Wisdom, vision and courage are needed to develop people and improve care

Wisdom, vision and courage are needed to develop people and improve care The new national framework for improvement and leadership development in NHS-funded services is a ray of light onto the landscape of the beleaguered NHS. It is inspiring, optimistic and practical in describing the actions that local, regional and national NHS bodies can take to improve local health and care systems in order to meet the needs of their communities. The King's Fund

Monitoring the Mental Health Act in 2015/16

Monitoring the Mental Health Act in 2015/16 This annual report on the use of the Mental Health Act looks at how providers are caring for patients, and whether patient’s rights are being protected. The report found many examples of good practice but also discovered that good care is not consistent across the country. Care Quality Commission 

NHS financial temperature check

NHS financial temperature check This briefing sets out finance directors’ views on the financial issues facing the NHS in England and shows that the financial performance of the NHS in England continues to be a significant concern. Finance directors are broadly positive about the sustainability and transformation planning process, but warn of over-ambitious savings expectations and the scale of financial risk involved. They are also concerned about unclear governance and accountability. Many say they will prioritise their own organisation rather than the STP. Please note that you need to login to access this report. Healthcare Financial Management Association

Managing doctors, doctors managing

Managing doctors, doctors managing This survey finds signs that hospital managers and senior doctors are working together better than in the past, but warns relations have been damaged by reorganisation and financial pressures. It finds that 60 per cent now believe local doctor-manager relationships are positive, up from 47 per cent in a 2002 study, and respondents are now more confident that managers put patient care first. However, a higher proportion of respondents (37 per cent) now believe relations are likely to deteriorate over the coming year, compared to only 13 per cent in 2002. Nuffield Trust

Realising the value: ten actions to put people and communities at the heart of health and wellbeing

Realising the value: ten actions to put people and communities at the heart of health and wellbeing This is the final report of the Realising the value programme, an 18-month programme funded by NHS England in support of the NHS Five Year Forward View vision to develop a new relationship with people and communities. The report sets out ten key actions on what should be done and how people need to work differently to put people and communities at the heart of health and wellbeing. NESTA

How a Digital Health Advisor Could Help High-Need, High-Cost Patients and Their Caregivers

How a Digital Health Advisor Could Help High-Need, High-Cost Patients and Their Caregivers Last May, The Commonwealth Fund outlined a vision for a digital health advisor (DHA)—an integrated suite of digital services designed to help consumers deal with a broad range of health-related questions, decisions, or tasks. Such a tool would provide answers, connect with care providers, and empower people to achieve their personal health goals. In a new To the Point, the team discusses their findings.

Ambulance pressure: Life on the frontline

Ambulance pressure: Life on the frontline Rising demand has left ambulance services struggling to reach seriously ill and injured patients quickly enough, a BBC investigation has found. But what is it like for a paramedic on the frontline? BBC News

See also:

• Five ways services are innovating BBC News

GPs should offer HIV tests in routine appointments

GPs should offer HIV tests in routine appointments GPs and hospital doctors in areas where HIV infection is relatively common should offer millions of patients HIV testing when they attend for unrelated or routine appointments, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended this morning. In new guidance that focuses on strategies to reduce barriers to HIV testing to increase uptake, NICE said that, in areas of high HIV prevalence, people should be recommended to have an HIV test when they register with a GP practice or when they have a blood test for a different reason, unless they have already been diagnosed with HIV – but GPs are concerned about lack of resources and funding, as well as the difficulty of raising the subject of HIV testing in an unrelated consultation. OnMedica

See also:

• HIV services: collaboration in a time of fragmentation The King's Fund
• Health matters: increasing the uptake of HIV testing Public Health England
• Research and analysis: HIV in the United Kingdom Public Health England
• 13,500 people living with an undiagnosed HIV infection in the UK  Public Health England
• NICE says 11 million people should be HIV tested but it'll cost £77m The Daily Mail
• 1 in 6 Britons should be tested for HIV as they live in 'high risk areas', new guidelines say The Daily Mail
• GPs should offer HIV tests to all new patients in high prevalence areas, NICE says GP Online

English outpatient cancellations at record high of 7.68m in 2015

English outpatient cancellations at record high of 7.68m in 2015 Appointments lost due to rising demand and funding shortage show strain on NHS, says Royal College of Physicians

Hospitals are cancelling record numbers of outpatient appointments, which doctors say illustrates the unprecedented strain on the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Hospital Outpatient Activity data published NHS Digital

Sending fat smokers to the back of the queue is a betrayal of NHS values| Polly Toynbee

Sending fat smokers to the back of the queue is a betrayal of NHS values| Polly Toynbee Who will feel the weight of opprobrium next: boy racers, climbers, potholers, or perhaps middle-aged wine drinkers? At this rate, we’ll all be fair game soon

The Vale of York has been granted permission this week by NHS England to put fat people and smokers to the back of the queue for operations. Starting in January, their treatments will be delayed a year; the obese must lose 10% of their body weight, and smokers give up for at least two months.

The Royal College of Surgeons says it is “very disappointed that NHS England and No 10 seem to be backing this arbitrary policy”. Continue reading... The Guardian

Why more and more over 45s are getting sexually transmitted infections

Why more and more over 45s are getting sexually transmitted infections A new study shows a high rate of older adults divorcing and changing partners has created a conducive environment for STIs among those in middle age and beyond. The Daily Mail

NHS crisis fears as winter vomiting bug cases up by 45 per cent

NHS crisis fears as winter vomiting bug cases up by 45 per cent Cases of the winter vomiting bug are soaring amid fears the NHS could become overloaded in the run-up to Christmas, official data shows.

Figures from Public Health England (PHE) show 45 percent more cases at this point in the season, compared with this time last year.

Senior doctors raised fears that outbreaks of norovirus could become “the straw that breaks the camel’s back” for services which are under heavy strain. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Official Statistics: Norovirus and rotavirus: summary of surveillance Public Health England
• NHS on course for a vomiting bug epidemic as cases of norovirus are 40% higher than this time last year The Daily Mail