Submitted by Hugo_Minney on Thu, 11/13/2008 - 20:53
The differences between practice for the same task performed in different hospital trusts is striking. Healthcare scientists decided to examine this issue in more detail, and my part was to use competences to determine what were the minimum competences required to perform a particular step on a science pathway (in this case, Pathology Laboratories), the minimum level of scientist with these competences, and compare this with actual staff performing the task in different Trusts.
Submitted by Hugo_Minney on Sun, 10/19/2008 - 17:00
It's amazing how much impact a single vitamin can have, but that's why they are called Vitamins!
Dr Joe Chandy has been a GP in Easington in County Durham, UK for 40 years. I recently attended a presentation about the impact on the body systems of subclinical B12 levels in the tissue - not recognised by medical science because the blood levels were above the minimum required.
Submitted by Hugo_Minney on Sun, 10/05/2008 - 21:53
Mental health, or the empowering or disempowering of people in their homes; with their family, friends and co-workers; in their communities; and in the country they live in could be one of the biggest causes of ill health. It's said that the constant exposure to air-brushed beauties in magazines and impossibly perfect people in our soap opera "true to life" stories on Television causes people to be dissatisfied with their partners and dissatisfied with their lives.
Community Matrons were asked to report on activity levels as a way of justifying their costs, but they wanted a more outcomes-based way of reporting. We developed a balanced scorecard aligned to the employing provider organisation and commissioning organisation’s own key priorities.
Submitted by Hugo_Minney on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 21:16
A PCT requested myself and a colleague to run a programme to redesign the process of booking patients in for community services eg long-term conditions management (it covered all services delivered in PCT buildings). Involving staff, stakeholders and service users revealed that the overall community service could be run more cost-effectively, and more appropriately for service users at the same time supporting healthcare staff, by devolving administration to the community buildings rather than centralising. The PCT was extremely pleased with the result.
Submitted by Hugo_Minney on Sun, 01/20/2008 - 16:00
With New Ways of Working I initiated a core planning group to identify cross-sector issues (health, social services, childrens incorporating commissioners and providers from public, independent and voluntary sector) and share knowledge.
We all know that decisions on the funding and types of care in one sector often impact on others; staff and users want seamless care delivery, and of course transferability of skills and qualifications.
Submitted by Hugo_Minney on Sat, 04/29/2006 - 17:00
The key to delivering benefits across a whole health community is to ensure that each project, each initiative is understood in context.
This is what is meant in World Class Commissioning terms by the whole stream of "assessing needs", "Review Current" and "Decide priorities" (WCC was presented in 2008).
Submitted by Hugo_Minney on Mon, 05/27/2013 - 22:22
How do we make the courts run more smoothly? Cases take too long and are too expensive, mired in endless argument and counter-argument that are the hallmarks of our adversarial system. What if we were to set time limits? Would that work?
Well, let's try it. Each side presents their best evidence, and if magistrate or jury isn't convinced, they can ask for more time from each side. If it works for Cricket, that most venerable of British institutions, it should work for courts. Who knows, they may even become spectator sports?
Fantasy government - what would I do if I were in government? Well how about reduce corporation tax, increase income tax, increase minimum wage and invest in job creation in the regions? That would be a good start - create jobs where there are workers, then make sure that the right amount of tax is collected and at the same time reduce spend on benefits which are only used to increase profits of selfish organisations.
PwC found that successful companies are getting more mature in their project management ability. This raises the game – successful companies have lower costs from fewer failed projects, and less successful companies have to work harder to catch up. There are some important lessons to take this report for everyone – Read more…
Every office has them - the tasks that have to be done that nobody likes doing. Whether it's the audit, the wages, standard letters, whatever it is - someone has to do it and it feels like a waste of time and money.
Why should you care?
So you employ somebody, so why do you care about how tedious the task is? Well they are costing money, to do something that could be done far more effectively.
Many public service changes have little basis in evidence. Their success (or otherwise) does not appear to depend on how 'good' the policy itself is, but rather on how it has been implemented. This relies on staff attitudes and relationships. My research falls into a number of broad categories: finding out what is currently happening; what people think about it; and what people think it will mean.