New report sheds light on top hospital complaints investigated by the PHSO

New report sheds light on top hospital complaints investigated by the PHSO A new report has revealed that, similar to last year, the top three reasons for hospital complaints investigated by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in the last financial year (2014-15) were poor communication, errors in diagnosis and poor treatment.

Non-medical aspects of patient care are cited as a factor in almost half of all complaints investigated by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Poor communication, including quality and accuracy of information, was a factor in one third of all complaints.

Other reasons for complaints in this period included staff attitude and behaviour, which were factors in two out of 10 complaints.

See also:

• Complaints about acute trusts 2014-15 Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
• 'No apology' tops patient complaints BBC News

Addenbrooke's put in special measures

Addenbrooke's put in special measures One of the biggest NHS trusts is put in special measures after inspectors found concerns over staffing, treatment delays and governance failings. BBC News

NHS maximum waiting times and patient choice policies

NHS maximum waiting times and patient choice policies A parliamentary briefing sets out policy on maximum waiting time standards and patient choice in the English NHS. House of Commons Library

Investigating the impact of out-of-hours GP services on A&E attendance rates: multilevel regression analysis

Investigating the impact of out-of-hours GP services on A&E attendance rates: multilevel regression analysis  This paper uses multilevel regression modelling to investigate the factors affecting levels of attendance at accident and emergency (A&E) departments by patients registered at a GP practice. National Audit Office

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• Larger GP practices reduce emergency admissions, says spending watchdog GP Online

Diabetes spending varies almost two-fold across CCG areas

Diabetes spending varies almost two-fold across CCG areas Spending on diabetes treatment varies almost two-fold across different CCG areas due to 'inefficient spending', according to an NHS report. GP Online

How 'midlife MOT' health checks waste £450m a year: Report finds tests are 'costly and ineffective', saving just 1,000 lives annually

How 'midlife MOT' health checks waste £450m a year: Report finds tests are 'costly and ineffective', saving just 1,000 lives annually Forcing health workers to promote health checks when they known to be 'ineffective' saps their morale, London School of Economics and the University of Liverpool experts said. The Daily Mail

New junior doctors' contract changes everything I signed up for

New junior doctors' contract changes everything I signed up for The NHS I knew when I started out as a medical student has been chipped away and patient safety is under threat

This August I moved from being a medical student to become a doctor. After five years of endless exams, coursework and presentations, medical school was finally over. I had often wondered what life would be like. I knew the hours would be long, the on calls arduous and the night shifts terrifying. What I never imagined was that within eight weeks of starting there would be calls to strike, friends from the years above quitting medicine, others leaving for New Zealand (and never coming back) and a new contract being imposed by the government that altered everything I had signed up for. I find myself a junior doctor at one of the most turbulent times the NHS has ever witnessed.

The lines were drawn between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government last week. The BMA branded the government’s newest junior doctor contract as unsafe and unfair, while the government responded by saying it would enforce the contract from August 2016 anyway. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Given the state of the NHS, it's no wonder doctors are burnt out The Guardian
• What really happens the day junior doctors start work in the NHS The Guardian

Step inside Britain's first men-only mental health centre

Step inside Britain's first men-only mental health centre Last week, The Eaton Foundation in Burton upon Trent opened its doors. The staff explain how a pioneering holistic approach is helping their all-male clientele get back on their feet. The Daily Telegraph