Monday 28 July 2014

NHS funding expands Kettering General Hospital’s cardiac care service

NHS funding expands Kettering General Hospital’s cardiac care service Kettering General Hospital has won £305,000 in NHS funding to enable it to care for hundreds of extra cardiac patients every year. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Seeing the same GP will reduce emergency department attendance

Seeing the same GP will reduce emergency department attendance This is just one of several recommendations made in a report published by researchers at the University of Bristol.

Research report considers staff experience and patient outcomes

Research report considers staff experience and patient outcomes NHS Employers have commissioned a report on behalf of NHS England looking at the international research evidence on the links between staff and patient experience.

Lack of NHS engineers is putting lives at risk

Lack of NHS engineers is putting lives at risk A new report is calling for urgent action to prioritise the role of engineers in the NHS, and introduce a Chief Biomedical Engineer in every NHS acute trust which would help cut the number of incidents caused by faulty medical equipment. Institution of Mechanical Engineers

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The secret to transforming a failing hospital

The secret to transforming a failing hospital How a failing hospital transformed itself. BBC News

Study links shift work to increased risk of diabetes

Study links shift work to increased risk of diabetes “Type 2 diabetes is more common in people who work shifts, a large international study suggests,” BBC News reports.

The BBC reports on a review that searched the literature and found 12 studies including more than 225,000 people which looked at the link between shift work and diabetes.

When pooling the results the researchers found that overall, shift work was associated with a 9% increased risk of diabetes. The association was found to be stronger in men (37%) and for those working rotating shifts – such as two weeks on nights, two weeks on days (42%).

However, there are problems with concluding from these studies that there really is a link between shift work and developing diabetes. For example, it is difficult to establish cause and effect, because it’s not completely clear that people hadn’t already got diabetes at the time their shift work pattern was being assessed. It’s further unclear whether the apparent relationship may not just be caused because of other factors that are associated with both shift work and diabetes (such as diet and activity).

Also, none of the 12 studies were conducted in the UK, and half were from Japan. While the results may be applicable here, different cultures may have different a work ethic, environmental and health differences, meaning that they cannot so easily be generalised to all populations.

The identified relationship is undoubtedly worthy of further study, to see whether shift work could have direct biological effects on the body that lead to the development of diabetes.

NHS manager redundancy payouts total £1.6bn since 2010

NHS manager redundancy payouts total £1.6bn since 2010 Latest accounts reveal more than 38,000 'exit packages' agreed since reforms began, with some 4,000 later rehired

The cost of redundancy payments for NHS managers has hit almost £1.6bn since the coalition came to power and embarked on its sweeping reorganisation, according to the latest Department of Health accounts.

The total includes payouts to some 4,000 "revolving door" managers, who left after May 2010 with large payouts but have since returned either on full-time or part-time contracts. Continue reading... The Guardian

Managers barred if they cover up NHS failings

Managers barred if they cover up NHS failings NHS managers told that being "privy to" serious misconduct could see them refused board positions for life The Daily Telegraph

As Ebola, Mers and HIV/Aids make headlines, what are the biggest risks to the world's health? And what is being done about them?

As Ebola, Mers and HIV/Aids make headlines, what are the biggest risks to the world's health? And what is being done about them? Infectious diseases can break out suddenly, almost anywhere in the world, and with devastating impact. The Independent

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NHS medics are being lured away to Australia by more money, status and sunshine, survey suggests

NHS medics are being lured away to Australia by more money, status and sunshine, survey suggests

It is the dream of many an NHS nurse, driving home late at night, after another 12 hour shift: golden beaches stretching into the horizon, a big house in a nice neighbourhood, a higher salary, fewer hours and, of course, lots of sunshine. The Independent