Doctors and nurses could be issued with body cameras to record violent patients

Doctors and nurses could be issued with body cameras to record violent patients Doctors and nurses could be issued with body cameras to record violent patients following a successful pilot scheme in England.

More than 40 staff at Berrywood Hospital within Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust were issued with cameras between December and March and the number of violent incidents and use of emergency restraints dropped by 14 per cent.

There are around 70,000 assaults on NHS staff every year, so if rolled out nationally, the scheme could prevent 10,000 incidents a year.

“I think it was very successful, because we have shown it is feasible to implement it, but we need a much larger study to say with any certainty that it will cause a reduction in incidents,” said Dr Alex O’Neil-Kerr, the trust’s clinical medical director. The Daily Telegraph

Congestion and emissions in Northampton causes '102 deaths a year', study claims.

Congestion and emissions in Northampton causes '102 deaths a year', study claims One in 20 deaths in Northampton are attributed to air pollutants, a report has claimed.

It points to the diesel engine byproduct nitrogen dioxide as the main cause of health problems. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton nurse fell asleep on the job without switching on young patient's breathing monitor

Northampton nurse fell asleep on the job without switching on young patient's breathing monitor A Northampton nurse has been struck off after falling asleep on duty on two separate incidents.


Cheryl Donna Schofield could not appear at her conduct and competence meeting before the Nursing and Midwifery Council on April 26 in Edinburgh, where the panel decided she was unfit to practise. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Caring to change: how compassionate leadership can stimulate innovation in health care

Caring to change: how compassionate leadership can stimulate innovation in health care This paper looks at compassion – which involves attending, understanding, empathising and helping – as a core cultural value of the NHS and how compassionate leadership results in a working environment that encourages people to find new and improved ways of doing things.

It describes four key elements of a culture for innovative, high-quality and continually improving care and what they mean for patients, staff and the wider organisation: inspiring vision and strategy; positive inclusion and participation; enthusiastic team and cross-boundary working; and support and autonomy for staff to innovate.

It also presents case studies of how compassionate leadership has led to innovation. This work was supported by the Health Foundation. The King's Fund

HIV services: a view from the sharp end of policy decisions

HIV services: a view from the sharp end of policy decisions This is both the best and the worst time to be living with HIV. I should know – I was diagnosed with HIV in 1990.

More than 25 years on, clinical care is excellent and treatment not only works but results in an undetectable viral load (the level of HIV in the blood) that ensures we cannot pass on HIV, removing a huge burden from living with the virus. We are ageing with HIV – which is great – but, for many, ageing comes with complex health conditions compounded by layers of stigma. All at a time of public health disinvestment, third sector funding cuts and political uncertainty. The King's Fund

Children and young people’s mental health - the role of education

Children and young people’s mental health - the role of education As part of a joint inquiry into children and young people's mental health, the Health and Education Committees found that financial pressures are restricting the provision of mental health services in schools and colleges. The report suggests that the next Government review the effects of the budget reductions in the education sector. House of Commons Health Select Committee 

Baby deaths cluster: Trust paid out millions in compensation

Baby deaths cluster: Trust paid out millions in compensation An NHS trust facing a review into maternity errors has paid out millions in compensation after similar mistakes led to babies born with brain injuries.

The health secretary has ordered a review into the deaths of at least five babies at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.

A law firm says it has 27 open cases into claims that mistakes at the trust led to brain injuries at birth.

The trust said the sums already paid out did not reflect current services.

A medical negligence charity says the trust is an "outlier" in terms of avoidable harm and has demanded a full inquiry. BBC News

Student mental health costs should be free, according to the Royal College of GPs

Student mental health costs should be free, according to the Royal College of GPs The Royal College of GPs tells Newsbeat that students with mental health problems should receive free prescriptions. BBC News

CCGs withhold GP Forward View cash unless practices deliver savings

CCGs withhold GP Forward View cash unless practices deliver savings CCGs in some areas are attempting to avoid paying out funding promised to practices in the GP Forward View, according to GP leaders. GPonline

Are NHS transformation plans a sticking plaster over big funding gaps?

Are NHS transformation plans a sticking plaster over big funding gaps? Finance directors call for more realism, as concern grows that the plans cannot deliver the savings needed to close the £22bn health funding deficit

Almost every day there’s a new report on the state of NHS finances. With so many negative headlines, it can be difficult to keep sight of what the extent of the problem is and what solutions might fix it.

Many NHS organisations are under severe financial pressure. The planned savings are still ambitious and, after speaking to finance directors, our research has found they lack confidence about whether they can deliver the annual 2–3% savings needed to close the £22bn funding gap. Continue reading... The Guardian

Hunt announces plans for inquiry into rogue surgeon Ian Paterson

Hunt announces plans for inquiry into rogue surgeon Ian Paterson Health secretary says government – if returned to power – will hold inquiry into doctor convicted of carrying out unnecessary operations

Jeremy Hunt has announced plans to hold an inquiry into rogue surgeon Ian Paterson, who was last week convicted of carrying out “completely unnecessary” operations on patients.

The breast cancer surgeon was found guilty of 17 counts of wounding with intent and three of unlawful wounding against 10 patients after a seven-week trial at Nottingham crown court. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Breast surgeon Ian Paterson inquiry pledge from Tories BBC News
• NHS will face probe over rogue surgeon The Daily Mail

UK must get tough on childhood obesity, says top doctors

UK must get tough on childhood obesity, says top doctors Obesity Health Alliance issues 10-point action plan in hope of influencing party manifestos for general election

Britain must take much tougher action to tackle childhood obesity, including banning sponsorship of sports events by manufacturers of unhealthy food and drinks, leading doctors will warn. Without such robust measures, the NHS will come under “enormous and unsustainable strain” from a condition that already costs it £5bn a year, according to an action plan by the Obesity Health Alliance.

The alliance, which comprises 41 medical groups, health charities and public health bodies, has drawn up a 10-point action plan intended to influence the political parties as they draw up their manifestos for the election on 8 June. Continue reading... The Guardian

Pfizer to give out breast cancer pill for FREE on NHS

Pfizer to give out breast cancer pill for FREE on NHS Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer yesterday said it would provide palbociclib for five months while rationing watchdog NICE assesses the treatment. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Breast cancer patients offered wonder drug for free while NHS makes up its mind The Daily Telegraph
• Pfizer to give out breast cancer drug free while awaiting NHS decision The Guardian

More than one-third of men are lonely says RVS

More than one-third of men are lonely says RVS Going through a break up, being unemployed and the death of a family member are the causes in 17 per cent of British men. Over 25 per cent of men aged 65 to 69 blame retirement. The Daily Mail

See also:

• New research on behalf of Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness suggests millions of men, young and old, are experiencing loneliness but suffering in silence Royal Voluntary Service

Young adults less likely to drink, official figures show

Young adults less likely to drink, official figures show The proportion of adults who drink alcohol on a weekly basis is at its lowest since figures began in 2005, official data from around 7,700 British adults suggests. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Three new reports on alcohol use and misuse published today NHS Digital
• Hospital admissions for alcohol-related illnesses increase The Daily Mail
• Baby boomers warned over alcohol intake as hospital admissions soar The Guardian

Numbers waiting 18 weeks for NHS surgery could double, leak reveals

Numbers waiting 18 weeks for NHS surgery could double, leak reveals Leaked "devastating" documents reveal that the number of NHS patients waiting longer than 18 weeks for surgery is forecast to double in two years.

The figures from health service regulators show total numbers on waiting lists are expected to soar to 5.5 million by 2019, on current trends, compared with a current figure of 3.7 million.

It comes after the head of the NHS said worsening waiting times for routine operations were an expected “trade off” for efforts to improve emergency care and cancer treatment. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS waiting lists to double for hip and knee operations The Daily Mail
• NHS hospital waiting lists to rise above five million in two years, leak suggests The Independent