The Conservatives are calling for more private sector funding and the return of matrons for the NHS.Shadow Secretary of State for Health Ann Widdecombe told the party conference that she wants a further year of debate on the future of health care.
She said: “Labour whipped up expectations before the election. They led the British people to believe that, when it comes to our Health Service, they can have it all and have it on the cheap. This is just not possible. 

The Department of Education and Employment and OFSTED are re-emphasising the important of careers advice and career planning skills as key to the success of tomorrow’s workforce.The careers advice service in schools is to be improved with more formalised training for those teachers responsible for careers advice, and minimum levels of career guidance given to each child. 

The Conservative Party conference gets underway in Bournemouth today, operating for the first time under its reformed constitution.The party says that every member, whether volunteer, MP or professional campaigner, now has an equal say in its direction.
The Rt Hon Lord Parkinson, Chairman of the Conservative Party, said: “This week the nation will have the opportunity to see the reformed Conservative Party in action. 

Concern has been raised that the Government might be too concerned with the numbers of hospital beds, rather than looking at the health service as a whole.
The NHS Confederation says it is important to look at how patients can best be treated, rather than ensuring hospitals are full of beds.Chief Executive, Stephen Thornton said: “Having the right kinds of beds in the right places is more important than the total number of beds. 

First the Government announced that local councils might be awarded ‘beacon’ status for excellent performance - now the term has moved into the health service.The NHS is to invest ten million pounds a year into identifying and promoting a hundred beacon local health services to reward and spread best practice in the NHS. The very best in each NHS region will gain annual national recognition through a new reward for excellence: the Nye Bevan Award. 

First the Government announced that local councils might be awarded ‘beacon’ status for excellent performance - now the term has moved into the health service.The NHS is to invest ten million pounds a year into identifying and promoting a hundred beacon local health services to reward and spread best practice in the NHS. The very best in each NHS region will gain annual national recognition through a new reward for excellence: the Nye Bevan Award. 

For the first time, health and social services have been set targets for working together to modernise frontline care for patients.Local health and social services have been set the task of tackling the same set of priorities over the next three years.These are to cut waiting lists and times, modernise mental health and primary care services, reduce deaths from cancer and coronary heart disease and target the health of the worst off, and to improve the quality and safety of children s services and provide better rehabilitation services for elderly people. 

From today (Thursday) Britain is enforcing new regulations giving workers new entitlements to holidays, rest breaks and a maximum 48 hour working week.The new Working Time Regulations sets out that workers should be entitled to a minimum of three weeks paid annual leave, 11 hours rest a day, a day’s rest a week, in-work rest breaks, a limit of an average of 48 hours a week which a worker can be required to work and a limit of an average of eight hours work in 24 hours for night workers. 

The Government’s announcement of sweeping changes to Britain’s railway operating system gives an example of the determination it has to ensure public services meet public expectation.Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has signalled that he intends to get round seemingly insurmountable problems with the privatised system.Despite the fact that the companies operating franchises have already agreed deals to run sections of the rail network for several years, he has announced that he intends to re-negotiate those contracts. 

Policy makers and communicators in local government are being challenged to demonstrate the value for money they provide to the public.Market-testing is routine for direct public services such as the emptying of dustbins and street maintenance, but with the Government’s drive for all of the sector to demonstrate ‘best value’, no service, however remote from day-to-day contact with the public, is free from examination.