Northampton General Hospital urges people to seek help with GPs at first signs of illness

Northampton General Hospital urges people to seek help with GPs at first signs of illness During January the emergency department at Northampton General Hospital saw and treated more than 2,000 patients every week and there has been no sign of a let-up.  Around 25 per cent of patients attending at the hospital's emergency department during January required admission for further assessment or treatment. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

What is social prescribing?

What is social prescribing? Social prescribing enables GPs, nurses and other primary care professionals to refer people to a range of local, non-clinical services. Our new explainer looks at whether social prescribing works and how it fits in with wider health and care policy. Read our explainer The King's Fund

One in six A&E departments at risk of closure or downgrade

One in six A&E departments at risk of closure or downgrade As many as 33 casualty departments across the UK could be lost by 2021 in an attempt to save £22bn from the NHS’s budget. One in six A&E departments face being closed or downgraded in the next four years, according to an analysis of NHS proposals.
About 33 casualty departments in hospitals in 23 areas of the UK are facing either complete closure or being replaced with minor injuries units. The Guardian

Unexpected mental health deaths up 50% in three years

Unexpected mental health deaths up 50% in three years The number of unexpected patient deaths reported by England's mental health trusts has risen by almost 50% in three years, figures suggest.
The findings, for the BBC's Panorama programme, are based on FOI results from half of mental health trusts. Unexpected deaths include death by suicide, neglect and misadventure.
The Department of Health said the increase was "expected" because of changes to the way deaths were recorded and investigated. BBC News

One in 14 on hospital op waiting list as pressures grow

One in 14 on hospital op waiting list as pressures grow The number of people facing "long waits" for hospital treatment in England has more than doubled in the past four years, figures show. Patients needing routine care such as knee and hip replacements are meant to be treated in 18 weeks under NHS rules.
But the numbers waiting longer than that now top 350,000 - a 163% rise since 2012. There are 3.7 million people in total on the waiting list. BBC News

Former Tory government health adviser joins US firm involved in NHS privatisation

Former Tory government health adviser joins US firm involved in NHS privatisation A former Government health adviser has joined a US firm involved in NHS privatisation – a move campaigners say demonstrates the “wafer-thin partition” between Tory policy makers and the private health industry. Nick Seddon, who was David Cameron’s Special Adviser for Health, became Executive Vice President of Optum just four months after he left his political role in July last year, reported Vice News. On Wednesday, Theresa May told Parliament the NHS “is not for sale and it never will be” in response to concerns the health service could form part of a post-Brexit trade deal between America and Britain. The Independent

NHS hospitals to charge overseas patients for non-urgent care

NHS hospitals to charge overseas patients for non-urgent care Jeremy Hunt announces law to be enacted from April that raises prospect of patients having to produce passports or other ID. Hospitals will be required by law to check whether patients are eligible for free care on the NHS from April onwards, the health secretary has announced.
The rule raises the prospect of patients having to produce their passports and other identity documents before receiving most kinds of treatment as the government aims to claw back £500m a year. Patients from overseas will also be billed in advance for all non-urgent care as part of a government clampdown on the cost of overseas visitors using the service.
Related: I’m a doctor, not a gatekeeper turning ‘health tourists’ away | Rachel Clarke  The Guardian

Private ambulances increasingly used to respond to 999 calls

Private ambulances increasingly used to respond to 999 calls Figures for ambulance trusts in England showing sharp rise in spending on private operators add to concerns over NHS crisis. Ambulance services are increasingly calling in private firms to respond to 999 calls in the latest sign that NHS care providers are struggling to cope with the sharply rising number of patients who need urgent medical attention.
The London ambulance service (LAS) has had the biggest increase among England’s 10 regional ambulance trusts. The amount it spent on private ambulance providers soared from £700,000 in 2011 to £10.1m last year, a thirteen-fold increase. Continue reading...  The Guardian

Record numbers of cancer patients using crowdfunding to pay for private treatment not available on NHS

Record numbers of cancer patients using crowdfunding to pay for private treatment not available on NHS The number of cancer patients turning to crowdfunding to pay for treatments not available on the NHS has soared, online donation platform JustGiving said. Cancer patients and their loved ones launched 2,348 appeals on the website last year compared to 304 in 2015 - a seven-fold increase, the figures obtained by BBC Radio 5 live reveal.
The fundraisers generated £4,670,143 to help pay for private medical treatment at clinics in the UK and abroad, a significant rise from the £530,519 raised in 2015. The Telegraph