Monday 20 February 2012

NHS overspend on county hospitals could be £19 million - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS overspend on county hospitals could be £19 million - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo
NHS overspend on county hospitals could be £19 million
Northampton Chronicle & Echo
At NGH alone, it has resulted in £3 million worth of extra treatment being carried out in the last year than was forecast. Moya McVicar, of the patient watchdog Northamptonshire LINk, said: “The trouble is the predictions of how many patients doctors ...

Hundreds turn out in Northampton to protest against baby group closure

Hundreds turn out in Northampton to protest against baby group closure:

MORE than 100 mothers refused to keep mum over health funding cuts during a protest march in Northampton against the planned closure of an NHS-funded breast-feeding cafe. Northanpton Chronicle and Echo

New figures on take up of “NHS offer” by PiP patients

New figures on take up of “NHS offer” by PiP patients:

Nearly 3,000 women who have PiP breast implants have been forced to get help from the NHS because their private clinics have failed to help, according to new figures published today by the Department of Health.

The figures show that:

  • 2,860 women have been referred to NHS specialists by their GPs

  • more than 1,100 women have had scans

  • 67 women have so far chosen to have their PiP implants removed – 12 have been removed already

  • 522 have completed the process with the vast majority having decided not to have their implants removed on the NHS

Most NHS patients – 653 out of 741 – have now been contacted and offered a consultation. So far, 9 women have requested scans and 17 women have decided to have their implants removed.

Bruce Keogh’s expert group met earlier this week and continues to advise that there is not enough evidence to recommend routine removal of PiP breast implants. The group continues to recommend that if women are concerned they should speak to their surgeon or GP.

The NHS will support removal of PiP implants if, after this consultation, the patient still has concerns and with her doctor she decides that it is right to do so. The NHS will replace the implants if the original operation was done by the NHS. The group and the Government expect the private sector to do the same for their patients. The Government is looking at how the NHS can recoup the costs.

Health Minister Anne Milton said: “Most patients who have been forced to get help from the NHS because their private clinic has refused to support them seem, so far, to be choosing not to have their implants removed. This appears to show that these women are getting the reassurance they need from speaking to an expert or having a scan.

“All but one of the NHS hospitals that used PiP implants have been able to contact all their patients. They have been offered a consultation with a specialist.

“The expert group does not believe there is enough evidence to advise women to have their implants removed. But it is right that women should be able to seek reassurance from a specialist.”

The Government has advised women to take 3 steps to reassure themselves. The steps are to:

  1. Find out if they have PiP implants by checking their medical notes. This information can be accessed for free from clinics or through GPs. Women who had PiP implants on the NHS will receive a letter in the next few weeks.

  2. Speak to their GP or surgeon. Women who had PiP implants on the NHS should speak to their specialist or GP and women who had them done privately should speak to their clinic.

  3. Agree what’s best for you. Women should get advice on whether or not they need a scan then discuss appropriate action with their doctor.

For those who decide with their doctor that they want their implants replaced, the NHS will do it for free if the original operation was done on the NHS. However, if the original operation was performed in a private clinic the patient will need to speak to their clinic to see if they will replace them for free.

The Chief Medical Officer has written to all GPs to set out what they should do if a private patient with PiP implants asks for their help.

Two reviews that have been set up to investigate what happened with PiP implants and to look at whether the cosmetic surgery industry needs to be better regulated. Read the press release announcing the reviews.

Department of Health

PM to host NHS overhaul meeting

PM to host NHS overhaul meeting: David Cameron is hosting a meeting of healthcare professionals to discuss planned changes to the NHS in England - but critics claim they have been excluded. BBC News

Clinicians should recommend cancer sites

Clinicians should recommend cancer sites: Clinicians need to recommend websites on which patients can find accurate information about chemotherapy as patients place value on such online advice, researchers have concluded. E-Health Insider

Rushed NHS helpline roll-out 'risks endangering patients' warns BMA

Rushed NHS helpline roll-out 'risks endangering patients' warns BMA: A rushed roll-out of the new 111 number to replace NHS Direct could put patients at risk, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned in letter to the Government. The Daily Telegraph

Maternity pathway payment system in 2012-13

Maternity pathway payment system in 2012-13:

Background information on how and why the PbR maternity pathway system has been developed, the structure of the system, how prices have been produced, data templates, business rules and frequently asked questions.

5 things you need to know about the NHS bill

5 things you need to know about the NHS bill:

This factsheet highlights five concerns regarding the Health and Social Care Bill.


Breast implants: NHS bill already in six figures

Breast implants: NHS bill already in six figures: The NHS bill for dealing with faulty breast implants put in by private clinics runs into hundreds of thousands of pounds. The Daily Telegraph

Health reforms are already helping NHS claims David Cameron

Health reforms are already helping NHS claims David Cameron: Controversial health reforms are already improving the quality of care provided by the NHS, David Cameron will declare today. The Daily Telegraph

Now the good news: UK flu rates at all-time low

Now the good news: UK flu rates at all-time low:

Seasonal influenza is losing its grip. The Independent

Experts fear diseases 'impossible to treat'

Experts fear diseases 'impossible to treat':

Britain is facing a "massive" rise in antibiotic-resistant blood poisoning caused by the bacterium E.coli – bringing closer the spectre of diseases that are impossible to treat. The Independent