Monday 19 June 2017

Speech: Jeremy Hunt: message to NHS staff in support of their excellent work

Speech: Jeremy Hunt: message to NHS staff in support of their excellent work When I was first made Health Secretary I said it was the biggest privilege of my life, and so it has proved. What I didn’t realise then was that it would also become my biggest passion – working in health is not just a job but a vocation.

The election period reinforced more acutely than ever the incredible work of the NHS, particularly the way staff dealt first with the global cyber-attack and then with horrendous terror attacks in Manchester and London.

After the Manchester bombing I met nurses caring for bereaved families with incredible compassion, whilst in London I heard stories of doctors who cycled the length of the city at 2am just because they wanted to help.

These stories speak to a wider truth: NHS staff do an amazing job, often in the most difficult of circumstances. And it is this which brings us all together – our great belief in the NHS, what it stands for and what we believe it can be. Department of Health

Two new bite-size guides to insight and feedback published

Two new bite-size guides to insight and feedback published Two further bite-size guides to patient insight have been launched to help CCGs and providers to carry out qualitative research and to gather feedback from people with a learning disability. NHS England

Workforce supply briefing builds on work to help NHS respond to challenges of coming years

Workforce supply briefing builds on work to help NHS respond to challenges of coming years NHS Employers has launched a new briefing document for NHS leaders, aimed at encouraging more investment in the skills of the domestic population.

Titled “Workforce supply – attracting and retaining local talent”, the briefing highlights the context and policies designed to do this.

It covers the various elements that contribute to a sustainable workforce supply strategy, with signposts to help employers reflect on their activity and what else might be helpful.

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Interactive dashboard provides new insight into cervical screening coverage

Interactive dashboard provides new insight into cervical screening coverage GPs and health organisations will be able to improve cervical screening rates thanks to an innovative new online data tool.It is hoped that the interactive dashboard will help identify areas where screening levels could be improved and encourage work to boost coverage. NHS Digital

NHS terrorism response was better because of STPs, says Hunt

NHS terrorism response was better because of STPs, says Hunt The NHS response to the Manchester terrorist attack last month was more effective because of reforms led by the sustainability and transformation plan (STP) process, Jeremy Hunt has claimed. GPonline

Health unions urge Theresa May to ditch NHS pay cap

Health unions urge Theresa May to ditch NHS pay cap Unions representing cross-section of healthcare staff increase pressure on government to use Queen’s speech to lift 1% restriction on pay rises

The NHS pay cap is unfair, unpopular and dangerous to patient safety, bodies representing 1.3 million health service staff have warned Theresa May, urging her to ditch the policy in the Queen’s speech.

The plea from doctors, nurses, dentists and other health professionals comes as the prime minister faces intense pressure to scrap the cap, introduced in 2010, which has limited NHS staff to 1% pay rises or below. It is legislated to continue until 2020. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Number of under-18s on antidepressants in England rises by 12%

Number of under-18s on antidepressants in England rises by 12% Data shows over 166,000 were given such medication between April 2015 and June 2016, including 537 aged six or under

Tens of thousands of young people in England, including children as young as six, are being prescribed antidepressants by their doctors. The figures have prompted concern that medics may be overprescribing strong medication because of stretched and underfunded mental health services.

Data obtained by the Guardian shows that 166,510 under-18s, including 10,595 seven-to-12-year-olds and 537 aged six or younger, were given medication typically used to treat depression and anxiety between April 2015 and June 2016. The figures, released by NHS England under the Freedom of Information Act, show a 12% rise in the numbers taking the drugs over the same time period. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Most of central London hospital to be sold off, plans reveal

Most of central London hospital to be sold off, plans reveal Exclusive: Charing Cross hospital to be cut to 13% of current size and services diverted to facilities around the city, documents show

Almost all of a central London hospital is to be sold and its services diverted to already stretched facilities around the capital under plans for NHS modernisation seen by the Guardian.

Charing Cross hospital, a flagship NHS facility in the heart of London, is to be cut to just 13% of its current size under proposals contained in sustainability and transformation plans published last year in 44 areas across England. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Doctors to vote on ending time limit for abortions

Doctors to vote on ending time limit for abortions Doctors are to vote on whether to abolish the time limit on abortions.

Up to 500 GPs and hospital doctors will debate decriminalisation during a major conference at the end of the month. It could lead to a call for women to be allowed to terminate their pregnancy right up until the due date – and for any reason.

The existing time limit is 24 weeks from conception. Even then, two doctors must agree that continuing the pregnancy would be harmful for either the woman or the unborn child.

Some claim that the restrictions, which date back 50 years, encourage women to take matters into their own hands by buying illegal abortion pills online. The Daily Mail

British Medical Journal reveal different portion sizes

British Medical Journal reveal different portion sizes A study by the British Medical Journal found that people rely on sight to portion food, which can add up to 300 extra calories a day. But new images reveal exactly how much to eat. The Daily Mail