Friday 21 March 2014

Hospitals feeling the pinch

Hospitals feeling the pinch

Many hospitals are finding money is running out. BBC News

Hospices can support the needs of the UK's ageing population

Hospices can support the needs of the UK's ageing population

With the number of people aged 85 and over doubling in the next 20 years, demand for palliative and end-of-life care will surge

Demand for high-quality palliative and end-of-life care is expected to surge in the next few decades, driven by the UK's fast-ageing population. More people are living well into their 80s and beyond, many with multiple, complex health conditions.

The number of people aged 85 and over is expected to double in the next 20 years. In addition, more young people with life-shortening conditions are living for longer. These demographic changes present huge challenges for all involved in planning and delivering end-of-life care.

The view of a national commission into the future of hospice care is that hospices have an important part to play in both shaping and delivering appropriate services to meet these needs.

Care.data advisory group announced

Care.data advisory group announced

NHS England has set up an independent advisory group to improve governance around the care.data programme. EHI News

A Locala service for local people

A Locala service for local people

District nurse Julie Maguire works in a world where all of her patients' information is held electronically. EHI Insight

Cochrane review finds that acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy and electrostimulation show little benefit for smoking cessation

Cochrane review finds that acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy and electrostimulation show little benefit for smoking cessation

Despite being on the decline, smoking is still one of the largest causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in the world. According to recent World Health Organisation data, smoking directly kills around 5 million people every year. The NHS spends almost £90 million on cessation efforts to combat the £5 billion treatment cost. Recent research [read the full story...]

Quitting Smoking: Therapeutic in Mental Health Treatment - Psychiatric Times

Quitting Smoking: Therapeutic in Mental Health Treatment - Psychiatric Times

A recent study aimed to investigate the impact of smoking cessation on mental health in general and psychiatric populations.10 The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and found 26 studies which examined ...

Exclusive: New meningitis vaccine for every child will ease 'parent’s greatest fear'

Exclusive: New meningitis vaccine for every child will ease 'parent’s greatest fear'

A new vaccine against meningitis B – one of the most feared diseases, which can quickly kill children or leave them needing limb amputations – is to be made available free on the NHS. Independent

Thousands of dementia patients not referred to specialists

Thousands of dementia patients not referred to specialists

Hospitals failing thousands of patients with suspected dementia, new figures show. Telegraph

Values mapping tool

Values mapping tool

This tool aims to help organisations to map their values to the those in the NHS Constitution. It has been developed as part of Health Education England’s Values Based Recruitment programme which will ensure that selection into all new NHS funded training posts incorporates testing of values based recruitment by March 2015. NHS Employers
Mapping tool
NHS Employers - recruitment and retention

Consultation skills for pharmacy practice: practice standards for England

Consultation skills for pharmacy practice: practice standards for England

This framework aims to help pharmacy professionals to improve their skills in carrying out consultations with patients and in delivering public health messages. It represents a national programme of change in pharmacy and will apply to more than 60,000 pharmacy professionals across England. Health Education England
Practice standards
Standards of ethics, conduct and performance
Consultations skills for pharmacy practice - website
HEE - news

Patient safety alert: improving incident reporting and learning

Patient safety alert: improving incident reporting and learning

NHS England and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have jointly issued two patient safety alerts to help healthcare providers increase incident reporting for medication errors and medical devices. The alerts instruct providers to take specific steps that will improve data report quality; and will see the establishment of national networks to maximise learning and provide guidance on minimising harm relating to these two incident types.
Medical device safety alert
Medication error safety alert
NHS England - news