Wednesday 15 June 2016

Three versions of the NHS

Three versions of the NHS In the past week I’ve observed two very different versions of the NHS. I’ve also glimpsed a potential third version, and very much hope that it’s within reach. The King's Fund

The Sustainable Development Unit for NHS England and Public Health England

The Sustainable Development Unit for NHS England and Public Health England Over £400m of potential savings that can reduce carbon emissions by 1 million tonnes.

The NHS could save over £400m and cut 1 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year by 2020 through making changes that can also benefit people’s health.

A new report by the Sustainable Development Unit for NHS England and Public Health England selected 35 areas and calculated their financial and environmental benefits. NHS England

Caring for lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans clients or patients: guide for nurses and healthcare support workers on next of kin issues

Caring for lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans clients or patients: guide for nurses and healthcare support workers on next of kin issues This document provides guidance for nursing and healthcare support staff on issues around next of kin for gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender clients and patients. Royal College of Nursing

Rise in type-2 diabetes in children 'deeply worrying'

Rise in type-2 diabetes in children 'deeply worrying' The UK is seeing a small but "extremely worrying" rise in the number of children developing a type of diabetes that is linked to obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, experts warn. BBC News

See also:

Government to review 12-month deferral period for gay men donating blood

Government to review 12-month deferral period for gay men donating blood The Department of Health says it's going to review a law which means that gay men can't donate for 12 months after having sex. BBC News

Exclusive: Five-fold variation in patients over 65 per full-time GP across England

Exclusive: Five-fold variation in patients over 65 per full-time GP across England Some CCGs have five times as many patients over 65 per full-time equivalent GP as their counterparts elsewhere in England, analysis of official workforce data has shown. GP Online

Into the woods: how walks are improving mental health

Into the woods: how walks are improving mental health A trailblazing approach to mental health by Forestry Commission Scotland and local health boards is seeing service users go on activity-filled woodland walks

The Scottish are keen woodland-goers, with 78% visiting woods for recreation compared with 56% across the UK, according to the Public Opinion of Forestry survey. Now, walks are being used by Scottish health services as an aid for those with mental health conditions.

Since 2007, Forestry Commission Scotland has been putting the calming effect of woodlands to good use in courses for groups of adults with long-term mental health conditions. Branching Outconsists of 12 three-hour sessions of conservation work, art creation and bushcraft, followed by a graduation ceremony. Healthcare professionals accompany their patients and take part, with specially trained woodland experts acting as leaders. Continue reading... The Guardian

North Middlesex hospital A&E faces closure on safety grounds

North Middlesex hospital A&E faces closure on safety grounds Exclusive: Move would be first in NHS history, as internal documents seen by the Guardian show junior staff often left in charge of casualty unit

An A&E unit has been threatened with closure on safety grounds for the first time in the NHS’s history, amid fears that its 500 patients a day are at what the medical regulator calls “serious risk” of suffering harm.

The General Medical Council, which regulates doctors, and Health Education England, the NHS’s staffing agency, have both issued the unprecedented warnings to North Middlesex hospital over what one local MP described as “a catalogue of failings” in its emergency department. Continue reading... The Guardian

Doubling in medics and managers retiring with £2m NHS pension pots

Doubling in medics and managers retiring with £2m NHS pension pots The number of NHS managers and senior doctors retiring with pension pots worth £2m has doubled, reaching record levels, as the health service plunges into financial crisis.

New figures show that more than 16,000 retired NHS staff are receiving at least £50,000 a year – equivalent to a private sector pension pot of around £2 million. The number has more than doubled in five years, including a 17 per cent rise in the last year alone. The Daily Telegraph