Friday 26 September 2014

Wither quality?

Wither quality? To close the gap between the quality of care the NHS should provide, compared to what it does provide, requires improvement at a hitherto unseen scale. Improvers of the NHS, your time is now, says Richard Taunt. The Health Foundation

CQC sets out new plans for inspecting substance misuse services

CQC sets out new plans for inspecting substance misuse services At the heart of the new approach is a commitment to tailor inspections to the issues that matter to people using substance misuse services. More ..... Care Quality Commission

Staff friends and family test results published

Staff friends and family test results published NHS England has today published the first quarter national results for the Staff Friends and Family Test. Read our highlights. NHS Employers

Ebola-hit nations may 'face collapse'

Chlorine contamination at NHS flagship sparks investigation

Chlorine contamination at NHS flagship sparks investigation Police were called in to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham after the discovery of high levels of chlorine in water and concerns of a possible link to the deaths of two patients. Channel 4 News

Skirt size increase ups breast cancer risk

Skirt size increase ups breast cancer risk “Skirt size increase linked to breast cancer risk,” BBC News reports. The story comes from a UK study of nearly 93,000 postmenopausal women that looked at whether changes in skirt size since their twenties was associated with increased risk of breast cancer.

It found that going up a skirt size every 10 years was associated with a 33% increased risk of developing breast cancer after the menopause. As an example, this could be going from a size 8 at 25 years old to a size 16 at 65 years old.

It's important to stress that the initial risk of developing breast cancer, the baseline risk, is small, with only 1.2% of women involved in the study going on to develop breast cancer.

This large study used skirt size as a proxy measure for “central obesity” – the accumulation of excess fat around the waist and stomach. While overweight and obesity is known to be a risk factor for several cancers, this study suggests that a thickening waist may be an independent measure of increased breast cancer risk.

The good news is that the “skirt size effect" appears to be reversible, as losing weight and trimming your waist size may help reduce your breast cancer risk.

Exclusive: Practices could merge into hospital-led organisations under Labour plans

Exclusive: Practices could merge into hospital-led organisations under Labour plans GP practices could be swallowed up by hospital-led integrated care organisations under Labour's plans to transform the NHS, according to shadow health secretary Andy Burnham. GP Online

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Its time to stop bullying in the NHS for the sake of patients

Its time to stop bullying in the NHS for the sake of patients Bullying whistleblowers has damaged staff health and cost employers sick pay and turnover

Bullying in the NHS is a serious problem. Robert Franciss 2010 report into the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal said an explanation for staffs reluctance to come forward with concerns was that they were scared, witnesses described an endemic culture of bullying, and the report provides graphic examples of the victimisation of those who did raise concerns.

The omission of bullying from the 290 recommendations in his 2013 report was a serious mistake that Robert Francis could remedy in his current independent review into whistleblowing in the NHS. Since 2010, NHS bullying has further increased. According to the NHS national staff survey, the proportion of staff reporting being bullied, harassed and abused by colleagues and managers rose from 14% in 2010 to 22% in 2013. Staff surveyed said under half of these cases were reported while the proportion of cases being reported fell from 54% in 2004 to 44% last year. Continue reading... The Guardian

Patients waiting times on NHS a national disgrace GP leader

Patients waiting times on NHS a national disgrace GP leader Royal College of GPs chair speaks out as NHS figures show one in six patients has to wait at least a week before they see a GP

Intolerably long waiting times to see a GP have become a national disgrace that could endanger peoples health, the leader of Britains family doctors has warned.

Increasingly unacceptable waits for an appointment risk illnesses not being spotted quickly enough and chances to prevent them being missed, said Dr Maureen Baker. Continue reading... The Guardian

Cancer sufferers want more help from GPs

Cancer sufferers want more help from GPs One in ten cancer sufferers sees GPs five times before being referred to hospital, amid growing patient dissatisfaction. The Daily Telegraph

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MMR uptake at highest level ever but remain below WHO targets

MMR uptake at highest level ever but remain below WHO targets  The MMR vaccine is being given to more children than ever before but uptake rates still remain below World Health Organisation targets. The Daily Telegraph