Steps set out for greater patient involvement and more choice

Steps set out for greater patient involvement and more choice: The Government’s response to its consultation on proposals for greater patient involvement and more choice has been published today.
For the first time, people who use mental health services will get more choice about where and how they get their condition treated by the NHS.

'Monday blues' hit appointments

'Monday blues' hit appointments: Researchers identify the "Monday blues" as one of the reasons why patients miss medical appointments. BBC News

Cheap vitamin D 'would boost health'

Cheap vitamin D 'would boost health': Increasing access to cheap vitamin D supplements would improve the health of at-risk groups including children, experts say. BBC News

Liberating the NHS: no decision about me without me - Government response

Liberating the NHS: no decision about me without me - Government response: This publication outlines the government's response to a consultation on proposals for greater patient involvement and choice. It outlines
how patients will have a choice in provider when they are first referred to see a specialist in secondary care. It also outlines broader plans to increase patient involvement and patient choice.

• Government response
• 2012-13 choice framework
• 2013-14 choice framework
• Equality analysis
• Impact assessment
• Any Qualified Provider map
• Department of Health - news 

Exclusive: Interactive map of the new NHS commissioning system

Exclusive: Interactive map of the new NHS commissioning system: HSJ has launched the first comprehensive interactive map of the reformed NHS commissioning system, showing critical details about the new organisations, including their leaders, performance, budgets and size (no password required).

Are clinical commissioning groups ready to go?

Are clinical commissioning groups ready to go?: With less than four months before CCGs take over from primary care trusts, just eight out of 211 have now been fully authorised. The focus will be on failings unless the system improves
The authorisation of the first clinical commissioning groups provides a window onto the state of readiness of the new NHS structures.

Demand £500m back for Tamiflu, urge MPs

Demand £500m back for Tamiflu, urge MPs: Ministers should demand that the pharmaceutical firm Roche returns £500 million to the NHS if it is found to have sat on trials data showing the flu drug Tamiflu to be ineffective, say MPs. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• MPs call for investigation into £500m spent on Tamiflu drug The Guardian

Obesity killing three times as many as malnutrition

Obesity killing three times as many as malnutrition: Obesity is now killing triple the number of people who die from malnutrition as it claims more than three million lives a year worldwide, according to a landmark study. The Daily Telegraph

Up to 750,000 people could be hit by norovirus bug as UK faces biggest outbreak yet

Up to 750,000 people could be hit by norovirus bug as UK faces biggest outbreak yet:
More than 750,000 people could be affected by an outbreak of norovirus in the UK, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has claimed. The Independent