Monday 25 July 2016

Severely disabled baby should be allowed to die, judge rules

Severely disabled baby should be allowed to die, judge rules A severely disabled baby who has been on a ventilator since he was 18 minutes old should be allowed to die, a high court judge has ruled.

Hospital bosses had asked for permission to withdraw life-sustaining treatment. The three-and-a-half-month-old boy’s parents had objected.

Bosses at the Northampton General hospital NHS trust had asked for a ruling on what was in the baby’s best interests. The Guardian

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Four in every five patients with early inflammatory arthritis at risk of long-term disability and reduced life expectancy due to delays in NHS treatment

Four in every five patients with early inflammatory arthritis at risk of long-term disability and reduced life expectancy due to delays in NHS treatment Up to a million Britons are at risk of preventable, long-term disability and reduced life expectancy due to delays in referrals to specialist advice and treatment services, according to the most comprehensive audit of rheumatology services carried out across England and Wales.

The first weeks and months following the onset of rheumatic disease symptoms are known as the 'window of opportunity', and it is crucial that patients get appropriate treatment in that time period to maximise their chances of avoiding lasting complications. Early referral to, and assessment by rheumatology services is therefore vital and the report reveals that for four out of five patients in England and Wales, this does not happen. The British Society for Rheumatology 

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Getting a whole system view of mental health services – Debra Gilderdale

Getting a whole system view of mental health services – Debra Gilderdale In the latest of a series of blogs about the Mental Health Implementation Plan launched earlier this week, the Deputy Director of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust discusses the development of its First Response service to deliver 24/7 support and tackle its out of area beds crisis. NHS England

Mapping STPs with your local leaders of growth

Mapping STPs with your local leaders of growth This interactive map plots sustainability and transformation plan (STP) footprints against local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and, where appropriate, combined authorities. It enables STP leads to establish closer links with their respective leaders of growth, helping NHS organisations to bring in long-term external funding, exert more influence over strategic decision-making and improve services locally. NHS Confederation

Patients to wait more than one week to see GP on 100m occasions by 2020 - endangering the health of thousands of patients

Patients to wait more than one week to see GP on 100m occasions by 2020 - endangering the health of thousands of patients The new analysis published today by the Royal College of GPs show that, if recent trends continue, the number of occasions when patients will have to wait longer than a week to see their GP will increase by more than 28m occasions from 2015/16, when patients had to wait to see a GP on just over 69m occasions, to 98m in 2020/21.

The analysis also indicates that by 2020/21 waiting times will be so bad that patients will be unable to get an appointment with their GP at all on 52m occasions. In response, the College is calling for government promises of increased investment and an expansion in general practice staff numbers, outlined in NHS England’s GP Forward View, to be implemented as a matter of urgency in order to avoid this and ensure patient safety. RCGP analysis also reveals that on 9.4m occasions last year, patients didn’t seek healthcare elsewhere having been unable to secure an appointment to see their GP. If this situation does not improve, patients will fail to secure any healthcare at all, having been unable to see their GP for their condition, on a total of 46.8m occasions between now and the end of 2020/21. The RCGP believes these shocking figures pose a grave risk to the health of thousands of patients across the country. Royal College of General Practitioners

Loss of EU funding 'could cost children's lives' warns hospital

Loss of EU funding 'could cost children's lives' warns hospital The loss of European funding for medical research could cost the lives of some vulnerable children, Great Ormond Street Hospital says. BBC News

CQC: Too many mental health trusts rated ‘requires improvement’

CQC: Too many mental health trusts rated ‘requires improvement’ The inspection programme for mental health trusts in England is due to be completed shortly, but nearly two-thirds of trusts have been rated ‘requires improvement’ so far.

The CQC said that it has completed its inspection of all 56 trusts and will publish all its results shortly.

However, of the 47 inspected so far, 29 (62%) are rated ‘requires improvement’, 17 are rated ‘good’ and none are rated ‘outstanding’. One trust, Norfolk and Suffolk NHS FT, was rated ‘inadequate’ and is currently in special measures. National Health Executive

Why your NHS surgeon could be a robot in the future

Why your NHS surgeon could be a robot in the future Day-to-day interactions between humans and machines may well become commonplace in hospitals within a decade

Long waiting times, staff shortages, exorbitant agency fees, doctors’ working hours: it’s no secret that the NHS is facing a labour crisis. Post-Brexit it could very well get worse, with the NHS Confederation now warning of a reluctance by EU doctors and nurses to come and work in the UK.

Difficult times call for radical measures. So, with an estimated staff shortfall of 50,000 for the NHS in England, is it time to start thinking seriously about the mass adoption of robotics and other automated technologies in the health service?

Working with automated technology can improve efficiency and thus allow personnel to use their skills to greater effect Continue reading... The Guardian

Veteran condemned to die by the NHS on 'death pathway' at Hammersmith Hospital

Veteran condemned to die by the NHS on 'death pathway' at Hammersmith Hospital Great-grandfather Josef Boberek was admitted to Hammersmith Hospital in West London with a chest infection, but died days later after doctors incorrectly told his family he was at death's door. The Daily Mail

NHS Trusts don't have enough nurses in 93% of their areas

NHS Trusts don't have enough nurses in 93% of their areas More than 93 per cent of 137 NHS Trusts don't have enough nurses, according to the latest figures. Here, nurse Helen Cowan reveals why she believes there is a staffing crisis. The Daily Mail

Inspirational #hellomynameis doctor Kate Granger dies

Inspirational #hellomynameis doctor Kate Granger dies An inspirational doctor who spent five years campaigning to transform public attitudes to death and doctors’ approaches to patients while herself battling terminal cancer has died.

Dr Kate Granger, 34, who started a global campaign to encourage medical staff to get to know their patients as people, died just three days after reaching a personal £250,000 fundraising target for cancer care. The Daily Telegraph

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Two senior consultants investigated after NHS pays £1m bill for cancer patients they treated at ​their private clinic

Two senior consultants investigated after NHS pays £1m bill for cancer patients they treated at ​their private clinic A hospital trust has launched an investigation after patients of two senior consultants wer​e referred ​to their private clinic for treatment, costing the NHS up to £1million.

Steve Pandey and Stephen Lake, clinical directors at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, after facing the independent probe after it emerged the health service had paid for some cancer patients to be treated at Worcestershire Bowel Clinic. The Daily Telegraph