Wednesday 31 August 2016

Patient safety: closing the implementation gap

Patient safety: closing the implementation gap I’ve been to many conferences on quality and safety in the NHS, and never cease to be frustrated by suggestions of creating yet another policy or checklist, or by people bemoaning the difficulty of implementing improvement measures with the common complaint ‘Why is it so hard for people just to do the right thing?’ The King's Fund

Guidance: FGM: video resources for healthcare professionals

Guidance: FGM: video resources for healthcare professionals Videos to help healthcare professionals understand, safeguard and care for women and girls affected by female genital mutilation (FGM). Department of Health

Community pharmacy forward view

Community pharmacy forward view Written jointly with Pharmacy Voice, this document sets out the ambitions for community pharmacies to enhance and expand personalised care, support and wellbeing services offered by the sector. The paper also argues for fuller integration with other local health and care services and highlights the role of the community pharmacy in being the facilitator of personalised care for patients with long-term conditions and in being a neighbourhood health and wellbeing hub. Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee

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New joints: private providers and rising demand in the English National Health Service

New joints: private providers and rising demand in the English National Health Service This paper explores how NHS reforms to allow for entry of private providers has affected demand for elective surgical procedures. The study found that for elective hip replacements, at least seven per cent of publicly-funded procedures were conducted by private hospitals. Using clinical audit data, the report finds that these additional procedures are not substitutions from privately-funded procedures but that they represent new surgeries. Institute for Fiscal Studies

Growing antibiotic resistance forces updates to recommended treatment for sexually transmitted infections

Growing antibiotic resistance forces updates to recommended treatment for sexually transmitted infections New guidelines for the treatment of 3 common sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been issued by WHO in response to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis are all caused by bacteria and are generally curable with antibiotics. However, these STIs often go undiagnosed and are becoming more difficult to treat, with some antibiotics now failing as a result of misuse and overuse. It is estimated that, each year, 131 million people are infected with chlamydia, 78 million with gonorrhoea, and 5.6 million with syphilis.

Resistance of these STIs to the effect of antibiotics has increased rapidly in recent years and has reduced treatment options. World Health Organization

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Ex-Army chief Dannatt 'sorry' over malaria drug Lariam

Ex-Army chief Dannatt 'sorry' over malaria drug Lariam A former head of the Army has apologised to troops given an anti-malaria drug he refused to take himself because of "catastrophic" mental health effects. BBC News

Autism in girls and women 'undiagnosed'

Autism in girls and women 'undiagnosed' Autism campaigners fear that women and girls with the condition are not getting the help they need because they often go undiagnosed. BBC News

Record high numbers of diabetes amputations

Record high numbers of diabetes amputations There are around 20 diabetes-related amputations every day in England – a record high – according to a new analysis released today by Diabetes UK.

The figures were calculated using Diabetes Footcare Activity Profiles data from, Public Health England’s National Cardiovascular Intelligence Network, and show the number of diabetes-related amputations was now 7,370 a year, compared to the previous figure of 7,042 when comparing 2014-15 with 2012-13. OnMedica

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Under-fire Southern Health chief quits over 'media attention'

Under-fire Southern Health chief quits over 'media attention' NHS trust’s leadership was criticised after death of Connor Sparrowhawk, and Katrina Percy says her role has become untenable.

The boss of an NHS trust that was widely criticised for failing to investigate unexpected deaths of patients with mental health problems or learning disabilities has resigned, citing “media attention”.

Katrina Percy, the chief executive of Southern Health NHS foundation trust, who has been under pressure to stand down for months, announced her resignation on Tuesday. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Mind your language; they're not 'bed blockers' but older people

Mind your language; they're not 'bed blockers' but older people Units, targets, blockers. Language matters and can undermine the compassionate care the NHS was created for and has delivered for 70 years.

The NHS is faced with a rising tide of demand for care combined with a tight rein on both NHS and social care finances. The impact of these pressures is seen across the health and care system. It manifests itself obviously in delayed transfers out of hospitals.

Year on year these delays are rising, with more people staying in hospital when they don’t need to be there. It has an impact on the care of some of the frailest and most vulnerable people and is the subject of continued attention from the media, healthcare regulators and politicians. Continue reading... The Guardian

Junior doctors plotting five-day strikes EVERY month until the end of the year 

Junior doctors plotting five-day strikes EVERY month until the end of the year Junior doctors are plotting week-long strikes every month for the rest of the year.

They would walk out from 8am to 5pm for five straight days, according to leaked papers.

The first strike could start on September 12 – causing unprecedented havoc and the loss of thousands of scheduled operations.

Since January junior doctors have been locked in a bitter row with ministers over a new contract that will see them paid less for weekend work. The Daily Mail

The children as young as THREE with body issues: Nearly a third of nursery staff have heard youngsters describe themselves as fat or ugly

The children as young as THREE with body issues: Nearly a third of nursery staff have heard youngsters describe themselves as fat or ugly Research conducted by the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years suggested young children were being influenced by television, animation films and images in story books. The Daily Mail

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