Friday 6 November 2015

Elderly at Northampton care home only offered drinks between 7am and 5pm, inspectors find

Elderly at Northampton care home only offered drinks between 7am and 5pm, inspectors find Residents at a Northampton care home were only offered something to drink during a 10-hour period, an inspection revealed. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Help for unemployed people in Northampton suffering depression and low self-esteem

Help for unemployed people in Northampton suffering depression and low self-esteem New courses to help unemployed people who have low self-esteem and mental health issues are starting later this month. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The NHS, the Spending Review and George Osborne

The NHS, the Spending Review and George Osborne George Osborne has the aura of a man who is the master of all he surveys. It is an aura that has been hard won but could be easily lost as the government’s reverse in the House of Lords over tax credits shows. The Chancellor faces far greater challenges in other areas of public spending as the Spending Review nears completion.

The outcome of the Spending Review, to be announced on 25 November, will reveal the government’s priorities for public services for this parliament. The broad outlines of further deep cuts in most forms of public spending with the exception of protected areas such as health care are well known. The Conservative party made its intentions on deficit reduction crystal clear during the election campaign while also limiting its room for manoeuvre by pledging not to increase headline tax rates. The King's Fund

Improving mental health outcomes for young people: the perspective of a GP trainee

Improving mental health outcomes for young people: the perspective of a GP trainee During my first few weeks as a GP trainee, I met a young lady who had recently been diagnosed with a serious, long-term condition. Walking into the consultation room, she sat down with her fringe partially covering her eyes. I started by asking her how she had been since her last visit. Slowly, she began telling me how her diagnosis had made her feel.

Fifteen minutes into the consultation, she grew more at ease. She revealed that she had become increasingly low and was finding it difficult to sleep. She was now considering dropping a class that she loved. Her antidepressants, it seemed, had not done the trick.

At the end of our 30-minute slot, together we made a plan to organise counselling. That evening, I contacted her specialist nurse, completed a referral to the psychologist and booked a follow-up consultation. As I finished off my paperwork, one thought lingered: as a new GP trainee, my appointments are 30 minutes long; in a few short months they'll be down to just 10. What would we have achieved in 10 minutes? The King's Fund

Guidance: ECHR Article 2: investigations into mental health incidents

Guidance: ECHR Article 2: investigations into mental health incidents This guidance is for NHS organisations deciding whether to carry out an independent investigation to satisfy the state’s obligations under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights. NHS bodies implicated in serious incidents may be considered ‘state agents’ for the purposes of Article 2.

The procedures to be followed when managing a serious incident are set out in the NHS England Serious Incident Framework – Supporting learning to prevent recurrence.

This document, when read together with the framework, replaces the Department of Health guidance ‘Independent investigations of adverse events in mental health services’, published in 2005.

New quick guide will free up vital hospital services

New quick guide will free up vital hospital services A new quick guide, ‘Better Use of Care at Home’, has been developed to help people home from hospital. It contains practical tips, case studies and ideas to improve processes, relationships and the use of care at home. NHS England

Shape of Caring Review engagement film launched

Shape of Caring Review engagement film launched A film highlighting some of the key themes emerging from the engagement phase of the Shape of Caring Review has been launched on the Health Education England website.

GMC advice for doctors in England considering industrial action

GMC advice for doctors in England considering industrial action The British Medical Association (BMA) is about to ballot its members who are doctors in training in England about taking industrial action over a new contract proposed by the UK Government. General Medical Council

Viewpoint: Cuts to social care are damaging the NHS

Viewpoint: Cuts to social care are damaging the NHS Restrictions to council-funded adult social care means fewer people are getting the support they need in their home, argues Tom Shakespeare. GP Online

Seven-day NHS: Most patients prefer seeing GP during the week, says study

Seven-day NHS: Most patients prefer seeing GP during the week, says study Study calls into question Government’s flagship policy of introducing a seven-day health service. The Independent

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Transforming learning disability care means valuing all citizens

Transforming learning disability care means valuing all citizens A new national plan to improve learning disability services is right, but we’ve heard it all before – it’s time for real change and it won’t be cheap.

The publication of a national plan to transform learning disability services, and particularly for people with a learning disability and/or autism whose behaviour challenges, is welcome, overdue and ambitious.

The background to the latest plan is familiar, particularly with the scandal of Winterbourne View uncovered by BBC’s Panorama in 2011, which highlighted both individual abuse and neglect, and raised awareness of the much wider issue of long-term hospitalisation. But the need to commission appropriate services has long been recognised, and is a particular concern for young people with learning disabilities and complex needs when transitioning to adult services. This is when out-of-area placements often occur due to a lack of alternative local provision.

Children, young people and adults with a learning disability and/or autism have the right to the same opportunities as anyone else to live satisfying and valued lives, and to be treated with dignity and respect. They should have a home within their community, be able to develop and maintain relationships, and get the support they need to live healthy, safe and rewarding lives.

Developing good local services will not be cheaper, overall, than institutional care, but it will be more efficient because it will achieve more. If local services are not developed, then a trickle of out-of-area placements will become a rush as more people are excluded from mainstream community services by being defined as unmanageable in the community. Large amounts of money will be tied up in buying less good services. The policy of community care will be said to have failed.

Some will have a mental health problems which may result in them displaying behaviour that challenges. Some, often with severe learning disabilities, will display self-injurious or aggressive behaviour unrelated to any mental health condition. Some will display behaviour which can lead to contact with the criminal justice system. Some will have been in hospital for many years, not having been discharged when NHS campuses or long-stay hospitals were closed. The new services and support we put in place to support them in the community will need to reflect that diversity. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Two deaths possibly linked to 'Hunt effect', study suggests

Two deaths possibly linked to 'Hunt effect', study suggests Research suggests some patients may be avoiding going to hospital at the weekend because of health secretary’s statements about inadequate NHS staffing levels

Two people in need of urgent medical attention died last month after they did not go to hospital at a weekend because they wrongly believed there would be too few doctors on duty and that they would be at risk of dying, research claims. Almost a third (32%) of the 40 patients studied, who all held off seeking NHS treatment for that reason, suffered “long-term, irreversible morbidity” (an increased chance of dying) as a direct result of their delay, their doctors say.

In addition, more than four out of five (82%) of the patients had a worse outcome than if they had sought help the day their health deteriorated, while the delay could have proved life-threatening in 90% of them, the study found. They included an older person who had fallen over and broken a limb but stayed in bed over the weekend, despite having a fracture and being in pain because paracetamol gave her too little relief, and only sought help on the Monday. Continue reading... The Guardian

British baby given genetically-edited immune cells to beat cancer in world first