Northampton General Hospital A&E prepared for all-out strike

Northampton General Hospital A&E prepared for all-out strike NGH will be able to handle all life-threatening and urgent cases even if an all-out doctors’ strike goes ahead next month, the hospital has said. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northamptonshire care homes face crisis following £27m council cut

Northamptonshire care homes face crisis following £27m council cut A huge increase in elderly people and low rates paid by local authorities is leading to a crisis in Northamptonshire, a care home boss has said. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Progress report on strategy for adults with autism

Progress report on strategy for adults with autism This report shows what has been achieved since the publication of ‘Think Autism’, which updated the cross-government autism strategy in April 2014. It also sets 31 new actions to continue to help local areas implement the autism strategy.

The report also outlines work to help people with autism live as full and independent lives as possible. Department of Health

NMC introduces new language requirements for EU nurses and midwives

NMC introduces new language requirements for EU nurses and midwives From 18 January 2016, new language requirements come into force for EU nurses and midwives wishing to join the register. What does this mean for your workforce? NHS Employers

End-of-life care and physician-assisted dying: setting the scene

End-of-life care and physician-assisted dying: setting the scene This report outlines how the UK has led the way in the development of comprehensive and holistic care at the end of life, and we are recognised internationally for the standard and quality our healthcare system can provide. It does find that some problems persist, and there is significant scope for improvements to be made. This report sets the scene against which the qualitative research commissioned by the BMA has been conducted, outlining the context in which public, parliamentary, and professional debate has been conducted, and bringing together both peer-reviewed research and surveys of opinion. British Medical Association

• Volume 1: setting the scene
• Volume 2: public dialogue research
• Related information
• BMA - press release

See also:

• Doctors need training on how to tell patients they are dying, report finds The Independent

Talks resuming in junior doctors row

Talks resuming in junior doctors row Talks aimed at avoiding further NHS strikes in England are due to resume later, amid warnings the government could impose its controversial new contract on junior doctors. BBC News

See also:

• Gaza medics back striking English junior doctors BBC News
• Thousands plan to take part in the NHS's first full walk out in history The Daily Mail
• Junior doctors' strike: up to 150,000 operations and appointments at risk The Daily Telegraph
• The junior doctors' strike could easily lose public sympathy The Daily Telegraph
• Junior doctor contract talks reopen this week after strike action GP Online
• Junior doctors' strike puts issue of hours back on negotiating table The Guardian

Significant cuts to stop smoking services identified

Significant cuts to stop smoking services identified 40% of local authorities have cut stop smoking budgets. OnMedica

Doctors warn 7-day service will damage weekday services

Doctors warn 7-day service will damage weekday services 89% of doctors say 24/7 NHS will mean fewer doctors in the week. OnMedica

See also:

• Seven-day general practice: a step too far for overstretched GPs GP Online

Ebola outbreak to be declared officially over, according to the World Health Organisation

Ebola outbreak to be declared officially over, according to the World Health Organisation The UN agency is about to make the announcement, bringing to an end two years of horror — though it does not mean that the disease will not return. The Independent

Transgender people being let down by NHS, say MPs

Transgender people being let down by NHS, say MPs Parliamentary report on transgender equality finds serious deficiencies in health treatment of trans people and gender identity services.

Britain has a long way to go to ensure equality for transgender people, according to the first report on the issue produced by a UK parliamentary committee, which said the NHS is letting down the trans community.

The cross-party parliamentary inquiry on the issue was scathing about the health service, which it said was failing in its legal duty in providing equal access to services. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Women and Equalities Committee calls for equality for trans people Women and Equalities Parliamentry Select Committee
• UK 'long way' from transgender equality BBC News
• GPs poor at treating transgender patients OnMedica

Hospital A&E waiting times in England rise by a third in November

Hospital A&E waiting times in England rise by a third in November NHS England data show more than 157,000 accident and emergency patients are kept beyond four-hour target

The number of people waiting longer than four hours in hospital accident and emergency departments in England rose by a third in November compared with the same period last year, according to official figures.

NHS England data published on Thursday showed that 157,101 were kept waiting beyond the benchmark period in A&E in November, up from 117,644 in the same month in 2014. Attendances rose by 11,115 (0.9%) year-on-year. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• NHS still missing many key targets BBC News

Social care is vital to the NHS, but they are further apart than ever

Social care is vital to the NHS, but they are further apart than ever There is still little evidence of joined-up services, even though the deep divide between health and care damages both

There are many pitfalls to predicting what will happen in the future. Peter Drucker, the management guru, puts it like this: “Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window.”

So, mindful that my glimpse into the new year is but a stab in the dark, I think we can still predict with reasonable confidence that 2016 will be every bit as difficult as 2015. Given what we now know about the spending review settlement, my sense is that we failed to convince the Treasury about the vital role of social care and get across the message that social care services are crucial to the effective operation of the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Social care: the state of the care home market (England) House of Commons Library
• Social care in 2016: ‘Financial prospects could not be worse’  The Guardian
• A major care provider will fail in 2016 The Guardian
• Softening the blow for residents when a care home closes The Guardian

Landmark case puts NHS Trust on trial alongside two doctors it is claimed were underqualified

Landmark case puts NHS Trust on trial alongside two doctors it is claimed were underqualified Court hears two underqualified doctors watched as a previously healthy young woman lay dying without taking the basic steps that could have saved her. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Caesarean death 'wholly avoidable' BBC News
• 'Basic failures led to death of healthy mother after Caesarean birth' The Independent
• Doctor 'failed to protect airway' of mother who died after giving birth, court hears The Independent