Proposals to cut the NHS workforce in England by up to 10% in the next five years have been rejected by the government, who claim the NHS need more staff, not less.
Consultancy firm McKinsey and Company advised the Department of Health in September 2009 that the loss of 137,000 clinical and administration posts would save around £20 billion by 2014. The report also recommended a recruitment freeze to begin within two years, with the possibility of medical school places being reduced, and also suggested an early retirement programme should be established.
However, Health Minister Mike O’Brien said, “Ministers have rejected the suggested proposals in the McKinsey report and there are no plans to adopt these proposals in the future”, claiming that certain services, particularly maternity, nursing and primary care, need more staff rather than fewer.
McKinsey also claimed that up to £3 billion a year could be saved by improving staff productivity, while nearly £2 billion could be saved on external contracts for areas such as food and waste.
Further reading - An in-depth analysis of the UK medical device market, including some background information on healthcare personnel, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
Thursday 17 September 2009
UK - GP Consultations Rising
The number of GP consultations has risen from 217.3 million in 1995 to 300.4 million in 2008, according to data published by the NHS Information Centre in September 2009.
The study, conducted using the QResearch general practice database, revealed that an average patient had 5.5 consultations in 2008, compared with 3.9 in 1995. Meanwhile, the average GP surgery carried out 34,200 appointments in 2008, up from 21,100 in 1995.
The study also highlighted an increase in the number of patients seen by a nurse in primary care. In 1995, 76% of consultations were undertaken by GPs, 21% by nurses and 3% by other clinicians, whereas in 2008, 62% were carried out by GPs, 34% by nurses and 4% by other clinicians. However, this increase in proportion could be explained by an increase in patients seeing nurses in general, rather than fewer patients seeing a GP.
However, the study did not take into account the length of consultations, or the number of tasks undertaken within a consultation, which could impact on the reliability of the findings.
Further reading - A detailed analysis of the UK medical device market, including further statistics on ambulatory care, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
The study, conducted using the QResearch general practice database, revealed that an average patient had 5.5 consultations in 2008, compared with 3.9 in 1995. Meanwhile, the average GP surgery carried out 34,200 appointments in 2008, up from 21,100 in 1995.
The study also highlighted an increase in the number of patients seen by a nurse in primary care. In 1995, 76% of consultations were undertaken by GPs, 21% by nurses and 3% by other clinicians, whereas in 2008, 62% were carried out by GPs, 34% by nurses and 4% by other clinicians. However, this increase in proportion could be explained by an increase in patients seeing nurses in general, rather than fewer patients seeing a GP.
However, the study did not take into account the length of consultations, or the number of tasks undertaken within a consultation, which could impact on the reliability of the findings.
Further reading - A detailed analysis of the UK medical device market, including further statistics on ambulatory care, is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
UK - Axis Shield Posts Positive Sales Performance
Scottish company Axis Shield posted positive financial performance in August 2009, following strong demands for its diabetes testing machine.
By the end of June 2009, Axis Shield had sold a total of 5,000 Afinion machines, compared to 4,000 machines sold during the whole of 2008. The company expects to sell a further 2,500 machines by the end of the year, with 50% of sales in the US.
The Afinion machine can screen blood or urine samples for diabetes indicators. The company now plans to market an Afinion test for high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP), an indicator of cardiovascular disease, and has also secured rights to a new test for sepsis diagnosis.
For the six months up to 30th June 2009, pre-tax profit more than quadrupled, rising from £1.6 million to £7.5 million. Axis Shield ‘s sales amounted to £50.6 million in the same period, rising by 18.5%. The Point-of Care division’s sales amounted to £22.1 million, a rise of 27.3%, while sales from the Laboratory division rose by 23.0% to total £12.8 million.
Further reading - A detailed review of the UK medical device market is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
By the end of June 2009, Axis Shield had sold a total of 5,000 Afinion machines, compared to 4,000 machines sold during the whole of 2008. The company expects to sell a further 2,500 machines by the end of the year, with 50% of sales in the US.
The Afinion machine can screen blood or urine samples for diabetes indicators. The company now plans to market an Afinion test for high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP), an indicator of cardiovascular disease, and has also secured rights to a new test for sepsis diagnosis.
For the six months up to 30th June 2009, pre-tax profit more than quadrupled, rising from £1.6 million to £7.5 million. Axis Shield ‘s sales amounted to £50.6 million in the same period, rising by 18.5%. The Point-of Care division’s sales amounted to £22.1 million, a rise of 27.3%, while sales from the Laboratory division rose by 23.0% to total £12.8 million.
Further reading - A detailed review of the UK medical device market is available from Espicom: The Medical Device Market: United Kingdom (published June 2009)
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