NHS waiting times: all change?

NHS waiting times: all change? With health policy announcements coming out almost daily both before and after the election, it’s time to take stock of where we are with NHS waiting times.

First: the good news. Since the turn of the year there have been improvements in performance across all targets, apart from diagnostics.

But, although performance has improved almost across the board, most if not all of this improvement reflects the usual upward swing at this time of year. We will need a month or two more to see if this is sustained.

Quarterly monitoring report: issue 16

Quarterly monitoring report: issue 16 According to this report, more than 60 per cent of NHS trust finance directors think controls on agency spending announced in June will not significantly reduce the amount spent on agency staff. The regular survey carried out for the report also found that three-quarters of trusts intend to recruit more permanent nurses in the next six months, suggesting that the NHS is continuing to prioritise quality of patient care despite rising financial pressures. The King's Fund

• Report
• Press release

Better leadership for tomorrow: NHS leadership review

Better leadership for tomorrow: NHS leadership review The Secretary of State for Health asked Lord Rose to conduct a review into leadership in the NHS.  The final report contains 19 recommendations, Department of Health

See also:

• NHS management - the retailer's view BBC News
• NHS has a 'chronic shortage of good leaders', report claims The Independent

Policy paper: Learning not blaming: response to 3 reports on patient safety

Policy paper: Learning not blaming: response to 3 reports on patient safety This report sets out the government’s position on:

• the Freedom to Speak Up review by Sir Robert Francis QC: we are improving the incentives for staff to speak out against poor quality care in the NHS
• the Public Administration Select Committee report ‘Investigating clinical incidents in the NHS’: we are setting up an independent agency to investigate patient safety incidents
• Dr Bill Kirkup’s independent report on the Morecambe Bay Investigation: we are modernising the supervision of midwifery

The 3 reports cover distinct areas, and the government response addresses the points and recommendations raised in each report. There are some themes common to each report, including the importance of:

• openness, honesty and candour
• listening to patients, families and staff
• finding and facing the truth
• learning from errors and failures in care
• people and professionalism

Department of Health

See also:

• Statement to Parliament: Improving the safety culture in the NHS  Department of Health
• News story: Jeremy Hunt announces new measures to improve safety across NHS Department of Health

Improving staff engagement through learning and development

Improving staff engagement through learning and development Read how one trust’s quality improvement programme and open culture has improved its staff survey results to become some of the best in the country. NHS Employers

Weak link between depression and frequent smartphone use

Weak link between depression and frequent smartphone use "Smartphone behaviour 'could diagnose depression' says new scientific study," the Daily Mirror reports. But based on the data presented in the study the paper is reporting on, we would disagree.

The story was prompted by a small US study of adults who agreed to have a freeware app – Purple Robot – installed on their phone. The app tracks phone usage and physical movement via GPS.

Researchers found people who reported depressive symptoms used their phone more often, visited fewer locations, and spent more time at home than the group of people who did not have symptoms of depression.

The results should not be taken too seriously as these two groups of people were not matched, so other factors could have influenced the results (confounders).

A major factor that was not accounted for was whether any of the people involved in the study were employed, the nature of the employment, or whether they were looking after children or caring for someone. This would have had a major impact on their phone use and the amount of time they spent going out to different places.

Other factors commonly taken into account but not included in this study are a history of mental health problems, age, sex and any medical or psychiatric conditions.

In short, this study does not show smartphone use can diagnose depression.

85% of doctors have experienced mental health issues, reveals survey

85% of doctors have experienced mental health issues, reveals survey A survey of more than 600 UK members reveals that 85% have experienced mental health issues, with common issues being stress (75%), anxiety (49%) and low self-esteem (36%).1 A third of respondents (32%) have had depression during their medical career, while one in 10 (13%) stated they had experienced suicidal feelings.

Of those who had experienced mental health issues, they cited heavy workload (76%) and long working hours (70%) as factors that had a high or moderate impact on their mental health. Additionally, high levels of regulation and scrutiny affected half (54%) of respondents’ mental health, and experience of a negligence claim had an impact on a quarter (24%) of them. Medical Protection Society

See also:

• More than eight in 10 doctors affected by mental health issues Pulse

What makes a prize winning hospital catering service?

What makes a prize winning hospital catering service? Staff and patients at Musgrove Park hospital in Somerset explain what makes it a leader in the field

The words “delicious” and “fantastic” are usually used to describe the food served in a top restaurant, but 71-year-old John Lawton is not talking about a meal at a Michelin star eatery, he’s describing the food at Musgrove Park hospital where he is an in-patient.

“You can’t knock it,” says Lawton as he happily tucks into a piping hot chilli con carne. “It makes the stay a lot more pleasant, because you are getting a good meal. I love the variety on offer and the staff are very flexible.” Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS reforms are 'like the Reformation' of the church says Jeremy Hunt

NHS reforms are 'like the Reformation' of the church says Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt unveils a series of reforms to put safety at the top of the NHS agenda, modelled on methods used by the airline and motoring industry. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Health secretary's speech nothing more than empty rhetoric British Medical Association
• Seven-day services public survey - key findings British Medical Association
• Enabling the delivery of healthcare services every day of the week - the implications for Agenda for Change NHS Pay Review Body 
• Contract reform for consultants and doctors & dentists in training - supporting healthcare services seven days a week Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration
• RCGP response to Health Secretary's speech on a seven-day NHS Royal College of General Practitioners
• RCN responds to Secretary of State’s speech on seven day NHS Royal College of Nursing
• VIDEO: Hunt warns of 'Monday to Friday' NHS BBC News
• Jeremy Hunt slams NHS double standards as doctors fight seven work day week The Daily Mail
• Jeremy Hunt outlines plans for seven-day NHS, accusing doctors of being 'roadblock to reforms' The Daily Telegraph
• Finally, the BMA is going to lose a health reform battle The Daily Telegraph
• RCGP fears GPs are next as Hunt threatens to impose seven-day consultant contract GP Online
• Quiet hospitals kill, but mindless union bashing can give us a nasty injury The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt: NHS consultants will have to to work at weekends – video The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt heralds NHS 'Reformation' as he heads for showdown with doctors The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt's divisive approach to seven-day NHS services benefits no one The Guardian
• Seven-day NHS plan could lead to big staff shortages, says pay review The Guardian
• Health Secretary gives doctors ultimatum on seven-day service OnMedica

Right-to-die: European court rejects Paul Lamb and Tony Nickinson's widow case

Right-to-die: European court rejects Paul Lamb and Tony Nickinson's widow case Paralysed former builder and family of late locked-in syndrome sufferer lose latest right-to-die legal challenge at European Court of Human Rights. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Europe rejects right-to-die case BBC News
• VIDEO: Family 'devastated' at right-to-die ruling BBC News

A 'huge effort' is required to keep NHS fully funded by the taxpayer, says Jeremy Hunt

A 'huge effort' is required to keep NHS fully funded by the taxpayer, says Jeremy Hunt It will take a “huge effort” to maintain the NHS as a fully taxpayer funded service, Jeremy Hunt has said, days after a fellow health minister said the NHS funding system should be “questioned” if economic growth does not keep up with patient demand. The Independent