Criticised hospital 'almost safe'

Criticised hospital 'almost safe' A hospital rated as "potentially high risk" has improved, but further work is still needed, inspectors find. BBC Northamptonshire

Wheelchair-bound patient from Northampton has free transport to hospital withdrawn

Wheelchair-bound patient from Northampton has free transport to hospital withdrawn A Northampton man with multiple disabilities has said he was “left in limbo” after the NHS told him he was no longer eligible for ambulance transportation to hospital appointments because he received a disability allowance. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

More than 13,000 diabetes patients in Northamptonshire did not get ‘essential health checks’

More than 13,000 diabetes patients in Northamptonshire did not get ‘essential health checks’ More than six out of 10 people with diabetes in Northamptonshire are not receiving essential health checks to help them avoid serious complications, a charity has said. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Winterbourne view - time for change: transforming the commissioning of services for people with learning disabilities and/or autism

Winterbourne view - time for change: transforming the commissioning of services for people with learning disabilities and/or autism Sir Stephen Bubb, chief executive of charity leaders body ACEVO, was asked by NHS England to work with stakeholders and make recommendations for the development of a national commissioning framework to address the shortcomings in the provision of support for people with learning disabilities. The report makes a series of recommendations for the NHS, local government, regulators and the government, that include a robust NHS commissioning framework to support people with learning disabilities and autism move out of hospitals and into the community. NHS England

See also:

• Learning disability care 'failing' BBC News
• Drive to end Winterbourne View-style care going backwards, official report shows The Daily Telegraph
• Report shows unacceptable care of those with learning disabilities in assessment and treatment units Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities
• ‘We must stop learning disabled people being dumped in waste bins of life’ The Guardian
• Bubb Report: Winterbourne View-style homes must be closed down The Independent
• Bubb suggests radical changes to learning disabilities care OnMedica

Payment system will encourage better NHS efficiency and improved care

Payment system will encourage better NHS efficiency and improved care NHS England and Monitor have today launched a consultation on changes to the NHS payment system.

The proposed changes for 2015/16 aim to incentivise the efficient provision of high quality care, while also encouraging the better management of an increasing demand for services.

The package of proposals is an early opportunity to put into practice the commitment in the Five Year Forward View to encourage the NHS to innovate and change local patterns of care in response to the needs of patients.

FGM e-learning launched today

FGM e-learning launched today Health Education England (HEE) today launches an e-learning programme to help support and recognise the victims of female genital mutilation (FGM).

Developed in collaboration with key stakeholders, and supported by the Department of Health’s FGM Prevention team, the material deals with the issues posed by FGM at all stages of a girl or woman’s life, including the impact on physical and emotional health, legal status and referral pathways.

The introductory content is available to all today, on HEE’s e-Learning for Healthcare (e-LfH) website. The full suite of learning will be available shortly, and will provide free training for all NHS staff, including school nurses, practice nurses, health visitors and GPs.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), there are an estimated 130 million women and girls living with FGM worldwide. Most of these women are located in 29 African countries. In the UK, FGM is increasingly identified amongst migrants from FGM-practising countries. There are an estimated 137,000 women in the UK affected by FGM.

Professor Wendy Reid, Director of Education and Quality, Health Education England, said:

“All health professionals have a responsibility to provide support for survivors of FGM and in the protection of girls and women at risk of FGM.

I am proud to say that Health Education England is committed to training frontline healthcare professionals to recognise those at risk and support women and girls who may have undergone FGM.”

Urgent and important : the future for urgent care in a 24/7 NHS

Urgent and important : the future for urgent care in a 24/7 NHS This report makes eight recommendations to improve standards and ensure the most efficient use of resources. It surveyed 1,000 GPs, whose feedback helped to guide the report’s recommendations. The recommendations aim to give the out of hours sector a stronger position through a more tailored and informed approach to workforce development, communication, commissioning and delivery. Care UK

GPs 'failing' to find liver disease

GPs 'failing' to find liver disease Early detection of liver disease by GPs in the UK is "virtually non-existent", leading medical experts warn. BBC News

Ebola vaccine trial 'promising'

Ebola vaccine trial 'promising' The first human trial of an experimental vaccine against Ebola suggests that it is safe and may help the immune system to combat the virus. BBC News

See also:

• Tracing the Ebola outbreak BBC News
• US-made Ebola vaccine 'effective' in trials and will be tested in West Africa The Daily Mail

Hunt 'contradicted NHS advice'

Hunt 'contradicted NHS advice' Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has been accused of contradicting NHS advice after admitting that he took his children to A&E at the weekend rather than wait to see a GP. BBC News

NHS England silent on tech fund delay

NHS England silent on tech fund delay NHS England has been unable to answer repeated questions about when it will announce the list of trusts that made successful bids to the second round of its technology fund, as rumours swirl that the money on offer has been slashed. E-Health Insider

NHS to carry on selling patient records to insurers

NHS to carry on selling patient records to insurers Study finds details of more than 50,000 people were passed to the academics working in universities without the necessary legal safeguards. The Daily Telegraph

'Cash for diagnoses' dementia scheme is dropped

'Cash for diagnoses' dementia scheme is dropped Following outrage from doctors and patients groups, the head of the NHS has signalled that a scheme which pays GPs £55 for each person diagnosed with dementia will be dropped in April. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS to discontinue dementia diagnosis payments to GP practices The Guardian

Minister: Children with mental health problems should 'never' be kept in cells

Minister: Children with mental health problems should 'never' be kept in cells Holding children with mental health problems in police cells should be a “never event”, the care minster Norman Lamb has said. The Independent

Up to 2m could get NHS weight-loss surgery to save ‘billions of pounds’

Up to 2m could get NHS weight-loss surgery to save ‘billions of pounds’ The NHS should triple the number of weight-loss surgeries it carries out every year to help tackle the “immense problem” of obesity and reduce the £10bn cost of caring for patients with diabetes, the health watchdog has said. The Independent

See also:

• Guidelines favour weight loss ops BBC News
• Fifth of millennium babies 'obese' BBC News
• Two million eligible for gastric bands The Daily Mail
• Half of children are overweight before they even reach 11 The Daily Mail
• Offer weightloss surgery to young people, NHS advised The Daily Telegraph
• Tripling weight loss surgeries would cut type 2 diabetes treatment bill The Guardian