Health warning as temperature soars

Health warning as temperature soars As the hot weather continues, NHS Corby and NHS Nene clinical commissioning groups are reminding people to take simple steps to stay safe and well. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Two perfect babies. But you've just paid Bernice £44,000 compensation for having them

Two perfect babies. But you've just paid Bernice £44,000 compensation for having them Bernice met the directors of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust last March, after she had her dummy implant removed at four months pregnant. She had been promised an investigation and an explanation as to why the contraception... The Daily Mail

The Keogh Report: reacting to reactions

The Keogh Report: reacting to reactions Yesterday's high octane ding-dong in the House of Commons over the Keogh report was an example of the unacceptable face of political interference in the delivery of healthcare, says Stephen Thornton. The Health Foundation

Hospital inspections 'to be tougher'

Hospital inspections 'to be tougher' he new chief inspector of hospitals in England promises more robust and broader inspections, as he acknowledges previous methods were "flawed". BBC News

See also:

• 'Whistleblower-in-chief' reveals plan to fix NHS: make you the inspector The Independent
• Army of patients to be recruited to inspect NHS The Daily Telegraph
• NHS care watchdog CQC to overhaul hospital inspection system The Guardian
• 'Stigma associated with raising concerns must be removed' The Guardian
• Patients, not bureaucrats, will be on new inspection teams to sort out NHS hospitals The Daily Mail

Minimum alcohol price plan shelved

Minimum alcohol price plan shelved The government will not introduce a minimum price for a unit of alcohol in England and Wales but will stop it being sold below the cost of duty plus VAT. BBC News

'Cancer sniffing' knife designed

'Cancer sniffing' knife designed An "intelligent" knife that can sniff out tumours to improve cancer surgery has been developed by scientists. BBC News

See also:

• VIDEO: 'Intelligent' knife detects cancer BBC News
• Magic scalpel that sniffs out tumours in an instant is set to revolutionise cancer surgery The Daily Mail

Why not... privatise the NHS?

Why not... privatise the NHS? Arguments for and against the biggest taboo in UK politics. BBC News

Community nursing insulin chart

Community nursing insulin chart The risks associated with the administration of insulin are well known and the maladministration of insulin is now a never event.

An insulin chart has been developed by experienced community health services pharmacists and includes a number of safety features within the chart design, for example it is pre-printed with the word “units”. NHS Networks

Dementia rates dropping

Dementia rates dropping “Dementia rates fall as public health improves,” is the good news story greeting readers of The Daily Telegraph.

The news comes from UK based research published in The Lancet medical journal. The research showed the number of people with dementia in the UK in 2011 was much lower than researchers predicted based on trends two decades earlier.

Surgery deferred. Sight denied. Variation in cataract service provision across England

Surgery deferred. Sight denied. Variation in cataract service provision across England This report from the RNIB reveals the variation in rates of cataract operations across England. The analysis also reveals a national decline in the rate of second eye operations taking place which the report highlights as an area of concern. Research indicates that patients who have early access to second eye surgery may experience fewer falls and fractures compared to those who waited for 12 months.

• Report
• Executive summary

NHS staff: social indicators

NHS staff: social indicators This briefing note provides overview statistical information on the NHS workforce in England.

• Briefing
• House of Commons library - publications

Patients are twice as likely to die in some NHS hospitals because they lack proper equipment and resources, new study finds

Patients are twice as likely to die in some NHS hospitals because they lack proper equipment and resources, new study finds A study by Imperial College London found that hospital that made the most of medical equipment like ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scanning had lower mortality rates. The Daily Mail

Elderly care revolution as state-backed insurance scheme announced

Elderly care revolution as state-backed insurance scheme announced Government shakeup planned to cap costs for one in eight poorer pensioners and cut bills for the wealthy by up to a fifth.

Care cap will only help small minority of elderly, officials admit

Care cap will only help small minority of elderly, officials admit Only one in eight elderly people will ever qualify for the long-awaited cap on the cost of care, Government officials have acknowledged for the first time.The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Care cap to benefit 'one in eight' BBC News
• Press release: New fairer capped funding system to help everyone plan for the cost of care Department of Health

Hospitals rely increasingly on income from fee-paying patients, warns BMA report

Hospitals rely increasingly on income from fee-paying patients, warns BMA report

Hospitals in England are increasingly relying on income from fee-paying patients, as NHS budget pressures continue to mount. The Independent