'No-one had heard of my boys' syndrome'

'No-one had heard of my boys' syndrome': Brothers Alex and Daniel from Northants share a rare metabolic condition called Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome which affects them both differently in a range of challenging ways. BBC Northamptonshire

KGH struggling to cope with population rise

KGH struggling to cope with population rise: Figures released by Kettering General Hospital show how the number of accident and emergency admissions has rocketed over 20 years. Evening Telegraph

MP campaigns to keep ambulance station in Corby

MP campaigns to keep ambulance station in Corby: Corby MP Andy Sawford is calling for the town’s ambulance station, which has been recommended for closure, to be kept open. Evening Telegraph

Shoes funded Northampton General Hospital site

Shoes funded Northampton General Hospital site: THE vital role that shoe barons played in building Northampton General Hospital is being explored in the NGH archive. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS winter health campaign is a 'success' - Northampton Herald and Post

NHS winter health campaign is a 'success' - Northampton Herald and Post:

Northampton Herald and Post

NHS winter health campaign is a 'success' Northampton Herald and Post Wrapped Up was a joint initiative between Northamptonshire County Council, NHS Northamptonshire Public Health, Age UK, Nene Valley Community Action and Northamptonshire Community Foundation. Events have taken place across the county and ...

Being open: the importance of communication in healthcare

Being open: the importance of communication in healthcare: There are a number of barriers to staff being open in the NHS, says Jo Bibby. When surveyed, staff cite the fear of the patient’s response; the fear of litigation; fear of blame and judgement and the lack of confidence and skill to be open even if they want to be. The Health Foundation

Antibiotic resistance 'threat to UK'

Antibiotic resistance 'threat to UK': The danger of growing resistance to antibiotics should be treated as seriously as the threat of terrorism, England's chief medical officer says. BBC News

See also:

• Analysis: Antibiotic apocalypse - is the end nigh? BBC News
• Threat posed by resistance to antibiotics 'ranks alongside terrorism' The Daily Telegraph
• Superbugs 'will send the health service back to 19th century': Even routine surgery could become deadly, warns top medical adviser The Daily Mail

Increasing staff engagement with social media

Increasing staff engagement with social media: This briefing looks at how you can use social media in your organisation to improve staff engagement. It is aimed at the HR community but will also be of interest to communications teams and line managers. NHS Employers

Disruptive innovation is the pill to remedy care for older people, says Ian Philp

Disruptive innovation is the pill to remedy care for older people, says Ian Philp: Delivering care for older people is a challenge which most health and care communities have failed to meet. In Warwickshire, we have had some success in delivering better and more sustainable care for older people across hospital and community settings. We have reduced mortality rates, acute hospital bed use, readmissions and the need for long-term … Continue reading » NHS Voices

Keep hospitals only for the very sick, says new report

Keep hospitals only for the very sick, says new report:

Shifting funds into community based care better for patients and public purse Related items from OnMedica Community nursing “overburdened and at risk” Community care must be improved to reduce bed use Commissioners and the voluntary sector Shake-up needed of urgent care Coach trip: a new journey to manage long-term conditions

Widening access to palliative care for people with learning disabilities: guidance and resources for professionals

Widening access to palliative care for people with learning disabilities: guidance and resources for professionals: This guide aims to help hospices, and the wider healthcare sector, care for people with learning disabilities. It represents a step towards greater partnership by sharing some of the thinking, good practice and resources that have been developed throughout learning disability and end of life care services, in a form that is accessible to all
practitioners but especially those in a hospice setting.

• Guidance
• Help the Hospices - news

Diet high in processed meat 'threatens health'

Diet high in processed meat 'threatens health': The big health news of the week is the claim that eating a diet high in processed meat can increase the risk of premature death due to cancer and heart disease.

The current media scare stems from a large Europe-wide study looking at diet and mortality, involving just under half a million people who were followed for an average of 12.7 years.

We love the NHS too much to make it better

We love the NHS too much to make it better: We adore our NHS so much that any criticism smacks of disloyalty – even eccentricity. So after the Mid Staffordshire scandal, how do we talk about what really needs to change, asks Roger Taylor.

Care home staff to have compulsory training under government plans to protect elderly

Care home staff to have compulsory training under government plans to protect elderly: Care home staff will be forced to undergo compulsory training for the first time under government plans to protect the elderly from abuse and neglect, The Telegraph can disclose.

Freeze on foreign nurses over fake documents fears

Freeze on foreign nurses over fake documents fears: A health body has imposed a recruitment freeze on foreign nurses amid fears that workers could have faked documents to get jobs in British hospitals. The Daily Telegraph

Suffolk patient with anthrax takes total in England to five cases

Suffolk patient with anthrax takes total in England to five cases: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware that a person who injected heroin has been diagnosed with anthrax infection in Suffolk and has died.