'Angels in disguise': Northampton hospital-goers pay tribute to A&E staff following frank junior doctors documentary

'Angels in disguise': Northampton hospital-goers pay tribute to A&E staff following frank junior doctors documentary Channel 4's eye-opening glimpse into the life of junior doctors at Northampton General Hospital's A&E has prompted a further flurry of praise for our under-pressure medics. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Doctor faked reference from dead professor to get KGH job

Doctor faked reference from dead professor to get KGH job A doctor made up an email address and faked a reference to secure a job at KGH – but was caught out after staff found that the man was dead. Northamptonshire Telegraph

New report warns that England could face a shortfall of 42,000 nurses by 2020

New report warns that England could face a shortfall of 42,000 nurses by 2020 England could face a shortfall of 42,000 nurses by 2020, equivalent to 12% of the workforce, according to a new Health Foundation report. (Figure includes all adult, children’s, mental health and district nurses and is based on a low supply estimate.)

New analysis of the 2016 NHS staff survey in the report shows that almost half of all nurses are concerned that there aren’t sufficient staffing levels to allow them to do their job properly.

The report also reveals that pay for NHS staff on pay bands 5 and above, which represents 625,000 people and includes all nurses, will drop by 12% between 2010/11 and 2020/21, after accounting for inflation. It warns that without a change to pay policy the situation could become even worse. The Health Foundation

See also:

• In short supply: pay policy and nurse numbers The Health Foundation
• Nurses will see their pay ‘cut by 12% over a decade’ The Guardian

Brexit and health and social care - people and process

Brexit and health and social care - people and process This report explores the impact of the UK's withdrawal from the European Union on the provision of health and social care. The report contains the findings of the first phase of the inquiry as further phases have been delayed due to the upcoming general election. The initial findings have highlighted the need for the Department of Health to plan comprehensively for any contingencies dependant on Brexit and the need for a pragmatic approach to workforce planning given the significant amount of EU workers in the UK's health and care workforce. Health Select Committee

Social care and the mental health forward view: ending out of area placements

Social care and the mental health forward view: ending out of area placements This is the first in a series of briefings focusing on mental health and social care and it focuses on the human and operation costs of out of area placements. Using perspectives and experiences from Bradford Metropolitan District Council, it highlights how out of area placements and use of local private sector hospitals can be reduced. Centre for Mental Health

Smartphone 'orders' body to treat diabetes

Smartphone 'orders' body to treat diabetes Scientists have used a smartphone to control the activity of the living cells inside an animal.

The fusion of biology and technology was used to control blood sugar levels in mice with diabetes.

The idea, described in Science Translational Medicine, could be applied to a wide range of diseases and drug treatments.

And the Chinese researchers say the approach could pave the way for a "new era" in medicine.

The first step was to turn normal cells into living factories. BBC News

My experience as a patient revealed how the NHS needed a digital overhaul

My experience as a patient revealed how the NHS needed a digital overhaul The NHS saved my life. Now I want to ensure patients and clinicians have the technology, services and insight necessary to deliver the right care

After 10 years in the media industry, including several years at the Times as director of digital products, I made the shift from the private to the public sector.

I did this because of a deeply personal experience, a stressful and scary second pregnancy that caused me to spend six months in and out of hospital. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS pays out millions to patients of surgeon convicted of needless breast operations

NHS pays out millions to patients of surgeon convicted of needless breast operations Consultant Ian Stuart Paterson carried out unnecessary procedures on 10 patients but could have more than 1,000 victims

The NHS has been forced to pay out almost £10m in compensation to more than 250 patients of a rogue surgeon found guilty of carrying out needless breast operations on patients who were left traumatised and scarred.

Consultant surgeon Ian Stuart Paterson, 59, was convicted on Friday of 17 counts of wounding with intent, relating to nine women and one man. He was also convicted of three further wounding charges. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Breast surgeon Ian Paterson needlessly harmed patients BBC News
• Breast surgeon Ian Paterson case: 'Hundreds' of other victims BBC News
• Private patients to miss out on compensation from God complex breast surgeon as Spire and union refuse to cover costs The Daily Telegraph
• Hundreds of private patients seek compensation from rogue surgeon The Guardian
• Ian Paterson: the 'likable' breast surgeon who wounded his patients The Guardian
• There were no depths he wouldn't go to, says Ian Paterson surgery victim The Guardian

Hospital patients pay 50 pence a minute for bedside calls, despite crackdown pledges

Hospital patients pay 50 pence a minute for bedside calls, despite crackdown pledges Hospital patients are paying 50p a minute to call loved ones more than a decade after promised crackdown that never materialised, an investigation has found.

The firm Hospedia, which runs bedside TV and phone services in NHS hospitals and made £21.2m in revenue last year, makes people call loved ones via costly 070 numbers, which were supposed to be phased out.

The charges vary from hospital to hospital, but an investigation by the Press Association found many sites are charging patients 50p a minute or more.

Callers are also forced to listen to a lengthy recorded message of about 70 seconds - which racks up charges before they are even connected to their loved one. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Families pay 50p a minute to call loved ones in hospital The Daily Mail
• Critics slam 'rip off' 50p-a-minute charge to call patients' hospital phones The Guardian
• Elderly NHS patients hit by 'rip off' 50p-a-minute charges to call hospitals, warn critics The Independent

999 patients forced to wait up to five hours for an ambulance, Telegraph investigation reveals

999 patients forced to wait up to five hours for an ambulance, Telegraph investigation reveals 999 patients classed as “life threatening” are being forced to wait hours for an ambulance, with delays of up to five hours in some cases, an investigation has found.

Under NHS targets, patients in the most grave emergencies - which include cardiac arrests, airway obstructions and strokes - are supposed to receive a response within eight minutes, in 75 per cent of cases.

But the target has been repeatedly missed in recent years, amid growing pressures on emergency services.

Now Freedom of Information disclosures reveal that thousands of patients are being forced to wait far longer, with desperately time-sensitive emergencies being left for hours. The Daily Telegraph

Cancer patients in limbo as five hospitals suffer 'major' IT crash

Cancer patients in limbo as five hospitals suffer 'major' IT crash Hundreds of cancer patients have been denied treatment at one of England’s biggest hospital trusts due to a major IT failure that ground basic services to a halt.

Doctors at five large London hospitals have reported 11 days of “chaos” after the systems used to prescribe chemotherapy doses and share x-ray and MRI images broke down on April 20.

Barts Health NHS Trust said at least 136 operations had been cancelled due to the crash, as well as “hundreds” of cancer treatment sessions. The Daily Telegraph