Thursday 25 May 2017

What do the manifestos mean for the NHS?

What do the manifestos mean for the NHS? There is more that unites the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat manifestos on the NHS than divides them. All three parties reiterate their commitment to the enduring principles of the NHS. All promise to increase NHS funding during the next parliament. And all outline plans to improve care and to deliver key waiting time and other standards. The King's Fund

Listening to patients, carers, staff and communities... do we care enough?

Listening to patients, carers, staff and communities... do we care enough? The message from every speaker and through every presentation at the Fund’s seventh annual leadership summit was clear – intensely portrayed by passionate descriptions and powerful images: we need to hear the stories, we need to work with compassion together, we need to care. The King's Fund

Flexible and user-led – why NHS trusts are switching to open source software

Flexible and user-led – why NHS trusts are switching to open source software Electronic patient record systems are expensive – could open source be the way forward for the NHS?

Many NHS trusts have started implementing electronic patient record (EPR) systems to improve efficiency and reduce paper waste. At a time of budget cuts, however, the multimillion pound price tag attached to an EPR implementation can be off-putting.

As an alternative, some are looking at open source software, in which the underlying code is made available for free, and users are able to tailor it to their own needs for no extra cost. This is different from proprietary software, where the supplier controls the source code and may charge licence fees. Continue reading... The Guardian

'I still feel raw': nurse tells of treating Manchester bombing victims

'I still feel raw': nurse tells of treating Manchester bombing victims Joe O’Brien talks of a patient who smiled despite horrific injuries and a doctor, whose daughter was at the arena, returning to treat the wounded

Joe O’Brien is a senior sister in the surgical department of Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport, where six of the 59 injured in the Manchester bombing were treated.

On Monday, I worked from 8am until 6pm as a surgery sister at Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport. I was in bed that night listening to BBC Radio Four when I heard the words ‘Manchester’ and ‘incident’. I immediately thought about Declan, my son, a student who lives in central Manchester. I shot downstairs, spoke to my husband Sean. We rang Declan and established that he was OK, then I rang work and went in.

When I got there at 1.30am there were ambulances outside which had brought in six of the 59 casualties from the arena. They were stabilised in the A&E unit and brought to the surgical department where I work. They all had what we call lower limb injuries with foreign bodies – shrapnel injuries. Metal bolts and nuts, some an inch wide, had gone into them. They had caused real damage and left big holes in people. Shrapnel is like a large bullethole. It just destroys anything it goes through – arteries, bones, nerves, the lot. I’ve been in operating theatres since 1988 and it’s the most upsetting thing I’ve ever seen. Continue reading... The Guardian

What do the election manifestos say about social care?

What do the election manifestos say about social care? From a dementia tax to a National Care Service, the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat election promises about social care examined

While the snap election appears to be about getting a mandate for Brexit, the controversy over social care proposals in the Conservative manifesto has ignited the issue. The three major political parties all have something to say about social care, which has been unfinished business through successive governments for at least the past 20 years.

Both the Liberal Democrat and Labour manifestos describe social care as being in a state of crisis, and the funding shortfall is well known (estimated at £2bn this year alone). The Lib Dems would introduce an immediate 1p rise in all rates of income tax and ringfence the additional revenue (which they calculate at £6bn) for NHS and social care services. In the longer term this would be replaced with a hypothecated health and care tax. The manifesto also pledges to “finish the job of implementing a cap on the cost of social care, which the Conservatives have effectively abandoned”. Continue reading... The Guardian

Drink and drug service cuts will hit overstretched A&Es

Drink and drug service cuts will hit overstretched A&Es Cuts to addiction services will impact A&Es and cost the NHS more in the long run, claims a Royal College of Psychiatrists professor. Budgets for services in some areas have been slashed by 50%. The Daily Mail

Warnings handed to hospitals on care double in a year

Warnings handed to hospitals on care double in a year The Care Quality Commission was forced to issue 135 'enforcement actions' against hospitals in England in 2016/17. Yet in 2015/16 the watchdog handed just 58 enforcement actions. The Daily Mail

Dementia patients should have GPS trackers, expert says 

Dementia patients should have GPS trackers, expert says Dementia patients should have a tracking device implanted into their body in case they wander off and get lost, an expert believes.

Professor June Andrews, OBE, is adamant the chip under their skin could save many families the anxiety and distress if their relative goes missing.

While the trained nurse, who used to head up dementia studies at Stirling University, Scotland, thinks it could even potentially save lives.

Professor Andrews, who now works independently to improve the lives of people with dementia, is in favour of subcutaneous trackers. The Daily Mail