Junior doctors’ strike sees Northampton General Hospital cancel 421 appointments

Junior doctors’ strike sees Northampton General Hospital cancel 421 appointments Bosses at NGH have been forced to cancel more than 400 appointments as junior doctors go on strike from 8am this morning (Wednesday). Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Junior doctors set for 48-hour strike

Junior doctors set for 48-hour strike Hospitals in England are braced for the third strike by junior doctors in their contract dispute with the government. BBC News

See also:

• Junior doctor and consultant contract negotiations British Medical Association
• Junior doctor contract negotiations Department of Health
• Correspondence: Health Secretary's response to proposed claim for judicial review by BMA Department of Health
• NHS England prepares for 48-hour action by junior doctors NHS England
• VIDEO: Junior doctors' strike The dispute explained BBC News
• VIDEO: Junior doctors: Why we are striking BBC News
• Another 5,200 operations are cancelled as junior doctors walk out AGAIN in first 48-hour strike The Daily Mail
• 5,000 operations cancelled as junior doctors enter sustained strikes The Daily Telegraph
• Doctors strike: the NHS exists to serve patients, not keep doctors happy The Daily Telegraph
• No, junior doctors won't leave the country because of Jeremy Hunt's new contract The Daily Telegraph
• More than 5,000 NHS operations cancelled as doctors prepare to strike The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt fails to make any weekend visits to hospitals over 12 months The Independent

NHS to introduce financial incentive to improve staff health

NHS to introduce financial incentive to improve staff health NHS England has announced plans to offer financial incentives to improve the health and wellbeing of NHS staff in England. NHS Employers

Protesters criticise scheme that puts Jobcentre advisors in GP practices

Protesters criticise scheme that puts Jobcentre advisors in GP practices Disability rights and mental health campaigners have slammed a pilot scheme to put Jobcentre employment advisors inside GP practices. GP Online

GP blackspots: Old, rich and white people more likely to get appointment than young and less well-off, report finds

GP blackspots: Old, rich and white people more likely to get appointment than young and less well-off, report finds Young people and the less well-off find it more difficult to get an appointment with a GP than older, whiter, richer people, according to a damning parliamentary report.

A growing shortage of doctors has been blamed on the Department of Health (DoH) and NHS England, which “failed” to ensure GP numbers kept pace with demand. The Independent

See also:

• Access to General Practice in England Public Account Committee 
• RCGP response to PAC report on access to general practice in England Royal College of General Practitioners
• MPs slam government 'complacency' over GP workforce crisis GP Online

International Women's Day: Top doctor warns of lack of women in surgery, as #WomenInStem celebrates females

International Women's Day: Top doctor warns of lack of women in surgery, as #WomenInStem celebrates females Women make up 13 per cent of the workforce in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths. The Independent

More than 1,300 new cases of FGM are reported in England in three months

More than 1,300 new cases of FGM are reported in England in three months The latest figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that more than 1,300 women were seen by the NHS in a three-month period after having their genitals mutilated. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - October 2015 to December 2015 Health and Social Care Information Centre

Unions angered by 'miserly' 1% pay rise for public sector workers

Unions angered by 'miserly' 1% pay rise for public sector workers Award for NHS staff, doctors, dentists and armed services will force many to consider their futures in careers, warn workers’ representatives

Public sector workers including doctors and nurses will receive a 1% pay rise from the government, prompting an angry response from their unions.

More than 1 million employees, including staff in the armed forces, will receive the award from this year. Ministers have claimed the amount was in line with its policy of an average 1% pay increase in 2016-17. Continue reading... The Guardian

Bullying stopped staff reporting heart surgery deaths, says CQC

Bullying stopped staff reporting heart surgery deaths, says CQC Care Quality Commission inspectors find serious problems at heart unit of NHS Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham

One of the NHS’s best hospitals ignored repeated warnings and evidence that too many heart patients were dying as a result of surgery intended to save their lives, the NHS care watchdog has revealed.

A new Care Quality Commission report into cardiac surgery at Queen Elizabeth medical centre in Birmingham is scathing about a litany of mistakes made by both surgeons there and the leadership of the NHS trust which runs the unit. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Bullying stopped staff speaking out BBC News
• Bullying and blame culture at leading hospital 'stopped staff speaking out over heart unit deaths', damning report reveals The Daily Mail
• Leading hospital under CQC scrutiny over high heart surgery death rate The Guardian
• The Guardian view on heart surgery failings in Birmingham: disdain for the data | Editorial The Guardian

All hospital deaths to be examined by second doctor

All hospital deaths to be examined by second doctor Health secretary Jeremy Hunt to announce medics will provide a ‘second look’ at events preceding a patient’s death

All deaths in hospital will be examined by a second doctor unconnected to the patient’s treatment, in a move intended to improve care and help bereaved relatives understand why their loved one died.

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, told the Guardian he will announce the change – to take effect in England in 2018 – in a speech to a global summit on patient safety in London on Thursday. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Plans to end the cover-up culture in the NHS Department of Health
• NHS trusts ranked on mistakes response BBC News
• Doctors will be able to own up to honest mistakes 'without fear' The Daily Telegraph
• Jeremy Hunt Announces Plan To Crackdown On 'Mistakes' By NHS Doctors The Huffington Post UK
• Jeremy Hunt promises whistleblowers 'safe spaces' and legal cover The Independent
• The NHS needs to learn from its mistakes, and as Health Secretary I'm on a mission to make sure it does The Independent

E-cigarettes now the most popular form of support to stop smoking

E-cigarettes now the most popular form of support to stop smoking Today is No Smoking Day which has been running annually since 1983. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Nagging smokers does not help them quit, say researchers The Daily Telegraph