Tuesday 18 April 2017

NHS England warns of bogus text message scam

NHS England warns of bogus text message scam Members of the public are being warned not to fall for a text scam, where messages are claimed to be from the NHS. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Data shows NHS performance continuing to struggle

Data shows NHS performance continuing to struggle Responding to the latest performance data published by NHS England, Richard Murray, Director of Policy at The King’s Fund, said: ‘These performance statistics for February offer the latest evidence of NHS performance continuing to struggle. Although February saw some improvements as winter pressures began to ease, the NHS is still failing to meet key targets such as A&E and cancer waiting times.

‘NHS England’s recent delivery plan promises a renewed focus on addressing these delays in A&E and cancer treatment, but getting back on track will be a momentous challenge. Hospitals are clearly under severe pressure and improving key services within the current budget is a highly ambitious goal. The King's Fund

Thousands left to cope alone after leaving mental health hospital

Thousands left to cope alone after leaving mental health hospital Figures released by Mind show that one in ten people discharged from mental health hospital after being admitted in crisis are not getting follow-up within a week of leaving – which is at least 11,000 people every year.

Mind sent Freedom of Information (FoI) requests to all 56 mental health trusts in England (54 trusts responded) asking for information about how quickly people are followed up after being discharged from hospital.

Hundreds sue NHS over 'barbaric' vaginal mesh implants

Hundreds sue NHS over 'barbaric' vaginal mesh implants More than 800 UK women are taking legal action against the NHS and the makers of vaginal mesh implants, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has learned.

The implants are used to treat pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence after childbirth, but some can cut into the vagina - causing severe discomfort.

Some women have been left in permanent pain, unable to walk, work or have sex. One called the implants "barbaric".

The UK regulatory body MHRA said it "sympathises" with the women affected. BBC News

'Politics is destroying British heart surgery'

'Politics is destroying British heart surgery' In this Viewsnight, surgeon Stephen Westaby condemns what he calls a culture of blame in the NHS. BBC News

Why can't we admit to ourselves that the NHS is one of the most overrated, inefficient systems in the world?

Why can't we admit to ourselves that the NHS is one of the most overrated, inefficient systems in the world? What exactly is exceptional about the NHS? All healthcare systems in the developed world provide universal healthcare except the US. Plenty are free at the point of use. And compared to them, we’re hardly innovative, compassionate or groundbreaking. The Independent

Electroconvulsive therapy on the rise again in England

Electroconvulsive therapy on the rise again in England ECT stages comeback after years of decline, with thousands treated on NHS despite lack of scientific explanation for effects

The use of electroconvulsive therapy to treat serious mental health problems, a procedure long thought to be in steep decline, is on the rise again in England, a Guardian analysis indicates.

Exclusive data covering four-fifths of NHS mental health trusts in England shows that more than 22,600 individual ECT treatments were carried out in 2015-16, a rise of 11% from four years ago, when about 20,400 were carried out. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Number of NHS managers still growing as GP posts fall again

Number of NHS managers still growing as GP posts fall again Doctors say ministers’ ‘bureaucracy busting’ shakeup has failed to switch resources and manpower to the front line

The number of NHS managers has grown by almost 18% in the four years since the government introduced a “bureaucracy-busting” shakeup of the health service, according to the latest official data.

The rise of about 4,650 in total management posts since April 2013, when the controversial Health and Social Care Act came into force, contrasts with an alarming fall in the number of GPs over recent months at a time of unprecedented demand for health care. The figures have drawn criticism from the British Medical Association (BMA), who say ministers are failing in their central objective of shifting more resources and manpower from back-office posts to the front line. Continue reading... The Guardian

'Night cover is almost always short-staffed. It’s terrifying': doctors on rota gaps

'Night cover is almost always short-staffed. It’s terrifying': doctors on rota gaps NHS staff reveal the impact of the struggle to recruit doctors to cover shifts, which is putting patients at risk

The Guardian has discovered that dozens of hospitals are struggling to recruit doctors to fill gaps in their rota. They are sending out urgent emails and text messages, often hours before a shift needs covering, asking for medics to come in. They are also offering increased hourly rates – of up to £95 an hour – in an attempt to encourage staff to cover.

It’s terrifying: you’re the most junior doctor in the hospital and you’re responsible for so many people

You become desensitised to gaps in the rota, which is a scary thing to say

On several occasions some of the wards have no juniors at all, which then requires senior staff to act down. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Hospital recruits refugees to combat doctor shortage

Hospital recruits refugees to combat doctor shortage A hospital trust in Middlesbrough which is struggling to recruit British doctors has turned to refugees from Iraq and Syria to help combat staff shortages. The Daily Mail

Elderly's free drug delivers face the axe

Elderly's free drug delivers face the axe Britons on long-term medication and unable to collect prescriptions could be charged hundreds of pounds a year for preparing drugs and home delivery as funding cuts begin to bite. The Daily Mail

Revealed: the areas where NHS cuts could hit hardest

Revealed: the areas where NHS cuts could hit hardest The areas of the country where NHS cuts are likely to hit hardest because services are nearing their “overdraft” limits have been revealed, in a new analysis.

Following the worst financial crisis in the history of the NHS, every part of the service has been set stringent “control totals” which limit the amount of deficit that can be authorised.

Research by Health Service Journal shows Staffordshire, Bristol, North Somerset and Gloucestershire are the areas likely to fall furthest short of their targets, with warnings that services will now have to “confront difficult choices”.

NHS authorities are already drawing up plans for dramatic changes to services, with the closure of Accident & Emergency departments and maternity units under discussion across swathes of the country. The Daily Telegraph

Police squad deployed to protect NHS staff from attacks 

Police squad deployed to protect NHS staff from attacks A dedicated police squad has been set up to protect hospital staff from violent patients amid rising Accident & Emergency chaos.

The new three officer team will cover workers at four major hospitals in London, with police saying staff would no longer have to put up with attacks and threats.

Police will protect nurses from assault, remove patients that refuse to be discharged, while attending community events as part of “neighbourhood policing” officers said. The Daily Telegraph

Prince Harry: I sought counselling after death of mother led to two years of 'total chaos' in my twenties - exclusive Telegraph interview

Prince Harry: I sought counselling after death of mother led to two years of 'total chaos' in my twenties - exclusive Telegraph interview Prince Harry has disclosed that he sought counselling after enduring two years of “total chaos” while still struggling in his late twenties to come to terms with the death of his mother.

The Prince says in an interview with The Telegraph that he “shut down all his emotions” for almost two decades after losing his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, despite his brother, Prince William, trying to persuade him to seek help. The Daily Telegraph

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