Wednesday 5 December 2012

Thousands sign ambulance petition

Thousands sign ambulance petition: More than 3,500 people sign a petition opposing plans to cut the number of ambulance stations in Northamptonshire. BBC Northamptonshire

Top nurses launch new drive to build culture of compassionate care across the NHS

Top nurses launch new drive to build culture of compassionate care across the NHS: The nation’s top nurses today launch a new drive to ensure values such as compassion and courage are at the heart of the NHS and the public health and care sectors.
They are publishing a new three-year vision and strategy for nursing, midwifery and care staff that aims to build the culture of compassionate care in all areas of practice.
Called Compassion in Practice, it has been drawn up by Jane Cummings, the Chief Nursing Officer for England (CNO), based with the NHS Commissioning Board, and Viv Bennett, Director of Nursing at the Department of Health.

Ministers rebuked on NHS spending

Ministers rebuked on NHS spending: The statistics watchdog calls on ministers to correct claims that the coalition has increased NHS spending in the past two years. BBC News

More very early babies surviving

More very early babies surviving: More babies who are born prematurely - before 26 weeks gestation - are surviving than ever before, according to a detailed study of births in England. BBC News

NHS could save £2.9bn through 'simple things'

NHS could save £2.9bn through 'simple things': Simple digital innovations have the potential to save the NHS and the wider public sector billions of pounds if contact with the public can be shifted online, a Digital by Default conference was told today. Public Service

Seven day consultant present care

Seven day consultant present care: This report brings together 20 colleges and faculties who have committed to the recommendation that patients in hospital should be reviewed by a consultant at least once every 24 hours, including weekends and bank holidays, unless there are good reasons for them to not to have a daily review. It outlines a series of areas for improvement and highlights that it is unacceptable to not provide consultant-led care at weekends if evidence suggests that this is best for patients. It also calls for the NHS to ensure that appropriate
resources and adequate numbers of consultants are provided to enable consultant-led care to be achieved, seven days a week.

Implementing a ‘duty of candour’: a new contractual requirement on providers - analysis of consultation responses

Implementing a ‘duty of candour’: a new contractual requirement on providers - analysis of consultation responses: This analysis examines responses to the consultation on proposals to toughen transparency in NHS organisations and increase patient confidence announced by Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter following a public consultation. The government’s proposal was for a contractual requirement, implemented through the NHS Standard Contract, covering NHS acute, ambulance, community and mental health care providers. The contract would require these organisations to be open with patients when things go wrong with their healthcare and give them information about any investigations that have taken place, or any lessons learned.

Securing excellence in GP IT services: operating model

Securing excellence in GP IT services: operating model: This document explains how the management of IT systems for GP practices will be organised from April 2013. It enables clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to make decisions to suit particular local requirements, ensuring information and technology supports clinical
commissioning to improve health outcomes for patients. Procurement of GP clinical systems through the GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) scheme and local service providers, or any national systems, will continue to be
supported nationally.

Asperger's not in DSM-5 mental health manual

Asperger's not in DSM-5 mental health manual: ‘Asperger's syndrome dropped from psychiatrists' handbook’, is the headline in The Guardian. The news is based on a press release from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) announcing the approval by their Board of Trustees of a revised fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The DSM was first published in 1952 and is often referred to as the 'psychiatrists' bible' in the US.

The NHS's £50bn question - Public Finance

The NHS's £50bn question - Public Finance:
The NHS's £50bn question
Public Finance
While the government may try to implement certain cuts in services by the back door they are certainly not going to put forward cuts in NHS services as their official policy. That would be electoral suicide. It is bad enough that they already will have ...
NHS faces possible £54bn funding gapPulse
Poll shows UK wants to pay more tax to help NHSPharmaTimes

all 7 news articles »

NHS will have to admit mistakes: minister

NHS will have to admit mistakes: minister: Patients will be told when medical mistakes and blunders put them at risk, under new rules to be introduced to the NHS. The Daily Telegraph

Recruit on compassion, not grades alone, says top nurse

Recruit on compassion, not grades alone, says top nurse: Nurses should be recruited based on their "values and behaviours, as well as technical and academic skills", according to a new 'national strategy' to improve care. The Daily Telegraph

Emergency hospital readmission rates among stroke patients now higher than in 2001/02

Emergency hospital readmission rates among stroke patients now higher than in 2001/02: A bigger proportion of stroke patients were readmitted to hospital as an emergency case in 2010/11 compared to 2001/02, new figures show. Twelve in ev... NHS Information Centre

HPA update on seasonal norovirus activity

HPA update on seasonal norovirus activity: Figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show a drop in the number of hospital outbreaks of norovirus from 53 in the two weeks to November 25 2012 down to 40 in the two weeks to the 2 December 2012. The latest weekly report is now published.

The Goldberg Report

The Goldberg Report: The Goldberg Report: Strategy and the New NHS The Good Governance Institute

Improving decision-making in the care and support of older people

Improving decision-making in the care and support of older people: In the next 40 years the proportion of the population in retirement is estimated to rise significantly. This major demographic change makes it imperative to review the position of older people both as receivers and as givers of care and support.Read more The Joseph Rowntree Trust