Monday 28 September 2015

Health watchdog wants your view on East Midlands 999 service ahead of inspection

Health watchdog wants your view on East Midlands 999 service ahead of inspection A health watchdog is calling on people living in Northamptonshire to give their views on East Midlands Ambulance Service. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

New framework developed to support the learning disabilities workforce

New framework developed to support the learning disabilities workforce A framework to aid development of the learning disabilities workforce in the health and care sectors is now available to download from the Health Education England (HEE) website.

The ‘Generic Service Interventions Pathway’ is a competency framework developed with people with learning disabilities, their family and carers, and in collaboration with Skills for Health and learning disabilities experts. It will support delivery of person-centred care and ensure services are delivered by caring, compassionate, knowledgeable, skilled and supported staff.

The framework will help learning disability managers, educators and commissioners to better understand the development needs of their workforce, allowing them to maximise the contribution of the of the existing workforce and implement new ways of working that focus on improving patient outcomes.

It will be a valuable resource tool that can be used to identify knowledge and skills gaps, and outline where support and information can be found. Health Education England

Diversity and inclusion: the power of research in driving change - using research and data to promote inclusive workplaces

Diversity and inclusion: the power of research in driving change - using research and data to promote inclusive workplaces NHS Employers has partnered with Imperial College London, Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion and North West Coast Academic Health Science Network to produce this diversity and inclusion strategic report. Providing a workplace that celebrates and is inclusive of diversity is now essential for the NHS to operate effectively for both staff and patients. In order to monitor this, research has become an essential tool in allowing us to benchmark how effectively the NHS is performing within the standards set by equality legislation. This report is an analysis of past research into workplace diversity and inclusion across the NHS to determine how effective it has been in bringing about change with regard to the NHS becoming a more diverse and inclusive employer.

Psychological therapies: next steps towards parity of care

Psychological therapies: next steps towards parity of care This report looks at mental health generally, before focusing more particularly on access to psychological therapies for adults. It accepts that mental health problems need to be diagnosed and treated early to achieve the best outcomes but that unlike physical health, the continuing stigma attached to mental ill-health constitutes a barrier to access. In that context, the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme represents a success story which is helping to re-shape the landscape for mental health for the individual and the NHS as a whole. Research conducted for this report, however, finds that more remains to be done to improve access and to make the most of available resources. JMC Partners

World class research making a difference: Bridging the gap between research and the frontline NHS

World class research making a difference: Bridging the gap between research and the frontline NHS A review of the CLAHRC programme since 2008. National Institute of Health Research

Junior doctors balloted over contract

Call to improve radiotherapy access

Call to improve radiotherapy access Millions of people globally have died unnecessarily from cancers that could have been treated by radiotherapy, according to doctors. BBC News

Poor care in some GP practices 'shocking' says CQC chief inspector

Poor care in some GP practices 'shocking' says CQC chief inspector The poor standard of care CQC inspectors have discovered at some GP practices in England has been 'a shock', according to the watchdog's chief inspector of general practice Professor Steve Field. GP Online

Half of all services now failing as UK care sector crisis deepends

Half of all services now failing as UK care sector crisis deepends Five years of funding cuts blamed for crisis threatening the welfare of elderly and disabled people

Nearly half of social care services visited by inspectors in the past year were found to be failing the frail and vulnerable, in what relatives and experts say is a symptom of the growing financial crisis in the sector.

An update given to the board of the Care Quality Commission last week showed that 41% of community-based adult social care services, hospice services and residential social care services inspected since last October were inadequate or required improvement. Of the 8,170 services examined, less than 1% (38) were outstanding and 58% (4,381) were good, according to the chief executive’s report, which was delivered last Wednesday. Continue reading... The Guardian

Addenbrooke's: why are internationally renowned hospitals struggling?

Addenbrooke's: why are internationally renowned hospitals struggling? A number of specialist hospitals are facing serious problems with their district general services

The Care Quality Commission’s decision to classify the renowned Cambridge University hospitals foundation trust, which runs Addenbrooke’s hospital, as inadequate is only the latest example of specialist hospitals running into serious problems with their district general hospital (DGH) services.

Imperial College healthcare NHS trust was designated “requires improvement” last December, with concerns over cleanliness, weaknesses in the safety culture and “markedly varied” leadership in its hospitals. The famous John Radcliffe hospital, part of Oxford University hospitals NHS trust, was similarly judged “requires improvement” in May 2014 in light of a failure to learn from “never” events and problems in surgery, while senior doctors were said to be alienated from the board. In January 2014 the CQC issued University College London hospitals foundation trust withfour compliance notices over the risk of unsafe surgery, serious problems in A&E and poor record-keeping on its wards. Continue reading... The Guardian

UK cancer survival worst in western Europe

UK cancer survival worst in western Europe Research published in the European Journal of Cancer shows the UK has the worst survival rates for cancer in western Europe, with rates one third lower than those of Sweden. The Daily Telegraph