NHS won’t meet £20bn improvement target

NHS won’t meet £20bn improvement target The survey behind the report, which includes finance leads from clinical commissioning groups as well as trust finance directors, highlights the growing pressures on NHS providers and pessimism among finance directors that they will meet the Nicholson challenge. The King's Fund

EXCLUSIVE: NHS waste £750million is on 'ghost patients'

EXCLUSIVE: NHS waste £750million is on 'ghost patients' It means the NHS wasted £143million on ghost patients last year. Yet the flaw in the system has been known since at least a decade ago when the Audit Commission said ghost patients could be costing around the NHS about £100million every year. The Daily Express

See also:

• Two million 'ghost patients' cost NHS £450million as number of registered The Daily Mail 

What are community services? asks Michael Scott

What are community services? asks Michael Scott It is widely accepted that community services have a vital role to play in the future of the NHS. Barely a day goes by without some new piece of rhetoric declaring them to be ‘the only way forward’ and ‘the light at the end of a dark heath service tunnel’; acute services to be doomed. …Continue reading » NHS Voices

Statin use linked to small increase in cataracts risk

Statin use linked to small increase in cataracts risk "Statins increase risk of cataracts, study finds," The Daily Telegraph reports.

This study looked at a large cohort group of 6,972 pairs of statin users and non-users from a US military healthcare system. It compared the risk of cataracts among people who had taken the widely used cholesterol-lowering medications for at least 90 days, compared with non-users.

Community mental health services survey 2013

Community mental health services survey 2013 This survey of people who use community mental health services asks about the experiences of more than 13,000 people during the past 12 months. The survey involved 58 trusts in England who provide mental health services. It finds that care people receive in the community needs to improve. Of particular concern is people’s lack of involvement in their care plans and having their views taken into account when deciding which medication to take.

• National summary
• National tables
• Care Quality Commission - further information
• Care Quality Commission - press release

Best practices in prevention, control and care for drug-resistant tuberculosis

Best practices in prevention, control and care for drug-resistant tuberculosis This report from the WHO contains best practices in prevention, control and care with the aim of improving the transfer of knowledge and experiences between countries in the European Region, and to help in improving the health system approach. It looks at access to testing and access to treatment as well as recording, reporting and treatment outcome monitoring. It also contains policy guidance.

• Report
• WHO Europe - publications

Ailing private health group BMI comes under pressure to sell hospitals

Ailing private health group BMI comes under pressure to sell hospitals Competition Commission is discussing forcing BMI to sell 10 of its 64 private hospitals to smaller rivals.

Smoking to be banned in prisons

Smoking to be banned in prisons Smoking is to be banned in all prisons in England and Wales, creating fears of riots as prisoners react to the ban. The Daily Telegrap

See also:

• Prison smoking ban could spark human rights challenges, ministers warned The Daily Telegraph
• Smoking ban considered for prisons BBC News

Whistleblower warns elderly left to suffer because regulator refuses to act

Whistleblower warns elderly left to suffer because regulator refuses to act Former inspector at health watchdog claims elderly are left to suffer in appalling conditions because regulators refuse to act on warnings.The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Former CQC inspector says elderly are being left to suffer The Daily Telegraph

NHS regulator spends £800,000 on lavish hotels

NHS regulator spends £800,000 on lavish hotels More than £800,000 a year is being spent by the NHS regulator on hotel bills, with inspectors routinely undergoing training in four and five star establishments, an investigation has found. The Daily Telegraph

Diabetes timebomb warning over doubling in cases in two decades

Diabetes timebomb warning over doubling in cases in two decades Britain is “sleepwalking into a public health disaster” with a predicted doubling in the numbers suffering from diabetes within two decades, experts have warned. The Daily Telegraph

More than double the number of NHS trusts failing to meet A&E targets

More than double the number of NHS trusts failing to meet A&E targets

The number of NHS trusts missing patient waiting times for A&E has more than doubled in the last year. The Independent

See also

• NHS trusts failing to meet A&E targets The Daily Telegraph
• Rise in A&Es failing to hit targets BBC News