Monday 26 October 2015

Health campaigners to lobby south Northamptonshire MP over trade deal which they claim threatens NHS

Health campaigners to lobby south Northamptonshire MP over trade deal which they claim threatens NHS Campaigners in south Northamptonshire are calling for action from their MP over a trade deal that they say threatens the NHS. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Two CCGs set to rank GP practices based on A&E attendances

Two CCGs set to rank GP practices based on A&E attendances GP practices across one area of England will be ranked internally based on the number of patients on their list who attend A&E.

NHS Nene CCG and NHS Corby CCG plan to list the top 20 GP practices across Northampton that have the highest number of ‘frequent’ A&E users.

Once identified, the practices will be ‘supported in managing those patients proactively’, board papers revealed. Pulse

Mental Health Act: detentions rise by almost ten per cent on previous year

Mental Health Act: detentions rise by almost ten per cent on previous year Detentions under the Mental Health Act rose by 9.8 per cent (5,220) to 58,4003 in 2014/15 compared to the previous year, according to official statistics published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

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Community mental health patient experience scores

Community mental health patient experience scores The latest statistical information on patients’ experience of mental health services in the NHS.

This is an update to include results from the 2015 Community Mental Health Survey. NHS England

Hospital trusts productivity in the English NHS: uncovering possible drivers of productivity variations

Hospital trusts productivity in the English NHS: uncovering possible drivers of productivity variations This study looks at how NHS trusts perform in terms of how much they produce given the resources (doctors, nurses, medicines and premises) they use. It finds that on these criteria there is a lot of variation between trusts and that the best and worst performers stay the same over time. It is not possible to explain away the variation in terms of the kinds of patients that are treated. These results suggest that there may be scope for making substantial savings by ensuring that all trusts perform as well as the best ones. Centre for Health Economics

Majority of emergency service staff suffer alcohol fuelled abuse

Majority of emergency service staff suffer alcohol fuelled abuse A new report, Alcohol’s Impact on Emergency Services, reveals the full extent of the toll alcohol takes on emergency services in England.

The report presents an extensive survey of police officers, ambulance and paramedic staff, accident and emergency department consultants and fire officers. It outlines both the financial burden on the emergency services and the human cost to frontline staff. The report also recommends a set of evidence-based policy measures to address this issue. Institute of Alcohol Studies

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Paramedics 'baffled' by legal highs

Paramedics 'baffled' by legal highs The complex chemical make-up of legal highs is leaving ambulance services dangerously uncertain about how to treat casualties, a senior paramedic claims. BBC News

Chancellor urged to scrap health cuts

Chancellor urged to scrap health cuts Medical groups are asking George Osborne to reverse planned cuts to vital health services in England. BBC News

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GPs demand end to 'scandalous' waste of 14m appointments from repeat hospital referrals

GPs demand end to 'scandalous' waste of 14m appointments from repeat hospital referrals GP leaders are calling on NHS commissioners to stop hospitals dumping unnecessary workload on practices by forcing them to re-refer patients who miss appointments. GP Online

NHS medical director coy on 'weekend effect' of hospital deaths

NHS medical director coy on 'weekend effect' of hospital deaths Prof Sir Bruce Keogh did not confirm Jeremy Hunt’s claim that 11,000 patients die annually due to understaffed hospitals

The NHS’s medical director has distanced himself from Jeremy Hunt’s controversial claim that understaffing of hospitals at weekends causes the death of 11,000 patients a year.

Prof Sir Bruce Keogh has reiterated his view that it is not possible to say for sure how many die avoidably as a result of “the weekend effect”, which he and other experts have found. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS and social care must share a budget, says former health secretary

NHS and social care must share a budget, says former health secretary New NHS Confederation chair Stephen Dorrell says it makes no sense to ringfence health budget while cutting social care.

Health and social care should become one joined-up system with a single budget, former health secretary Stephen Dorrell has said.

Dorrell, who was named this month as chair of the NHS Confederation, said it made “no sense” to ringfence the NHS budget while cutting social care funding. He added: “If we mean what we say about joined-up health and social care, that has to be around one budget and one budget-planning process.” Continue reading... The Guardian

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Patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E rises 10-fold in three years

Patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E rises 10-fold in three years Exclusive: Senior doctors reveal the number of patients waiting on trolleys has surged to an "unacceptable" level. The Daily Telegraph

NHS spends millions on larger equipment for obese people

NHS spends millions on larger equipment for obese people At least £7 million has been spent on adapting equipment and services. The Independent

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