Compliments for ambulance crews in Northamptonshire outweigh complaints by 20 to 1, according to trust

Compliments for ambulance crews in Northamptonshire outweigh complaints by 20 to 1, according to trust More people compliment East Midlands Ambulance Service than complain about it, according to new figures published by the trust. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Compassionate care means supporting staff as well as patients

Compassionate care means supporting staff as well as patients One thing I was pleased to tick off the ‘to-do’ list last week was completing The King’s Fund staff satisfaction survey. It’s nice to be asked how you feel about your job and encouragingly here at the Fund, staff have reported relatively high levels of engagement over the past three survey rounds.

In contrast, the results from the NHS Staff Survey published earlier this year showed staff engagement, job satisfaction and motivation scores fell slightly (but not significantly) between 2013 and 2014. Willingness to recommend the NHS as a place to work also fell – and this was a significant drop. There was an increase in staff reporting they felt under pressure at work, a rise in unhappiness over pay and a rise in reported bullying and harassment from colleagues. On a more positive note, there was an increase in the number of staff reporting they were able to make suggestions for improvement and staff reporting they were involved in decision-making with senior management. The King's Fund

Withdrawal of LAT posts in England

Withdrawal of LAT posts in England Information on the withdrawal of specialty locum training posts in England from 1 Jan 2016. NHS Employers

Patients hit by junior doctors' strike

Patients hit by junior doctors' strike Thousands of patients have had treatments cancelled as junior doctors in England prepare to begin a 24-hour strike in a dispute over a new contract. BBC News

See also:

• NHS England statement in advance of industrial action on Tuesday 12 January and Wednesday 13 January NHS England
• Majority support doctor strike - poll BBC News
• VIDEO: Why are junior doctors going on strike? BBC News
• PM asks doctors to call off strike BBC News
• Don't strike tomorrow, David Cameron urges medics: Walkout by junior doctors will be 'damaging and cause real difficulties for patients' The Daily Mail
• True cost of the doctors' strike revealed as 4,000 operations are cancelled The Daily Mail
• Junior doctor strikes will not have major impact on GP services, says GPC GP Online
• Hospitals forced to postpone 4,000 operations due to junior doctors strike The Guardian
• Junior doctors strike in England - live updates The Guardian
• Why are junior doctors going on strike? - video explainer The Guardian
• All NHS staff support the junior doctors’ strike action | Letters The Guardian
• More than 7,000 medical students pledge support for junior doctors ahead of beginning of industrial action in England The Independent
• Junior doctors' strike: Two-thirds of public back action as walkout looms The Independent
• Junior doctors' strike: How the walkout affects you The Independent 
• Chief medical officer calls on junior doctors to suspend strike OnMedica

First child 'DNA diagnoses' in project

First child 'DNA diagnoses' in project The first children with debilitating, "mystery" diseases have finally been given a diagnosis as part of a huge scheme to analyse people's DNA. BBC News

See also

• Children suffering mystery illnesses finally diagnosed through gene screening The Daily Telegraph

Women and low earners 'wait longer for brain tumour diagnoses'

Women and low earners 'wait longer for brain tumour diagnoses' The Brain Tumour Charity called the disparity "worrying". The Independent

See also:

• Finding Myself in Your Hands: The Reality of Brain Tumour Treatment and Care The Brain Tumour Charity
• Women and low-income patients 'twice as likely to suffer delays in brain tumour diagnosis' The Guardian
• Women with brain cancer face unacceptable delays in diagnosis OnMedica

Worrying rise of fake paramedics who could put patients in danger

Worrying rise of fake paramedics who could put patients in danger  There's been a rise in the number of cases of people impersonating paramedics, even showing up at accidents to 'treat' patients. The Daily Mail

Why are health chiefs playing petty politics instead of tackling obesity?

Why are health chiefs playing petty politics instead of tackling obesity? The painfully right-on medical establishment is more comfortable defending its own pay or picking on casual drinkers than dealing with real problems. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Lazy patients are crippling the NHS, doctors warn: Weight loss and lifestyle changes are 'more important than extra funding' The Daily Mail

NHS 'paid out more than £90 million in redundancy to staff it then rehired'

NHS 'paid out more than £90 million in redundancy to staff it then rehired' New figures reveal that more than 2,600 staff were laid off and rehired in the three years from April 2012. The Daily Telegraph

How High-Need Patients Experience the Health Care System in Nine Countries

How High-Need Patients Experience the Health Care System in Nine Countries This analysis uses data from the Commonwealth Fund 2014 International Health Policy Survey of Older Adults to investigate health care use, quality, and experiences among high-need patients in nine countries compared with other older adults. The Commonwealth Fund