Commentary: week ending 20 January 2012

The Health and Social Care Bill may be coming to the end of its journey through Parliament but the row that surrounds it seems to be gaining pace. This week unions representing nurses and midwives decided to make official their opposition to the proposed legislation. They join the BMA and others. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley decided to put a sinister spin on it by claiming it was part of a ploy to pressure the government into rethinking its stance on pay and pensions. We will see what the nurses think about having their position interpreted as a cynical tactic to gain a few more quid in their pay packets.

Better monitoring and reporting of branded medicine supplies is needed, according to the British Association of Pharmaceutical Wholesalers. And pharmacy group Numark believes product quotas by drug manufacturers are being used as 'weapons of commercial protection'. Both these appeals came from submissions to an All-Party Pharmacy Group inquiry into medicines shortages. Change is in the air and pharma and pharmacy look like they need to prepare for it.

In other news, revised targets for healthcare associated infections have been announced; the government has stumped up £100m for emerging clinical commissioning groups to help them through winter demand pressures; and systems for cardiac rehabilitation need a shake-up, according to a heart charity.