Clinicalskills.Net trial last few days

Clinicalskills.Net trial last few days:

There is still time for you to have a look at the Clinicalskills.Net package and give us your feedback. Staff in NHFT can find the details on the Hub and staff at NGH on the Street.

We really would like to know what you think to help us decided on whether we should subscribe. The trial runs until the 31st of March.

Patients warned not to use A&E unless it is an emergency - Northampton Herald and Post

Patients warned not to use A&E unless it is an emergency - Northampton Herald and Post:

Northampton Herald and Post

Patients warned not to use A&E unless it is an emergency Northampton Herald and Post Corby Urgent Care Centre is open 8am-8pm every day of the year. Willowbrook Health Complex, Cottingham Road, Corby NN17 2UR. Northampton General Hospital Minor Emergencies is open at the same time as A&E - 24 hours, 7 days a week. < Back ...

Childhood diabetes campaign launched - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Childhood diabetes campaign launched - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Childhood diabetes campaign launched Northampton Chronicle & Echo Parents are being warned to look out for the symptoms of type 1 diabetes after a significant increase in the amount of children with the condition being diagnosed at Northampton General Hospital. Latest figures show paediatric doctors at the hospital ...

Why do we need a duty of candour?

Why do we need a duty of candour?: In the light of the Government's response to the Francis Inquiry, Elaine Maxwell welcomes the commitment to introduce a statutory duty of candour but has concerns about how this will work in practice. The Health Foundation

Smoking by mentally ill 'ignored'

Smoking by mentally ill 'ignored': The NHS is not doing enough to help people with mental health conditions quit smoking, an influential group of doctors has warned. BBC News

NHS boss told of 111 line 'concerns'

NHS boss told of 111 line 'concerns': Doctors' leaders write to NHS bosses urging a delay in the launch in England of a new non-emergency telephone advice line after problems during trials. BBC News

New pay circular issued for Agenda for Change staff

New pay circular issued for Agenda for Change staff: The NHS Employers organisation has published a new pay circular and updated terms and conditions handbook for staff on Agenda for Change contracts.

Act will force CCGs into expensive tendering

Act will force CCGs into expensive tendering:

College chair says Monday will bring wholesale dismantling of the NHS Related items from OnMedica Clinical teams need more power in hospitals DH stresses importance of localism in commissioning Hunt praises GPs for ‘extraordinary dedication’ RCGP welcomes delay to boundaries pilots Collaboration vital in health reform

Health profiles for England

Health profiles for England: These profiles give an overview of health for each local authority in England to help improve local people’s health and reduce inequality. They are designed to help local government and health services understand health in their areas and discuss how to tackle issues. They highlight potential problems and opportunities by making comparisons with other areas and with the national average.

• Health profiles
• Department of Health - news

Use of the name 'NHS England' by the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB)

Use of the name 'NHS England' by the NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB): From today the NHS Commissioning Board will change its name to NHS England. The main aim of NHS England is to improve the health outcomes for people in England. It will set the overall direction and priorities for the NHS as a whole. Chairman Malcolm Grant said: “The name ‘NHS England’ gives people a greater sense of what the organisation is because it is more closely aligned to the responsibilities of the new organisation, which are to achieve real improvements for patients for every pound invested by the nation in the NHS”.

• Letter to Secretary of State from Professor Grant
• Secretary of State’s response
• NHS England - news

10 priorities for commissioners from April

10 priorities for commissioners from April: Tasks at the top of the in-tray for organisations taking control next week HSJ

New guidelines on child antisocial behaviour

New guidelines on child antisocial behaviour: BBC News is reporting that there is a new ‘Guide to help parents to spot 'problem behaviour’’, while The Daily Telegraph claims that ‘More than one million parents could be offered state-funded lessons in how to play with their children under NHS guidelines’.

Both reports are based on new guidelines, published today by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), into a condition known as conduct disorder.

NHS watchdog 'approved failing hospitals'

NHS watchdog 'approved failing hospitals': A whistleblower has accused the NHS watchdog of registering failing hospitals as safe in order to avoid exposing scandals similar to Mid Staffordshire. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• CQC ''ignored concerns about hospitals' Public Service

Care homes locking up old people to make life easier for staff

Care homes locking up old people to make life easier for staff: Care homes are routinely locking up elderly people in order to make life easier for their staff, an investigation has found. The Daily Telegraph

Regional variation in hospital admission rates for long term conditions

Regional variation in hospital admission rates for long term conditions: March 27, 2013: Hospital admission rates for patients with long term conditions differ markedly across the country, new analysis from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) shows today.

The Department of Health website has moved

The Department of Health website has moved:

The DoH is now on .GOV.UK

The Department of Health website has moved to GOV.UK.  The old web site address still works but will refer you to the new site.

However, links to DoH documents and other pages currently do not work (including those from the library catalogue), nor does there seem to be any content on the new site earlier than 2010. We'll update you when we know more about these issues.

Ambulance bosses: Plan ahead and only call if it’s an emergency

Ambulance bosses: Plan ahead and only call if it’s an emergency: Bosses at East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust are urging people to plan ahead to avoid calling out an ambulance this Easter. Evening Telegraph

Patients first and foremost: the initial Government response to the report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS foundation trust public inquiry

Patients first and foremost: the initial Government response to the report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS foundation trust public inquiry: This document details actions to ensure that patients are the first and foremost consideration of the health and care system and everyone who works in it. It outlines how a culture of compassion will be a key marker of success; hospitals and care homes will be encouraged to strive to be the best; basic values of dignity and respect will be central to care training; and if things go wrong, patients and their families will be told about it.

Access to clinical trial information and the stockpiling of Tamiflu

Access to clinical trial information and the stockpiling of Tamiflu: This study follows correspondence from a number of MPs raising questions about access to all clinical trials information for UK regulators when licensing and appraising new medicines; and the decision to stockpile Tamiflu. We will examine whether:

• regulators / NICE assure themselves that they have all clinical trials evidence when licensing and appraising new drugs to be used in the NHS
• all the clinical trials information was available to regulators when they licensed Tamiflu and when NICE undertook its technology appraisal of Tamiflu
• the NHS stockpiled Tamiflu for the treatment of avian and swine flu on the basis of clinical evidence, and on the advice of the appropriate authorities

 Email Angharad through our enquiries desk; please mark your email for her attention. National Audit Office

Updated NHS Constitution published

Updated NHS Constitution published: The Department of Health has published an updated NHS Constitution following a consultation that sought views on a number of proposed changes.

NHS emergency set-up unclear, say MPs

NHS emergency set-up unclear, say MPs: The government's NHS reforms in England mean it is "not clear who will be in charge in the event of a health emergency", MPs warn. BBC News

NHS 111 roll-out could be delayed until mid-summer

NHS 111 roll-out could be delayed until mid-summer: The introduction of NHS 111 could be delayed until the end of June across half of England, GP has learned.

Service reconfiguration case study: Better Healthcare in Bucks

Service reconfiguration case study: Better Healthcare in Bucks: This case study is part of a series designed to share good practice and lessons learned by local NHS organisations involved in major reviews of local health services. NHS Confederation

The NHS atlas of variation in healthcare for people with liver disease

The NHS atlas of variation in healthcare for people with liver disease: This atlas uses data sets in the form of maps to reveal the extent of variations in services and outcomes. It reveals widespread variation in the prevalence of risk factors for liver disease, including Hepatitis infection, obesity and alcohol abuse in emergency admissions and routine treatments and operations in the expenditure on liver disease services across the NHS.

• Atlas 
• NHS Right Care - publications

Doctors to be allowed to date former patients

Doctors to be allowed to date former patients: Doctors will be allowed to form romantic relationships with their former patients, as long as they use their "professional judgement" to decide if it is appropriate. The Daily Telegraph

Britain is worst in Europe for child deaths

Britain is worst in Europe for child deaths: 
Almost 2,000 British children a year die from “avoidable” causes because family doctors lack training in paediatric care, researchers warned yesterday. The Independent

Final decision made on Northamptonshire ambulance stations

Final decision made on Northamptonshire ambulance stations: Ambulances will be stationed at 13 points across the south of Northamptonshire, after the plans were approved by the East Midlands Ambulance Service board. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Health chiefs make final decision on county’s ambulance services Evening Telegraph
• Ambulance station plans approved BBC News

NHS service in county achieves top award - Northampton Herald and Post

NHS service in county achieves top award - Northampton Herald and Post:

Northampton Herald and Post

NHS service in county achieves top award Northampton Herald and Post The Sett, based in Duston and run by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), has been accredited by the Royal College of Psychiatry's Quality Network for Inpatient CAMHS (QNIC). QNIC aims to demonstrate and improve the quality of ...

Protection or prosecution? Learning from Denmark

Protection or prosecution? Learning from Denmark: Following the publication of the Francis report, John Illingworth looks at the Danish Patient Safety Act, which includes some key obligations, most crucially for frontline personnel to report adverse events, for hospital owners to act on the reports and for the National Board of Health to disseminate learning and advice from them. The Health Foundation

Fears over launch of NHS 111 line

Fears over launch of NHS 111 line: Doctors are questioning the safety of a new non-emergency NHS telephone advice line in England. BBC News

Nurses to first train in basic care

Nurses to first train in basic care: Nurses will have to spend time as healthcare assistants as part of a measures to be unveiled by ministers in response to the Stafford hospital inquiry. BBC News

See also:

• Mid Staffordshire NHS scandal: Government accepts that student nurses need more hands-on experience The Independent
• Nurses to train in basic care for a year The Daily Telegraph
• Nurses must spend a year on basic care The Guardian
• You're not too posh to wash a patient: Minister orders student nurses back to basics to improve compassion in NHS The Daily Mail

Life on the front line of the NHS

Life on the front line of the NHS: What is life like on the front line of the NHS? BBC News

Quality and outcomes framework guidance for 2013/14 published

Quality and outcomes framework guidance for 2013/14 published: NHS Employers, the NHS Commissioning Board and the General Practitioners Committee have jointly published the 2013/14 Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) guidance.

Dementia: scoping the role of the dementia nurse specialist in acute care

Dementia: scoping the role of the dementia nurse specialist in acute care: This report highlights the significant contribution dementia nurse specialists could make in hospital settings, based on research which found that if properly funded and trained they could reduce hospital stays for older people by one day on average, saving almost £11,000,000 a year. It recommends that there should be at least one whole-time dementia specialist nurse for every 300 hospital admissions for people with dementia.

• Report
• RCN - press release

What about the children?: joint working between adult and children's services when parents or carers have mental ill health and/or drug and alcohol problems

What about the children?: joint working between adult and children's services when parents or carers have mental ill health and/or drug and alcohol problems: This thematic inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission explored how effectively adult and children’s services worked together to ensure that children affected by their parents’ or carers’ difficulties were supported and safe. The report draws on evidence from
cases in nine local authorities and partner agencies and from the views of parents, carers, children, practitioners and managers. It calls on the government to make it a mandatory requirement for mental health services to collect data on children whose parents or carers have mental health difficulties and report on such data nationally.

• Report
• Summary
• Ofsted - publications

Will the Francis report make a difference to the NHS in the long term?

Will the Francis report make a difference to the NHS in the long term?: Those working in the sector must accept that the report alone will not be enough to stop the failings in the short term.

Jeremy Hunt: Immigrants are 'clogging up' UK hospitals

Jeremy Hunt: Immigrants are 'clogging up' UK hospitals: Immigrants who should not be entitled to free healthcare have "clogged up" hospitals across the country, forcing British people to wait longer for treatment, Jeremy Hunt has claimed. The Daily Telegraph

Give mental health same priority as physical, says Royal College of Psychiatrists

Give mental health same priority as physical, says Royal College of Psychiatrists: Mental health should be given as much priority as physical health, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has claimed, as those with severe mental illness die 15 to 20 years sooner. The Daily Telegraph

See also: Whole-Person Care: From Rhetoric to Reality – achieving parity between mental and physical health Royal College of Psychiatrists

Northants mental health unit is first in Midlands to receive Quality accreditation

Northants mental health unit is first in Midlands to receive Quality accreditation: A child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) unit in Northamptonshire has become the first in the Midlands, and only the 9th nationally, to receive a national accreditation for quality. NHFT News

Fall victim waited 75 minutes in mud and rain with broken bones for ambulance - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Fall victim waited 75 minutes in mud and rain with broken bones for ambulance - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Fall victim waited 75 minutes in mud and rain with broken bones for ambulance Northampton Chronicle & Echo Mr Harris was later taken to Northampton General Hospital for treatment. Mrs Harris said: “I am furious. He was in terrible pain. I have never known him to scream out in pain like that. It was degrading. “He was wedged between the village green and his ...

Making integrated care happen at scale and pace

Making integrated care happen at scale and pace: The authors summarise 16 steps that need to be taken to make integrated care a reality and provide examples of good practice. The paper acknowledges that changes are needed to national policy and to the regulatory and financial frameworks for local leaders to fully realise a vision of integration. The King's Fund

The rise of the community service

The rise of the community service: One of the biggest overhauls in the NHS takes place next week. What will the new system look like? BBC News

Outcome of the NHS Injury Benefit Review

Outcome of the NHS Injury Benefit Review: Support for staff who sustain an injury, disease or other health condition which is attributable to their employment. NHS Employers

A practical guide to social media in mental health practice

A practical guide to social media in mental health practice: This new 30-page guide (PDF) is a must read for any health and social care professionals who are thinking about getting more involved with social media. Twitter remains a terrifying prospect for many professionals working in health and social care, but in my experience it’s very rare for someone to actually give it a go, [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

Department of Health: progress in making NHS efficiency savings

Department of Health: progress in making NHS efficiency savings: This Public Accounts Committee report examined progress to date in making NHS efficiency savings, on the basis of evidence from the Department of Health. Conclusions drawn included the following: the Department of Health's data on reported efficiency savings is unreliable; financial pressures may be causing some hospital trusts to cut staff with damaging effects on the quality and safety of care; there are concerns over rationing of treatments; there is a need to fundamentally change the way healthcare is provided to secure the level of savings needed in the future; the public debate needs to be better informed; and that it is not currently clear who will take strategic decisions in the reformed NHS.

• Report
• Public Accounts Committee - publications

Rating providers for quality: a policy worth pursuing?

Rating providers for quality: a policy worth pursuing?: This review was commissioned by the Secretary of State for Health to examine whether ratings of provider performance should be used in health and social care. This report is the final output of the review process. It concludes that the costs and benefits in implementing a ratings system may be favourable for providers of social care and for general practices (given the potential for choice and the nature of care provided in those settings). The benefits are less certain for hospitals, given the way that ratings were designed and used in the past. It lists a number of conditions that would have to be fulfilled for any potential benefits of hospital ratings to be fully realised.

• Report
• Related blog from Jennifer Dixon
• Public attitudes to provider ratings
• Project page
• The Nuffield Trust - publications

Are benefits of telehealth care worth the cost?

Are benefits of telehealth care worth the cost?: ‘NHS remote monitoring costs more’ BBC News reports after the publication of a new study looking at the cost-effectiveness of telehealth.

Number of children taking up smoking rises 50,000 in a year

Number of children taking up smoking rises 50,000 in a year: About 207,000 children under 16 started smoking in 2011, up from 157,000 the year before, figures show.

Hospital staff to get more time with patients after bureaucracy crackdown

Hospital staff to get more time with patients after bureaucracy crackdown: Health secretary is scrapping need for hospitals to collect scores of data in purge of NHS's 'gargantuan' bureaucracy.
Hospitals are to be relieved of their duty for collecting scores of different sets of data as part of a purge of the NHS's "gargantuan" bureaucracy. The move is designed to free staff to spend more time caring for patients in the wake of the scandal at Mid Staffordshire hospital trust.

New care czar to protect elderly after Mid Staffordshire report

New care czar to protect elderly after Mid Staffordshire report: A powerful new post aimed at protecting the elderly and other vulnerable adults in care homes is to be created as ministers prepare to react to the report into the failings of Mid Staffordshire hospital. The Daily Telegraph

Patients attack plan to reduce inspections ofbest hospitals

Patients attack plan to reduce inspections of best hospitals:
Patient groups attacked plans to radically scale back inspections of hospitals believed to be performing well. Under proposals being put forward by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the top 20 per cent of hospitals might only be inspected every five years. The Independent

UK risks time bomb of untreatable TB as number of drug-resistant cases rises rapidly

UK risks time bomb of untreatable TB as number of drug-resistant cases rises rapidly:
Medical experts warned last night that there could be a surge in cases of tuberculosis resistant to current drug treatments unless the Government takes urgent action. The Independent

Warning over 'struggling GP system'

Warning over 'struggling GP system': Patients in England do not feel safe relying on GP out-of-hours care and are struggling to get access to doctors during normal hours, a leading patient group is warning. BBC News

See also:

• More than half of patients are waiting two days to see GP, survey reveals The Guardian
• Primary Care: Access Denied The Patients Association

NHS remote monitoring 'costs more'

NHS remote monitoring 'costs more': Remotely monitoring patients with long-term conditions is not more cost effective than usual care, a large UK trial suggests. BBC News

Scrubbing Up: Has the NHS got its priorities wrong?

Scrubbing Up: Has the NHS got its priorities wrong?: Top doctor's prescription for fixing the health service BBC News

Most GPs have given patients placebos in UK

Most GPs have given patients placebos in UK:

GPs largely disagree with GMC code saying placebos are unethical Related items from OnMedica Giving placebo pills could help patients Homeopathy 'ineffective' so NHS should not fund it Doctors ignore patients’ views on treatment Self-help books and websites help in severe depression Placebo may not rely on deception

Safeguarding vulnerable people in the reformed NHS: accountability and assurance framework

Safeguarding vulnerable people in the reformed NHS: accountability and assurance framework: This document updates and replaces Arrangements to secure children’s and adult safeguarding in the future NHS issued by the NHS Commissioning Board in September 2012. It describes how safeguarding measures will work in the new NHS system from April 2013.

• Guidance 
• NHS Commissioning Board - publications

Budget 2013: what it means for carers

Budget 2013: what it means for carers: This briefing is a short summary of the major areas of the ways in
which the March 2013 Budget will affect carers and their families. In addition to downgrading forecasts for economic growth, the Chancellor announced a number of tax changes including some tax cuts, additional
cuts to public spending, support with childcare vouchers, and the bringing forward of significant policies including state pension reform and a cap on the costs of care.

• Briefing
• Carers UK - publications

Why are clinical commissioning groups dominated by men?

Why are clinical commissioning groups dominated by men?: Too few women are on CCG boards – meaning they don't properly represent the workforce or the local population
Soul singer James Brown sang It's a Man's Man's Man's World and 40 years later it's hard to argue that things have changed among the senior ranks of the NHS.

Simple Ofsted-style hospital ratings 'could obscure failings'

Simple Ofsted-style hospital ratings 'could obscure failings': A simplistic 'Ofsted-style' rating system for hospitals might obscure their failings, a leading think-tank is warning. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS hospital Ofsted-style performance rating system not practical, Hunt told The Guardian

RCN launches UK position on district nursing

RCN launches UK position on district nursing: A new Royal College of Nursing position statement sets out the RCN’s vision for district nursing, highlighting the current challenges facing the sector and suggesting possible solutions.

Damning report into child protection in Northamptonshire identifies “legacy of children exposed to chronic experiences”

Damning report into child protection in Northamptonshire identifies “legacy of children exposed to chronic experiences”: Officials at Northamptonshire County Council have “accepted unreservedly” the findings of a damning Ofsted report which has labelled the county’s child protection services inadequate. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Council criticised over child protection pledges to improve Evening Telegraph
• Child protection system 'inadequate' BBC Northamptonshire

How are health and wellbeing boards shaping up to their new responsibilities?

How are health and wellbeing boards shaping up to their new responsibilities?: As implementation of the government’s controversial health reforms draws near, health and wellbeing boards seem to have the ‘X-factor’ – they are one of the few features of the new system that have attracted growing popularity during the passing of time and legislation. In our survey of a sample of boards last year we found widespread optimism about their prospects, tinged with a hint of nervousness that top-down national imperatives might override locally agreed priorities.

Learning from tragic mistakes in surgery

Learning from tragic mistakes in surgery: Can doctors learn from other jobs about life-or-death decisions? BBC News

e-mental health strategy developed

e-mental health strategy developed: The Mental Health Network is developing a national strategy for e-mental health. E-Health-Insider

New language checks for all doctors

New language checks for all doctors: From 1 April 2013, there will be a legal duty to check that all doctors wishing to work in the UK can speak English to the necessary level before they can treat patients in a hospital or GP practice. NHS Employers

Choice and competition in commissioning clinical services in the NHS in England

Choice and competition in commissioning clinical services in the NHS in England: This briefing note sets out information about a new website which is being developed by the NHS Commissioning Board and Monitor which will help commissioners and providers understand where competition may deliver improved outcomes for patients. The website will bring together key material which has a bearing on choice and competition in the NHS in England.

• Briefing
• NHS Commissioning Board - news

The independent sector and the NHS - quality and outcome data briefing

The independent sector and the NHS - quality and outcome data briefing: This analysis of PROMS data finds that independent sector organisations which carry out elective hip and knee replacement surgery for the NHS dominate the top ten providers for improving patients' post-operative quality of life.

• Data briefing
• Executive summary
• NHS Confederation - news

One in three seniors in US die with dementia

One in three seniors in US die with dementia:
One out of every three senior citizens in the United States now dies while suffering from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia.
The study from the Alzheimer’s Association found dementia is the cause of death in many instances, or contributes to it.
Figures show Alzheimer-related deaths rose by 68% in the first decade of the new millennium, while deaths from heart disease and HIV/AIDS fell.
... Healthcare Today

Pressure mounts on clinical commissioning group leaders

Pressure mounts on clinical commissioning group leaders: With the clock ticking to the launch of CCGs, Richard Vize looks at the challenges they face.

The NHS must improve the way it handles patient complaints

The NHS must improve the way it handles patient complaints: Complaints offer an early warning system that trusts can use to identify pockets of poor care.
Today, more than 300 senior leaders from NHS trusts will gather for the Foundation Trust Network's conference Governance after Francis and the NHS reforms, which will highlight how the NHS has to improve the way that it listens to patients.

Breakthrough breast cancer drug 'too expensive'

Breakthrough breast cancer drug 'too expensive': A breast cancer drug described as the biggest advance in almost 20 years has been rejected by the Government's rationing watchdog as too expensive. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Breast cancer drug does not provide value for money, regulator rules The Guardian
• Breast cancer treatment not value for money says draft NICE guidance NICE

Budget 2013: Public Sector Pay - NHS workers bear brunt of cuts as pay freeze is extended

Budget 2013: Public Sector Pay - NHS workers bear brunt of cuts as pay freeze is extended: Public sector pay rises are to be capped at 1 per cent for a further year, in a move which unions claim will leave family budgets "at breaking point". George Osborne said that salaries of NHS staff, council workers and civil servants will remain at below inflation levels until at least 2016. The Independent

Changes will help Northamptonshire NHS says GP

Changes will help Northamptonshire NHS says GP: The chairman of the Wellingborough branch of the body charged with making changes to healthcare provision in the county say they are essential to improve a service which is “hugely stretched”. Evening Telegraph

MP Ellis: “Government is right to axe 5,000 NHS managers”

MP Ellis: “Government is right to axe 5,000 NHS managers”: Northampton MP Michael Ellis today told the Commons it was “ludicrous” that around 400 NHS managers were paid more than the Prime Minister. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS 'had culture of sheer bullying'

NHS 'had culture of sheer bullying': The former boss of a hospital which is being investigated over high death rates tells MPs there was a culture of "sheer bullying" in the NHS. BBC News

Full reaction to GMS 2013/14 decision

Full reaction to GMS 2013/14 decision: GP leaders warned the government would 'live to rue the day' after the DH ignored most of the BMA's concerns as it set out final plans for the 2013/14 for England. GP Online

NHS needs long-term solutions not short-term fixes

NHS needs long-term solutions not short-term fixes:

Select committee criticises current response to Nicholson challenge Related items from OnMedica NHS must involve public in solving financial crisis NHS policy hampers integrated care commissioning Royal Colleges unite to tackle health inequity £5.45 billion budget for local public health services DH stresses importance of localism in commissioning

Child health profiles

Child health profiles: These profiles provide a snapshot of child health and well-being for each local authority in England using key health indicators, which enables comparison locally, regionally and
nationally. By using the profiles local organisations can work in partnership to plan and commission evidence-based services based on local need. The profiles allow you to compare the outcomes in your local population with others in order to identify and learn from better performing areas. A child health profile is available for each top level local authority in England.

• Profiles
• CHIMAT - resources

Jeremy Hunt accused of 'grossly unfair' allocation of public health funding

Jeremy Hunt accused of 'grossly unfair' allocation of public health funding: London's wealthy boroughs have been given more money than poorer areas to tackle smoking and obesity
Some of England's healthiest and wealthiest areas have been allocated the largest amounts of government money to tackle problems such as smoking and obesity, in apparent contradiction of ministerial pledges that poor areas with much needier populations would get the most cash.

The GPs who are cutting hospital admissions

The GPs who are cutting hospital admissions: Surrey doctors believe they have greatly improved services to patients by setting up a community-based clinic
As GPs take on responsibility for spending the bulk of the NHS budget, doctors in 17 general practices in Surrey have already organised better delivery of care for their patients by bringing secondary services into the community.

NHS is 'not ready' for changes, say senior staff

NHS is 'not ready' for changes, say senior staff: Survey of NHS professionals says that staff and organisations are ill-prepared for next month's radical restructure
More than three-quarters of senior NHS staff fear the health service is not ready for the major reorganisation that comes into force in less than two weeks. That is a key finding of a survey of NHS professionals, in both clinical and management roles, who belong to the Guardian's healthcare network.

Sir David Nicholson admits misinforming Parliament over whistleblower

Sir David Nicholson admits misinforming Parliament over whistleblower: Sir David Nicholson, the embattled chief executive of the NHS, has admitted giving incorrect evidence to MPs over how he dealt with a prominent 'whistleblower', it emerged today. The Daily Telegraph

Doctors put lower value on lives of the disabled, study finds

Doctors put lower value on lives of the disabled, study finds: NHS doctors are more likely to allow patients to die if they suffer from a mental disability, a damning report suggests. The Independent

See also:

• NHS failing people with learning disabilities, says report The Guardian 
• Learning disability early death risk BBC News
• Confidential inquiry into the premature deaths of people with learning disabilities (CIPOLD) study University of Bristol

Clinicalskills Net trial - still time to give your views

Clinicalskills Net trial - still time to give your views:

 As we previously mentioned in our Web Site of the Month feature, our trial of Clinicalskills.Net runs until the end of March, so there is still time for you to have a look at the package and give us your feedback.

Lots of staff have already told us their views but we are keen to have the widest possible feedback before deciding on if we should purchase it.

To gain access to Clinicalskills.net please see The Street for NGH staff or The Hub for NHFT staff, or contact one of the libraries.

We really would like to know what you think...

Union criticises ambulance policy

Union criticises ambulance policy: A union criticises the standard of care offered by some new front line ambulance staff. BBC Northamptonshire

County ambulance station proposals published

County ambulance station proposals published: Kettering will house the only fully equipped ambulance station in north Northamptonshire, according to plans published by the East Midlands Ambulance Trust (EMAS). Evening Telegraph

New ‘gold’ lung cancer care at Northampton hospital

New ‘gold’ lung cancer care at Northampton hospital: Staff at Northampton General Hospital are pioneering a new way of treating lung cancer which involves implanting a small piece of gold into a patient’s tumour. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Tough times, tough choices

Tough times, tough choices: This report sets out four ‘tough choices’ faced by the NHS and what the impact of each could mean for patients and local services. The four tough choices identified are: do nothing; spend more; do more for less; and do things differently. It highlights the increasing pressure the NHS has come under to maintain funding in line with demand. The report is accompanied by two factsheets providing an overview of NHS funding.

• Report
• Briefing
• Overview of NHS finances factsheet
• How does the financial situation compare? factsheet

See also:

• NHS could charge fee to call out the doctor The Daily Telegraph
• Four options for reviving the NHS The Guardian

Drug-resistant pandemic flu warning

Drug-resistant pandemic flu warning: Australian experts are concerned about a new type of drug-resistant pandemic flu that is circulating in the population at large. BBC News

See also:

• Virus responsible for swine flu pandemic becoming increasingly resistant to Tamiflu The Independent
• Swine flu 'growing in resistance' to Tamiflu The Daily Telegraph

Basic care for elderly 'lacking'

Basic care for elderly 'lacking': Basic care for the elderly in hospitals and care homes in England is still not good enough, the regulator says. BBC News

The NHS: the envy of the world?

The NHS: the envy of the world?: This paper provides an analysis of a survey carried out by ICM on behalf of Civitas. The poll examined the public's attitudes towards the NHS in relation to other healthcare systems and private provider involvement in the NHS.

• Analysis
• Survey results
• Civitas - news

h A framework for sexual health improvement in England

h A framework for sexual health improvement in England: This framework sets out the government’s ambitions for improving sexual health. It is designed to be used by local organisations when they are looking at how best to provide sexual health services in their area.It aims to provide the information, evidence base and support tools to enable those involved in sexual health improvement to work together effectively.

• Guidance
• Department of Health - news

Social media highway code

Social media highway code: This publication aims to help UK doctors navigate their way around the ethical and confidentiality dilemmas of social media. It is intended to help and encourage healthcare professionals to communicate effectively using various social media channels, whilst adhering to the conventions that their patients, their colleagues and the public might reasonably expect.

• Guidance
• RCGP - news

Snap inspections expose scandal of 'institutionalised abuse' in care homes and hospitals

Snap inspections expose scandal of 'institutionalised abuse' in care homes and hospitals: A landmark programme of unannounced inspections in hospitals and care homes has found that more than a third are still failing to respect elderly people's basic dignity, despite a series of scandals. The Daily Telegraph

Ministers 'ploughing on regardless' with GP contract reform

Ministers 'ploughing on regardless' with GP contract reform: Ministers have been accused of risking the care of patients by "ploughing on ahead" with reforms to the GP contract, regardless of grassroot concerns. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Consultation on GP contract 2013/14: government response

Gagged NHS whistleblowers will be allowed to speak out, Sir David Nicholson says

Gagged NHS whistleblowers will be allowed to speak out, Sir David Nicholson says: Hundreds of whistleblowers are free to come forward with damaging disclosures about NHS after gagging orders were lifted. The Daily Telegraph

Hip fracture patients suffering 'indefensible postcode lottery'

Hip fracture patients suffering 'indefensible postcode lottery': Hip fracture patients across Britain are suffering an "indefensible" postcode lottery of care, according to a report that shows a threefold difference in average length of hospital stay. The Daily Telegraph

Former chief nurse at scandal-hit Stafford Hospital failed to ensure adequate staff levels, hearing told

Former chief nurse at scandal-hit Stafford Hospital failed to ensure adequate staff levels, hearing told:
A former chief nurse at scandal-hit Stafford Hospital was a "bully" who intimidated staff and "wholly failed" in her management responsibilities in areas such as ensuring adequate staffing levels, a disciplinary hearing has been told. The Independent

First GP appointment booking app

First GP appointment booking app: First GP appointment booking app:
The Patient Access Mobile app from Patient.co.uk will also enable patients to order repeat prescriptions, securely message their practice and update personal details such as change of address.

Patient.co.uk is owned and operated by EMIS – a supplier of healthcare software and related services to GP practices. The EMIS system enables the app to connect directly with practices.
The app is one of the first to feature in the NHS Commissioning Board’s new Health Apps Library - a collection of recommended online tools designed to improve the health and wellbeing of the nation. NHS Networks

New technology to improve children’s mental health services

New technology to improve children’s mental health services: New technology to improve children’s mental health services:
Norman Lamb, Care and Support Minister announced £2million today for new handheld computers to boost children’s mental health services.
Children and young people will be able to use tablet computers in their therapy sessions to give them and their therapist instant access to information that details how close they are to achieving treatment goals.
Care and Support Minister, Norman Lamb said:

 “Acting early to help children with mental health problems can prevent a lifetime of suffering as half of those with lifelong mental health problems first experience symptoms before the age of 14.
“This technology helps children and young people see how their treatment is progressing. Where treatment is not going as well as it could, practitioners can then change their approach to get the best results.
“Children and young people have told us how much it helps them to see how their treatment is going and these new devices do just that.”

The new devices will be rolled out to 42 sites across England.
Therapists can also use the handheld computers to record sessions so that their supervisors and clinical tutors can watch the sessions and comment on their techniques to help therapists to improve.
The time therapists and administrators currently spend recording outcomes will also be cut dramatically.
Earlier this year, the department published the Mandate to the NHS Commissioning Board with a clear objective to put mental health on a par with physical health and to extend and ensure more open access to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies Programme in particular for children and young people and for those out of work. Department of Health

Strategy to reduce salt intake 'could lead to 20,000 fewer deaths each year from cardiovascular disease'

Strategy to reduce salt intake 'could lead to 20,000 fewer deaths each year from cardiovascular disease': Strategy to reduce salt intake 'could lead to 20,000 fewer deaths each year from cardiovascular disease': Source: NICE

NICE has reported that a new government strategy to reduce salt intake could lead to 20,000 fewer deaths each year from cardiovascular disease (CVD). In order to limit the harm caused to health by excess of salt, the government has launched a new strategy that aims to help reduce the daily intake of salt from an average of 8.1g a day to 6g a day. The policy follows the NICE pathway on diet, based on guidance originally published in 2010, which recommends aiming for a maximum salt intake of 6g per day per adult by 2015, and 3g by 2025.
 
NICE says that a 3g reduction of daily salt intake by adults, to achieve a target of 6g, would lead to around 14-20,000 fewer deaths from CVD each year.
 
NELM News

Medicines information is changing - NeLM integration into NHS Evidence

Medicines information is changing - NeLM integration into NHS Evidence: Medicines information is changing - NeLM integration into NHS Evidence: Source: NICE

In April 2013 the way you access and receive medicines information via the National electronic Library (NeLM) is changing. From this date, evidence currently available through NeLM will only be accessible via NHS Evidence provided by NICE, and NeLM will cease to exist. NICE is working with the UK Medicines Information service (UKMi) to bring medicines information together into one place- NHS Evidence- making it simpler for those with medicines and prescribing responsibilities to view, search and filter high quality evidence-based information.
 
New Medicines Awareness Service
 
A new personalised daily and weekly medicines awareness service will also be launched in April 2013 to replace the existing NeLM newsletter. Working with NICE, UKMi will continue to identify key current awareness information sent to your email address on a daily basis, providing you with rapid access to current awareness and evidence-based medicines information.
 
NELM News

Manipulation of NHS figures to become criminal offence

Manipulation of NHS figures to become criminal offence: Manipulation of NHS figures to become criminal offence:

Health secretary will announce move after Mid Staffordshire scandal to make service more 'honest and accountable'
Fiddling figures from NHS hospitals will become a criminal offence, Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, is to announce.
The Daily Telegraph reported that NHS managers and hospital trusts could be held criminally liable as part of a response to the Mid Staffordshire scandal. Penalties for manipulating statistics on waiting times and death rates could include seven-figure fines and jail terms.
Hunt said: "This is about a transparent, honest and accountable NHS. Patients and the public should be confident that they can trust information about how hospitals are performing, and a culture of honesty and accuracy will help those organisations drive up standards of care.
"Like me, the public has a deep and abiding affection for the NHS, but scandals such as Mid Staffordshire have affected trust in it. We need to get that trust back."
The new law is being considered in response to the Francis inquiry, which examined the deaths of up to 1,200 patients in Mid Staffs. Ministers will this month set out a range of new initiatives to prevent a repeat of the scandal.
It follows several recent accusations that hospitals have recorded causes of deaths wrongly in an attempt to obscure high death rates. There have also been allegations from nurses that they have been asked to manipulate waiting time statistics.
Hunt said: "If NHS Trusts are caught deliberately manipulating that information, whether waiting times or death rates, they need to be held to account."
The paper quoted a source close to Hunt, who claimed that official figures had been manipulated "rarely but consistently for many years".
"We feel strongly that if NHS trusts are caught acting fraudulently about their performance on areas such as death rates or waiting times, they should be criminally liable.
"The future NHS will have a more open culture, with better information for patients and the public. We're determined that information must be credible and provided on a basis that is honest and consistent."
Guardian

Study recommends changes to pneumonia prevention strategies

Study recommends changes to pneumonia prevention strategies: Study recommends changes to pneumonia prevention strategies: A Health Protection Agency (HPA) report published today has found since 2000 the number of cases of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) has increased in England by an average of seven per cent each year. The findings of the paper suggest that further work is needed to re-assess the prevention strategies currently in place for dealing with this infection. Health Protection Agency

Hospital deaths warning 'ignored'

Hospital deaths warning 'ignored': Hospital deaths warning 'ignored': More than 20,000 hospital deaths could have been prevented if warnings about high mortality rates had been acted on more quickly, a government adviser says. BBC health News

Tough times, tough choices: being open and honest about NHS finance

Tough times, tough choices: being open and honest about NHS finance: Tough times, tough choices: being open and honest about NHS finance: The NHS faces an unprecedented financial dilemma: the supply of funding is struggling to match the growing rate of demand for healthcare. NHS Confederation

A fine VINTAGE?

A fine VINTAGE?: A fine VINTAGE? The benefits and consequences of alcohol consumption in older adults: We know a lot about the health consequences of drinking too much alcohol, but most of this research comes from studies of adults in their twenties, thirties and forties. But what about older adults? The European project VINTAGE reviewed and synthesised the available evidence relating to alcohol consumption in older people across many European countries. [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

Clinical commissioning groups: skills, challenges and how they will deliver

Clinical commissioning groups: skills, challenges and how they will deliver: Clinical commissioning groups: skills, challenges and how they will deliver:

Leaders are already thinking about what their organisations must do to deliver the best possible health outcomes
In just two weeks, clinical commissioning groups take up their full responsibilities as we shift from a managerial to a clinical commissioning-led system for the NHS in England. While clinical commissioning may be on a developmental journey, as leaders we are already thinking about the skills we need to do the day job, some of the challenges we will face and how we can overcome them to make sure that our patients, our people and our practices deliver the best possible health outcomes for our area.

What are the skills we need?

For me, they are about listening to our patients and population about what they want and how they want it. From that, we can understand our population's healthcare needs and develop our vision so we can see the future and how to set about achieving it. We also need to inspire the team so that we are helping others to give of their best, and to see how they can deliver "best". Communicating our values to all we work with is important as well as striving, unremittingly, to make it happen for our patients.

The challenges

I don't want to downplay the challenges we face, but we must confront them if we are to change how things happen. For me, the priorities are:
• Persuading our clinicians and staff of the need to change their behaviours to focus on our population and patients
• Engaging with our population to accept that how they use the NHS will determine its future success in delivering the quality they seek
• Encouraging providers to transform and deliver efficiencies that both drive quality and improve working lives
• Re-modelling the NHS into an innovative "excellence generator" that automatically delivers patient-centred improved outcomes
• Achieving wide societal consensus on health and social care priorities, and engaging with the conversation about what the taxpayer should/shouldn't fund
• Making all of us hungry for change as the way we deliver great outcomes in a sustainable system

How will we meet the challenges?

I recognise that it will take time, drive and commitment, but we must:
• Learn to communicate clearly, skillfully and unambiguously
• Develop our teams to have the skills they need
• Give our patients and population the stake in the system they need to understand their power and its relevance
• Work towards consensus through a "national health and social care conversation"
• Recognise the shared civic responsibility all citizens have to strive for a truly excellent healthcare system
• Rule 001: We include everyone – no one gets left behind.

How will we deliver?

We have used education as the primary tool in Slough. We have worked with our specialists and patients to develop consensus across the clinical spectrum, developed new pathways and guidance, explained to our patients why this was of value, succeeded in changing the behaviour of GPs and other clinicians, and reduced referrals to secondary care from 25,000 to under 16,000 in three years. We have moved from 121st lowest referrer to tenth nationally in two years.
This is just the start, but we can do it and clinically-led commissioning can make the difference.
Dr Jim O'Donnell is chair of NHS Slough CCG and part of the NHS Clinical Commissioners Leadership Group.
 Guardian 

One per cent rise in basic pay announced for Agenda for Change staff

One per cent rise in basic pay announced for Agenda for Change staff: The Government announced today that following the recommendations of the NHS Pay Review Body, all NHS staff on Agenda for Change pay, terms and conditions will receive a one per cent rise in their basic pay effective from 1 April 2013. NHS Employers

See also:

• NHS staff 'facing year of financial hardship' with 1% pay rise The Guardian

Care home extension given go ahead

Care home extension given go ahead: A major extension is approved at a Northamptonshire care home for people with dementia that received 196 letters of objection. BBC Northamptonshire

Merger talks leave the hospital's future unclear - Northampton Herald and Post

Merger talks leave the hospital's future unclear - Northampton Herald and Post:

Northampton Herald and Post

Merger talks leave the hospital's future unclear Northampton Herald and Post PLANS for Northampton General Hospital are in 'limbo' as it is not yet clear how a potential 'merger' will affect the current review. The proposals from Healthier Together, a £2 million project, aim to find the best way to provide treatment for five ... and more »

The Francis Inquiry and an international picture of safety

The Francis Inquiry and an international picture of safety: The Francis report represents a major milestone in the global fight to reduce unsafe care that started, in many ways, in the UK. What it says, and does not say, therefore, will have a major impact on health care safety efforts internationally says Edward Kelley of the WHO. The Health Foundation

Guidance to support medical revalidation

Guidance to support medical revalidation: The General Medical Council and other regulators have published a joint revalidation handbook to help boards check that their organisations are placing quality and safety at the heart of their services for patients.

How one question can change the NHS

How one question can change the NHS: Can one question change the NHS? BBC News

Ten more apps for NHS apps library

Ten more apps for NHS apps library: The first iteration of the new Health Apps Library was launched this week at the NHS Innovation Expo 2013. E-Health Insider

GMS contract uplift for 2013/14 announced

GMS contract uplift for 2013/14 announced: The government has announced the uplift to the GMS contract for 2013/14. NHS Employers

NHS trusts have spent £1bn in sick pay over the past three years

NHS trusts have spent £1bn in sick pay over the past three years:

More than one in three have no health and wellbeing strategy Related items from OnMedica What ails NHS staff? NHS staff to have better occupational healthcare Health for Health Professionals Scottish health scheme launched to keep people in work NHS urged to cut £290m from staff sickness bill

Last tranche of 48 CCGs given go ahead by Commissioning Board

Last tranche of 48 CCGs given go ahead by Commissioning Board:

But only 10 have no conditions attached to authorisation Related items from OnMedica Almost half of CCGs now authorised, says Commissioning Board Green light for first wave of clinical commissioning groups Communication hubs are the key to commissioning engagement CCG funding formula to be revised, Commissioning Board promises

The NHS is ''biased'' against mental health - Public Service

The NHS is ''biased'' against mental health - Public Service:

Public Service

The NHS is ''biased'' against mental health Public Service The NHS does not treat patients with mental health issues fairly and there is still a postcode lottery affecting services, the former care services minister Paul Burstow has said. The NHS's "bias" towards physical health was stealing years from people ...