Private ambulance surge defended

Private ambulance surge defended East Midlands Ambulance Service, which covers Northamptonshire, defends using private ambulances for emergencies 246 times in the last financial year. BBC Northamptonshire

Town puts new cottage hospital on wish list for development - Buckingham Advertiser

Town puts new cottage hospital on wish list for development As Towcester prepares to almost double in size, talks over the potential for a cottage hospital have emerged. Bicester Advertiser

Can you change culture from Whitehall?

Can you change culture from Whitehall? Important reports on the quality of care that are unofficially named after the men who led them are turning out to be quite a feature of 2013. Following Robert Francis in February and Bruce Keogh last month, the National Advisory Group on the Safety of Patients in England – chaired by Don Berwick – published its report into how we can improve patient safety on Tuesday. It's a fluent and passionate plea that the whole health system should shift towards a culture of constant learning and improvement; that supports and empowers staff to focus on quality, and that meaningfully works in partnership with patients at all levels.

Increase in missed NHS appointments

Increase in missed NHS appointments The number of missed hospital appointments in Scotland increases by nearly 25,000 in a year. BBC News

'Healthy' hospital food machine plea

'Healthy' hospital food machine plea Hospital vending machines in England contain too many high-calorie snacks, and guidelines should be introduced to make them healthier, says a cancer charity. BBC News

Agenda for Change pay poster

Agenda for Change pay poster A new poster is available detailing the Agenda for Change pay bands and points from 1 April 2013. NHS Employers

Camels may be source of MERS virus transmission

Camels may be source of MERS virus transmission Various news sources today report that dromedary camels – "ships of the desert" as The Independent puts it – could be the source of the MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) virus that emerged last year. MERS is believed to be caused by a type of coronavirus.

Statement on the health and social care Integration Transformation Fund

Statement on the health and social care Integration Transformation Fund This joint document, from NHS England and the Local Government Association, outlines the planning vision for how the pooling of £3.8 billion of funding will ensure a transformation in integrated health and social care. It provides a roadmap for local areas to plan in the run up to the fund taking full effect from 2015/16.

• Statement
• NHS England - news

Britons' exercise levels are 'shockingly low'

Britons' exercise levels are 'shockingly low' Report shows that many people take little or no part in physical activity, with nearly 80% failing to hit government targets.

Jeremy Hunt: NHS must change if it is to be sustainable

Jeremy Hunt: NHS must change if it is to be sustainable NHS needs to provide 'proper out-of-hospital care' to be sustainable in future, Health Secretary says.The Daily Telegraph

'Superhead' plan for NHS hospitals

'Superhead' plan for NHS hospitals High-performing NHS trust chief executives could be promoted to become "superheads" to turn round failing hospitals, under new Government plans. The Daily Telegraph

18,000 cancer patients' files are lost every year

18,000 cancer patients' files are lost every year Around 18,000 cancer patients have their medical files lost every year in hospitals, while even more suffer humiliation at the hands of nurses. The Independent

Death rates reports scrapped

Death rates reports scrapped England's public health monitor is to scrap a regular report into mortality rates, after a recent leak revealed an unexpected spike in the number of deaths among the elderly. The Independent