Survey shows public satisfaction with NHS remaining steady

Survey shows public satisfaction with NHS remaining steady The British public’s satisfaction with the NHS remained steady in 2016, according to data published today by The King’s Fund.

The findings from the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research between July and October 2016, show 63 per cent of people were satisfied with the NHS. The change in satisfaction since 2015 (when it was 60 per cent) is not statistically significant. Satisfaction remains high by historic standards, but is seven percentage points below its peak of 70 per cent in 2010.

See also:

• If the NHS is in crisis, why is public satisfaction so high? The King’s Fund

Women on NHS Boards: 5050 by 2020

Women on NHS Boards: 5050 by 2020 A new report states that more senior roles need to be held by women if the NHS is to reach its target of equal gender representation on boards by 2020.

In Women on NHS Boards: 5050 by 2020, author Professor Ruth Sealy of the University of Exeter Business School argues that while gender balance of boards is improving, there is still a shortage of women in key roles such as medical directors and chief financial officers. NHS Employers

Integration and the development of the workforce

Integration and the development of the workforce This working paper reveals how integration of the fields of health and social care will require organisations to break down traditional barriers in how care is provided. It details how workforce development plays a crucial role in successful integration. Skills for Health Please note that free registration is required in order to download this publication.

Report shows change in NHS workforce over time

Report shows change in NHS workforce over time The number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) staff working for the NHS in England has increased by 2.2 per cent (26,000) since 2015, NHS Digital figures show.

Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, implications and guidance

Mental health and our changing climate: Impacts, implications and guidance The goal of this updated report is to increase awareness of the psychological impacts of climate change on human mental health and well-being. The report provides climate communicators, planners, policymakers, public health professionals, and other leaders the tools and tips needed to respond to these impacts and bolster public engagement on climate solutions. American Psychological Association

See also:

• Climate change takes a toll on mental health The Daily Mail

NHS confusing public by using 'gobbledygook'

NHS confusing public by using 'gobbledygook' Imagine the scene. Up and down the country, local NHS leaders are crowded into meeting rooms discussing information transfers and ambulatory care, when someone jumps up and shouts "I've had enough of sticky toffee puddings".

Confused? You're not the only one. The language being used by the health service is simply gobbledygook, says the Plain English Campaign (PEC).

Steve Jenner, the campaign's spokesman, said the health service was riddled with "jargon" when it comes to explaining anything from the closure of hospital services to major incidents.

And he even believes the NHS may be doing this on purpose. BBC News

The 999 call-out that changed a paramedic's life

The 999 call-out that changed a paramedic's life Nearly half of people in the UK have spoken about mental health over the last three months, a new survey suggests. But for some, addressing their problems can be much harder.

"We didn't really know what we were being sent to," Dan Farnworth, a paramedic in the north-west, says. "The next thing I knew, a child was just placed into my arms."

It was 2015, and Dan had just been sent to a 999 call that would change his life. BBC News

Cut sugar in cakes, biscuits by 20%, industry told

Cut sugar in cakes, biscuits by 20%, industry told Sugar limits for everyday foods such as biscuits, chocolate bars and cereals have been published by public health officials in a bid to make UK children more healthy.

Public Health England is challenging businesses to cut sugar by 20% by 2020, and by 5% this year.

It says the food industry should try lowering sugar levels, reducing product size or pushing healthier products.

But experts question how the targets can be enforced. BBC News

See also:

• Press release: Guidelines on reducing sugar in food published for industry Public Health England
• Sugar reduction: Achieving the 20% Public Health England
•  Salt reduction: targets for 2017 Public Health England

Drop in GP numbers 'a huge blow' that shows crisis is deepening, say GP leaders

Drop in GP numbers 'a huge blow' that shows crisis is deepening, say GP leaders GP leaders have warned that the crisis facing general practice is deepening after 'incredibly disappointing' workforce data revealed a sharp drop in GP numbers in the final months of 2016. GPonline

See also:

• Workforce figures are a huge blow, but 5,000 target still worth fighting for, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• One GP vacancy for every two practices in England, official data suggest GPonline

‘Communities provide the best solutions to their own problems’

‘Communities provide the best solutions to their own problems’ A year ago, Greater Manchester took control of its own health budget. It’s been tough, but progress is tangible, says health chief Jon Rouse

A year since Greater Manchester became the first region in England to take control of its £6bn health and social care budget, Jon Rouse is pleased at the progress already made, pointing to figures showing that 62-day cancer waits for Greater Manchester were among the best in the country, referrals to treatment targets are better than the England average and access to mental health services exceeds that of the north and of England as a whole. “I am proud,” he says. “In our first year, we have set up more than 20 programmes – and we are performing better overall in these areas than other parts of the country. It is quite an achievement. The key is to make sure the programmes deliver what we intend.” Continue reading... The Guardian

Wraparound care: is it the future of the NHS?

Wraparound care: is it the future of the NHS? As NHS chiefs push ahead with plans to transform local services, in Dorset controversial reforms mean more integration of health and social care – but also fewer hospital beds

“This is a way of working that’s so obviously beneficial that I’m not sure why we didn’t do it before. We’ve gone from uncoordinated, fragmented care that was very unsatisfactory for patients, to wraparound care that takes into account the holistic needs of the patient.” Dr Karen Kirkham, a GP in Weymouth, is describing how Dorset has been quietly implementing a different way of providing healthcare which, if it works out, might just help save the NHS.

Sitting in a side room at Weymouth’s Westhaven community hospital, Kirkham outlines an approach that is simultaneously radical and commonsensical, and also controversial, despite being backed by all those whose job is to improve the health of Dorset’s 750,000 residents. “In Dorset, necessity has been the mother of invention. We’ve taken the issue of relentlessly rising demand and proposed bold action to adapt what we do for our patients,” she adds. While all this sounds novel, it is also one of the oldest tunes in the jukebox of NHS great policy ideas. Continue reading... The Guardian

Type 2 diabetes not real illness says top doctor Muir Gray

Type 2 diabetes not real illness says top doctor Muir Gray Sir Muir Gray claims that type 2 diabetes, which is largely preventable but costs the NHS billions of pounds a year to treat, should be renamed because it is caused by the 'modern environment'. The Daily Mail

Places in England where HALF the GPs are failing revealed

Places in England where HALF the GPs are failing revealed The analysis by the Health Service Journal (HSJ) looked at the inspection reports of 6,476 GP surgeries - the majority of the 7,700 in England. The Daily Mail

NHS rolls out plans for cancer verdicts in just four weeks

NHS rolls out plans for cancer verdicts in just four weeks Patients will be told that they have cancer or given the all-clear four weeks after seeing their GP, under NHS plans.

Simon Stevens, the head of the health service in England, will roll out a 28-day target next year to speed up diagnosis times.

Many patients currently wait several months between first going to their GP with symptoms and finding out whether they have the illness. The Daily Mail