Visitors to Northampton General Hospital urged to stay away if family members have ‘flu-like’ symptoms

Visitors to Northampton General Hospital urged to stay away if family members have ‘flu-like’ symptoms Northampton General Hospital is asking anyone planning to visit the hospital to stay away if they or their family members have had diarrhoea, vomiting or ‘flu-like’ symptoms in the last four days. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Building healthier accountable communities

Building healthier accountable communities Over the past few decades England, like other countries, has worked hard to improve the health of its population largely by focusing on health care services – an approach that has not achieved better health for all. At our annual integrated care summit last week we heard from international and national speakers about how they are adopting a more systemic and integrated approach to improving population health. Three important messages emerged from the day. The King's Fund

Prevent, reduce, delay: are councils meeting their new duties to support unpaid carers?

Prevent, reduce, delay: are councils meeting their new duties to support unpaid carers? This research reveals that few councils in England have outlined how they are fulfilling the duties required of them under the Care Act 2014, which came into force this April. Under the Care Act local authorities have a duty to provide services to carers that prevent, reduce or delay them developing a need for support. But just 17 (13 per cent) of the 132 local authorities contacted by Carers Trust stated that they are working to identify carers and, of the 23 councils that mentioned having a prevention strategy in place, few provided details on the support they are providing specifically to help carers. The Carers Trust

Deaths data 'misrepresented by Hunt'

Deaths data 'misrepresented by Hunt' The health secretary has misrepresented a key study used to back the case for more seven-day NHS care, the editor of the British Medical Journal says. BBC News

See also:

• BMJ editor writes to Hunt over misuse of weekend mortality data  The BMJ
• Increased mortality associated with weekend hospital admission: a case for expanded seven day services? The BMJ
• Jeremy Hunt accused of skewing weekend hospital death rates The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt criticised for misrepresenting NHS weekend mortality facts The Independent

Mental health stigma campaign starts

Mental health stigma campaign starts A social media campaign to reduce the stigma around mental health in children has been launched by government. BBC News

Junior doctors to start strike ballot over hated Jeremy Hunt contract

Junior doctors to start strike ballot over hated Jeremy Hunt contract Vote on industrial action in protest at health secretary’s plan will start on Thursday, with strikes likely in December if motion passes

Junior doctors have moved closer to their first strike in decades as they decided to vote on industrial action in protest at Jeremy Hunt’s plan to impose a new contract on them.

The strike ballot will start on Thursday 5 November to see if young medics are prepared to take industrial action to force the health secretary to rethink his plan, which is part of the push for a seven-day NHS service. Continue reading. The Guardian

See also:

• Junior doctors to vote on strike action BBC News
• Junior doctors will vote over proposed strike action early next month: Move follows anger over cuts to pay on Saturdays and evenings  The Daily Mail
• England on brink of mass walkout by doctors, warns GP trainee's letter to MP GP Online

Spending review: the good, the bad and the ugly for the NHS

Spending review: the good, the bad and the ugly for the NHS The health service is getting more money but costs are rising faster and social care services also need help

Within the walls of the Treasury, a mountain of evidence is currently being studied to complete a comprehensive spending review (CSR) by 25 November. This will determine the budgets for each government department between now and 2019/20. To make their job ever-so-slightly easier the Health Foundation, an independent charity, has submitted its evidence highlighting the most critical issues on health and social care. This was necessarily a technical document with extensive use of numbers and supporting evidence. Here is a summary of the most crucial of the critical aspects. Continue reading... The Guardian

Community mental health services 'getting worse' in some areas of England

Community mental health services 'getting worse' in some areas of England Survey of 13,000 people cared for outside hospitals finds that 28% rate their experience 5 or lower on scale of 0-10.

Mental health services outside hospitals in England have shown “no notable improvement” and in some areas are getting worse, a survey of more than 13,000 people treated and cared for in the community has suggested.

Higher proportions than last year of those questioned think they have had a poor experience, that they are not listened to by staff and believe they have not been treated with dignity and respect. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Mental health patients do not always feel they are treated with dignity, CQC report finds The Independent

Doctors fail to co-operate with agency designed to protect public from dangerous criminals

Doctors fail to co-operate with agency designed to protect public from dangerous criminals Independent report shows doctors and other NHS staff failed to show up at meetings, and even refused to help. The Daily Telegraph

Agency nurse attacks Jeremy Hunt for portraying private NHS staff as "greedy scum"

Agency nurse attacks Jeremy Hunt for portraying private NHS staff as "greedy scum" Amy Cope said her salary would not cover the cost of childcare for her two children. The Independent

See also:

• Capping NHS agency fees means punishing nurses like me The Daily Telegraph