Northamptonshire hospital is one of first to offer pioneering depression treatment

Northamptonshire hospital is one of first to offer pioneering depression treatment Berrywood Hospital has been selected as one of the first in the country to offer a new specialised treatment to people suffering with depression. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• News: NHS Trust offer revolutionary new treatment to help those suffering with depression Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
• Northampton hospital to be one of the first to use magnets to treat depression Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Betting shops, tanning salons and takeaways make Northampton the fifth most ‘unhealthy’ town in the UK

Betting shops, tanning salons and takeaways make Northampton the fifth most ‘unhealthy’ town in the UK Northampton town centre has been branded the fifth most ‘unhealthy’ in the UK after a survey found a high proportion of betting shops, tanning salons and takeaways. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Plan to target most frail OAPs aims to cut Northampton A&E numbers by almost 300 people a day

Plan to target most frail OAPs aims to cut Northampton A&E numbers by almost 300 people a day Numbers of patients turning up at emergency departments in Northamptonshire will decrease by 15 per cent in the next four years, health bosses have promised. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

SPECIAL REPORT: Three wards worth of fit patients cannot leave Northampton General Hospital

SPECIAL REPORT: Three wards worth of fit patients cannot leave Northampton General Hospital The chief executive of Northampton General Hospital has issued a call for urgent action on bed blocking because 110 fit patients are unable to leave its wards. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

‘Q what?’ Building the profile of quality improvement in the NHS

‘Q what?’ Building the profile of quality improvement in the NHS What are the best approaches to speeding up improvement? Support for the clinical front line, better operational management and the right leadership would be the best places to start, says Jennifer Dixon. The Health Foundation

Care for people with learning disabilities report published

Care for people with learning disabilities report published Despite the agreed aim that people with learning disabilities should live and receive care in the community, there has been no closure programme for large mental health hospitals according to the Public Accounts Committee's report, Care services for people with learning disabilities and challenging behaviour

Investigating clinical incidents in the NHS report

Investigating clinical incidents in the NHS report The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) publishes its Report following its inquiry into NHS complaints and clinical failure. Investigating clinical incidents in the NHS.

See also:

• NHS medical accidents unit 'needed' BBC News

Statutory guidance: Adult autism strategy: statutory guidance

Statutory guidance: Adult autism strategy: statutory guidance This statutory guidance shows how local authorities and NHS organisations should carry out their responsibilities under the Autism Act 2009 to develop services that support and meet the needs of people with autism, and their families and carers. It also explains what support they can expect to receive from local authorities and NHS organisations.

The guidance was revised to take account of responses to a related consultation, and reflects changes to support the implementation of the strategy for adults with autism in England since 2010. Department of Health

See also:

• News story: Adult autism strategy statutory guidance published  Department of Health

Guidance: Mental Health Act 1983: reference guide

Guidance: Mental Health Act 1983: reference guide It is a reference source for people who want to understand the main provisions of the Mental Health Act 1983 and the regulations under the Act, as amended at 1 April 2015, including by the Mental Health Act 2007, Health and Social Care Acts 2008 and 2012 and Care Act 2014.

The revised reference guide complements the revised Mental Health Act Code of Practice, with the Code giving guidance on how the Act should be applied.

The guide is not a definitive statement of law, nor a substitute for consulting the Act itself or taking legal advice in relation to the Act. Department of Health

The road to MCPs: experts assess the new model of care sketched by the Five Year Forward View

The road to MCPs: experts assess the new model of care sketched by the Five Year Forward View This briefing outlines the discussions from a debate on the likely evolution of multi-specialty community providers, one of the new models of care envisaged by the NHS Five Year Forward View. The group urged commissioners and providers to take a broad view of the subject, not to wait for a definitive model to emerge. Primary Care Comissioning

Two years on: age is still just a number

Two years on: age is still just a number By 2040, almost three-quarters of all women living with breast cancer in the UK will be aged over 65 but, according to this report, this patient population is not being adequately provided for. This follows on from a 2013 Inquiry into older people and breast cancer with an aim to better understand the variations and barriers preventing all patients diagnosed with the disease having access to the services, treatments and care that benefits them most, regardless of their age. The first report laid out a series of key recommendations with a view to improving services specifically for this patient population. Two years on, the APPGBC have reviewed the recommendations alongside the progress that’s been made and found that – whilst steps have been made in the right direction – a lot of work still needs to be done. All-Party Parliamentary Group on Breast Cancer

NHS to trial innovations in 'test beds'

NHS to trial innovations in 'test beds' NHS England is calling for healthcare innovators from across the world to trial new technologies and digital services at working NHS sites. E-Health Insider

GMC welcomes independent whistleblowers review by Sir Anthony Hooper

GMC welcomes independent whistleblowers review by Sir Anthony Hooper An independent review commissioned by the GMC has recommended that organisations referring concerns about a doctor’s fitness to practise to the GMC should declare whether the doctor has raised concerns about patient safety. General Medical Council

See also:

• NHS Employers will welcome discussion about new whistleblowing report NHS Employers

Do antibiotics in pregnancy cause cerebral palsy and epilepsy?

Do antibiotics in pregnancy cause cerebral palsy and epilepsy? "Antibiotic used in pregnancy linked to risk of epilepsy and cerebral palsy," The Guardian reports.

The results of a new study suggest women who take macrolide antibiotics were slightly more likely to give birth to a child with one (or both) of these conditions, compared with women who take penicillin.

But no association was found between taking antibiotics in general during pregnancy and cerebral palsy (a condition that causes movement disorders) or epilepsy (a condition that causes seizures).

However, a direct comparison between these groups of women is not entirely reliable. There could be other confounding factors that could account for the difference seen, such as the type and severity of infection.

The study does not prove that macrolides cause either cerebral palsy or epilepsy. It is possible an underlying infection in pregnancy increased the risk of these conditions, rather than the treatment itself.

Doctors demand end to A&E game-playing

Doctors demand end to A&E game-playing Crisis needs serious debate on long-term solutions, not sticking-plaster policies and bail-outs. OnMedica

Vanguard sites: new models of integration in health and social care

Vanguard sites: new models of integration in health and social care A fragmented system doesn’t give patients the best outcomes but it remains to be seen if the current trials can avoid previous mistakes

Hard on the heels of the announcement of the devolution of NHS powers in Greater Manchester comes news of the first wave of 29 “vanguard” sites for the new care models programme, heralded last October by Simon Stevens’ Five-Year Forward View for the NHS. These frontrunner sites are meant to lead the way for better integration of health and social care. Continue reading... The Guardian

Cambridgeshire surgeons perform Europe's first non-beating heart transplant

Cambridgeshire surgeons perform Europe's first non-beating heart transplant Surgeons in Cambridgeshire have performed Europe’s first heart transplant using a non-beating heart. The Independent

See also:

• First Europe non-beating heart swap BBC News