New NGH role to support the one in six pregnant women attacked by their partner

New NGH role to support the one in six pregnant women attacked by their partner Northampton General Hospital is strengthening the support it gives to patients at risk of domestic abuse thanks to the creation of a new role. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Health experts urge people in Northamptonshire to order repeat medicines

Health experts urge people in Northamptonshire to order repeat medicines Nearly 350 people left themselves without their repeat medicine over Christmas in Northamptonshire last year, according to health experts. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northamptonshire charity lobby Government over mental health support for pregnant women

Northamptonshire charity lobby Government over mental health support for pregnant women Mental health checks should be carried out for every woman during their pregnancy, according to a leading Northamptonshire charity. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

English language requirements for public sector workers

English language requirements for public sector workers The government has published a preliminary draft of the Code of practice on the English language requirements for public sector workers. NHS Employers

Attitudes to obesity: findings from the 2015 British Social Attitudes survey

Attitudes to obesity: findings from the 2015 British Social Attitudes survey Public Health England commissioned a set of questions on obesity as part of the British Social Attitudes survey to inform its future work, this paper presents the analysis of the survey findings. The primary findings show that people underestimate their weight and struggle to identify the point when someone becomes obese. The survey also found that there is widespread understanding of some, but not all, of the health risks of obesity and that people who are obese are often the object of stigmatising attitudes. NatCen Social Research

Ministers consider council tax rise to cover social care funding

Ministers consider council tax rise to cover social care funding The prime minister is understood to be considering plans to allow councils in England to increase council tax to fund the social care system.

It follows warnings that the system could "topple at any moment" leading to pressure on the NHS if patients cannot be released from hospital.

Local councils have suffered more than a 40% reduction in government grants since 2010.

The government has refused to comment on the reports. BBC News

See also:

• What now for social care? The King's Fund
• Theresa May 'considers raising council tax' to tackle social care crisis The Daily Telegraph
• Shock figures show Tory plans are ‘making social care worse’ The Guardian
• The Observer view on social care The Observer

Learning disabilities study uses GP data to highlight health gap

Learning disabilities study uses GP data to highlight health gap The largest-ever study into the health of people with learning disabilities in England has highlighted the extent to which this group face higher rates of chronic illness and shorter life expectancy than the general population. GP Online

See also:

• Largest English study into health and care of people with learning disabilities published NHS Digital
• Health and Care of People with Learning Disabilities: Experimental Statistics: 2014 to 2015 NHS Digital

Acutely ill children waiting nine hours for beds in intensive care

Acutely ill children waiting nine hours for beds in intensive care Some paediatric units now at 115% capacity, warns doctors’ body

Seriously ill children are waiting up to nine hours for an intensive care bed to become available, while others are being transported up to 120 miles from their homes to receive the medical treatment they urgently need, senior paediatricians have revealed.

In the last two weeks, at least 17 children with acute illnesses requiring intensive care have had to be transported out of their regions because of a lack of beds. Some paediatric intensive care units, treating the most seriously ill children, are working at 115% of their capacity, such is the level of demand and lack of resources, according to the Paediatric Intensive Care Society. As of Friday night, there were just four beds available in England and one in Belfast. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS paramedics to get pay rises of at least £4,400

NHS paramedics to get pay rises of at least £4,400 About 12,000 workers, including ambulance crews, will move up pay scale with starting salary increasing to £26,302

Paramedics are set for pay rises worth at least £4,400 from the Department of Health and NHS Employers amid trade unions’ concerns that their members were not being paid properly for their life-saving work.

About 12,000 of the health workers – who are trained in emergency medical care and first aid, but not to the level of a qualified doctor – will be affected by the agreement, which will increase starting salaries from £21,909 to £26,302. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Agreement on paramedic re-banding reached NHS Employers

Council cuts hitting women's contraceptive services, data shows

Council cuts hitting women's contraceptive services, data shows Advisory Group on Contraception warns that reducing sexual health services could lead to a rise in unintended pregnancies and abortions

Clinics offering women contraception are closing or reducing their opening hours in the wake of heavy Whitehall cuts to local councils’ public health budgets, new research has revealed.

One and a half million women of reproductive age live in parts of England where councils have restricted contraception services or are considering doing so, according to data obtained under freedom of information by the Advisory Group on Contraception. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Contraceptive cuts: Warning over rise in abortions BBC News

Terminally-ill patients being taken to special places of their choice under NHS initiative

Terminally-ill patients being taken to special places of their choice under NHS initiative The End of Life Transport scheme in the north east, gives patients the option to be transported by ambulance, along with a specially-trained crew, to their preferred place to die. The Daily Mail

Superbugs killing more people than breast cancer, trust warns

Superbugs killing more people than breast cancer, trust warns The superbug crisis is killing more patients than breast cancer as the Government is relying on flawed figures which mask the true scale of the problem, health experts have warned.

The Department of Health estimates that 5,000 people die each year due to drug resistance, but Dr Ron Daniels, chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust, claims the true figure is around 12,000.

The number of deaths is rising each year as more bugs that lead to blood poisoning are becoming resistant to antibiotics. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The UKST Observer The UK Sepsis Trust
• Superbug crisis is killing more people than breast cancer The Daily Mail

'400 kill themselves' after being released from police custody

'400 kill themselves' after being released from police custody The human rights watchdog has found that 400 people killed themselves shortly after being released from police custody in England and Wales in the last seven years, it has been reported.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it had unearthed "serious gaps" in the care of people who had been in custody, with its chairman describing it as "fractured", according to the BBC.

Almost all the deaths happened within 48 hours of release from custody and around a third involved people who had been arrested over allegations of sexual abuse.

The EHRC is said to have urged the Government to consider transferring responsibility for healthcare in police stations to the NHS. The Daily Telegraph