Tuesday 20 September 2016

Housing and health: ships that pass in the night?

Housing and health: ships that pass in the night? We have known for many years that good-quality housing is critical to health. Research evidence tells us this, our common sense tells us this, the NHS and wider health and care sector knows this, and the housing sector knows this.

But, despite this knowledge, and many good intentions, the housing and health sectors are too often like ships that pass in the night. Why is that, and what needs to be done to change it? The King's Fund

Improving Health Care Through Better Conversation

Improving Health Care Through Better Conversation Research shows that people often don’t take their medications or change their lifestyles after after visiting a doctor or a nurse, while only about 60 per cent of people feel they are sufficiently involved in decisions about their care.

A campaign is being launched to tackle this issue and improve the way in which health professionals and people talk.

Better Conversations’ looks at how clinicians and commissioners can introduce health coaching and will provide information, evidence and tips on how to have a more equal conversation with people and are treated as partners in their care, rather than passive recipients. Coalition for Collaborative Care

Why is diagnosing frailty important?

Why is diagnosing frailty important? Professor Martin Vernon, National Clinical Director for Older People and Integrated Care at NHS England discusses the importance and potential in diagnosing frailty. NHS England

NHS watchdog issues sexting advice

NHS watchdog issues sexting advice Any child or teenager sending explicit images or messages on texts and emails is cause for concern and should be monitored, new guidelines for schools and health professionals in England advise. BBC News

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One hospital's fight with care shortfall

One hospital's fight with care shortfall (video) New figures show a rapid rise in the numbers of people unable to leave hospital, because of problems providing them with care at home.

It is costing the NHS £820m per year and putting hospitals under huge strain.

Alison Holt visited one hospital in Liverpool to see the impact of the shortfall on front line services. BBC News

Zika cases in UK travellers triple in a month as 100 new cases confirmed

Zika cases in UK travellers triple in a month as 100 new cases confirmed UK GPs encountered an unprecedented number of Zika virus cases over the past few weeks, data from Public Health England (PHE) suggest, as the number of confirmed cases in travellers tripled in the past month. GP Online

Progress made in cutting antimicrobial resistance

Progress made in cutting antimicrobial resistance Progress is being made in preventing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the UK, according to two new government reports.

The government has published its official response report to Lord O’Neill’s review Tackling drug-resistant infections globally, which made 10 recommendations on how to best prevent the challenge of antimicrobial resistance.

Lord O’Neill’s review’s recommendations included raising awareness of AMR globally, reducing the use of antibiotics in animals and improving hygiene to help stop the spread of infection.

It also highlighted the consequences of not taking steps to tackle AMR, warning that there could be 10 million deaths a year by 2050 and the potential end of modern medicine as we know it. OnMedica

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Number of smokers in England falls to record low

Number of smokers in England falls to record low Smoking rates across England are the lowest on record, health officials have said.

Public Health England (PHE) said that 16.9 per cent of the population in England are smokers - the lowest level since records began.

The figures were released as the health body launched its annual Stoptober campaign to encourage the nation's remaining smokers to quit for the month of October. If people give up the habit for 28 days they are five times more likely to quit for good, PHE said. The Independent

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NHS plans to make senior doctors reveal outside earnings

NHS plans to make senior doctors reveal outside earnings About half of hospital consultants are believed to undertake private work, risking conflicts of interests, says NHS England

Doctors will have to reveal the amount of money they earn from private work under new plans to improve transparency. NHS England chairman Sir Malcolm Grant told the Times that the extent of private work carried out had been “under the radar” for too long. “We are looking into something that is quite a touchy subject,” he said.

A spokesman for NHS England, which is trying to increase transparency, said that every hospital is to publish a register of consultants’ outside earnings from April in a drive to unearth potential conflicts of interest. It is believed that about half of England’s 46,000 NHS consultants do private work, on top of average earnings of £112,000 a year. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Jeremy Hunt acted illegally over junior doctors, court hears

Jeremy Hunt acted illegally over junior doctors, court hears Legal challenge brought by five trainees over health secretary’s decision to impose new contract begins in high court.

Jeremy Hunt acted illegally and beyond his powers by deciding to impose a new contract on NHS junior doctors, the high court has been told in a legal challenge to the health secretary’s handling of the year-long dispute.

The court on Monday began a two-day judicial review of the legal challenge to Hunt brought byfive junior doctorsContinue reading... The Guardian

Doctor will see you now - on his webcam: Patient safety fears as GPs pay private firms to give consultations via computer

Doctor will see you now - on his webcam: Patient safety fears as GPs pay private firms to give consultations via computer Patients will first have to download an app on their computer or mobile phone and then at an allocated time they must log on and speak to their GP using their built-in camera or webcam. The Daily Mail

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Leaked emails reveal junior doctors secretly polled by union amid fears thousands now oppose strikes

Leaked emails reveal junior doctors secretly polled by union amid fears thousands now oppose strikes Junior doctors are being secretly polled by union representatives amid fears thousands no longer want to join in walkouts, leaked emails reveal.

A memo sent to thousands of medics suggests that the controversial strikes could be dropped if doctors do not actively express their willingness to take part.

Medics are due to take part in the biggest strikes in NHS history in just over a fortnight, with week-long walkouts repeated every month until Christmas. The Daily Telegraph

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Embattled mental health NHS trust chairman stands down

Embattled mental health NHS trust chairman stands down The interim chairman of a scandal-hit mental health trust that was criticised for not investigating hundreds of unexpected patient deaths has resigned after only four months.

Tim Smart, who took over the heavily criticised Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust in May, said yesterday he was standing down “for personal reasons”. The Daily Telegraph

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