Fund totalling £100k to help homeless and vulnerable people scrapped by Northamptonshire County Council

Fund totalling £100k to help homeless and vulnerable people scrapped by Northamptonshire County Council Grants to help hospital patients or homeless people live independently have been scrapped by Northamptonshire County Council. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Evolution of care: where will the vanguards be in five years’ time?

Evolution of care: where will the vanguards be in five years’ time? Among all the buzz and excitement of the vanguards, we must take care to not overlook the fundamental reason for them in the first place – to develop new care models which will act as the blue prints for the NHS moving forward and inspire the rest of the health and care system, says Isobelle Anderson. The Health Foundation

Hospital admissions due to dogs and other mammals: new figures released

Hospital admissions due to dogs and other mammals: new figures released New figures on NHS hospital admissions for injuries caused by dogs, rats and other mammals (including horses, foxes and cats) have been released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

See also:

• Rise in 'dog bite' hospital admissions BBC News

Smoking ban 'improves child health'

Smoking ban 'improves child health' The ban on smoking in public places - which came into force in 2007 in England - has cut child hospital admissions by some 11,000 a year, research suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Almost 90,000 children spared illness by smoking ban: 11,000 fewer a year admitted to hospital with lung infections since law was changed The Daily Mail
• Smoking not only kills, it plunges children into POVERTY because parents 'prioritise cigarettes over food' The Daily Mail
• Smoking parents plunging nearly half a million children into poverty, says new research The Independent

NHS 111 goes online

NHS 111 goes online NHS England is testing an online version of non-emergency phone service NHS 111 that uses a simplified version of the algorithm used by call handlers. E-Health Insider

Eight in ten patients always trust their doctor

Eight in ten patients always trust their doctor But only half feel involved in decision making and many say communication needs to be improved. OnMedica

Mental health groups call for fair funding

Mental health groups call for fair funding Six mental health organisations are urging the government to adopt an action plan for its first 100 days in office, including a commitment to agree to fair funding for services in July’s post-election Budget. Public Finance

Doctors prescribing antibiotics for gonorrhea that no longer work

Doctors prescribing antibiotics for gonorrhea that no longer work GPs give patients ciprofloxacin, which has not been recommended since 2005, raising fears that drug-resistant forms of sexually transmitted disease will spread

GPs are prescribing antibiotics that no longer work for people with gonorrhoea, raising the chances that drug-resistant forms of the sexually transmitted disease will spread.

Antibiotics are losing their potency against many infectious diseases because of inappropriate use or overuse. Gonorrhoea, a serious sexually transmitted infection that is easily passed on and can cause infertility, has for some time been a cause for concern. The bacterium that causes it, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, has developed resistance to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, traditionally used to treat it, so that in a third of cases, it no longer works. Continue reading... The Guardian

Health services should have identified risk of double murderer reoffending

Health services should have identified risk of double murderer reoffending Report says there were many deficiencies and missed opportunities in the treatment of James Allen, who went on to murder two people in 2012

Health services that dealt with a man later convicted of murdering two people should have identified the “significant probability that he would reoffend”, a report has found.

James Allen attacked 81-year-old Colin Dunford in his Middlesbrough terrace home, then three days later stabbed to death Julie Davison, 50, at her flat in Whitby, North Yorkshire. The double killing sparked a huge manhunt which ended in Leeds when an off-duty police officer spotted him. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• An independent investigation into the care and treatment of Mr F by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS FoundationTrust Niche Patient Safety / NHS England
• Murderer James Allen had 'known risk factors' BBC News
• Health care criticised over double murders ITV News

Tory plan for seven-day access to GPs branded 'cloud cuckoo land'

Tory plan for seven-day access to GPs branded 'cloud cuckoo land' Dr Maureen Baker of the Royal College of GPs hits out at David Cameron’s NHS pledge and warns that many GP surgeries are already ‘teetering on the brink’

Plans for seven-day GP surgeries have been described as coming from “cloud cuckoo land” by one of the UK’s most senior doctors.

Dr Maureen Baker, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), labelled the government’s pledge a “political imperative” and warned that many GP surgeries were already “teetering on the brink”. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• GP contract faces radical reform as opposition to seven-day NHS grows GP Online

Elderly face NHS discrimination under new UN death targets

Elderly face NHS discrimination under new UN death targets Elderly people will be treated like second-class citizens and denied medical care under new targets which give priority to saving the lives of young people. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The UN's suggestion that Britain ration health care is a wake-up call The Daily Telegraph
• 'Unethical' UN health plan to reduce deaths discriminates against old people, claim medical experts The Independent

Study showing that chocolate can help with weight loss was a trick to show how easily shoddy science can make headlines

Study showing that chocolate can help with weight loss was a trick to show how easily shoddy science can make headlines A journalist seeking to lay bare how the research behind fad diets can be “meaningless” and based on “terrible science”, has revealed how he tricked international media into believing that chocolate can aid weight loss. The Independent

Relatives of dementia sufferers who die in care homes having to wait months to bury loved ones thanks to new Government rules

Relatives of dementia sufferers who die in care homes having to wait months to bury loved ones thanks to new Government rules Relatives of dementia sufferers who pass away in care homes are being forced to wait months to bury loved ones because of new rules. The Independent

Midwife at Northampton General Hospital suspended after risking baby’s life with feeding tube

Midwife at Northampton General Hospital suspended after risking baby’s life with feeding tube A midwife who worked at Northampton General Hospital has been suspended over fitting a feeding tube to a premature baby on Christmas Day in such a way he was in danger of death. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton General Hospital to go £21 million into the red to fund improvements

Northampton General Hospital to go £21 million into the red to fund improvements Northampton General Hospital says it will go £21m into the red this year to meet its quality and efficiency aims. Northants Herald and Post

Go gentle into that good night: the past, present, and future of end-of-life care

Go gentle into that good night: the past, present, and future of end-of-life care End-of-life care has received increasing attention in recent years as the baby boomers age and health care costs continue to rise. This attention has brought with it remarkable growth in the field and improvement in care, but there remains work to be done in order to more consistently deliver high quality, compassionate, and patient- and family-centred end-of-life care. This dissertation examines the past, present, and future of end-of-life care in order to shed light on the most effective ways to organise and deliver it. Rand Corporation

Modified herpes virus 'could combat skin cancer'

Modified herpes virus 'could combat skin cancer' "Patients with aggressive skin cancer have been treated successfully using a drug based on the herpes virus," The Guardian reports. A new study suggests a novel form of immunotherapy could be effective for treating some cases of advanced skin cancer.

This was a large trial examining the use of a new immune treatment called talimgogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) for advanced melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer) that could not be removed surgically.

T-VEC is a modified derivative of the herpes virus that causes cold sores. It is injected directly into the tumour and causes the production of a chemical called granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which stimulates an immune response to fight the cancer.

T-VEC injections were compared with injections of GM-CSF only, which is sometimes used to treat people who have poor immunity caused by cancer treatment.

The trial found, overall, significantly more people responded to treatment for more than six months with T-VEC (16.3%) than with GM-CSF injections (2.1%).

Combined contraceptive pills 'increase risk of blood clots'

Combined contraceptive pills 'increase risk of blood clots' "Women who take the latest generations of contraceptive pills are at a greater risk of potentially lethal blood clots," The Times reports. While the increase in risk is statistically significant, it is very small in terms of individual risk

The combined oral contraceptive pill, commonly referred to as "the pill", is already well known to be linked to increased risk of blood clots in the veins, such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), as wediscussed back in 2014.

A new study, using two large GP databases, set out to refine the assessment of the risk. It identified women who had had a venous blood clot, matched them by age to unaffected women, and examined use of the pill in the previous year.

Overall it found that use of any contraceptive pill almost tripled risk of blood clot; though the baseline risk is small. And risk was generally higher with the newer third generation pills, compared with older pills. Encouragingly, risk was lowest for pills containing levonorgestrel, which is by far the most common prescribed. This pill carried risk of around six extra cases of blood clot for every 10,000 women prescribed.

GPs set for government showdown as Queen's speech confirms seven-day access plans

GPs set for government showdown as Queen's speech confirms seven-day access plans The government has confirmed it will introduce measures to increase GP access in the next year setting it on a collision course with the profession. GP Online

What do hospital bosses and football managers have in common?

What do hospital bosses and football managers have in common? From finance to managing staff, football clubs and hospitals have more similarities than you might think Continue reading... The Guardian

UK's cancer death rates blamed on delays in sending patients for tests

UK's cancer death rates blamed on delays in sending patients for tests Researchers say GPs in England, Wales and Northern Ireland less likely than other countries to refer possible cancer patients immediately

Delays in testing for cancer at GPs’ surgeries may be the reason why patients in the UK are more likely to die of the disease than those in comparable countries, according to authoritative new research.

Cancer patients in the UK have a lower chance of survival than in Australia, Canada, Norway and Sweden – four of the five countries that have been compared with the UK in a series of investigations over the past six years. Only in Denmark, the fifth country, are the survival rates as low as in the UK. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Explaining variation in cancer survival between 11 jurisdictions in the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership: a primary care vignette survey BMJ Open
• Doctors may be 'too slow' on cancer BBC News
• Deadly delays in cancer testing in Britain The Daily Mail
• Ten-minute consultations not long enough to spot cancer, GPC warns GP Online

Cholesterol U-turn as research shows fatty foods might not be bad for us after all

Cholesterol U-turn as research shows fatty foods might not be bad for us after all The US government has dropped fatty foods containing cholesterol - long thought to cause heart disease and strokes - from its list of 'nutrients of concern', following the publication of a new report. The Independent

See also:

• Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US Government)

Bird flu could be as deadly as 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, leading academic warns

Bird flu could be as deadly as 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, leading academic warns Bird flu could prove as deadly as the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic which killed 50 million people, a leading academic has warned, as he called for research to continue into ways to stop the virus. The Independent

Hospital £21m improvement shortfall

Hospital £21m improvement shortfall Northampton General Hospital, a trust judged in need of improvement will go more than £21m in the red this year to meet its quality and efficiency aims. BBC Northampton

Education, sharing best practice and support: five ideas for building capability in the NHS

Education, sharing best practice and support: five ideas for building capability in the NHS Andrew Constable, a leadership consultant, gives his ideas for building capability in systems, processes and methodologies in the NHS. The Health Foundation

Latest NHS staff sickness absence figures published

Latest NHS staff sickness absence figures published The sickness absence statistics for the NHS up to January 2015 have been published. Read a summary here. NHS Employers

Health, wellbeing and productivity in the workplace: a Britain's healthiest company summary report

Health, wellbeing and productivity in the workplace: a Britain's healthiest company summary report This report aims to draw upon data collected during the 2014 Britain's Healthiest Company (BHC) competition in order to understand what drives productivity at work in the participating organisations and, in particular, to examine the relation between the health and wellbeing of staff and their resultant productivity. To understand this relationship, the report look at the links between lost productivity in terms of presenteeism (being in suboptimal health at work) and absenteeism in association with a range of factors. Rand Corporation 

Obesity in teen boys may increase bowel cancer risk in later life

Obesity in teen boys may increase bowel cancer risk in later life "Teenage boys who become very obese may double their risk of getting bowel cancer by the time they are in their 50s," The Guardian reports. A Swedish study found a strong association between teenage obesity and bowel cancer risk in later adulthood.

The study involved over 230,000 Swedish males, who were conscripted into the military aged 16 to 20 years old. Those who were in the upper ranges of overweight and those who were obese at that time were about twice as likely to develop bowel cancer over the next 35 years as those who were a normal weight.

This study has a number of strengths, including its size, the fact that body mass index (BMI) was objectively measured by a nurse and that the national cancer registry in Sweden captures virtually all cancer diagnoses. However, it was not able to take into account the boys' diets or smoking habits – both of which affect bowel cancer risk.

VIDEO: Can this app help teach surgeons?

VIDEO: Can this app help teach surgeons? The app which allows trainee surgeons to practice medical techniques. BBC News

NMC to consult on introducing language controls for EU trained nurses and midwives.

NMC to consult on introducing language controls for EU trained nurses and midwives. In June the NMC will be consulting on new English language checks on nurses and midwives who trained in Europe. Nursing and Midwifery Council

Integration vanguards consider pooled budgets

Integration vanguards consider pooled budgets Integrated care vanguards are considering developing pooled funding arrangements, NHS England documents have revealed. GP Online

General practice teaching for medical students 'in decline'

General practice teaching for medical students 'in decline' RCGP slams findings as 'outrageous' given the expectations placed on general practice. OnMedica

See also:

• Provision of medical student teaching in UK general practices: a cross-sectional questionnaire study British Journal of General Practice
• RCGP response to BJGP paper on general practice teaching in medical schools Royal College of General Practitioners

Will Jeremy Hunt be able to join up health and social care? | Anne Perkins

Will Jeremy Hunt be able to join up health and social care? | Anne  The health secretary is not new to his brief, but that won’t make it any easier to bridge the damaging culture gap between health and social care and successfully integrate services

When the Queen delivers her speech from the throne today, the one thing there won’t be is new legislation on health or social care. The word in Richmond House is Carry on Quietly, or as quietly as possible, while trying to navigate through a potentially catastrophic debt crisis among NHS foundation trusts that only adds to the familiar pressures of demography and the need to reform.

But Jeremy Hunt starts with some advantages, not least that for him this is of course not a start, merely a return to business. Not since Norman Fowler back in the 1980s has a health secretarystayed in post through an election. And although he has yet to clock up three full years in the post, Hunt has already served longer than anyone since Alan Milburn set off with reforming zeal in 1999. So at least he knows what he has to do.

Once again the professionals are nervously circling the utopian future of integrated health and social care

Much hangs on the success of the pioneering project to devolve the health budget in Manchester Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• The Queen's speech must not treat social care as the poor cousin of the NHS The Guardian

Reclassify psychedelic drugs so we can properly research them, says leading psychiatrist

Reclassify psychedelic drugs so we can properly research them, says leading psychiatrist Psychedelic drugs including LSD and magic mushrooms are much less harmful than has been claimed, and should be reclassified to make it easier for scientists to research their potential benefits, a leading psychiatrist has said. The Independent

See also:

• Magic mushrooms should be used to treat mental health problems, psychiatrist says The Daily Telegraph
• Psychedelic drugs may have a role in medical treatment The Independent

World first as scientists provide proof that viruses can combat cancer

World first as scientists provide proof that viruses can combat cancer Scientists have the first proof that a “brand new” way of combating cancer, using genetically modified viruses to attack tumour cells, can benefit patients, paving the way for a “wave” of new potential treatments over the next decade. The Independent

See also:

• Cold sore virus 'treats skin cancer' BBC News
• Genetically engineered virus 'cures' patients of skin cancer The Daily Telegraph

Dozens of schools take part in first ever Northamptonshire Healthy Schools Week

Dozens of schools take part in first ever Northamptonshire Healthy Schools Week Nearly 70 schools have taken part in the first ever Northamptonshire Healthy Schools Week. Primary schools across the county have been running a variety of fun health-related activities this week for children to take part in and learn about leading a healthy active lifestyle. Northamptonshire Telegraph

NHS inpatient survey 2014

NHS inpatient survey 2014 This survey asked almost 59,000 inpatients a range of questions about the care and treatment they received. This included: whether they were given enough information, whether they were involved in decisions about their care, whether there were enough nurses to care for them, whether the wards were noisy and clean and what arrangements were in place for when they left hospital. It found that the majority of respondents are positive about their hospital stay, with 84% rating their experience seven or above out of 10. Care Quality Commission

• Report
• Related documents
• Press release

Response to ‘escalation of advice’ from Healthwatch England gender identity services

Response to ‘escalation of advice’ from Healthwatch England gender identity services This collated correspondence between Healthwatch and NHS England details the concerns raised by Healthwatch regarding the delays being faced by some people seeking gender reassignment surgery.

• Correspondence
• Healthwatch news

Quarter of sun-exposed skin samples had DNA mutations

Quarter of sun-exposed skin samples had DNA mutations A sobering BBC News headline greets sun worshippers on the eve of the spring bank holiday: "More than a quarter of a middle-aged person's skin may have already made the first steps towards cancer."

Sunlight is made up of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Low levels of exposure to UV light are actually beneficial to health – sunlight helps our bodies produce vitamin D.

But prolonged exposure can change (mutate) the DNA in the cells. Over time the mutations accumulate, turning the skin cells cancerous, which can lead to either non-melanoma ormelanoma skin cancer.

As part of a study into skin cancer, researchers analysed skin removed from the eyelids of four people aged 55 to 73 known to have a varying history of sun exposure (but not a history of cancer) to see what DNA mutations had built up.

To their surprise they found hundreds of normal cells showing DNA mutations linked to cancer, called "mutant clones", in every 1sq cm (0.1 sq in) of skin, and there were thousands of DNA mutations per cell.

The results were based on skin cells from the eyelids of just four people, so we don't yet know if the same would be found in other skin areas, or in other people, or what proportion of the mutated cells would eventually progress to skin cancer.

NHS trusts' deficit rises to £822m

NHS trusts' deficit rises to £822m NHS trusts in England report a total deficit of £822m for last financial year, compared with £115m the previous year. BBC News

See also:

• News story: Foundation trusts face challenging year as pressures mount Monitor
• NHS spending: how temporary staff keep the health service going The Daily Telegraph
• New NHS spending scandal: £3.3 billion wasted on agency doctors The Daily Telegraph
• NHS needs emergency cash boost or care could suffer, ministers told The Guardian
• NHS deficit in England rises to £822m The Independent

Personalised Care Planning For Adults With Chronic Or Long-Term Health Conditions

Personalised Care Planning For Adults With Chronic Or Long-Term Health Conditions GP Lynda Ware looks at this collaborative approach to managing long term conditions. Evidently Cochrane

NHS plans to allow patients to view records could put confidentiality at risk

NHS plans to allow patients to view records could put confidentiality at risk Under the proposals from NHS England, every person in the country will be able to access their medical record online by 2020. The Daily Mail

No 10 pours cold water over junior health minister's sugar tax proposal

No 10 pours cold water over junior health minister's sugar tax proposal George Freeman’s idea to help meet the costs of tackling obesity is not the right approach, says spokesman for the prime minister

No 10 has moved swiftly to reprimand a junior health minister who proposed a tax on sugary food and drink to raise money to help the government meet the costs of tackling obesity.

The prime minister’s spokesman said George Freeman’s idea was not the right approach and that the Department of Health would be looking at other strategies to curb obesity. Continue reading... The Guardian

MPs call for police inquiry into bogus 'cancer cures' offer by alternative medicine practitioners

MPs call for police inquiry into bogus 'cancer cures' offer by alternative medicine practitioners One alternative ''cure'' involves the use of industrial strength bleach to treat autism and HIV. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The fake cancer cure conference the 'healers' tried to keep secret The Daily Telegraph

No repercussions for pharmacist dispensing errors, health body proposes

No repercussions for pharmacist dispensing errors, health body proposes Pharmacists who prescribe the wrong medicines by mistake would be immune from prosecution under plans being considered by the Department of Health. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• New pharmacy rules 'to cut errors' BBC News

Tobacco companies file lawsuits against UK Government over plain packaging laws

Tobacco companies file lawsuits against UK Government over plain packaging laws Two of the world’s biggest tobacco companies have filed lawsuits against the UK Government over its plan to introduce plain packaging for tobacco products. The Independent

See also:

• Tobacco firms challenge packaging law BBC News

Helping to unlock resources: the changing role of the pharmacist

Helping to unlock resources: the changing role of the pharmacist By changing the pharmacist’s role from one of ensuring the prescription is clinically correct to one of doing the prescribing, are we making care safer or adding in additional risks? Wasim Baqir looks at the evidence. The Health Foundation

2015 Heatwave Plan for England

2015 Heatwave Plan for England The 2015 Heatwave Plan for England was published on 20 May 2015, and the Met Office will issue Heatwave Alerts from 1 June to 15 September 2015.

The Heatwave plan for England remains a central part of the Department of Health’s support to the NHS, social care and local authorities, providing guidance on how to prepare for and respond to a heatwave which can affect everybody’s health, but particularly the most vulnerable people in society.

The purpose of this heatwave plan is to reduce summer deaths and illness by raising public awareness and triggering actions in the NHS, public health, social care and other community and voluntary organisations to support people who have health, housing or economic circumstances that increase their vulnerability to heat.

The updated plan, which can be found on the gov.uk website, reflects new NHS England structures. No additional changes will be made to this plan until further notice.

Minor ailment scheme doesn't provide free Calpol for all

Minor ailment scheme doesn't provide free Calpol for all"Thousands discover Calpol has been free on NHS 'for years' as mum's Facebook post goes viral," the Daily Mirror reports.

This and other similar headlines were prompted by a post made by a woman on the social networking site Facebook. In the post, the woman claimed that all medicines for children were available for free on the NHS as part of the minor ailment scheme.

"I was in Boots yesterday buying Calpol and happened to complain to the cashier how expensive it is. She told me, to my amazement, that if you register your details with them under the minor ailments scheme that all medicines for children are free – a scheme that has been going for eight years."

The post went viral, being "shared" and "liked" more than 100,000 times in the space of a few days.

But there are a number of inaccuracies both in the woman's post and in the overall reporting of the study.

Is paracetamol use in pregnancy harmful for male babies?

Is paracetamol use in pregnancy harmful for male babies? "Paracetamol use in pregnancy may harm male foetus," The Guardian reports. Researchers found evidence that taking paracetamol for seven days may lower the amount of testosterone testicular tissue can produce – using human foetal testicular tissue grafted into mice.

Low testosterone levels in male pregnancies have been linked to a range of conditions, ranging from the relatively benign, such as undescended testicles, to more serious conditions, such as infertility and testicular cancer.

Reassuringly, just taking a one-day course of paracetamol did not affect the level of testosterone. It seems any effect could be from continuous daily use only, rather than occasional use, which is how most people would probably take paracetamol.

An obvious caveat is that as the series of experiments was performed in mice, it is not known what the effect would be in humans. It is also not known whether the effect of regular daily use would be reversible and over what timescale. And we also don't know whether exposure in pregnancy would actually have any detrimental effects in a male child.

English drink 'more than estimated'

English drink 'more than estimated' The amount of alcohol people in England drink is underestimated by the equivalent of 12 million bottles of wine a week, according to new research. BBC News

See also:

• English alcohol consumption 'hugely' underestimated, research suggests The Daily Telegraph
• Drinkers in England consuming millions more bottles of wine than previously thought, says new research The Independent

'Seven day services' won't be won through overheated disputes

'Seven day services' won't be won through overheated disputes ‘Phoney war’ over extended working risks a damaging national showdown. Health Service Journal

See also:

• 'War of words' likely over seven-day GP opening BBC News

GP workload must be capped to prevent mass exodus, say LMCs

GP workload must be capped to prevent mass exodus, say LMCs Increasing GP workload is leading to an exodus of doctors from UK primary care, according to LMC leaders who have demanded urgent limits on work intensity. GP Online

See also:

• Struggling GPs must have emergency powers to close practice list, warn LMCs GP Online

Nearly half disability benefit claimants have a mental illness

Nearly half disability benefit claimants have a mental illness The Institute for Fiscal Studies highlights the 'dramatic' rise in the number of people claiming disability benefit because they have a mental illness. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The changing characteristics of UK disability benefit recipients The Institute for Fiscal Studies
• Disability Benefit Receipt and Reform: Reconciling Trends in the United Kingdom Journal of Economic Perspectives

More mental health cuts inevitable without funding reform, warns boss of under-fire trust

More mental health cuts inevitable without funding reform, warns boss of under-fire trust Mental health services will be cut further unless the government reforms the NHS funding system to give them a fairer settlement, the boss of an under-fire provider has warned. Community Care

Biggest NHS trust is failing on safety and quality of care, says watchdog

Biggest NHS trust is failing on safety and quality of care, says watchdog Care Quality Commission rates Barts health trust in London as inadequate due to issues including staff shortages and number of cancelled operations

Inspectors have criticised the NHS’s largest hospital trust after finding it is seriously understaffed, focuses too little on safety and has cancelled operations on numerous occasions because there were too few beds.

The Care Quality Commission has found a series of failings in the safety and quality of care being provided at Barts health trust in London, where major problems – including a deficit approaching £100m – have led to the recent departure of its two main bosses. Continue reading. The Guardian

Trans life: getting help from a gender clinic shouldn’t be a waiting game

Trans life: getting help from a gender clinic shouldn’t be a waiting game My referral led to a two-year wait for a 40-minute conversation. Is speedier NHS support really too much to ask?

Transgender is an umbrella term and it’s important not to forget the diversity beneath it. That said, there is one thing most trans people have in common and that’s the experience of waiting.

First, we wait for referrals from our GPs to a gender clinic. Or – even though the NHS recognises that being trans is not a mental illness – to a psychiatrist, who, I was apologetically told, had more authority to issue gender clinic referrals. Continue reading... The Guardian

Patients waiting longer for help amid nursing shortage

Patients waiting longer for help amid nursing shortage Two fifths of hospital patients said there were 'sometimes or rarely or never' enough nurses on duty to care for them. The Daily Telegraph

Minister warns food industry could face 'sugar tax'

Minister warns food industry could face 'sugar tax' Food companies could be forced to pay a ‘sugar tax’ if they continue to sell unhealthy food, a Government minister has warned. The Independent

See also:

• Tesco soft drinks gradual sugar cut BBC News
• Sugar tax to pay for treating obesity The Daily Telegraph
• Tesco announces plans to cut sugar content of its soft drinks by five per cent every year The Independent

NHS nurses see their wages fall over the past year - while senior managers enjoy a pay rise

NHS nurses see their wages fall over the past year - while senior managers enjoy a pay rise The average pay of an NHS nurse has fallen over the past year, while the salaries of senior managers have increased by nearly two per cent, latest figures show. The Independent

Six ways to harness the power of people and place to improve health care

Six ways to harness the power of people and place to improve health care Despite an abundance of ideas that would improve the commissioning and delivery of health care in the UK, there is widespread failure to implement and embed them. Andrew Constable gives his ideas on how to give improvement work every chance of succeeding. The Health Foundation

NHS launches new collaboration to sustain and improve local hospitals

NHS launches new collaboration to sustain and improve local hospitals The NHS invites expressions of interest from hospitals across England interested in developing new ways of delivering and improving their local acute services.

The aim is to enhance the viability of local hospitals through new formal shared working arrangements between clinical specialists at different hospitals, and to improve efficiency by sharing back office administration and management between different sites.

The new ‘vanguard’ sites, to be developed as part of implementing the Five Year Forward View, build on the proposals in the recent report from Sir David Dalton. NHS England

Every patient a research patient? Evaluating the current state of research in the NHS

Every patient a research patient? Evaluating the current state of research in the NHS According to this report, based on interviews with clinicians, nurses and administrators involved in NHS clinical cancer research, daily pressures on the NHS are having a serious impact on its ability to support world-leading research into cancer. It reveals pockets of excellence in clinical research, but also showed how escalating pressures to deliver routine NHS services are squeezing out time for hospital staff to do vital research. It also highlights how financial pressures are affecting research infrastructure and the capacity of host organisations to fund additional research costs. University of Birmingham on behalf of Cancer Research UK

BMA casts doubt on seven-day services plans

BMA casts doubt on seven-day services plans Serious questions must be answered about the feasibility of Government commitments to create a seven-day NHS, the British Medical Association has warned.

See also:

• Prime Minister's seven-day pledge empty headline grabbing BMA
• Doctors rubbish seven-day GPs plan BBC News
• Ministers must stop 'surreal obsession' with seven day surgeries, top doctor warns The Daily Telegraph
• Ministers must scrap plans for seven-day GP service, warns GPC chairman GP Online
• David Cameron 'must drop obsession' with seven-day access to GPs The Guardian
• Head of British Medical Association: Seven-day GP access plan 'surreal' and must be scrapped The Independent

'Baby deaths' midwife struck off

'Baby deaths' midwife struck off A former midwife at Furness General Hospital who admitted she "made mistakes" that contributed to the deaths of two babies is struck off. BBC News

See also:

• Midwife struck off for misconduct after deaths of two babies The Guardian

NHS fails 'thousands' cancer patients

NHS fails 'thousands' cancer patients The NHS in England is failing "thousands" of cancer patients by treating them too slowly, a charity warns. BBC News

See also:

• Waiting Times for Suspectedand Diagnosed CancerPatients2014-15 Annual Report NHS England
• NHS failing cancer patients as waiting numbers highest since records began The Daily Mail
• More NHS hospitals breach waiting times for cancer treatment The Guardian
• NHS cancer care faces fresh scrutiny after hospitals miss key targets The Guardian

Developing evidence-enriched practice in health and social care with older people

Developing evidence-enriched practice in health and social care with older people An innovative project looking at how evidence can be used to enrich practice, based on research from the JRF A Better Life programme, has released its findings.

The project, which ran for one year in six sites across Wales and Scotland, focused on what matters to older people, carers, staff, organisations and researchers.

The project demonstrated the benefits of using research and related contextual evidence in developing services and workforces, resulting in improved wellbing for older people, carers and staff. Joseph Rowntree Trust

NHS to pilot new urgent care models where health service is struggling

NHS to pilot new urgent care models where health service is struggling New urgent care models could be developed in areas where health services are under pressure, NHS England's chief executive has suggested. GP Online

NHS treats transgender people as second-class citizens, says watchdog

NHS treats transgender people as second-class citizens, says watchdog Delays in preparatory treatment and therapy, and years waiting for life-changing operations, put unacceptable pressure on patients, campaigners say.

People preparing for gender reassignment are being treated as second-class citizens by the NHS in England, with many taking at least six years to go through the process, according to the state-funded watchdog Healthwatch.

Katherine Rake, its chief executive, said those seeking to change their gender often faced an “incredibly troubling” experience, with the process taking “a considerable part of people’s lives”. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• A transgender woman's journey: 'You feel desperate, helpless' The Guardian

Almost one in four deaths 'avoidable with lifestyle and healthcare changes'

Almost one in four deaths 'avoidable with lifestyle and healthcare changes' ONS study shows 23% of deaths in England and Wales in 2013 were amenable to treatment or could have been prevented through public health measures.

Nearly a quarter of deaths in England and Wales in 2013 were potentially avoidable with good healthcare, improvements to lifestyles or vaccination, the Office for National Statistics has said.

In all, 114,740 (23%) of the 506,790 deaths recorded in the two countries were either amenable to treatment or could have been prevented through public health measures, or sometimes both, according to experimental statistics published on Wednesday. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Avoidable Mortality in England and Wales, 2013 Office for National Statistics
• One in FOUR die from avoidable disease that could be prevented with a healthier lifestyle The Daily Mail

MPs took tobacco firms' gifts before packaging vote

MPs took tobacco firms' gifts before packaging vote 38 MPs have received a total of £60,000 of industry hospitality since changes to packets were first suggested in 2010. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• MPs accept tobacco industry hospitality worth £60,000 - including a Paul McCartney concert The Independent

'Great scandal' of childhood obesity to be top NHS target

'Great scandal' of childhood obesity to be top NHS target Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt promises a national strategy to address Britain's spiralling weight problem. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Children of the 90s more likely to be overweight or obese NHS Choices
• British getting fatter younger OnMedica

Northamptonshire firefighters will attend medical emergencies in bid to ease pressure on ambulance service under new pilot scheme

Northamptonshire firefighters will attend medical emergencies in bid to ease pressure on ambulance service under new pilot scheme Firefighters are set to deliver life-saving medical care as part of a ‘first responder’ scheme set to run for six months in Northamptonshire. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Enhancing health care in care homes: integration in practice

Enhancing health care in care homes: integration in practice Many care homes provide laudably caring environments for residents living with frailty, dementia and complex needs, often in the face of funding constraints and recruitment problems. Indeed, ‘enhanced care in care homes’, is one of the new care models set out in the NHS five year forward view, and six vanguard sites are currently taking work forward to offer older people better, more joined-up care and rehabilitation services. This is good news, as it is high time this issue was brought to the fore – for a number of reasons.

Lifting the lid on the role of Secretary of State for Health

Lifting the lid on the role of Secretary of State for Health Whom did Margaret Thatcher encourage to “cut the throat” of health reform? And which Secretary of State told the head of Monitor to “piss off”? Passions run high when it comes to the NHS and our health services, not just from people working to deliver care, but all the way up to those at the very top. The Health Foundation

Dying without dignity: Investigations by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman into complaints about end of life care.

Dying without dignity: Investigations by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman into complaints about end of life care End of life care has been a key issue for the NHS for some time. This report highlights the key themes coming from complaints to inform the debate about how, as a society, we can drive up standards to improve the quality of end of life care offered across the country.

The report features 12 cases that illustrate the issues we regularly see in our casework on end of life care. The examples represent a diverse collection of powerful stories, drawn from a range of different health care settings. They are from all parts of the country and represent different areas of concern. Parliamentary & Health Service Ombudsman

See also:

• RCGP response to Ombudsman report on end of life care Royal College of Physicians
• 'Too many dying without dignity' BBC News
• Too many are dying without dignity, health ombudsman warns The Daily Telegraph
• Too many die without dignity, says report on end-of-life care The Guardian
• All healthcare professionals must all know how to care for, and communicate with, people who are terminally ill | Jane Collins The Guardian
• Terminally ill patients should be given the right to die at home, says harrowing report The Independent

Research? It's Ok to Ask

Research? It's Ok to Ask This year, the NIHR Clinical Research Network is supporting the NIHR Ok to ask campaign, now in its third consecutive year. One of the main aims of the campaign is to encourage more patients to ask about research opportunities that could be available to them if they have a medical condition they are receiving treatment for, so this campaign is about empowering patients to ask about research.

It’s also about reminding all healthcare professionals from consultants and doctors to nurses, midwives and carers, whether research-active or not, to be research-aware. We know that research professionals across the NIHR actively promote opportunities to patients about research but there is a much wider opportunity to encourage all healthcare professionals to get involved in and support research activity.

Bioengineering advances raise fears of 'home-brew heroin'

Bioengineering advances raise fears of 'home-brew heroin' The Daily Mirror carries the alarming headline that, "Heroin made in home-brew beer kits could create epidemic of hard drug abuse". It says scientists are "calling for urgent action to prevent criminal gangs gaining access to [this] new technology" following the results of a study involving genetically modified yeast.

This study did not actually produce heroin, but an important intermediate chemical in a pathway that produces benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs). BIAs are a group of plant-derived chemicals that include opioids, such as morphine.

BIAs have previously been made from similar intermediate chemicals in genetically engineered yeast. Researchers hope that by joining these two parts of the pathway, they will get yeast that can produce BIAs from scratch. This could be cheaper and easier than current production methods, which often still involve extraction from plants.

But because morphine can be refined into heroin using standard chemical techniques and yeast can be grown at home, this has led to concerns about the potential misuse of this discovery.

So, will this lead to a rash of "Breaking Bad"-style heroin labs in criminals' garages and spare rooms? We doubt it – at least in the near future. A strain that can produce morphine has not yet been made and would need to be specially genetically engineered to do this, not just using unmodified home-brewing yeast available off the shelf.

Stepping Hill nurse jailed for life

Stepping Hill nurse jailed for life Nurse Victorino Chua is jailed for a minimum of 35 years for murdering and poisoning patients at Stepping Hill Hospital. BBC News

See also:

• Victorino Chua found guilty of murder Nursing and Midwifery Council
• VIDEO: Nurses 'shocked' at Chua murders BBC News
• Stepping Hill nurse Victorino Chua jailed for life for murdering patients The Daily Mail
• Stepping Hill nurse Victorino Chua jailed for life The Guardian
• Stepping Hill nurse Victorino Chua: How an 'evil angel' avoided suspicions to begin a hospital killing spree The Independent

Theresa May pledges £15m to keep mentally ill people out of police cells

Theresa May pledges £15m to keep mentally ill people out of police cells Home secretary to put cash into health facilities for 4,000 people a year detained under Mental Health Act and ban children being held.

The home secretary, Theresa May, is to pledge up to £15m of new funding to provide health-based alternatives for the 4,000 people a year who spend time in detention in police cells under the Mental Health Act.

In her first speech since being reappointed home secretary, May will tell the Police Federation conference on Wednesday that a new policing and sentencing bill, to be included in next week’s Queen’s speech, will include legislation to ban the use of police cells to detain any children with mental health problems. Continue reading... The Guardian

Unconscious bias and its effect on healthcare leadership

Unconscious bias and its effect on healthcare leadership If the health service is to survive it must take diversity seriously.

The need to build organisational cultures in which there is high quality, ever improving compassionate care focused on the needs of patients is now an indisputable and understandable refrain of health policy. But, experience has demonstrated time and again that achieving change takes considerable time, energy, passion and conviction.

Culture is about values but it is also made up of the countless interactions and exchanges between people every day. These interactions form the basis of relationships and within organisations relationships are the basis of culture. Culture is hard to pin down and while we can’t help but contribute to it, changing it is difficult. At the King’s Fund we have published a compelling evidence base in support of an approach to developing collective leadership as a way of changing culture. It invites a different way of thinking about leadership, where the responsibility for delivering high quality compassionate care resides within and across organisations, and relies heavily on how leaders build relationships. Continue reading... The Guardian

Dementia Awareness Week: we urgently need more specialist nurses

Dementia Awareness Week: we urgently need more specialist nurses Dementia costs the UK twice as much as cancer every year. But despite increased awareness, we still need many more resources if we're to cope with this illness. The Daily Telegraph

Rogue doctors could be altering records to hide their mistakes, health bodies warn

Rogue doctors could be altering records to hide their mistakes, health bodies warn Rogue doctors could be altering medical records to hide their mistakes or procedures they have carried out on patients without their consents, according to a warning from health bodies. The Independent

New report reveals 8,000 people live with dementia in Northamptonshire but more are staying at home rather than hospital

New report reveals 8,000 people live with dementia in Northamptonshire but more are staying at home rather than hospital The number of dementia patients in Northamptonshire is set to double to 16,000 in the next 15 years, according to research by the county council. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Parking issues and dwindling patient numbers at health centre will see x-ray service moved back to Northampton General Hospital

Parking issues and dwindling patient numbers at health centre will see x-ray service moved back to Northampton General Hospital Scans will no longer be carried out at a local health centre in Northampton from October, the NHS has said. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Serious incident review at Kettering General Hospital after accidental death of great-great-grandmother

Serious incident review at Kettering General Hospital after accidental death of great-great-grandmother A serious incident review has been carried out at Kettering General Hospital and changes made after the death of a great-great-grandmother. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

New Wellbeing organisation for Northamptonshire seeks residents views

New Wellbeing organisation for Northamptonshire seeks residents views A new online survey has been launched to find out how Northamptonshire residents would like to access wellbeing services and understand what keeps them well.

The wellbeing survey is a piece of research being carried out between Northamptonshire County Council, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Northampton, who are all working together to form a new Wellbeing Community Interest Company. Northants Herald and Post

Every Patient a research Patient? Evaluating the current state of research in the NHS

Every Patient a research Patient? Evaluating the current state of research in the NHS Daily pressures on the NHS are having a serious impact on its ability to support world leading research into cancer, according to a Cancer Research UK commissioned report from the University of Birmingham.

The report, based on interviews with clinicians, nurses and administrators involved in NHS clinical cancer research**, revealed pockets of excellence in clinical research, but also showed how escalating pressures to deliver routine NHS services are squeezing out time for hospital staff to do vital research.

It also highlights how financial pressures are affecting research infrastructure and the capacity of host organisations to fund additional research costs.

See also:

• NHS pressures at risk of stifling cancer research (press release) Cancer Research
• Pressure on day-to-day NHS cancer services impacting ability to deliver scientific research breakthroughs, says charity The Independent

Fundamentally changing mental health support in the community

Fundamentally changing mental health support in the community The introduction of personal budgets and the need to deliver cost savings in the London Borough of Wandsworth presented national charity Together for Mental Wellbeing with the opportunity to fundamentally change its approach to mental health support in the community. NHS Confederation

Simon Stevens call for bold action to make NHS fit for the future

Simon Stevens call for bold action to make NHS fit for the future NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens today (Monday) called for bold action on prevention, the redesign of care and efficiency to help the NHS through the most challenging period in its history. NHS England

GP services online in most of England

GP services online in most of England Almost every patient in England can now book GP appointments, order repeat prescriptions or access their medical records online, data reveals. BBC News

Mentally ill 'sent home unprepared'

Mentally ill 'sent home unprepared' Pressures to free up mental health beds may be leaving vulnerable people at risk, says a watchdog. BBC News

Nurse guilty of murdering patients

Nurse guilty of murdering patients Nurse Victorino Chua found guilty of murdering and poisoning patients at a Greater Manchester hospital. BBC News

See also:

• VIDEO: Complex hunt to convict killer nurse BBC News
• VIDEO: How many un-qualified nurses in UK? BBC News

The 14,000 NHS workers on £50k-a-year pensions: Number of fat cats on millionaire deals now more than doubled during funding crisis

The 14,000 NHS workers on £50k-a-year pensions: Number of fat cats on millionaire deals now more than doubled during funding crisis  As of last year, more than 14,000 retired NHS staff were receiving at least £50,000 every year – equivalent to a private sector pension pot of more than £2million. The Daily Mail

Medics must realise that death is an inevitable part of life, not a failure

Medics must realise that death is an inevitable part of life, not a failure Healthcare professionals should not shy away from discussing dying; good care for all at the end of life should be the norm

Over the course of next parliament, approximately 3 million people in the UK can be expected to die, half of whom are likely to die in hospital - which for many people is the last place they would like to die.

Although Britain’s palliative care services are among the best in the world, there is a large unmet need for services and very serious challenges ahead. The number of people dying each year is increasing and the population of over-85s is set to double over the next 20 years. The UK needs a new focus on health, wellbeing, housing, care and support for this emerging cohort. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS lacks money and staff for seven-day operation, David Cameron told

NHS lacks money and staff for seven-day operation, David Cameron told NHS chief executive Simon Stevens, former health minister Norman Lamb and doctors’ groups cast doubt on prime minister’s ambition.

The head of the NHS, a former health minister and several medical bodies have warned David Cameron that financial problems and a lack of staff will make it difficult to achieve his ambition of a truly seven-day health service by 2020.

The prime minister’s reaffirmation of the plan, first unveiled during the election campaign, prompted questions about how the NHS, which is forecast to be £2bn in the red by the end of the year, would pay for becoming a full 24/7 operation. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Speech: PM on plans for a seven-day NHS Department of Health
• RCGP response to Prime Minister's speech on 'Seven Day' NHS Royal College of General Practitioners
• The RCN responds to plans for a new seven-day NHS Royal College of Nursing
• David Cameron to make NHS the first 7-days-a-week health service The Daily Mail
• Tech part of 7-day NHS - Cameron E-Health Insider
• David Cameron pledges seven-day NHS - video The Guardian
• NHS England chief: cash shortages could hit plans for seven-day health service The Guardian
• The Guardian view on the English NHS: the seven-day daydream | Editorial The Guardian
• David Cameron’s promise of a ‘seven-day NHS’ is rooted in ignorance, not evidence | Colin Leys The Guardian
• Can the NHS handle a seven-day service? Poll The Guardian
• Seven-day NHS unaffordable on existing budget, Lib Dems say OnMedica

Fat parents must 'shape up or face music', head of NHS warns

Fat parents must 'shape up or face music', head of NHS warns Simon Stevens, the chief executive of the NHS, said a third of parents are unable to spot that their children are overweight amid concerns that obesity is becoming the norm. The Daily Telegraph

Nurses may call strike if Government tries to cut pay as David Cameron vows to deliver 'truly seven-day NHS' plans

Nurses may call strike if Government tries to cut pay as David Cameron vows to deliver 'truly seven-day NHS' plans Nurses will take industrial action if the Government tries to cut pay to deliver its election promise of a “truly seven-day NHS”, the leader of Britain’s biggest nursing union has warned. The Independent

See also:

• Jeremy Hunt attacks nursing union for 'ridiculous' strike threat over seven-day NHS The Daily Telegraph

Northamptonshire NHS wants to get people talking about end of life plans

Northamptonshire NHS wants to get people talking about end of life plans The NHS in Northamptonshire are encouraging people to plan their future care and support as part of dying matters awareness week from May 18 to 24. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Hospital staff set up to fail by conflicting targets, says Northampton General Hospital boss

Hospital staff set up to fail by conflicting targets, says Northampton General Hospital boss Hospital staff are too often asked to meet targets that conflict with each other, sometimes making it impossible to succeed, according to the boss of NGH. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton mental health worker wins national diversity award

Northampton mental health worker wins national diversity award A mental health employee at a Northampton hospital has won a public services award during a national ceremony. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

GPs leaving profession early due to patient overload, Northamptonshire doctors’ group says

GPs leaving profession early due to patient overload, Northamptonshire doctors’ group says Early retirement of exhausted GPs and recruitment problems are leading to a crisis in general practice in Northamptonshire, a doctors’ group has warned. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Improving mental health: recognising the vital role of charities

Improving mental health: recognising the vital role of charities A longstanding criticism of health care in the United Kingdom is that people with mental health problems often fail to receive the same access to services or quality of care as people with other forms of illness.

In their election campaign, the Conservatives pledged to increase mental health funding and ensure psychological therapists are available in every part of the country. But there is a long way to go before mental health achieves ‘parity of esteem’ with physical health. For example, three in four people with a mental health problem in England receive little or no treatment for their condition, and there are large gaps in terms of health outcomes – people with the most severe mental illnesses die on average 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population.

Hospitals fined millions on targets

Hospitals fined millions on targets Hospitals in the South West are being fined millions of pounds for not meeting their targets. BBC News

Exclusive: NHS IT 'too fragmented' to cope with integrated care

Exclusive: NHS IT 'too fragmented' to cope with integrated care Healthcare IT systems are currently too isolated for new models of care to succeed, an IT expert and former GP has warned. GP Online

Migrants avoid NHS healthcare due to fears of arrest, charity claims

Migrants avoid NHS healthcare due to fears of arrest, charity claims Doctors of the World warns of public health ‘time bomb’ as migrants to the UK suffer legal, administrative and language barriers

Migrants who have permission to be in the UK are avoiding seeking vital medical treatment for fear of being arrested, a charity has warned.

Doctors of the World, which runs a clinic in Bethnal Green, east London, said 83% of the patients it spoke to for its annual survey had no access to the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian

Hospitals cancelling largest number of operations for ten years

Hospitals cancelling largest number of operations for ten years Latest NHS England figures warn that patients affected suffer anxiety or distress as a result

Hospitals are cancelling the largest number of operations for ten years, according to new official figures, prompting warnings that the NHS is under “extreme pressure”.

A total of 20,464 planned surgeries were cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons in January, February and March in England. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Surge in cancelled operations BBC News
• Surge in cancelled NHS operations The Daily Telegraph

Thousands more GPs to create a world class seven-day NHS, David Cameron to say

Thousands more GPs to create a world class seven-day NHS, David Cameron to say The Prime Minister will express 'shock' at the death rates in hospitals at weekends compared with weekdays and point out that the largest numbers of seriously ill patients arrive when NHS staffing is at its lowest. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Press release: Seven-day a week NHS: Prime Minister's speech Department of Health
• Cameron renews NHS funding promises BBC News
• VIDEO: Hunt dismisses nursing concerns BBC News
• David Cameron vows to deliver world's first seven-day health service Guardian

Hospital chiefs at UK's biggest mental health trust under fire after refusing to reveal findings into fraud investigation

Hospital chiefs at UK's biggest mental health trust under fire after refusing to reveal findings into fraud investigation Hospital chiefs at the UK’s biggest mental health trust have been criticised for refusing to reveal if it will publish its findings into a year-long fraud investigation triggered by the discovery of a £4m black hole that led to the scrapping of several clinical projects. The Independent

Medical union to seek legal advice on treatment of young doctors amid fear NHS is breaching Human Rights Act

Medical union to seek legal advice on treatment of young doctors amid fear NHS is breaching Human Rights Act The country’s leading medical union is to seek legal advice on the treatment of young doctors by their NHS employers, amid concerns that it may be in breach of the Human Rights Act. The Independent

Inclusion and diversity in the NHS: let’s be bigger and bolder

Inclusion and diversity in the NHS: let’s be bigger and bolder This week marks NHS Employers’ Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Week. In the past year, the NHS has started to make progress in this area, particularly in terms of raising awareness – a crucial first step. However, measuring diversity and setting quotas are not ends in themselves; they are part of the progression towards inclusive, successful organisations and cultures of high-quality care.

There is increasing evidence that a diverse, inclusive workforce can bring economic and strategic advantages. McKinsey’s Diversity matters report makes the case that diversity is business-critical and no longer about piecemeal policies, one-off interventions and well-intentioned recruitment drives. Diverse companies, it says, are ‘better able to win top talent, improve their customer experience, improve employee satisfaction and decision-making, leading to a virtuous cycle on increasing returns'.