Contract will have 'adverse effect' on women
Senior medical leaders have criticised the Government’s ‘unacceptable’ admission that the new junior doctors contract will have a disproportionate impact on women. The Department of Health’s equality impact assessment, which was published along with the contract last week, suggests that ‘any indirect adverse effect on women is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate end’. The assessment notes that doctors could face footing the bill for increased cost of childcare during evenings and weekends and suggests that single mothers would be hit hardest — but health leaders say the...
Source: BMA News - April 5, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Contract will have ‘adverse effect on women’
Senior medical leaders have criticised the Government’s ‘unacceptable’ admission that the new junior doctors contract will have a disproportionate impact on women. The Department of Health’s equality impact assessment, which was published along with the contract last week, suggests that ‘any indirect adverse effect on women is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate end’. The assessment notes that doctors could face footing the bill for increased cost of childcare during evenings and weekends and suggests that single mothers would be hit hardest — but health leaders say the...
Source: BMA News - April 5, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Devo Manc project under way
A system of devolved health and social care services in Greater Manchester is under way with a £6bn budget handed to local authorities. The transfer of commissioning powers and financial responsibility for health services across Greater Manchester took place on 1 April, the culmination of the DevoManc project initiated in autumn 2014. Local Government Association chair Lord Porter said the development was a ‘significant step in joining up social care and health’. The BMA has lobbied MPs over healthcare devolution and for amendments to the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act. The act, which aims to ...
Source: BMA News - April 5, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

'The Gods' gallery honour for former BMA council chair
  An appeal has been launched to raise funds for a theatre gallery at the Bristol Old Vic, to be named after the late Sir Sandy Macara, who was BMA council chair, 1993 to 1998. The Bristol Old Vic, which is a registered charity, is undergoing a refurbishment to mark its 250th anniversary this year. Sir Sandy (pictured), who died in 2012, lived in Bristol for more than 50 years. He and his wife, Sylvia, were keen Bristol Old Vic theatre goers and loved to sit in the gallery — ‘the Gods’. To donate, email Sarah Watts with ‘Macara gallery appeal’ in the subject line. (Source: BMA News)
Source: BMA News - April 5, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

The Gods gallery honour for former BMA council chair
  An appeal has been launched to raise funds for a theatre gallery at the Bristol Old Vic, to be named after the late Sir Sandy Macara, who was BMA council chair, 1993 to 1998. The Bristol Old Vic, which is a registered charity, is undergoing a refurbishment to mark its 250th anniversary this year. Sir Sandy (pictured), who died in 2012, lived in Bristol for more than 50 years. He and his wife, Sylvia, were keen Bristol Old Vic theatre goers and loved to sit in the gallery — ‘the Gods’. To donate, email Sarah Watts with ‘Macara gallery appeal’ in the subject line. (Source: BMA News)
Source: BMA News - April 5, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Tobacco legislation 'step in right direction'
BMA Northern Ireland has welcomed news that all tobacco retailers in Northern Ireland will need to be registered from this month. Health minister Simon Hamilton announced new legislation that means all businesses selling tobacco products in Northern Ireland must be registered under the Tobacco Retailers Act (Northern Ireland) 2014 from 6 April 2016. The DHSSPS (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety) said the new legislation is part of a range of measures aimed at reducing smoking prevalence among children and young people in the country. BMA board of ...
Source: BMA News - April 5, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Fees make 'mockery' of CQC consultation
  The introduction of fee increases on GP practices by the CQC (Care Quality Commission) makes a mockery of the regulator’s consultations with doctors, the BMA has said. The response comes as the CQC confirmed increases in the fees to be charged to providers of health and adult social care in 2016-17, including general practice and certain NHS trusts. Under the new fee structures, single-location GPs with 5,001-10,000 patients will see a £1,849 increase from £725 in 2015-16 to £2,574 in 2016-17. The fee increases mean NHS trusts with incomes of between £125m and £225m will see a &po...
Source: BMA News - April 4, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

GPs welcome contract to provide services
Northern Ireland's GP leaders have welcomed the latest deal agreed with the country’s Department of Health to provide general practice services in local communities. The contract, which is negotiated annually between BMA Northern Ireland and the DHSSPS (Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety), includes an investment of £7m, some of which will begin to fund the new ideas proposed by GPs to improve access for patients. These include ensuring pharmacists can be based in GP practices and operated through not-for-profit GP federations. GP federations are a network of 17 collaborative partnerships c...
Source: BMA News - April 4, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Child well-being tops public health agenda
  BMA Cymru Wales is to set up a cross-party group on public health, with children's health and well-being at the top of its agenda. The association held a seminar entitled Growing up in Wales 2016 on 23 March to kick start debate on the topic of ensuring a healthy future for the nation's children. BMA welsh council chair Phil Banfield chaired the seminar held at Cardiff's Wales Millennium Centre and said it was important to get it right for children at the start of their lives. He told attendees: 'The product of today is to take the presentation, the discussion and the product of your cards to start compiling a ...
Source: BMA News - April 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Chief medical officer for Wales retires
Tributes have been paid to the CMO (chief medical officer) for Wales, Ruth Hussey, who has officially retired. Dr Hussey stepped down from the role after she originally announced her decision to retire back in September last year. Health minister Mark Drakeford said: 'Dr Hussey has worked to tackle inequalities between the health of the most and least deprived people in Wales. 'I am grateful for her expert advice and I wish her a happy and healthy retirement.' BMA Cymru Wales council chair Phil Banfield said: 'Ruth Hussey has been the driving force behind the prudent healthcare agenda and exploring a new way for the NH...
Source: BMA News - April 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Integrated care questions persist
  The BMA has warned that ‘significant question marks’ hang over Scotland’s integrated health and social care arrangements as the flagship policy goes live. From 1 April, health and social care partnerships, sometimes called joint integration boards or care boards, became legally responsible for almost £8bn of funding for adults' social care and community and primary care-based services. Described by the Scottish Government as the ‘single biggest reform to the way health and social care is delivered in Scotland’, the new arrangements mean NHS and local authorities are jointly respon...
Source: BMA News - April 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Soft opt-out boosts organ donation in Wales
Fifteen people have donated their organs in the first two months after a new soft opt-out system for organ donation was introduced in Wales, new figures show. Of those who donated their organs during December 2015 and January 2016, six had their consent deemed because they had not opted out from being a donor. The new soft opt-out system came into effect in December last year and was backed by BMA Cymru Wales. BMA Welsh council chair Phil Banfield, pictured, said: 'It is early days, but the results do look promising. 'We believe the law can only be a good thing for the people of Wales, who have been in desperate need o...
Source: BMA News - April 1, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Staff increases 'insignificant', warns BMA
Modest increases in NHS staffing levels are ‘insignificant’ and go no way towards addressing the vast challenges facing the health service, according to the BMA. The warning comes after a report published by the HSCIC (Health and Social Care Information Centre) showed a 1.8 per cent rise in overall numbers of FTE (full-time-equivalent) staff working in the NHS in the period ending 30 September 2015, compared to the same period the previous year. BMA council chair Mark Porter (pictured) said that the increase, which translates to an additional 18,300 across the whole health service, would not begin to address th...
Source: BMA News - March 31, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

BMA launches legal challenge to contract
The BMA has launched a judicial review challenging the lawfulness of the health secretary’s decision to impose the junior doctors’ contract. It is based on the Government’s failure to pay due regard to the equalities impact prior to imposition. Junior doctors also strongly criticised the Government’s decision to publish the contract on the NHS Employers website. BMA junior doctors committee chair Johann Malawana said it represented a ‘total failure’ on the Government’s part. Dr Malawana said: ‘Instead of meaningfully negotiating with the BMA to reach an agreement that would b...
Source: BMA News - March 31, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news

Seven-day suspense
  Seven-day services can help reduce variations in care, but misrepresentation of research and continuing doubts over funding dog their implementation, a conference heard. Tim Tonkin reports For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong.’ The observation by early 20th-century journalist and satirist H L Mencken found itself being appropriated, quite fittingly perhaps, by West London University professor of health policy Charles Easmon during a recent debate at the RSM (Royal Society of Medicine). The subject under discussion had been that of seven-day services in the NHS and the ...
Source: BMA News - March 31, 2016 Category: UK Health Source Type: news