‘I will not be getting the care I have now’: Northampton man’s fears over social care cuts

‘I will not be getting the care I have now’: Northampton man’s fears over social care cuts A former youth worker from Northamptonshire who has used a wheelchair all his life believes the £24 million of care cuts approved by the county council could have a drastic affect on lives. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

A perfect storm: an impossible climate for NHS providers’ finances? An analysis of NHS finances and factors associated with financial performance

A perfect storm: an impossible climate for NHS providers’ finances?  An analysis of NHS finances and factors associated with financial performance This report examines the financial performance of the NHS in England. The main focus is on the finances of NHS providers and the financial position of the commissioners of care (NHS England and clinical commissioning groups).

The report examines commissioners’ budgets and how spending has changed by type of provider, as well as the specific issues facing NHS providers. It also includes the findings of a statistical analysis that set out to identify factors that are most strongly associated with an acute or specialist provider’s deficit.

Analysis finds that organisations with a high proportion of their pay bill going on agency staff coupled with more of their income being paid through the PbR tariff rather than negotiated prices are associated with being in deficit. We also find that poor quality ratings either from CQC or the hospital’s own staff are associated with poor finances. This is not causation and our analysis can’t tell us if finances cause quality problems, quality problems cause finance problems or, as is most likely, they are bound together in complex inter-connected ways. The Health Foundation

See also:

• Poor financial performance not to blame for NHS woes OnMedica

Engagement is up according to the NHS Staff Survey, but at what cost?

Engagement is up according to the NHS Staff Survey, but at what cost?  When the concept of engagement at work was introduced by William Kahn in 1990, he described it as the expression of our ‘preferred self’ in tasks that promote connection with our work and with others. Engagement underlies effort, involvement, flow, mindfulness and intrinsic motivation. The good news then is that levels of engagement, as recorded in the NHS Staff Survey, have increased since last year. So can we all relax?

Far from it. While the survey results can be presented from a ‘glass half full’ perspective, if we see the glass as half empty then the results are disturbing. They suggest that of the 1.4 million people who make up the NHS workforce:

• 41 per cent would not recommend their trust as a place to work
• 57 per cent say they are unable to meet the conflicting demands on them at work
• 13 per cent report being bullied by their managers
• 15 per cent have been assaulted at work in the previous year
• only 39 per cent feel they are able to deliver the quality of care they wish to patients
• 31 per cent did not agree that they would feel happy with the quality of care in their organisations if a friend or relative needed treatment
• only 42 per cent agreed that their roles actually make a difference to patients.

And the list goes on: only 52 per cent of staff report feeling satisfied with the recognition for their contributions; only 42 per cent feel their work is valued by their organisations; 27 per cent do not have the opportunity to show initiative and 25 per cent do not feel able to make suggestions to improve the work of their team or department; and only 56 per cent say they are able to make improvements happen in their area of work. The King's Fund

A long and winding road: improving communication with patients in the NHS

A long and winding road: improving communication with patients in the NHS This report warns that poor communication in the NHS has a profound impact on patient care, staff burnout and public funds. It argues that inadequacies in communication are damaging medical care and wasting much-needed NHS resources and estimates that the total cost, in England alone, is likely to be in excess of £1 billion a year. It says that better communication between healthcare professionals and patients can save costs, improve health outcomes and enhance the quality of experience of patients and the professionals who support them. Marie Curie

Research and analysis: Interventions to prevent burnout in high risk individuals: evidence review

Research and analysis: Interventions to prevent burnout in high risk individuals: evidence review Although there is existing evidence on what works to treat burnout and work-related stress, there is less on what works to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

This report provides an overview of literature covering how to prevent burnout and work-related stress in individuals and within organisations. Public Health England

Healthcare public health in England: capacity and capability review

Healthcare public health in England: capacity and capability review This report summarises the responses of around 110 directors of public health, training programme directors and specialty registrars who responded to survey and focus-group work exploring their views on the state of the healthcare public health function - particularly that delivered back into the NHS. Responses from Scotland were very positive, but the situation in England was very mixed with some real challenges and concerns. Faculty of Public Health

What is the role of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in care and support planning?

What is the role of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in care and support planning? This paper suggests that the knowledge, skills, experience and resources of VCSE organisations are crucial to the widespread implementation of care and support planning. It argues that charities have a vital role in supporting people to develop care and support plans, and in working with people with long-term conditions and their clinical teams to put the plans into practice. National Voices

Meningitis B petition rejected

Meningitis B petition rejected Offering the meningitis B vaccine to all children is "not cost effective" and would be a waste of NHS resources, the government says. BBC News

See also:

• Meningitis B vaccine: Hearts v heads BBC News
• Offering meningitis b vaccine to all children not cost effective for NHS, government says The Daily Mail
• Meningitis B: Government rejects call for vaccine for all children despite record petition The Daily Telegraph
• Government rejects calls for meningitis B vaccine for all children The Guardian

Health services watchdog gets powers to set fees to cover all its services

Health services watchdog gets powers to set fees to cover all its services CQC will be able to charge for full costs of assessments and inspections from April 1. OnMedica

Jeremy Hunt's confrontation with junior doctors 'derailed the NHS' own work to deliver seven-day service'

Jeremy Hunt's confrontation with junior doctors 'derailed the NHS' own work to deliver seven-day service' British Medical Journal editor Dr Fiona Godlee accused Mr Hunt of 'misusing' evidence of higher weekend mortality in hospitals to 'beat up' doctors. The Independent

See also:

• Seven-day services needs 'proper resourcing' British Medical Association

Best-selling blood pressure app is 'so inaccurate it gives false warnings 80% of the time - putting people's health at risk'

Best-selling blood pressure app is 'so inaccurate it gives false warnings 80% of the time - putting people's health at risk' Scientists from Johns Hopkins University revealed the app called Instant Blood Pressure - which has been downloaded more than 100,000 times - gives inaccurate readings. The Daily Mail

Brilliant clinicians need a brilliant support workforce

Brilliant clinicians need a brilliant support workforce Support workers have a vital role to play in the future of the NHS so how can they be given the time and support to develop?

In healthcare, the focus is often on brilliant surgeons, nurses or doctors (who, of course, we applaud). However, nurses and other medical professionals in the UK would not be able to do their job without the dedicated assistance of the support workforce.

The level of responsibility these health and care support workers have is increasing as the financial strain on the NHS makes the case for transferring more activities away from clinical staff. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Who makes up the support workforce in healthcare? – infographic The Guardian

Almost 300 GP surgeries in England could close due to finances – poll

Almost 300 GP surgeries in England could close due to finances – poll BMA survey of 2,830 GP surgeries – a third of practices in England – finds that 10% believe they are financially ‘unsustainable’

Almost 300 GP surgeries in England face closure because of financial pressures and nearly half have doctors planning to leave the NHS, according to a BMA survey.

The poll, which received responses from about a third of all surgeries, paints a bleak picture of the prospects for general practice with just one in 20 reporting that its finances were in a strong state. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• One in 10 GP practices in England are financially unsustainable, BMA poll suggests GP Online
• Second patient group considering legal action over GP practice cuts GP Online

The Guardian view on childhood obesity: fizz with indignation | Editorial

The Guardian view on childhood obesity: fizz with indignation | Editorial The official action plan has been delayed, again. With continuing resistance to a tax on sugary drinks, this is a case of drift, rather than deliberation.

The first thing to know about nutrition is that nobody is certain about very much. Data gets painstakingly collected in diaries which don’t give a full dietary picture: even if people don’t actually fib, they won’t always be sure of everything they've consumed, and may eat more thoughtfully when they know they’re going to be writing it down. The health consequences show up only slowly, which makes it necessary to keep tabs on the same patients for decades, which isn't easy to do. The chemical effect of a particular food may depend on how it is prepared, and even the mix of things it is served with. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Health & Social Care Information Centre say HALF of pregnant women are overweight The Daily Mail
• Half of pregnant women attending their first maternity appointment are overweight or obese The Daily Telegraph

Cash paid by European Union migrants to use British hospitals falls despite surge in EU nationals moving to the UK

Cash paid by European Union migrants to use British hospitals falls despite surge in EU nationals moving to the UK Cash clawed back from European Union migrants who use British hospitals has fallen over the past year despite a surge in EU nationals moving to the UK.

Britain paid out £647.4million to EU countries to cover their health costs last year – but received only £49.7million in return from EU countries treating Britons. The Daily Telegraph

Number of 'legal highs' soaring, warns United Nations body

Number of 'legal highs' soaring, warns United Nations body International Narcotics Control Board says more than 600 new psychoactive substances were reported around the world last year, a rise of 55 per cent. The Daily Telegraph