Kettering public hear ambulance station closure proposals

Kettering public hear ambulance station closure proposals: Ambulance bosses have forced to defend proposals which would see Northamptonshire lose all but two of its current stations. Evening Telegraph

Care home in Northampton given safety warning by inspectors

Care home in Northampton given safety warning by inspectors: The Care Quality Commission has issued a formal warning to Countrywide Care Homes Limited saying they must make improvements to standards of care at Argyle House, in Dallington, or face further action.Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Guide launched to improve services for patients with learning disabilities

Guide launched to improve services for patients with learning disabilities: The guidance has been produced in partnership with the Improving Health and Lives Learning Disability team at the Public Health Observatory and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. It includes all of the recommendations from the interim Winterbourne View report published in spring 2012.

Care failure ''could strip elderly of dignity''

Care failure ''could strip elderly of dignity'': Failure to tackle how care is funded is leaving elderly people in limbo, says an LGA survey Public Service

Sickness absence rates

Sickness absence rates: 'Sickness Absence Rates in the NHS: April - June 2012' has been published by the Information Centre. The data show that between April and June 2012 the average sickness absence rate for the NHS in England was 4.02 per cent an increase from the same period in 2011. The North East SHA area had the highest average sickness absence rate at 4.49 per cent. The London SHA area had the lowest average at 3.34 per cent. NHS Information Centre

A joined-up solution for social inclusion and mental health recovery: new briefing from the Centre for Mental Health

A joined-up solution for social inclusion and mental health recovery: new briefing from the Centre for Mental Health: Recovery is an increasingly popular concept and philosophy in mental health circles and rightly so. Many of us who have direct experience of suffering from a mental health condition extol the virtues of an educational self management approach that helps individuals to take responsibility for themselves.  This kind of approach can help us develop the [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

Outcomes matter: effective commissioning in domiciliary care

Outcomes matter: effective commissioning in domiciliary care: This report argues that a culture of delivering care in 15 minute time slots is affecting the quality of life of older people and other recipients of social care services. It highlights the challenges and opportunities faced by commissioners and provides a commissioning checklist for domicilary care.

• Report
• Summary
• Related blog
• LGIU - publications

Driving improvements in A&E services

Driving improvements in A&E services: This benchmarking study found that A&E departments are seeing
increasing numbers of patients but, despite improving their efficiency and innovating, seven out of ten trusts were shown to lose money on their A&E patients. It emphasises that fundamental problems remain on the funding of A&E and emergency services.

• Research briefing
• Foundation Trust Network - press release

£50m set aside for dementia patients

£50m set aside for dementia patients: A new fund of £50m to create calming environments for people with dementia, which aid treatment by helping sufferers to avoid confusion, will be announced on Thursday by the health secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Doctors to investigate use of controversial Liverpool Care Pathway

Doctors to investigate use of controversial Liverpool Care Pathway: Doctors are to investigate whether the controversial Liverpool Care Pathway, which is supposed to alleviate suffering, is actually being used to deliberately hasten death. The Daily Telegraph

Faulty medical implants investigation: Patients at risk from flaws in medical device rules, admit EU chiefs

Faulty medical implants investigation: Patients at risk from flaws in medical device rules, admit EU chiefs: Telegraph investigation: Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt pledges to stop "worrying and completely unacceptable weakness in the regulatory system" exposed by The Telegraph.

Number of Mental Health detentions and Community Treatment Order rises

Number of Mental Health detentions and Community Treatment Order rises: The number of detentions and Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) under the Mental Health Act increased last year according to a new report. NHS Information Centre

My Home Life: promoting quality of life in care homes

My Home Life: promoting quality of life in care homes:
What's needed to promote quality of life in care homes? A new report from JRF outlines the findings from the My Home Life project. My Home Life is a collaborative initiative between Age UK, City University, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Dementia UK promoting quality of life in care homes. Read more