One in seven people in Northamptonshire has an STI, according to NHS figures

One in seven people in Northamptonshire has an STI, according to NHS figures One in seven people in Northamptonshire has a sexually transmitted infection, according to latest NHS statistics.

Following the publication of the figures, by Northampton-based counselling service The Lowdown, the Labour Group on Northamptonshire County Council is encouraging people to sign a petition calling for compulsory sex and relationships education. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Kidney patient from Northampton bled to death, but promised training ‘not given’

Kidney patient from Northampton bled to death, but promised training ‘not given’ A Northampton man bled to death from a rare dialysis complication while being transported to hospital by a volunteer ambulance driver. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

New tools for helping care for people with Long Term Conditions

New tools for helping care for people with Long Term Conditions Dr Martin McShane has welcomed the publication of three new handbooks aimed at planning services for people with long term conditions.

The handbooks, which can be accessed online, are aimed at supporting commissioners and practitioners in planning services for people with long term conditions (LTCs), in order to achieve more effective, personalised care.

Dr McShane, NHS England’s Director for Patients with Long Term Conditions, explained: “LTCs currently account for £7 of every £10 health and social care spend in England.

“If we are to tackle the demands that long term conditions create for the health and care system then we are going to have to adapt and evolve our approaches to meet the needs of the future rather than the problems of the past. This is clearly articulated in the Five Year Forward View.

“We are going to need to proactively identify people, work with them to create a plan and support professionals to work as a team to deliver the best possible care. The need for more personalised, person centred care which engages with the individual and understand their goals and the support they have from carers and the community they live in is vital, if we are to have a sustainable NHS.”

The guides cover three key areas: identifying people in the population with LTCs that are most vulnerable and at risk of unplanned hospital admissions; planning personalised care and support; and best-practice multi-disciplinary working across professional and organisational boundaries. The handbooks are available on NHS England’s website.

See also:

• Martin McShane’s blog about the handbooks. NHS England

Value based assessment of drugs

Value based assessment of drugs In 2010, the Government proposed moving towards a broader value-based system for assessing and pricing branded drugs. Such an approach aims to ensure that the price the NHS pays for a medicine better reflects its benefits. This briefing outlines recent proposals to change the current assessment methods.The Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

Cigarette package law brought forward

Cigarette package law brought forward The government is to press ahead with the introduction of plain cigarette packaging in England, asking MPs to back the move before May's election. BBC News

See also:

• News story: Government backs standardised packaging of tobacco Department of Health
• Cigarettes will be sold only in plain packages from next year The Daily Mail
• Plain cigarette packs to be introduced in UK before general election The Guardian
• All cigarettes likely to be sold in plain packets by next year The Independent

Call for death certificate changes

Call for death certificate changes It is "incomprehensible" independent monitoring of death certificates has not been introduced, 15 years after Harold Shipman's conviction, says a pathologist. BBC News

Jeremy Hunt in last-ditch effort to stop NHS strikes

Jeremy Hunt in last-ditch effort to stop NHS strikes The Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will today chair a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee to put in place contingency plans for an NHS strike.

Talks with union leaders aimed at averting the January 29 strike are ongoing. ITV News

See also:

• Talks ongoing over proposed industrial action in the NHS NHS Employers
• NHS strike talks to resume on Friday BBC News
• NHS strike may 'affect patient safety to unacceptable level' The Daily Mail
• Exclusive: NHS England calls for GPs to cover striking ambulance workers in pay dispute GP Online

Patient complaints and staff concerns must be taken seriously

Patient complaints and staff concerns must be taken seriously The RCN has responded to a new Health Select Committee report on complaints and raising concerns. Royal College of Nursing

See also:

• GMC statement in response to the Health Select Committee report on complaints and raising concerns General Medical Council
• Employers welcome Health Select Committee's recognition of improvements in raising concerns NHS Employers

What's the future of NHS mental health services? - video

What's the future of NHS mental health services? - video (15 minutes) Former chief executive of the Sussex Partnership NHS foundation trust Lisa Rodrigues asks an expert panel their thoughts on the future of NHS mental health services. The panel were speaking at a Guardian Live event in London and comprised Dr Mark Porter, British Medical Association chair; Prof Bruce Keogh, NHS England's medical director; Julia Manning, CEO of thinktank 2020health; and Norman Lamb, a Liberal Democrat health minister. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS waiting times for cancer treatment and and routine operations 'will be worse after next election,' says expert

NHS waiting times for cancer treatment and and routine operations 'will be worse after next election,' says expert NHS waiting times for cancer treatment and routine operations will “get worse” and it is almost certain that the health service will need a Government bailout after the election to prevent a further deterioration of services, a leading health expert has warned. The Independent

See also:

• NHS in critical condition as the crisis in A&E spreads The Daily Mail
• NHS creaking at seams as AE delays pressurise other hospital departments The Guardian

SNP prepared to vote on NHS issues in England to protect the service in Scotland in the event of a hung parliament

SNP prepared to vote on NHS issues in England to protect the service in Scotland in the event of a hung parliament Scottish Nationalist MPs would be prepared to vote on matters relating to the NHS in England in the event of another hung parliament after the general election in May, the party's leader has said. The Independent