Wednesday 10 December 2014

Budget cuts of £148 million will result in Northamptonshire County Council ‘outsourcing’ 95 per cent of staff

Budget cuts of £148 million will result in Northamptonshire County Council ‘outsourcing’ 95 per cent of staff

The most dramatic changes to public services for 125 years will see Northamptonshire County Council reduce its workforce from 4,000 to 150 people in a bid to carve £148 million out of its budget within the next five years. Northampton Chronicle

New complaints over NHS ombudsman

New complaints over NHS ombudsman

More than 140 families voice fresh concerns about how the NHS ombudsman in England handles patients' complaints, week after a report raised the alarm. BBC News

Firms awarded third of NHS contracts

Firms awarded third of NHS contracts

A third of NHS contracts in England have been awarded to private sector providers since the Health and Social Care Act came into force, an investigation has found. BBC News

NHS bill for management advisers doubles to £640m

NHS bill for management advisers doubles to £640m


Labour claims management consultants have had ‘a field day’ due to the coalition’s radical restructuring of the NHS

NHS spending on management consultants who charge up to £4,000 a day has soared to £640m a year under the coalition, despite ministerial pledges to reduce the pay out, official figures reveal.

The amount hospitals and other NHS organisations spend on external advice has more than doubled, from £313m in 2010, the Department of Health said. Guardian

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WHO: Ebola 'running ahead of us'

WHO: Ebola 'running ahead of us'

The Ebola virus that has killed thousands in West Africa is still “running ahead” of efforts to contain it, says the World Health Organization head. BBC News

Locum doctors prop up A&E services

Locum doctors prop up A&E services

Almost one in four A&E departments in hospitals in England fill more than 25% of their senior staff vacancies with agency doctors or locums. BBC News

21% of patients in England can now access their medical record online

21% of patients in England can now access their medical record online


The number of patients able to book their appointments and request repeat prescriptions has also jumped to 91% and 88% respectively.

NHS England’s Patient Online programme team has been working closely with practices across England to ensure they have the support they need to confidently offer these online services.

As well as a national network of implementation and clinical support services, practices continue to use the recently published the Patient Online Support and Resources Guide. This guide includes guidance and practice tools developed by the Royal College of GPs, as well as materials for patients, frequently asked questions, regional and local support arrangements and much more.   NHS Networks

Smokefree January 2015

Smokefree January 2015


Smokers will be able to pick up the new and improved NHS “quit cards” from their local pharmacy to help them find the right support tool for them.

Pharmacies across England are once more invited to work in partnership with PHE to distribute the quit cards to smokers. More .....

NHS Networks

Meeting the dementia challenge of an ageing population – Dr Richard Sweeney

Meeting the dementia challenge of an ageing population – Dr Richard Sweeney

Harrogate and Rural District CCG is small, with a population of just under 160,000, but it is challenged by a relatively elderly population and has twice the national average of Elderly Care Home beds.

The result is an estimated prevalence of dementia of 1.7 per cent of the population compared with a national average of 1.3 per cent. Our estimated dementia diagnosis rate in September 2014 was 63.6 per cent and steadily increasing, though this figure has been reduced to 57.5 per cent after a reweighting of estimated prevalence based on our Care Home beds.

Projects have been completed over the last three years to improve the detection, diagnosis and aftercare of people with dementia through a Dementia Collaborative between the CCG, our mental health provider Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, our local hospital Harrogate District NHS Foundation Trust and North Yorkshire County Council, working with the third Sector, patients and carers and using lean management Rapid Improvement Process Workshops focussed on different parts of the pathway.

Simple blood test could detect breast cancer long before symptoms appear - and spell the end of the mammogram 

Simple blood test could detect breast cancer long before symptoms appear - and spell the end of the mammogram 

Oxford University scientists have developed a test which detects high levels of 'heavy' zinc in the blood. This is a marker for cancer as this type of metal is expelled by cancerous cells in the breast. Daily Mail

'Significant' reduction in maternal death rates

'Significant' reduction in maternal death rates

“Nearly one in ten pregnant deaths caused by flu,” The Daily Telegraph reports. A review into maternal deaths, which thankfully remain rare, found that conditions such as the flu and sepsis account for many of the deaths. Maternal deaths are deaths in women that occur during their pregnancy or within six weeks after the end of their pregnancy.

Other headlines prompted by the review included the Mail Online’s “Half of deaths in pregnancy are 'avoidable'”, pointing out that mental health and heart problems take a “heavy toll”.

BBC News took a more positive approach, pointing out that “Maternal death rates 'are falling'”. Maternal death rates dropped from 11 per every 100,000 women giving birth during the 2006-08 period to 10 per every 100,000 women during the 2010-12 period.