Clampdown on staffing agencies charging NHS extortionate rates

Clampdown on staffing agencies charging NHS extortionate rates Tackling staffing agencies is part of a package of measures that will help to cut costs while improving frontline care. This action will help the NHS bring down spiralling agency staff bills, which cost the NHS £3.3 billion last year. This was more than the cost of all that year’s 22 million A&E admissions combined. Other controls include limiting the use of expensive management consultants.

The NHS is paying agencies up to £3,500 per shift for doctors, and the total bill for management consultants was more than £600 million last year.

New rules will:

• set a maximum hourly rate for agency doctors and nurses
• ban the use of agencies that are not on approved frameworks
• put a cap on total agency staff spending for each NHS trust in financial difficult
• require approval for any consultancy contracts over £50,000

The agency staff cap will firstly apply to nursing staff but will be extended to other clinical, medical and management and administrative staff. Capped rates will be reduced from the initial set level over time.

Planning successful international recruitment - a guide for employers

Planning successful international recruitment - a guide for employers This short guide aims to help employers to plan and deliver a successful international recruitment campaign. It covers many important considerations within the process, including timescales, use of agencies, ethical practices and professional registration. Simple checklists are also included for each of the different stages of recruitment. NHS Employers

Immunotherapy drug combo could combat melanoma

Immunotherapy drug combo could combat melanoma "New era in the war on cancer," is the somewhat over-hyped headline on the front of the Daily Mail. The new era refers to the use of immunotherapy – using drugs to coax the immune system into attacking cancerous cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

The results of a number of studies on immunotherapy have recently been presented at a conference in Chicago. The study we are looking at investigated the use of a combination of two immunotherapy drugs, ipilimumab and nivolumab, in treating advanced melanoma; the most serious type of skin cancer.

The trial involved 945 people with advanced melanoma who were given either of these drugs alone or in combination. Overall, people taking the combination lived longer without the disease progressing (average 11.5 months) compared with either drug alone (average 6.9 months with nivolumab and 2.9 months with ipilimumab). People whose tumour displayed the protein that nivolumab targets (PD-L1), did just as well with nivolumab alone as the combination.

The study is ongoing and it’s not yet known whether people taking the combination treatment live longer overall than those taking the individual drugs. Side effects such as severe diarrhoea were quite common, affecting more than half of the people taking the combination. Therefore it will also be important to compare people’s quality of life while taking the different drugs and combinations.

The results, while promising, are unfortunately not a cure, but may provide another option for people with this hard to treat cancer.

A&E in England hits waiting-time target

A&E in England hits waiting-time target The NHS in England has met its A&E waiting-time target for the first time since September. BBC News

NHS 111 here to stay - NHS England

NHS 111 here to stay - NHS England NHS 111 will remain integral to NHS England's plans to improve urgent and emergency care, despite criticism from GPs. E-Health Insider

Physical restraint last resort for violent mentally ill patients, NHS told

Physical restraint last resort for violent mentally ill patients, NHS told New NICE guidance focuses on preventing challenging situations from arising.  OnMedica

See also:

• Violence and aggression: short-term management in mental health, health and community settings National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

NHS charges patients £14,000 to jump queue for crucial ops

NHS charges patients £14,000 to jump queue for crucial ops Hospitals are letting patients jump NHS queues for knee and hip replacement surgery if they pay for the operations themselves. The Daily Mail

Tears, tantrums and no pay – my life on a zero-hours contract in the NHS

Tears, tantrums and no pay – my life on a zero-hours contract in the NHS I endured personal attacks, felt invisible and undervalued working in administration. Our beleaguered health service is in need of urgent care Continue reading... The Guardian

Ovarian cancer patients denied innovative drug amid cost concerns

Ovarian cancer patients denied innovative drug amid cost concerns Cancer charities criticise NHS watchdog’s decision to reject olaparib, which is available elsewhere in Europe

Cancer charities have criticised the decision by the NHS treatment watchdog to reject an innovative new drug to treat ovarian cancer on the grounds of cost.

NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, said in draft guidance it was disappointed that it must turn down olaparib (Lynparza), but the price tag of more than £49,000 a year was considerably higher than its ceiling of £20,000 to £30,000. When tests to assess patient suitability for the drug are included, the price rises higher still. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Ovarian cancer drug row: 'Breakthrough' treatment won't be available on the NHS because it's deemed too expensive The Daily Mail

NHS must stop making excuses and improve patient care, Jeremy Hunt says

NHS must stop making excuses and improve patient care, Jeremy Hunt says The Health secretary says the NHS needs to deliver "its side of the bargain" and the "time for debate" about funding is over. The Daily Telegraph

Spending half the day on your feet reduces risk of heart attacks and cancer, study says

Spending half the day on your feet reduces risk of heart attacks and cancer, study says Office workers should abandon their chairs for half their working day to reduce their risk of heart attacks, cancer, or diabetes, according to new guidance recommending people spend at least two hours – and preferably four – a day on their feet. The Independent

See also:

• The sedentary office: a growing case for change towards better health and productivity. Expert statement commissioned by Public Health England and the Active Working Community Interest Company British Journal of Sports Medicine 
• Office workers 'should stand for two hours a day', say doctors The Daily Mail
• Stand up for at least two hours a day in office, workers warned The Daily Telegraph