Monday 18 April 2016

Health bosses linking norovirus cases to Northamptonshire pub after 60 become unwell

Health bosses linking norovirus cases to Northamptonshire pub after 60 become unwell Public Health England are linking a number of norovirus cases to a pub in Northamptonshire after 60 customers and staff reported being unwell. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Corby GP takes top role in health organisation

Corby GP takes top role in health organisation The organisation responsible for commissioning health services in the Corby area has appointed a new clinical chairman following an election. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Case study on enhancing staff engagement and patient care

Case study on enhancing staff engagement and patient care A case study from NHS Employers examines the experience of Wrightlington, Wigan and Leigh NHS foundation trust, which commissioned the development of a staff engagement tool.

Dementia and comorbidities: ensuring parity of care

Dementia and comorbidities: ensuring parity of care This report, supported by Pfizer, argues that a failure to prevent, diagnose and treat depression, diabetes and urinary tract infections in people with dementia could cost the UK's health and care system up to nearly £1 billion per year. It highlights a lack of parity in the diagnosis of these conditions in people with dementia and outlines some recommendations including revision of NICE clinical guidelines; greater patient involvement in care plans; and commissioning of a wider range of psychological therapies. International Longevity Centre - UK

Evaluation of the UCLH-Macmillan Partnership to deliver improvements in the care, treatment, support, and information to patients with cancer throughout their individual journeys

Evaluation of the UCLH-Macmillan Partnership to deliver improvements in the care, treatment, support, and information to patients with cancer throughout their individual journeys The University College London Hospitals NHS Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support partnership is intended to improve the experiences of carers and patients with cancer by improving the whole journey from diagnosis through to palliation, and to embed this in a system that actively engages patients and carers in decision-making at each step.

The evaluation aimed to assess the working of the partnership and its capacity to support the partners' plans to move forward through both quantitative and qualitative methods. The evaluation team aimed to approach the question of how the partnership was working from the perspectives of staff, volunteers, and senior strategic and operational managers. The evaluation also aimed to understand if, even at this early stage, there were perceptible changes in patient experience compared with comparable changes elsewhere in the NHS. Rand Corporation

Vaccine switched in push to end polio

Vaccine switched in push to end polio More than 150 countries begin switching to a different polio vaccine - an important milestone towards polio eradication, health campaigners say. BBC News

Action call on 'hospitals seen as homes'

Action call on 'hospitals seen as homes' Families of people with learning disabilities say they are planning to take legal action against local authorities and NHS providers over lack of provision in the community. BBC News

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Fears strain of 'super gonorrhoea' could spread across UK - and may become untreatable

Fears strain of 'super gonorrhoea' could spread across UK - and may become untreatable A strain of "super-gonorrhoea" could spread across the UK and there is an increasing risk the disease could become untreatable.

Doctors have expressed "huge concerns" over recent outbreaks of drug-resistant versions of the superbug across the UK. The Independent

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Pressure mounts on Jeremy Hunt over handling of junior doctors' dispute

Pressure mounts on Jeremy Hunt over handling of junior doctors' dispute Health secretary rows back from claim he has right to impose contract; use of threat may mean he has misled parliament

Jeremy Hunt is under mounting pressure over his handling of the junior doctors’ dispute after he unexpectedly abandoned his repeated threat to impose a new contract – a move that has led to four strikes by doctors so far.

Hunt’s change of tack, prompted by a high court challenge which starts on Monday, may mean the health secretary has misled parliament over the contract imposition because he has spoken of the threat repeatedly in front of MPs in the House of Commons. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Will mobile health apps make GPs redundant?

Will mobile health apps make GPs redundant? Most of the 165,000 mobile health apps available offer advice on diet and fitness but new ones are diagnosing illness and recommending treatment.

You have a fever, can’t eat and you’re barely strong enough to get out of bed. So you phone your GP surgery for an appointment, only to be told that the first one is two weeks away.

It probably sounds familiar. But could technology offer an alternative? A mobile app, Your.MD, is promising something radically different. Billed as a personal health assistant, it uses artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic, as far as possible, your consultation with a GP. If you tell Your.MD your symptoms, it will tell you what it thinks your problem might be.

Only an automated, computer-driven solution can help with the surging number of people needing help with their health Continue reading... The Guardian

Parkinson's disease sufferers try to hide symptoms or lie about condition, survey finds

Parkinson's disease sufferers try to hide symptoms or lie about condition, survey finds Almost two-fifths of people in the UK with Parkinson's diseasehave felt the need to hide their symptoms or lie about having the condition, a survey has shown.

The findings, from the charity Parkinson's UK, are said to reveal an "alarming" level of fear surrounding the disorder.

A total of 127,000 people in the UK live with Parkinson's, a progressive brain disease that causes uncontrollable tremors, slow movement, and impaired speech.

Parkinson's UK estimates that 42,000 affected people in the UK have delayed sharing their diagnosis with someone close to them. The Daily Telegraph

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