Mid Staffs campaigners honoured

Mid Staffs campaigners honoured Two women who led the fight against one of the most shocking failings in NHS history are recognised in the New Year honours list. BBC News

7,000 key NHS clinical staff laid off amid enforced cuts

7,000 key NHS clinical staff laid off amid enforced cuts Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA says £20bn savings drive to blame, as doctors and nurses are made redundant.

An "arbitrary" straitjacket on the NHS's budget by Whitehall is leading to job losses, recruitment freezes and inadequate care for patients, the leader of the country's doctors warns on Tuesday.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the British Medical Association, said forcing the NHS in England to make £20bn of "efficiency gains" by 2015 at a time of rising demand for healthcare was wrong and damaging.

Porter was speaking to the Guardian after the Department of Health (DH) admitted that 7,060 NHS clinical staff, such as doctors and nurses, have been made redundant since the coalition took power in 2010, at the same time as David Cameron was pledging to protect the service's frontline from cuts.

Liver disease deaths: areas with highest levels 'most starved of NHS funds'

Liver disease deaths: areas with highest levels 'most starved of NHS funds' British Liver Trust slates funding policy giving areas with lowest fatalities 10% more in GP budgets than areas with most deaths.

Health reforms have ensured that the areas with the greatest number of deaths from liver disease are being "starved of NHS funds", a leading charity has warned.

According to an analysis by the British Liver Trust, areas with the lowest numbers of deaths will on average get funding increases worth 10% more than those areas with the highest number.

Despite a personal commitment from the prime minister for liver disease to be tackled as a priority, charities said that no real action had been taken and that a promised strategy was now two years overdue.

Campaigners also said also that the money to tackle the disease was slowly being reduced. Just before Christmas NHS England unveiled how much local groups of GPs would be able to spend on their patients.

Minister calls for shake-up of ambulance response targets in rural areas after death of young chef

Minister calls for shake-up of ambulance response targets in rural areas after death of young chef Norman Lamb, minister for care and support, says rural areas are often neglected as ambulance trusts focus on easier urban response times as they chase targets. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Rural ambulance times 'need rethink' BBC News

Doctors fork out £5 million to fight private rivals due to Government health ...

Doctors fork out £5 million to fight private rivals due to Government health... Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG paid £503,310 in legal costs, Nene CCG in Northamptonshire spent £330,000, West Cheshire CCG £176,544 and East Leicestershire and Rutland CCG £129,069. Others with high legal bills include Southern Derbyshire ... The Daily Mirror

Migrants to face NHS care charges

Migrants to face NHS care charges Migrants are to face new charges for some NHS services in England, ministers say, but GP consultations will remain free. BBC News

See also:

• Press release: Extended NHS charging for visitors and migrants Department of Health
• RCGP comment on Government plans for visitor and migrant NHS access Royal College of General Practitioners
• Migrants will be charged by A&E: Foreigners who have emergency treatment will be billed in clampdown on health tourism The Daily Mail
• Tourists and migrants to be charged to use NHS emergency services The Guardian
• Migrants can see GPs for free, despite promise of crackdown The Daily Telegraph 
• Migrants will have to pay at A&E – and all patients will have to prove they are not foreigners to get free NHS treatment The Independent

Was 2013 the NHS's annus horriblis?

Was 2013 the NHS's annus horriblis? Nick Triggle on whether 2013 was NHS's annus horriblis. BBC News

Growing exodus of A&E doctors to Australia adds to strain on NHS

Growing exodus of A&E doctors to Australia adds to strain on NHS College of Emergency Medicine says NHS cannot afford to lose so much talent at a time of understaffing in A&E units.

8,000 people get tummy tucks on NHS

8,000 people get tummy tucks on NHS NHS offers 'tummy tucks' to 8,000 people at an estimated cost of £50m amid concerns taxpayers' money is being wasted. The Daily Telegraph

Exclusive: Action on implants - Government to implement cosmetic surgery controls

Exclusive: Action on implants - Government to implement cosmetic surgery controls

Every woman who undergoes a breast implant operation will have the procedure logged on a national register, to help prevent a repeat of the cosmetic surgery scandal which affected tens of thousands in the UK and 400,000 worldwide, The Independent on Sunday reveals.

See also:

• Breast implants to be registered BBC News
• Breast implant register for UK in the wake of the PIP scandal The Guardian
• National register for breast implant operations The Daily Telegraph

Patients’ views on Northampton General Hospital could be passed to inspectors

Patients’ views on Northampton General Hospital could be passed to inspectors Views of NGH patients are being sought so they can passed to inspectors who will visit next month. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The Care Bill: factsheets

The Care Bill: fact sheets The Care Bill was introduced into Parliament on 9th May 2013 and published on 10 May 2013. These fact sheets have been produced to accompany the bill. The Department of Health

Trust apologises over DNA failings

Trust apologises over DNA failings An NHS Trust apologises for "inexcusable failings" after complaints a sexual assault referral centre in London did not send samples for DNA testing. BBC News

Surgeon suspended over 'branding'

Surgeon suspended over 'branding' A surgeon has been suspended over allegations he "branded" his initials on to a patient's liver, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust says. BBC News

Care home bosses jailed for neglect

Care home bosses jailed for neglect A former care home owner and his manager are each jailed for 12 months for neglecting elderly patients in their care. BBC News

Better Care Fund guidance

Better Care Fund guidance This guidance provides local areas with the detail they need to complete plans for how they will use their portion of the fund to join up health and care services around the needs of patients, so that people can stay at home more and be in hospital less. Local Government Association 

So, farewell then, 2013

So, farewell then, 2013 The NHS was finally reorganised, health secretary Jeremy Hunt announced he wanted a paperless NHS - and found some money for it - the National Programme for IT came under fire yet again, and trusts had variable luck implementing their own IT systems. E-Health Insider

Securing sustainability: planning guidance for NHS trust boards 2014/15 – 2018/19

Securing sustainability: planning guidance for NHS trust boards 2014/15 – 2018/19 This guidance sets out what NHS boards should focus on to be able to continue to deliver high quality care today whilst taking the necessary action to ensure they can continue to do so in the future. NHS Trust Development Authority

• Guidance
• Detailed technical guidance
• Annex A: two year plan summary template
• Annex F: five year plan summary template 

Meeting the needs of patients: improving strategic planning in NHS foundation trusts

Meeting the needs of patients: improving strategic planning in NHS foundation trusts This document is aimed at NHS foundation trusts; it looks at what strategic and operational planning can achieve and how the sector can be supported in moving towards these goals. Monitor

Elderly want home care but don't discuss needs

Elderly want home care but don't discuss needs Pensioners end up going into care homes or hospitals because they leave decisions on their long term care until they are facing a crisis situation, experts say. The Daily Telegraph

Ministers scrap £20m scheme to keep elderly warm

Ministers scrap £20m scheme to keep elderly warm Ministers 'shameful' for scrapping £20m scheme to keep pensioners warm. The Daily Telegraph

Scrap routine follow-up of cancer survivors, says leading charity

Scrap routine follow-up of cancer survivors, says leading charity Scrap routine follow-up appointments for cancer survivors or NHS will collapse, charity says. The Daily Telegraph

Care home claims it ‘did not cut staffing levels’

Care home claims it ‘did not cut staffing levels’ A care home which suffered an outbreak of norovirus last month has refuted suggestions it did not have enough staff to cope. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Protecting and promoting patients’ interests: licence exemptions: guidance for providers

Protecting and promoting patients’ interests: licence exemptions: guidance for providers All providers of NHS healthcare services in England will need a licence from Monitor from April 2014, unless they are exempt. The licence will set out the conditions that licence holders will have to meet in order to provide NHS services. Department of Health

Millions wait a week to see a GP

Millions wait a week to see a GP Millions of patients in England are waiting a week or longer for a GP appointment, figures reveal. BBC News

See also:

• VIDEO: Millions wait a week to see a GP BBC News
• 27m patients to wait a week or more to see GP in 2014 due to diversion of doctor posts to hospitals Royal College of General Practitioners

Updated guidance on the use of settlement agreements and the process for making severance payments

Updated guidance on the use of settlement agreements and the process for making severance payments Following changes to the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 we have updated the guidance on the use of settlement agreements and confidentiality clauses and the NHS employers guidance on the process for making severance payments. NHS Employers

Can frankincense really fight cancer?

Can frankincense really fight cancer? “Frankincense ‘fights cancer’,” is the festive health headline from the Mail Online. The “aromatic substance from the Nativity story could help treat ovarian tumours,” it says.

The news is based on a University of Leicester press release entitled “Christmas gift brings treatment hope for cancer patients”. Unfortunately, many more Christmases are likely to pass before anyone is treated with frankincense for ovarian cancer.

CCG budget set to top £100bn

CCG budget set to top £100bn NHS England says new funding allocations will not punish most deprived areas. OnMedica

How organ donation is getting nudge in the right direction: trial could pave way for 100,000 extra donors each year

How organ donation is getting nudge in the right direction: trial could pave way for 100,000 extra donors each year

More than 100,000 extra people every year would sign up to become organ donors if they were asked to do so in the right way, a pioneering government trial has found. The Independent

Public views invited as NGH welcomes CQC inspection

Public views invited as NGH welcomes CQC inspection NGH response in respect of CQC inspection announcement.

Wellingborough most obese town in England

Wellingborough most obese town in England A report claims that Wellingborough is the most obese town in England. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Hunt 'crazy' to call hospital bosses

Hunt 'crazy' to call hospital bosses It is "crazy" for Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to personally call hospital bosses who miss A&E targets, the health regulator for England says. BBC News

See also:

• NHS chief admits to anger at Jeremy Hunt's 'meddling' The Guardian

NHS 'was too powerful to criticise'

NHS 'was too powerful to criticise' The NHS "became too powerful to criticise" despite many patients receiving a "wholly unsatisfactory" service, the health regulator says. BBC News

See also:

• NHS on brink of crisis because it became 'too powerful' to criticise The Daily Telegraph

Good practice guide to major service change published

Good practice guide to major service change published NHS England has today published a good practice guide for commissioners, to assist clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) should they choose to develop proposals for major service changes and reconfiguration.

This guidance builds on earlier best practice guidance developed prior to the new commissioning system, but has been brought up to date, reflecting the roles and responsibilities of commissioners to deliver improvements in services for patients and local communities.

The new guidance provides a one stop resource for the principles and processes for building proposals for major service change, including how to develop the business case, assess proposals against the Government’s ‘four tests’, as well as how to assure patient and public engagement is at the heart of the process.  The guidance will supplemented by an assurance toolkit which sets out how NHS England will support and assure local commissioning proposals.

Liaison psychiatry for every acute hospital: integrated mental and physical healthcare

Liaison psychiatry for every acute hospital: integrated mental and physical healthcare This report summarises existing evidence of need for liaison psychiatry services in all acute hospitals and then provides evidence for the range of problems addressed, and range of interventions required, to meet core mental health demands in acute hospitals. It also contains case examples that demonstrate the benefit of services; provide detailed considerations for service design, including principle organisational standards, access and response standards, hours of operation, remit and staffing; governance is addressed as a range of clinical and organisational risks and how these can be reduced by liaison psychiatry services are described. Lastly, key considerations required to set local standards for common mental health-related problems that occur in acute hospitals are provided. Royal College of Psychiatrists

Beating the effects of winter pressures

Beating the effects of winter pressures This briefing paper aims to help explain why there is increased pressure on the NHS in winter, the impact this has on NHS services, and sets out why a longer term solution is needed. British Medical Association 

• Briefing paper
• BMA - winter pressures

NHS services, seven days a week - costing seven day services

NHS services, seven days a week - costing seven day services This report looks at the financial implications of seven day services for acute emergency and urgent services and supporting diagnostics. Healthcare Financial Management Association

• Report
• NHS England - seven days a week report 

Using clinical communities to improve quality

Using clinical communities to improve quality This report introduces the concept of the clinical community approach which comprises a core team that supports site teams to make change happen locally. It presents 10 key lessons from the programme about when to use a clinical community, how to make it work, and how to avoid potential pitfalls. The Health Foundation

CQC reveals plans for community health care

CQC reveals plans for community health care Larger inspection teams to include GPs, district nurses and other experts. OnMedica

A&E targets missed by hospitals for second week running

A&E targets missed by hospitals for second week running Latest figures show 95% target of patients being treated within four hours at casualty was not attained again.

Track patients addicted to prescription drugs, home affairs committee tells GPs

Track patients addicted to prescription drugs, home affairs committee tells GPs Report calls for immediate steps as it is revealed there are as many as 1.5 million people dependent on tranquillisers.

The man with a mission to heal the health service

The man with a mission to heal the health service The man in charge of the NHS watchdog calls for radical changes to put patients first, The Daily Telegraph

New EU directives put independent midwives under threat

New EU directives put independent midwives under threat

Like Mary, the mother of Christ, pregnant women may be forced to give birth in unsafe circumstances, independent midwives warned yesterday. EU red tape means mothers-to-be in the UK may no longer be able to give birth at a place of their choice or with a midwife they felt safe with, said Independent Midwives UK (IM UK). The Independent

'Standards needed' for hospital food

'Standards needed' for hospital food The NHS in England should introduce legally-binding standards for hospital food, as the current voluntary system is not working, campaigners say. BBC News

Can aspirin fight anger?

Can aspirin fight anger?
"Keep calm and carry an aspirin to beat your temper," reports The Daily Telegraph's front page.
This risible headline comes from a study that did not look at aspirin or at people who have a "quick temper".
In fact, the study investigated whether people with a condition called "intermittent explosive disorder" (IED) had higher levels of two proteins that indicate inflammation.

Exclusive: Health minister urges GPs to work more efficiently to open seven days

Exclusive: Health minister urges GPs to work more efficiently to open seven days Health minister Lord Howe has urged GPs concerned about the lack of resources to provide seven-day services to work more efficiently. GP Online

NHS England insists practices do not close early on Christmas Eve

NHS England insists practices do not close early on Christmas Eve LMCs pledge to support practices that close early on Christmas and New Year’s Eve OnMedica

Why staff engagement is vital for healthcare innovation

Why staff engagement is vital for healthcare innovation

Frontline staff can design solutions to the big challenges for the NHS, but they need freedom, confidence and encouragement.

Hundreds of breast cancer patients kept in the dark by hospital trust about concerns over rogue surgeon who carried out 'cleavage-saving'...

Hundreds of breast cancer patients kept in the dark by hospital trust about concerns over rogue surgeon who carried out 'cleavage-saving'...

Hundreds of breast cancer patients were exposed to harm and “betrayed” by an NHS hospital trust which kept them in the dark about concerns over a rogue surgeon, a damning report has found. The Independent

Coroner urges NHS Trust to learn lessons from tragic suicide

Coroner urges NHS Trust to learn lessons from tragic suicide Northampton Coroner to write to Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust urging that lessons are learned in the treatment of depressed patients following a suicide. Northampton Herald and Post

Minimum nurse staffing levels are only part of the picture

Minimum nurse staffing levels are only part of the picture Just as it is important to have the right number of nurses, there needs to be appropriate numbers of healthcare assistants, junior doctors, allied health professionals, portering, administrative staff and consultants for care to be safe, effective and sensitive to the needs of the individual, says Jo Bibby. The Health Foundation

Lung cancer year survival 'better'

Lung cancer year survival 'better' The proportion of lung cancer patients alive a year after diagnosis has improved "significantly", data shows. BBC News

See also:

• Deaths from cancer have dropped by more than 20% in the last 20 years The Daily Mail

NHS England publishes CCG funding allocations for next two years following adoption of new formula

NHS England publishes CCG funding allocations for next two years following adoption of new formula NHS England has today published the funding allocations that Clinical Commissioning Groups will receive over the next two years (2014/15 and 2015/16).

• Funding allocations
• Supporting note

It follows yesterday’s decision by the NHS England Board to adopt a new funding formula for local health commissioners that will more accurately reflect population changes and include a specific deprivation measure.

Top tips from high performing trusts

Top tips from high performing trusts High performing trusts share their top tips for a successful staff flu vaccination campaign. NHS Employers

Vitamin pills have 'limited benefit', say researchers

Vitamin pills have 'limited benefit', say researchers “Vitamins are a waste of money,” reports The Daily Telegraph, while the Daily Mail tells us that multi-vitamins “do nothing to protect us from illness”.

The news is in part based on some high quality research on whether there were any benefits from taking vitamins among different – but specific – groups of people. But the main “waste of money” news headlines are, in fact, based on an opinion piece by a group of researchers, based on findings from these studies.

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (MSFT) recommendations - final report

Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (MSFT) recommendations - final report This report sets out a series of recommendations for the future of MSFT and the services it currently provides. The TSAs’ recommendations will mean that at least 91% of current patient visits will continue to take place locally at Stafford or Cannock Chase Hospitals and that the services provided at these hospitals will be clinically safe and sustainable.

• Final report
• Supporting documents

Investing in people: for health and healthcare

Investing in people: for health and healthcare This workforce plan sets out the investments HEE intends to make in education and training programmes to begin in September 2014. Health Education England

MPs concerned over speed of improvement of nursing regulator

MPs concerned over speed of improvement of nursing regulator Common’s health committee report says progress is ‘fragile’. OnMedica

See also:

• NMC responds to Parliamentary Health Select Committee annual report NMC
• 2013 accountability hearing with the Nursing and Midwifery Council House of Commons Health Select Committee

FGM inquiry launched to uncover reasons for lack of prosecution in UK

FGM inquiry launched to uncover reasons for lack of prosecution in UK  A major inquiry has been launched into female genital mutilation (FGM) to uncover why there has not been a single prosecution in the UK since it was made a criminal offence, and to try to bring an end to the illegal practice.

Ministers reject calls to reinstate patients' right to see GP within two days

Ministers reject calls to reinstate patients' right to see GP within two days Ministers have rejected calls to reinstate patients' right to see their GP within 48 hours as a way of relieving the pressure on overcrowded A&E units.

Colchester Hospital University NHS Trust boss resigns amid bullying allegations

Colchester Hospital University NHS Trust boss resigns amid bullying allegations Chief executive of cancer scandal hospital steps down amid police investigation. The Daily Telegraph

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust placed in special measures

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust placed in special measures

Casualty wards at an Essex NHS trust are “at times unsafe” because of a lack of doctors, the health watchdog has said, as another hospital group was put into special measures following an inspectors’ report. The Independent

Organs shortage results in 44 Northamptonshire deaths

Organs shortage results in 44 Northamptonshire deaths A shortage of organ donations has resulted in the deaths of 44 Northamptonshire residents in the past five years, the NHS has said. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Big fall in numbers given care

Big fall in numbers given care The number of people getting social care support in England has fallen by a quarter in four years, figures show. BBC News

NHS England announces a further £150m to improve patient safety and care

NHS England announces a further £150m to improve patient safety and care Hospitals are to get a £150 million boost to help improve patient safety and help make the NHS the safest healthcare system in the world.

Can we do more for child health in the NHS? asks Elizabeth Wade

Can we do more for child health in the NHS? asks Elizabeth Wade Child health outcomes in the UK are not as good as they could be, starkly apparent when compared to our European counterparts. Concern about this situation – and a strong desire to change it – led bodies from across the health sector to develop and sign up to a pledge to improve health outcomes for … NHS Voices

Cannabis 'changes shape of brain circuits'

Cannabis 'changes shape of brain circuits' "Teenagers who smoke cannabis have 'poor memory and abnormal brain structures'," the Daily Mail reports. The headline accurately reflects the results of a small study looking at the effect of cannabis use on brain structure.

Stop scaremongering about NHS, urge commissioning leaders

Stop scaremongering about NHS, urge commissioning leaders It frightens patients, demoralises staff; let’s focus instead on getting on with improvements. OnMedica

'Landmark' NHS funding plan to target areas with older populations

'Landmark' NHS funding plan to target areas with older populations The board of NHS England has agreed to change the way £100 billion a year is allocated across the country. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• New CCG allocations: Straw men laid to rest but deeper questions remain? The King's Fund
• Poorest areas to get extra NHS money to tackle ill health The Guardian

One-in-five redundant NHS staff rehired

One-in-five redundant NHS staff rehired Thousands of NHS staff who received payoffs for redundancy have been rehired, MPs told. The Daily Telegraph

Liverpool Care Pathway ban was 'scapegoat' warns consultant

Liverpool Care Pathway ban was 'scapegoat' warns consultant Claud Regnard, a consultant in palliative care has warned that it was a mistake to get rid of the Liverpool Care Pathway. The Daily Telegraph

More than 1,000 extra trainee nursing places to be created

More than 1,000 extra trainee nursing places to be created

More than 1,000 extra trainee nursing places will be created next year as the NHS attempts to tackle the growing shortage of nurses on hospital wards. The Independent

GlaxoSmithKline to stop paying doctors to promote its drugs

GlaxoSmithKline to stop paying doctors to promote its drugs

British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced that it will stop paying doctors to promote its products, in a first for a major drugs company. The Independent

See also:

• GSK to stop doctor incentive schemes BBC News
• GlaxoSmithKline to stop paying doctors to promote drugs The Guardian

Breaks no longer funded for parents with autistic son

Breaks no longer funded for parents with autistic son The parents of a severely autistic boy from Northampton will no longer be given paid respite after council funding was removed. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Will patient leadership cure chaos at NHS England?

Will patient leadership cure chaos at NHS England? The expertise to make the NHS the safest most efficient healthcare system in the world is available, someone needs to track it down and bring it home, says Martin Bromiley. The Health Foundation

Under one roof? Housing and public health in England

Under one roof? Housing and public health in England Now that public health is part of local government, the briefing explores what more could be done to strengthen links with housing departments. Housing Learning & Improvement Network

New laws could drive ‘political’ NHS closures

New laws could drive ‘political’ NHS closures BMA urges government to think again on amendments to the Care Bill. OnMedica

See also:

• Government must rethink plans to reconfigure NHS via 'the backdoor' The Information Daily

Integrated approach to improving the public's health

Integrated approach to improving the public's health These briefings discuss a range of issues connected to food, the environment, transport and obesity that demonstrate the importance of an integrated approach to improving people's health. They give an overview of key public health issues and make recommendations for action to tackle the issues they address. Faculty of Public Health

• The built environment and physical activity
• Food marketing to children
• Obesity
• Transport and health
• Sugar

NHS must do more for vulnerable people

NHS must do more for vulnerable people GPs suggest one stop ‘healthcare hubs’ for travellers, sex workers and the homeless. OnMedica

See also:

• Improving access to heath care for gypsies and travellers, homeless people and sex workers: an evidence-based commissioning guide for clinical commissioning groups and health and wellbeing boards Royal College of General Practitioners

Assisted suicide ruling cannot ignore right and wrong, says judge

Assisted suicide ruling cannot ignore right and wrong, says judge Moral questions of right and wrong cannot be "ignored" when deciding whether to allow assisted suicide, senior judge says in landmark challenge to Britain's euthanasia laws. The Daily Telegraph

St Andrews boss blames critical inspection on lack of trained mental health nurses

St Andrews boss blames critical inspection on lack of trained mental health nurses The chief executive of a hospital in Northampton that was criticised by inspectors for low staffing levels, said the problem lies with a lack of trained mental health nurses. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Five nurses struck off over Parkside House neglect

Five nurses struck off over Parkside House neglect Five care home nurses who neglected pensioners at a scandal-hit care-home where five residents died in a fortnight were struck off. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Concerns norovirus hit care home didn’t have enough staff to cope

Concerns norovirus hit care home didn’t have enough staff to cope A care home where two people died after an outbreak of norovirus may not have had enough staff to cope with the issue,the county’s health watchdog has said. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Health visitor plan quarterly reports: 2013 to 2014

Health visitor plan quarterly reports: 2013 to 2014 The report gives an update on the readiness of local authorities to take on public health commissioning for children under five years. Department of Health

Sharp increase in NHS racist attacks

Sharp increase in NHS racist attacks The number of verbal and physical racist attacks reported in the NHS has increased by 65% in the past five years, Freedom of Information data suggests. BBC News

'Seven-day week' for senior doctors

'Seven-day week' for senior doctors The medical director of NHS England says there is a "compelling" need for change, as he announces plans to improve care for hospital patients at weekends. BBC News

See also: 

• NHS England’s Sir Bruce Keogh sets out plan to drive seven-day services across the NHS NHS England
• Hunt welcomes 'seven-day NHS' plan BBC News
• Warning over NHS weekend care by consultant left disabled by failings The Daily Telegraph 
• NHS chief Sir Bruce Keogh wants senior doctors to work at weekends The Guardian 
• NHS plan to make hospital admissions at weekends safer for patients The Guardian 
• Senior NHS doctors who refuse to work weekends face the sack: Hospitals with poor records could also face fines of up to £12m The Daily Mail

Anastrozole may cut breast cancer risk

Anastrozole may cut breast cancer risk The Daily Telegraph reports on a "remarkable breast cancer drug that could save the lives of thousands of women".

This solid and believable headline, along with similar ones from The Times and The Guardian, was based on large-scale, high-quality research looking at whether the drug anastrozole could reduce the risk of cancer in postmenopausal women who were at high risk of breast cancer.

Ten questions for your council

Ten questions for your council These ten questions aim to help local authorities promote the wellbeing of their population and improve the recovery of people with mental health problems by providing information about the size, impact and cost of the unmet need to both treat mental health problems, to prevent them from arising and to promote wellbeing. Centre for Mental Health

One in five patients with learning disabilities live in hospitals 100km or more from their families

One in five patients with learning disabilities live in hospitals 100km or more from their families

Hundreds of people with learning disabilities are still living in hospitals more than 100km from their homes, despite a Government pledge to ensure vulnerable people are cared for in their communities. The Independent

See also:

• One in five inpatients with learning disabilities is being treated 100km or more away from home Health and Social Care Information Centre
• Winterbourne Review: transforming care one year on Department of Health
• Our response to the Learning Disabily Census Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities
• Winterbourne View patients still at risk, warn families The Daily Telegraph

First missed targets of the winter heighten fears that casualty wards will struggle with seasonal workload

First missed targets of the winter heighten fears that casualty wards will struggle with seasonal workload

Casualty wards in England have missed their waiting times targets for the first time this winter, heightening fears that accident and emergency units may struggle to cope with the seasonal spike in hospital admissions. The Independent

See also:

• A&E units miss four-hour target BBC News
• A&E treatment times miss target as winter puts strain on hospitals The Guardian

Are we being fair to the NHS?

Are we being fair to the NHS? After more bad headlines, are we being fair to the NHS? BBC News

Detailed data on “never events” will help NHS care become even safer, says NHS England.

Detailed data on “never events” will help NHS care become even safer, says NHS England. NHS England  publishes more detailed data than ever before about “never events” – the serious errors in care that put patients at risk of harm and that should not happen if full preventative procedures are in place.

Mental health and community services

Mental health and community services This Briefing explores the opportunities and good practice currently developing in ‘combined’ or ‘integrated’ trusts, as well as the challenges. NHS Confederation

No health without mental health: mental health dashboard

No health without mental health: mental health dashboard The first annual mental health dashboard aims to show progress against the objectives set out in the ‘No health without mental health’ strategy. The dashboard includes information on: mental health services; the physical wellbeing of people with mental health problems; and experiences of stigma and discrimination. Department of Health

• Dashboard
• No health without mental health: a cross-government outcomes strategy

A fresh start for the regulation and inspection of GP practices and GP out-of-hours services

A fresh start for the regulation and inspection of GP practices and GP out-of-hours services his report sets out a new approach to inspecting and regulating all GPs and out-of-hours services, due to start in April 2014. Care Quality Commission 

National Health SHAMBLES: Three damning reports describe mothers abandoned during labour, serious hospital blunders every day and how...

National Health SHAMBLES: Three damning reports describe mothers abandoned during labour, serious hospital blunders every day and how... Public confidence in the Health Service is already at a record low following a run of inquiries exposing a culture of appalling patient care and bureaucratic cover-ups. The Daily Mail

The real NHS 'crisis' this winter is the constant threat of unrealistic cuts | Colin Leys

The real NHS 'crisis' this winter is the constant threat of unrealistic cuts | Colin Leys Hospitals are overwhelmed this winter, that is true, but they are being run down to make room for private healthcare.

FGM: Britain's first ever criminal charges could be brought as cases reopened

FGM: Britain's first ever criminal charges could be brought as cases reopened Exclusive: Home Office minister Norman Baker welcomes the development which could see charges brought for the first time against doctors and other individuals suspected of involvement in female genital mutilation. The Daily Telegraph

Women left fearful and alone in labour, says Care Quality Commission report

Women left fearful and alone in labour, says Care Quality Commission report Best and worst performing NHS Trusts identified by the the chief inspector of hospitals, as some mothers forced to endure "shocking and frightening" births. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Worry as women left alone in labour BBC News
• Revealed: Appalling treatment of mothers-to-be at maternity units where women say they are 'abandoned' The Daily Mail
• NHS maternity services not good enough, says chief inspector The Guardian

Teen death hospital quiet on action

Teen death hospital quiet on action A hospital criticised over the death of 17-year-old who bled to death refuses to explain disciplinary action it says has taken against staff. BBC News

VIDEO: Council to 'slash budget by £128m'

VIDEO: Council to 'slash budget by £128m' Northamptonshire County Council has revealed proposals to save £128m over next five years. BBC Northamptonshire

Investigating patient deaths: a waste of time and money?

Investigating patient deaths: a waste of time and money? When you investigate and only identify a root cause, you’re missing the real potential learning. You must work with trained investigators who can look at all casual factors. And you must want to do it, says Martin Bromiley. The Health Foundation