Tensions run high at meeting over future of Corby Urgent Care Centre

Tensions run high at meeting over future of Corby Urgent Care CentreThere were outbursts aplenty at a tense meeting over the future of the Corby Urgent Care Centre Thursday night.

More than 100 people crammed into the White Hart in Corby Old Village to share their concerns after it was revealed there are no takers for a new contract due to start on October 1. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Guidance: Dementia in older age: barriers to primary prevention and factors

Guidance: Dementia in older age: barriers to primary prevention and factors These documents help commissioners and researchers make decisions about prioritisation of primary prevention measures relevant to dementia.

This review, by the Personal Social Services Research Unit (PSSRU) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (2016), shows that there is evidence that the risk of dementia is increased by:

• physical inactivity
• current smoking
• diabetes
• hypertension in mid-life
• obesity in mid-life and depression

It also shows that mental activity can reduce the risk of dementia.

To promote primary prevention of dementia, it is important to understand both the barriers to primary prevention and factors which facilitate primary prevention. Public Health England

GP Forward View falling short on workforce but still the lifeline general practice needs

GP Forward View falling short on workforce but still the lifeline general practice needs The College’s Annual Assessment of the plan, that was launched in April 2016, recognises that NHS England is making progress in delivering many of its approximately 100 pledges – and that the commitment to spend an additional £2.4 billion each year on general practice by 2020/21 is on track.

But the College’s analysis, based on the most up to date statistical and member feedback, raises concerns that the GP Forward View is not having the positive impact on frontline general practice and patient care to the extent and with the speed that is needed.

Today’s report follows an interim assessment by the College, published in January, that found whilst progress is being made, national ambition was not being matched by local delivery and many GPs had yet to see significant change. The College is now calling for a ‘re-think’ on aspects the GP Forward View in order to turn things around – specifically around workforce pledges, but also on other key issues for GPs, such as spiralling costs of indemnity. Royal College of General Practitioners

See also:

• Annual assessment of GP Forward View (download) Royal College of General Practitioners
• Two in five GPs to quit inside five years as Forward View flounders, warns RCGP GPonline
• Royal College of GPs warn profession could reach 'breaking point' The Guardian

Member briefing: Brexit

Member briefing: Brexit National Voices is a member of the Brexit Health Alliance, a group of organisations convened by the NHS Confederation and including industry, professional bodies and patient organisations. This briefing explains the priority areas of concern for the health and care sector as Britain leaves the European Union, and explains the role the Brexit Health Alliance is seeking to play.

Mental health staff recruitment plan for England

Mental health staff recruitment plan for England Thousands more mental health workers are to be recruited by the NHS in England, the health secretary has said.

Jeremy Hunt said it was time to end the "historic imbalance" between mental and physical health services.

The aim is to recruit enough nurses, therapists and consultants to treat an extra one million patients by 2020-21.

But the Royal College of Nursing said the plans did not add up, and more "hard cash" would be needed if the new staff were to be trained in time.

The government said an extra £1bn already promised for mental health services in England would fund the scheme - part of a pot of £1.3bn committed in 2016 to transform provision. BBC News

See also:

• Government promises an extra 21,000 NHS mental health staff The Daily Telegraph
• Mental health sector gives mixed response to £1.3bn plan to improve NHS services The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt to 'create 21,000 new NHS posts' as part of mental health expansion The Independent

HIV tests for new GP patients 'can aid early diagnosis'

HIV tests for new GP patients 'can aid early diagnosis' Offering HIV testing when people register with a new GP in areas of high prevalence is cost-effective and could prolong lives, a new study says.

Patients at 40 GP surgeries in the London borough of Hackney were given finger-prick HIV testing when registering.

The study, in the Lancet, found this raised the rate of diagnosis four-fold.

The Terrence Higgins Trust welcomed the findings and called on healthcare commissioners to act on them.

Public Health England already recommends that all GPs in areas where HIV prevalence is high, or extremely high, should offer testing to everyone who registers with the practice and has not previously been diagnosed with the virus. BBC News

See also:

• NHS study: HIV test should be given to all registered The Daily Mail

Mixed-sex wards endanger and humiliate women

Mixed-sex wards endanger and humiliate women Even as gender-neutral spaces grow, hospitals show that in some areas men and women are best kept apart

Courtesy of some artful timing, the latest of Theresa May’s difficulties – on mixed-sex hospital wards – caused less of a stir than her choice of the Alps, also disclosed as Westminster shut down, for her and Philip’s next walking holiday. Confirmation of a 50% rise, in May’s one year in office, in the number of patients treated in same-sex wards, a subject of consuming Tory interest until she dropped it from their manifesto, must now take second place to a £26 shirt dress.

Accusations of shiftiness are more quickly forgotten, after all, than are reversals on this scale. The unacceptability of mixed-sex wards has been a cherished theme for every opposition since Tony Blair alighted, in 1996, on what is still, universally, agreed to be a valid cause of public upset. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS bosses are secretly planning to slash prescriptions

NHS bosses are secretly planning to slash prescriptions NHS bosses are secretly planning to extend waiting times, slash prescriptions and heavily ration hip and knee operations, doctors’ leaders warn.

They have launched a major cost-cutting drive across 13 regions in England which all massively blew their budgets last year.

Managers in these areas which include Bristol, Northumberland, Cambridgeshire and North and Central London have been ordered to make collective savings of £500 million over the next 12 months.

But they have not published any details of how they will meet this target or set out exactly which treatments and services will be cut. The Daily Mail

Negligent hospitals to get free pass at inquests under costs cap - warning

Negligent hospitals to get free pass at inquests under costs cap - warning NHS hospitals responsible for patient deaths will get a free pass at inquests under Government proposals to cap legal costs, the lawyer for victims of the Bristol heart scandal has warned.

Coroners’ hearings to establish what went wrong will become “truncated” and chances to learn lessons lost, said Laurence Vick, who represented multiple families in the wake of the 1990s fatalities.

Loved-ones with limited means are often represented for free at inquests by lawyers who gamble on getting paid after winning a subsequent compensation battle in court. The Daily Telegraph

A joined-up approach to recruitment

A joined-up approach to recruitment Andrew Belcher, clinical resource planning manager at Northampton General Hospital, explains how healthcare providers in his county have come together collectively to address the skills crisis.

The shortage of nurses and doctors is a national issue. The Royal College of Nursing’s chief executive and general secretary, Janet Davies, recently revealed there are 40,000 nursing vacancies in England, with 96% of hospitals in the UK having nursing shortages. It was also reported that GP recruitment has slumped by 20%, adding to the pressures on A&E doctors because people have trouble accessing a GP.

In Northamptonshire, four leading NHS healthcare providers have partnered with the University of Northampton to collectively address the skills crisis.

Northampton General Hospital has partnered with the University of Northampton, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS FT, Kettering General Hospital and St Andrew’s Healthcare to launch the ‘Best of Both Worlds’ recruitment campaign. National Health Executive

See also:

• Nurses needed across Northamptonshire News-Medical.Net

Corby Urgent Care Centre contingency plan ‘no longer an option’

Corby Urgent Care Centre contingency plan ‘no longer an option’ Corby CCG says it is unable to make any reassurances over provision for the town’s urgent care centre when the current contract ends in nine weeks.

The site in Cottingham Road has been at the centre of an ongoing row over funding, with operators Lakeside+ saying a new contract to start on October 1 doesn’t offer enough money.

Corby CCG put the contract out to tender but the only bidder withdrew - and it’s now been revealed that that bidder was the same organisation which was earmarked as a contingency operator when Lakeside+ threatened to walk away in March. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Practical value in the NHS

Practical value in the NHS ‘Value’ sounds like a familiar concept but it can mean different things to different people. One definition of value in the health and care sector is ‘health outcomes per dollar spent’, so attempts to increase value can look at either improving quality or reducing cost.

The King’s Fund has previously highlighted the fact that addressing waste and variability in clinical work can create better value in the NHS. But what does value mean to people working in the NHS – and how it is being applied in practice?

Are STP mental health plans destined to fail?

Are STP mental health plans destined to fail? Norman Lamb MP warns that it would be a huge mistake to waste the opportunity sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) present to fix struggling mental health services and encourage parity of esteem. National Health Executive

Nursing associate case studies published

Nursing associate case studies published Health Education England has now published a range of case studies on the pilot nursing associate role programme, featuring the new trainees.

Using data to improve nurse retention case study

Using data to improve nurse retention case study A new case study looking at how staff from Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust used data to reduce nurse turnover by 2 per cent and the costs relating to recruitment of temporary and agency staff. NHS Employers

‘Top up stealth tax’ forced on older people entitled to free care

‘Top up stealth tax’ forced on older people entitled to free care A new report has revealed that the families of a quarter of care home residents whose care is supposed to be free are being forced into paying top up fees.

When a person is moving into a care home they take the means-test to decide whether they are able to pay for their own care or whether the council should pay. To qualify for state-funded support, they must show that they have modest assets - which currently can only be up to the value of £23,250.

In its latest 'Behind the headlines' report, Age UK has revealed that even those who have met these strict conditions to pass the means test are now being made to pay ‘top up fees’. These fees are paid by the care home resident to supplement the council’s payment of their care.

GPC warning ignored as CCGs roll out bans on GPs prescribing OTC drugs

GPC warning ignored as CCGs roll out bans on GPs prescribing OTC drugs CCGs are imposing bans on GPs prescribing drugs available OTC just days after NHS England began a consultation on the issue, despite warnings that GPs refusing to prescribe medicines their patients need could be in breach of their contracts. GPonline

NHS accused of shrouding £500m of planned cuts in secrecy

NHS accused of shrouding £500m of planned cuts in secrecy BMA says patients deserve to know the impact of savings in healthcare across England

Doctors’ leaders have accused NHS bosses of shrouding controversial plans for £500m of cuts to services across England in “totally unacceptable secrecy”.

Patients deserve to know how hospitals being told to “think the unthinkable” as part of the savings drive will affect their access to healthcare, the British Medical Association (BMA) said on Friday. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Refusal to discuss 'unthinkable' cuts British Medical Association
• Secret NHS cuts will cause uproar once revealed, doctors claim ITV News

I’m an NHS doctor: understaffing is putting my patients at risk | Anonymous

I’m an NHS doctor: understaffing is putting my patients at risk | Anonymous The government has broken its word and, despite all the warnings, seems to be ignoring the danger of a Mid Staffs-style scandal on a national scale• Anonymous is a junior hospital doctor

A new joke is doing the rounds in my hospital. How many doctors does it take to change a lightbulb? The answer is 11. One to do the actual changing, the other 10 invented by Department of Health spin doctors in response to the latest headlines about NHS understaffing.

This week, those headlines could not have been more stark. Data from NHS Digital revealed that there are more than 86,000 vacant posts in NHS England – a rise of 15.8% on last year, and the highest number on record. But not one of the doctors and nurses I work with was remotely surprised by the news. One day’s fleeting headlines are our everyday lived and breathed reality.

Keeping everyone safe will demand superhuman efforts that I’m not sure I have the stamina to keep providing much longer Continue reading... The Guardian

My son died of sepsis. He'd still be alive if I'd known what it was

My son died of sepsis. He'd still be alive if I'd known what it was There is a gaping hole in public, and clinical, awareness of the condition. Information about sepsis needs to be put into parents’ hands

My son Sam should be 10 years old. I say “should” because on 23 December 2010 he died suddenly and avoidably from sepsis. When he came down with flu-like symptoms the week before Christmas I wasn’t overly concerned as he was still behaving like Sam would when he was ill.

But the morning of 22 December was different. He didn’t perk up as normal after medicine. He looked very pale, wasn’t interested in anything and was incredibly thirsty. What struck me as most odd was that his very high temperature had dropped almost to normal, but he looked so much more ill. I thought a lowering temperature meant he should be getting better – it didn’t make sense. I had never heard of sepsis. Continue reading... The Guardian

Capita to blame for NHS data loss of 100,000 patients

Capita to blame for NHS data loss of 100,000 patients More than 100,000 patients were caught up in NHS data blunders in the last 12 months, official figures reveal.

Sacks of medical records were delivered to the wrong surgeries, emails sent to private firms and confidential details published on websites.

The number of serious ‘data’ incidents has doubled in a year and they are now occurring at a frequency of one every three weeks.

According to the NHS’s own figures, some 18 serious errors were reported in 2016/17 affecting just under 101,000 patients.

In one case last July a health trust mistakenly sent confidential information about 100,000 patients to an unnamed ‘third party. The Daily Mail

Blunders behind NHS baby deaths risk cover-ups under new plans

Blunders behind NHS baby deaths risk cover-ups under new plans NHS blunders which leave babies stillborn will be brushed under the carpet under government plans to limit legal fees, safety campaigners have warned.

Health officials have drawn up plans to cap legal costs for claims where damages are worth less than £25,000. This includes the deaths of newborns, and stillbirths - where Britain’s record is among the worst in the developed world.

But patients’ groups say the plans will worsen safety in the NHS, fuelling a soaring bill for catastrophic maternity errors because lessons are not being learned. The Daily Telegraph

Response to Corby Urgent Care Centre crisis ‘woefully inadequate’, says MP

Response to Corby Urgent Care Centre crisis ‘woefully inadequate’, says MP The MP for Corby says people have been let down by a poor quality of dialogue over the town’s urgent care centre crisis.

Residents fear the site could close in October after the only bidder for a new contract withdrew from the process.

The current operators, Lakeside+, say they will walk away because Corby CCG aren’t offering enough money to cover their costs.

MP Tom Pursglove says the community needs reassurance that it will stay open - but they simply aren’t getting it. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Corby Urgent Care Centre given ‘good’ rating by CQC Northamptonshire Telegraph

Patient at Northampton psychiatric hospital died after nurse muddled medication, panel hears

Patient at Northampton psychiatric hospital died after nurse muddled medication, panel hears A nurse who botched a medication round at a Northampton hospital that led to the death of a patient has been let off with a caution.

While on duty at an unfamiliar ward at Berrywood Hospital, in Duston, Misodzi Gwenamo gave a large dose of medication to the wrong patient. The ward then failed to provide sufficient emergency care as the patient's condition worsened until she died.

Gwenamo admitted all charges of misconduct at a Nursing and Midwifery Council disciplinary hearing on July 24. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Patient experience of GP surgeries: it’s getting in that’s the problem

Patient experience of GP surgeries: it’s getting in that’s the problem It is rare that any service hears from 800,000 of its users at the same time, but that is what happened recently with the publication of the GP Patient Survey. It is easy to dismiss this kind of survey, particularly when the results make difficult reading – the questions are wrong, it doesn’t reflect the right patients – but when this number of people have taken the time to give their views on the services they receive then we should take the time to listen to what they are telling us. The King's Fund

How safety huddles can drive improvement and reduce harm

How safety huddles can drive improvement and reduce harm Last month’s CQC report showcased improvements across eight trusts, including Leeds Teaching Hospitals where I work. The report prompted me to ask: in a world where morale is low and resources depleted, how do you reach and engage the whole workforce to believe they can make a difference?

Four years ago we held a ‘big conversation’ with our ward team about the improvement area we wanted to work on. A colleague from Yorkshire and Humber Improvement Academy suggested we try a team huddle, or focused gathering. We wanted to reduce falls and discussed how we could focus our huddle on who we were worried about falling that day and what we could do as a team.

We tested our huddle during a shift. Our aim was to go 30 days without a fall, although the team didn’t believe this was possible. A week between falls was rare, so the idea of celebrating 10 days between falls as a bronze certificate began. The dream of a gold certificate of 30 days seemed impossible, with a fear that we would fail. The Health Foundation

Sexual and reproductive health must not become the "Cinderella" service of the NHS

Sexual and reproductive health must not become the "Cinderella" service of the NHS The College is launching its report Time To Act, highlighting the findings of a College consultation with its 50,000-strong membership.

It found that GPs fear rates of teenage pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases will rise – reversing current trends – as vulnerable patients are being excluded from accessing the most appropriate forms of contraception, and that health inequalities are being widened as a result.

Members particularly cited the difficulties patients living in rural areas have in accessing sexual and reproductive health services, as well as younger patients who rely on their parents for transport. Royal College of General Practitioners

Inpatient provision for children and young people with mental health problems

Inpatient provision for children and young people with mental health problems This report examines the state of child and adolescent mental health inpatient services in England. It explores the latest evidence and NHS data on admissions, quality of care, staffing and capacity. It highlights five challenges to raising standards in young people’s mental health provision. Education Policy Institute

Mental health crisis services in England 'under pressure'

Mental health crisis services in England 'under pressure' Services for people who are suicidal or self-harming are facing unprecedented demand in England, a BBC Radio 5 live investigation has found.

Out of 39 mental health trusts that provided figures for their crisis teams, 27 had seen their workload increase - 70%.

And some had seen referrals rise by as much as 60% - but without a comparable rise in funding.

NHS England said an extra £400m would be spent on crisis resolution teams.

BBC Radio 5 live contacted all 54 mental health trusts who run crisis teams in England.

One of them, East London NHS Foundation Trust, revealed its crisis team had seen referrals increase from 7,057 to 11,368 last year, a 60% rise in demand. BBC News

Should you finish a course of antibiotics?

Should you finish a course of antibiotics? It is time to reconsider the widespread advice that people should always complete an entire course of antibiotics, experts in the BMJ say.

They argue there is not enough evidence to back the idea that stopping pills early encourages antibiotic resistance.

Instead, they suggest, more studies need to be done to see if other strategies - such as stopping once feeling better - can help cut antibiotic use.

But GPs urge people not to change their behaviour in the face of one study. BBC News

See also:

• The antibiotic course has had its day The BMJ

NHS patient data serious incidents doubled since Capita contract

NHS patient data serious incidents doubled since Capita contract There was a 'significant increase' in patient information being dropped, accidentally left behind or sent to the wrong location after the NHS outsourced functions to Capita.

In 2016/17, one year after NHS England entered into the new primary care support services contract, around 700 patients were affected by inadvertent disclosure of their information - although in most cases items were discovered by, or handed into, GP practices unopened.

In all, 12 of the 18 Serious Incidents Requiring Investigation reported by NHS England in the last financial year were related to the Primary Care Support England (PCSE) contract with Capita, NHS England’s annual report reveals. Pulse

Mental health spending cut despite more people seeking help, new figures reveal

Mental health spending cut despite more people seeking help, new figures reveal The number of people referred to mental health trusts in England surged last year even as spending on crisis teams was cut, figures have revealed.

Seven in 10 mental health trusts saw referrals to their mental health community crisis teams increase between 2015 and 2016, with several soaring by more than 30 per cent, including one that took in 61 per cent more referrals than it did the previous year.

The figures, obtained by Radio 5 Live, show that of the 39 trusts that responded, 27 saw a rise in referrals. Eleven of these also saw a drop in funding for their funding on crisis teams. The Independent

'You have no choice but to cope': a day on the ward with a student nurse

'You have no choice but to cope': a day on the ward with a student nurse It’s exhausting and sometimes distressing, but Chantelle Brooks, on her final placement at a mental health hospital in Blackpool, wouldn’t work anywhere else

Inside the Harbour, Blackpool’s mental health hospital, a patient is anxiously eyeing up the student nurse who is taking another patient’s blood pressure. When it comes to her turn, the woman begins shouting insults. On the acute woman’s ward, it’s easy for things to escalate if one patient becomes upset. For nurses on placement, it can be a stressful introduction to life on the wards.

Chantelle Brooks has learned to cope by now. This is her final placement on a three-year degree course in mental health nursing at the University of Cumbria. Despite the occasionally distressing nature of her job, she can’t imagine doing anything else. Continue reading... The Guardian

Ex-bishop drafted in to help save contaminated blood inquiry

Ex-bishop drafted in to help save contaminated blood inquiry Former Hillsborough panel chair Right Rev James Jones asked to break stalemate by talking to victims boycotting proceedings

The former bishop of Liverpool who chaired the Hillsborough panel has been drafted in to help save the contaminated blood inquiry, which is being boycotted by hundreds of victims infected with HIV and hepatitis C.

The Right Rev James Jones has been asked to break the stalemate by hosting talks with victims, who lack trust in the Department of Health (DH) to set up an independent investigation after being given contaminated blood by the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• What is the contaminated blood scandal? The Guardian

Hospitals that puts the sick at risk face court

Hospitals that puts the sick at risk face court Hospitals will face criminal prosecutions for putting patients at risk, the official watchdog has warned.

The Care Quality Commission is considering taking legal action against an unspecified number of trusts where patients have been harmed.

The watchdog was given new powers to prosecute NHS trusts in 2015 following a landmark inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal.

In March, it used these powers for the first time by bringing a criminal prosecution against Southern Healthcare Trust. The Daily Mail

PHE did not raise alarm about E.coli outbreak for four months, report reveals

PHE did not raise alarm about E.coli outbreak for four months, report reveals Health bosses did not raise an alert about an outbreak of deadly E.coli for more than four months while 21 people became infected, a report reveals.

The outbreak of E.coli VTEC 044 left 11 children and two adults fighting for their lives after they developed rare complications.

It was the first infection of its kind in England and ended up affecting 31 people in Dorset between July 2014 and November 2015.

The victims included a 21-month-old boy, who had to be placed in a medically induced coma while suffering kidney failure and seizures due to swelling on the brain. The Daily Telegraph

Why we shouldn't panic about nursing students... yet

Why we shouldn't panic about nursing students... yet We’ve known for some time that there is a shortage of nurses in England. There’s nothing particularly new in that statement. It’s been said by us at the Fund, the Public Accounts Committee, Health Education England, and the Migration Advisory Committee.

That’s one reason why the decision to scrap the NHS bursary scheme and require trainee nurses and other health care students to take out loans has polarised debate. On the one hand, the government argues that this will create an additional 10,000 university places by making it more financially rewarding for universities to provide places on nursing courses, ultimately significantly increasing the pool of qualified staff. On the other, critics say it will deter people – particularly mature students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds – from applying for nursing courses and will saddle nurses with debt. And this takes place within the context of a wider debate about student finance and calls for it to be reformed.

So what effect has this had on the number of people training to be a nurse? Well, the number of applications for undergraduate nursing places in the UK has dropped dramatically this year: down 19 per cent from 2016. The King's Fund

Behind closed doors: can we expect NHS staff to be the shock absorbers of a system under pressure?

Behind closed doors: can we expect NHS staff to be the shock absorbers of a system under pressure? This briefing highlights concerns that the pressures within the NHS are placing staff under stress and at risk of burnout and the impact that this could have on patient safety. It makes recommendations that focus on support for bottom-up initiatives that acknowledge the intrinsic motivations that staff feel to care for patients, and for actions at every level of the NHS to enable staff to be at their best with patients. Point of Care Foundation

Vaginal implants: Report recommends recording complications

Vaginal implants: Report recommends recording complications An NHS England report on vaginal mesh implants has recommended better support and communication between patients and doctors over the devices.

The Mesh Oversight Group report also said complications caused by the implants should be recorded so that experts fully understood the risks.

Vaginal mesh implants are used to treat stress urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

But some women said they left them in permanent pain and unable to walk.

The research - seen exclusively by the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme - aims to address concerns over the use of mesh devices. BBC News

More than 80,000 NHS posts vacant, says report

More than 80,000 NHS posts vacant, says report More than 86,000 NHS posts were vacant between January 2017 and March 2017, figures for England suggest.

Statistics from NHS Digital, which collates data, shows the number of vacancies climbed by almost 8,000 compared to the same period in 2016.

Nurses and midwives accounted for the highest proportion of shortages, with 11,400 vacant posts in March 2017.

The Department of Health said staffing was a priority and that more money was being invested in frontline staff.

The data includes job adverts published on the NHS Jobs website between February 2015 and March 2017. BBC News

See also:

• NHS job vacancies have rocketed by 30% in 2 years The Daily Mail
• Soaring NHS vacancies prompt warnings of 'desperate' understaffing The Guardian

Anti-depressants linked to 28 murders in three decades, BBC investigation finds

Anti-depressants linked to 28 murders in three decades, BBC investigation finds Anti-depressants have been associated with 28 reports of murder referred to the UK medicines regulator in the last three decades, according to a new BBC investigation.

Murderous thoughts were also believed to be linked to the medication on 32 occasions, according to Panorama, although the possible connection does not necessarily mean the drugs caused the events.

In 2016, over 40 million prescriptions were made for SSRIs, a type of anti-depressant that boosts levels of the chemical seratonin in the brain. The Independent

Dementia nurses provide a lifeline for carers that is all too rare

Dementia nurses provide a lifeline for carers that is all too rare Although specialist Admiral nurses can prevent hospital admissions and save money, there are only 200 in the UK and many counties have none at all.

Kate and Jon Henderson have devoted the past decade to looking after their 67-year-old mother, Sally, who has dementia. At first the siblings, who, until this February shared their bungalow in Rottingdean, near Brighton with her, were able to cope. But as Sally’s condition worsened, she began to lose her balance and had to use a wheelchair. Her speech deteriorated so much that Jon and Kate had to anticipate her needs by reading her body language. They installed a wet room, a disabled access door and a hospital bed with rails.

Last year, constant urinary tract infections made Sally more confused and a bad cold led to acute illness because she could not clear her throat. Kate was so worried she began sleeping on an air bed in her mum’s room.

You have to be emotionally tough. When a carer is drained from looking after someone you refill his or her jug Continue reading... The Guardian

Lack of mental health support leaving children stuck in hospital – thinktank

Lack of mental health support leaving children stuck in hospital – thinktank Figures show rise in number of ‘wasted days’ spent in hospital by young patients who have been declared fit for discharge

Children with serious mental health problems are becoming trapped in NHS psychiatric units, unable to leave because care is unavailable outside hospitals, a thinktank has said.


NHS figures show that between October 2015 and September 2016 children and young people in England spent almost 9,000 days in hospital after being declared fit to be discharged. Some end up stuck in units for several months. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS needs more money but must improve how it spends it, says watchdog

NHS needs more money but must improve how it spends it, says watchdog Outgoing chief inspector of hospitals calls for more investment, but says ‘things can be done better without more money’

More money should be spent on the NHS, though funding alone is not the answer to all its problems, according to England’s outgoing chief inspector of hospitals.

Prof Sir Mike Richards said the health service was in a perilous situation and needed investment to cope, including a pay rise for overworked nurses to convince them to stay. But he insisted that other improvements could be made without spending more cash. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• NHS 'does not need more money to improve' BBC News

Continuing Healthcare NHS fund can help with care costs

Continuing Healthcare NHS fund can help with care costs Frail elderly people are being forced to sell their homes because the NHS is taking years to pay them vital cash to fund their care bills.

A Money Mail investigation found officials are taking up to five years to process claims for funding.

In some cases, families are having to wait two years even after the NHS has agreed to pay up.

Currently, you have to finance your own care bills if you have assets of more than £23,250. This includes your home. The Daily Mail

Pressure mounts to curtail surgery on intersex children

Pressure mounts to curtail surgery on intersex children The American Medical Association is considering a proposal to ban genital surgery on intersex children.

For years, children whose sexual characteristics don't align with either male or female have been eligible for surgery during infancy to rearrange their anatomy.

This practice is now under attack as never before, with many criticizing that these children were operated on before they were old enough to have a say in the matter.

On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch and InterACT, which is a group advocating for intersex youth, released a detailed report assailing the practice and urging Congress to ban it. The Daily Mail

Plan to cut £230m from the NHS in Northamptonshire over the next five years needs 'improvement'

Plan to cut £230m from the NHS in Northamptonshire over the next five years needs 'improvement' The NHS's plans to meet its multi-million savings targets in Northamptonshire will be among the most difficult to achieve, a national report has found.

It has now been eight months since health chiefs in the county released their Sustainability Transformation Plan (STP) to shake up the way care is delivered by 2020.

The NHS in Northamptonshire needs to change the way it works in order to meet a projected £230 million shortfall from the Government.

But the plans, which include delivering more care from home and reducing A&E emissions were largely criticised for being difficult to understand, for lacking consultation and for the fact consultants were paid £720,000 to help draw them up.

A report by NHS England, looking at the progress of STPs nationwide, states that Northamptonshire's proposals will be among the most difficult to deliver.

It is one of only five STP areas labelled "needs most improvement". Northampton Chronicle and Echo

STP progress dashboard

STP progress dashboard This report outlines baseline data for each STP area in England relating to progress so far on STP plans against nine domains. The nine domains focus on hospital performance, patient-focused change and transformation. NHS England

Focus on physicians: census of consultant physicians and higher specialty trainees 2016-17

Focus on physicians: census of consultant physicians and higher specialty trainees 2016-17 This report outlines the findings of a wellbeing survey and it finds that only one in four substantive consultant physicians in the UK feel valued by the hospital in which they work. Respondents also reported a desire for more time for teaching, research and patient care in their workload. Royal College of Physicians

Decommissioning health care: identifying best practice through primary and secondary research a prospective mixed-methods study

Decommissioning health care: identifying best practice through primary and secondary research a prospective mixed-methods study This study aims to formulate theoretically grounded, evidence-informed guidance to support best practice in effective decommissioning of NHS services. It finds that there is a lack of robust evidence to guide decommissioning, but among experts there is a high level of consensus for three good-practice principles: establish a strong leadership team, engage clinical leaders from an early stage and establish a clear rationale for change. National Institute for Health Research

Measuring and monitoring of safety framework e-guide: better questions, safer care

Measuring and monitoring of safety framework e-guide: better questions, safer care This guide has been produced in conjunction with Advancing Quality Alliance, UK Improvement Alliance, Health Improvement Scotland and the Improvement Academy.

The guide contains a range of useful resources to help health and care professionals to take a more holistic approach when looking at the safety of care. It also offers detailed case studies and practical templates spanning roles from board to ward, and across ambulance, acute, mental health and primary care settings. Haelo

Vlogger: I'm using magnets to treat depersonalisation

Vlogger: I'm using magnets to treat depersonalisation Dodie Clark suffers from a mental health condition called depersonalisation which leaves her feeling depressed. She has tried a rare new treatment to help her with the condition.

The treatment is called trans-cranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS. It sends electromagnetic pulses to the brain. BBC News

See also:

• 'Spaced out' BBC News

Length of fitness to practise hearings will be reduced, says MPTS

Length of fitness to practise hearings will be reduced, says MPTS The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) will 'reduce the length' of hearings and offer more support to affected doctors over the next year, it has told parliament. GPonline

The NHS and social care must stop bickering over funding | Niall Dickson

The NHS and social care must stop bickering over funding | Niall Dickson With both parts of the system under pressure, blaming each other will do nothing to help those who rely on services.

A comprehensive settlement for funding social care remains elusive. Successive governments have placed it in the “too difficult” pile and, given the role that social care played in the election campaign and its outcome, it is difficult to envisage the government being able to solve it anytime soon.

Now, as a result of repeated failures to address this fundamental issue, we have a growing dispute between health and local government about how new money announced in the budget earlier this year should be allocated. While there may be those who wish to cast aspersions on either side, the reality is that this dispute reflects the fact that both parts of the system are under intolerable pressure. Yet it is in no one’s interest, least of all those who rely on our services, for the NHS and local government to be at loggerheads about how funding is allocated. Continue reading... The Guardian

Women damaged by surgical mesh furious at NHS report

Women damaged by surgical mesh furious at NHS report Women damaged by surgical mesh used to treat post-childbirth incontinence have reacted with fury to a Government report investigating the problem.

At least 7,800 women say they’ve suffered lacerations and nerve damage because the mesh has broken into tiny fragments.

The report, which is unpublished but has been seen by Good Health, is the result of a three-year investigation by NHS England. It confirms that many more women have complained of injuries than previously suggested and calls for a helpline to support victims. The Daily Mail

Shortfall in hospital doctors causing devastating problems

Shortfall in hospital doctors causing devastating problems Anyone who’s tried to get an appointment with their GP lately will know there aren’t enough family doctors to go round.

The average wait to see a GP is now 13 days, according to a survey by Pulse, the GP magazine, and last week the NHS announced it will recruit an extra 2,000 GPs from overseas to help make up the shortfall.

But it’s not only GPs who are thin on the ground. Many vital specialties, including paediatrics, emergency medicine and mental health, are struggling with severe staff shortages. The Daily Mail

NHS concerns as critically ill people being turned away

NHS concerns as critically ill people being turned away Trusts across the country are introducing 'front-door streaming' by the autumn, with GPs stationed at casualty units to identify the least sick patients in an attempt to relieve overcrowding. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS to review plans to divert patients from hospital A&E departments The Independent

Charlie Gard's parents spend 'last precious moments' with son after ending legal fight

Charlie Gard's parents spend 'last precious moments' with son after ending legal fight Charlie Gard's parents are spending their "last precious moments" with the terminally ill little boy after abandoning attempts to persuade a judge to let him travel to America for experimental therapy.

Lawyers representing Chris Gard and Connie Yates say they want to spend the "maximum amount of time they have left with Charlie".

The little boy would turn one year old on August 4, but Charlie's parents say he "unfortunately won't make his first birthday". The Daily Telegraph

Kettering Hospital patient data 'flawed for nine years'

Kettering Hospital patient data 'flawed for nine years' A hospital may have lost track of its patients for almost a decade, according to a report obtained by the BBC.

It was commissioned after Kettering General Hospital admitted "anomalies" with its waiting lists data.

The report said patient safety was seriously jeopardised and cost-cutting contributed to the problem.

A whistleblower claimed patients were removed from lists to help meet national targets, but investigators found no evidence of fraud.

In May, the BBC reported allegations by David Phelan, who was also a trust governor at the time, that data had been "fiddled" .

A hospital review found that 138 patients were harmed - including one who had substantial sight loss - as a result of the long waits.

The hospital admitted using "inappropriate filtering" of its data to remove patients but denied it was a deliberate attempt at making figures look better to avoid fines. BBC Northampton

Corby Urgent Care Centre raised in Parliament

Corby Urgent Care Centre raised in Parliament The plight of Corby Urgent Care Centre has been raised in Parliament by the town’s MP.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Tom Pursglove called for reassurance from the clinical commissioning group that the centre will not only be protected but improved.

In a post on his Facebook page, he wrote: “Earlier today, I again raised the Corby Urgent CareCentre, on the floor of the House of Commons.

“During a debate on matters to be raised before the Summer Recess, I spoke about the fantastic record that the Urgent Care Centre has, the pressures that it relieves on Kettering General Hospital, and what a valued and hugely important resource this is to our community." Northamptonshire Telegraph

More people will be able to give blood following scientific review

More people will be able to give blood following scientific review The government has announced changes to blood donation rules following a review by the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs (SaBTO).

As a result of the latest clinical evidence, more people will be given the opportunity to donate blood without affecting the safety of the blood supply, from early 2018.

Current blood donation rules prevent people who engage in some sexual behaviours from giving blood for a 12 month period. As a result of scientific advances and improved understanding of the tests used, the deferral period for these people will now be reduced to 3 months.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) will also be looking at ways to allow more people to donate blood without impacting blood safety. Department of Health

See also:

• Independent report: Blood, tissue and cell donor selection criteria report: 2017 Department of Health

The NHS summer report says it could try harder

The NHS summer report says it could try harder Little publicised or trailed, the Department of Health's annual report and accounts were quietly released this week - on the face of it, not everyone's cup of tea or preferred sun lounger reading.

But it serves as an important in-depth account of the state of the NHS in England.

The opening pages, inevitably, emphasise the positives - just as a corporate annual report would do. Half a million more patients seen in A&E than in the previous year, more than one million appointments booked or cancelled online, an increase in the NHS workforce, almost £1bn invested over five years in infrastructure to boost research.

But read on and the more difficult truths begin to emerge. BBC News

'A misuse of scarce funds': NHS to end prescription of homeopathic remedies

'A misuse of scarce funds': NHS to end prescription of homeopathic remedies New guidelines mean homeopathic remedies and 17 other items will no longer be prescribed, for reasons ranging from low clinical effectiveness to low cost-effectiveness

Homeopathic remedies will no longer be available on prescription on the NHS according to newly-announced plans.

The move comes as part of the NHS England’s drive to save more than £190m a year through a new set of national guidelines, which are now open for public consultation. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• NHS England launches action plan to drive out wasteful and ineffective drug prescriptions, saving NHS over £190 million a year NHS England
• Items which should not be routinely prescribed in primary care: A Consultation on guidance for CCGs NHS England
• Safe, sensible measures to reduce NHS prescription costs should be encouraged, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• NHS prescription cuts 'to hit low income families' BBC News
• NHS plans to scrap homeopathy treatments BBC News
• NHS announces ban on homeopathy and herbal medicine The Daily Mail
• NHS to ban homeopathy and herbal medicine, as 'misuse of resources' The Daily Telegraph
• NHS ban on 'wasteful' prescribing could harm poorest patients, GPs warn GPonline
• The Guardian view on homeopathy: the NHS shouldn’t pay | Editorial The Guardian

Heavy drinking will kill 63,000 people over next five years, doctors warn

Heavy drinking will kill 63,000 people over next five years, doctors warn Doctors urge government to introduce minimum unit pricing for alcohol as research reveals extent of liver disease

Almost 63,000 people in England will die over the next five years from liver problems linked to heavy drinking unless ministers tackle the scourge of cheap alcohol, doctors are warning.

Senior members of the medical profession and health charities are urging the government to bring in minimum unit pricing of alcohol and a crackdown on drink advertising to avert what they claim is the “public health crisis” of liver disease deaths.

The evidence is clear: raise the price of the cheapest alcohol to save lives and save money Continue reading... The Guardian

Exclusive: National review of schemes to divert patients from A&E amid safety fears

Exclusive: National review of schemes to divert patients from A&E amid safety fears NHS officials have ordered a national review of schemes to divert patients away from Accident & Emergency departments, amid fears that desperately-ill cases are being put at risk.

Every NHS trust is under instructions to introduce “front-door streaming” by this autumn, with GPs stationed at casualty units to weed out the least sick patients.

The initiative is part of attempts to relieve hospital overcrowding, and stave off pressures on units across the country.

But an investigation by The Telegraph reveals that a national review of such schemes has been ordered following the death of a man turned away by a pilot scheme. The Daily Telegraph

Charlie Gard hospital calls in police over death threats to staff

Charlie Gard hospital calls in police over death threats to staff Health bosses have called in police after staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital have been bombarded with violent threats and abuse over the case of baby Charlie Gard.

Thousands of abusive messages, including death threats, have been sent to doctors and nurses at the children’s hospital in London, managers revealed on Saturday.

Staff have also been abused in the street, said the hospital.

Scotland Yard has been informed and the hospital has warned it will seek the prosecution of anyone suspected of threatening its staff. The Daily Telegraph

Exclusive: NHS told to close gender pay gap as 'BBC effect' engulfs public sector

Exclusive: NHS told to close gender pay gap as 'BBC effect' engulfs public sector Senior women in the NHS should be given pay rises while men should be passed over to close a widening gender gap, health officials have been told, as the “BBC effect” engulfs more of the public sector.

An official review of executive pay, seen by The Sunday Telegraph, found that, at the highest levels, female NHS managers are being paid almost 9 per cent less than male counterparts – an average gap of around £11,000 a year. The Daily Telegraph

Hospital staff 'sick with stress' over crippling parking fines racked up every week

Hospital staff 'sick with stress' over crippling parking fines racked up every week Dozens of doctors, nurses and support workers have been left suffering high levels of stress and sickness after a NHS trust authorised a private car park operator to pursue them through the courts over unpaid fines.

Several members of staff at the Cardiff trust are understood to have gone off work with stress-related illnesses, off sick with stress, with many others anxious about how they will cope with paying multiple fines for parking at work while saving lives. The Daily Telegraph

NHS Protect finds 'no evidence' of Kettering Hospital fraud

NHS Protect finds 'no evidence' of Kettering Hospital fraud Investigators say they have found no evidence of fraud at a hospital which admitted more than 100 patients had been harmed by treatment delays.

A whistleblower had alleged patients were removed from lists at Kettering General Hospital because national targets were being missed.

The hospital denied "fiddling" but admitted inappropriate "filtering" to remove patients from waiting lists.

NHS Protect said it had carried out inquiries and no fraud was found.

The organisation, which investigates potential fraud in the NHS, said having conducted preliminary inquiries it would not be carrying out a full investigation. BBC Northampton

KGH set to move some staff into town centre offices

KGH set to move some staff into town centre offices Kettering Council has bought an office block in town which it wants to refurbish and lease to Kettering General Hospital for office space. Northamptonshire Telegraph

All parties invited to meeting over Corby urgent care centre

All parties invited to meeting over Corby urgent care centre A meeting over the future of Corby’s urgent care centre is to take place next week.

The contract to run the centre expires on September 30 but there are currently no bidders. Northamptonshire Telegraph

New head and neck nurse specialist for KGH

New head and neck nurse specialist for KGH Kettering General Hospital has taken on its first head and neck cancer nurse specialist to support patients with cancers of the mouth, throat and thyroid. Northamptonshire Telegraph

The state of care in mental health services 2014 to 2017

The state of care in mental health services 2014 to 2017 The report captures learning from inspections and findings from our role monitoring use of the the Mental Health Act, as well as analysis of data from other sources. This rich resource of information means we now know more about the quality of mental health care than ever before.

The report describes how our inspectors found that the clear majority of services are caring and compassionate towards their patients, with 88% of NHS and 93% of independent services being rated as good in this key question.

However, the report also identifies several areas of concern: difficulties around accessing services, physical environments not designed to keep people safe, care that is over-restrictive and institutional in nature, and poor recording and sharing of information that undermines the efforts of staff to work together to make sure that people get the right care at the right time. Care Quality Commission

See also:

• 'Too many' patients locked in for mental health care BBC News

Creative health: the arts for health and wellbeing

Creative health: the arts for health and wellbeing This report presents the findings of a two-year inquiry into the practice and research in the arts in health and social care. It discusses the return on the investment that art can bring to health and social care services; how art can help meet major challenges presented by ageing, long-term conditions, loneliness and mental health; and that the arts can contribute to wellbeing and a longer, high-quality of life. All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing

The right to decide: towards a greater understanding of mental capacity and deprivation of liberty

The right to decide: towards a greater understanding of mental capacity and deprivation of liberty This report finds that vulnerable people are being forced into situations against their will because care providers are not going through the proper processes. It highlights concerns about the way some of the most vulnerable people in society are being treated when decisions are being made on behalf of people who lack mental capacity to choose how they are cared for. The report offers advice and guidance to social care professionals on how to get things right when working with people who may lack mental capacity. It also provides questions councillors can use for scrutinising their own authorities to ensure people in their area are treated properly. Local Government Association 

GMC publishes action plan to improve revalidation

GMC publishes action plan to improve revalidation The General Medical Council has unveiled a plan to implement the recommendations in Sir Keith Pearson’s report –Taking Revalidation Forward – published earlier this year.

The plan has been agreed by the newly-established Revalidation Oversight Group, which includes representatives of stakeholder organisations across the UK, as well as the GMC itself.

It details work the GMC and others will do to improve medical revalidation, making it a more positive and meaningful experience for doctors, responsible officers, patients and everyone involved
.

Unmet need for care

Unmet need for care This report, conducted in partnership with the NIHR School for Social Care Research, NatCen Social Research, Age UK and Independent Age, highlights the experiences of unmet need for care among older people living in their own homes. It finds that despite varying measures of unmet need, by any measure over half of older people with care needs have unmet needs. People eligible for local authority support as well as self-funders are affected by unmet need and those who live alone are particularly vulnerable. Ipsos MORI

Half of pupils expelled from school 'mentally ill'

Half of pupils expelled from school 'mentally ill' Half of pupils expelled from England's schools have a mental health issue, according to analysis of official data.

The Institute of Public Policy Research suggests if excluded students with undiagnosed problems were included, the rate would be much higher.

This figure compares with one in 50 pupils in the wider population who have a mental health condition.

The government said it would be publishing plans to improve mental health services later in the year. BBC News

See also:

• Half of expelled pupils suffer mental health issues in ‘burningly injust system’, think-tank finds Institute for Public Policy Research

Jeremy Hunt says NHS should remove damp from council homes to improve people's health

Jeremy Hunt says NHS should remove damp from council homes to improve people's health Jeremy Hunt has suggested the NHS could intervene to remove damp from council homes in an effort to improve people’s health.

The Health Secretary said there are “very strong links between poor health and poor-quality housing” and any new policy would be part of a “holistic” approach from the health service.

“It is about providing green spaces in cities to help improve our mental health, providing cycle routes, a whole range of things, and housing is critical,” he told an audience at the King’s Fund in London. The Independent

GP leaders fear government 'airbrushing' of workforce failures

GP leaders fear government 'airbrushing' of workforce failures GP leaders have warned the government against 'airbrushing' its failure to increase GP numbers after the health secretary's annual review of NHS England's performance did not evaluate progress on GP recruitment. GPonline

How private GP care is meeting growing demand for fast access to appointments

How private GP care is meeting growing demand for fast access to appointments Private health providers are using technology to respond to increasing demand for quick access to GP healthcare.

Traditionally, an appointment with the GP involved a journey to the local surgery, but in response to a growing demand for fast access to GPs the private sector is introducing an innovative, and more flexible way to see a GP. Continue reading... The Guardian

Nursing shortages fuelling delayed discharge from hospital

Nursing shortages fuelling delayed discharge from hospital Falling number of district and other community nurses as big a factor as social care blockages, analysis finds

There is no doubt that delays in arranging follow-on social care are causing more older people to be stranded in hospital. But a new analysis of the problem says shortage of district nurses is at least as big a factor.

The number of district nurses in the UK has plummeted by 44% since 2010 when counted as full-time jobs, according to the analysis of NHS data by consultancy Christie & Co (pdf). Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS doc mistakenly operated on wrong side of woman's body

NHS doc mistakenly operated on wrong side of woman's body A mother is suing the NHS after a surgeon operated on the wrong side of her body and potentially damaged a healthy kidney.

Lauren Hodgson, 29, was due to undergo a minor operation to remove a stone in her left kidney at Milton Keynes Hospital in March.

But a mix-up by an inexperienced surgeon, described in medical jargon as a 'never-event', meant her right kidney was operated on instead. The Daily Mail

Top NHS boss Sir Andrew Morris sparks sexism row

Top NHS boss Sir Andrew Morris sparks sexism row An NHS boss has sparked outrage after saying men die younger because 'they are nagged to death' by their wives.

Sir Andrew Morris, chief executive of Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, was labelled a 'dinosaur' for his controversial comment.

The remark was made just days after experts said life expectancy improvements are grinding to a halt because of the ailing NHS. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Berkshire NHS boss criticised for 'nagging wife' quip BBC News

Nurses could train to become doctors by doing 'part-time' medical degrees

Nurses could train to become doctors by doing 'part-time' medical degrees Nurses could train to become doctors by doing “part-time degrees” under radical proposals to increase the number of medics.
Health officials on Wednesday said they were looking at ways to encourage nurses, pharmacists, and physios to train to become doctors while they earned. The Telegraph

Generous contractor helps out KGH

Generous contractor helps out KGH A contractor is saving Kettering General Hospital thousands of pounds by carrying out more than two weeks of work for free. Northamptonshire Telegraph

MS treatments: life-changing, but hard to access

MS treatments: life-changing, but hard to access Therapies for multiple sclerosis are becoming more effective. But an underfunded NHS is struggling to provide timely diagnosis and make the latest treatments widely available
More than 100,000 people in the UK have multiple sclerosis (MS), the most common cause of serious physical disability in working age adults, according to the MS guidelines set out by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The Guardian 

Need a wheelchair? Pay for it yourself

Need a wheelchair? Pay for it yourself A fourfold increase in the number of disabled people forced to use a crowdfunding site to buy their wheelchair undermines a basic tenet of the NHS, campaigners say. The Guardian

Quality improvement in mental health: a commitment to long-term change

Quality improvement in mental health: a commitment to long-term change Some recent high-profile reports have shown that NHS mental health care services are under pressure. Last month, the BMA reported that the number of adults sent ‘out of area’ for mental health care has increased over the past couple of years, a practice the Commission on Acute Adult Psychiatric Care highlighted as one of a number of issues contributing to variation in the quality of care in mental health. King's Fund

Corporate report: NHS Improvement: annual report and accounts 2016/17

Corporate report: NHS Improvement: annual report and accounts 2016/17 NHS Improvement is the operational name for the organisation that brings together Monitor, NHS Trust Development Authority (NHS TDA), Patient Safety including the National Reporting and Learning System, the Advancing Change team and the Intensive Support Teams.
Monitor and NHS TDA continue to exist as legal entities, but these reports refer mainly to NHS Improvement.
Our annual report and accounts were laid before Parliament on 18 July 2017. Monitor

Patients to benefit from £325 million investment in NHS transformation projects

Patients to benefit from £325 million investment in NHS transformation projects Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt and NHS England boss Simon Stevens have today (Wednesday July 19) announced £325m of capital investment for local projects that will help the NHS to modernise and transform care for patients. NHS England

Outdated handovers putting East Midlands patient care at risk, GMC report finds

Outdated handovers putting East Midlands patient care at risk, GMC report finds Patient care at East Midlands hospitals is potentially at risk due to inadequate handovers between teams of doctors on different shifts, a General Medical Council (GMC) review published today (Wednesday 19 July) has found. General Medical Council

Call for tighter checks on private hospitals used by NHS after MRSA case

Call for tighter checks on private hospitals used by NHS after MRSA case Labour MP Louise Haigh cites case of young patient who contracted infection while on mental health ward in Sheffield
Theresa May has been urged to tighten checks on private hospitals used by the NHS after a Labour MP raised the case of a young patient with an open wound who contracted MRSA on a private mental health ward. The Guardian

NHS England 'urgently needs 2,200 more A&E consultants'

NHS England 'urgently needs 2,200 more A&E consultants' Royal College of Emergency Medicine says hospitals must more than double current number of consultants to ensure safe care. The Guardian

A trade in people: the inpatient healthcare economy for people with learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder

A trade in people: the inpatient healthcare economy for people with learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder Centre for Disability Research, University of Lancaster (CeDR), June 2017
This report finds that around half of inpatient services for people with learning disabilities or autism are being run by the independent sector rather than the NHS. Over a quarter of a billion pounds of public money every year is being paid to independent sector companies to run these services. Lancashire Health Libraries.

A Mental Health Act fit for tomorrow: an agenda for reform

A Mental Health Act fit for tomorrow: an agenda for reform Mental Health Alliance, June 2017
This report summarises the findings of a survey of over 8000 people who use mental health services, carers, and professionals working in the field. The report highlights concerns that the Mental Health Act overlooks the dignity and human rights of people with mental illness. Lancashire Health Libraries

Arts can help recovery from illness and keep people well, report says

Arts can help recovery from illness and keep people well, report says All-party inquiry demonstrates benefits to health and wellbeing of the arts, leading to fall in hospital admissions.
GPs prescribing arts activities to some patients could lead to a dramatic fall in hospital admissions and save the NHS money, according to a report into the subject of arts, health and wellbeing published after two years of evidence gathering. The Guardian

See also:

• Doctors advised to send patients to arts classes Mail Online

Thousands of mental health patients spend years on secure wards

Thousands of mental health patients spend years on secure wards 

Critics condemn ‘Victorian approach’ to treatment after NHS watchdog reveals 3,500 patients are kept locked in.
Thousands of mental health patients are being kept in secure wards for years at a time when they should be being rehabilitated and preparing to leave hospital, a NHS watchdog has revealed. The Guardian

See also:

• 40 per cent of mental health units out of date or unsafe Mail Online
• 'Too many' patients locked in for mental health care BBC News

Plan not to give HPV vaccine to boys causes concern

Plan not to give HPV vaccine to boys causes concern
A decision not to vaccinate boys against a cancer-causing sexually transmitted infection has attracted fierce criticism.
Reported cases of human papilloma virus (HPV) - thought to cause about 80% of cervical cancers - have fallen sharply since girls were given the vaccine.
But the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) found little evidence to justify treating boys too. BBC News

See also:

• HPV jabs for boys 'highly unlikely to be cost-effective' say DH advisers GPonline
• HPV vaccine: anger over decision not to extend NHS scheme to boys The Guardian
• Guidance: JCVI statement: extending the HPV vaccination programme Department of Health

Midwives call for 'urgent' funding for mental health care for new mothers

Midwives call for 'urgent' funding for mental health care for new mothers after postnatal depression death. There is an "urgent need" for more funding for mental health care for expectant and new mothers, leading midwives have said.

The comments from the Royal College of Midwives come after a report claimed services across the UK are "under resourced".

Researchers wrote the report following an online petition which gathered more than 55,000 signatures calling for the NHS to review how it treats and cares for women with postnatal depression. The Independent

Pay row threatens overnight care for vulnerable

Pay row threatens overnight care for vulnerable Vulnerable people with learning difficulties could lose overnight supervision, disability charity Mencap warns.

The HMRC has ruled carers sleeping overnight to provide safety and reassurance should be be paid the national minimum wage for all hours.

Mencap says the total bill for back pay - due by September, and in some cases dating back six years - could be £400m. BBC News - Health

Pharmacists influence latest NHS reform

Pharmacists influence latest NHS reform NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has announced the creation of eight ‘accountable care systems’ (ACSs), which will see local NHS organisations work more closely together, often with social care services and the voluntary sector, in different parts of the country.

NHS England hopes ACSs will be another move towards genuinely integrated working, and they come as the next step on from the development of vanguards and the creation of sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs). The Pharmaceutical Journal

Local alcohol consumption survey: national report

Local alcohol consumption survey: national report Public Health England (PHE) - Ipsos MORI was commissioned to collect data on behalf of PHE on alcohol consumption over a sample of 25 upper-tier local authorities in England. The results aim to provide reliable alcohol consumption estimates for local authorities, particularly on data that is not routinely available through other sources. The survey examined drinking habits, motivations for drinking or abstention and awareness of public health campaigns around alcohol consumption. King's Fund

Sustainability and Transformation Plans: five key questions for planners

Sustainability and Transformation Plans: five key questions for planners Centre for Health and the Public Interest (CHPI) -This analysis identifies five key questions to ask of each of England’s 44 Sustainability and Transformation Plans. It aims to set out a framework for assessing their potential impacts. King's Fund

'It's sad that it's come to this': Northampton hospital charity group announces closure over parking troubles

'It's sad that it's come to this': Northampton hospital charity group announces closure over parking troubles A volunteer group with 28 years of history at Northampton General Hospital will close shop next month following a dispute over parking. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Rise in children seeking mental health support after terror attacks

Rise in children seeking mental health support after terror attacks Royal College of Psychiatrists says number being treated in Manchester and London has spiked since recent attacks

The number of children and young people seeking help from mental health services has spiked in the wake of recent terrorist attacks in England, according to the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP).

Hospitals across the Manchester region have seen an estimated 10% increase in children seeking help since a bomb ripped through the Manchester Arena on 22 May, killing 22 people, according to the RCP. Mental health experts in Greater Manchester hospitals received hundreds more patients from June to July compared with previous months. The Guardian

Traffic wardens deployed to direct non-emergency vehicles away from Northampton hospital A&E as construction begins on new building

Traffic wardens deployed to direct non-emergency vehicles away from Northampton hospital A&E as construction begins on new building Access to Northampton General Hospital's A&E has been restricted to emergency vehicles only while construction begins on a new assessment unit.

Access to Northampton General Hospital's A&E has been restricted to emergency vehicles only while construction begins on a new assessment unit. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Policy paper: Towards a smoke-free generation: tobacco control plan for England

Policy paper: Towards a smoke-free generation: tobacco control plan for England The objectives of the tobacco control plan are to:

• reduce the number of 15 year olds who regularly smoke from 8% to 3% or less
• reduce smoking among adults in England from 15.5% to 12% or less
• reduce the inequality gap in smoking prevalence, between those in routine and manual occupations and the general population
• reduce the prevalence of smoking in pregnancy from 10.5% to 6% or less

The aim is to achieve these objectives by the end of 2022. Department of Health

See also:

• Research and analysis: Cost of smoking to the NHS in England: 2015 Public Health England
• England 'on track' to stamp out smoking BBC News

Growing gaps in children’s doctor workforce revealed in new report

Growing gaps in children’s doctor workforce revealed in new report New figures published by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) highlight an urgent and growing problem in the paediatric workforce. Prior to reaching consultant level, children’s doctors train for around eight years. The RCPCH study shows that almost 1 in 5 of paediatric trainee positions are currently vacant even though trainees themselves report high levels of enthusiasm for the speciality. Even more alarming is that this figure jumps to nearly 1 in 4 in more senior trainee positions and almost 90% of children’s units express concern over how they will cope over the coming six months.

See also:

• Rota compliance and vacancies Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• NHS Employers comments on media coverage of shortfall in paediatricians NHS Employers
• Shortfall in number of children's doctors BBC News
• Poorly infants are in danger due to NHS staffing crisis The Daily Mail
• NHS staff shortages to blame for big rise in cancelled operations on children and young people, Labour warns The Independent