NHS chief aims to protect small regional hospitals with specialist care

NHS chief aims to protect small regional hospitals with specialist care Patients will benefit from “world-class care” closer to home under new plans from the head of the NHS. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Mums praise Northampton children’s doctor as he wins national award

Mums praise Northampton children’s doctor as he wins national award A Northampton paedeatrician who uses plays, films and story books to put children at ease has won a national award. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Increased demand for care won’t be addressed by doing more of the same

Increased demand for care won’t be addressed by doing more of the same With the first anniversary of the NHS five year forward view approaching rapidly, how are new care models developing, and what are the prospects for the future? The King's Fund

Research and analysis: Dementia: prevalence in groups by protected characteristics

Research and analysis: Dementia: prevalence in groups by protected characteristics This review builds on previous work by the Department of Health (DH), in 2010 to 2011, as part of the development of the Dementia Equalities Action Plan (DH, 2011).

It examines evidence on how the prevalence of dementia varies with the following characteristics:

• socio-economic position
• race or ethnic group
• religion or belief
• gender
• sexual orientation
• disability

The review is for commissioners and providers of dementia services, PHE knowledge and intelligence team, researcher funding bodies and researchers and policy makers. Public Health England

Latest hospital figures for mental health and learning disabilities

Latest hospital figures for mental health and learning disabilities The Health and Social Care Information Centre has published the latest dataset linking hospital episode statistics with mental health and learning disability data.

Delivering community based integrated care the Dutch way

Delivering community based integrated care the Dutch way The challenge of delivering quality health and social care services to a rapidly ageing population, many with long term conditions, is one that England share with most countries across Europe. Find out what the Dutch are doing to help with this challenge. NHS Employers

Raising concerns in a good culture

Raising concerns in a good culture Find out how Northumbria NHS Foundation Trust has developed a culture which encourages and supports staff to raise concerns. NHS Employers

Cameron announces seven-day GP service

Cameron announces seven-day GP service GPs in England are to be offered a voluntary contract to provide seven-day-a-week cover for patients, David Cameron announces. BBC News

See also:

• Press release: Prime Minister pledges to deliver 7-day GP services by 2020 Department of Health
• Ministers are living in ‘cloud cuckoo land’ with plans for seven day access RCGP Chair tells conference delegates in Glasgow Royal College of General Practitioners
• David Cameron says GP surgeries must open from 8am to 8pm The Daily Mail
• Royal College of GPs says weekend surgeries are a cloud cuckoo land idea The Daily Mail
• Video: Seven-day NHS plans a 'recipe for disaster' for general practice, warns RCGP chair GP Online
• GPs to be offered new contracts to open surgeries at weekends, David Cameron announces The Independent
• BMA calls on PM to explain how a seven-day NHS will work OnMedica

VIDEO: What's it like to be a junior doctor?

VIDEO: What's it like to be a junior doctor? Newsnsight followed three junior doctors over the course of a week - here are their diaries. BBC News

A quarter of young NHS GPs are so disillusioned they want to quit Britain

A quarter of young NHS GPs are so disillusioned they want to quit Britain According to figures released last week, a staggering 10.2 per cent of full-time GP positions across the UK are currently vacant, a figure that has quadrupled in the past three years. The Daily Mail

See also:

• GPs report record levels of stress and job dissatisfaction GP Online

Ministers ‘are hiding details of £2bn NHS cash crisis’

Ministers ‘are hiding details of £2bn NHS cash crisis’ Tories accused of burying bad news with delayed figures on health service finances expected to show huge deficit

Government ministers have buried NHS statistics that show the service hurtling towards an unprecedented £2bn deficit to avoid overshadowing the Tory party conference, say top NHS officials.

One senior figure at the health service regulator Monitor said his organisation had been “leaned on” by Whitehall to delay its report, which shows that NHS finances are worsening. Continue reading... The Guardian

Deal over junior doctors' contracts was torn up, reveals ex-health minister

Deal over junior doctors' contracts was torn up, reveals ex-health minister Tory MP Dan Poulter says government reneged on an initial agreement last year, replacing it with terms that have triggered ‘understandable’ anger

The government has provoked the potential strike by NHS junior doctors by tearing up an agreement that would have settled the dispute, the Conservative minister who was in charge of the negotiations has told the Guardian.

In a scathing indictment of the government’s handling of the new contract for England’s 53,000 junior doctors, Dr Dan Poulter, a health minister until May, revealed that Jeremy Hunt had triggered “understandable” widespread anger among them by reneging on the basis of a deal. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• This junior doctor contract puts patients in danger The Guardian
• Junior doctors contract couldcompromise patient safety says Ex-Tory health minister Dan Poulter The Independent
• Jeremy Hunt: NHS is facing a whammy of pressures the like of which it has never seen before The Independent

Nurses could be forced to pay tuition fees under new Treasury proposals

Nurses could be forced to pay tuition fees under new Treasury proposals Exclusive: Student nurses and midwives could be forced to pay their tuition fees under new Treasury plans. The Daily Telegraph

The state of our mental health system is one of the great scandals of our time

The state of our mental health system is one of the great scandals of our time As Bootham Park Psychiatric Hospital is forced to close suddenly, Bryony Gordon wonders why Britain has such a Dickensian mental health system. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Bootham Park Hospital: sudden closure leaves patients vulnerable The Guardian

Doctors and nurses must "step up to the plate" to tackle NHS leadership crisis, says chief inspector of hospitals

Doctors and nurses must "step up to the plate" to tackle NHS leadership crisis, says chief inspector of hospitals Exclusive: Chief inspector of hospitals says crisis of leadership is the main factor behind poor care. The Independent

Plans to reward GPs for cutting hospital admissions attacked as "preposterous and unethical"

Plans to reward GPs for cutting hospital admissions attacked as "preposterous and unethical" 'Incentive' system designed to produce savings on expensive scans and potentially surgical procedures. The Independent

See also:

• RCGP statement on payment for non referral Royal College of General Practitioners
• GPs being paid to cut patient referrals BBC News
• GPs paid up to £6,000 to SLASH the numbers of patients sent to hospital for urgent cancer tests The Daily Mail
• GPs should not be paid to reduce hospital referrals The Daily Telegraph
• GP practices 'offered rewards' for not referring patients to hospitals The Guardian
• ‘Ethically questionable’ incentives slammed by lead GPs OnMedica