Wachter watch: where next for the NHS’s digital strategy?

Wachter watch: where next for the NHS’s digital strategy? Back to school and back to another round of new NHS initiatives and announcements. At the NHS Health and Care Innovation Expo on Wednesday, the focus was very much on digital technology and what it can do for the NHS. The King's Fund

Seven-day NHS 'impossible under current funding levels'

Seven-day NHS 'impossible under current funding levels'A seven-day NHS is "impossible" to achieve with the current funding and staffing levels, the chief executive of NHS Providers says.

Chris Hopson told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that "something has to give" and there should be a debate about which services to sacrifice "rather than pretend the gap doesn't exist".

Figures show waiting times and delayed hospital discharges at record levels.

The government says it is giving NHS England the £10bn it asked for.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called for a "seven-day NHS" since 2015 after his department concluded that there was a "clear link between poorer outcomes for patients and uneven service provision at the weekend". BBC News

See also:

• NHS heading for a winter of discontent NHS Providers
• NHS 'under greatest pressure in a generation', says CEO (video) BBC News
• Seven-day NHS 'impossible' with current levels of funding The Daily Telegraph
• Hospitals in England are on the brink of collapse, warn NHS chiefs The Guardian
• The gap between funds and delivery is a chasm in the NHS: something has to give The Guardian
• NHS chief Chris Hopson: Hospitals need to close departments, let’s talk about what has to give i News

Too many hospitals deliver 'outdated' hip fracture care

Too many hospitals deliver 'outdated' hip fracture care Not all patients who have fractured their hip are receiving properly planned care and rehabilitation after leaving hospital. The National Hip Fracture Database's (NHFD) 2016 annual report for England, Wales and Northern Ireland on hip fracture surgery has found that better collaboration between orthopaedic surgeons and geriatricians in coordinated hip fracture programmes has led to improved patient care in many areas, with two thirds of all hip fracture patients receiving "best practice" care in hospital. OnMedica

Chief nurse calls for gender equality on NHS boards

Chief nurse calls for gender equality on NHS boards The Chief Nursing Officer for England, Professor Jane Cummings, says she wants to see a balance of genders on NHS boards with more nurses and midwives in senior positions within the next five years.

“I am determined to ensure our professions have a seat at the table as we tackle the challenges ahead. The nursing and midwifery professions have a vital role to help shape an NHS and care system for the future and their voices must be heard," Professor Cummings said in a speech at the Health and Care Innovation Expo 2016 conference in Manchester yesterday. OnMedica

Junior doctors dispute: Five go to war with the Government

Junior doctors dispute: Five go to war with the Government On 19 and 20 September, a group of five junior doctors called Justice for Health will be taking on the Government in the High Court. Youssef El-Gingihy hears their stories and how they are coping in a world in which ‘nobody tells the truth’ The Independent

Super-gonorrhoea outbreak could be out of control as attempts to stop spread fail

Super-gonorrhoea outbreak could be out of control as attempts to stop spread fail An outbreak of super-gonorrhoea in the UK is out of control and efforts to stop it have been unsuccessful, health officials have warned.

It is feared the sexually transmitted disease may be becoming increasingly resistant to treatment, prompting concerns further rapid spread could occur.

In April, it emerged an outbreak of so-called ‘super-gonorrhoea’ had occurred in Leeds, with cases also noted in the West Midlands, London and southern-England. It began among heterosexual couples but has since been spread among men who have sex with men (MSM). The Independent

See also:

• Research and analysis: High level azithromycin resistant gonorrhoea in England Public Health England

A lethal combination of secrecy and jargon has overshadowed NHS plans

A lethal combination of secrecy and jargon has overshadowed NHS plans There has been a lack of communication over sustainability and transformation plans so they are now seen through the lens of cuts

The NHS is in danger of losing control of public debate around the sustainability and transformation plans (STPs). Days after the unnecessary secrecy around STP blueprints for change predictably backfired, with lurid headlines about closures and cuts, both NHS England and the government have been trying to get a grip on public understanding of what all this frantic management work is trying to achieve.

At this week’s Health and Care Innovation Expo in Manchester, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said that in the next few days his organisation will be spelling out expectations on how the public will be involved in discussions. Continue reading... The Guardian

Children are still guzzling nearly THREE times their daily sugar limit despite warnings over fizzy drinks

Children are still guzzling nearly THREE times their daily sugar limit despite warnings over fizzy drinks The National Diet and Nutrition Survey also found that people in the UK are not eating enough fruit and veg, while consumption of red meat and saturated fat is still too high. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Young children still exceeding sugar recommendation Public Health England
• The National Diet and Nutrition Survey Public Health England
• Sugar intake in children 'double recommended level' BBC News
• Sugar warnings have not reduced consumption in England, figures show The Guardian

District nurses are the real heroes of the NHS, but they are under total siege

District nurses are the real heroes of the NHS, but they are under total siege  Anyone who thinks the front line of our healthcare lies in hospital wards or GP’s surgeries should spend a day with a district nurse. Looking after people in their own homes, they are the Cinderellas of the system. And yet many people do not even know they exist and new reports show that their work is at breaking point due to unmanageable caseloads, a growing gap between capacity and demand. The Daily Telegraph

Drug deaths reach record levels as purity of heroin and cocaine rises

Drug deaths reach record levels as purity of heroin and cocaine rises Drug deaths have reached record levels as cocaine and heroin becomes more pure and ageing addicts succumb to years of abuse.

A total of 3,674 people died of drugs poisoning in 2015, the highest number since records began.

Deaths from heroin and morphine have doubled to 1,200 since 2012, while deaths from cocaine have jumped from 112 to 320, according to new figures released by the Office for National Statistics The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• New recommendations to address deaths from drug misuse published Public Health England
• Drug-related deaths reach record levels in England and Wales BBC News