Tuesday 16 May 2017

CYBER ATTACK: GP bosses urge Northamptonshire patients to attend appointments as usual

CYBER ATTACK: GP bosses urge Northamptonshire patients to attend appointments as usual GP patients in Northampton are being advised to attend booked appointments as normal even through surgeries were forced to shut down IT systems following Friday's massive cyber attack. Northamptonshire Telegraph

NHS Confederation election asks

NHS Confederation election asks This briefing discusses two of the NHS Confederation manifesto proposals in depth: the establishment of an Office for Budget Responsibility and Health and the commitment to an NHS funding target.

Love to Move: Chair-based gymnastics scheme boost for those with dementia

Love to Move: Chair-based gymnastics scheme boost for those with dementia A new chair-based gymnastics exercise programme has significant benefits for people with dementia, says a report.

More than 150 people have taken part in the Love to Move scheme run by the British Gymnastics Foundation (BGF).

And research by Age UK found the scheme to have "demonstrable benefits in the physical, emotional and cognitive aspects of older people".

The organisers now aim to train more people to deliver the programme and make it more widely available. BBC Sport

Union condemns cuts to school nurses

Union condemns cuts to school nurses Cuts to crucial services are jeopardising the health of England's children, nursing leaders are warning.

The Royal College of Nursing highlighted figures showing reductions in the numbers of school nurses and health visitors.

The union said government cuts to public health budgets - held by local authorities - were to blame.

The Conservatives say they are protecting children's health, with over £3bn spent on public health last year. BBC News

NHS cyber-attack: No 'second spike' but disruption continues

NHS cyber-attack: No 'second spike' but disruption continues A "second spike" in cyber-attacks has not hit the NHS but some hospital trusts are suffering ongoing disruption due to Friday's ransomware attack.

Routine surgery and GP appointments have been cancelled across the NHS as it recovers from the global outbreak.

But the number of hospitals diverting patients from A&E has decreased from seven on Sunday to two.

They are the Lister Hospital in Hertfordshire and the Broomfield Hospital in Essex. BBC News

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70% of UK workers still go to work even when they are ill, survey finds

70% of UK workers still go to work even when they are ill, survey finds A slightly sore throat and a bit of a sniffle won’t keep Brits out of work, new research suggests.

According to a report published by insurance company Aviva on Tuesday, millions of people in the UK have gone to work when they were ill instead of taking the day off, driven by heavy workloads and employers promoting a culture of face-time.

The report shows that seven out of 10 employees in private firms – the equivalent of 18 million nationally – have at some point come into the office despite being unwell. More than two in five of 2,000 employees surveyed for the report said that they feel their employer prioritises the performance of the company over the workforce’s health and wellbeing. The Independent

NHS needs to change, says expert, and both sides of politics should support it

NHS needs to change, says expert, and both sides of politics should support it Chris Ham, head of the King’s Fund, says campaigning over the state of A&Es and maternity units may be ‘good politics locally’ but jeopardises better care.

Politicians should support, not oppose, controversial changes to local hospital services in order to save lives, improve care and tackle doctor shortages, a former government NHS adviser is urging.

Professor Chris Ham, the chief executive of the influential King’s Fund health thinktank, said candidates standing in the election should not try to court popularity with voters by joining campaigns against the rundown of A&E and maternity units. Continue reading... The Guardian

Why a simple 'sorry' could save the NHS millions

Why a simple 'sorry' could save the NHS millions When his 20-month-old son Tahmeed died in the Royal London Hospital after a series of catastrophic errors, the last thing his devastated father wanted from the NHS was money.

‘I had buried Tahmeed and I would have given anything to have him back,’ says Taufiqul Karim Suhrid, a cab dispatcher.

But he was shocked when, instead of explaining what had happened and apologising, Barts Health NHS Trust flatly denied the toddler’s death was a result of substandard treatment. The Daily Mail

Nurses with dementia should be allowed to keep their jobs, says Royal College of Nursing

Nurses with dementia should be allowed to keep their jobs, says Royal College of Nursing Nurses who are diagnosed with dementia should keep their jobs and be allowed to continue caring for patients, the profession’s trade union has demanded.

The Royal College of Nursing said the health service should “set an example” to the rest of society by allowing staff with the degenerative condition to carry on working.

The organisation insisted nurses with the disease could continue practising without posing a risk to patients, but safety groups branded the proposal “frightening and extraordinary”.

Under current Nursing and Midwifery Council rules, which do not explicitly mention dementia, nurses must be able to deliver “safe and effective practice” and must take “all reasonable personal precautions” to avoid causing risk to the public. The Daily Telegraph

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