Ground-breaking new service empowers public in Northamptonshire to take part in vital dementia research

Ground-breaking new service empowers public in Northamptonshire to take part in vital dementia research A new nationwide online and telephone service that helps people to take part in dementia research studies launches across Northamptonshire today (24 Feb 2015). Join Dementia Research promises to accelerate the pace of dementia research by allowing people with and without dementia to register their interest in studies, helping researchers to find the right participants at the right time. Join Dementia Research is a collaboration between the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer Scotland and has been funded by the Department of Health.

Dementia affects over 850,000 people in the UK, with 25 million of the UK population having a close friend or family member affected. A new national poll has shown that almost two thirds of the general public (62%) would be willing to take part in dementia research, but more than four out of five people (81%) wouldn’t know how to volunteer. Join Dementia Research is designed to overcome these barriers and give everyone the opportunity to play a role in changing the outlook for people with dementia now and in the future.

Widower blames wife’s death on Northampton General Hospital’s failure to pick up hip fracture

Widower blames wife’s death on Northampton General Hospital’s failure to pick up hip fracture A widower believes his wife would have survived had Northampton General Hospital doctors diagnosed her fractured hip sooner in the run up to her death. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Ambulance service for Northamptonshire lost 80,000 hours of service due to staff sickness

Ambulance service for Northamptonshire lost 80,000 hours of service due to staff sickness East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is discussing ways to cover sickness absence after losing more than 80,000 hours last year due to increased staff illness. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The battle over NHS reform: many shades of grey

The battle over NHS reform: many shades of grey When we published an audit of the coalition’s health reforms recently, we expected it to generate plenty of interest as health has become such a central and bitterly fought issue in this election – we were not disappointed.

It’s great that our analysis was read and discussed by so many people. But for an organisation that prides itself on objectivity, it was just as important to us that most who commented in public or wrote to us privately felt that the report was fair, accurate and balanced. The main political parties could all find things to complain about and things that they could draw on to support their cause.

The wisdom of the crowd: what do people think about the NHS?

The wisdom of the crowd: what do people think about the NHS? When it comes to the public’s views of the NHS, what do we know, and what’s new? Ben Gershlick investigates. The Health Foundation

Press release: Under 18 conception rate continues to fall in England

Press release: Under 18 conception rate continues to fall in England Public Health England (PHE) welcomes new figures showing the conception rate among under 18 year olds dropped by 12.3% to 24.3 per 1000 in 2013, the lowest since records began. The under 16 conception rate for 2013 is 4.8 per 1000 females aged 13 to 15, a 14.3% reduction from 2012.

Since 1998, the under 18 conception rate has decreased by 47.9% - with reductions of over 60% in some top tier local authorities in England during this period. However, there remain significant variations in the under 18 conception rate across the country with the rate in some areas significantly higher than the England average.

See also:

• Teenage pregnancies hit record low BBC News
• Pregnant at 16? Who’d want that on their CV? The Daily Telegraph

NHS Staff Survey 2014 findings published

NHS Staff Survey 2014 findings published The 2014 NHS Staff Survey findings show growing pressure on those working in the NHS, but also that the vast majority of staff remain positive about their work and the service they provide. NHS Employers

See also:

• 2014 NHS Staff Survey Results Picker Institute
• RCN responds to 2014 NHS staff survey for England Royal College of Nursing

Promoting better integration of health information systems: best practices and challenges

Promoting better integration of health information systems: best practices and challenges This report looks at how to promote better integration of health information systems. To understand what better integration means from a pragmatic perspective, experts from 13 EU member states were interviewed and the results combined with the findings from a literature search. World Health Organisation

The future of out of hours GP care

The future of out of hours GP care This report examines out of hours services contracting and argues that the regulations for awarding contracts should be clarified, and legislative changes made if necessary, to enable practices or groups of practices to take back their out of hours service without having to go through a competitive tender. It also raises concerns that, despite efforts by GPs, patients have a low level of awareness about the availability of their local GP out of hours service. Royal College of General Practitioners

• Report
• Press release

Councils 'to control £6bn NHS budget'

Councils 'to control £6bn NHS budget' The £6bn health and social care budget for Greater Manchester will be taken over by councils under devolved NHS powers, it is understood. BBC News



See also:

• VIDEO: Health devolution for Greater Manchester BBC News

NHS 'must step in' over Avastin row

NHS 'must step in' over Avastin row Doctors call on health ministers and NHS England to intervene to make a drug called Avastin routinely available to patients with a debilitating eye condition known as wet AMD. BBC News

Trusts told of cut tech fund 2 awards

Trusts told of cut tech fund 2 awards NHS England's second technology fund has been cut by nearly £200 million, with only one-fifth of bidders to receive any money, EHI News has exclusively learned. E-Health Insider

Peanut butter for non-allergic babies may reduce later allergies

Peanut butter for non-allergic babies may reduce later allergies "The cure for peanut allergy – peanuts, from the age of four months," says The Guardian.

This is dangerous headline advice, potentially leading parents to think they can simply give peanuts to an allergic child and cure them. This is irresponsible. Parents are also advised not to give peanuts – or any whole nuts – to children under the age of five, because of the risk of choking.

There are ongoing trials to assess whether medically supervised gradual introduction to peanut protein can help children with a peanut allergy – but the study on which the headline is based did not do this. It looked at whether foods containing peanuts, such as peanut butter, may play a role in helping to reduce the risk of children developing a peanut allergy.

Fewer people taking long-term sick leave

Fewer people taking long-term sick leave Mild to moderate mental health issues responsible for more sick leave since ‘fit note’. OnMedica

Future of the NHS workforce: from nail cutters to doctors' assistants

Future of the NHS workforce: from nail cutters to doctors' assistants

UK health service may be one of the world’s biggest employers, but it must adapt to keep pace with the future patient demographic

The NHS employs about 1.6 million people, which puts it on to the list of the world’s top five biggest employers, rubbing shoulders with the US Department of Defence and China’s People’s Liberation Army. In England alone the NHS has 1.3 million staff working in 300 different roles on the payroll of 1,000 different employers. That 1.3 million includes 111,000 hospital doctors, 356,000 nurses, midwives and health visitors, 37,000 managers, 40,000 GPs and a clinical support workforce of 359,000, according to the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

The figures illustrate the challenges the NHS faces in keeping the right number of people with the right skills in the right place to deliver today’s services. But they also highlight the scale of those challenges to ensure that the workforce keeps pace with the future patient demographic, such as an increasing older population, and developments in clinical practice and science, like genomics, which have the potential to revolutionise the way healthcare is delivered. Continue reading... The Guardian

Coalition sneaking out regulations to speed up NHS privatisation, Labour says

Coalition sneaking out regulations to speed up NHS privatisation, Labour says Shadow health secretary says rules forcing NHS contracts worth over £625,000 to be put out to tender were tabled on last day before parliamentary recess

Labour has accused the government of trying to sneak out legislation to accelerate the privatisation of NHS services.

Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, said regulations tabled in parliament on 6 February without any government announcement would force all contracts worth more than £625,000 to be put out to tender. Continue reading... The Guardian

Tory MP calls for NHS to use astrology to treat patients and take pressure off doctors

Tory MP calls for NHS to use astrology to treat patients and take pressure off doctors Conservative MP David Tredinnick has called for the NHS to use astrology to help treat patients. The Independent

See also:

• Astrology could help take pressure off NHS doctors, claims Conservative MP The Guardian