Corby GPs set to take over local NHS services

Corby GPs set to take over local NHS services: GPs in Corby are on their way to taking over the planning of health care services in the town. Evening Telegraph

Call for more community nurses

Call for more community nurses: The NHS is looking for more people to become community nurses. Evening Telegraph

Kettering going live with Medway

Kettering going live with Medway: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is going live with its Medway patient administration system this weekend. E-Health Insider

New pharmaceutical services regulations published

New pharmaceutical services regulations published: The NHS (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/349) have been laid before Parliament. They come into force on 1 April 2013.

Slow care leads to foot amputations

Slow care leads to foot amputations: Thousands of diabetes patients end up having a foot amputation because of slow treatment, a charity warns. BBC  News

UKBA 'risks pregnant women's health'

UKBA 'risks pregnant women's health': The UK Border Agency is endangering the health of some pregnant women seeking asylum and their babies by relocating them, a report says. BBC News

VIPER: voice, inclusion, participation, empowerment, research

VIPER: voice, inclusion, participation, empowerment, research: This report describes a three-year project which set out to investigate the participation of disabled children and young people in decision-making about services. The research team was compiled of a group of disabled young people. The aim of the project was to improve services and to understand the barriers to involving disabled young people in the process. Findings suggest that although participation of disabled young people has increased they have less opportunity to participate in decision making, those who are involved tend to consist of a much older age group. Participation can make a huge difference to the disabled young person in terms of gaining new skills and knowledge. Evidence suggests that there is quite often tokenistic involvement in the decision making process and there needs to be training for staff in skills and knowledge and also greater resources available to bring about change. Council for Disable Children

Evidence-based planning and delivery of local support for carers

Evidence-based planning and delivery of local support for carers: These findings outline responses from a survey of local authorities to find out how they collect information about their local carer populations, how they use this information to understand local needs, and plan and deliver support for carers.

• Survey findings
• Carers UK - publications

How the voluntary sector can save an overstretched NHS

How the voluntary sector can save an overstretched NHS: There should be more discussion around the potential for voluntary organisations to complement the NHS.
In recent months, we have seen further evidence that some parts of the NHS are overstretched, struggling to cope with financial pressures and are sometimes failing to meet required quality standards.
Many voluntary organisations have a detailed understanding of specific local needs, high levels of trust and engagement with local communities and the ability to work across multiple services to provide holistic care for individuals.

Hinchingbrooke Hospital: private firm 'transforms' failing NHS trust

Hinchingbrooke Hospital: private firm 'transforms' failing NHS trust: The first NHS trust to be operated entirely by a private company has recorded one of the highest levels of patient satisfaction in the country, it emerged last night. The Daily Telegraph

Foreign doctors who want to work for NHS 'must have good English'

Foreign doctors who want to work for NHS 'must have good English':
Foreign doctors who want to work for the NHS in England will have to prove they can speak English well enough to treat patients, the Government has confirmed. The Independent

See also

• Foreign doctor language checks 'good news for patient care', says GMC The Daily Telegraph
• European NHS doctors face tougher language checks before practising The Guardian
• Foreign doctors 'must speak English' BBC News
• New GMC language testing powers The GMC