Thursday 30 June 2016

Dealing with NHS financial pressures – what do the public think?

Dealing with NHS financial pressures – what do the public think? Growing financial pressures in the NHS mean that commissioners and providers are faced with increasingly tough choices about how to prioritise their spending.

These ‘unpalatable decisions’ are clearly laid out in a recent blog by the chair of Vale Royal Clinical Commissioning Group, which is a compelling but depressing read. He is a natural optimist, but outlines the glass-half-empty feeling of trying to find savings in his primary, community and mental health budgets while knowing the extra pressure this will put on already overstretched GPs and on patients. The King's Fund

Evidence says don’t get distracted by creating new roles to deliver integrated care

Evidence says don’t get distracted by creating new roles to deliver integrated care There is limited evidence to support the creation of new roles to deliver integrated care. Indeed the available evidence suggests that working with the existing workforce to create more flexible and multi-skilled teams that can work across boundaries is as, if not more, effective, says a report published today by The King’s Fund

Waiting time policies in the health sector

Waiting time policies in the health sector The main purpose of this briefing is to discuss waiting time policies in the health sector from an international perspective and to highlight which policies have worked in the last decade in OECD countries. It also looks at how to compare waiting times internationally and where the UK stands in those international figures. Office of Health Economics

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust boss Katrina Percy keeps job

Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust boss Katrina Percy keeps job The chief executive of the much-criticised Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust will keep her job, it has been announced.

The trust had been rapped over the way it investigated patient deaths with calls for Katrina Percy to resign.

An investigation commissioned by NHS England found only 272 of the 722 deaths in the trust over the previous four years were dealt with properly.

But Ms Percy will continue in her role, interim chair Tim Smart has said. BBC News

Nearly one in four deaths 'avoidable'

Nearly one in four deaths 'avoidable' Almost a quarter of all deaths in England and Wales were potentially avoidable, figures for 2014, published by the Office for National Statistics, suggest. BBC News

Nine out of 10 patients say NHS is underfunded, major poll reveals

Nine out of 10 patients say NHS is underfunded, major poll reveals More than nine out of 10 people in the UK believe the NHS is underfunded and 42% would support paying more through taxation to support it, according to researchers. GP Online

What will scrapping bursaries mean for occupational therapy students?

What will scrapping bursaries mean for occupational therapy students? Bursaries for OT undergraduates are about to disappear, so university students will need to apply for loans

Student places on accredited occupational therapy degrees are currently commissioned by the NHS, which also pays tuition fees. The health service contributes to living expenses, and an additional means-tested amount – up to a maximum of £4,442 outside London – is available.

But it’s all change from September next year. The commissioning system in England is due to be abolished, and occupational therapy (OT) university students, along with other allied health profession undergraduates, will have to apply for a loan to cover their tuition fee costs and apply for a maintenance loanContinue reading... The Guardian

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Staff and skills shortages at Bristol hospital 'put children at risk'

Staff and skills shortages at Bristol hospital 'put children at risk' Report says ward for children recovering from heart surgery was under strain, but parents say review did not go far enough

Young heart patients who were treated at a Bristol hospital were “put at risk of harm” because of staff shortages and a lack of skills, a major review has concluded.

More than 200 families contacted the review, which the NHS ordered after some parents expressed concern that their children may have died unnecessarily following treatment at the Bristol Royal hospital for children. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Referendum decision is a bitter pill for the NHS and social care

Referendum decision is a bitter pill for the NHS and social care The most insidious effect of the vote will be to discourage EU talent from working in the health service

The vote to leave the EU is likely to inflict significant damage on the health service.

In the next few months, the biggest threat to the NHS comes from a recession-driven round of additional spending cuts hitting non-ringfenced budgets such as social care. It would be political suicide for a government led by a pro-Brexit prime minister to cut NHS spending itself, since more funding for the NHS was at the centre of the Vote Leave campaign. That exploitation of the health service gives NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens a little leverage with the government – but not much.

The UK is part of a worldwide marketplace for talent. We have just made it more difficult to attract the best. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Why asking your GP for antibiotics is IMMORAL, doctor claims: Millions set to die from 'man made disaster only patients and doctors can fix'

Why asking your GP for antibiotics is IMMORAL, doctor claims: Millions set to die from 'man made disaster only patients and doctors can fix' Medical ethics expert, Dr Alberto Giubilini, from Oxford University, says resistance of infections to survive antibiotics is a man made problem which patients, doctors and world governments must fix. The Daily Mail

Nurofen pills do NOT target joint or back pain, says watchdog

Nurofen pills do NOT target joint or back pain, says watchdog Nurofen has been banned from claiming its painkillers target specific problems - such as joint and back pain - after an advertising watchdog branded its TV advert 'misleading'. The Daily Mail

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