Tuesday 11 March 2014

Former shoe company boss makes ‘generous donation’ to Northampton General Hospital

Former shoe company boss makes ‘generous donation’ to Northampton General Hospital

The urology department at Northampton General Hospital has been refurbished, extended and supplied with new equipment thanks to the generosity of a former shoe company boss, who is a former patient. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Government response: Hospital food standards: Sustain campaign

Government response: Hospital food standards: Sustain campaign

The department’s Improving Hospital Food project identified 8 fundamental principles that patients should expect from hospital food, including that hospitals should adopt government buying standards for food and catering services (Food GBS) where practical and supported by procurement practices. The project was well received by partners and welcomed by Sustain.

While there have been a number of calls to introduce mandatory standards for hospital food, the government’s preferred approach remains to encourage the adoption of standards in the NHS through instruction, incentives and inspection.

This approach was outlined by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Quality, Earl Howe, during a debate in the House of Lords on 8 November 2013.

MPs debate hospital closure power

MPs debate hospital closure power
MPs are set to debate a controversial measure which would give the health secretary the power to impose the closure of local hospital services. BBC News

MPs, support the care bill and it will come back to bite you | Polly Toynbee  Guardian

Ripping off the sticking plaster: whole-system solutions for urgent and emergency care

Ripping off the sticking plaster: whole-system solutions for urgent and emergency care
Mounting pressures on England’s urgent and emergency care services have been well documented in local and national media over recent months. This report acts as a roadmap to the fundamental changes required to create a sustainable and high-quality urgent and emergency care system that can meet the needs of patients now and in the future. NHS Confederation
Report

British hospital to become first in Europe to use Skype for consultations

British hospital to become first in Europe to use Skype for consultations

Staffordshire hospital set to become the first in Europe where doctors consult with their patients via Skype. Telegraph

The maternal mental health of migrant women

The maternal mental health of migrant women

This briefing examines why there is low take-up of maternal mental related services by migrant women un the UK. It considers how maternal mental health care providers can develop services which meet the needs of migrant women. Race Equality Foundation
Briefing

'Shortage of senior nurses in NHS'

'Shortage of senior nurses in NHS'

The NHS has lost nearly 4,000 senior nursing posts since 2010, putting patient care at risk, warns the Royal College of Nursing. BBC Health News

Trusts need 2-year XP support extension

Trusts need 2-year XP support extension

Trusts will need an extension of Windows XP support for up to two years in order to migrate safely on to a newer operating system, NHS IT experts have said. EHI News

Children's diets 'far too salty'

Children's diets 'far too salty'

Children in the UK are eating far too much salt, with much of it coming from breads and cereals, research suggests. BBC News

Intensive care unit cleaning 'poor'

Intensive care unit cleaning 'poor'

Health inspectors seek a string of improvements after finding poor cleaning practices in a hospital's intensive care unit. BBC News

Does staying in hospital longer make you better?

Does staying in hospital longer make you better? De-institutionalisation, the advent of community care and development of psychotropic medicines are implicated in the reduction in hospital bed numbers and mean length of stay. There remains a huge variance in length of stay and outcomes across the UK and beyond [read the full story...] The Mental Elf