Monday 22 September 2014

Parking at Northampton General Hospital to be reviewed by the borough council

Parking at Northampton General Hospital to be reviewed by the borough council Inadequate patient parking at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) is to be reviewed by the borough council. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The toxic mix of politics, money and the NHS – a possible way forward?

The toxic mix of politics, money and the NHS – a possible way forward? Various bodies overseeing the NHS in England have reported on how things are progressing in this financial year (2014/15) and it doesn’t make comfortable reading, says Anita Charlesworth. The Health Foundation

Improvements needed in community mental health care

Improvements needed in community mental health care A CQC survey of more than 13,500 people who use community mental health services in England asked for views from people who receive community mental health services and included people receiving services under the care programme approach (CPA). Care Quality Commission

NHS whistleblowing 'problems persist'

NHS whistleblowing 'problems persist' Whistleblowers still face real problems in speaking out in the health service - despite the push to create a more open culture, campaigners say. BBC News

GPs income in the UK continues to decline as expenses increase

GPs income in the UK continues to decline as expenses increase The average income before tax of contractor GPs was £102,000 in 2012/13, a drop of 0.9 per cent on 2011/12 according to the latest report from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC).

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Delivering alcohol IBA: broadening the base from health to non-health contexts: review of the literature and scoping

Delivering alcohol IBA: broadening the base from health to non-health contexts: review of the literature and scoping There is good evidence for the effectiveness of alcohol IBA (identification and brief advice) services in primary care and hospital settings. This briefing explores the evidence for broadening out alcohol IBA services to non-healthcare settings such as criminal justice settings or community-based services such as pharmacies. Alcohol Research UK

Trusts must comply with data standards

Trusts must comply with data standards NHS England will use "carrots and sticks" to get trusts to comply with data standards and infrastructure requirements, says Tim Kelsey. E-Health Insider

Mums 'feel shame' about how they feed their babies

Mums 'feel shame' about how they feed their babies "Mothers are made to feel 'marginalised and ashamed' when they breastfeed in public, according to an international study," the Mail Online reports. But the same study found mothers who bottlefeed also feel subject to criticism.

The study used discussion groups and interviews to explore the thoughts, feelings and experiences – as well as perceived barriers and facilitators – of feeding infants among a small sample of mothers in north-west England.

A common theme was the shame felt by both mothers who breastfeed and bottlefeed their babies. For example, some breastfeeding mothers discussed concerns about how they are viewed by others when exposing their bodies in public, while conversely women who bottlefeed their baby often feel frowned upon for not breastfeeding.

This was a small study involving just 63 women in one region of England, so we cannot assume its findings are representative of other, larger populations. But it does provide a useful insight into how, for some women, breastfeeding has become an emotional minefield. It suggests there is an important psychological, not just physical, aspect to breastfeeding.

Practice boundary reforms delayed until January, NHS England reveals

Practice boundary reforms delayed until January, NHS England reveals Plans to allow practices to register patients from outside their local area will be delayed until January, NHS England has revealed. GP Online

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Hospitals are facing 'unceasing demand' for A&E and other services

Hospitals are facing 'unceasing demand' for A&E and other services Growing numbers of hospitals are missing NHS waiting-time targets, figures reveal.

Hospitals are treating record numbers of patients as they face unprecedented and "unceasing demand" for their services, NHS leaders warned on Friday.

New official figures from Monitor, the health service regulator, reveal that growing numbers of hospitals are missing NHS waiting-time targets and hitting financial trouble as they struggle to cope with an ever increasing flow of patients. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS spends £12 million making new recruits redundant

NHS spends £12 million making new recruits redundant NHS accused of 'scandalous waste' after new body spends £12 million on redundancy packages for 300 officials. The Daily Telegraph