Hospital laboratory staff 'lockout'

Hospital laboratory staff 'lockout' Laboratory staff in dispute over working hours and pay at Northampton General Hospital are "locked out", a union claims. BBC Northamptonshire

Medical engagement should be central to hospital leadership

Medical engagement should be central to hospital leadership Medical engagement should be a central element of hospital leadership, not an optional extra, concludes a new report published today by The King’s Fund. Based on case studies from four trusts with high levels of medical engagement, the report states that sustained commitment from board to ward can improve medical engagement, which is closely linked to better clinical and organisational performance.

White Paper: The new era of thinking and practice in change and transformation

White Paper: The new era of thinking and practice in change and transformation The White Paper identifies the profound implications and opportunities for leaders of health and care, including a fundamental rethink about what organisational and system change means.

The White Paper concludes with a call to action: join the new breed of leaders across the world who are rewriting the rules of change and leading change to get different results. NHS Improving Quality

Gloucester hospital worker stabbed to death at work

Gloucester hospital worker stabbed to death at work A member of staff at a mental health hospital in Gloucester has died after being stabbed at work. The female victim, who has not been named, was attacked at the inpatient unit of Wotton Lawn Hospital. BBC News

See also:

• Woman stabbed to death while working at hospital in Gloucester The Independent 
• Woman stabbed to death at Wotton Lawn hospital The Guardian
• Mental Health Hospital Worker Fatally Stabbed At Work Huffington Post UK
• Hospital worker stabbed to death on ward The Daily Telegraph

Making mental health count: the social and economic costs of neglecting mental health care

Making mental health count: the social and economic costs of neglecting mental health care This report argues that even in those OECD countries with a long history of deinstitutionalisation, there is still a long way to go to make community-based mental health care that achieves good outcomes for people with severe mental illness a reality. It addresses the high cost of mental illness, weaknesses and innovative developments in the organisation of care, changes and future directions for the mental health workforce, the need to develop better indicators for mental health care and quality, and tools for better governance of the mental health system. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

Fears raised 'free NHS' will end

Fears raised 'free NHS' will end Fears are being raised the NHS in England will no longer be free at the point of use - up to now a key principle for the health service - within 10 years. BBC News

See also:

• The NHS budget: Five things we've learned BBC News
• GP funding cuts revealed as think tank predicts NHS cash crisis GP Online
• Half of NHS bosses believe patients will have to pay for some services The Guardian
• NHS at ‘tipping point’ after accounts show it plunging £100m into the red The Independent

Call to review surgery waiting times

Call to review surgery waiting times The new president of the Royal College of Surgeons says the 18-week waiting target for routine operations in England should be reviewed. BBC News

Community prescribing increases by almost 60 per cent, but costs rise by only 15 per cent since 2003

Community prescribing increases by almost 60 per cent, but costs rise by only 15 per cent since 2003  The number of prescription items dispensed in the community has increased by 58.5 per cent since 2003 new Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) analysis shows today. Over 1.03 billion items were prescribed in 2013 compared to 649.7 million in 2003.

See also:

Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community, Statistics for England - 2003-2013 HSCIC
• 'Staggering' rise in prescribing of anti-depressants The Daily Telegraph

Dengue fever cases in returning travellers increase by 60% in one year

Dengue fever cases in returning travellers increase by 60% in one year In 2013, 541 cases of dengue fever were reported in travellers returning from dengue-affected countries. OnMedica

Pensioners to prisoners: how telecare can treat hard to reach patients

Pensioners to prisoners: how telecare can treat hard to reach patients Airedale foundation NHS trust conducts videoconferencing consultations with prisoners at Full Sutton maximum security jail

Last winter, 93-year-old Ernest Towers had access to arguably one of the most transformational tools in healthcare, when his North Yorkshire care home, Sutton Lodge, was linked to Airedale NHS foundation trust's telemedicine service.

For many older people, unplanned admissions to emergency departments or even routine hospital appointments can be hugely disruptive. The link to Airedale's telehealth hub, staffed by nurses experienced in acute assessment, provides Towers with on call specialised medical care around the clock, albeit via video link. Continue reading... The Guardian

One in 10 NHS watchdog staff should not have got the jobs

One in 10 NHS watchdog staff should not have got the jobs Documents reveal one in 10 inspectors working for Care Quality Commission failed competency tests but will not be fired. The Daily Telegraph

Charities warn of 'alarming' rise in cancer test waits

Charities warn of 'alarming' rise in cancer test waits Official statistics show number of patients waiting at least six weeks for some NHS scans has doubled in just one month. The Daily Telegraph

Head of NHS England announces a radical new patient care plan in move to save money

Head of NHS England announces a radical new patient care plan in move to save money The head of NHS England has unveiled a radical plan for the reorganisation of how care is delivered in the community by giving vulnerable patients control of their own combined health and social care budgets. The Independent

See also:

• NHS England Chief offers local government leaders radical new health and social care integration option NHS England
• Patients to control their own integrated care funding from 2015 GP Online
• Individuals to be allowed to control their own NHS and community care OnMedica
• Frail 'need joint NHS and care fund' BBC News

Exclusive: Government launches inquiry over 100 suspicious deaths at a Hampshire hospital

Exclusive: Government launches inquiry over 100 suspicious deaths at a Hampshire hospital

A Hillsborough-style inquiry to investigate up to 100 suspicious deaths at a Hampshire hospital during the 1990s is set to be announced by the Government today. The Independent