Borough bids to bolster domestic abuse services in Northampton

Borough bids to bolster domestic abuse services in Northampton Councillors launched the first stage of a major report aimed at tackling domestic violence in Northampton last night. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

High proportion of NHS staff feel swift and effective action is not taken to deal with inappropriate behaviours, new survey finds

High proportion of NHS staff feel swift and effective action is not taken to deal with inappropriate behaviours, new survey finds Two fifths (43 per cent) of NHS staff feel that swift and effective action is not taken to deal with inappropriate behaviours and performance in their organisation, a survey published today by The King’s Fund has found.

Consultation on revalidation and the revised Code

Consultation on revalidation and the revised Code The NMC are currently seeking feedback and views on The Code which outlines the standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives. The Code has been revised following the recommendations of recent major healthcare reviews including the Francis Report. The revised Code will also align to revalidation, a process which will require all nurses and midwives to regularly confirm to the NMC that they are fit to practise. This consultation closes on 11th August 2014. Nursing and Midwifery Council

• Revised Code
• Consultation

Vaccines not linked with autism, study finds

Vaccines not linked with autism, study finds "There is no evidence whatsoever linking the development of autism to childhood vaccines," The Guardian reports.

A new study involving more than a million children found no evidence of a link between childhood vaccines and autism or autism spectrum disorder.

Researchers pooled the results of studies that have assessed the relationship between vaccine administration and the subsequent development of autism spectrum disorder. No significant associations were found between vaccinations and the development of the condition.

The results of this study therefore suggest that there is no reason that parents should avoid having their child vaccinated because of fears that their child will develop autism after they are immunised.

Information published for first time about repeat use of the Mental Health Act

Information published for first time about repeat use of the Mental Health Act Information is released for the first time today about the number of adults subject to repeat use of detentions and short term orders under the Mental Health Act. Health & Social Care Information Centre

Socio-technical allocation of resources (STAR) casebooks

Socio-technical allocation of resources (STAR) casebooks These two casebooks describe a new approach to priority setting called STAR which combines money analysis with stakeholder engagement. It allows those who plan services to determine how services can effectively be invested whilst stakeholder engagement ensures that decisions are understood and supported by those affected. The first casebook describes the principles of the approach, whilst the second examines the implementation of STAR in an eating disorder service in Sheffield. NHS Right Care

• Casebooks
• Presentation

Overwork stopping GPs from collaborating

Overwork stopping GPs from collaborating Over two-thirds say workload and lack of time stop them joining networks. OnMedica

See also:

• GPs too overworked to collaborate, BMA warns GP Online
• Viewpoint: Ease strain on GPs to enable collaboration, says Dr Richard Vautrey GP Online

Can technology improve patient safety?

Can technology improve patient safety? The advantage of technology is that it obeys instructions and behaves consistently.

Since 2000, following a report by the chief medical officer, An organisation with memory, a safer NHS has been a key priority. More recently, the Sign up to safety campaign is the latest iteration of the continual aspiration to make the NHS a high reliability organisation, one that succeeds in avoiding incidents in a high risk environment. Jeremy Hunt has stated that he aims to reduce avoidable deaths by 6,000 over three years.

In an era where people can manage every aspect of their life from a device little bigger than a credit card, can technology help us achieve those aims? Continue reading... The Guardian

Patients wait two weeks to see GP in a fifth of practices

Patients wait two weeks to see GP in a fifth of practices Survey of 500 GPs, conducted by Pulse Magazine, finds that waiting times for non-urgent appointments are getting longer. The Daily Telegraph

NHS could start prescribing e-cigarettes as study finds them 60% more effective than gum or patches

NHS could start prescribing e-cigarettes as study finds them 60% more effective than gum or patches Although e-cigarettes are not yet licenced by the Medical and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, researchers at University College London said new evidence showed they were extremely effective at helping smokers to quit. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• E-cigarettes 'help smokers to quit' BBC News