Nurses with no ward experience invited to work shifts at Northampton General Hospital

Nurses with no ward experience invited to work shifts at Northampton General Hospital Hospital bosses in Northampton are encouraging all types of nurses to join its staff ‘bank’ to help reduce it huge agency bill. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• NGH banking on local nurses Northampton General Hospital

Preparing for an ageing workforce - insights from York trust

Preparing for an ageing workforce - insights from York trust Read about what York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are doing to address the challenges and opportunities an ageing workforce presents for them. NHS Employers

Physical health of mentally ill 'ignored'

Physical health of mentally ill 'ignored' People who have suffered mental health problems in England are five times more likely to be admitted to hospital as an emergency, a study shows. BBC News

Sugar tax evidence 'being withheld'

Sugar tax evidence 'being withheld' The head of Public Health England is being hauled before MPs amid accusations vital evidence is being withheld about the merits of a sugar tax. BBC News

400 NHS fat cats share £1m bonus despite the worst financial crisis in a generation

400 NHS fat cats share £1m bonus despite the worst financial crisis in a generation  One of the NHS's most powerful women, Dame Una O'Brien, pictured, whose role is to ensure the health service runs efficiently, was handed a £17,500 bonus. The Daily Mail

Jeremy Hunt bans 'rip off' agency fees for locum doctors and nurses

Jeremy Hunt bans 'rip off' agency fees for locum doctors and nurses From April 2016, no agency doctor or nurse can earn more than a regular member of NHS staff. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• News story: Clampdown on NHS staffing agency costs Department of Health
• NHS agency staff cap 'to save 1bn' BBC News

NHS 'backtracking' on ward nurse numbers introduced after Mid Staffs

NHS 'backtracking' on ward nurse numbers introduced after Mid Staffs Critics fear safety will be sacrificed to cut costs after NHS bosses tell hospitals that 1:8 nurse-to-patient ratio is a guide, not a requirement.

The NHS has been accused of backtracking on improvements in patient safety made after the Mid Staffs scandal by reducing the number of nurses on wards because of its growing financial crisis. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS seven-day plans will fail without more resources, warns doctors' chief

NHS seven-day plans will fail without more resources, warns doctors' chief Royal College of Physicians president criticises health secretary for questioning medics’ dedication and says NHS needs more than £8bn extra funding

The government’s “utopian” plan for a seven-day NHS is doomed to failure due to a lack of doctors, money and diagnostic testing services, the leader of England’s hospital doctors has warned.

Prof Jane Dacre’s gloomy prognosis is a blow to David Cameron’s key election pledge of turning the NHS into a seven-day service by 2020 in order to improve patients’ quality of care. Continue reading... The Guardian

Most NHS depression apps are unproven, warn health experts

Most NHS depression apps are unproven, warn health experts Just 15 per cent of apps recommended by the NHS for depression have been proven to be effective, the University of Liverpool has found. The Daily Telegraph