Social care: what's in a name?

Social care: what's in a name? Social care is all around us. More than 1.5 million people in England are employed to provide social care to older and disabled people. And these numbers are dwarfed by almost 6 million unpaid carers – family members and friends who give up their time to help with a range of tasks, from cooking to personal care.

But despite this, ‘social care’ is a phrase you don’t hear much in everyday life. Last year, when my 94-year-old grandmother's health was deteriorating and she needed support with washing, getting in and out of bed and other day-to-day tasks, I remember noticing that no one in my family used the term social care. Instead, the talk during this difficult time was about ‘speaking to the council to get someone in to help Gran’, and ‘finding a carer who will come around to the house’. The King's Fund

Election briefing: quality of care in the NHS

Election briefing: quality of care in the NHS This briefing focuses on the quality of care in the English NHS. It finds that waiting times for many NHS urgent and emergency services in England were at their worst in 2016/17 for the last five years, but there is so far little evidence that the quality of care for some of the big killers – like heart attack, stroke and cancer – is deteriorating. The Health Foundation

Perinatal pathway for babies with palliative care needs

Perinatal pathway for babies with palliative care needs This pathway has been developed by Together for Short Lives with expert input from leading ethicists and clinicians working across obstetrics, antenatal and neonatal care, and children’s palliative care. It is designed to support all professionals working in fetal medicine, anetental, neonatal and maternity services to deliver sensitive and timely support, enabling families to spend time with their baby in a more home-like environment, and with as little technologically dependent care as possible. It encourages professionals to work together across multidisciplinary teams and local services to provide the best response to families. This is a free publication but need to enter some details in order to receive it. Together for Short Lives

Turning up the volume: unheard voices of people with dementia

Turning up the volume: unheard voices of people with dementia This report contains the findings of a consultation with people affected by dementia. It reveals that nearly half of the UK adults questioned had not started saving for the care and support they might need in the future, and a third agreed that before being asked, they had not considered the cost of dementia care and support. It brings together the views of more than 3,850 people with dementia, carers and the public, in a series of in-depth interviews and face-to-face and online surveys. Alzheimer's Society

Hospital 'long waits' hit five-year high

Hospital 'long waits' hit five-year high Hospitals waiting times in England have deteriorated markedly in the past five years, an analysis shows.

The Health Foundation review of official NHS data between 2011-12 and 2016-17 found longer waits for cancer, A&E and routine operations.

Last year the NHS missed all three targets for the first time in its history - and researchers warned it could get worse before it improves.

But the Conservatives said investment was being made to improve services. BBCNews

One in three GP practices offer patients access to appointments on Sunday

One in three GP practices offer patients access to appointments on Sunday A third of GP practices in England now provide access to patients on a Sunday, while in London almost 100% of patients have access to appointments outside of core hours. GPonline

UK facing public health ‘ticking time bomb’

UK facing public health ‘ticking time bomb’ The UK is facing a ‘ticking time bomb’ in public health, doctors’ leaders have warned today.

In its manifesto, A Vote for Health, the British Medical Association (BMA) is calling for urgent action to improve the health of the population and reverse cuts to public health.

Commenting, Dr Mark Porter, BMA council chair, said: “When it comes to public health, the UK is going backwards. Prevention is better than cure and cuts to public health have a damaging impact on individuals’ health and wellbeing, and end up costing the NHS more in the long term.

“In England, successive governments have failed to deliver a long-term plan to improve public health, and too often evidence-based public health measures have been kicked into the long grass. We need tighter regulation of the food and soft drinks industry, a minimum unit price on alcohol and support for people to quit smoking.” OnMedica

Tainted blood scandal victim's son to sue amid cover-up allegations

Tainted blood scandal victim's son to sue amid cover-up allegations A family member of a victim of the “biggest treatment disaster in the history of the NHS” plans to launch a landmark legal case amid allegations of a Government cover-up.

Theresa May has said she will consider setting up an independent panel to investigate the tainted blood scandal, which left thousands infected with hepatitis and HIV in the 1970s and 80s.

Now Jason Evans, whose father Jonathan died after he was infected with HIV while being treated for haemophilia, is suing the Government for negligence. The Independent

Male suicide: ‘Gender should not be a death sentence’

Male suicide: ‘Gender should not be a death sentence’ Simon Gunning reveals what is being done to encourage men to open up about their emotions

We take a two-fold approach to changing and saving lives: firstly providing support for men who are down or in crisis, and secondly campaigning for culture change to tackle outdated stereotypes of masculinity that prevent men seeking help.

We do this in the face of a problem that is deeply entrenched. Many men feel forced to stoically “man up” (whatever that means) and grind through bad times without societal permission to open up or seek help. Calm’s research shows that while 67% of women tell someone about going through depression, only 55% of men do the same. Continue reading... The Guardian

Loneliness among older people: a new epidemic

Loneliness among older people: a new epidemic With millions of older people living in isolation, what is being done to help?

A weekly phone call or visit from a volunteer are among the solutions to help ease the loneliness epidemic affecting 1.2 million older people in England, according to campaigners.

Age UK, says that 1.2 million older people are chronically lonely and that this has an adverse impact on mental health, and the challenge will increase as our population ages. In the next 20 years, England’s over-85 population is set to rise from nearly

1.3 million people to just under 2.8 million. Continue reading... The Guardian

Children with eating disorders waiting months for help, first official figures show

Children with eating disorders waiting months for help, first official figures show Children with eating disorders are waiting more than a month for NHS treatment, new figures show.

The first ever official health service statistics show that hundreds of cases, including urgent referrals, are facing delays getting help for anorexia and bulimia.

Last year the Government set new targets in treatment for children and young people with eating disorders.

They state that by 2020, 95 per cent of the most urgent cases should get help within a week, with 95 per cent of the remainder seen within a month.

The new monthly figures, from NHS England show hundreds of children and young people are currently waiting far longer. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Eating disorders treatment targets met for two out of three children BBC News