Friday 30 October 2015

Council debate on making East Northants a healthier and more active place to live

Council debate on making East Northants a healthier and more active place to live Healthy and active lifestyles were the key subjects at a recent issues debate held by East Northamptonshire Council. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Watchdog wants public’s view on East Midlands Ambulance Service

Watchdog wants public’s view on East Midlands Ambulance Service A health watchdog in Northamptonshire wants to know what people think of the East Midlands Ambulance Service. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Open consultation: Setting the mandate to NHS England for 2016 to 2017

Open consultation: Setting the mandate to NHS England for 2016 to 2017 The mandate to NHS England sets the government’s objectives for NHS England, as well as its budget. In doing so, the mandate sets direction for the NHS, and helps ensure the NHS is accountable to Parliament and the public.

In accordance with the Health and Social Care Act 2012, the Secretary of State must publish a mandate each year, to ensure that NHS England’s objectives remain up to date.

A new mandate to NHS England is due to be published following the completion of the Spending Review, to take effect from April 2016. This consultation document sets out how the government proposes to set the mandate to NHS England for this Parliament. The final mandate will be subject to the outcome of the government’s Spending Review. Department of Health

New tool helps NHS staff to identify trafficking victims

New tool helps NHS staff to identify trafficking victims Recent research has highlighted that many victims of human trafficking come into contact with NHS services during the time they are trafficked, or after their escape. In response to this, the Department of Health has launched an updated tool to help NHS staff identify and care for trafficked people and refer them for further support.

The Provider Responses, Treatment and Care for Trafficked People (PROTECT) independent research recently published findings in the BMJ Open showing that up to one in eight NHS professionals reported having contact with a patient they suspected may have been trafficked. The research highlights how important it is that the health system has an understanding of modern slavery and the need for training tools to support health professionals in identifying and providing support for victims. Findings published in the Lancet Psychiatry show that secondary mental health services are caring for trafficked people with a range of diagnoses including: depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia.

The Department of Health’s e-learning tool for health service staff on identifying and responding to Modern Slavery sets out situations in which health staff may encounter victims of trafficking, explains the legal situation regarding potential victims’ rights to medical care, and explores ways in which health staff can provide support. NHS England

New framework to support high quality dementia care

New framework to support high quality dementia careA comprehensive new resource to support health and social care staff and educators who work with people living with dementia and their carers has been launched by Health Education England

The Dementia Core Skills Education and Training Framework sets out the essential skills and knowledge necessary for all staff involved in dementia care and will enable organisations to:

  • standardise the interpretation of dementia education and training
  • guide the focus and aims of dementia education and training delivery through key learning outcomes
  • ensure the educational relevance of dementia training
  • improve the quality and consistency of education and training provision.

Follow-up to PHSO report: dying without dignity

Follow-up to PHSO report: dying without dignityThis report aimed to find out why the care failings detailed in Dying without dignity were allowed to happen and has recommended three areas where immediate improvements are needed: culture, behaviour and training; provision of integrated 24/7 palliative and end of life care; and leadership and commissioning. Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Ovarian cancer drug 'can help with some types of prostate cancer'

Ovarian cancer drug 'can help with some types of prostate cancer'"Ovarian cancer pill 'effective' at treating men with prostate cancer," The Independent reports after a small trial found the drug olaparib slowed tumour growth in men with a certain type ofprostate cancer.

The trial involved 50 men with advanced prostate cancer who had not responded to other treatments. All of them were given olaparib. By the end of the study follow-up, 35 (70%) had died. Men who had a type of genetic mutation affecting DNA repair lived longer than those who did not.

It is hoped the drug could serve as a targeted treatment for this sub-type of prostate cancer in the same way Herceptin is used for breast cancer associated with the HER2 protein.

But one practical drawback of using olaparib in this way is the cost. It's reported a course of the drug costs £4,740 a month. NHS Choices

Learning disability care beds cut

Thousands face long wait for NHS gender reassignment

Thousands face long wait for NHS gender reassignment Thousands of adults wanting gender reassignment are having to wait at least eight months for an initial appointment.

Many have to wait much longer, something which can force them to seek treatment outside the NHS. ITV News

Demand for routine GP appointments on Sunday 'very low', access pilot review shows

Demand for routine GP appointments on Sunday 'very low', access pilot review shows Demand for routine GP appointments on Sundays is 'very low' in most areas, according to an official review of GP access pilots set up under the £150m prime minister's Challenge Fund. GP Online

NHS orthopaedic hospitals warn of funding crisis due to payment changes

NHS orthopaedic hospitals warn of funding crisis due to payment changes Royal National Orthopaedic hospital says it could face 25% drop in income, with other hospitals fearing impact on patient care

Specialist NHS orthopaedic hospitals in England fear huge drops in funding because of changes to the payments they receive for treating patients.

The Royal National Orthopaedic hospital (RNOH) in Stanmore, north London, has warned that it will lose £15.2m in income during 2016-17 under draft proposals, more than a quarter of what it received last year for inpatients on the tariffs then in force. Continue reading... The Guardian

Call the midwife – again and again until they feel overwhelmed and dizzy

Call the midwife – again and again until they feel overwhelmed and dizzy A community midwife tells of the impossible workload of a typical shift in today’s overstretched, understaffed NHS

The autumn months are the busiest of the year for a midwife in the NHS. Christmas and new year excesses result in a predictable spike in the birth rate around September and the numbers only begin to settle as December approaches.

Today I begin my late autumn shift as a community midwife earlier than usual to sort out the day’s clinics and visits. I start at the hospital, looking through the paperwork of those women who have been discharged in the last 24 hours. Two midwives from my team have phoned in sick and another is on leave. We have six half-day clinics and 29 home visits to newly postnatal mums to cover between the two remaining midwives. Continue reading... The Guardian

Patients with life-threatening conditions can wait twice as long for ambulance because they called 111

Patients with life-threatening conditions can wait twice as long for ambulance because they called 111 Exclusive: The NHS is investigating the decision by an ambulance trust to delay help for patients who suffered potentially lethal conditions. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

Junior doctors who work the longest hours will actually have their pay cut, Jeremy Hunt admits

Models of Care for High-Need, High-Cost Patients: An Evidence Synthesis

Models of Care for High-Need, High-Cost Patients: An Evidence Synthesis This brief analysis experts’ reviews of evidence about care models designed to improve outcomes and reduce costs for patients with complex needs. It finds that successful models have several common attributes, but overall, the evidence of impact is modest and few of these models have been widely adopted. The Commonwealth Fund