New £1m unit to double capacity of Northampton General Hospital's A&E

New £1m unit to double capacity of Northampton General Hospital's A&E A new 10-bed resuscitation unit for seriously ill patients has been opened at Northampton General Hospital (NGH). The £1 million unit allows staff to care for twice as many patients needing intensive medical and nursing care. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• New resuscitation unit for emergency department Northampton General Hospital

Shortage of qualified staff forces cottage hospital in Northamptonshire to close

Shortage of qualified staff forces cottage hospital in Northamptonshire to close A cottage hospital in Brackley, Northamptonshire is close due to a shortage of qualified staff, it has been revealed. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Review of health and care powers of entry

Review of health and care powers of entry The Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 placed a duty on all secretaries of state to identify and review the powers of entry they are responsible for and to report back to Parliament. The Department of Health had 54 powers of entry. These ranged from the inspection of health and social care premises, to ensuring proper controls for medicines and laboratory equipment, to public health duties around the prevention of harm from disease or radiation. Thirteen have been identified as powers that can be scrapped or revoked. Department of Health

Tackling the causes and effects of obesity

Tackling the causes and effects of obesity This report argues that health problems associated with being overweight or obese cost the country £5 billion per year, with numbers of people with obesity predicted to more than double in the next 40 years. It warns that councils do not have enough money in their public health budgets to properly tackle obesity once mandatory services such as sexual health and drug and alcohol services have been paid for. The report calls for a fifth of existing VAT raised on sweets, crisps, takeaway food and sugary drinks to go to boost council-run grassroots initiatives with a proven track record, such as leisure activities and health awareness campaigns. Local Government Association

VIDEO: Could volunteers help A&E crisis?

VIDEO: Could volunteers help A&E crisis? A group of charities are calling for volunteers to help out in A&E departments in England to reduce pressure on the service. BBC News

First transplant from UK newborn

First transplant from UK newborn Doctors have carried out the first organ transplant from a newborn in the UK, giving a dead baby's kidneys and liver cells to two separate recipients. BBC News

See also:

• Britain's youngest organ donor is girl who died days after being born The Daily Mail
• Doctors perform UK’s first organ donation from a baby The Guardian

Doctor 'performed FGM on new mother'

Doctor 'performed FGM on new mother' A UK doctor performed female genital mutilation on a young mother after she gave birth in hospital, a court has heard, in the first prosecution of its kind in the UK. BBC News

See also:

• Female genital mutilation: NHS doctor becomes first person to stand trial for involvement in the unpopular practice The Independent

Power to the people on: Charlie Hebdo and the NHS

Power to the people on: Charlie Hebdo and the NHS What, if anything, does the Charlie Hebdo massacre have to say to the NHS? More than might appear at first glance. E-Health Insider

Could 'DNA editing' lead to designer babies?

Could 'DNA editing' lead to designer babies? "Rapid progress in genetics is making 'designer babies' more likely and society needs to be prepared," BBC News reports.

The headline is prompted by advances in “DNA editing”, which may eventually lead to genetically modified babies (though that is a very big “may”).

The research in question involved the technique of intacytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where a mouse sperm cell was injected into a mouse egg cell. At the same time, they injected an enzyme (Cas9) capable of cutting bonds within DNA, alongside “guide” RNA to guide the enzyme to its target location in the genome. This system then “cut out” targeted genes.

So far, the techniques have only been tested in animals and for “cutting out” very specific genes (currently, under UK law, any attempt to modify human DNA is illegal).

GP warning as Lords vote brings assisted dying closer

GP warning as Lords vote brings assisted dying closer Two thirds of peers have voted for the Assisted Dying Bill to become law in a move described as a landmark victory, but GPs warn changing the law could undermine patients' trust in doctors. GP Online

Prof Bruce Keogh: wearable technology plays a crucial part in NHS future

Prof Bruce Keogh: wearable technology plays a crucial part in NHS future NHS’s top doctor believes gadgets that record heart rate and other health information will revolutionise healthcare.

Devices worn on the wrist like the ones that record your heart rate, calorie intake or distance run have a vital part to play in securing the NHS’s future, the service’s medical director says.

Prof Sir Bruce Keogh believes that gadgets similar to fitness trackers, which are growing in popularity, and others resembling games consoles will revolutionise the monitoring of patients’ health, especially those with a serious condition. Continue reading... The Guardian

‘NHS we have at the moment not fit for the future’ warns top doctor

‘NHS we have at the moment not fit for the future’ warns top doctor Prof Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of NHS England, said without massive changes, service risks becoming unaffordable•

The NHS’s future is in danger because its model of care cannot meet the relentlessly growing demand for treatment caused by the ageing population, the service’s top doctor has warned.

Prof Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the NHS in England, said that without massive changes to the way the NHS treats patients, including far less reliance on hospitals, the service risked becoming unaffordable and could see its entirely taxpayer-funded status challenged. Continue reading... The Guardian

Nigel Farage: NHS might have to be replaced by private health insurance

Nigel Farage: NHS might have to be replaced by private health insurance Nigel Farage has suggested that the NHS might have to be replaced by a system of private health insurance within 10 years. The Independent

See also:

• Nigel Farage and the future of the NHS BBC News
• Nigel Farage: NHS debate 'will be needed' on insurance system BBC News
• Nigel Farage says 'ageing population' requires new debate on NHS The Daily Telegraph
• Farage says UK will have to consider NHS funded by private insurance The Guardian