Joint statement about unexplained death of Esme Blore

Joint statement about unexplained death of Esme Blore Northamptonshire and Thames Valley police and the Royal Berkshire and Northampton General Hospital are working together to establish the circumstances of the death of 17-year-old Esme Blore, from Bedfordshire, who died in Northampton General Hospital on Monday (26/8), after attending Reading Festival at the weekend. Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

Child death cases publishing pledge

Child death cases publishing pledge The board that investigates the deaths of children in Northamptonshire pledges to complete outstanding cases by March next year. BBC Northamptonshire

Hospital bosses apologise over mental health unit failings - This is Leicestershire

Hospital bosses apologise over mental health unit failings Health bosses have publicly apologised for failings in care standards at the Bradgate Mental Health Unit. Around 30 people - including top health officials, campaigners, staff and patients - heard the apology at a meeting of the Leicestershire ... This is Leicestershire

Hospital prosecuted for coma death

Hospital prosecuted for coma death Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust is to be prosecuted over the death of a diabetic patient. BBC News

See also

• Mid Staffs trust to be prosecuted over death of diabetic patient The Guardian

BMA offers guidance on treating vulnerable patients

BMA offers guidance on treating vulnerable patients The association has produced recommendations to help health professionals in England and Wales treat adults who are being abused and do not want confidential information disclosed, even if it will help protect them from harm.

It seeks to address some of the dilemmas for doctors caring for vulnerable patients who retain capacity under the terms of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, such as whether patients are making a free and informed choice about confidentiality or whether they are acting under pressure from their abusers.

Finance managers recommend changes to NHS payments system

Finance managers recommend changes to NHS payments system The findings are explained in a joint briefing by the Healthcare Finance Managers’ Association and the King’s Fund.

50,000 clinicians to learn to code

50,000 clinicians to learn to code NHS England's director of patients and information expects 50,000 clinicians to learn to code over the next few years. E-Health Insider

Personal health budgets: challenges for commissioners and policy-makers

Personal health budgets: challenges for commissioners and policy-makers From 2014, personal health budgets will be offered to people in receipt of continuing care. This report looks at what they are, how they will work in practice, and the issues they raise.

• Report
• Related blog
• The Nuffield Trust - publications

Substance abuse and mental disorders are now killing more people globally than HIV, diabetes and TB

Substance abuse and mental disorders are now killing more people globally than HIV, diabetes and TB The Global Burden of Disease Study found depressive disorders account for the largest proportion, leading to 40 per cent of the worldwide death and disease burden. The Daily Telegraph

How much money do hospitals spend on their patient's meals?

How much money do hospitals spend on their patient's meals? New data shows how much hospitals are spending on their patient's meals, but high cost doesn't necessarily mean good grub.

Councils must face difficult decisions on NHS with leadership, not hyperbole

Councils must face difficult decisions on NHS with leadership, not hyperbole There a whiff of hypocrisy in local authorities aggressive opposition to changes to hospital services.

Doctors 'offered bribes for referrals to private firms'

Doctors 'offered bribes for referrals to private firms' Private healthcare firms have been accused of bribing GPs to send patients for expensive treatment at their clinics, sometimes involving procedures they do not even need.The Daily Telegraph

NHS receives 3,000 complaints every week - with nearly half against medical professionals

NHS receives 3,000 complaints every week - with nearly half against medical professionals

The NHS in England received 162,000 written complaints over the past year, the equivalent of more than 3,000 letters and emails per week. The Independent

See also:

• NHS hospital complaints rise by 1.9% The Guardian
• More complaints about GPs than hospital doctors OnMedica News
• NHS Confederation comments on the national written complaints figures NHS Confederation
• NHS written complaints data released Health & Social Care Information Centre

Ten tips for measuring patient and carer experience

Ten tips for measuring patient and carer experience Jane Jones outlines 10 simple things that need to be considered when planning how to measure changes in patient and carer experience over time. The Health Foundation

Readers' photos of grim hospital food

Readers' photos of grim hospital food BBC News

GPS agency nurses and social care workers framework launches

GPS agency nurses and social care workers framework launches The Government Procurement Service launched its new agency nurses and social care workers framework agreement on the 1 August 2013. NHS Employers

Child protection database live in 2015

Child protection database live in 2015 Children identified as vulnerable by social services will be flagged to NHS staff if they attend an A&E, starting in 2015. E-Health Insider

DH expects £4.3 billion in NME benefits

DH expects £4.3 billion in NME benefits The North, Midlands and East programme for IT is predicted to reap benefits of more than £4.3 billion, with more than 60% expected from the delivery of TPP's SystmOne. E-Health Insider

Private healthcare market investigation

Private healthcare market investigation These provisional findings from the Competition Commission on privately-funded healthcare services show that many private hospitals face little competition in local areas across the UK, leading to higher private medical insurance premiums and charges for private patients. It also highlights incentive schemes, which encourage consultants to choose particular private providers for diagnosis and treatment, and the lack of available information on the performance of hospitals and consultants as further restrictions on competition.

• Summary of provisional findings
• Related documents and further information

Association between chronic disease related hospitalisations and primary health care resourcing

Association between chronic disease related hospitalisations and primary health care resourcing "Measuring hospitalisations, that could potentially be avoided with high quality and accessible primary care, is one indicator of how well primary care services are performing."
A systematic review of evidence on the association between hospitalisation for chronic disease related ambulatory care sensitive conditions and primary health care resourcing
OR Gibson, L Segal, RA McDermott BMC Health Services Research, 2013, 13:336

Working time directive hinders junior doctors' progress

Working time directive hinders junior doctors' progress Shifts are not long enough to encounter the wide range of conditions and treatments they need to experience.

Home carers being paid illegal poverty wages - study

Home carers being paid illegal poverty wages - study Hundreds of thousands of agency workers caring for elderly people in their own homes are illegally being paid well below the minimum wage, a report claims.The Daily Telegraph

Hospital chief resigns over targets

Hospital chief resigns over targets A chief executive resigns at a hospital in Northamptonshire after failing to achieve Department of Health targets for A&E treatment. BBC News

See also:

• Kettering Hospital boss resigns over missed A&E targets Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Kettering hospital pledges to improve standards Northamptonshire Telegraph

Field named chief inspector of GPs

Field named chief inspector of GPs The new chief inspector of GPs in England has been named as Prof Steve Field, former chair of the Royal College of GPs. BBC News

Private patients 'paying too much'

Private patients 'paying too much' Most patients in UK private hospitals are paying more than they should for treatment because of a lack of local competition, an inquiry has found. BBC News

See also:

• Private healthcare providers under the microscope The Daily Telegraph

Kidney checks 'would save lives'

Kidney checks 'would save lives' The NHS in England could save between 12,000 and 42,000 lives a year by simple checks on the kidney function of hospital patients, says the health watchdog. BBC News

See also:

• New NICE kidney guideline to save thousands of lives The Royal College of Physicians
• Thousands die with treatable kidney problems The Daily Telegraph
• Better kidney care could save up to 42,000 lives a year, says Nice The Guardian

Claims raspberries boost fertility 'misleading'

Claims raspberries boost fertility 'misleading' "Eating raspberries could increase your chances of becoming a father," the Mail Online website reports, with the Daily Express making similar claims. But these claims are not backed up by the evidence, as the stories seem to be based on the opinion of just one fertility nutritionist.

NHS England hits back over consultant CCG role

NHS England hits back over consultant CCG role NHS England has rejected findings of a BMA poll that suggested many CCGs had failed to involve secondary care doctors on their boards. GP Online

Supporting working carers: the benefits to families, business and the economy

Supporting working carers: the benefits to families, business and the economy The Employers for Carers and Department of Health Task and Finish Group was set up in 2012 to explore ways in which carers can be supported to combine work and care. This report of findings and recommendations includes information on the current complexity of care and support services; and the part that assistive technologies such as telehealth and telecare have to play in enabling carers to combine work and care.

• Report
• Executive summary
• Carers UK - publications

care.data

care.data NHS England is introducing an information service on behalf of the NHS called care.data. The service aims to use information from a patients’ medical record to improve the way that healthcare is delivered for all. A thorough process must be followed before any information can be shared and strict rules about how information is stored and used are followed.

• Further information for patients and healthcare staff
• NHS England - news

Mental health care overlooked by NHS review of emergency services

Mental health care overlooked by NHS review of emergency services A series of unsettling findings suggests the need for an agreed care pathway across the police, providers and local government.

GPs continue to do battle with government over telehealth

GPs continue to do battle with government over telehealth In the poisonous relationship between the Department of Health and GPs, ministerial support for telehealth is interpreted by some doctors as an attack on their way of working.

First private medical school to launch with £157,000 fees

First private medical school to launch with £157,000 fees British students will be expected to pay more than £157,000 in tuition fees to complete what is believed to be the most expensive undergraduate degree course in the country.The Daily Telegraph

Charging foreigners would damage NHS, doctors say

Charging foreigners would damage NHS, doctors say Plans to charge more foreigners for using NHS services could mean every patient, including British nationals, having to prove their identity when they register with their GP, doctors have warned. The Independent

'No new evidence': Health bodies clash over draft guidelines that warn against dangers of using paracetamol to treat osteoarthritis

'No new evidence': Health bodies clash over draft guidelines that warn against dangers of using paracetamol to treat osteoarthritis

Two of the country’s leading health bodies have clashed over new draft guidelines that warn against the dangers of using paracetamol to treat a common form of arthritis that affects one million people in the UK. The Independent

'Systemic failings' in child care

'Systemic failings' in child care Children in care in Northamptonshire are suffering because of "systemic failings", Ofsted says. BBC Northamptonshire

See also:

• VIDEO: Children's care branded 'inadequate' BBC Northamptonshire
• Damning report reveals Northamptonshire’s child social services are still ‘inadequate’ Northamptonshire Telegraph

The latest figures for the performance of the NHS 111 phone service in the county shows it is improving

The latest figures for the performance of the NHS 111 phone service in the county shows it is improving The service was set up earlier this year and the clinical commissioning groups, Nene CCG and Corby CCG, have continued to work with the service provider, Derbyshire Health United (DHU), to improve its performance. In a statement the CCGs said: “We ... Northamptonshire Telegraph

Patient warns loss of specialist podiatrists will compromise care

Patient warns loss of specialist podiatrists will compromise care The Diabetes UK Northampton area group have also written to the chief executive of the Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), Angela Hillary, urging her to retain senior podiatry specialists. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS pay-offs top £1bn, says Labour

NHS pay-offs top £1bn, says Labour Labour accuse the government of wasting £1.4bn on NHS redundancy packages, but ministers say they have to cut an "over-bloated bureaucracy". BBC News 

See also:

• NHS spends more than £1 billion on redundancy payouts The Daily Telegraph
• £1.4bn of NHS money wasted on redundancy payoffs, says Labour The Guardian

Carers should 'get flexible hours'

Carers should 'get flexible hours' The UK faces a "lose-lose situation" if workers who care for elderly parents are not offered flexible working hours, the health secretary says. BBC News

NHS 'hiding' food dissatisfaction

NHS 'hiding' food dissatisfaction NHS hospitals in England are hiding patient dissatisfaction with the food they serve, campaigners say. BBC News

See also:

• Lack of nationwide standards means hospital food 'worse than prison meals' The Daily Telegraph
• VIDEO: How hospital food is made BBC News

UK blood plasma company sale to Bain Capital 'endangers NHS supplies'

UK blood plasma company sale to Bain Capital 'endangers NHS supplies' Former health minister criticises government's 'mind-boggling' decision to sell Plasma Resources UK to US private equity firm.

KPMG report urges radical new look at long-term care

KPMG report urges radical new look at long-term care KPMG report says society must move beyond hospital walls to address healthcare in the 21st century.

NHS failings exposed in new report

NHS failings exposed in new report Basic failings which put lives at risk have been laid bare in reports into 11 NHS hospital trusts after they were officially warned to improve or face closure. The Daily Telegraph

Hospital workers jailed for abusing female patients on Whipps Cross geriatric ward

Hospital workers jailed for abusing female patients on Whipps Cross geriatric ward

Two healthcare assistants who abused elderly female patients on the geriatric ward of an under-fire hospital were jailed today. The Independent

See also:

• Two healthcare assistants jailed for cruelty The Daily Telegraph

GPs charge disabled up to £130 to appeal fitness-to-work decisions

GPs charge disabled up to £130 to appeal fitness-to-work decisions

Doctors are charging sick and disabled people up to £130 for medical evidence to appeal decisions about their fitness to work, The Independent has learnt. 

MRSA and C. diff deaths fall again

MRSA and C. diff deaths fall again The number of deaths from two hospital infections, MRSA and Clostridium difficile, have continued their long-term downward trend, according to figures for England and Wales. BBC News

Deadly virus found in tomb bat

Deadly virus found in tomb bat The Mers coronavirus has been detected in a bat in Saudi Arabia, close to the home of the first victim, scientists report. BBC News

See also:

• Ducks were bird flu 'melting pot' BBC News

Paying for NHS services ''inevitable step''

Paying for NHS services ''inevitable step'' Political leaders need to spell out the changes the NHS must make in order to be sustainable, says Sir Robert Naylor. Public Service

How active are our children?: findings from the Millennium Cohort Study

How active are our children?: findings from the Millennium Cohort Study These findings showed that only half of 7-year-old children in the UK achieve recommended levels of physical activity, with significant gender, ethnic and geographic variations. The report states that further longitudinal studies are needed to better understand the relevance of these patterns for long-term health and wellbeing. It also recommends that in the meantime, population-wide efforts to boost physical activity among young people are needed, and will be reliant on a broad range of policy interventions. BMJ Open

Psychiatric patients at greater risk of accidental death

Psychiatric patients at greater risk of accidental death

People with mental illness six times more likely to die in an accident than the general population OnMedica News

NHS trusts are not getting the most out of their MRI scanners

NHS trusts are not getting the most out of their MRI scanners Bruce Keogh is calling for the NHS to provide more services at weekends. He should start by extending the operating hours for expensive equipment such as MRI scanners.

British Medical Association accused of compromising its own values by offering private medical insurance to staff

British Medical Association accused of compromising its own values by offering private medical insurance to staff

The British Medical Association (BMA) has been accused of compromising its own values by offering private medical insurance to its staff. The Independent

Up to 20 NHS trusts seeking healthcare deals in India

Up to 20 NHS trusts seeking healthcare deals in India

As many as 20 NHS trusts are planning to go into business with healthcare providers in India, as plans to exploit the NHS brand with lucrative contracts abroad gathers pace. The Independent

See also:

• NHS: Up to 20 trusts plan to set up lucrative health services in India The Daily Telegraph

Ward trials for would-be nurses

Ward trials for would-be nurses Prospective student nurses in the East Midlands will work for a year before their studies as part of a trial set up after the Mid Staffs Hospital inquiry. BBC Northamptonshire

Breaking news - Service provider pulls out of cottage hospital replacement plan

Breaking news - Service provider pulls out of cottage hospital replacement plan Dr Charles Perrott of the Core Development Group, said: “This is disappointing news at this late stage, but we have received reassurance from Nene CCG that the provision of intermediate care beds in the community is essential for the future of the NHS ... Buckingham Advertiser

Residents smiling as new programme launched

Residents smiling as new programme launched A new programme has been launched by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) to improve dental care for elderly care home residents in the county. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• New Fluoride Programme launched for elderly in Northants care homes Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Men 'more vulnerable' to skin cancer

Men 'more vulnerable' to skin cancer Far more men are dying from skin cancer than women, despite similar numbers being diagnosed with the disease, figures suggest. BBC New

See also:

• Skin cancer mortality statistics Cancer Research UK
• Men are '70 per cent more likely to die from skin cancer than women' The Independent
• VIDEO: Men warned over avoiding GP visits BBC News

Half of kids 'need more exercise'

Half of kids 'need more exercise' Half of all UK seven-year-olds do not get enough exercise and girls are far less active than boys, a study of thousands of children suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Children and exercise BBC News
• Half of seven year olds lead sedentary lives The Daily Telegraph
• Olympic effect? Primary school children fall behind on exercise The Independent

NPfIT to cost £10 billion

NPfIT to cost £10 billion The final cost of the National Programme for IT in the NHS is expected to be more than £10 billion. E-Health Insider

Scores of practices link up to fight private competition

Scores of practices link up to fight private competition An LMC plans to form a county-wide GP provider company linking 76 practices to prevent primary care services being outsourced to private providers through the DH's any qualified provider (AQP) policy. GP Online

The Care Process Self-Evaluation Tool

The Care Process Self-Evaluation Tool "Patient safety can be increased by improving the organization of care. A tool that evaluates the actual organization of care, as perceived by multidisciplinary teams, is the Care Process Self-Evaluation Tool (CPSET)."

The Care Process Self-Evaluation Tool: a valid and reliable instrument for measuring care process organization of health care teams
D Seys, S Deneckere, W Sermeus, E Van Gerven, M Panella, L Bruyneel, T Mutsvari, R Camacho Bejerano, S Kul, K Vanhaecht BMC Health Services Research 2013, 13:325

Read more here.

Don’t mix private and NHS care, GPs warned

Don’t mix private and NHS care, GPs warned Perceived conflict of interest could prompt GMC sanctions, says defence body OnMedica News

Cancer patients say targets are put before their care

Cancer patients say targets are put before their care Satisfaction figures and the experience of patients with different forms of cancer vary enormously between NHS trusts.

Loss of 5,000 nurses prompts safety warning

Loss of 5,000 nurses prompts safety warning The NHS has lost more than 5,000 nurses in just three years, official figures show. Data for May this year reveals that there were 348,311 qualified staff working in nursing, midwifery and health visiting, down 5,601 on the figure of 353,912 in May 2010. The Independent

NHS stop-smoking service 'a success'

NHS stop-smoking service 'a success' The first decade of NHS stop-smoking services in England has been hailed a success by researchers. BBC News

See also:

• NHS stop smoking services help 146,000 quit long-term The Guardian

NHS Employment Check Standards updated

NHS Employment Check Standards updated The NHS Employment Check Standards have been revised (July 2013). The Standards outline the employment checks that employers must carry out before appointing staff into NHS positions across England. NHS Employers

Updated flu fighter communications toolkit now online

Updated flu fighter communications toolkit now online View our refreshed communications toolkit and pick up all the tips you need for running a brilliant flu fighter communications campaign. NHS Employers

CCGs failing to involve hospital doctors

CCGs failing to involve hospital doctors CCGs are breaching NHS England rules by failing to appoint consultants to board posts, a BMA survey suggests. GP Online

Making recovery a reality in your community: a briefing for commissioners of mental health, drug and alcohol services

Making recovery a reality in your community: a briefing for commissioners of mental health, drug and alcohol services This briefing urges commissioners to tackle the poorly integrated support received by those with overlapping needs. It identifies new commissioning arrangements in public health and the NHS as an opportunity to put recovery at the heart of commissioning to build better lives for people with multiple needs. It argues that by focusing on what matters most to people's lives – a home, a job, family and friends – services can enable people with multiple needs to build better lives on their own terms.

• Briefing 
• Centre for Mental Health - news

Health check programme is pointless says leading GP

Health check programme is pointless says leading GP RCGP head says money for health checks is wasteful OnMedica News

See also:

• Doubts over 40-plus health checks BBC News
• VIDEO: Health checks 'vital' for diagnosis BBC News
• VIDEO: Health checks 'a waste of time' BBC News

We ignore the rise of suicide in people with mental illness

We ignore the rise of suicide in people with mental illness Despite public campaigns to combat stigma around mental illness, people with mental health problems still face ongoing discrimination. And while some sections of the media focus on mental illness in cases of violence, a rise in the number of people who are more of a risk to themselves goes unnoticed. We still find it difficult [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

Why doesn't the NHS know how many patients have chemotherapy?

Why doesn't the NHS know how many patients have chemotherapy? Tim Kelsey, NHS director of patients and information, believes big data can transform the performance of the NHS.

The heart disease 'time bomb'

The heart disease 'time bomb' Three in four adults are likely to suffer illnesses such as heart disease or diabetes by 2030, according to a government report which warns that the NHS will not have enough staff to cope.The Daily Telegraph

Complacent? Alarm sounded over huge variations in legal safeguards for the vulnerable

Complacent? Alarm sounded over huge variations in legal safeguards for the vulnerable
The “fundamental human rights” of vulnerable people could be at risk, a leading mental health charity has warned, after new figures revealed huge regional variations in the use of key legal safeguards. The Independent

See also:

• Mental Health: Use of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards continues to rise Health & Social Care Information Centre
• Thousands of dementia sufferers threatened with restraint The Daily Telegraph
• Number of patients being tied up and locked in rooms by care staff DOUBLES as MPs issue warning about hospital abuse The Daily Mail

Child deaths from heart defects plummets – thanks to the NHS

Child deaths from heart defects plummets – thanks to the NHS

Fixing a child’s heart is one the most intricate operations that the NHS performs. Surgeons who do it must operate on tiny babies whose hearts are hardly bigger than walnuts and whose veins are little more than a hair’s breadth across. The Independent

On the money? NHS England gets serious about allocations

On the money? NHS England gets serious about allocations In times of austerity it's particularly important that money gets to the areas that need it most. And in the health care system, it's the arcane – but vital – process of resource allocation that tries to do that. Amidst the complexity of the reforms, there were some changes announced to allocations; with the biggest ones being the new allocations to local authorities for public health, and NHS England being given responsibility for allocating the NHS budget, something that had previously been the Secretary of State's responsibility.

13,000 hospital ops are cancelled

13,000 hospital ops are cancelled More than 13,000 hospital operations have been cancelled over three years due to lack of beds and staff, figures show. BBC News

Mental health nurses on police beat

Mental health nurses on police beat Five more police forces are to pilot a scheme whereby mental health nurses will accompany officers to incidents, the government has announced. BBC News

Statistics on smoking England 2013

Statistics on smoking England 2013 The report aims to present a broad picture of health issues relating to smoking in England and covers topics such as smoking prevalence, habits, behaviours and attitudes among adults and school children, smoking-related ill health and mortality and smoking-related costs. Health Social Care Information Centre

NHS could spend millions teaching patients online skills

NHS could spend millions teaching patients online skills NHS England could be about to spend millions of pounds teaching members of the public how to use the internet, it has emerged Public Service

Annual report 2012: national neonatal audit programme

Annual report 2012: national neonatal audit programme This audit measures neonatal units against a series of standards in order to assess if babies receive the right level and consistency of care across England and Wales. This year's report finds that more than three quarters (79%) of the parents of babies in neonatal units are seen by senior healthcare professionals within 24 hours of admission and the majority of parents report positive experiences, but there is room for improvement in areas such as breastfeeding rates and levels of hypothermia in newborns.

• Report
• Extended online edition
• Quality improvement document
• RCPCH - news

50 per cent rise in deadly baby disease NHS doesn't screen for

50 per cent rise in deadly baby disease NHS doesn't screen for The number of babies contracting Group B streptococcal disease, one of the most severe infections that can strike infants, has risen by 50 per cent in five years, according to new figures. The Daily Telegraph

Record numbers of care homes warned over illegally poor standards

Record numbers of care homes warned over illegally poor standards Record numbers of care homes have been issued with official warnings after inspectors found "unacceptable" and illegal failings which left the most vulnerable at risk. The Daily Telegraph

Physiotherapists in UK can now independently prescribe medication to their patients in world first

Physiotherapists in UK can now independently prescribe medication to their patients in world first Physiotherapists in the UK will become the first in the world to be able to independently prescribe medication to their patients, the Department of Health has announced. The Independent

A&E patients at NGH up by a fifth since 2010 - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

A&E patients at NGH up by a fifth since 2010 The number of patients going to accident and emergency at Northampton General Hospital has risen by more than 20 per cent in three years, according to latest figures. It comes as NGH revealed that July was the busiest month in its A&E department's ... Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Stoptober resources now available

Stoptober resources now available

During October, the nation’s eight million smokers will again be encouraged to take part in the mass participation quit attempt – Stoptober. We know that if you can stop smoking for 28 days you are five times more likely to stay Smokefree, and Stoptober leads smokers through a detailed step-by-step programme to help them achieve this goal.

We have lots of promotional materials and useful advice to help you inspire smokers to quit in your local areas. Resources and further information about Stoptober can be found on the specialised Smokefree Resource Centre  Department of Health

GPs predict longer waiting times

GPs predict longer waiting times Patients will face longer waiting times to see their GP as practices struggle to cope with cuts, a survey of doctors suggests. BBC News

See also:

• General practice ‘in crisis’ as doctors’ workloads mount The Independent
• GPs warn of poorer care for older patients with service at 'breaking point' The Guardians

Health chief: 'I ate hash cookies'

Health chief: 'I ate hash cookies' England's chief medical officer, Prof Dame Sally Davies, says she ate hash cookies at university and says drug addiction should be treated as a public health issue. BBC News

Coalition's NHS stance cynical and wrong

Coalition's NHS stance cynical and wrong It is accused of treating the NHS as if it were a failing bank or business and is more interested in a blame game than in patient care Public Service

See also:

• The NHS: Free and caring or a markey commodity Lancet (editorial)

Fundamental review of allocations policy

Fundamental review of allocations policy NHS England is currently reviewing the local allocation of resources across the full range of its responsibilities, covering both allocations to CCGs and the budgets available for direct commissioning functions in area teams. These resources gather together information on allocation policy in preparation for a series of workshops to discuss current thinking with stakeholders.

• NHS England - resources and further information

Midwife crisis will 'let down' a whole generation of new mothers

Midwife crisis will 'let down' a whole generation of new mothers Figures show shortage will persist until 2026 despite David Cameron's pledge to make childbirth an NHS priority.

Man with learning difficulties to be sterilised in unprecedented court ruling

Man with learning difficulties to be sterilised in unprecedented court ruling High Court orders a man with learning difficulties to have a vasectomy to prevent him having further children in an unprecedented ruling. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Judge backs sterilisation first BBC News
• VIDEO: Mencap backs man's sterilisation BBC News

Pharmacy charged NHS £89 for cod liver oil it could have got for £3

Pharmacy charged NHS £89 for cod liver oil it could have got for £3 One of the country's largest pharmacy chains gave patients cod liver oil tablets that cost almost 30 times as much as a cheaper alternative and claimed the expense back from the NHS.The Daily Telegraph

Jeremy Hunt plans sale of confidential patient medical records to private firms

Jeremy Hunt plans sale of confidential patient medical records to private firms Confidential medical records may be offered to private companies for as little as £1, according to plans drawn up by officials. The Daily Telegraph

Cancer survival rates show stark reality of north-south divide

Cancer survival rates show stark reality of north-south divide

Stark regional differences of cancer mortality and incidence rates are revealed for the first time today by a leading charity, resulting in calls for more to be done to address health inequality in Britain. The Independent

See also:

• Local Cancer Statistics Cancer Research UK
• New website exposes postcode lottery of cancer care The Daily Telegraph

Success of personal health budgets highlighted in national reports

Success of personal health budgets highlighted in national reports Two national reports have highlighted the benefits of Personal Health Budgets (PHBs) for patients in Northamptonshire. The report ‘Personal Health Budgets: a revolution in personalisation'... Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Budding nurses will get frontline training

Budding nurses will get frontline training Kettering Hospital is taking part in a pilot training scheme which will see aspiring nurses get a year’s experience as a healthcare assistant before taking up NHS-funded degree courses. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Stop treating NHS 'as failing bank'

Stop treating NHS 'as failing bank' The government should stop treating the NHS in England like a "failing business or bank", an influential journal says. BBC News

They risked their lives to stop Sars

They risked their lives to stop Sars The doctors who risked their lives to stop the deadly Sars virus BBC News

Accrual of statutory annual leave and sickness - updated guidance

Accrual of statutory annual leave and sickness - updated guidance Following recent legal decisions on the relationship between holiday rights and sickness, our updated guidance looks at what it means for employers NHS Employers

Controversy over DSM-5: new mental health guide

Controversy over DSM-5: new mental health guide “Doctors in dispute: What exactly is normal human behaviour?”, wrote The Independent, while The Observer said: “Psychiatrists under fire in mental health battle.”

These headlines focused on a new version of a major guide to mental health that was published in May 2013 amid a storm of controversy and bitter criticism.

Excess winter mortality report 2012 to 2013

Excess winter mortality report 2012 to 2013 This report presents observations from routine mortality surveillance work done by the Respiratory Diseases Department (RDD) within Public Health England. It shows that excess all-cause mortality has been high among elderly people in 2012 to 2013.

• Report 
• Explanatory letter from Professor John Newton, Chief Knowledge Officer at PHE
• PHE - publications