Wednesday 8 February 2017

Northamptonshire welcomes new nurse associate students

Northamptonshire welcomes new nurse associate students Northamptonshire has welcomed a group of history-making students who are leading the way in shaping the nursing workforce of the future. 38 nurse associate students have been recruited to a landmark pilot scheme, and the group began their studies last week at the University of Northampton. Northampton General Hospital

Health and social care funding explained

Health and social care funding explained The UK currently spends over £140bn a year on public provision of health and over £20bn on social care. But how does that break down and how has spending changed over time? The Health Foundation

Health and social care integration

Health and social care integration The National Audit Office warns that progress with integration of health and social care has, to date, been slower and less successful than envisaged and has not delivered all of the expected benefits for patients, the NHS or local authorities. As a result, the government’s plan for integrated health and social care services across England by 2020 is at significant risk.

In the face of increased demand for care and constrained finances, while the Better Care Fund, the principal integration initiative, has improved joint working, it has not yet achieved its potential. The Fund has not achieved the expected value for money, in terms of savings, outcomes for patients or reduced hospital activity, from the £5.3 billion spent through the Fund in 2015-16.

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What's behind delayed transfers of care?

What's behind delayed transfers of care? The NHS is under significant pressure this winter. The new year saw daily newspaper headlines on the winter crisis, while high rates of bed occupancy and cuts to social care are both causing extra pressures to build up across the NHS.

Underlying all of this is the growing number of patients who are ready to leave hospital but can’t do so without extra support. Delayed transfers of care (DTOCs), often (rather insultingly) called ‘bed-blocking’ by the media, have been steadily on the rise in recent years, with the numbers of days patients are delayed reaching record levels month after month. Nuffield Trust

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State of maternity services report 2016

State of maternity services report 2016 This annual report examines the statistics and figures around maternity services in order to identify emerging issues and trends. This year's report identifies a demographic change in both patients and workforce. The number of midwives under 50 has fallen and the report highlights concerns around a future shortfall of midwives in the UK's workforce. Royal College of Midwives

Our fight to end Female Genital Mutilation must go on – Professor Jane Cummings

Our fight to end Female Genital Mutilation must go on – Professor Jane Cummings The Chief Nursing Officer for England talks about the efforts of the NHS to tackle FGM. Each year we mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) – but why is this still needed? NHS England

Under pressure: One hospital's struggle to find free beds

Under pressure: One hospital's struggle to find free beds The BBC's Ed Thomas reports from the Royal Blackburn Hospital - where staff struggle daily to find available patient beds. BBC News

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The hospital that helps patients stay at home

The hospital that helps patients stay at home Wakefield Hospital is seen as a pioneer in helping more patients stay at home and saving the NHS money. BBC News

E-cigs far safer than smoking, shows long-term research

E-cigs far safer than smoking, shows long-term research People who swapped their conventional cigarettes for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or e-cigarettes had lower levels of carcinogens in their bodies after 6 months than those who continued to smoke cigarettes, research published in Annals of Internal Medicine has shown. Experts from Cancer Research UK, which funded the study*, said the findings showed that e-cigarettes could help people quit smoking safely, cutting tobacco-related deaths in the process, as they deliver similar amounts of nicotine to cigarettes with minimal long-term effects on their health. OnMedica

GP consultations too short for complex cases, says doctors' leader

GP consultations too short for complex cases, says doctors' leader Doctors ‘ridiculously overworked’ in UK, where study shows amount of time spent with patients is lowest in developed world

The length of GP consultations is too short for many people with complex health needs because doctors are “ridiculously overworked”, according to the Royal College of GPs.

The average consultation length of 10 minutes in the UK – thought to be the shortest in the developed world – was “crazy” said the RCGP president, Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard. Continue reading... The Guardian

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NHS Hospitals are warned about unannounced spot-checks

NHS Hospitals are warned about unannounced spot-checks Health experts at Oxford University and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said hospitals are beefing up cleaning rounds in the run-up to an inspection, and then letting standards slip. The Daily Mail

Extra cash for GPs to identify overseas patients who are not eligible for free NHS treatment 

Extra cash for GPs to identify overseas patients who are not eligible for free NHS treatment GPs will be given extra cash to help identify overseas patients as part of a crackdown on “health tourism”.

Family doctors will be required to establish whether or not patients are eligible for free care, and to pass details to hospitals before any treatment is booked, under changes to the GP contract.

The British Medical Association has repeatedly insisted that doctors should not be treated as “border guards”.

Last night the union said new deal agreed with the Government - which asks patients to “self-declare” their residency status - meant GPs would avoid such duties. The Daily Telegraph

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