Wednesday 27 August 2014

New computer systems to speed up x-ray scans at Northampton hospital

New computer systems to speed up x-ray scans at Northampton hospital

Patients at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) will have the chance to benefit from faster turnaround times on x-ray tests as a new computer system is introduced to deliver scans to doctors in other parts of the hospital. Northampton Chronicle

Smoker numbers in Northamptonshire down two per cent

Smoker numbers in Northamptonshire down two per cent

The number of smokers has decreased by two per cent in 12 months, latest statistics for Northamptonshire show. Northampton Chronicle

Trust hunts disk holding 42,000 records

Trust hunts disk holding 42,000 records

East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust has admitted to losing a disc containing the confidential information of 42,000 patients. EHI News

Mindfulness therapy comes at a high price for some, say experts

Mindfulness therapy comes at a high price for some, say experts


Much-hyped therapy can reduce relapses into depression but it can have troubling side effects

In a first floor room above a gridlocked London street, 20 strangers shuffle on to mats and cushions. There's an advertising executive, a personnel manager, a student and a pensioner. A gong sounds softly and a session of sitting meditation begins. This is one of more than 1,000 mindfulness courses proliferating across the UK as more and more people struggling with anxiety, depression and stress turn towards a practice adapted from a 2,400-year-old Buddhist tradition.

Enthusiasm is booming for such mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) courses, which anOxford University study has found can reduce relapses into depression by 44%. It is, say the researchers, as effective as taking antidepressants. It involves sitting still, focusing on your breath, noticing when your attention drifts and bringing it back to your breath and it is surprisingly challenging. Guardian

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Self-harm by mental health patients in NHS has risen by 56%, figures show

Self-harm by mental health patients in NHS has risen by 56%, figures show


Labour links rise in self-harm and suicide attempts to 'intolerable' pressure from staff and budget cutbacks

Growing numbers of people being treated in mental health units are harming themselves and trying to take their own lives, new NHS figures suggest.

The number of such incidents at 29 of England's 52 NHS mental health trusts rose from 14,815 in 2010 to 23,053 last year, an increase of 56% over four years. Guardian

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Overseas nurses 'face shorter tests'

Overseas nurses 'face shorter tests'

New rules mean nurses and midwives who have completed their training outside Europe will face shorter tests to check they are fit to work in the UK. BBC News

Survival rates for all common cancers improve across England

Survival rates for all common cancers improve across England

Survival rates for five common cancers in England have increased 'radically' over recent years, figures show, as officials suggest earlier diagnosis is behind the improvement. GP Online

Private hospitals should be put under the same scrutiny as NHS services

Private hospitals should be put under the same scrutiny as NHS services


Private hospitals must offer the same transparency on patient safety that the public demands from the NHS
Patient safety: How local NHS leaders can best use data

Earlier this week a report published by the Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI) called for much greater transparency about the quality of healthcare in the private sector.

The health thinktank claimed that patients undergoing operations in private hospitals are sometimes exposed to risk from inadequate equipment, lack of intensive care beds, unsafe staffing arrangements, and poor medical record keeping. Guardian
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London mental health web service planned

London mental health web service planned

London Councils and Public Health England are planning to establish an open access digital mental health service to help Londoners with untreated mental disorders. EHI News

Spine2 is alive

Spine2 is alive

The replacement for the NHS data spine, Spine2, went live over the bank holiday weekend. EHI News

Policy alert: NHS patient, visitor and staff car parking principles

Policy alert: NHS patient, visitor and staff car parking principles


These car parking principles suggest the provision of concessions to groups that need them such as disabled people, frequent outpatient attenders or visitors with relatives who are gravely ill. Department of Health
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'Ban E-cig use indoors,' says WHO

'Ban E-cig use indoors,' says WHO

The World Health Organization says there should be regulations preventing the use of electronic cigarettes indoors in public and work places. BBC News

Weight loss surgery 'reduces chance of Alzheimer's Disease'

Weight loss surgery 'reduces chance of Alzheimer's Disease'

Stomach stapling and gastric bands could reduce the chance of dementia, research sugggests. Telegraph