Wednesday 8 July 2015

Corby patients urged to dial 111 for out of hours GP help

Corby patients urged to dial 111 for out of hours GP help GPs in Corby are urging patients to dial 111 if they need to see a doctor during the night, at weekends and on bank holidays. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Band launches album after touring mental health wards

Band launches album after touring mental health wards A city band who took gigs and workshops on a "tour" across mental health wards have now recorded an EP.

Moving InWards is a collaboration between the acoustic band Refuge and the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, responsible for community and mental health services.

So far the band has performed on 10 wards in Leicestershire. Proceeds from the event and album sales will be ploughed back into the project. Leicester Mercury 

Prescription items increase by over 50 per cent since 2004

Prescription items increase by over 50 per cent since 2004 Over 1.06 billion items were prescribed in 2014, an increase of 3.3 per cent (34.5 m items) on 2013,

The 2014 figure also represents an increase of 55.2 per cent on 2004 (378.5 million items).

The overall Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) of prescriptions in 2014 however stood at £8.85 billion, an increase of 2.6 per cent (£227.5 million) from 2013. Since 2004 this figure has increased by 9.6 per cent (£773.0 million).

The Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community 2004-2014 report looks at prescriptions dispensed in England by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions for items administered in GP practices. Health and Social Care Information Centre

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Reports that 1 pregnant woman in 3 in UK binge drink unconfirmed

Reports that 1 pregnant woman in 3 in UK binge drink unconfirmed "A third of British women risk doing severe harm to their unborn babies by binge drinking during pregnancy," the Mail Online reports. While a concerning statistic, the evidence behind the headline is perhaps not as clear-cut as the Mail would lead its readers to believe.

This story has been prompted by the publication of a study comparing just over 17,000 women's alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It also looked at which groups of women were more likely to report drinking alcohol in pregnancy.

While the overall study population was large, an overlooked fact not made clear in the media was that the study only included data from 651 women from the UK. The study also collected this data over a relatively long time – between 2004 and 2011 – and drinking habits may have changed since then.

Out of these 651 women, a third reported binge drinking (defined as drinking six units or more in one sitting) in their first trimester. Reassuringly, in all countries surveyed, this figure dropped dramatically in the second trimester, to around just 1%.

The Treasury, the Budget and the NHS - BBC News

The Treasury, the Budget and the NHS The big decisions on financing the NHS over the next few years are likely to come in the autumn with the departmental spending review.

Beyond a restatement of the commitment to an extra £8 billion in 2020, the Chancellor's Budget is likely to focus on welfare spending rather than the protected departments like health.

But, for what will be one of the most important domestic policy decisions made by this Government, detailed analysis of the financial needs of the NHS in England is underway. BBC News

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WHO 'unfit for health emergencies'

WHO 'unfit for health emergencies' The World Health Organization (WHO) lacks the "capacity and culture" to deal with global health emergencies, says the chair of a new independent report on Ebola. BBC News

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Jeremy Hunt accused of evasiveness over 5,000 GP pledge

Jeremy Hunt accused of evasiveness over 5,000 GP pledge Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has been accused of being evasive over plans to increase the GP workforce after promising 'around' 5,000 extra GPs by 2020 in an exchange in the House of Commons. GP Online

Weekend effect common in several developed countries’ hospitals

Weekend effect common in several developed countries’ hospitals Not just a problem for England; also evident in Australia, USA, and The Netherlands. OnMedica

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GPs offered £15m funding to recruit pharmacists in surgeries

GPs offered £15m funding to recruit pharmacists in surgeries NHS England says funds for pilot scheme, spread over three years, will be offered to practices under greatest pressure

GP practices are being urged to bid for a share of £15m in financial incentives from the NHS to bring pharmacists into their surgeries.

A pilot scheme designed to reduce the impact of continuing shortages of family doctors, improve the management of patients’ long-term conditions and reduce medication errors will start later this year. Continue reading... The Guardian

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NHS funding: what does the £8bn spending increase actually mean?

NHS funding: what does the £8bn spending increase actually mean? The government’s promise to increase NHS spending by £8bn sounds simple, but there are two possible interpretations of the proposal. So which is correct and what will it mean?

As a health economist, I am often asked the same question: what does the government actually mean by its manifesto commitment to increase “NHS spending in England in real terms by a minimum of £8bn over the next five years”?

It seems simple doesn’t it? But there are two ways this promise could be interpreted, which give very different results. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS should be more like Asda, minister says

NHS should be more like Asda, minister says The NHS should learn from companies which 'hit the panic button' over bullying, and learn from firms like Asda which try to help staff achieve 'pride and joy' in their work, health minister Lord Prior says. The Daily Telegraph

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Teenagers are increasing their chances of cancer with 'sunburn art' tattoos, doctors say

Teenagers are increasing their chances of cancer with 'sunburn art' tattoos, doctors say The internet trend of sunburn tatoos has been criticised by healthcare professionals who have called the practice 'dangerous' The Independent