How much has generic prescribing and dispensing saved the NHS?

How much has generic prescribing and dispensing saved the NHS? Our recent report, Better value in the NHS, includes changes to generic prescribing as an example of improved productivity. Over the past 40 years, the rising trend in cheaper generic medicines rather than proprietary or ‘branded’ drugs being prescribed and dispensed has improved productivity, saving the NHS billions of pounds and enabling millions more prescriptions to be dispensed. The King's Fund

Statistics: Local tobacco control profiles for England: August 2015 data update

Statistics: Local tobacco control profiles for England: August 2015 data update The Local Tobacco Control Profiles data update for August 2015 has been published by Public Health England.

The data are presented in an interactive data tool that allows users to view data in a user-friendly format. The profiles provide a snapshot of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco related harm, and measures being taken to reduce this harm at a local level. These profiles have been designed to help local government and health services to assess the effect of tobacco use on their local populations.

View the Local Tobacco Control Profiles.

This update contains:

• 5 new indicators, including smoking prevalence in adults and at age 15, and cost of stop smoking services
• more recent data for 5 indicators
• an indicator of deprivation for comparison purposes

View previous Local Tobacco Control Profiles updates.

New report publishes figures about smoking among 15 year olds

New report publishes figures about smoking among 15 year olds  A new report providing figures on the proportion of 15 year olds who smoke has been published today by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

What's behind the 'anti-vax' movement?

What's behind the 'anti-vax' movement? This spring saw the first death from measles in the United States in 12 years.

Measles infections there are at their highest since the disease was supposedly eradicated. The reason for this is that the number of people vaccinated against measles has been falling.

More and more parents have been refusing to immunise their children. The influence of a loose group of fringe campaigners against immunisation - "anti-vaxxers", as they're known - has been spreading. And with it, disease. BBC News

First 3D-printed pill approved in US

First 3D-printed pill approved in US In a world first, the US Food and Drug Administration has given go-ahead for a 3D printed pill to go into production. BBC News

Many GPs misunderstand discharge letter shorthand

Many GPs misunderstand discharge letter shorthand Survey reveals a more than a quarter of GPs misinterpret six common abbreviations. OnMedica

Cancer survival rates in England see more patients dying than any Western country

Cancer survival rates in England see more patients dying than any Western country Patients in England are more likely to die from six of the most common types of the illness than those in Australia, Canada, Sweden and Norway, according to researchers. The Daily Mail

NHS patients may face widescale charges, warns financial thinktank

NHS patients may face widescale charges, warns financial thinktank Health budget must rise, or patient fees increase and services diminish, public finance institute warns ministers in bleak assessment of ‘short-term’ pledges

Ministers will have to consider charging patients for seeing a GP, attending A&E, and using the food, power and water of hospitals, unless better long-term solutions for funding the NHS can be found, public finance experts have warned.

Contributions towards the cost of treatments and patients taking out health insurance are among other options that must be on the table if the comprehensive spending review in November fails to address the issue, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance (Cipfa) says in a briefing. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• The health of NHS finances (download) Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy

Thousands of blood donors turned away by NHS as staff are too busy

Thousands of blood donors turned away by NHS as staff are too busy FOI request reveals 6,798 people complained to the NHS in 2013-14 about not being able to give blood at arranged sessions despite fears of future shortage

The NHS has turned away thousands of potential blood donors because staff are too busy, despite complaining of a 40% slump in people coming forward and a potential shortage of future stocks.


The health service’s blood and transplant unit revealed, after a freedom of information request, that 1,986 people complained they had been turned away from walk-in sessions in the year 2013-14; a similar number (1,949) said they did not have their blood taken even when they had made an appointment. Continue reading... The Guardian

Top children's doctor quits after 'taking cocaine before going on duty' at Leeds General Infirmary

Top children's doctor quits after 'taking cocaine before going on duty' at Leeds General Infirmary Consultant paediatric neurologist Colin Ferrie resigns from leading job as he is due to appear before Leeds magistrates charged possessing drugs. The Daily Telegraph

Government backs letter sent by national regulator urging NHS to freeze recruitment

Government backs letter sent by national regulator urging NHS to freeze recruitment The NHS must “live within its means” the Government has said, giving its backing to a controversial letter sent to hospitals by the national regulator, urging them to freeze recruitment unless “essential”. The Independent

See also:

• Foundation trusts told to review financial plans NHS Employers
• RCN responds to Monitor's letter to trusts Royal College of Nursing