Northampton's Favell House patients: 'They might as well leave us to die' - Northampton Herald and Post

Northampton's Favell House patients: 'They might as well leave us to die' - Northampton Herald and Post A spokesman for Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust said: “We recognise this is a difficult time for staff and they are obviously disappointed by this decision. “We are however continuing to work with staff affected to look at redeployment opportunities.

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Cameron's £500m A&E bailout is 'just papering over cracks'

Cameron's £500m A&E bailout is 'just papering over cracks' British Medical Association says cash will not be enough to deal with ever-increasing demands on service

David Cameron's effort to avoid an A&E crisis by giving struggling hospitals £500m is "nothing more than papering over the cracks", doctors have said.

The British Medical Association said it was glad the coalition was "finally listening" to concerns about pressure on emergency care. However, it said this would not be enough as the NHS was "facing ever-increasing demands with diminishing resources".

Its warning was echoed by the National Health Action party, a political group agitating for more NHS funding. Dr Clive Peedell, a consultant oncologist and party founder, described the extra cash as "no more than a sticking plaster over the massive cracks in the NHS".

• £500m A&E bail-out better spent on GPs and nurses, RCGP chairwoman says GP Online

Dementia-friendly communities can improve care

Dementia-friendly communities can improve care Bringing together every part of a community can boost quality of life for people coping with dementia

The idea of dementia-friendly communities brilliantly encapsulates what a progressive care system could deliver, both for those who need support and for the taxpayer.

The concept is simple: to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and help them to become active members of the community. Making it happen involves bringing together every part of a community – health services, social care, transport, local businesses, charities and voluntary groups, the police, the fire brigade and local people.

Co-ordinated care for people with complex chronic conditions: case studies

Co-ordinated care for people with complex chronic conditions: case studies The King's Fund - 
This project involves an in-depth examination of approaches to care co-ordination undertaken in primary care settings in different parts of the UK. The project is being undertaken with five case study sites who have developed innovative primary care-based approaches to care co-ordination for people with complex chronic conditions. Each final case study includes an organogram showing the care planning/co-ordination process, patient stories and a video highlighting the work of the team. The first two case studies in the project have now been published: Midhurst Macmillan Community Specialist Palliative Care Service and Sandwell Esteem team.

• Midhurst Macmillan Community Specialist Palliative Care Service 
• Sandwell Esteem Team
• Related blog
• The King's Fund - projects

Do interventions proven to improve cardiovascular disease outcomes work for individuals with severe mental illness?

Do interventions proven to improve cardiovascular disease outcomes work for individuals with severe mental illness? Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) have shortened life expectancies compared to the general population. This is partly down to higher rates of chronic physical illness. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among patients using mental health services. It is assumed that interventions used to reduce CVD are similarly effective in patients with [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

NICE approves new test for spread of breast cancer

NICE approves new test for spread of breast cancer "Instant breast cancer test approved that will save women weeks of waiting for results," reports the Daily Mirror, while the Daily Mail points out that the test could "spare thousands of sufferers the ordeal of repeat surgery".

The test in question is called RD-100i OSNA, and is used during surgery to remove invasive breast cancer. This new test can tell doctors whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. It does this by detecting abnormal genetic markers in samples taken from the lymph nodes. The test is expected to provide much faster results than conventional biopsies.

The test has now been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which advises which treatments should be available on the NHS. It is expected to be introduced for patients selected to have surgery for early breast cancer. NICE says that the test can help avoid further operations and allow treatments such as chemotherapy to begin much earlier.

Community pharmacy guide to general practice

Community pharmacy guide to general practice This document was written to promote greater understanding of the roles and day to day activities of the two professions to enhance local working relationships.

The guides have been updated to reflect the changes in the NHS and the two contracts since they were first published in 2010. NHS Networks

Safer Wards, Safer Hospitals Technology Fund update

Safer Wards, Safer Hospitals Technology Fund update NHS England has today announced an update on the Safer Hospitals, Safer Wards Technology Fund which offers NHS Foundation Trusts and NHS Trusts access to a £260 million technology fund, after the deadline for Expressions of Interest closed on 31 July.

The fund has received an unprecedented number of applications; in excess of 760 completed and valid Expressions of Interest applying for over £650 million of funding to support rapid progression from paper-based systems for patient notes and prescriptions to integrated digital care records (IDCRs) and the development of ePrescribing.

The pill that texts you - from inside

The pill that texts you - from inside The pill that tweets and texts - from your tummy. BBC News