Complying with Monitor’s integrated care requirements

Complying with Monitor’s integrated care requirements This document assists providers and commissioners of healthcare services, and health and wellbeing boards to comply with their integrated care obligations. It also explains the relationship between these obligations and the other rules that Monitor enforces. Monitor

Ebola virus 'threatens' UK - Hammond

Ebola virus 'threatens' UK - Hammond The Ebola virus, which has killed more than 670 people in West Africa, is a "threat" to the UK, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond warns. BBC News

See also:

• Risk assessment of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa Public Health England
• Risk assessment: Human infections with Zaire Ebola virus in West Africa World Health Organisation
• Saving lives on the Ebola front line BBC News
• Is Ebola, the world's deadliest disease on its way to Britain? Daily Mail
• Is Ebola coming to Britain? UK health officials issue warning to doctors as outbreak fears grow The Independent
• Ebola outbreak: deadly foreign diseases are 'potential major threat' says Chief Scientist The Daily Telegraph

Hunt warned over A&E wait statistics

Hunt warned over A&E wait statistics Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is warned by the statistics watchdog over claims about A&E waiting times in England. BBC News

Running 7 minutes a day 'halves heart death risk'

Running 7 minutes a day 'halves heart death risk' "Running for just a few minutes each day can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease," The Guardian reports.

Ultimately, you can't outrun the Grim Reaper. But this news accurately reflects the results of a large long-term US study on health outcomes.

And unlike yesterday's superficially similar brief exercise story, this study seems to have legs.

The research reported on today found people who ran had a reduced risk of death from heart disease, as well as death from any cause, compared with non-runners.

Interestingly, a protective effect was seen regardless of running time, amount, duration, frequency or speed. People who ran just a modest amount – less than 51 minutes a week – also had a reduction in risk.

This equates to roughly seven minutes a day, although it should be noted this study did not specifically look at the effect of seven minutes of running a day.

These "modest" runners were found to have a 55% reduction in cardiovascular-associated death risk and a 30% reduction in any type of death compared with non-runners.

Mental Health Minimum Data Set (MHMDS) includes currencies and payment information for the first time

Mental Health Minimum Data Set (MHMDS) includes currencies and payment information for the first time Information about patients eligible to be cared for under a new commissioning system for mental health has been released for the first time. Health & Social Care Information Centre

Call to make primary care and A&E co-location easier

Call to make primary care and A&E co-location easier Leaders seek changes to allow better primary/secondary care coordination. OnMedica

Doctors and nurses told to slim down for sake of patients

Doctors and nurses told to slim down for sake of patients NHS England staff would be expected to set healthy example under plans being considered by chief executive.

Overweight doctors and nurses would be told to slim down to set a good example to patients under plans being considered by the NHS.

Burgers and chips in hospital canteens would be swapped for healthier options and staff would take part in weight loss competitions, the NHS England chief executive, Simon Stevens, told the Sun. Continue reading. The Guardian

Telephone triage is helping to ease pressure on ambulance services

Telephone triage is helping to ease pressure on ambulance services About a quarter of people who dial 999 will now be given the 'hear and treat' service, rather than sent an ambulance.

From the headlines that followed publication of the National Ambulance Survey results this month, you might have thought the service was in serious danger. Critics were quick to criticise ambulance trusts for the growing number of people who only receive triage and treatment over the phone. Headlines claimed many people do not receive an ambulance when they dial 999. What the headlines failed to mention, however, were the actual survey results.

Results demonstrate that telephone triage and advice is working for patients, and this is a cause for celebration rather than concern. Continue reading... The Guardian

New NHS redundancy merry-go-round looms

New NHS redundancy merry-go-round looms NHS England is to axe hundreds of jobs of managers who were only recruited last year, raising fears that taxpayers will pay out twice in redundancy payments. The Daily Telegraph