Midwives from NGH who reduce caesarean births up for award

Midwives from NGH who reduce caesarean births up for award Midwives from Northampton General Hospital have been shortlisted for the ‘Excellence in Maternity Care’ award. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Call for safe staff levels across NHS

Call for safe staff levels across NHS The health and care regulator for England has yet to win the public's confidence, according to a highly critical report by a committee of MPs. BBC News

HSCIC discusses Care Bill info challenge

HSCIC discusses Care Bill info challenge The Care Bill will bring several informatics challenges, including higher data standards and increased use of the NHS Number, according to a Health and Social Care Information Centre board paper. E-Health Insider

Key facts and trends in mental health - 2014 update

Key facts and trends in mental health - 2014 update We have updated our 2011 factsheet, reflecting new figures, statistics and resources. NHS Confederation

Genetic effects of shift work examined

Genetic effects of shift work examined “Night work ‘throws body into chaos’,” reports the BBC News website. The news is based on a new study from researchers at the University of Surrey which found that the daily rhythms of genes are disrupted by shifting sleep times.

NHS finance - the fundamentals post 2012 reforms

NHS finance - the fundamentals post 2012 reforms This is part of a series of briefings which is written and structured for foundation trust governors. The aim of this briefing is to enable governors to navigate around the financial reports provided to governors and identify the key information within these reports. Foundation Trust Governors' Association

NHS safe staffing: not just a number

NHS safe staffing: not just a number This analysis highlights the risks to patient care when hospital ward staffing falls short of the roster. Despite developments in electronic rostering hospitals have resisted using automated systems to track their staff. Recent unannounced hospital inspections have found serious staff shortfalls against rosters. This report highlights the potential benefits of implementing robust systems to track the deployment of hospital staff in real time, to patients, to the workforce, and to hospital management. Policy Analysis Centre

NHS chiefs may ask private health firms to help if there is a patient surge

NHS chiefs may ask private health firms to help if there is a patient surge Medical director Bruce Keogh says private sector could carry out operations to relieve pressure on hospitals in case of cold snap.

Private firms will be asked to take on some of the NHS's workload if the service cannot cope with demand this winter, it has emerged, as hospital bosses warned that emergency services were on a knife edge.

Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS medical director, said private companies would be asked to carry out planned operations in order to relieve pressure on hospitals "when the going gets rough in winter".

Don't mislead us about our NHS medical records

Don't mislead us about our NHS medical records The NHS wants us to hand over our personal health details - yet it cannot guarantee anonymity, warns Philip Johnston. The Daily Telegraph

Report claims thousands of seriously ill NHS patients are being denied drugs

Report claims thousands of seriously ill NHS patients are being denied drugs Thousands of seriously ill patients are being denied drugs that have been approved for use by the NHS, according to a report. The Independent

See also:

• Analysis shows usage of NICE-appraised medicines by NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre
• Thousands of patients denied NHS drugs for major diseases The Daily Telegraph
• Regulator needs to act to stop endemic postcode lottery The Daily Telegraph
• The NHS trusts that won't give patients new life-saving drugs: Huge disparity between numbers given new treatments The Daily Mail

NHS director reveals 'great scepticism' over government's £3.8bn Better Care Fund

NHS director reveals 'great scepticism' over government's £3.8bn Better Care Fund

England's top doctor has said that there are fears in the NHS that a flagship government fund aimed at helping the health service work more closely with local authorities to provide social care, will be wrongly used by councils for “filling in potholes and other significant things”. The Independent