Wednesday 26 November 2014

Reforms to Private Finance Initiative likely to increase costs to the NHS, new report warns

Reforms to Private Finance Initiative likely to increase costs to the NHS, new report warns The Government’s Private Finance 2 initiative is likely to divert more resources away from the NHS in England than the original Private Finance Initiative, according to a new report from the Centre for Health and the Public Interest.

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The reconfiguration of clinical services: what is the evidence?

The reconfiguration of clinical services: what is the evidence? This paper aims to help those planning and implementing major clinical service reconfigurations ensure that change is as evidence-based as possible. It investigates the five key drivers – quality, workforce, cost, access and technology – across 13 clinical service areas, and summarises the research evidence and professional guidance available in each. It builds on a major forthcoming analysis of reviews of service reconfigurations commissioned by the National Institute of Health Research and conducted by the National Clinical Advisory Team (NCAT). The King's Fund

Mental health taskforce announced

Mental health taskforce announced The new taskforce will include cabinet ministers from across the coalition government.

The deputy prime minister has been campaigning on mental health issues for many years, focusing on bringing treatment for mental health problems in line with physical health, and ending years of discrimination.

The government’s mental health strategy has also built a firm foundation for improving services across the country with an investment of £400m to expand talking therapies. Department of Health

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New to the NHS? Your guide to using social media

New to the NHS? Your guide to using social media If you are new to the NHS, it’s important to understand how social media is having an impact on the way healthcare is planned, delivered and discussed. This quick guide tells you what you need to know about social media now that you work for the NHS and what you should do with your personal profiles. NHS Employers

Call for £2bn more for NHS in England

Call for £2bn more for NHS in England Calls for extra money for the NHS in England are intensifying after latest figures show the deficit is growing as performance deteriorates. BBC News

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Cervical screening coverage: lowest levels amongst women under 30

Cervical screening coverage: lowest levels amongst women under 30 Latest figures show that cervical screening coverage is considerably lower for women aged 25 to 29 than for those in older age groups. The highest levels are amongst women aged 50 to 54. Health and Social Care Information Centre

E-cigarettes are not attracting new smokers

E-cigarettes are not attracting new smokers ONS figures show a fall in smoking to 19%. OnMedica

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Pulling together to extend lives of people with serious mental illness

Pulling together to extend lives of people with serious mental illness A pioneering scheme in Derbyshire has had some success in tackling the lifestyle factors that cause early deaths among mentally ill people

Each year, 12,000 people with serious mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, die prematurely from heart disease – on average 20 years earlier than the general population, which gives them a similar life expectancy to the 1950s. In addition, 18,000 people with common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression will also die early. This connection between physical health and mental health was noted in the British Medical Journal as long as 60 years ago. Yet only last year the Mental Health Foundation reported that NHS physical health and mental health care were largely disconnected, and that, though integration was supported in principle, it was not delivered in practice.

Michael Knapton, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, says: “It is a failure of the specialisation of medicine where doctors look after an organ, rather than a person. But it is people who walk into a clinic.” Continue reading... The Guardian

Government accused of failing to provide emergency care for British ebola volunteers

Government accused of failing to provide emergency care for British ebola volunteers NHS workers in Sierra Leone told they will not be guaranteed repatriation if they fall sick - despite lack of life-saving equipment in Freetown. The Daily Telegraph

Report: GPs on call at A&E could reduce pressure on services

Report: GPs on call at A&E could reduce pressure on services A&E departments should relieve pressure on emergency staff by having GPs on hand to see patients with less serious health problems, leading doctors have said. The Independent

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