Plans launched for seven day hospital pharmacy services

Plans launched for seven day hospital pharmacy services “Transformation of Seven Day Clinical Pharmacy Services in Acute Hospitals” sets out a vision where hospital pharmacy services could operate more efficiently and safely, and 13 key recommendations of how clinical pharmacy services in hospitals can be strengthened – particularly at weekends – to benefit patients. NHS England

Doctors' strike in September called off

Doctors' strike in September called off The British Medical Association has called off the junior doctors' strike due to take place in England next week amid concerns about patient safety.

The BMA said it was not backing down in the fight over a new contract and further strikes would go ahead unless the government negotiates a new deal.

Medical leaders had warned the short notice meant care would be put at risk. BBC News

See also:

• Junior doctor contracts (statement) British Medical Association 
• NHS Employers response to industrial action being cancelled in September NHS Employers
• Junior doctors' strikes suspended The Daily Telegraph
• Five-day junior doctor strike suspended after NHS England talks GP Online
• Junior doctors suspend planned five-day strike in September The Guardian
• BMA call off junior doctors strike action planned for next week Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Next week’s industrial action cancelled due to safety concerns OnMedica

Doctors urged to offer 'exercise outdoors' prescriptions

Doctors urged to offer 'exercise outdoors' prescriptions Doctors in England and Wales should offer overweight patients "green space" prescriptions to get them exercising outdoors, says the Local Government Association.

The prescriptions could provide free visits to national parks or gardening sessions at National Trust properties, for example.

A small number of GPs already do this.

The LGA says it needs to become universal policy to tackle the nation's obesity crisis. BBC News

See also:

• Prescribing exercise outdoors could reduce obesity, say councils Local Government Association
• Social prescribing can benefit patients but extra workload must not fall to GPs, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners

Three people die every day due to organ donor shortage

Three people die every day due to organ donor shortage Three people die every day in the UK due to the shortage of people willing to donate an organ. With over 6,500 people currently on the transplant waiting list to mark to the start of Organ Donation Week, NHS Blood and Transplant is encouraging the public to start a conversation with family and friends about signing up to the organ donor register. OnMedica

I'm a better doctor for accepting that I have a mental health problem

I'm a better doctor for accepting that I have a mental health problem I denied I was struggling with my workload as a GP until depression hit and I resigned.

I didn’t realise I had a mental health problem. I’m a GP and it’s a common misconception that we don’t get them. We get stressed, of course. We get burnout – yes. But we don’t get mental health problems.

When I found myself working in a practice hit, like so many others, by the lack of GPs and nurses of course it was difficult. Spending days as the only doctor for 8,500 patients was horrific. On-call days started early with visits that were left over from earlier in the week because we hadn’t had enough doctors to go out. There was a list of patients to call back before the phone lines even opened, booked in by the receptionists because they had nowhere else to put them. Blood results to look at. Medication queries to answer. Letters to read and file. Repeat prescriptions to sign. Complaints letters to respond to. Care Quality Commission boxes to tick. Continue reading... The Guardian

How toothache is costing GPs £26m a year

How toothache is costing GPs £26m a year Doctors have warned that such visits have led to increased waiting times for those who need genuine medical treatment, saying that they are in ‘no position’ to treat dental problems. The Daily Mail

3,000 NHS bosses receive £100,000 redundancy deals since 2010 health reforms

3,000 NHS bosses receive £100,000 redundancy deals since 2010 health reforms More than 3,000 NHS bosses have been paid more than £100,000 in redundancy payments, with a further 500 receiving more than twice that amount, Department of Health figures reveal. The Daily Mail

Thousands of rural chemists saved from closure next month after government U-turn

Thousands of rural chemists saved from closure next month after government U-turn Thousands of local chemists threatened by closure have been given a temporary reprieve after the Government said it would not axe a vital subsidy next month after an outcry from rural and elderly campaign groups.

One in four local pharmacies had been threatened with closure after ministers said they wanted to withdraw a £170million subsidy for community chemists.

This meant that up to 3,000 out of the 12,000 pharmacies in the UK – many of which are in rural areas - faced closure. The Daily Telegraph

Men B vaccine has halved number of cases in babies, lab tests show

Men B vaccine has halved number of cases in babies, lab tests show The number of babies suffering from meningitis B and related infections has almost halved since a new vaccine was introduced, research shows.

Since last autumn, all newborn babies have been offered the jab.Those aged under one are at greatest risk of the infection, which can prove deadly. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Vaccine cuts cases of meningitis and septicaemia in UK infants Public Health England