High Court declares Dido Harding appointment unlawful
15 Feb 2022 Health & Social Care
High Court declares Dido Harding appointment unlawful
Campaigners claim victory in “chumocracy” case over former NHS Test and Trace boss and director Mike Coupe
Scotland's chief medical officer apologises for retweeting 'political messaging'
15 Feb 2022 Health & Social Care
Scotland's chief medical officer apologises for retweeting 'political messaging'
Gregor Smith was accused of breaking the civil service code
Treasury pushes for free Covid testing to be scrapped despite SAGE warnings
14 Feb 2022 Health & Social Care
Treasury pushes for free Covid testing to be scrapped despite SAGE warnings
Removing tests could make it harder to take precautions and could disproportionately impact vulnerable people, experts say
Gavin Williamson referred firm that won £1.7m PPE contract to VIP lane, DHSC admits
14 Feb 2022 Health & Social Care
Gavin Williamson referred firm that won £1.7m PPE contract to VIP lane, DHSC admits
Department says it mistakenly left the company off a list of those referred to the high-priority lane in November
Former healthcare boss named interim No.10 perm sec
10 Feb 2022 Health & Social Care
Former healthcare boss named interim No.10 perm sec
Samantha Jones led private healthcare provider before advising Boris Johnson on NHS reform
DHSC seeks deputy chief medic to replace Van-Tam
07 Feb 2022 Health & Social Care
DHSC seeks deputy chief medic to replace Van-Tam
Department offers up to £149,000 a year for its next DCMO for health protection
DHSC branded ‘terribly naïve’ over Greensill dealings
04 Feb 2022 Health & Social Care
DHSC branded ‘terribly naïve’ over Greensill dealings
MPs say department lacked curiosity about rationale for pharmacy-payment scheme and had no concerns about NHS salary-advance offer
DHSC writes off £8.7bn of pandemic PPE
01 Feb 2022 Health & Social Care
DHSC writes off £8.7bn of pandemic PPE
The losses included £2.5bn spent on PPE that was not suitable for the NHS or in care settings
MPs demand more transparency over £1bn private hospitals deal
28 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
MPs demand more transparency over £1bn private hospitals deal
NHS England chief rapped for failure to publish ministerial direction letter on time
‘Not all former ministers are clear on standards of behaviour and rules’: Pickles sour as Brine falls short
26 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
‘Not all former ministers are clear on standards of behaviour and rules’: Pickles sour as Brine falls short
Acoba chair writes to Cabinet Office after ex-minister Steve Brine fails to seek advice before advising a pharmaceutical company
DHSC refuses plea to tackle health and social staff pay disparity
19 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
DHSC refuses plea to tackle health and social staff pay disparity
Perm sec says the government cannot accurately compare jobs in the two sectors
Consultants still make up a quarter of test and trace workforce as bosses admit jobs 'less attractive' to civil servants
19 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
Consultants still make up a quarter of test and trace workforce as bosses admit jobs 'less attractive' to civil servants
Significant progress made on cutting consultant numbers, but short-term roles and secondments deter officials from applying
Jonathan Van-Tam to step down as deputy chief medical officer
13 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
Jonathan Van-Tam to step down as deputy chief medical officer
Job has been "most challenging of my professional career", JVT says
MPs voice concerns over Javid’s £1bn private hospitals ministerial direction
13 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
MPs voice concerns over Javid’s £1bn private hospitals ministerial direction
Health secretary signs off on £90m-a-month plans to put sector on standby to provide backup for NHS services
High Court rules 'VIP lane' for PPE procurement unlawful
12 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
High Court rules 'VIP lane' for PPE procurement unlawful
Some firms marked as high priority for contracts with "no objectively justifiable grounds for expediting the offer", court finds
Tory peer ‘secretly involved’ with firm that won £200m in PPE contracts after she referred it to ‘VIP lane’
07 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
Tory peer ‘secretly involved’ with firm that won £200m in PPE contracts after she referred it to ‘VIP lane’
Companies in the fast-track lane were 14 times more likely to win contracts than other suppliers, according to the NAO
Don’t ignore other areas of care when tackling Covid backlog, DHSC told
06 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
Don’t ignore other areas of care when tackling Covid backlog, DHSC told
MPs also warn against a "targets culture" of focusing solely on reducing numbers
Whitty knighted in New Year's Honours celebrating government scientists and medics
04 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
Whitty knighted in New Year's Honours celebrating government scientists and medics
UKHSA and MHRA heads also recognised, along with new Scottish Government perm sec
DHSC buys £700k software to monitor death threats against ‘high-profile individuals’ in vaccine rollout
04 Jan 2022 Health & Social Care
DHSC buys £700k software to monitor death threats against ‘high-profile individuals’ in vaccine rollout
The technology tools can also flag “foreign interference” conducted on social media by hostile foreign governments
‘This is my job’: Whitty says he is not ‘treading on ministers’ toes’ by advising public to cut down on festive socialising
16 Dec 2021 Health & Social Care
‘This is my job’: Whitty says he is not ‘treading on ministers’ toes’ by advising public to cut down on festive socialising
Chief medic also says "only people who have no understanding of health" believe Covid is being over-prioritised by medical professionals
Former Home Office chief Phillip Rutnam appointed to NHS board
15 Dec 2021 Health & Social Care
Former Home Office chief Phillip Rutnam appointed to NHS board
Acoba says the appointment of the former perm sec, who resigned last year over a bullying row with Priti Patel, is "low risk"
Perm secs told to produce 'concrete plan' to free up civil servants to volunteer for booster rollout Exclusive
14 Dec 2021 Health & Social Care
Perm secs told to produce 'concrete plan' to free up civil servants to volunteer for booster rollout
Registered healthcare professionals across the civil service to get "unlimited" volunteering leave until the end of January
Chisholm seeks civil service volunteers for Covid booster drive
13 Dec 2021 Health & Social Care
Chisholm seeks civil service volunteers for Covid booster drive
Up to 120,000 officials could be drafted in to hit “million a day” target for vaccinations
Social care plan 'three steps forward and two steps back'
02 Dec 2021 Health & Social Care
Social care plan 'three steps forward and two steps back'
Spending a disappointment given scale of crisis in sector, says former minister Jeremy Hunt