Heart device can call NGH docs if patient falls ill - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Heart device can call NGH docs if patient falls ill A life-saving heart shock device can now tell Northampton General Hospital doctors if patients fall ill...over the phone. More than 200 Northamptonshire patients use implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD), similar to the one the ex-footballer Fabrice ... Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS aims to beat MRSA in Northamptonshire - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS aims to beat MRSA in Northamptonshire The pledge came as board papers revealed action was taken on Northampton General Hospital's Creaton ward during March, after the superbug was found on the skin of one patient in February and another during March. Checks highlighted high dust levels ... Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Cuts see NHS services and jobs 'at risk' - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Cuts see NHS services and jobs 'at risk' Northamptonshire Healthcare (NHFT) is being forced to 're-design' four services after funding was cut, including respite for adults with learning disabilities, such as The Martins facility in Rushden, a crisis phone line for mentally ill patients who ... Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS stops referring patients to private hospital after damning report

NHS stops referring patients to private hospital after damning report:

Care failures at Mount Alvernia in Surrey included surgeon who operated without gloves in blood-stained shirt sleeves.
The NHS has said it will not refer patients to a private hospital following a scathing assessment of the chaotic and dangerous conditions that led it to suspend children's surgery.

Fears patients may have suffered harm or died due to NHS helpline failings

Fears patients may have suffered harm or died due to NHS helpline failings: NHS investigates claims that 'serious untoward incidents' have resulted from failings with NHS Direct replacement service
The NHS is investigating claims that some patients have suffered harm, and even died, as a result of problems with its new telephone advice service, 111.

News story: New measures unveiled to protect people if care providers fail

News story: New measures unveiled to protect people if care providers fail:

Care and Support Minister, Norman Lamb, today announced legislation would be introduced to give the Care Quality Commission (CQC) powers to oversee the financial stability of the largest and most difficult to replace care providers.

The role of local authorities is also being clarified so that, if a care provider fails, local authorities will have ultimate responsibility for ensuring continuity of care for all people receiving care regardless of who is funding the services.

The CQC’s oversight of finances, and the clarity of the local authority role, will give people who depend on care providers, along with their families and carers, an added level of assurance that their care needs will continue to be met.

Care and Support Minister, Norman Lamb said:

Everyone who receives care and support wants to know they will be protected if the company in charge of their care goes bust.

The fear and upset that the Southern Cross collapse caused to care home residents and families was unacceptable. This early warning system will bring reassurance to people in care and will allow action to be taken to ensure care continues if a provider fails.

The new powers are subject to Parliamentary approval. They were consulted on earlier in the year and the department has today published the formal consultation response.

This is part of wider work to improve standards and quality across the care sector and was first announced in the Care and Support white paper in July 2012. The department has progressed other initiatives in the sector to improve quality of care, including a website bringing together comparative information about care in local areas, and a Code of Conduct and Minimum Training Standards of care for adult social care.
Department of Health

Magnetic pulses may help treat depression

Magnetic pulses may help treat depression: A treatment for depression that uses magnetic pulses to activate key areas of the brain is being offered in Britain for the first time. Telegraph

Three deaths investigated involving NHS non-emergency 111 hotline

Three deaths investigated involving NHS non-emergency 111 hotline:
Three deaths and another 19 “potentially serious" incidents are being investigated in relation to the NHS's 111 non-emergency helpline, which was rolled out nationally last month. Independent

One manual shouldn't dictate US mental health research - New Scientist

One manual shouldn't dictate US mental health research The controversies swirling around the imminent update of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, produced by the American Psychiatric Association, have badly hurt confidence in psychiatric diagnosis. The problem ... And now we have ... New Scientist

Junior doctor 'wrongly gives cancer all-clear to hundreds of women'

Junior doctor 'wrongly gives cancer all-clear to hundreds of women': Around 250 patients who attended a breast cancer clinic at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital in Dorset between January 2011 and July last year have been asked back to have reassessments. Health - Mail online

Hospital 'not reporting hundreds of blundering doctors'

Hospitals 'not reporting hundreds of blundering doctors': Almost 200 doctors have not been reported to the General Medical Council for potentially fatal errors despite new legislation following the Harold Shipman case. Telegraph

New NHS helpline is putting people's lives at risk, say doctors

New NHS helpline is putting people's lives at risk, say doctors:
The new NHS 111 system is putting lives at risk because operators are making "inappropriate" decisions, GPs have warned in a damning report obtained by The Independent.

Quarter of adults 'walk hour a week'

Quarter of adults 'walk hour a week': A Ramblers poll suggests a quarter of adults walk for no more than one hour each week. BBC News - Health

NHS England to publish IT strategy

NHS England to publish IT strategy: NHS England is developing an NHS Technology Strategy and Roadmap, setting a national direction for NHS IT. EHI News

'Health Online' to push records access

'Health Online' to push records access: NHS England is running a 'Health Online Programme' working towards 100% electronic referrals and patient access to their records online by 2015. EHI News