Monday 15 December 2014
News: CQC to check services at local NHS Trust next year
News: CQC to check services at local NHS Trust next year The CQC, which regulates all health care providers, will be visiting Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) in February next year. NHFT News
Flesh-eating bug delay caused death
Flesh-eating bug delay caused death A grandmother who died after contracting a flesh-eating bug could have been saved if hospital staff had been quicker to diagnose and treat her, a judge rules. BBC Northamptonshire
See also:
See also:
- Gran from Northampton would have survived flesh-eating bug with better hospital care, judge rules Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Low nursing staff on 40% of Northampton General Hospital wards
Low nursing staff on 40% of Northampton General Hospital wards Numbers of nurses on more than four out 10 wards at Northampton General Hospital are at concerning levels , its director of nursing has said. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
A&E figures begin to exceed targets at Northampton General Hospital
A&E figures begin to exceed targets at Northampton General Hospital Doctors and nurses at NGH have managed several perfect records of dealing with every A&E patient within four hours, as emergency department performance improves. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Leadership vacancies in the NHS: what can be done about them?
Leadership vacancies in the NHS: what can be done about them? There is a growing awareness that NHS provider organisations are experiencing a high number of vacancies at senior levels, are reliant on interims and are experiencing a greater ‘churn’ of senior leaders. This situation could have a negative impact on staff morale and engagement, on costs and on performance. The King’s Fund, in collaboration with the HSJ Future of NHS Leadership Inquiry, undertook a freedom of information request to obtain an accurate picture of board-level vacancies, supplementing the data gathered with in-depth interviews and a literature review. This report details the level of vacancies and their impact and suggests reasons for this. The King's Fund
Safer Clinical Systems: evaluation findings
Safer Clinical Systems: evaluation findings Safer Clinical Systems is an approach for improving safe and reliable health care. It is based on principles adapted from high-reliability organisations, established risk management techniques from hazardous industries, and quality improvement methods. The Safer Clinical Systems approach was tested and developed over two phases. This report looks at the theory, summarises the evaluation of the approach and makes various recommendations regarding refinement and development of the approach. It also summarises two case studies where the approach has been used. The Health Foundation
Policy paper: Better Care Fund: how it will work in 2015 to 2016
Policy paper: Better Care Fund: how it will work in 2015 to 2016 This document sets out the agreed way in which the Better Care Fund will be implemented in 2015 to 2016. It covers such issues as:
- the legal and financial basis of the fund
- conditions of access to the fund
- the assurance and approval process
- payment for performance metrics
News story: Monitor to start using new standards to bring mental health more in line with other services
News story: Monitor to start using new standards to bring mental health more in line with other services
The set of criteria the health sector regulator uses to assess trusts - the Risk Assessment Framework (RAF) - will include these extra mental health targets, and views are being sought in a consultation published today on when these changes should be brought in.
If trusts materially or consistently fail these targets for three quarters in a year, Monitor will treat it as a possible indication of wider problems with how a trust is being run, and will consider whether the trust may be in breach of its licence. This could lead to an investigation or further action, in the same way as if patients are consistently waiting too long in A&E.
The move follows the government’s introduction of new waiting time standards for talking therapy treatment, which is used for problems including depression, and for initial treatment of psychosis. Foundation trusts will be required to report whether they meet these standards on a quarterly basis.
Stephen Hay, Monitor’s Managing Director of Provider Regulation said:
Tackling mental health problems can be extremely time-sensitive. We know for example that early treatment of psychosis can dramatically improve chances of recovery.
These important changes to the way we regulate foundation trusts build on our work to bring mental health standards more in line with the way we regulate other services.
Monitor is also consulting on adding indicators to help regulate trusts which provide high secure services for mental health, as they are now able to apply for foundation trust status following a change in the law last year. The consultation will close in mid-February next year and the updated RAF will come into force in April. Monitor
The set of criteria the health sector regulator uses to assess trusts - the Risk Assessment Framework (RAF) - will include these extra mental health targets, and views are being sought in a consultation published today on when these changes should be brought in.
If trusts materially or consistently fail these targets for three quarters in a year, Monitor will treat it as a possible indication of wider problems with how a trust is being run, and will consider whether the trust may be in breach of its licence. This could lead to an investigation or further action, in the same way as if patients are consistently waiting too long in A&E.
The move follows the government’s introduction of new waiting time standards for talking therapy treatment, which is used for problems including depression, and for initial treatment of psychosis. Foundation trusts will be required to report whether they meet these standards on a quarterly basis.
Stephen Hay, Monitor’s Managing Director of Provider Regulation said:
Tackling mental health problems can be extremely time-sensitive. We know for example that early treatment of psychosis can dramatically improve chances of recovery.
These important changes to the way we regulate foundation trusts build on our work to bring mental health standards more in line with the way we regulate other services.
Monitor is also consulting on adding indicators to help regulate trusts which provide high secure services for mental health, as they are now able to apply for foundation trust status following a change in the law last year. The consultation will close in mid-February next year and the updated RAF will come into force in April. Monitor
Variation in compulsory psychiatric inpatient admission in England: a cross-sectional, multilevel analysis
Variation in compulsory psychiatric inpatient admission in England: a cross-sectional, multilevel analysis The objective of this study was to quantify and model variances in the rate of compulsory admission in England at different spatial levels and to assess the extent to which this was explained by characteristics of people and places. National Institute for Health Research
Staff satisfaction and organisational performance: evidence from a longitudinal secondary analysis of the NHS staff survey and outcome data
Staff satisfaction and organisational performance: evidence from a longitudinal secondary analysis of the NHS staff survey and outcome data This study tested the later stages of a well-established human resource management model, testing whether or not there was evidence of causal links between staff experience and intermediate (staff) and final (patient and organisational) outcomes, and whether or not these differed in parts of the NHS. It found that, in general, the pattern was that better staff experiences are associated with better outcomes for employees and patients. National Institute for Health Research
Why are hospitals under so much pressure?
Why are hospitals under so much pressure? You need look no further than Salford Royal Hospital to realise the point the NHS has got to.
The trust is generally regarded as one of the best - if not the best - in the UK. It outperforms its counterparts on a whole host of measures from patient satisfaction to waiting times.
But last week it missed the four-hour A&E waiting time target - dipping below the 95% standard by the narrowest of margins. This is not a quirk. It's been dragged down along with the rest of the hospital sector. BBC News
See also:
The trust is generally regarded as one of the best - if not the best - in the UK. It outperforms its counterparts on a whole host of measures from patient satisfaction to waiting times.
But last week it missed the four-hour A&E waiting time target - dipping below the 95% standard by the narrowest of margins. This is not a quirk. It's been dragged down along with the rest of the hospital sector. BBC News
See also:
- Explaining variation in emergency admissions: a mixed-methods study of emergency and urgent care systems National Institute for Health Research
- A&E and ambulances 'close to limit' BBC News
Memory gaps in educated 'stroke warning sign'
Memory gaps in educated 'stroke warning sign' “People with memory problems who have a university education could be at greater risk of a stroke,” BBC News reports. The hypothesis is that the gaps in memory could be the result of reduced blood flow to the brain, which may then trigger a stroke at some point in the future.
Researchers documented memory complaints and occurrences of stroke in a group of 9,152 adults aged over 55 living in the Netherlands, for an average of 12.2 years.
This showed that replying “yes” to the question “Do you have any memory complaints” was associated with a 20% higher risk of stroke overall compared with those saying “no”. This relative risk was higher in people categorised as educated – holding a university degree or higher vocational qualification.
This shouldn’t be interpreted as meaning that having a higher education increases your risk of stroke. The explanation put forward by the experts was that people with a higher education may have higher levels of cognitive awareness, so they may be more likely to be aware of worsening.
Researchers documented memory complaints and occurrences of stroke in a group of 9,152 adults aged over 55 living in the Netherlands, for an average of 12.2 years.
This showed that replying “yes” to the question “Do you have any memory complaints” was associated with a 20% higher risk of stroke overall compared with those saying “no”. This relative risk was higher in people categorised as educated – holding a university degree or higher vocational qualification.
This shouldn’t be interpreted as meaning that having a higher education increases your risk of stroke. The explanation put forward by the experts was that people with a higher education may have higher levels of cognitive awareness, so they may be more likely to be aware of worsening.
‘Quack’s charter’ warning over bill on untested medicines
‘Quack’s charter’ warning over bill on untested medicines Chair of Commons health committee says medical innovations bill would endanger patients and undermine medical research
A bill giving dying patients access to untested medicines is a “quack’s charter” that should not have government support, the chairman of parliament’s health watchdog has said.
Dr Sarah Wollaston, who leads the Commons health committee, said the medical innovations bill proposed by Lord Saatchi would endanger patients and undermine genuine medical research. Continue reading... The Guardian
A bill giving dying patients access to untested medicines is a “quack’s charter” that should not have government support, the chairman of parliament’s health watchdog has said.
Dr Sarah Wollaston, who leads the Commons health committee, said the medical innovations bill proposed by Lord Saatchi would endanger patients and undermine genuine medical research. Continue reading... The Guardian
Controversial NHS patient data sharing pilot scheme may be delayed until 2015
Controversial NHS patient data sharing pilot scheme may be delayed until 2015 Care.data programme further postponed as parliamentary report raises concerns over information security and public consultation
Pilot schemes for the delayed and controversial NHS programme to share data from patients’ medical records might not start until well into the new year, it has emerged.
The launch of the care.data programme was postponed for at least six months in February this year – well past its planned date of April 2014 – and NHS has now said it will not even have completed signing up GP practices for experiments in how it might work until the new year. Continue reading... The Guardian
See also:
Pilot schemes for the delayed and controversial NHS programme to share data from patients’ medical records might not start until well into the new year, it has emerged.
The launch of the care.data programme was postponed for at least six months in February this year – well past its planned date of April 2014 – and NHS has now said it will not even have completed signing up GP practices for experiments in how it might work until the new year. Continue reading... The Guardian
See also:
- Care.data Inquiry The All Party Parliamentary Group for Patient and Public Involvement in Health and Social Care
- Care.data review due in early 2015 E-Health Insider
- Opt-out system essential for data sharing OnMedica
Dozens of care homes failing the most vulnerable
Dozens of care homes failing the most vulnerable Numerous care and nursing homes are failing the most vulnerable in our society, CQC health watchdog inspections reveal. The Daily Telegraph
See also:
See also:
- Justice for the Elderly: 'Curb cowboys and pay carers properly' The Daily Telegraph
- Care home scandal: 'My father suffered hellish treatment' The Daily Telegraph
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