NHS. First, it is likely to boost hospital activity, which is vital if the government is to meet its new target for cutting the maximum all-in waiting time for an elective operation to 18 weeks by 2008.

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Families of children treated at Glenfield said the news was a boost while the hospital's board is meeting later to discuss its implications.

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According to the BMA and Department of Health, the deal will boost the pay of senior hospital doctors by 20% while reducing the length of their working week.

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Mr Hawkes visited the hospital on Friday to boost the fundraising effort.

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"The reopening of Cossham Hospital will be a fantastic boost for local people who can now access a wide range of outpatient and diagnostic services on their doorstep, " said Dr Stephen Illingworth from the South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group.

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The argument that walls were too thin got a boost from a recently presented analysis by John Kastelein of University Hospital Center in the Netherlands, the lead investigator of ENHANCE.

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Meanwhile, high-tech patient simulators, such as those at Brigham and Women's Hospital, are enabling doctors and nurses to hone their technical skills for difficult emergency procedures and boost teamwork under pressure.

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