Wednesday 18 January 2017

One in 16 people in Northamptonshire has type 2 diabetes, says NHS

One in 16 people in Northamptonshire has type 2 diabetes, says NHS One in 16 people across Northamptonshire has Type 2 diabetes, new figures have revealed. During the past 12 months, figures show that 1,547 people have been diagnosed – an increase of 4.4 per cent on last year. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Taking back control: Integrated Personal Commissioning

Taking back control: Integrated Personal Commissioning It’s easy to dismiss those who say people ’have had enough of experts’, particularly if you work for a think tank. But in health and care, we’ve long known that expertise is not the sole territory of the professional.

The Care Quality Commission now involves ‘experts by experience’ – people who have first-hand experience of health and/or social care services – in its inspections, in training inspectors and in the broader shaping of the organisation. Utilising the 'renewable energy' of patient expertise was one of the central pillars of the NHS five year forward view (Forward View), now more than two years old. The King's Fund

Why the NHS is performing miracles

Why the NHS is performing miraclesIt has been a remarkable few weeks for the health service hasn't it? The worst waiting times in A&E for over a decade. Patients left for hours on trolleys. Vital cancer operations being cancelled. Hospitals across the country declaring major alerts. A humanitarian crisis in the making, says the Red Cross.

But amid all this what we haven't heard is just how well the health service is coping. Given what it is facing, the NHS and, in particular, hospitals are performing miracles. BBC News

Addenbrooke's out of special measures thanks to staff 'dedication'

Addenbrooke's out of special measures thanks to staff 'dedication' The "dedication and skill" of hospital staff has helped one of the UK's largest NHS Trusts emerge from special measures, a report has revealed.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has enhanced the rating for Cambridge University Hospitals Trust from "inadequate" to "good".

It follows a visit by inspectors in September 2016. BBC News

PM ‘scapegoating’ GPs for endangering patients

PM ‘scapegoating’ GPs for endangering patients Doctors’ leaders have written to the Prime Minister in fury at her blaming general practice for the pressures on A&E while underplaying the extent of the NHS crisis, and claiming that the NHS is fully funded. The BMA told Theresa May this morning that her position appears to be a deliberate distraction from the reality of the NHS.

In his letter, BMA chair Dr Mark Porter urged her to address the system-wide crisis that has resulted from years of underfunding, rather than attempting to scapegoat GPs. He wrote: “I have been horrified to see the position which you have taken in responding to the current crisis in the NHS in England. In playing down what is happening in hospitals up and down the country – with beds at full capacity, daily breaches in A&E, and critical operations being cancelled – and in then seeking to lay the blame on general practice, your government appears to be seeking deliberately to distract from what is really happening in the NHS.” OnMedica

The NHS no longer has the resources to care for our sick population

The NHS no longer has the resources to care for our sick population The government is in denial - the chronic underfunding of the health service is bad for patients and staff

Hospitals and GP surgeries have always had a symbiotic relationship and the hospital crisis this winter has had a significant impact on the way that we are able to offer care to patients in the community.

In our practice, demand has not changed significantly as far as minor illnesses are concerned. We had an expectation of winter pressures and planned for more urgent appointments across all days of the week (including a Saturday shared rota with a hub of other local practices). But what we have seen is a significant rise in the complexity of cases – even when compared with a year ago. Continue reading... The Guardian

Mental health needs good deeds more than good speeches

Mental health needs good deeds more than good speeches The landscape is not changing quickly enough – it’s time resources followed the rhetoric

In less than 12 months, two prime ministers have chosen to start their year with major speeches about mental health, committing themselves and their governments to a transformation of the mental health landscape. But as so many of the statistics and personal stories bear witness; the landscape is not changing fast enough.

In her speech earlier this month, Theresa May talked about the critical importance of relationships and the role of government to “encourage and nurture” them. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS 111 helpline is harming children and causing deaths

NHS 111 helpline is harming children and causing deaths Preventable mistakes in treating children led to 12 deaths, 41 cases of severe harm and 658 cases of minor harm in England and Wales, a new report by Cardiff University found. The Daily Mail

See also:

Financial watchdog warns UK facing £30 billion bill every decade to pay for NHS as population ages

Financial watchdog warns UK facing £30 billion bill every decade to pay for NHS as population ages Britain's ageing population will cost the UK £30 billion every decade in increased NHS, pensions and social care costs over the next 50 years and put pressure on the Chancellor's pledge to cut the deficit, a report has warned.

The Office for Budget Responsibility found that spending on healthcare and pensions will grow faster than the British economy by 2066 leaving the UK with a gap of £156 billion unless taxes are increased and spending cut to pay for it. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

Couple fails in Court of Appeal challenge over change to assisted dying policy

Couple fails in Court of Appeal challenge over change to assisted dying policy Disability rights campaigners have failed in a bid to challenge the Director of Public Prosecution’s policy on assisted dying which they fear leaves vulnerable people “at risk from dodgy doctors”.

The Court of Appeal today told Nikki and Merv Kenward it was “futile” to allow them permission to appeal against an earlier High Court ruling that Alison Saunders’s updated advice does not breach the Suicide Act. The Daily Telegraph