Wednesday 9 October 2013

Improving medicine prescribing in care homes

Improving medicine prescribing in care homes Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust are working to develop a medication review process that allows patients in care homes, and their family or carers, to be fully involved in decisions about their medicines. Read more about their project. The Health Foundation

Fight for your rights, patients told

Fight for your rights, patients told NHS and care services patients should be "savvy consumers", a new watchdog body says. BBC News

Euro MPs tighten anti-tobacco laws

Euro MPs tighten anti-tobacco laws The European Parliament votes to tighten tobacco rules to curb smoking among young people, but avoids restricting e-cigarettes. BBC News 

See also:

AUDIO: GP inspector finds 'shocking' care

AUDIO: GP inspector finds 'shocking' care The new Chief Inspector of GPs for England says he has uncovered "shocking" levels of care in some GP practices. BBC News

Does mental illness make you more likely to kill?

Does mental illness make you more likely to kill? The Sun has run with the front page headline, “1,200 killed by mental health patients,” featuring a story inside entitled “Broken People..Broken System”.
Since publishing its story, the newspaper has been widely criticized for being inaccurate and for stigmatising mentally ill people.
But is there any truth behind the Sun’s headline?

Health on the high street: rethinking the role of community pharmacy

Health on the high street: rethinking the role of community pharmacy The NHS has historically undervalued the role that community pharmacy can play in improving and maintaining the public’s health. This paper discusses how best public health services might be commissioned from community pharmacy within the new system architecture.

Opening doctors' surgeries at weekends won't solve A&E crisis| Zara Aziz

Opening doctors' surgeries at weekends won't solve A&E crisis| Zara Aziz Extended GP hours will not take the pressure off A&E units when existing out-of-hours care has unable to.

Council cost-cutting on care a threat to human rights of elderly - watchdog

Council cost-cutting on care a threat to human rights of elderly - watchdog Councils are abusing elderly people's human rights by forcing down the price they pay agencies to provide care in their homes, the UK's official equalities watchdog has warned.The Daily Telegraph

'Worried well' just feel worse if they catch cyberchondria

'Worried well' just feel worse if they catch cyberchondria Hypochondria among worried well has reached new levels, psychologists warn, due to growing use of the internet diagnoses. The Daily Telegraph