Tuesday 9 May 2017

Junior doctors show reaches new hard hitting heights as third year medic performs lumbar puncher on baby

Junior doctors show reaches new hard hitting heights as third year medic performs lumbar puncher on baby Channel 4's #ConfessionsOfAJuniorDoctor delved into life on the pediatric ward at Northampton General Hospital in Wednesdays episode, which followed fifth-year registrar Neeta and third year pediatrician Fahim both foot-soldiers of the NHS. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Brexit and the NHS: election 2017

Brexit and the NHS: election 2017 This briefing outlines the priorities identified by NHS Confederation for the new incoming government. It calls for all political parties to commit to a series of pledges on Brexit ahead of the upcoming general election.

Election briefing: NHS and social care funding - three unavoidable challenges

Election briefing: NHS and social care funding - three unavoidable challenges The Health Foundation has called for increased investment in the NHS to halt planned reductions in spending per person over the next two years, in what will be the toughest decade of funding growth in NHS history. In its new briefing published today, the independent charity also outlines how the new government urgently needs to bridge an alarming funding gap in social care, which has resulted in at least 400,000 fewer people in England receiving care.

In the first of three briefings ahead of the 2017 General Election, the Health Foundation’s paper NHS and social care funding: three unavoidable challenges provides a comprehensive analysis of the state of NHS and social care finances in England. It outlines three unavoidable financial challenges that need to be tackled by the next government if it is to maintain health care and social care services.

Smoking may be banned in new council homes, says health expert

Smoking may be banned in new council homes, says health expert Smoking could be banned in some new council homes in a bid to protect the health of children, a UK public health expert has said.

Under the proposals, tenants would be asked to sign an agreement not to light up inside their home.

President of the Faculty of Public Health, Prof John Middleton, says some councils and housing associations are already exploring the smoke-free housing idea. BBC News

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General election: Labour 'would axe NHS parking charges'

General election: Labour 'would axe NHS parking charges' Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour would provide free car parking at all NHS hospitals in England to end what he called a "tax on serious illness".

Mr Corbyn said the estimated £162m cost would be paid for by an increase in tax on private health insurance premiums.

The plan has the support of NHS unions.

But the Conservatives said Mr Corbyn "wouldn't be able to deliver it" - and the Lib Dems said Labour had voted with the Tories for a hard Brexit that would mean "less money for the NHS". BBC News

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Changing population means NHS faces real-terms funding cut this decade

Changing population means NHS faces real-terms funding cut this decade NHS spending in 2019/20 will be 1.3% lower in real terms than a decade earlier once growth and ageing of the population are taken into account, according to public policy analysts. GPonline

Buurtzorg: the Dutch model of neighbourhood care that is going global

Buurtzorg: the Dutch model of neighbourhood care that is going global Innovative nursing model cuts bureaucracy and gives nurses more freedom and time with clients

The Dutch may be renowned for tulips and Edam cheese, but these days it’s their innovative district nursing and homecare model that is exciting global interest. Buurtzorg, which translates as “neighbourhood care”, is seen by its many enthusiasts as a key part of the solution to challenges facing healthcare systems across the world.

From Aberdeen to Shanghai, the Buurtzorg approach is being seized on by policy-makers as a means of enabling people with care needs to live independently with much less formal support. Potential cost savings of up to 40% have been calculated. Continue reading... The Guardian

The next government must give NHS staff a pay rise

The next government must give NHS staff a pay rise Pay restraint is preventing NHS leaders from recruiting and retaining the staff they need to provide safe, high quality care

The general election on 8 June is an important opportunity to restate what is needed to keep the NHS afloat. Its continued success needs investment in services and the capacity to reshape them to meet 21st century needs. Without this, patients, service users and frontline staff will feel the impact, and trusts will struggle to deliver improvements.

This is set against the backdrop of one of the longest and deepest financial squeezes in NHS history, with demand for services going through the roof and every type of trust running at capacity levels (pdf) way beyond the recommended levels. Continue reading... The Guardian

Why are so many broken bones NOT spotted in casualty?

Why are so many broken bones NOT spotted in casualty? A recent report showed the NHS is paying out millions of pounds a year for missed fractures across the UK, but insiders say the problem can be avoided with better training. The Daily Mail

Maternity staff making 1,400 mistakes a week in NHS wards

Maternity staff making 1,400 mistakes a week in NHS wards Maternity staff are making more than 1,400 mistakes in NHS wards every week, figures reveal.

Midwives and nurses have recorded 305,019 errors in the last three years although the actual number is likely to be far higher.

They range from records being lost and low-level injury in birth to the needless deaths of mothers and babies. The Daily Mail

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Seven in ten children with severe mental health problems sent to hospitals far from home 

Seven in ten children with severe mental health problems sent to hospitals far from home Seven in ten children and teenagers with severe mental health problems are being treated in hospitals far from home, with some sent hundreds of miles, an investigation has found.

Soaring numbers of children are being treated in regions beyond where they live, official figures show, with a doubling of cases in some areas.

Psychiatrists said the figures were “alarming” with children being forced to suffer the “incredible wrench” of being left miles from their family, at a time when they were at the most vulnerable. The Daily Telegraph

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