Northampton General Hospital antenatal group nominated for national awards.

Northampton General Hospital antenatal group nominated for national awards. An antenatal group for women and their partners who need extra support with their experience of pregnancy and childbirth has been shortlisted for two national awards. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

State of Caring 2016

State of Caring 2016 An annual survey of carers to collect evidence on a whole range of issues affecting carers' lives.This year over 6,149 people shared their views and experiences on what life is like for carers in 2016. Carers UK

See also:

• More than half of carers report bleak outlook for 2016 as new law not yet delivering promised improvements to their lives Carers UK
• Hidden £5.3 billion cost to economy of unpaid care army The Daily Telegraph

Asthma deaths in England and Wales hit highest peak for 10 years

Asthma deaths in England and Wales hit highest peak for 10 years The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed new data today which shows an increase in the number of asthma related deaths in England and Wales in 2015.

The annual death rate statistics show that 1,302 asthma deaths were recorded, which is a 17% increase in the number of asthma related deaths since 2014. The figures also show the highest number of deaths due to asthma in over ten years.

The statistics are presented by sex, age and area of residence and show that women aged 65 or over make up nearly 56% of all asthma deaths registered in 2015. Asthma UK

See also:

• Asthma deaths reach highest level in 10 years and two-thirds are women aged over 65 The Daily Mail

Colchester Hospital chief apologises after CQC report

Colchester Hospital chief apologises after CQC report The new head of Colchester Hospital issues a "heartfelt apology" following the publication of a damning CQC report. BBC News

Cambridgeshire's £800m NHS outsourcing contract 'wasted millions'

Cambridgeshire's £800m NHS outsourcing contract 'wasted millions' Millions of pounds of taxpayers' money was wasted on a contract outsourcing the care of older and mentally ill people, investigators find. BBC News

See also:

• Investigation into the collapse of the UnitingCare Partnership contract in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Audit Office

Life-or-death 999 call target missed for year

Life-or-death 999 call target missed for year Ambulances in England have missed their target for responding to the most life-threatening calls for a whole year, new data shows. BBC News

Hunt keeps his post in cabinet reshuffle

Hunt keeps his post in cabinet reshuffle Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has kept his post, despite earlier media reports which claimed that he had been ousted from health as part of new prime minister Theresa May’s wide-ranging cabinet reshuffle. OnMedica

See also:

• The King's Fund response to the Secretary of State for Health remaining in his post The King's Fund
• Hunt's Houdini act: What next? BBC News
• The boldest move in this reshuffle is keeping Jeremy Hunt at Health The Daily Telegraph
• Jeremy Hunt to remain as health secretary after Theresa May reshuffle GP Online
• Reaction as Jeremy Hunt remains health secretary after cabinet shake-up GP Online
• As a junior doctor, it mystifies me why Theresa May didn't take the opportunity to sack the incompetent Jeremy Hunt The Independent

Innovative use of technology key to improving patient outcomes

Innovative use of technology key to improving patient outcomes Use of technologies that enable risk stratification, early detection, appropriate intervention and remote monitoring are key to improving patient outcomes, finds a progress report of ‘vanguard’ sites published more than a year after the introduction of the programme. OnMedica

See also:

• Report: The Role of Vanguards in the Development of New NHS Commissioning Structures NHiS

NHS England struggling to meet cancer waiting list targets

NHS England struggling to meet cancer waiting list targets More than 2,000 people waited more than two months to start treatment in May, new figures show

The NHS is under fire for leaving cancer patients facing stressful delays before starting treatment because hospitals cannot cope with the growing number of people suspected to have the disease.

New NHS figures show hospitals in England failed to ensure people with suspected breast cancer were seen by a specialist within 14 days and that enough cancer patients had their first treatment within 62 days of referral by their GP. Continue reading... The Guardian

Joined up health and care needs a giant leap forward | David Behan

Joined up health and care needs a giant leap forward | David Behan Although there are examples of excellent integrated care around England, progress on this government priority has been much too slow

Everybody in this country deserves good care, no matter who they are, where they are treated or how complex their case.

And as our older population increases, so too will the demand for services and consequently we will have more people with more complex needs in an environment that itself faces increasing pressures. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Councils must play a more pivotal role in health and care integration The Guardian
• Hospital discharge is not rocket science. Why are patients still being failed? The Guardian

Baby born from frozen ovarian tissue in UK first

Baby born from frozen ovarian tissue in UK first A cancer patient who has become the first woman in the UK to give birth after having frozen tissue from her ovaries re-implanted said she was "astonished and overjoyed" at the success of the treatment. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Edinburgh baby born from frozen ovary in UK first BBC News
• Freezing ovaries before chemotherapy protects against damage during treatment The Daily Mail