NHS 111 line 'dangerously understaffed'

NHS 111 line 'dangerously understaffed' A woman who worked at an NHS non-emergency call centre serving Northamptonshire says it is "dangerously understaffed" with 75% of calls unanswered. BBC Derby

Should we be worried about CCG conflicts of interest?

Should we be worried about CCG conflicts of interest? Anxiety about conflicts of interest hangs over clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) now as it did GP fund-holders in the past. Worries about the propriety of giving GPs public money to purchase care – potentially from themselves – were raised several times as the Health and Social Care Bill worked its way through parliament four years ago. The King's Fund

New consensus on early treatment for relapsing Multiple Sclerosis

New consensus on early treatment for relapsing Multiple Sclerosis A new scientific consensus has been reached that changes the way relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) should be treated.

The evidence now tells us that, rather than waiting to see whether more relapses occur, disease modifying therapies (DMTs) should be offered as close as possible to diagnosis. Multiple Sclerosis Society

See also:

• Time to Act – 2015 a consensus on early treatment Multiple Sclerosis Society
• Earlier MS treatment urged by charity BBC News

Prison smoking ban to begin in 2016

Prison smoking ban to begin in 2016 Smoking will be banned in all prisons in Wales and four in south-west England from next year, ahead of a wider roll-out, the government says. BBC News

See also:

• Prisoners to be banned from smoking behind bars The Daily Telegraph

Medical devices attract hackers

Medical devices attract hackers Researchers have found evidence that thousands of critical medical machines, such as MRI scanners, are available to access online. BBC News

See also:

• Thousands of 'directly hackable' hospital devices exposed online The Register

Junior doctors contract row: an explainer

Junior doctors contract row: an explainer The health secretary and the British Medical Association are at loggerheads over contract changes and strike action is being threatened – how did it come to this?Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• What is the junior doctors row about? BBC News
• Junior doctors' strike receives overwhelming support, poll shows The Guardian
• Junior doctors protest outside Downing Street over "unsafe and unfair" contract changes The Independent
• Anger at cancelled junior doctors’ meetings OnMedica

Police will turn 'blind eye' to new smoking ban in cars

Police will turn 'blind eye' to new smoking ban in cars From 1st October it will be illegal for a motorist to smoke with someone under the age of 18 in their car, but few drivers are expected to be prosecuted. The Daily Telegraph

NHS drug shortages: why are we running out of some treatments in the UK?

NHS drug shortages: why are we running out of some treatments in the UK? The NHS is facing shortages of some important drugs used to relieve pain and treat cancer. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Why is the NHS short of some key drugs? BBC News

Healthcare workers hit out at executive's payoff as doctors face pay cut

Healthcare workers hit out at executive's payoff as doctors face pay cut David Flory received £410,000 alongside his £235,000 salary after stepping down as chief executive of the TDA. The Independent

See also:

• NHS exec given 'disgraceful' £410,000 pay-off The Daily Telegraph
• Health unions condemn 'disgraceful' £410,000 payoff to NHS executive The Guardian

People with mental health issues should run their own services more, says NHS head

People with mental health issues should run their own services more, says NHS head Helen Birtwhistle said service users were best placed to tell health service bosses where improvements needed to be made. The Independent