EXCL: DHSC to pay up to £35m to dispose of unused pandemic PPE
08 Apr Medical

EXCL: DHSC to pay up to £35m to dispose of unused pandemic PPE

Waste companies to get £17.5m apiece after department admitted plans to burn mountains of equipment
by Beckie Smith
From the editor: You are not very good at judging risk. Sorry.
20 May Medical
From the editor: You are not very good at judging risk. Sorry.
£1,200-a-day consultants make up more than one in 10 of UK Health Security Agency workforce
17 May Medical
£1,200-a-day consultants make up more than one in 10 of UK Health Security Agency workforce
UK Health Security Agency blasted for ‘irresponsible’ job-cut plans
28 Apr Medical
UK Health Security Agency blasted for ‘irresponsible’ job-cut plans
While the chancellor deals in economic optimism, reality in the NHS is tough – and getting tougher
27 Apr Medical
While the chancellor deals in economic optimism, reality in the NHS is tough – and getting tougher
Sunak's plan to cut £4.75bn in “efficiency savings” from the NHS budget is a classic of the “heroic optimism untethered to reality” genre
DHSC names new deputy chief medical officer
19 Apr Medical
DHSC names new deputy chief medical officer
Interim DCMO Thomas Waite succeeds Jonathan Van-Tam
Eight rules for communicating public health risk in a crisis – from horsemeat to Covid
06 Apr Medical
Eight rules for communicating public health risk in a crisis – from horsemeat to Covid
How has the government's crisis communications in the pandemic compared with Labour’s handling of swine flu in 2009 or the Coalition’s response to the horsemeat scandal in 2013?
A real shot in the arm: the highs, lows and lessons of delivering the Vaccines Programme
29 Mar Medical
A real shot in the arm: the highs, lows and lessons of delivering the Vaccines Programme
In a bleak and challenging time, the breath-taking speed and success of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout provided much-needed hope across the country. Beckie Smith meets Antonia Williams and Leila Tavakoli, who worked on the programme, to discuss what they learned from this award-winning endeavour
DHSC bought £122m PPE from Tory peer-linked firm 'for almost three times manufacturing fee'
28 Mar Medical
DHSC bought £122m PPE from Tory peer-linked firm 'for almost three times manufacturing fee'
The 25 million gowns were never used after failing an inspection
The NHS workforce plan: the Godot of public policy?
22 Mar Medical
The NHS workforce plan: the Godot of public policy?
Workforce shortages and an end to free lateral flow testing are just some of the issues giving our health columnist a headache
Opportunities outweigh threats in new white paper on health and social care integration
18 Mar Medical
Opportunities outweigh threats in new white paper on health and social care integration
This is a framework which could enable real progress on integrating health and social care services
DHSC looks to extend shelf life of expired pandemic PPE Exclusive
16 Mar Medical
DHSC looks to extend shelf life of expired pandemic PPE
Lab appointed to test medical-grade masks and visors, to see if expiry dates can be extended
Seven billion items of pandemic PPE 'not fit for purpose' Exclusive
11 Mar Medical
Seven billion items of pandemic PPE 'not fit for purpose'
Nearly one in five units of PPE marked “do not supply” to the NHS by the Department of Health and Social Care
EXCL: Government urged to tackle 'public health risk' of poor-performing private Covid tests Exclusive
23 Feb Medical
EXCL: Government urged to tackle 'public health risk' of poor-performing private Covid tests
As the government prepares to end most free Covid testing on 1 April, experts tell CSW the validation process for commercial tests is failing to ensure they are sufficiently reliable, or to enable people to make informed choices about which tests to buy
As Big Dog nears his final trip to the vet, briefings break out over the NHS Elective Recovery Plan
23 Feb Medical
As Big Dog nears his final trip to the vet, briefings break out over the NHS Elective Recovery Plan
The plan forms a handy battleground for Conservative leadership ambitions but gives little detail on how aspirations to cut waiting lists will be met, Andy Cowper writes
Overhauled No.10 operation 'flunked first test' amid confusion over Covid policy
23 Feb Medical
Overhauled No.10 operation 'flunked first test' amid confusion over Covid policy
Criticism comes after a row between the Treasury and DHSC over ending Covid restrictions forced the PM to delay a meeting to sign off the plans
PM scraps Covid restrictions and announces end to free tests from April
22 Feb Medical
PM scraps Covid restrictions and announces end to free tests from April
Legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test for Covid-19 to end on 24 February under "Living with Covid" plan
EXCL: Health security agency signs £1m deal with Deloitte to help get private Covid tests to market Exclusive
21 Feb Medical
EXCL: Health security agency signs £1m deal with Deloitte to help get private Covid tests to market
Consultants brought in to assess paid-for LFT providers as Omicron and supply-chain delays led to shortage of free tests
DHSC rejects plea to overhaul NHS workforce planning despite ‘crisis’ warning
16 Feb Medical
DHSC rejects plea to overhaul NHS workforce planning despite ‘crisis’ warning
Health and Social Care Committee chair Jeremy Hunt says government has missed opportunity to tackle staff burnout crisis
Scotland's chief medical officer apologises for retweeting 'political messaging'
15 Feb Medical
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 Medical
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
DHSC seeks deputy chief medic to replace Van-Tam
07 Feb Medical
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 writes off £8.7bn of pandemic PPE
01 Feb Medical
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
WATCH: Steve Glass on the work of the Vaccine Taskforce and maintaining 'tenacity under pressure'
28 Jan Medical
WATCH: Steve Glass on the work of the Vaccine Taskforce and maintaining 'tenacity under pressure'
The winner of the Cabinet Secretary's Outstanding Leader Award shares how the task force delivered Covid-19 vaccines under extraordinary circumstances and on a massive scale, and lessons for the future
MPs demand more transparency over £1bn private hospitals deal
28 Jan Medical
MPs demand more transparency over £1bn private hospitals deal
NHS England chief rapped for failure to publish ministerial direction letter on time
Consultants still make up a quarter of test and trace workforce as bosses admit jobs 'less attractive' to civil servants
19 Jan Medical
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
Andy Cowper: The PM plays party games while the NHS strains under Covid pressures
19 Jan Medical
Andy Cowper: The PM plays party games while the NHS strains under Covid pressures
The PM’s non-apology on the “BYOB” No.10 garden party won’t convince many. Meanwhile, NHS workforce and waiting list challenges remain
Jonathan Van-Tam to step down as deputy chief medical officer
13 Jan Medical
Jonathan Van-Tam to step down as deputy chief medical officer
Job has been "most challenging of my professional career", JVT says