Government takes up mental health review recommendations
The government has said it will introduce a new Mental Health Bill focused on modernising and improving mental health care in England. It follows publication of the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, which the government commissioned last year. Two recommendations made in…
Investment in global healthcare set to reach $200bn
Some $200bn looks set to be invested in the global healthcare infrastructure sector over the next five years, according to research. Around 100 institutional investors with a collective of $6.8 trillion of assets under management were surveyed by the Octopus Group. They plan to increase…
Spire appoints group clinical director
Spire Healthcare has promoted Alison Dickinson (pictured) to the position of group clinical director. Dickinson, previously chief nursing officer at Spire, will be overseeing quality of care across the operator’s 39 hospitals and 11 clinics. She will also give clinical guidance on Spire’s commercial and…
AXA launches new cover for companies in Saudi Arabia
AXA has launched international insurance policies for companies based in Saudi Arabia. The new ‘Prestige’ and ‘Prestige Plus’ plans will be available to locally-based businesses and multinational companies with employees on assignments in the country from 1 January. Under the policies, customers seeking local medical…
Independent sector ‘most excluded’ from local integrated care systems
Independent and voluntary sector providers are the least likely to be involved in local integrated health and care systems (ICSs), according to research by the NHS Confederation. Its survey of senior healthcare leaders found that fewer than one third (32%) of respondents felt independent and…
Labour calls for inquiry into Hancock interview
The Labour party has called for an inquiry after Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock was accused of endorsing Babylon Health services in a newspaper interview sponsored by the digital health company. According to The Guardian, the shadow health minister Justin Madders has written…
London PPUs buck the downward trend
The capital’s NHS PPUs are bucking the trend in declining private patient revenues in London. London’s top ten PPUs increased their combined turnover by 7.1% to £381.1m in 2017/18, according to NHS annual accounts data. The findings, due for publication in LaingBuisson’s forthcoming Private Acute…
Bupa offers Babylon services to SMEs
Bupa SME customers will be offered Babylon Health’s virtual GP services in the new year, the health insurer has said. The move follows an expanded partnership between the two companies in June, when Babylon’s services were made available to Bupa’s corporate customers. From 1 January,…
UK cancer outcomes lagging behind other countries, report finds
A ‘radical re-think’ about cancer care services is needed to improve survival rates in the UK, the Health Foundation has said. The charity’s report, Unfinished businesss, looked at the progress that has been made in cancer care in the NHS over the last two decades…
Study shows insurer incentives boost members’ activity levels
Health and life insurance provider Vitality has today pledged to make 100 million people 20% more active by 2025 after independent research showed its shared value insurance model combined with Apple Watch produced sustained increases in members’ physical activity. Results of a landmark behaviour change…
