Cross party parity on mental health

Cross party parity on mental health Gone are the days when mental health was a niche public concern. Over the past few years there have been many advocates for ‘parity of esteem’ – a commitment to putting support for mental health on a par with support for physical health. That mental health is prominent in each of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat manifestos is a testament to these voices, and reflects a shift in public opinion that considers equitable treatment of mental ill health as a key policy agenda. King's Fund

Caring by design

Caring by design This report sets out a series of recommendations for industry, care providers and policymakers to help solve the social care system's recruitment and retention crisis. The report argues that more flexible job design, rather than just a skills solution, is needed in order to improve the quality of care and provide a cost-efficient solution for employers who are significantly reducing the cost of staff turnover. King's Fund

• Report
• Press release

International profiles of health care systems

International profiles of health care systems This report presents an overview and comparison of the health care systems of 19 countries around the world. Each overview covers health insurance, public and private financing, health system organisation and governance, health care quality and coordination, disparities, efficiency and integration, use of information technology and evidence-based practice, cost containment, and recent reforms and innovations. In addition, summary tables provide data on a number of key health system characteristics and performance indicators, including overall health care spending, hospital spending and utilisation, health care access, patient safety, care coordination, chronic care management, disease prevention, capacity for quality improvement, and public views. Commonwealth Fund

Police looking at claims of data 'fiddling' at hospital

Police looking at claims of data 'fiddling' at hospital A BBC investigation into patient waiting times at Kettering General led to allegations of misconduct. Claims a hospital's waiting time figures were 'fiddled' to meet targets have been passed to police. It follows a BBC investigation into alleged misconduct at Kettering General Hospital which left thousands waiting over a year for treatment.
The trust which runs the hospital denied manipulating data but apologised for losing track of patients.
Northamptonshire Police said it had not yet launched a full investigation but was evaluating evidence. BBC Health News

GP contacts with patients up 7.5% in two years

GP contacts with patients up 7.5% in two years The total number of telephone and face-to-face contacts between patients and GPs rose 7.5% over the two years from 2014/15 to 2016/17, analysis by a leading think tank reveals. GP Online

CQC outstanding practices have 50% more GPs

CQC outstanding practices have 50% more GPs GP practices rated outstanding by the CQC have one-and-a-half times as many GPs per 1,000 patients as those rated inadequate, according to a GPonline analysis. GP Online

Pupils risking their lives as mental health services collapse

Pupils risking their lives as mental health services collapse  Funding cuts to mental health services have made thresholds for treatment so high that young people are risking their lives in desperate bids to get help, Tes can reveal. Stretched children and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) are driving growing numbers of pupils to make what look like suicide attempts just so they can have their mental illness treated. TES News

See also: 

Teenagers are attempting suicide to access health services Mail Online.

'A grim reality': concern over longer waits for NHS operations

'A grim reality': concern over longer waits for NHS operations Patients are being left in pain and discomfort due to fiancial pressures facing NHS, says Royal College of Surgeons. An increasing number of patients are having to wait more than six months for an operation in hospital, official NHS figures show. The number of people in England being forced to wait that long has almost trebled in the past four years, from 45,054 in March 2013 to 126,188 in March this year – a 180% rise. The Guardian