Tuesday 10 May 2016

NGH pilots student nurse training programme

NGH pilots student nurse training programme Two wards at Northampton General Hospital are piloting a new student placement model which could transform the way student nurses are trained at the hospital. Northampton General Hospital and the University of Northampton have designed the programme, known as PL@N (Practice Learning at Northampton General Hospital), which is being trialled on Rowan and Knightley wards from this month. Northampton General Hospital

Eight children’s centres set to close across Northamptonshire in bid to save £3 million

Eight children’s centres set to close across Northamptonshire in bid to save £3 million Plans to close eight children’s centres across Northamptonshire are now almost certain to go ahead tomorrow - despite street protests and petitions from concerned parents. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

New leaflets on explaining screening results

New leaflets on explaining screening results These leaflets explain important issues for women with HIV, hepatitis B or syphilis, to help explain their screening result. Healthcare professionals and women can refer to these leaflets to learn about the conditions and to discuss their result and follow-on care. Public Health England

Pause in the implementation of junior doctors' contract

Pause in the implementation of junior doctors' contract NHS organisations are to cease any activities relating to the introduction of the junior doctors' contract. NHS Employers

NHS England extends community pharmacy flu jab scheme despite impact on GPs

NHS England extends community pharmacy flu jab scheme despite impact on GPs A scheme that pays community pharmacies to deliver seasonal flu vaccinations has been recommissioned for 2016/17, NHS England has announced, despite criticism from GPs. GP Online

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VIDEO: Vulnerable 'denied good end-of-life care'

VIDEO: Vulnerable 'denied good end-of-life care' Some of the most vulnerable groups in society are being denied access to good end-of-life care, a report by England's health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission, has found. BBC News

Unlocking innovation 'key' to NHS research success

Unlocking innovation 'key' to NHS research success Doctors need to be given freedom to do research alongside clinical work to aid medical advances, according to a pioneering scientist. BBC News

Women more likely than men to be prescribed inappropriate drugs

Women more likely than men to be prescribed inappropriate drugs Women are more likely than men of the same age to be prescribed inappropriate drugs, finds a Canadian study* published in Age and Ageing.

Women over the age of 65 seem to be at particular risk, the findings show. OnMedica

London HIV clinic fined £180,000 for revealing service users' names

London HIV clinic fined £180,000 for revealing service users' names Staff error meant anyone receiving 56 Dean Street’s HIV clinic newsletter could see email addresses of all other recipients

An NHS clinic in London has been fined £180,000 for a serious breach of the privacy of more than 700 users of an HIV service.

Patients and service users who were on the HIV clinic email list of 56 Dean Street, a Soho-based sexual health clinic, said at the time of the breach they were terrified it could leave them open to blackmail or public outing.Continue reading... The Guardian

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A good death should be doctors and patients' last life goal

A good death should be doctors and patients' last life goal My aim as a doctor is to heal the sick but when I am unable, to prevent suffering.

I treat some of the sickest patients admitted to hospital and making decisions about resuscitation is a routine part of my job. In addition to being a doctor, I am also younger brother to Neil, who has severe learning disabilities.

Communication is key in all aspects of healthcare, but particularly in end-of-life decisions. As doctors we are encouraged and obliged to discuss resuscitation with patients and, if appropriate, their families. In the vast majority of cases, a simple, honest conversation ensures that all parties are in agreement. As a more junior doctor, I shied away from bringing up what I considered a morbid subject. Why upset the jovial 85 year-old I’ve just admitted with talk of death? But now I realise that explaining the best and worse case scenarios is the right approach. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Patients face longer wait as NHS drops fines for missed targets

Patients face longer wait as NHS drops fines for missed targets Patients could be forced to wait longer for operations afterNHS England suspended financial sanctions for providers that miss waiting time targets.

Fines of £233 million were imposed last financial year on services that breached performance targets.

However, as of last month the three quarters of trusts and foundation trusts in receipt of bail-outs due to forecast budgetary deficits will not be subject to sanctions.

The remainder, as well as all private providers, will still be fined. The Daily Telegraph

NHS drug approval will protect boys from muscle-wasting disease Duchenne

NHS drug approval will protect boys from muscle-wasting disease Duchenne A new treatment to protect boys from a muscle-wasting disease that condemns them to life in a wheelchair – and an early death – is now available on the NHS in England. The Daily Mail