Hospital productivity report shows how NHS can make large savings

Hospital productivity report shows how NHS can make large savings Lord Carter has worked with 22 leading hospitals to see how the NHS could save money by doing things more efficiently and spreading best practice. His report finds that the NHS could save up to £5 billion every year by 2020 by making better use of staff, using medicines more effectively and getting better value from the huge number of products it buys. Department of Health

See also:

• Independent report: Productivity in NHS hospitals Department of Health
• Simple steps 'could save NHS £5bn' BBC News

Key statistics on the NHS

Key statistics on the NHS This data includes statistics on NHS funding, providers and commissioners of NHS services and NHS staff. NHS Confederation

Care Act first-phase reforms

Care Act first-phase reforms The Department of Health has implemented the first phase of the 2014 Care Act well, according to the National Audit Office. Ninety-nine per cent of local authorities were confident that they would able to carry out the Act reforms from April 2015.

However, the spending watchdog warns that the Department’s cost estimates and chosen funding mechanisms have put local authorities under increased financial risk given the uncertain level of demand for adult social care. In a challenging financial environment, with pressure on all services, authorities may not have enough resources to respond if demand for care exceeds expectations.

NHS England extends early access scheme to include hep C

NHS England extends early access scheme to include hep C Thousands of people with hep C-related cirrhosis to benefit from £190m in new drugs. OnMedica

See also:

• Thousands more patients to be cured of hepatitis C NHS England

Will new patient booking system be a cure for previous NHS tech failure?

Will new patient booking system be a cure for previous NHS tech failure? Choose and Book will soon be replaced by e-referral which NHS England claims will manage appointments in ‘a modern and effective way’

Is Jeremy Hunt’s agenda for a paperless NHS about to take a dramatic leap forward? On 15 June, the long-awaited NHS e-referral service will go live. According to NHS England, its new service will build upon its predecessor, Choose and Book, acknowledging its failures and lessons learned.

An NHS England spokesperson said: “We are committed to achieving our vision of all referrals across care settings being completed electronically by 2018, ensuring that appointments are managed in a modern and effective way. We have built a new system which is easier to use and are working hard to support doctors and nurses to move away from paper.” Continue reading... The Guardian

Nurses to be among first affected by plan to cut skilled migration

Nurses to be among first affected by plan to cut skilled migration Measures to be brought in this autumn will reduce recruitment of skilled workers on tier two visas from outside Europe

Overseas nurses are likely to be one of the first groups affected by David Cameron’s drive to reduce skilled migration to Britain from outside Europe, immigration experts have warned.

Cameron announced a blueprint being drawn up to cut demand for migrant labour during prime minister’s questions on Wednesday. Continue reading... The Guardian

Hong Kong tests two people for Mers as alarm over virus grows

Hong Kong tests two people for Mers as alarm over virus grows Outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome in South Korea sparks ‘red alert’ concerns across region.

Hong Kong authorities were testing two people for possible Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) on Thursday as worry grew across the region about the outbreak in South Korea. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Middle East respiratory syndrome cases broken down by country The Guardian
• Should I worry about catching Mers? The Guardian

A quarter of Britons lie about how much exercise they do

A quarter of Britons lie about how much exercise they do A survey of 2,000 Britons reveals that 26 per cent are much less active than they would have friends and colleagues believe. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Britain is a nation of fitness fibbers, 1 in 4 lies about amount of exercise The Daily Mail

David Tredinnick: Advocate of alternative medicines wants to chair House of Commons Health Select Committee

David Tredinnick: Advocate of alternative medicines wants to chair House of Commons Health Select Committee David Tredinnick, Parliament’s out-spoken advocate of alternative medicines, is well-known among watchers of the respected House of Commons Health Select Committee. The Independent