£41m waste on electricity
The NHS in England wasted £41.4 million last year simply by paying more than it should for energy and water, according to campaigning group Taxpayers’ Alliance. The money wasted annually on excessive utility bills could cover the cost of employing 1,350 more nurses they claim. The NHS in England spent more than £630 million on energy and £80 million on water 2012-13.
GMC freezes retention fees
The GMC has frozen its annual retention fees for 2014/15. Fees will remain at £390 for registration with a licence and £140 for registration without a licence. The registration fee for newly qualified doctors will remain at £185 and the provisional registration fee will stay at £90.
Assaults against staff rise 5.8%
Physical assaults against NHS staff in England rose by 5.8% in the year 2012-2013 compared to the previous 12 months, says NHS Protect. These figures were collated from 341 health bodies across the country. Total reported assaults rose from 59,744 in 2011/12 to 63,199 in 2012/13. Criminal sanctions following reported assaults also rose by 15.9%.
www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/protect.aspx
New BMA resources
The BMA has unveiled Make Change Better, a programme of events, online resources and discussion forums to keep junior doctors informed as contract negotiations get underway. It includes an online community which provides the latest on the contract negotiations and an opportunity to debate the key issues with colleagues in real-time.
