Tuesday 8 May 2012

Ambulance service misses target

Ambulance service misses target: East Midlands Ambulance Service misses a national response time target, but improves on its earlier performance. BBC Northamptonshire

NHS referees will give people the red card

NHS referees will give people the red card:
FA Cup final referee Phil Dowd will not be the only person handing out yellow and red cards this weekend. Evening Telegraph

More than one person a day being diagnosed with lung cancer in Northamptonshire

More than one person a day being diagnosed with lung cancer in Northamptonshire:
PEOPLE are still failing to spot the key sign of lung cancer, a cough lasting for more than three weeks, Northamptonshire health bosses have warned. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Save lives: Clean your hands

Save lives: Clean your hands:
New cases of MRSA bloodstream infection have dropped by 41 % and C. difficile by 30% across the NHS in England since 2009/10.
The decrease in MRSA and C. difficile has been achieved thanks to good clinical practice including improved hand hygiene in NHS trusts across the country, helping to prevent healthcare associated infections by providing a clean and safe environment to patients.
The annual World Health Organization (WHO) awareness day, on 5 May, acts as a valuable reminder of how vital good hand hygiene is in the fight against healthcare associated infections.
Good hand hygiene is essential to prevent avoidable healthcare associated infections and the WHO audit tool can help identify ways to improve performance.
Healthcare providers can also register with WHO SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands to show their commitment to hand hygiene and have the opportunity to share experiences on this important issue. Department of Health

AUDIO: Novartis defends eye drug cost

AUDIO: Novartis defends eye drug cost: The maker's of a drug that treats age-related macular degeneration, a disease that can cause loss of sight, are taking the NHS to court to block them from using a drug that costs ten times less and is just as effective, according to tests. BBC News

Groups demand social care reform

Groups demand social care reform: There must be no half-measures on the reform of social care in England, campaigners and council chiefs are warning. BBC News

BMA issues detailed guidance for GPs on pensions industrial action

BMA issues detailed guidance for GPs on pensions industrial action: The BMA has issued guidance for GPs explaining what they should do on the day of action if a 'yes' vote is achieved in an upcoming ballot. GP Online

Factors that promote and hinder joint and integrated working between health and social care services

Factors that promote and hinder joint and integrated working between health and social care services:
This briefing gives those who provide and use social care services an overview of the research evidence for joint and integrated working. It looks at three broad themes which are used to organise the factors that support or hinder joint or integrated working: organisational issues; cultural and professional issues; and contextual issues.

The Wigan approach: the model

The Wigan approach: the model:
Payment by Results has been adopted in Wigan as part of an overall commissioning strategy and development plan. The outcomes being measured are: abstinence; successful completions; and non re-presentations within 6 months of being successfully completed. To encourage services to engage new clients an individual tariff payment is being made for each new presentation.

NHS patients 'do want to choose their hospital'

NHS patients 'do want to choose their hospital': Choice is important to NHS patients, according to a study that has found almost a half of those undergoing hip replacement operations do not opt for their nearest hospital. The Daily Telegraph

Cheap drug that combats major cause of blindness 'just as effective as more expensive treatment'

Cheap drug that combats major cause of blindness 'just as effective as more expensive treatment': A cheap drug that combats a major cause of blindness has been shown to be just as effective as the far more expensive approved treatment and could save the NHS £84.5?million a year, according to a new study. The Daily Telegraph

Dentists 'inventing work to defraud NHS'

Dentists 'inventing work to defraud NHS':
Dental surgeries are exaggerating or inventing work they have done for the National Health Service in order to swindle tens of millions of pounds out of taxpayers, according to a check up of dentists’ honesty. The Independent