Wednesday 22 July 2015

Medics with 14 weeks’ training sent alone to life-threatening emergencies in Northamptonshire, report reveals

Medics with 14 weeks’ training sent alone to life-threatening emergencies in Northamptonshire, report reveals Ambulance medics who should be supported by a paramedic had no back-up for life-threatening emergencies 868 times in 12 months, according to figures for Northamptonshire. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Making change possible: a Transformation Fund for the NHS

Making change possible: a Transformation Fund for the NHS  This report draws on analysis conducted by the two organisations, in particular six case studies of funding transformation, in the health sector and beyond, along with examples of local NHS initiatives. We also captured the experience of NHS leaders and some of those organisations across the NHS that have been at the forefront of efforts to implement changes in the delivery of care. The King's Fund and the Health Foundation

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No local authority area in England and Wales free from FGM

No local authority area in England and Wales free from FGM A new report from City University London and Equality Now shows that:
  • Women who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) do not only live in urban centres in England and Wales. While many affected women live in large cities where migrant populations tend to be clustered, others are scattered in rural areas.
  • Southwark in London has the highest national prevalence with an estimated 4.7% of women affected by FGM and also the highest percentage of girls born to mothers who had undergone FGM, at 10.4%.
  • Outside London, highest estimates were for Manchester, Slough, Bristol, Leicester and Birmingham.
  • Other authorities, including Milton Keynes, Cardiff, Coventry, Sheffield, Reading, Thurrock, Northampton and Oxford had rates of over 0.7%.
  • The report provides figures for local areas to enable professionals to plan services to support affected women and – where necessary – to safeguard their daughters.
  • No local authority area is likely to be free from FGM entirely.
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National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness

National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness The annual report 2015 from the University of Manchester, which presents findings from 2003 to 2013, highlights areas of healthcare where safety should be strengthened. Key messages include:
  • The rise in suicide among male mental health patients appears to be greater than in the general population - suicide prevention in middle aged males should be seen as a suicide prevention priority.
  • It is in the safety of crisis resolution/home treatment that current bed pressures are being felt – the safe use of these services should be monitored; providers and commissioners (England) should review their acute care services. 
  • Opiates are now the most common substance used in overdose – clinicians should be aware of the potential risks from opiate-containing painkillers and patients’ access to these drugs.
  • Families and carers are a vital but under-used resource in mental health care – with the agreement of service users, closer working with families would have safety benefits.
  • Good physical health care may help reduce risk in mental health patients – patients’ physical and mental health care needs should be addressed by mental health teams together with patients’ GPs.
  • Sudden death among younger in-patients continues to occur, with no fall – these deaths should always be investigated; physical health should be assessed on admission and polypharmacy avoided.

Supporting staff who are experiencing mental health problems

Supporting staff who are experiencing mental health problems A new guide from NHS Employers aims to improve the support managers give to staff experiencing mental health issues.

Reasons why people with dementia are admitted to a general hospital in an emergency

Reasons why people with dementia are admitted to a general hospital in an emergency This study finds the proportion of people with dementia being admitted to hospital in an emergency increased by 48% between 2008 to 2009 and 2012 to 2013. It focuses on the reasons why people with dementia are admitted to a general hospital in an emergency and considers ways in which some of these could be prevented. It recommends that although strategies to improve care for people with dementia have progressed and there is greater awareness of the symptoms, there is room for improvement. Public Health England

Rethinking the public health workforce

Rethinking the public health workforce With only 40,000 people estimated to be part of the core public health workforce, and in light of the crisis in lifestyle health issues, this report calls for anyone who has “the opportunity or ability to positively impact health and wellbeing through their work” to join the wider public health workforce. It identifies a number of services, such as the fire service, hairdressing and the postal service, which has the capacity to support public health work. Royal Society of Public Health

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Dementia drug data set to be revealed

Dementia drug data set to be revealed Data from tests on the most promising drug used in treating people with Alzheimer's disease will be presented at a conference later. BBC News

New heart surgery proposals published

New heart surgery proposals published New proposals have been put forward in an effort to resolve a long-running row about the congenital heart surgery in England. BBC News

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Ambulance speeding fines unveiled

Ambulance speeding fines unveiled Ambulance trusts in England are paying staff to appeal against thousands of speeding fines, despite 98% being blue light emergencies. BBC News

Government considers inquiry to decide on how NHS is funded in the future

Government considers inquiry to decide on how NHS is funded in the future Inquiry would consider the merits of patient charges and insurance schemes. OnMedica

PM plans patient data grab in proposals for seven-day NHS

PM plans patient data grab in proposals for seven-day NHS Privacy campaigners raise concerns over NHS official’s letter to IT companies asking for confidential data for patients who get a ‘seven-day’ service

The government is proposing to build a database that would identify 18 million patients and store records of their GP appointments without their consent, according to documents obtained by the Guardian.

By the end of this year, the prime minister has pledged that millions of patients will have access to a GP in the evening and at the weekend.

GPs are the data controllers. They are the people who can decide whether this should be released or not Continue reading... The Guardian

Learning disability: positive behaviour support offers an alternative to antipsychotics

Learning disability: positive behaviour support offers an alternative to antipsychotics Challenging behaviours can be traumatic, but sedation is not the answer. Positive behaviour support can help people express themselves in different ways

Last week, NHS England called for an end to over-medicating people with learning disabilities (pdf). This follows a report by Public Health England that estimates up to 35,000 people with learning disabilities are being prescribed strong antipsychotic medications, without clinical justification. This problem has been known about for some time, but the research highlights the scale of the issue.

There are no medications that “treat” challenging behaviour, learning disability or autism. Antipsychotic medications are largely used for their sedative side effects to chemically restrain people when their behaviours are described as challenging by others. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Running the NHS is harder than selling underwear: head of health service hits out at M&S boss

Running the NHS is harder than selling underwear: head of health service hits out at M&S boss Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS, accuses Lord Rose of "denigrating" the health service after damning critique of management culture. The Daily Telegraph

NHS pay must match private sector to stop hospital staff leaving, says health chief

NHS pay must match private sector to stop hospital staff leaving, says health chief The chief executive of the NHS in England has warned that health service pay will have to keep up with private sector salaries if hospitals are to retain the staff they need. The Independent