Child protection crisis: ‘Turnaround plan is priority’

Child protection crisis: ‘Turnaround plan is priority’: A plan to turn around child protection in Northamptonshire has to be drawn up instead of arguing about the past, the leader of the opposition at Northamptonshire County Council has said. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS charges from April 2013 announced

NHS charges from April 2013 announced:
The NHS prescription charge in England will increase by 20p from £7.65 to £7.85 for each quantity of a drug or appliance from 1 April 2013.
However, the cost of a prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) will remain at £29.10 for a 3 month certificate.  The cost of the annual certificate will remain at £104.

Nurses' care concerns 'discouraged'

Nurses' care concerns 'discouraged': Many nurses believe the NHS has a culture that discourages staff from raising concerns about patient care, a survey suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Nurses 'scared to raise concerns' The Daily Telegraph

'People in danger' from NHS changes

'People in danger' from NHS changes: Opening up the NHS to greater competition from private firms could put patients in danger from a "fragmented" health service, the chair of the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges insists. BBC News

HIV baby 'cured' by treatment

HIV baby 'cured' by treatment: US doctors say they seem to have cured a baby born with HIV - the virus that causes Aids - through very early treatment with standard drug therapy.  BBC News

See also:

• HIV baby 'cured' through early treatment in US The Daily Telegraph
• Have we found a cure for HIV? Child born with virus is now free of infection after 'miraculous' treatment The Daily Mail

UK diabetes cases hit three million

UK diabetes cases hit three million: Three million people in the UK have now been diagnosed with diabetes, says charity Diabetes UK, which warns this new high could create a huge NHS burden. BBC News

NHS negligence claims soar up to £18bn

NHS negligence claims soar up to £18bn: The government is not paying enough attention to management information, Margaret Hodge has claimed Public Service

Dementia Scrapbook app put on firm Foundation

Scrapbook put on firm Foundation: An app created at NHS Hack Day Oxford is now being developed in association with the Health Foundation. E-Health Insider

Trust me... I'm a leader

Trust me... I'm a leader: This paper, the second in a series which explores in detail the needs of future healthcare leaders in the new system, is written by Dr Clare Gerada. NHS Confederation

GMC and other regulators launch joint revalidation handbook

GMC and other regulators launch joint revalidation handbook: A new guide to help Boards check their organisations are placing quality and safety at the heart of their services for patients is published today. The GMC

NHS watchdog to tackle malnutrition in hospitals

NHS watchdog to tackle malnutrition in hospitals: Department of Health acts after reports that over 1,000 people have starved to death in NHS hospitals in past four years
The Department of Health has said it is "unacceptable" for patients to go hungry or be malnourished in hospitals, and has increased the number of unannounced inspections by the care watchdog to tackle the issue.

Roche chief executive dismisses Tamiflu trials doubts

Roche chief executive dismisses Tamiflu trials doubts: The chief executive of the drugs giant that makes Tamiflu, which some claim could be no more effective than paracetamol, has dismissed concerns from scientists pressing it to release all trials results on the remedy. The Daily Telegraph

Sir David Nicholson protected by 'neutered' Francis report

Sir David Nicholson protected by 'neutered' Francis report: Civil servants "neutered" the final version of the Francis report into the Stafford hospital scandal, with the effect of protecting the embattled chief executive of the NHS, a leading expert has claimed. The Daily Telegraph

Overworked doctors pose 'alarming' threat to safety

Overworked doctors pose 'alarming' threat to safety: An "alarming" threat to patient safety is being posed by the "unmanageable workload" that hospital doctors are having to deal with, according to a worrying report published today. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Hospital registrars' workload 'unmanageable', says report The Guardian

IoS investigation: Health care agency under fire on safety

IoS investigation: Health care agency under fire on safety:
Patients will be put at risk by privatised out-of-hours care, according to a GP and former clinical lead for Harmoni, the largest independent provider of urgent care services in England, after its doctors were criticised last week in an inquest over the death of a baby boy. The Independent

HPA issues guidance for pet rodent owners following recent cases of hantavirus

HPA issues guidance for pet rodent owners following recent cases of hantavirus: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has issued new guidance for owners of pet rodents following two recent UK cases of hantavirus which are described in a paper published in this week’s Eurosurveillance.