Social services ‘needs to change’ to help Northampton General Hospital

Social services ‘needs to change’ to help Northampton General Hospital Beds are often being blocked in Northamptonshire hospitals because social services cannot take adult referrals at weekends, according to the opposition leader at County Hall. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS say ambulance service for Northamptonshire improving in some areas

NHS say ambulance service for Northamptonshire improving in some areas Ambulance bosses have announced improvements in performance as well as plans to further quicken response times, following criticism from the NHS and inspectors last year. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• East Midlands Ambulance Service has improved but ‘is not out of the woods’ Northamptonshire Telegraph

Accountable care organisations in the United States and England: Testing, evaluating and learning what works

Accountable care organisations in the United States and England: Testing, evaluating and learning what works Cost pressures associated with ageing populations and an increase in the numbers of people with chronic illness in both the United States and England create a need for more accountable and integrated forms of delivering health services. The King's Fund

Skilled for improvement?

Skilled for improvement? Part of the reason why quality improvement is so hard to achieve may be that those involved in leading QI programmes need to deploy three different but interrelated types of improvement skills: technical, soft and learning skills. The Health Foundation

‘Putting Patients First’ – NHS England’s Business Plan 2014/15 – 2016/17

‘Putting Patients First’ – NHS England’s Business Plan 2014/15 – 2016/17 NHS England has published a refreshed business plan, describing its role in delivering high quality care for all, now and for future generations.

NHS facing 'biggest ever challenge'

NHS facing 'biggest ever challenge' The NHS is facing the biggest challenge in its history because of the squeeze on its budget, says its new boss on his first day in the job. BBC News

See also:

• Stevens calls for change on first day E-Health Insider
• Health service facing biggest challenge in its history, new NHS chief says The Guardian
• New NHS chief: Stakes have never been higher for service, warns incoming Simon Stevens The Independent

NHS cuts putting cancer patients at risk, warn doctors

NHS cuts putting cancer patients at risk, warn doctors “Draconian” cuts to the NHS are putting cancer patients’ lives at risk, according to some of Britain’s leading doctors and surgeons. The Independent

Disease experts warns UK defences 'not fit for purpose'

Disease experts warns UK defences 'not fit for purpose' Jeremy Farrar, world expert on infectious diseases and head of the Wellcome Trust, calls for an overhaul of the clinical trials system to help prevent devastating outbreaks. The Daily Telegraph