New drug and alcohol service to be launched

New drug and alcohol service to be launched:
A new drug and alcohol service will be launched on Friday (February 1), to be run by health and social care charity CRI. Evening Telegraph

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county Northampton Chronicle & Echo Under the NHS's new 'any qualified provder' (AQP) policy, NHS Northamptonshire has selected parts of podiatry and musculoskeletal services to be the first AQP services. It means patients with particular ailments will be asked by their GP ... Unions ...

Complaint handing in NHS Trusts

Complaint handing in NHS Trusts:
This report shows substantial variations in the way in which hospitals display information about how to make a complaint. It also suggests that support to patients is incomplete and unclear, that 35% of staff cite insufficient training in complaints handling as an issue. Key recommendations from the report include: accessible information on how to make a complaint on trusts' websites, as well as on leaflets and posters throughout NHS hospital ward. Complaints should be regarded as a learning opportunity in order to avoid creating a culture of blame.
CASH News 

Advance decisions to refuse treatment: a guide for health and social care professionals

Advance decisions to refuse treatment: a guide for health and social care professionals:
This guide is designed to help health and social care professionals understand and implement the law relating to advance decisions to refuse treatment (ADRT) contained in the Mental Capacity Act (2005). This
version replaces that published in September 2008 and covers: how to make an advance decision to refuse treatment; who can make an advance decision; when a decision should be reviewed; and how it can changed or
withdrawn.    Report    Kings Fund

E-mental health report

E-mental health report: Source: NHS Confederation

This report evaluates how the mental health sector might make the most of opportunities offered by e-mental health, that is the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to support and improve mental health, including the use of online resources, social media and smartphone applications.
 
The report gives examples of how service users, mental health providers and other organisations are already embracing e-mental health to bring about change.

Epilepsy drug linked to tenfold increase in autism: researchers: Children born to mothers who took an epilepsy drug while pregnant are up to ten times more likely to suffer autism or similar conditions, a study has found. Telegraph

Health and social care could consume half of government spending by 2060

Health and social care could consume half of government spending by 2060:

31 Jan 2013

Health and social care could account for half of all government spending in 50 years' time, according to a new report published today by The King's Fund.
The report, Spending on health and social care over the next 50 years, shows how changes to the population, increases in wealth and medical advances will increase pressures to spend more on health and social care in the future. The ageing population will also be a factor although – contrary to popular perception – this is likely to drive only a small proportion of the increase.
The UK currently spends around 9 per cent of its national income on health and social care, more than twice as much as 50 years ago. This could more than double again to nearly 20 per cent by 2061, according to forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility. Based on projections for economic growth and current levels of taxation and government expenditure, the report estimates that this would translate to around 50 per cent of public spending.
The King's Fund will look at these issues in more detail in the months ahead as part of its Time to Think Differently programme which aims to stimulate debate about how to address the future challenges facing health and social care.

• Read the full report: Spending on health and social care over the next 50 years: why think long term?
• Find out more about our Time to Think Differently programme

New manual published for Expert Patients Programme tutors

New manual published for Expert Patients Programme tutors:
A new version of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Course (CDSMC) Tutor Manual has been published. It replaces the current manual, which will be withdrawn in October 2013.
This affects organisations that deliver or commission Expert Patients Programme (EPP) self management courses. All lead trainers and tutors will need to have update training.
The Department of Health has an agreement with Stanford University that enables NHS organisations to delivery EPP courses using their own staff/tutors. Non-NHS organisations delivering courses need to have their own licence.
Commissioners should make sure that organisations delivering self management courses are licensed and tutors are appropriately trained.
Find out more about the updated manual and training dates. Department of Health

Northampton General and Kettering General could merge

Northampton General and Kettering General could merge: Health bosses have revealed they are discussing a possible merger between NGH and KGH into a single trust. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• County’s two hospitals could consider merging Evening Telegraph
• NGH and Kettering General to explore partnership working Northampton General Hospital Statement

Northampton General Hospital chief executive resigns

Northampton General Hospital chief executive resigns: Northampton General Hospital has confirmed its chief executive has resigned, just hours after news emerged of talks between NGH and KGH over a possible merger. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Dr Gerry McSorley announces decision to leave post as CEO Northampton General Hospital Statement

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county: Some NHS back, neck and foot patients in Northamptonshire will have the choice of free private care instead from this week. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Model agreement for collaborative commissioning

Model agreement for collaborative commissioning: Following that the NHS Commissioning Board shared a draft model agreement for collaborative commissioning between CCGs, asking for feedback. The final document has now been published. It is editable for your use as the basis for collaborative agreements and contains a number of guidance notes to help you through the process.
An updated data table has also been published which shows the relationship between each CCG and its providers based on acute, maternity and ambulance data.

Antidepressant heart risk confirmed

Antidepressant heart risk confirmed: Some antidepressant drugs known as SSRIs pose a very small but serious heart risk, say researchers. BBC News

You can find the related BMJ article here (requires Athens password).

NHS Employers launches first app

NHS Employers launches first app: Have all the latest NHS workforce news at your fingertips by downloading our new app.

Complaint handling in NHS Trusts

Complaint handling in NHS Trusts: This report outlines the results of an analysis which shows substantial variations in the way in which hospitals display information about how to make a complaint. It also suggests that support to patients is incomplete and unclear, with 35% of staff citing insufficient training in complaints handling as an issue. Key recommendations from the report include:  accessible information on how to make a complaint on Trusts’ websites, as well as on leaflets and posters throughout NHS hospital ward; complaints being regarded as a learning opportunity to avoid creating a culture of blame; and specific provisions for complaint-related staff training and support.

• Report
• The Patient's Association - publications

Mental health patients are being 'detained in all but name'

Mental health patients are being 'detained in all but name': The Care Quality Commission finds mental health patients denied information, and staff inadequately trained.
More people are being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and too many of those detained are subjected to unnecessary restrictions and get too little help to recover, the NHS watchdog reports today.

'We need to change the culture in the NHS'

'We need to change the culture in the NHS': Ahead of next week's Mid Staffs report, three people explain how patient safety and care could be improved.

Quality of care is an issue we all need to face up to

Quality of care is an issue we all need to face up to:  In an open letter to all NHS practitioners, the chief executive of the Foundation Trust Network outlines the challenges the NHS must tackle following the imminent Francis report.

Contraceptive cuts 'will result in 126,000 more abortions by 2020'

Contraceptive cuts 'will result in 126,000 more abortions by 2020': Cuts to contraceptive services will result in 126,000 more abortions between now and 2020, say family planning groups who argue the "short-sighted restrictions" will cost billions in the long run. The Daily Telegraph

Stiff upper lip 'ups cancer risk'

Stiff upper lip 'ups cancer risk': It might have helped the Victorians build an empire, but having a stiff upper lip could be putting Britons in mortal danger from cancer, researchers claim. The Independent

See also:

• British 'stiff upper lip' stopping patients discussing possible cancer symptoms The Daily Telegraph

EMAS make deal with unions to help staff learning

EMAS make deal with unions to help staff learning: Ambulance bosses and unions have signed a joint learning agreement designed to support staff in developing their skills. Evening Telgraph

Departmental Overview: A summary of the NAO's work on the Department of Health 2011-12

Departmental Overview: A summary of the NAO's work on the Department of Health 2011-12: This Departmental Overview is one of 17 we are producing covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on the Department of Health during 2011-12. National Audit Office

Mobile app connects GPs with specialist services

Mobile app connects GPs with specialist services: A foundation trust has developed an iPhone app to connect GPs to clinics, consultants and specialist services. GP Online

Report on hospice care in the UK

Report on hospice care in the UK: Current and Future Needs for Hospice Care is part of a series commissioned to give strategic direction to providers of hospice care in the UK for the next 10 to 15 years.
The report presents the current evidence on preferences for place of care and place of death in the UK. It shows that most people would prefer to die at home, but also that there is a substantial proportion who would prefer to die in hospices or palliative care units, particularly among older people. National End of Life Care Programme

Window restrictors alert published

Window restrictors alert published: This alert is regarding window restrictors that may be inadequate in preventing a determined effort to force a window open beyond the 100mm restriction. An incident has occurred in which a patient died following a fall from a second floor hospital window.

• all healthcare organisations should review the guidance on window restrictors contained in Heath Technical Memorandum HTM 55 Windows, NHS Estates, Mar 98 (2nd edition) available at http://www.spaceforhealth.nhs.uk. (Note: This HTM has been archived)
• where problems are identified, a programme to repair or replace damaged restrictors should be put in place.

Read the estates and facilities alert EFA/2013/002 issued on 23 January 2013. Department of Health

Mass cancer mapping centre opens

Mass cancer mapping centre opens: The devastating changes that turn healthy tissue into cancer are to be investigated in the biggest centre of its kind in the NHS. BBC News

VIDEO: Surgeons urge new guidelines on botox

VIDEO: Surgeons urge new guidelines on botox: Only trained doctors, nurses and dentists should provide non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as Botox, according to the Royal College of Surgeons. BBC News

GPSoC delayed

GPSoC delayed: The new national contract for GP clinical systems has been delayed until the end of the year. E-Health Insider

Is Hunt's dream possible?

Is Hunt's dream possible?: Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has just announced he wants the NHS to become the "most digital health service in the world." E-Health Insider

The Newest Edition of Psychiatry?s ?Bible,? the DSM-5, Is Complete - Scientific American

The Newest Edition of Psychiatry?s ?Bible,? the DSM-5, Is Complete - Scientific American:

Scientific American

The Newest Edition of Psychiatry?s ?Bible,? the DSM-5, Is Complete Scientific American For more than 11 years, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has been laboring to revise the current version of its best-selling guidebook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (see "Psychiatry's Bible Gets an Overhaul ...

How CCGs can commission to support those in poor housing

How CCGs can commission to support those in poor housing: The statutory duty of CCGs to consider integration of health related services may impact the provision of housing.
From 1 April 2013, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts will be abolished and replaced by the NHS commissioning board and about 200 clinical commissioning groups.
What do these reforms mean for registered providers who currently provide or have an interest in providing housing to those with significant care needs or in poor health?

Royal College of Surgeons calls for end to 'casual' cosmetic treatments

Royal College of Surgeons calls for end to 'casual' cosmetic treatments: New guidelines say only fully qualified doctors with surgical training should carry out procedures on medical premises.

Tax sugary drinks to improve health: leading organisations

Tax sugary drinks to improve health: leading organisations: Campaigners are calling for sugary drinks to be taxed, adding up to 20p a litre to their price, in order to improve children's health. The Daily Telegraph

Cynthia Spencer Hospice plans Sahara challenge

Cynthia Spencer Hospice plans Sahara challenge:
If trekking through the Sahara desert sounds like the trip of a lifetime to you, then a Northampton hospice could make it a reality. Chronicle and Echo

Three CCGs issued with legal directions - Health Service Journal

Three CCGs issued with legal directions - Health Service Journal:

Three CCGs issued with legal directions Health Service Journal The commissioning board will oversee Nene's contracting with Northampton General Hospital Trust and sign off its contract. Medway CCG's financial plan will be “oversee[n] and supervise[d]” by the commissioning board. Herts Valleys CCG must seek the ... and more »

Developing Clinical Senates: The Way Forward

Developing Clinical Senates: The Way Forward:
Today the NHS Commissioning Board has published the Way Forward: Clinical Senates. Clinical Senates will be established across the country from April 2013 to play a unique role in the commissioning system by providing strategic clinical advice and leadership across a broad geographical area to clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), health and wellbeing boards (HWB) and the NHS Commissioning Board.
Clinical Senates will span professions and include representatives of patients, volunteers and other groups. They will work with Strategic Clinical Networks, Academic Health Science Networks, Local Education and Training Boards and research networks to develop an alignment of these organisations to support improvements in quality.
You can find more information in our Resources for Networks and Senates area and the supporting document Clinical Senates update (January 2013). NHS Commissioning

Mental Capacity and Dementia: a review part 1

Mental Capacity and Dementia: a review part 1: This review examines the impact of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 on the lives of people with dementia and those who provide them with care. The review presents evidence of good practice and recommendations for improvement. Three large studies have been undertaken. These indicated limited understanding of the act among staff members , they revealed the importance of raising awareness exploring decision making and community settings. Authors of early literature called on practitioners to be aware of their duties with regard to the act. Training is available but not mandatory and there may now be a need for refresher training. There is much evidence that this act has helped practice due to the clarification of principles and courses of action. CASH Full News Feed

We need to future proof our health and care system, says Paul Burstow MP

We need to future proof our health and care system, says Paul Burstow MP: In recent months, the media has rightly focused on Dilnot’s proposals for how we reform the way we pay for care. But alongside those reports, the nagging problem of the under-funding of social care more generally has been bubbling away in the background. According to a recent report from London Councils, there will be a … Continue reading » NHS Voices

NICE publish new evidence summary on harmful drinking and alcohol dependence

NICE publish new evidence summary on harmful drinking and alcohol dependence: NICE have published a new evidence summary (PDF) on the problems associated with alcohol misuse, which augments the clinical guideline (PDF) that came out 2 years ago. This is a fast moving area, so quite a significant amount of research has been produced in the last 2 years, which may have an impact on clinical [read the full story...] Mental Elf

Value walks: successful habits for improving workforce motivation and productivity

Value walks: successful habits for improving workforce motivation and productivity:
This report argues that insufficient attention is being paid to the changing relationship between clinicians and their patients. It argues that although improving payment systems, purchasing procedures and governance remains important, better health outcomes for patients will only be achieved if hospitals focus on their staff, pay attention to the way clinicians are able to interact with patients and improve the time they can spend on patient care.

• Report
• Background report
• KPMG - news

Kings Fund Information and Library Service

Lack of international agreement on drinking guidelines, study finds

Lack of international agreement on drinking guidelines, study finds:

British researchers express surprise at wide variation in advice relating to safe amounts of alcohol consumption
Little agreement exists between countries on what is considered safe or sensible alcohol consumption, a comparison of drinking guidelines by British researchers has found.
Psychologists from the University of Sussex looked at government advice on drinking in 57 countries, including all 27 EU member states.Dr Richard de Visser and Nina Furtwangler found a "remarkable lack of agreement" about what constitutes harmful or excessive alcohol consumption on a daily and weekly basis, as well as when driving.
The study, which is published this month in Drug and Alcohol Review found there was also no consensus on whether it was safe for women to drink as much as men. De Visser said: "We were surprised at the wide variation in guidelines. There is no international agreement about whether women should drink as much as men or only half as much.
"In some countries, the weekly maximum is simply seven times the daily maximum, whereas in others there is an explicit statement that drinkers should have at least one alcohol-free day a week."
Calls have now been made for internationally agreed standard definitions of alcohol units and consumption guidelines to help people drink responsibly.
"Agreed guidelines would be useful for international efforts to reduce alcohol-related harm by increasing people's capacity to monitor and regulate their alcohol consumption." Guardian Health News

England's biggest mental health dataset to go monthly

England's biggest mental health dataset to go monthly: January 25, 2013: Consultation feedback shapes future development of MHMDS analysis. IC QOF

Free NHS winter warmth packs at Northamptonshire events - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Free NHS winter warmth packs at Northamptonshire events - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Free NHS winter warmth packs at Northamptonshire events Northampton Chronicle & Echo NHS Northamptonshire is 'spreading the warmth' at events around the county by giving advice and practical tips on how to keep warm as part of their 'Wrapped Up' campaign. The outreach team will be giving out winter packs to those who may be vulnerable ...

The King's Fund responds to Andy Burnham's speech launching the Labour Party's health and care policy review

The King's Fund responds to Andy Burnham's speech launching the Labour Party's health and care policy review: Responding to the Shadow Secretary of State's speech launching the Labour Party's health and care policy review, Chris Ham, Chief Executive of The King's Fund, said:

'Andy Burnham's diagnosis of why the NHS and social care needs to change is the right one. The demands of an ageing population, changing burden of disease and rising patient expectations mean that fundamental change is needed.
'His prescription for change is ambitious and his vision of delivering integrated care, co-ordinated around the needs of the individual, will be widely welcomed. But it leaves a number of unanswered questions, not least how plans as radical as these could be implemented while keeping his promise not to embark on further structural change.
'We have argued that it is time to think differently about how to respond to the future challenges facing the NHS and social care. Andy Burnham has responded to the challenge to think differently, but the ideas he has articulated today leave many questions unanswered.' Kings Fund

Direct Commissioning: planning guidance document published

Direct Commissioning: planning guidance document published:
The NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) has today published a document which supports the planning for Direct Commissioning responsibilities for 2013/14.
Supporting planning for 2013/14 for Direct Commissioning follows the publication of Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013/14 which outlined the incentives and levers that will be used to improve services from April 2013 – the first year of the new NHS, where improvements and outcomes are delivered through existing and new commissioning routes.
The new document describes the processes that will be used to support planning for the next financial year.  It aims to support the NHS Commissioning Board’s national, regional and area teams to ensure that every plan is as strong as it can be, by designing an approach that achieves national consistency and improves quality and equity of access to services. This should be in the context of local priorities and in conjunction with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and local Health and Wellbeing Boards. NHS Commissioning

Mobile Health Worker Project

Mobile Health Worker Project: This study aimed to better understand the requirements of mobile working. The final report examines 11 NHS pilot sites and outlines the benefits of mobile technology for health staff and patients. Findings include: greater productivity; an increase in available time for patient contact; less unnecessary journeys as well as time spent travelling; and significant reductions in data duplication. CASH Full News

NICE publish first guideline for psychosis and schizophrenia in children and young people

NICE publish first guideline for psychosis and schizophrenia in children and young people: Everyone who read the extracts from Michael Schofield’s memoir, published by the Guardian on January 19th, must surely have been moved by the sometimes harrowing description of his daughter Janni who was diagnosed with child-onset schizophrenia aged just 7 years old. Janni is an exception, as schizophrenia generally starts between the ages of 15 and [read the full story...] Mental Elf

Methods for the estimation of the NICE cost effectiveness threshold

Methods for the estimation of the NICE cost effectiveness threshold:
This study aimed to develop methods to estimate the NICE cost-effectiveness threshold making use of routinely available data. The methods used in this study provide an empirically-based and explicit
quantification of the scale of opportunity costs the NHS faces when considering whether the health benefits associated with new technologies are expected to offset the health that is likely to be forgone elsewhere in the NHS.
Research paper
Kings Fund

Homeopathy should not be available on the NHS

Homeopathy should not be available on the NHS:
Chief medical officer Professor Dame Sally Davies has criticised homeopathy as being “rubbish”, describing practitioners as “peddlers”.
She said she was “perpetually surprised” homeopathy was still available on the NHS and raised concerns that homeopaths can prescribe pills and potions to treat malaria and other illnesses. Her views, which conflict with policy of the heath service, were expressed as s...Healthcare Today

Prostate cancer trebled in 30 years

Prostate cancer trebled in 30 years:
Cancer Research UK has released figures which suggest that boys born in 2015 will be almost three times as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point as those born in 1990.
The charity has suggested that the increased use of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, which picks up a wide variety of prostate cancers, and the ageing population are key factors in explaining the increase with 41,000 me...Healthcare Today

NHS drug decisions 'flawed'

NHS drug decisions 'flawed':

The Government’s drugs watchdog has hit back at criticism by European researchers over the system it utilises to recommend which medicines should be funded for NHS use.A study, funded by the European Commission, said the system applied by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) was flawed and should be scrapped.NICE, however, responded by saying the measure it uses for ass... Healthcare Today

System used to decide whether drugs are cost-effective for NHS 'is flawed'

System used to decide whether drugs are cost-effective for NHS 'is flawed': The formula used to decide whether NHS patients can have access to costly drug treatments is flawed and should be scrapped, according to a European Commission-funded study. Daily Telegraph

Extra baby unit planned at Northampton General Hospital - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Extra baby unit planned at Northampton General Hospital - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Extra baby unit planned at Northampton General Hospital Northampton Chronicle & Echo NGH has been awarded �480,000 for a midwife-led unit. By John Harrison Published on Thursday 24 January 2013 07:00. Northampton General Hospital has been awarded £480,000 to improve maternity services, the Government will announce today. and more »

Revalidation: opportunity or challenge?

Revalidation: opportunity or challenge?: On 3 December 2012 the UK was the first nation, and the General Medical Council (GMC) the first regulatory body, to implement large-scale changes to the regulation of its medical workforce. By April 2016 it is expected that the ‘vast majority’ of the UK’s 220,000 doctors would have undertaken revalidation – the process by which licensed doctors will demonstrate that they are up to date and fit to practise. Revalidation has been a popular topic in our leadership work with medical directors, GPs and consultants, having presented both opportunities and challenges. So what have we learnt so far?

Information overload: tackling bureaucracy in the NHS

Information overload: tackling bureaucracy in the NHS: The NHS Confederation has for many years emphasised the need to tackle the bureaucratic burden in the NHS.

'Blacklist' of failed NHS managers planned

'Blacklist' of failed NHS managers planned:
NHS managers who are deemed as having presided over failure in the NHS could be blacklisted.
Government ministers are considering the option of placing senior health officials who significantly under-perform on such a list in a move that would effectively see them prevented from working in the health service in the future.
HSJ has reported that the option is one of a range of suggestions being considere... Healthcare Today

New meningitis B vaccine approved for UK use

New meningitis B vaccine approved for UK use:

Much of the media are reporting the news that a new meningitis B vaccine called Bexsero has been licensed by the European Commission. This means the vaccine should soon be available for use in the UK.

A fat lot of good that will do: minister loses health argument by stereotyping the poor

A fat lot of good that will do: minister loses health argument by stereotyping the poor:
Anna Soubry may have thought she was making an innocent observation about the nature of society when she declared that she could recognise the poor because they were fat. The Independent

See also:

• We used to describe poor children as 'skinny runts' - now it's the opposite: Minister says deprived families are more likely to be obese The Independent
• Are the poor kids really the fat ones? BBC News
• Poor kids 'more likely to be obese': BBC News

Private health contractor's staff told to cut 999 calls to meet targets

Private health contractor's staff told to cut 999 calls to meet targets:  Leaked email from Serco managers tells workers to manipulate computer system to 'stop the clock' on emergency calls
Call handlers staffing an out-of-hours GP service run by the private contractor Serco have been told to make new checks before calling 999 when they receive what appear to be emergency cases in order to cut down the number of referrals they make to the ambulance service.

NHS maternity units to share £25m fund to improve childbirth experience

NHS maternity units to share £25m fund to improve childbirth experience: More than 100 hospitals in England will share money to modernise maternity units in midst of ongoing baby boom.

NHS maternity units will get new birthing pools, more family rooms so dads can sleep over and extra midwife-led units after winning slices of a £25m fund to improve women's experiences of childbirth.
More than 100 hospitals in England will share the £25m, which will modernise maternity units and help the NHS cope with an ongoing decade-long baby boom during which births have been at their highest rate for 40 years.

Have NHS managers got the right skills?

Have NHS managers got the right skills?: With three CCGs recently warned, healthcare leaders must be able to engage staff and patients if they are to deliver change
Managers in both acute trusts and clinical commissioning groups have been scrutinised by the NHS leadership in the last few days and found wanting.

Homeopathy is 'rubbish', says chief medical officer

Homeopathy is 'rubbish', says chief medical officer: Homeopathic remedies are "rubbish" and do not serve as anything more than placebos, England's chief medical officer has claimed. The Daily Telegraph

Monday mornings see double the average number of A&E attendances in England

Monday mornings see double the average number of A&E attendances in England: January 23, 2013: English A&E departments see the most attendances on a Monday morning - dealing with double the hourly average - new figures suggest. NHS Information Centre

Gaining Ground: Care Management Programs to Reduce Hospital Admissions and Readmissions Among Chronically Ill and Vulnerable Patients

Gaining Ground: Care Management Programs to Reduce Hospital Admissions and Readmissions Among Chronically Ill and Vulnerable Patients: Preventable hospital admissions and readmissions are indicators of health system fragmentation associated with suboptimal patient outcomes and avoidable costs of care. This synthesis report looks at three case studies that illustrate the potential of care management programs to address this problem by improving care coordination and transitions among high-risk patients. The Commonwealth Fund

Health Inequalities & People with Learning Disabilities in the UK: 2012

Health Inequalities & People with Learning Disabilities in the UK: 2012: This annual report summarises the latest evidence about the extent, nature and determinants of health inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities in the UK.  Each year the report includes a more detailed look at evidence related to particular groups of people with learning disabilities, this year the focus is on challenging behaviour. Learning Disabilities Observatory

MPs in call for ambulance review

MPs in call for ambulance review: The government has demanded an urgent review of Northamptonshire's NHS ambulance service after MPs highlighted long waiting times. BBC Northampton

Tool to measure diabetes outcomes and costs

Tool to measure diabetes outcomes and costs: The diabetes outcomes and expenditure tool allows users to compare expenditure on diabetes care with clinical outcomes for a selected CCG, other CCGs with similar populations and all other CCGs. Spending on diabetes care can be compared to a number of outcomes at CCG level. York & Humber Public Health Observatory 

67 new clinical commissioning groups given green light to take control of NHS budgets

67 new clinical commissioning groups given green light to take control of NHS budgets:
NHS Commissioning Board authorises second wave of clinical commissioning groups, taking total to 101, serving more than 28 million people.

Prostate cancer risk 'has trebled'

Prostate cancer risk 'has trebled': Prostate cancer risk has risen to such a degree that one in every seven boys will develop it, figures suggest. BBC News

CQC registration completed for 80% of GPs

CQC registration completed for 80% of GPs: Over 80% of GP practices in England have successfully completed CQC registration, but two face closure after being told their applications could be rejected. GP Online

Flu hits children and elderly in US

Flu hits children and elderly in US:

This season's influenza outbreak in the United States has resulted in more child deaths than in previous years, and resulted in more elderly people being hospitalised.While the rate of infection in some areas appears to have peaked, death rates and hospitalisation rates are still on the rise.According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all but two states have reported widespread ... Healthcare Today

Long-term aspirin use 'increases blindness risk'

Long-term aspirin use 'increases blindness risk': The Daily Telegraph reports that using aspirin regularly could triple the risk of developing one of the commonest forms of blindness; “wet” age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – which causes progressive loss of central vision.

Doctor and nurse shortages on wards 'behind thousands of deaths a year'

Doctor and nurse shortages on wards 'behind thousands of deaths a year': Shortages of doctors and nurses on hospital wards are likely to be responsible for thousands of deaths a year, a new study has suggested. The Daily Telegraph

Hospital faces fines because it is 'too popular'

Hospital faces fines because it is 'too popular': One of Britain's best hospitals is facing fines of more than £500,000 a month from April because it is too popular. The Independent

Cancer diagnosis delays 'kill 500 a year'

Cancer diagnosis delays 'kill 500 a year': Delays in diagnosing women with ovarian cancer are costing 500 lives a year, a charity claims today. The Independent

Suicide rates among men rise to ten-year high

Suicide rates among men rise to ten-year high: The number of suicides in the UK rose "significantly" in 2011, official figures revealed today, with the rate of men taking their own lives reaching its highest level for nearly a decade. The Independent

See also:

• Alarm at rise in UK suicide rate The Guardian
• 'Significant' rise in UK suicides BBC News

Ice warning for Northamptonshire

Ice warning for Northamptonshire: Light snow is predicted for the county and the Met Office is warning of icy conditions on the roads. BBC News

Time to Change - national mental health campaign launched

Time to Change - national mental health campaign launched: A new national campaign has been launched to encourage people to talk about their mental health problems. Mental health problems affect one in four of us but nearly nine out of ten people who... Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Icy weather increases pressure on ambulance crews

Icy weather increases pressure on ambulance crews: Ambulance bosses say the recent freezing conditions mean East Midlands Ambulance Service crews have dealt with 900 more calls than during the same period last year. Evening Telegraph

Shifting care closer to home: slogan or solution?

Shifting care closer to home: slogan or solution?: As The King's Fund argued in Transforming the delivery of health and social care: the case for fundamental change, any discussion about developing new models of care must focus on shifting care closer to home. However, there is a danger of 'shifting care closer to home' becoming just a slogan and consequently not being examined sufficiently. It is not a step forward to relocate an activity that should really be stopped or redesigned, or to move care closer to home when this is less convenient for the patient or leads to a reduction in the quality of care.

VIDEO: Will telehealth improve NHS care?

VIDEO: Will telehealth improve NHS care?: A major challenge facing the NHS is how to care for people with long-term illnesses, so could telehealth be the answer? BBC News

VIDEO: Birth rate boom 'a strain on NHS'

VIDEO: Birth rate boom 'a strain on NHS': England is seeing a massive increase in its birth rate which is putting a strain on the NHS, midwives warn. BBC News

Shenley Hospital: Life under observation

Shenley Hospital: Life under observation: The hospital that wasn't afraid to try strange new treatments BBC News

The revolution will be digitised

The revolution will be digitised: The NHS Commissioning Board's director of patients and information argues that digital is the biggest single answer to the productivity, quality and efficiency challenges faced by the NHS. E-Health Insider

Fitness for work: the Government response to ‘Health at work – an independent review of sickness absence’

Fitness for work: the Government response to ‘Health at work – an independent review of sickness absence’: This publication outlines the Government's response to the independent review of the sickness absence system. It highlights the support that healthcare professionals and GPs in particular, require in helping individuals back to work. It supports the recommendations of the review that fit note guidance is in need of revision and GP knowledge and awareness of the benefit system requires improvement.

• Government response
• Original review
• DWP - press release

The other care crisis: making social care funding work or disabled adults in England

The other care crisis: making social care funding work or disabled adults in England: This report highlights the improvements needed in adult social care for disabled people, with a £1.2 billion funding gap for social care
support for disabled people under 65 being revealed. It aims to add to the ongoing debate surrounding the funding of adult social care in England and urges the Government to address the funding gap.

• Report 
• Scope - news

Child asthma hospital admissions fell after smoking ban, study shows

Child asthma hospital admissions fell after smoking ban, study shows: Admissions fell by 12.3% in first year and more than 3% in each of the next two years, according to analysis of NHS figures
The number of children admitted to hospital after serious asthma attacks has fallen steeply in England since smoking was banned in public places such as bars, restaurants and offices.

Sir Ian Kennedy: Patients at risk from Mid-Staffs care failings across NHS

Sir Ian Kennedy: Patients at risk from Mid-Staffs care failings across NHS: Patients are being put at risk across the NHS by the same kind of poor care uncovered at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust, yet the new health care regulator is not equipped to identify the failings, an expert has said. The Daily Telegraph

Interactive calculator: do you win or lose with the new BMI?

Interactive calculator: do you win or lose with the new BMI?: Researchers at Oxford University have updated the body mass index with a new formula that they say more accurately estimates body fat. Use the interactive tool to see how your BMI is different under their proposal for a new system. The Daily Telegraph

Debbie Thomason sues Northampton Hospital over late diagnosis - BBC News

Debbie Thomason sues Northampton Hospital over late diagnosis - BBC News:

BBC News

Debbie Thomason sues Northampton Hospital over late diagnosis BBC News Debbie Thomason was taken to Northampton General Hospital in May 2011 in "excruciating pain" after she had sneezed. Her lawyers say the hospital failed to diagnose cauda equina syndrome, a spine condition, and operate before it was "too late to prevent ...

VIDEO: NHS reform to improve standards?

VIDEO: NHS reform to improve standards?: The NHS is about to undergo its biggest overhaul since its creation 65 years ago, but what will the government's changes mean for patients? BBC News

Why bed sores matter more than reforms

Why bed sores matter more than reforms: What they tell us about the state of the NHS BBC News

Integration is about patient benefits, not organisational processes, says Don Redding

Integration is about patient benefits, not organisational processes, says Don Redding: Last year, when the NHS Confederation asked you, its members, what major changes were required to meet future challenges, the vast majority of you (77 per cent) cited the integration of care – more than any other change. With rapidly decreasing budgets, local authorities and health and wellbeing boards too are acutely aware of the … Continue reading » NHS Voices

Medical management of people who use illegal drugs: new report from the BMA

Medical management of people who use illegal drugs: new report from the BMA: There has been a great deal of debate about illicit drugs in recent weeks. Just before Christmas, we had the House Affairs Committee report, which highlighted the downward trend in recorded drug use over recent years. Earlier this week the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Drug Policy Reform published their report on legal highs, which recommended a [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

The future of health and social care timeline

The future of health and social care timeline: This timeline picks out some of the key trends - from changes in
population make-up to advances in technology - that will affect how health and social care is delivered over the next 20 years.

• Interactive presentation
• The King's Fund - Time To Think Differently

Nationwide review of A&E

Nationwide review of A&E:
A review of A&E services across the NHS is set to take place.
With concerns over a “fragmented” service and rising patient numbers, the NHS medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh has announced he will lead a review of the model of urgent and services.
Senior medical professionals fear the level of care – particularly at nights and weekends – is becoming unsafe and one way to address this... Healthcare Today

Hospital pays £1,800 a day for a nurse in NHS staff crisis

Hospital pays £1,800 a day for a nurse in NHS staff crisis: NHS hospitals are hiring agency nurses at rates of up £1,800 a day in a bid to plug dangerous staff shortages, an investigation has found. The Daily Telegraph

British baby boom pushing maternity wards to 'tipping point'

British baby boom pushing maternity wards to 'tipping point': A baby boom has pushed maternity services in the UK to a ''crucial tipping point'', with midwives under intense strain and hospitals struggling to cope. Daily Telegraph

Jeremy Hunt warns of 'bits of Stafford' across the NHS

Jeremy Hunt warns of 'bits of Stafford' across the NHS: Medical failures that saw up to 1,200 patients die needlessly at Stafford hospital are occuring throughout the NHS, Jeremy Hunt has warned. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Cases of neglect exist across NHS, says Jeremy Hunt The Guardian

Cabinet at war as ministers fight local hospital closures

Cabinet at war as ministers fight local hospital closures: Senior cabinet ministers have come out against plans to close hospital wards in their constituencies, in an apparent challenge to Department of Health plans to rationalise the NHS. The Independent

NHS chief: Hospitals are bad for old people's health

NHS chief: Hospitals are bad for old people's health:
Hospitals are "very bad places" to care for frail, elderly patients and new ways must be found to treat them in the community, the new independent head of the NHS has warned. The Independent

Snow warning for Northamptonshire

Snow warning for Northamptonshire: The Met Office warns there could be significant snowfall in Northamptonshire and advises people to prepare for disruption. BBC Northamptonshire

See our Netvibes page for local travel, traffic and weather information.

Ambulance service misses callout targets

Ambulance service misses callout targets: New figures show that ambulances fail to reach a third of the most serious emergencies within the target time. Evening Telegraph

Boss of Northampton hospital questions mental health spending

Boss of Northampton hospital questions mental health spending: The chief executive of St Andrew’s Healthcare, which runs St Andrew’s Hospital in Northampton has questioned MPs about broken pledges on Government spending. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Will 2013 be the year of meaningful public engagement with service change?

Will 2013 be the year of meaningful public engagement with service change?: The Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) is the latest to join the growing chorus of medical colleges calling for change in hospital services with RCS President Professor Williams’s statement launching their new report: ‘2013 needs to be the year patients, politicians, clinicians and managers come together to support historic change in the NHS and create a lasting legacy for all of our population.’

Communicating efficiently or safely?

Communicating efficiently or safely?: Cultures of high-reliability are built from the deep assumptions and default positions we collectively bring to our work. We need to get better at noticing and circulating the small moments and striking stories that help us improve our most basic assumptions as well as our basic practices, says Carl Macrae. The Health Foundation

Phone apps 'delay skin diagnosis'

Phone apps 'delay skin diagnosis': People relying on smartphone applications to decide whether their moles are cancer could be putting themselves at risk of misdiagnosis. BBC News

Exclusive: CCGs can save £750m on tests

Exclusive: CCGs can save £750m on tests: Huge variation in the cost of pathology tests in England is wasting millions of pounds in NHS funding and could put unfair pressure on GPs, official figures suggest. GP Online

Hunt?s plan for austerITy

Hunt?s plan for austerITy: The right-wing think-tank Policy Exchange holds events in what it calls an 'ideas space'. The name conjures up the plush, free-wheeling, bare-foot wonk-ing that was so mercilessly pilloried by the last series of 'The Thick of It.' E-Health Insider

Nearly half of the young people who present to hospital with self-harm are not given essential psychosocial evaluations

Nearly half of the young people who present to hospital with self-harm are not given essential psychosocial evaluations: Last September I blogged about a cohort study in the Lancet that highlighted the links between self-harm and poor physical health. This same dataset (drawn from over 30,000 patients from 6 hospitals in Oxford, Manchester and Derby from 2000-7) has now spawned a longitudinal study published in the European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry journal. This [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

Is it possible for children to 'grow out' of autism?

Is it possible for children to 'grow out' of autism?: "Children can 'grow out of' autism, psychologists say, challenging the established view that autism is a permanent, incurable condition," The Independent has reported.

Trainee nurses should be selected on compassion to avoid repeat of Mid-Staffs scandal: expert

Trainee nurses should be selected on compassion to avoid repeat of Mid-Staffs scandal: expert: Trainee nurses should be assessed for compassion and kindness before being taken on to courses, expert says. The Daily Telegraph

NHS opens door on widespread A&E closures

NHS opens door on widespread A&E closures: The medical director of the NHS is to open the door on a nationwide programme of A&E closures, by launching a review of the "fragmented" service the network provides. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS blueprint to shake up emergency care provisions, says director The Guardian

The NHS's troubled relationship with technology

The NHS's troubled relationship with technology: Why has IT proved such a thorny issue for NHS? BBC News

VIDEO: Disabled people 'missing basic needs'

VIDEO: Disabled people 'missing basic needs': A report from five leading charities says that more than a third of people with disabilities aren't getting enough support with basic needs. BBC News

HR and social media in the NHS - new briefing published

HR and social media in the NHS - new briefing published: We have published guidance to help the NHS realise the benefits of social media and implement a more permissive approach to its use. NHS Employers

Commitment to safeguard medical graduate jobs

Commitment to safeguard medical graduate jobs:

Government makes pledge on foundation programme Related items from OnMedica Payments for NHS training come under fire New doctors ‘poorly prepared’ in acute care Young doctors call for urgent medical workforce review NHS will reach ‘breaking point’ Consultant-delivered care will help junior training

A review of the potential benefits from the better use of information and technology in health and social care

A review of the potential benefits from the better use of information and technology in health and social care: This study, commissioned by the Department of Health from PriceWaterhouse Coopers, found that measures such as text messages for communicating negative test results, electronic prescribing and electronic patient records could improve care, allow health professionals to spend more time with patients, and save billions of pounds. It cites examples of good practice from across the UK, and estimates that £4.4 billion per year could be reinvested in improving care by making similar use of information and technology. 

• Report
• Department of Health - news

Call for limit on sleeping pill prescriptions

Call for limit on sleeping pill prescriptions: Doctor have been warned to only issue prescriptions of sleeping pills and tranquillisers in exceptional circumstances.
The move has been led by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and 17 other organisations including the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Department of Health, which together produced the consensus statement, recognising that su... Healthcare Today

A bigger say in the NHS for patients

A bigger say in the NHS for patients: Greater patient involvement in the health service could lead to better quality care and more efficiency savings.

Scandal-ridden NHS trust to be broken up

Scandal-ridden NHS trust to be broken up: The NHS trust at the centre of the worst health service scandal in more than a decade has no future, an NHS regulator has concluded.The Independent

Benefits of technology shown in mobile health worker project

Benefits of technology shown in mobile health worker project: The benefits of mobile technology for health staff and patients are outlined today in the final report of the mobile health worker project, a study on introducing mobile devices at 11 NHS pilot sites.

GP's long-term conditions scheme saves £2,000 per patient

GP's long-term conditions scheme saves £2,000 per patient: A GP-led care programme that aims to reduce hospital admissions for patients with long-term conditions could save the NHS hundreds of thousands of pounds. GP Online

'Grave concerns' over new GP data set

'Grave concerns' over new GP data set: GPs and privacy experts have "grave concerns" about an extensive new data set to be extracted from GP practices. E-Health Insider

SMEs 'enthusiastic' for app directory

SMEs 'enthusiastic' for app directory: Healthcare app developers are excited about the NHS Commissioning Board's new online apps directory, which is now live.E-Health Insider

Updated staff engagement toolkit now available

Updated staff engagement toolkit now available: Our popular online toolkit Engaging your staff: the NHS staff engagement resource has been updated with ten new case study examples and revised text in key sections. NHS Employers

Spirituality and ageing: implications for the care and support of older people

Spirituality and ageing: implications for the care and support of older people: This report examines how person-centred care can be achieved by addressing the spiritual needs of older people. 

• Report
• IRISS - publications

Flu stretching hospitals in US

Flu stretching hospitals in US: Healthcare services and drug supplies are being stretched to the limit in the United States as the authorities warn this year's flu season is severe.Official figures indicate that influenza is now "widespread" in 41 states, with high numbers of cases reported in New York, where state governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a public health...  Healthcare Today

Going paperless 'would save NHS billions' - BBC News

Going paperless 'would save NHS billions' - BBC News:

BBC News

Going paperless 'would save NHS billions' BBC News ... long in the offing. It was Mr Hunt's predecessor Andrew Lansley who first pledged in 2010 to start an information revolution to ensure patients could use the web to report their experiences, rate NHS organisations and access their records so there ... Hunt: Paperless NHS in five yearsWalesOnline Jeremy Hunt attacks the NHS again. Why criticising the health service is both ...Telegraph.co.uk (blog) Hunt: NHS 'should go' paperless by 2018Health Service Journal The Guardian -TopNews United States -Daily Mail all 166 news articles »

NHS regulator rules out tax exemptions for private health firms

NHS regulator rules out tax exemptions for private health firms: Monitor responds to critics by confirming recommendations on tax exemption will not be part of NHS competition review.

Reform of system for approving NHS drugs taking too long, say MPs

Reform of system for approving NHS drugs taking too long, say MPs: Health committee criticises lack of progress two years after consultation document on subject was published.
Government proposals to change the system for approval of drugs that can be used in the NHS are still in a "nebulous" state and taking an unacceptably long time to be worked out, say MPs.

Why NHS funding needs a total rethink

Why NHS funding needs a total rethink: The health service no longer offers cradle to grave care, which is free at the point of use. It needs a new financial model.

NHS admits widespread restrictions on cataract surgery

NHS admits widespread restrictions on cataract surgery: Sight-saving cataract operations are being restricted across about half of England, the medical director of the NHS has admitted. The Daily Telegraph

Doctors are refusing to carry out 'pointless' tests for dementia, warns Jeremy Hunt

Doctors are refusing to carry out 'pointless' tests for dementia, warns Jeremy Hunt: Doctors are refusing to carry out tests for dementia as they believe it is pointless as there is no effective cure available, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.The Independent

HPA update on seasonal norovirus activity: 15 January 2013

HPA update on seasonal norovirus activity: 15 January 2013: Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show there have been 4,407 laboratory confirmed cases of norovirus this season (from week 27 to week 01 2013). The latest figures are 56 per cent higher than the number of cases reported at this point last year, when there were 2,828 cases.

Staff levels have never put patients at risk: NGH

Staff levels have never put patients at risk: NGH: The head of nursing at Northampton General Hospital has slammed claims that inspectors had labelled the trust “dangerously understaffed”. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NGH ‘needs to test everyone for HIV virus’

NGH ‘needs to test everyone for HIV virus’: A charity has called for HIV tests for everybody admitted to Northamptonshire hospitals to tackle levels of the virus, which are double the national average. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

BMA guide to contract changes

BMA guide to contract changes: This guide looks at what the government's proposals may mean for general practice.

'Historic' breast cancer drug move

'Historic' breast cancer drug move: Women in England and Wales with a strong family history of breast cancer could be offered preventative medication on the NHS for the first time. BBC News

Uneven dementia care 'disgraceful'

Uneven dementia care 'disgraceful': There is a "disgraceful" variation in the number of people being diagnosed with dementia across the UK, according to the Alzheimer's Society. BBC News

Hepatitis C: a projection of the healthcare and economic burden in the UK

Hepatitis C: a projection of the healthcare and economic burden in the UK: This report assesses the healthcare and economic burden of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the UK. It used a cohort simulation model to estimate the prevalence of HCV infection, including the number of persons who live with HCV infection at different disease stages, and the number of deaths that can be attributed to HCV infection through to 2035. It also examines the healthcare and societal costs that are associated with HCV infection under different scenarios of diagnosis and treatment rates.

• Report
• RAND - publications

Lady Neuberger to investigate claims on care for dying patients

Lady Neuberger to investigate claims on care for dying patients: Care services minister, Norman Lamb, appoints peer to carry out review of Liverpool Care Pathway after months of denunciations.
The Liverpool Care Pathway for the dying must survive the current controversy because doctors need guidelines to help their patients at the end of life, but possibly stripped of its tainted name, said care services minister Norman Lamb.

How health and wellbeing boards will work

How health and wellbeing boards will work: As the healthcare sector gears up for April, the national director of health and wellbeing board implementation explains how he envisages the boards working.

Let's make dementia a word and not a sentence

Let's make dementia a word and not a sentence: Attitudes towards dementia need to change just as they have done towards cancer - but more swiftly, writes Jeremy Hunt. The Daily Telegraph

Liverpool Care Pathway needs name change, says Norman Lamb

Liverpool Care Pathway needs name change, says Norman Lamb: The Liverpool Care Pathway - the controversial set of clinical guidelines for those close to death - should undergo a name change, a minister has suggested.The Daily Telegraph

Widening choices for older people with high support needs

Widening choices for older people with high support needs:
Widening choices for older people with high support needs
Older people with high support needs want greater choice and control over their lives and a wider range of options. This study identifies the benefits and potential of options based on mutuality (people supporting each other) and / or reciprocity (people contributing to individual and group well-being).The study found that... read more The Joseph Rowntree Foundation