Tuesday 27 May 2014

Big Report: Staffing levels at KGH

Big Report: Staffing levels at KGH

Kettering General Hospital bosses have been told by inspectors that they do not have enough staff to keep patients safe and meet their needs. Evening Telegraph

Cars raise cash for KGH

Cars raise cash for KGH

Parking at Kettering General Hospital generated a total of £672,129 in 2012-13. Evening Telegraph

Chairman of Mid-Staffs scandal inquiry speaks out

Chairman of Mid-Staffs scandal inquiry speaks out

In an exclusive interview, Robert Francis, head of the public inquiry into the Mid-Staffs scandal warns that NHS complacency is killing patients, and hails a "refreshing" candour from ministers about failings in patient care. Daily Telegraph

Misjudged counselling and therapy can be harmful, study reveals

Misjudged counselling and therapy can be harmful, study reveals


Analysis of talking therapies finds many have a positive outcome but some vulnerable people can be left feeling more depressed

Counselling and other psychological therapies can do more harm than good if they are of poor quality or the wrong type, according to a major new analysis of their outcomes.

Talking therapies are usually helpful to people who are distressed, but in a minority of cases where it goes wrong it can leave vulnerable people more depressed than when they first sought help, the authors say. Guardian

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A new route to good dementia care

A new route to good dementia care


Aimed at doctors and providers of community care, the Dementia Roadmap is a comprehensive “one stop shop” designed to reflect a patient’s needs as they progress through the disease and signpost them to relevant local resources at the right time, from diagnosis onwards.

Produced in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Society and funded by the Department of Health, the Dementia Roadmap provides a platform to help CCGs and other local organisations to bring together information for patients in their area for the first time, so that GPs can refer them to the best care to meet their needs as quickly as possible. NHS Networks

Save general practice GPs issue plea to patients

Save general practice GPs issue plea to patients

Hundreds of thousands of patients are set to be asked, over the summer, to sign a petition calling on the four governments of the UK to save general practice.

The petition, which will be accompanied by a hard-hitting poster showing long queues of people waiting outside a GP practice in a nightmare vision of the future, will be sent out to every surgery in the UK over the next week.

The petition and poster, which have been produced by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the National Association for Patient Participation, call on the governments of the UK to reverse the swingeing cuts made to the funding of general practice over the last decade - which many believe have left some services struggling to survive.

Research from the RCGP has revealed that over the last decade, the number of patient consultations has soared to an all-time high while funding for general practice has dropped to an historic low.

Government failing on violence reduction scheme via A&E departments

Government failing on violence reduction scheme via A&E departments


Nationwide plan agreed in 2010 for sharing data with police adopted by only a third of English hospitals, say surgeons

Ministers are failing to fulfil a coalition pledge to roll out a violence reduction scheme that has been shown to reduce attacks by as much as 40%, leading accident and emergency surgeons claim.

The Tories and Liberal Democrats agreed in 2010 to introduce the nationwide scheme, which involves A&E departments sharing anonymised information about violent incidents with police forces, allowing problem spots to be targeted. Guardian

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Dieting 'may reduce chance of cancer spread'

Dieting 'may reduce chance of cancer spread'

Low calorie diet may help breast cancer sufferers, study suggests. Daily Telegraph

Spoilt for choice? Four new Cochrane reviews on antipsychotics for schizophrenia

Spoilt for choice? Four new Cochrane reviews on antipsychotics for schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a crippling condition characterised by psychotic experiences such as delusions and hallucinations. It can be hugely debilitating for the patient and their family and it can also be an enormous challenge for psychiatrists and other health and social care professionals who are responsible for providing care and support to the service user. Currently, [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

Freezing stabbing victims in suspended animation could save lives as trials begin

Freezing stabbing victims in suspended animation could save lives as trials begin

Doctors are set to recreate a sci-fi technique as they begin suspended animation by freezing trauma victims in the hope of keeping them alive. Independent

How reliable are medical research checks?

How reliable are medical research checks?

Is the system for reviewing medical research working? BBC News

Child sight loss 'on the increase'

Child sight loss 'on the increase'

Increasing numbers of British children are being registered as blind or partially sighted as more very premature babies survive, say campaigners. BBC News

Thousands of children treated for self-harm

Thousands of children treated for self-harm

The number of young people self-harming has risen by 30 per cent - with the increase believed to be linked to the rise of cyber-bullying. Daily Mail

Fingolimod, drug used to treat multiple sclerosis found to help us forget experiences that caused pain

Fingolimod, drug used to treat multiple sclerosis found to help us forget experiences that caused pain

Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University, US, say fingolimod could now be used to wipe traumatic events, phobias and even sexual hang-ups. Daily Mail

Abortion clinic guidance published

Abortion clinic guidance published

The guidance for abortion providers in England has been clarified to reinforce the fact that terminating a pregnancy on the grounds of gender alone is illegal. BBC News