use and employee satisfaction. Management culture is particularly significant and some managers are finding difficulty in changing from managing attendance to managing outputs.Examples of successful flexible working include homeworking by 200 staff in High Peak District Council following a one year pilot. An investment of 2.3 m pounds has been made in the project which will result in half of the council’s accommodation being used flexibly, sold or leased.

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CALL FOR SUPPORT FOR CODE ON CAR CLAMPING

Headlines, PublicNet: 26 April, 2006

The Government is being urged to support a code of practice being launched today to deal with unscrupulous and unlicensed car clampers. The code wants to set a standard against which local authority Trading Standards staff and Small Claims Courts can judge clampers’ behaviour.The British Parking Association has produced the Code of Practice for Parking Enforcement on Private Land and Unregulated Public Car Parks, which is being supported by the RAC Foundation. At the moment anyone attaching a clamp to a vehicle parked on private land has to be licensed by the Security Industry Authority, but it is claimed there are big loopholes in the legislation, including the fact that the license is not backed by any mandatory code of practice.

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FORUM SETS OUT PLANS TO DEAL WITH RURAL HOUSING PROBLEMS

Headlines, PublicNet: 26 April, 2006

There is a call today for a team of Rural Housing Enablers to be employed to work with planning authorities and other bodies as part of a package of proposals designed to curb the growing problem of families being priced out of the booming property market in the countryside.A new report envisages 100 enablers who would work with parish councils, land owners and housing associations as well as with planning authorities to determine housing need and to find suitable sites for new homes. The report also calls for the proceeds from council house sales and the extra Council Tax arising from cuts in the discounts on second homes to be used to help provide affordable homes.

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THE ART OF CONSTRUCTIVE CONFRONTATION

Book News, PublicNet: 25 April, 2006

By John Hoover and Roger P. Di SilvestroThere’s no magic formula for building a successful organisation, but the first move is to build your people. The Art of Constructive Confrontation is an easy-to-follow, systematic process that makes sure you don’t get those things backwards. Constructive confrontation is the closest thing you’ll ever find to hold people accountable for what they do, while at the same time reducing the conflicts that get in the way of productivity.

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