18 Dec 2001
NHS management responds to NAO report - Primary Care Trusts should be given responsibility for waiting lists
The National Audit Office (NAO) report1 published today is a report into the actions a number of trusts took to meet waiting list targets. All individuals employed within the NHS have a duty, as...
06 Dec 2001
Response to statement regarding patient choice
Commenting on Alan Milburn's announcement of the patient choice pilot and health authority allocations today in the House, NHS Confederation acting chief executive, Nigel Edwards said, "The NHS...
09 Nov 2001
Farewell to Thornton
Stephen Thornton, chief executive of the NHS Confederation left the organisation on the 9th November. Speaking to his last Confederation Council meeting on Wednesday 7th he set out a number of...
06 Nov 2001
NHS Confederation challenges Government approach to improving performance in the NHS
The Government's performance management of the NHS is not working and is causing short termism according to the NHS Confederation. It is failing to support quality improvement, encourage creativity...
25 Oct 2001
NHS Confederation response to Audit Commission report and government strategy on A&E
Commenting on the report issued today by the Audit Commission and the Government's Accident & Emergency (A&E) Strategy, NHS Confederation chief executive, Stephen Thornton said, "the decline in...
20 Sep 2001
NHS Confederation welcomes end to traffic lights
Commenting on the article written in the Independent this morning*, suggesting that the Government is to abandon the traffic light system, policy director Nigel Edwards said, "this would be a move...
19 Sep 2001
NHS Confederation announces negotiating team for new GP contract
The NHS Confederation has today announced the team members who will be responsible for negotiating the new GP contract. The chair, Mike Farrar has already been announced, joining him will...
17 Sep 2001
NHS Confederation promotes new approach to pay
The NHS Confederation is promoting a new approach to pay policy based on evidence, frankness and partnership in its recommendations to the Pay Review Bodies this year.
Launching the evidence,...
05 Sep 2001
NHS Confederation responds to audit commission report
Responding to the Audit Commission report 'Brief Encounters - Getting the best from temporary nursing staff' Stephen Thornton, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said that the Confederation...
06 Aug 2001
Thornton to leave the Confederation
Stephen Thornton, chief executive of the NHS Confederation for the past four years is to leave the organisation to take up a new challenge as chief executive of PPP Healthcare Medical Trust, one of...
03 Aug 2001
Joint news release - the NHS Confederation and the Royal College of Physicians: the hospital in 2010: a quantum shift?
The Royal College of Physicians and the NHS Confederation have established a small working group to develop ideas on how the acute hospital needs to change over the next 10 years. The group, which...
27 Jul 2001
Negotiating a new NHS contract for UK GPs
The first steps have been taken to establish the process by which the NHS Confederation and the BMA's General Practitioners' Committee will negotiate a new NHS contract for GPs.
The English...
18 Jul 2001
The NHS landscape is transformed since the time of Bristol - local clinical leadership now needs support
The NHS Confederation today welcomed the publication of the final report of the Bristol Inquiry. Stephen Thornton, chief executive said: " The NHS landscape in 2001 is transformed from what it was...
06 Jul 2001
Confederation asks governments to sign up to a "compact for delivery" with NHS management
Speaking on the final day of the NHS Confederation's Annual Conference, Chief Executive, Stephen Thornton, called on the Governments of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to sign up to...
06 Jul 2001
Stephen Thornton's speech to NHS Confederation Annual Conference, Manchester, July 2001
I wonder, how do you respond when people ask you: "just what exactly is it that senior managers and leaders in the NHS actually do?
Often goaded by politicians, the tabloid media is always ready...
05 Jul 2001
Confederation calls for balance in debate surrounding clinical networks
The NHS Confederation today launched a major piece of work on clinical networks with a discussion paper. Clinical networks are beginning to offer a number of solutions to problems of access,...
05 Jul 2001
Government clarifies position on private sector involvement in management of failing trusts
Following the speech by the NHS Chief Executive Nigel Crisp at today's NHS Confederation Conference, The NHS Confederation has received clarification on what government policy is on this...
04 Jul 2001
Confederation consolidates reputation in year of action - and Prime Minister recognises NHS management
The NHS Confederation annual conference and exhibition opened today in Manchester with a message from the Confederation Chairman and the Prime Minister*. Dianne Jeffrey, Chairman of the NHS...
04 Jul 2001
Confederation launches new website for non-executive directors on NHS day
At the NHS Confederation's annual conference today, Sir William Wells, Chairman of the NHS Appointments Commission launched a web site for non-executives as part of the Confederation's nexus...
04 Jul 2001
Tony Blair gives message to NHS Confederation annual conference 2001
I'm pleased to have the opportunity to speak to an audience of NHS managers and leaders. The second term for this government has to be about embedding far reaching reform and investment in all parts...
26 Jun 2001
NHS Confederation calls for clearer thinking on concept of "franchising" in NHS
Responding to recent media reports that the Department of Health is set to introduce the concept of "franchising" into the NHS, Stephen Thornton, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation said, "I am...
21 Jun 2001
Private/public debate missing the point says NHS Confederation
The current debate about the role of the private sector in improving public services is missing the point, said the NHS Confederation commenting on the forthcoming launch of the IPPR report on...
20 Jun 2001
Government ambitions for the health in doubt without investment in management warns Confederation
Responding to the Queen's Speech today, NHS Confederation Chief Executive, Stephen Thornton said: "we are pleased that today's Queen's speech included a NHS Reform Bill, which will help to further...
01 Jun 2001
NHS Confederation calls for renewed commitment to GP negotiations after BMA ballot
The NHS Confederation, representing primary care trusts, stressed that the result of the BMA's ballot of its GP membership on resignation is a distraction from the urgent task of moving forward...
25 May 2001
Scottish NHS Confederation responds to freedom of information consultation
The Scottish NHS Confederation today (May 25) highlighted a number of practical concerns regarding the draft Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill in its response to the Scottish Executive's...
21 May 2001
NHS Confederation announces 2 major initiatives in acute care
Two initiatives in secondary and hospital based care have been announced by the NHS Confederation today. Working in parallel, they aim to develop high quality policy and identify the barriers to...
25 Apr 2001
NHS Confederation welcomes the end to top down command and control management of the NHS
It is very encouraging that the Government has realised that its command and control style of management of the NHS is now getting in the way of doctors, nurses and managers deciding locally what is...
18 Apr 2001
NHS Confederation supports BMA for action on prison health
The NHS Confederation's Mental Health Committee, which met today [18 April] has expressed support for concerted and determined action to bring prison health care up to acceptable...
10 Apr 2001
NHS Confederation calls on government to acknowledge new of non-executives
The NHS Confederation Council has today agreed to press Government to review the role of non-executive directors in the NHS. Commenting on Council's decision, Chief Executive, Stephen Thornton said...
04 Apr 2001
Modern matron is an investment in management
Responding the Government announcement on "modern matron" today*, Confederation chief executive, Stephen Thornton said: "Creating a modernised NHS needs high quality leaders. This idea is...
20 Mar 2001
Prime minister's plans for GPs have big implications for how primary care trusts are run
Responding to the Prime Minister's announcement of extra funding for GP practices (1), Stephen Thornton, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said, "if we are going to get the best out of this...
07 Mar 2001
Budget good for your health says NHS Confederation
Responding to the budget statement today, NHS Confederation Chief Executive Stephen Thornton said: "The package of tax and benefit measures focused on reducing child poverty will make a significant...
28 Feb 2001
NHS Confederation welcomes new emphasis on health inequalities
Responding to Alan Milburn's speech at the Long Term Medical Conditions Alliance today, Chief Executive Stephen Thornton said: "This is the first time that the NHS has been set explicit targets...
21 Feb 2001
NHS employers respond to new consultants' contract proposals
Responding to the government's proposals for a new contract for consultants, Stephen Thornton, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents NHS employers in the negotiations, said,...
19 Feb 2001
Response to BMA attack on consultant contract negotiations
Responding to today's press statement from the BMA on consultant's contract negotiations (1), Stephen Thornton, chief executive of the NHS Confederation which represents employers in the...
16 Feb 2001
NHS Confederation, the labour group of the LGA and I&DA test run scrutiny proposals
The NHS Confederation, the Labour Group of the LGA and the Improvement & Development Agency are running a learning simulation entitled 'Healthy Partners? A Health and Local Government Partnership'...
15 Feb 2001
Elective centres will require major service redesign
The NHS Confederation welcomes the announcement (1) today of an investment of £3.1bn in 29 new hospital schemes around the country. We are also pleased to see that the Confederation's ideas have...
15 Feb 2001
Patient and public involvement
The NHS Confederation supports the Government's proposals for patient and public involvement (1).
The proposals form a coherent package which offers the prospect of a better deal for patients and...
09 Feb 2001
NHS Confederation responds to concern about the development of care trusts
The NHS Confederation today set out the view of its members on the governance and management of care trusts in a letter from chief executive Stephen Thornton to Minister of State for Health, John...
31 Jan 2001
Management comment on the report on the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital and report on organ retention
Commenting on the report on the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital published yesterday [30 Jan 2001], Chief Executive Stephen Thornton said, "the activities of Professor van Velzen at Alder Hey...
30 Jan 2001
Patient and public involvement
The NHS Confederation is today giving the management perspective on the new proposals for patient and public involvement at a major conference where the Department of Health is moving forward the...
24 Jan 2001
Mental health publicity campaign
The NHS Confederation today welcomed a new publicity campaign (1) to reduce discrimination against people with mental health problems.
Sandy Taylor, chair of the NHS Confederation's Mental Health...
08 Jan 2001
National Clinical Assessment Authority
The NHS Confederation today welcomed the creation of the National Clinical Assessment Authority (NCAA). Chief Executive, Stephen Thornton, said, "the majority of doctors provide a first class...
05 Jan 2001
NHS Confederation and Local Government Association welcome scrutiny proposals
In anticipation of the second reading of Health and Social Care Bill the NHS Confederation and the Local Government Association today welcomed the Government's proposals for local authorities to be...
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