'More resources to the frontline' slogan damages the NHS

'More resources to the frontline' slogan damages the NHS Rallying cry is attractive but reinforces beliefs about the health service that are simplistic, naive and probably incorrect.

In the often heated debate about the future of the NHS, there is one thing that politicians seem to agree on: both sides are happy to use the slogan "more resources to the frontline". The slogan is not just naive, it damages the service.

Investigation finds “no major failures” by authorities before death of seven-week-old baby in Northampton

Investigation finds “no major failures” by authorities before death of seven-week-old baby in Northampton An investigation into the death of a seven-week-old baby in Northampton has concluded that no individual or agency could have predicted what happened to him. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Jamie’s parents’ secret troubled backgrounds “would have triggered scrutiny” Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Jamie Kightley death: Serious case review highlights concerns BBC Northamptonshire

Patient travel distance to A&E static despite closures

Patient travel distance to A&E static despite closures Longer distances to A&E could mean more reliance on GPs OnMedica

Care.data: How did it go so wrong?

Care.data: How did it go so wrong? How did the medical records project go so wrong? BBC News

Improving Dental Care and Oral Health – A Call to Action

Improving Dental Care and Oral Health – A Call to Action NHS England is calling for a debate about the future shape of dental services in England.

It follows last summer’s “The NHS belongs to the people – a call to action”, which encouraged patients, the public, staff and partners to join the debate about the sustainability challenges facing the NHS in England.

NHS dental services are provided in primary care and community settings, as well as in hospitals for more specialised care. The NHS in England spends £3.4 billion per year on dental care, with over a million patient contacts with NHS dental services each week.

Health research gets £28m boost

Health research gets £28m boost More than £28m is being invested in improving health research across the East Midlands. BBC Northamptonshire

Commissioner Simmonds: ‘Mental health care has to change’

Commissioner Simmonds: ‘Mental health care has to change’ Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner Adam Simmonds has said the way officers deal with people suffering a mental health crisis “dramatically needs to change”. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

'Family care networks' – the future of primary care

'Family care networks' – the future of primary care In future, ‘family care networks’ with GP surgeries at their heart should provide a wider range of services for patients outside hospitals, says a report on the future of primary care, published today by The King’s Fund.

These networks would enable GPs to strengthen their role as providers and co-ordinators of care in collaboration with other staff working in the community and some hospital-based specialties.

NHS experts have long called for a shift in the way care is provided, with more services delivered closer to people’s homes, in order to meet the needs of an ageing population and the increasing numbers of people living with multiple long-term conditions. The report argues that most GP practices are too small to do this on their own and need to work together in federations or networks to achieve the necessary scale.

Giant NHS database rollout delayed

Giant NHS database rollout delayed The start of a new NHS data-sharing scheme in England involving medical records is being delayed by six months. BBC News

See also:

• Care.data delayed E-Health Insider
• GP leaders propose six point action plan for care.data scheme OnMedica
• NHS medical records database halted amid concerns The Daily Telegraph
• Victory for privacy as NHS database is delayed The Independent
• NHS in England delays sharing of medical records The Guardian

NICE drugs policy for the elderly is unchanged

NICE drugs policy for the elderly is unchanged "NHS ban medicine if you are 'too old' in new attack on Britain's elderly" is the headline in the Daily Express, with many other news sources echoing similar dire warnings.

The media storm is based on the news that, as part of a consultation, the Department of Health has asked the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to take "wider societal benefits" into account when approving new drugs, as well as considering the burden of illness and the impact a disease has on patients.

There are fears that vulnerable groups, including the elderly, could lose out if they are judged not to contribute as much to society as other groups, especially if societal impact is just assessed from an economic viewpoint. The concern is that NICE may not recommend drugs specifically targeted at diseases that occur in these vulnerable groups.

NHS England sets out key elements of enhanced service for complex needs

NHS England sets out key elements of enhanced service for complex needs Options becomes available in April; aim is to cut avoidable unplanned admissions. OnMedica

The only thing wider than the NHS funding gap is the policy vacuum

The only thing wider than the NHS funding gap is the policy vacuum You might have thought a £30bn shortfall in NHS finances would have prompted Jeremy Hunt into action. Apparently not.

'Public health emergency' declared as one in six GPs was asked to refer a patient to food banks in the last year

'Public health emergency' declared as one in six GPs was asked to refer a patient to food banks in the last year

One in six family doctors has been asked to refer a patient to a food bank in the past year, a new survey has found, with GPs reporting that benefits delays are leaving people without money for food for weeks on end. The Independent

Check your ambulance service: postcode lottery 'costs 2,500 lives a year'

Check your ambulance service: postcode lottery 'costs 2,500 lives a year' Find out how your local service compares, as a former ambulance boss warns of the 'frightening' difference between postcodes. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• 'Deadly ambulance postcode lottery' BBC News