Behind the headline: deaths in learning disability services

Behind the headline: deaths in learning disability services On the 20 December 2015 the Guardian published an article about deaths in learning disability services, which incorrectly implied that since March 2011 there have been 63 unexpected deaths in our learning disability services which were not investigated.

The data published in fact refers to expected deaths in our services which therefore did not require investigation. There were no unexpected deaths in this period in these services and any unexpected deaths would have been fully investigated in accordance with national guidelines.

As a trust, patient safety is and always will be our top priority. Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

MP raises case of Raunds woman trying to get the best treatment for Hepatitis C in Parliament

MP raises case of Raunds woman trying to get the best treatment for Hepatitis C in Parliament An MP has spoken in the House of Commons about the case of a woman fighting for the best possible treatment after she contracted Hepatitis C from contaminated blood given to her by the NHS. Northampton Telegraph

More CCGs set to take on commissioning of GP services

More CCGs set to take on commissioning of GP services Another 52 Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) have been authorised to take on delegated responsibility for commissioning GP services. NHS England

Delivering the Forward View: NHS Shared Planning Guidance 2016/17 – 2020/21

Delivering the Forward View: NHS Shared Planning Guidance 2016/17 – 2020/21 The leading national health and care bodies in England have come together to publish shared planning guidance for the NHS, setting out the steps to help local organisations deliver a sustainable, transformed health service and improve the quality of care, wellbeing and NHS finances. NHS England

NHS 'must adopt innovation faster'

NHS 'must adopt innovation faster' NHS urged to adopt innovation more quickly. BBC News

Labour: Extra NHS cash vow 'unravels'

Labour: Extra NHS cash vow 'unravels' Chancellor George Osborne's promise of a £3.8bn financial boost for the NHS in England next year has "unravelled", the Labour Party says. BBC News

Care homes on NHS comparison website

Care homes on NHS comparison website Care homes are added to an NHS website that lets people compare the performance of health services across England. BBC News

See also:

• NHS 'TripAdvisor' to let families check care home quality The Daily Mail
• Government launches first 'TripAdvisor' style website for care homes The Daily Telegraph

Weight loss surgery 'cuts diabetes'

Weight loss surgery 'cuts diabetes' Weight-loss surgery can cut a person's risk of diabetes and heart attacks as well as keep fat off, a UK study suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Bariatric Surgery in the United Kingdom: A Cohort Study of Weight Loss and Clinical Outcomes in Routine Clinical Care PLOS Medicine (open access)
• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine finds proof that weight-loss surgery saves lives The Daily Mail
• Weight-loss surgery 'produces unrivalled health benefits' for patients and NHS, study shows The Daily Telegraph

Boy with cancer has sperm stem cells frozen in the hope he can have children

Boy with cancer has sperm stem cells frozen in the hope he can have children Nine-year-old Nathan Crawford has had treatment for brain tumour which could leave him infertile. The Independent

More than £2.5m of public money spent on expensive gadgets for NHS chiefs

More than £2.5m of public money spent on expensive gadgets for NHS chiefs Thousands of iPads, iPhones and new tablets have been purchased for NHS managers since 2011. The Daily Telegraph

NHS leaders set out plans for seven-day access to services in 15 months

NHS leaders set out plans for seven-day access to services in 15 months Guidance includes aim for quarter of patients in England to have week-round access to acute care and a fifth to GPs by March 2017

A quarter of England’s population should have access to some seven-day services in acute hospitals in only 15 months, NHS leaders have said.

They also laid out their ambition for a fifth of people to have better week-round access to GPs and other primary care by March 2017. Continue reading... The Guardian

Working in a psychiatric ward at Christmas made me commit to the NHS

Working in a psychiatric ward at Christmas made me commit to the NHS The day was an emotional rollercoaster, but it helped me realise I wanted to pursue a career in the health service.

Several years ago I was working in a mental health crisis team in an inner city psychiatric hospital and volunteered to work on Christmas Day.

The Christmas shift started at 8am; I had the luxury of driving the team car from my flat to the hospital. The streets looked abandoned aside from the occasional dog walker. Continue reading... The Guardian

Nursing agencies and the cost to the NHS - by numbers

Nursing agencies and the cost to the NHS - by numbers The amount the NHS is paying companies to arrange last-minute nurses has been uncovered in an investigation by The Telegraph - here are the numbers behind the story. The Daily Telegraph