Wednesday 15 October 2014

£7.4 million cost of drinking in Northamptonshire is double regional average

£7.4 million cost of drinking in Northamptonshire is double regional average The number of people in Northamptonshire admitted to hospital and dying due to alcohol abuse is more than double the East Midlands average. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

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Ebola resources

Ebola resources We've put together a short list of news and information resources relating to the current Ebola outbreak which you can find on our Library blog.

Lessons from integrated care ‘discovery communities’

Lessons from integrated care ‘discovery communities’ A consensus is emerging in England around the concept of integrated care as the best hope for a sustainable NHS, according to a paper from the King’s Fund. The paper, System Leadership, Lessons and learning from AQuA's Integrated Care Discovery Communities, draws on three years' development work with leaders in health care systems in north-west England. The King's Fund

Data on safeguarding adults

Data on safeguarding adults The Health and Social Care Information Centre has published an annual report of the safeguarding adults return (SAR) data collection from 1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014. The purpose of the collection is to provide information which can help stakeholders to understand where abuse may occur and improve services for individuals affected by abuse.

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NHS strikes: What next?

NHS strikes: What next? Is the NHS set for a winter of industrial unrest? BBC News

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Dying patients 'lack home support'

Dying patients 'lack home support' The NHS is failing to provide access to 24-hour expert support for patients dying at home in England, according to palliative care charity Sue Ryder. BBC News

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Ten tips for mental health services from primary care

Ten tips for mental health services from primary care How to improve access to treatment. Health Service Journal

Broccoli could 'hold the key' for treating autism

Broccoli could 'hold the key' for treating autism "Broccoli chemical may improve autism symptoms," The Daily Telegraph reports. A small study suggests sulforaphane, a chemical that gives broccoli its distinctive taste, may help improve some of the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The study found the symptoms of ASD improved in two-thirds of adolescent and young men who took a sulforaphane supplement.

In the randomised controlled trial, 26 men with moderate to severe ASD took sulforaphane, and nine took a placebo, for 18 weeks.

Improvements were seen in the majority of people taking sulforaphane in terms of irritability, lethargy, stereotypy, hyperactivity, awareness, communication, motivation and mannerisms.

The study was limited by the small number of participants, and the results may not be generalisable to all people with ASD, as it was conducted on a group of young white males.

Still, the results are both intriguing and encouraging, as there is currently no effective drug-based treatment for improving ASD symptoms.

GPs and nurses say NHS care 'worsening'

GPs and nurses say NHS care 'worsening' Survey reveals poor morale and widespread opposition to a range of new government initiatives. OnMedica

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Mental health must also go to the top of the research agenda | Mary OHara

Mental health must also go to the top of the research agenda | Mary OHara Alongside improvements in care for people with mental health problems, research into causes and treatments must be prioritised.

Many things are unprecedented about the run-up to next years general election, but perhaps one of the least anticipated is the prominence mental health has acquired. There has been something of a slow-motion pile-up aspect to mental health care over the past few years, as reports of the devastating effects of cuts, including chronic bed shortages and patients put at risk have kept on coming. Despite ministerial overtures lately about parity of esteem between mental and physical health, ask people in need of counselling or of a bed on an acute ward if provision is meeting needs and the answer will be an unequivocal No.

When party leaders begin raising the issue at their annual conferences its a signal that something fundamental might be occurring. Last week Nick Clegg used his keynote conference speech to announce a £120m cash injection to improve mental health services and pledged, among other things, to reduce waiting times and ensure better integration between A&E and psychiatric services, an area of escalating concern. With the chief medical officer reporting last month that the number of working days lost to stress, depression and anxiety shot up by 24% since 2009 and that 75% of people who have a mental illness receive no treatment at all, it is clear there are huge gaps in what is an overstretched system. Continue reading... The Guardian

Major new health report: 'Ban smoking in London's public parks and squares'

Major new health report: 'Ban smoking in London's public parks and squares'  Smoking should be banned in parks and public squares in London, a major review of health in the capital ordered by Mayor Boris Johnson has recommended. The Independent

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