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Lansley has a day to forget

By Edward Davie

Our round-up of the health headlines on Tuesday 17 May.

Andrew Lansley may be feeling even less secure in his job after the prime minister admits in a speech reported in the Guardian, among other places, that the Government has not explained the planned changes to the NHS well.

If the Secretary of State is hoping for a lucrative job when his political career ends (whenever that may be) he will worry about reports in the same newspaper that anti-corruption campaigners are calling for tougher rules after former health secretaries Patricia Hewitt and Alan Milburn capitalised on their experience with lucrative roles in the private sector soon after stepping down.

Some advice to Lansley comes in a letter to the Times (behind paywall) from King's Fund chief executive Chris Ham who writes that the key to delivering a better NHS is to integrate health and social care.

The Times also reports that patients with potentially fatal blood cancers are to be offered fast-track access to new drugs under plans for a significant expansion of clinical trials. Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research is set to fund a new network of trial centres with a £2.3 million grant to 13 hospitals.

The Telegraph (not on website) reports that a baby born with a heart that pumped blood in the wrong direction has survived open heart surgery to correct the condition that affects only one in 20 million. Ellis Hobbs, who underwent surgery at the Brimingham Children's Hospital aged eight days, has been allowed home.

The same newspaper reports that researchers have found that a big night out destroys long term memory so if Lansley needs to forget his tough year at the top the traditional method is now scientifically proven.

Spotted a story we've missed? Let us know, and we'll update the digest throughout the day...

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