Friday 10 October 2014

Kettering General Hospital worker with learning disability is invaluable to patients and staff

Kettering General Hospital worker with learning disability is invaluable to patients and staff A project worker who has learning disabilities has spoken about his time helping Kettering General Hospital staff to better understand the needs of people with the disability. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Financial failure in the NHS: what causes it and how best to manage it

Financial failure in the NHS: what causes it and how best to manage it This report describes the current financial state of the NHS and the reasons for the deterioration in financial performance and ultimately financial failure. These include weak leadership, legacy costs, PbR, and the impact of the wider health economy. The King's Fund

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Cause for concern: QualityWatch annual statement 2014

Cause for concern: QualityWatch annual statement 2014  This is the second annual statement from the QualityWatch programme, analysing over 200 quality indicators and a series of in-depth research reports to provide an overview of how patterns of quality in services are changing across a range of care settings.

In the past year there has been an increasing number of signs that historic improvements in quality are not being sustained in some areas, or have even reversed. Stress signals first identified in 2013 are now becoming even stronger and apparent in a wider range of services. Despite the recent wave of negative headlines and concerns over significant lapses in quality, if we look over a longer timescale, in many ways the NHS has shown signs of continued improvements in areas such as waiting times, safety and staff numbers. The health Foundation and The Nuffield Trust

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Second National Audit of Schizophrenia highlights lack of progress for service users and carers

Second National Audit of Schizophrenia highlights lack of progress for service users and carers The second National Audit of Schizophrenia highlights that many people with schizophrenia are still not getting the high quality psychological and medical treatment they deserve. The Mental Elf

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New report reveals increase in use of antibiotics linked to rising levels of antibiotic resistance

New report reveals increase in use of antibiotics linked to rising levels of antibiotic resistance A new report from Public Health England (PHE) found that between 2010 and 2013 there was a 6% increase in the combined antibiotic prescribing of GPs and hospitals. There was also an increase of 12% in the number of bloodstream infections caused by E.coli with varying levels of resistance to key antibiotics for this infection of between 10 to 19%. Public Health England

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Public engagement, not just about the public

Public engagement, not just about the public The design and implementation of public involvement process can help support or undermine broad support for public engagement. This briefing paper synthesises existing research on what motivates each group to engage and provides an overview of the specific elements of the design and implementation of engagement that can shape these motivations in the long term. Involve

Everything you always wanted to know about European Union health policies but were afraid to ask

Everything you always wanted to know about European Union health policies but were afraid to ask This report focuses on four aspects of EU health policy: the EU institutions, processes and powers related to health; the EU action taken on the basis of this health mandate; the non-health action affecting health and health systems; and, because of its growing importance, financial governance and what it means for European health systems. It is aimed at policymakers and students of public health and health systems in the EU who want to understand how the EU can add value in their quest improving population health and the performance of health systems in Member States. World Health Organisation 

Patients united - heard and valued

Patients united - heard and valued This position paper offers advice on how to set up a patient participation group to make patient engagement work for a CCG. It draws on recent work in Lambeth. Millar Adamson Craig

UK Ebola screening for arrivals from affected areas

'Healthy foods expensive' claim is unrealistic

'Healthy foods expensive' claim is unrealistic “Healthy food now costs three times as much as junk, study shows,” The Independent reports. It also reports a sharper rise in the cost of fruit and veg over the past decade compared to other types of foods.

This news story is based on research which looked at changes in the price of 94 food items in the UK in the decade from 2002 to 2012. It found that in this period foods classified as healthier (such as fruit and vegetables) were more expensive per calorie than foods high in fat or sugar. The healthy foods increased more sharply in price over time, and in 2012 were three times more expensive on average per calorie than unhealthy foods.

Prices were assessed per 1,000 calories, as this is a standard way of assessing food poverty. However, as healthier foods tend to have a much lower energy density (fewer calories per gram) than less healthy foods, this measure may not always give a realistic comparison of different food choices you might buy. For example, you would need to buy and eat around 30 cucumbers to gain around 1,000 calories, compared to about one 200g packet of ginger nut biscuits (about 20 biscuits).

Apologise early to resolve complaints

Apologise early to resolve complaints NHS England and RCOG report on how to improve patient safety. OnMedica

Healthcare staff dont know who head of NHS is, Guardian survey reveals

Healthcare staff dont know who head of NHS is, Guardian survey reveals Respondents ignorant to Simon Stevens role and a third believe he has had a negative impact on health service

Almost a third of healthcare staff think Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, has had a negative impact on the NHS in England while many dont know who he is, an exclusive Guardian survey of heathcare professionals has found.

Asked: Has Simon Stevens had a positive impact on the NHS?, only 8% replied yes while 32% said no and 59% were unsure. Some 1,700 members of the Guardian Healthcare Professionals Network took part in the survey in June and July this year, just after Stevens took the reins at NHS England. Almost a third of the 400 people who made further comment on the impact he had had on the health service replied that they didnt know who he was. Continue reading... The Guardian