Wednesday, 9 May 2012
VIDEO: Warning over illegal tattooists
VIDEO: Warning over illegal tattooists: Northamptonshire Police issue a warning about the growing number of illegal parlours amid concern that children as young as 11 have been getting tattoos. BBC Northampton
UK air ambulances cleared to fly
UK air ambulances cleared to fly: The air ambulance in Northamptonshire is given permission to fly again after half of the UK's fleet of 32 helicopters were grounded over safety fears BBC Northampton
Corby care home told it needs to improve
Corby care home told it needs to improve:
The Care Quality Commission has issued a formal warning to Orchard Care Homes.com (3) Limited, saying they must make improvements to standards of care at Willow Brook House or face further action. Evening Telegraph
The Care Quality Commission has issued a formal warning to Orchard Care Homes.com (3) Limited, saying they must make improvements to standards of care at Willow Brook House or face further action. Evening Telegraph
End of life care in England – the good and the bad
End of life care in England – the good and the bad:
A report from the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network highlights one of the continuing concerns about end of life care – that the majority of people would prefer to die in their usual place of residence, whether home or care home, or in a hospice. Yet over half still die in hospital. NHS Networks
A report from the National End of Life Care Intelligence Network highlights one of the continuing concerns about end of life care – that the majority of people would prefer to die in their usual place of residence, whether home or care home, or in a hospice. Yet over half still die in hospital. NHS Networks
Risk Register will not be published
Risk Register will not be published:
The Department of Health’s Transition Risk Register from November 2010, which was a statement of potential risks of NHS changes, will not be published, following Cabinet agreement and a final decision made by the Secretary of State for Health.
The Secretary of State for Health sought the Cabinet’s views on the exercise of the Ministerial Veto in relation to the Information Tribunal’s ruling that the Transition Risk Register should be released – the Freedom of Information Act makes specific provision for the exercise of such a veto.
In light of the interest in this case, and in line with the Government’s commitment to be more transparent by opening up Government information, the Department of Health has today published a document that sets out key information relating to the areas of risks in the original Risk Register.
See Transition Programme Risks: Review of November 2010 risk register
It also sets out the mitigating actions that have taken place since November 2010 and which are planned in the future, while protecting the language and form of the Risk Register.
The Department of Health has also published today a Scheme for Publication, which sets out proposals for reviewing and releasing material relating to the transition programme in the future.
See Transition Programme Scheme for Publication
See Transition Programme Risk Management Strategy
See press release
Material published under the Scheme for Publication will be published on the Department of Health’s Transparency website. Department of Health
The Department of Health’s Transition Risk Register from November 2010, which was a statement of potential risks of NHS changes, will not be published, following Cabinet agreement and a final decision made by the Secretary of State for Health.
The Secretary of State for Health sought the Cabinet’s views on the exercise of the Ministerial Veto in relation to the Information Tribunal’s ruling that the Transition Risk Register should be released – the Freedom of Information Act makes specific provision for the exercise of such a veto.
In light of the interest in this case, and in line with the Government’s commitment to be more transparent by opening up Government information, the Department of Health has today published a document that sets out key information relating to the areas of risks in the original Risk Register.
See Transition Programme Risks: Review of November 2010 risk register
It also sets out the mitigating actions that have taken place since November 2010 and which are planned in the future, while protecting the language and form of the Risk Register.
The Department of Health has also published today a Scheme for Publication, which sets out proposals for reviewing and releasing material relating to the transition programme in the future.
See Transition Programme Scheme for Publication
See Transition Programme Risk Management Strategy
See press release
Material published under the Scheme for Publication will be published on the Department of Health’s Transparency website. Department of Health
NHS risk register release blocked
NHS risk register release blocked: The risk assessment of the NHS overhaul in England will not be published after ministers vetoed requests to release it. BBC News
Expenditure on healthcare
Expenditure on healthcare: The Office for National Statistics has published a report 'Expenditure on healthcare in the UK 1997 - 2010'. Expenditure on healthcare in the UK (in current prices) totalled £140.8 billion in 2010. This increased by 3.1 per cent, from £136.6 billion in 2009. This was considerably lower than the growth rate in 2009 of 8.8 per cent.
How should we fund long-term elderly care? - The Guardian
How should we fund long-term elderly care? - The Guardian:
 The Guardian | How should we fund long-term elderly care? The Guardian Divide and rule has been the underpinning theme of the coalition government's approach to social policy. Now Ian Duncan's Smith's Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has extended this destructive template to older people and social care reform. 'Misery and fear' for elderly and disabled without reformPolitics.co.uk Politicians are avoiding the real problems with social careSpectator.co.uk Poorest older people must be priority for extra social care cash, warns major ...carehome.co.uk News all 229 news articles » |
Arthritis cases 'set to double to over 17m by 2030' - BBC News
Arthritis cases 'set to double to over 17m by 2030' - BBC News:
 BBC News | Arthritis cases 'set to double to over 17m by 2030' BBC News The NHS in England and Wales performs over 140000 hip and knee replacement operations every year. Judith Brodie, CEO of Arthritis Care, said: "The individual, economic and societal burden of OA is already enormous, but with an ageing and increasingly ... BEST WAY TO BATTLE ARTHRITISExpress.co.uk all 10 news articles » |
Check all patients for neglect, says minister
Check all patients for neglect, says minister: Hospitals should check all patients for signs of neglect on admission, according to Simon Burns, the Health Minister.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily TelegraphA new vision of healthcare for Europe
A new vision of healthcare for Europe:
Technology enables us to live longer and healthier lives, says Neelie Kroes, the vice-president of the European Commission
Europe is known the world over for its universal public healthcare systems. But these systemsare at risk of becoming financially unviable and suffering from a lack of human resources to deliver the required care.
In the face of demographic change and financial austerity, we must rethink the way we deliver, organise and finance healthcare. Fundamental reform of our systems are needed, enabled by information and communication technologies (ICTs).
I do not mean big projects like the National Programme for IT, which have come to dominate the perception of ICT in healthcare. I mean new approaches for telemonitoring, electronic prescriptions, and applications that help prevent people from needing acute care and allow the elderly to live independently in their homes.
Many of these have been tested in the UK under the Whole Systems Demonstrator project and have demonstrated huge benefits for patients, medical specialists, and care workers and have considerably reduced health care costs and boosted productivity.
Why? Because this is not actually about the technology. I would love to make healthcare less intrusive and more personalised, as well as more affordable. The way to do that is to design care around patients, and the means of achieving that is better integrating digital technology into caring processes. That is worth fighting for, even if there are stumbles along the way.
At the centre of this vision is the power of data. By unlocking and liberating this data we can truly revolutionise health.
This vision is confirmed in a new report by a European Union eHealth Task Force led by Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
The report is a wake-up call for us all. We need to face some hard facts: in healthcare, we lag at least 10 years behind virtually every other area in the implementation of IT solutions. We know how technology can positively transform our daily lives, including the ways in which we communicate, learn and do business. Yet we continue to hold back when it comes to health.
By implementing IT solutions to preventative and continuing healthcare, we can improve the lives of everyone in need of services. Central to taking this leap forward is the need to put patients in control of their personal data – while also using anonymised data to deliver life-saving innovation.
On a practical level, we also need to get all our systems connected and talking to each other while ensuring both transparency and accountability. And, of course, this vision can only function once internet access is a reality for all Europe's citizens. Achieving this vision will take time and effort, but progress is being made.
The positive results of the UK's Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) pilot is a case in point. As is the launch of the 3 Million Lives.
The WSD figures speak for themselves: a 45% reduction in mortality rates and 20% reduction in emergency admissions show how patients and hospitals can benefit. I can't think of a better vaccination against austerity than spreading those results across the UK and Europe.
Later this year, a pan-European pilot Renewing Health will show how telemedicine can function across borders and different health systems. While the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing aims to add two extra years of active life to our lifespans by 2020.
But the most important message is to join this debate. We love our healthcare, your NHS. Now it is time to show that commitment is not just for now, but for the decades to come.
Neelie Kroes is vice-president of the European Commission. Guardian Professional.
Europe is known the world over for its universal public healthcare systems. But these systemsare at risk of becoming financially unviable and suffering from a lack of human resources to deliver the required care.
In the face of demographic change and financial austerity, we must rethink the way we deliver, organise and finance healthcare. Fundamental reform of our systems are needed, enabled by information and communication technologies (ICTs).
I do not mean big projects like the National Programme for IT, which have come to dominate the perception of ICT in healthcare. I mean new approaches for telemonitoring, electronic prescriptions, and applications that help prevent people from needing acute care and allow the elderly to live independently in their homes.
Many of these have been tested in the UK under the Whole Systems Demonstrator project and have demonstrated huge benefits for patients, medical specialists, and care workers and have considerably reduced health care costs and boosted productivity.
Why? Because this is not actually about the technology. I would love to make healthcare less intrusive and more personalised, as well as more affordable. The way to do that is to design care around patients, and the means of achieving that is better integrating digital technology into caring processes. That is worth fighting for, even if there are stumbles along the way.
At the centre of this vision is the power of data. By unlocking and liberating this data we can truly revolutionise health.
This vision is confirmed in a new report by a European Union eHealth Task Force led by Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves.
The report is a wake-up call for us all. We need to face some hard facts: in healthcare, we lag at least 10 years behind virtually every other area in the implementation of IT solutions. We know how technology can positively transform our daily lives, including the ways in which we communicate, learn and do business. Yet we continue to hold back when it comes to health.
By implementing IT solutions to preventative and continuing healthcare, we can improve the lives of everyone in need of services. Central to taking this leap forward is the need to put patients in control of their personal data – while also using anonymised data to deliver life-saving innovation.
On a practical level, we also need to get all our systems connected and talking to each other while ensuring both transparency and accountability. And, of course, this vision can only function once internet access is a reality for all Europe's citizens. Achieving this vision will take time and effort, but progress is being made.
The positive results of the UK's Whole System Demonstrator (WSD) pilot is a case in point. As is the launch of the 3 Million Lives.
The WSD figures speak for themselves: a 45% reduction in mortality rates and 20% reduction in emergency admissions show how patients and hospitals can benefit. I can't think of a better vaccination against austerity than spreading those results across the UK and Europe.
Later this year, a pan-European pilot Renewing Health will show how telemedicine can function across borders and different health systems. While the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing aims to add two extra years of active life to our lifespans by 2020.
But the most important message is to join this debate. We love our healthcare, your NHS. Now it is time to show that commitment is not just for now, but for the decades to come.
Neelie Kroes is vice-president of the European Commission. Guardian Professional.
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