Bed blocking figures for Northamptonshire are twice as high as national average, new figures show

Bed blocking figures for Northamptonshire are twice as high as national average, new figures show Northamptonshire is one of the worst areas in England for "bed-blocking", a national report has revealed.

In June, the county had double the national daily average for the numbers of patients kept in hospitals and social care sites by "delayed transfer of care" (DTOC).

Northamptonshire also tied for third across England for the number of beds taken up by patients affected by DTOC. 

Meanwhile, in May, Northampton General Hospital saw 90 incidents of DTOC - near five times its target of 23 incidents a month. Northamptonshire Telegraph

MP writes open letter to health bosses after Corby Urgent Care Centre meeting

MP writes open letter to health bosses after Corby Urgent Care Centre meeting Tom Pursglove has asked bosses at Corby CCG whether they have considered their positions over the uncertainty of the future of the town’s Urgent Care Centre.

At a meeting earlier this week, it was agreed that the site would stay open in the short term if a deal can be agreed between the CCG and site operators Lakeside+.

Mr Pursglove said he was happy that ‘common sense had prevailed’ but has been highly critical of the actions of the CCG’s governing body. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Reducing inequalities in health: towards a brave old world?

Reducing inequalities in health: towards a brave old world? In the past few weeks there has been a lot of interest in trends in population mortality and life expectancy. Michael Marmot pointed out that life expectancy at population level seems to have stalled, which served as a reminder that there has been concern about trends in mortality rates among older people, in 2015 in particular, but perhaps more importantly over a longer period since around 2010. Public Health England also published its first health profile for England and its interpretation of the mortality trends above.

But here I want to focus on inequalities in health, and what three very recent pieces of information and analysis tell us. The King's Fund

MDU says only 15% of claims against doctors succeed

MDU says only 15% of claims against doctors succeed An outdated and adversarial legal system is leading to doctors and patients having to endure considerable stress and anxiety caused by medical negligence claims, yet few succeed, the Medical Defence Union (MDU) has said.

The MDU, the UK's leading medical defence organisation, made the comments as it revealed in its Annual Report for 2016 that it successfully defended 85% of medical claims that closed last year.

Vulnerable children not in crisis are 'left in limbo'

Vulnerable children not in crisis are 'left in limbo' Thousands of vulnerable children in England are being "left in limbo" because their needs are not severe enough, a charity has warned.

Action for Children estimates 140,000 children referred to social services over issues like drugs, alcoholism, domestic violence and neglect are not getting the help they need.

It says they often fall through the cracks as they are not at crisis point.

Ministers say their social care reforms will improve support. BBC News

Tory government quietly doubles number of NHS properties it is selling off

Tory government quietly doubles number of NHS properties it is selling off A secret “fire sale” of hospital land – including dozens of properties still being used for medical care – is planned to bail out the cash-strapped NHS, new documents show.

The Department of Health has quietly doubled the amount of land it intends to dispose of, triggering accusations of desperate measures to plug a big hole in NHS finances.

Details of more than half of the 1,300 hectares now up for sale have been kept under wraps because of “sensitivity” – raising suspicions that many other sites also have clinical uses. The Independent

Ambulance call-outs for mental health patients in England soar by 23%

Ambulance call-outs for mental health patients in England soar by 23% Figures show paramedics helped 30,000 more people experiencing a mental health crisis in 2016-17 compared with 2014-15

The number of ambulance call-outs for people experiencing mental health problems in England has soared by nearly a quarter in two years.

Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows paramedics helped over 30,000 more patients (172,799) in crisis in 2016-17 compared with 140,137 in 2014-15, a rise of 23%. Continue reading... The Guardian

Will the healthcare data revolution spell the end for doctors' autonomy?

Will the healthcare data revolution spell the end for doctors' autonomy? Research by NHS Improvement has revealed doctors, medical directors and even entire hospitals that seem undisturbed by poor outcomes for patients.

NHS Improvement’s drive to raise clinical standards is prising open the sensitive issue of doctors’ autonomy, and shows how the legal and professional boundaries of medicine are constantly shifting.

The Get It Right First Time programme is uncovering massive and unacceptable differences in performance, such as a 25-fold variation in orthopaedic surgical site infection rates. Continue reading... The Guardian

Health inequality gap ‘is still growing’ in England, new Department of Health data shows

Health inequality gap ‘is still growing’ in England, new Department of Health data shows Poor people face years of failing health and earlier death compared to the rich, despite government pledges to reduce inequality

The health gap between rich and poor is growing in England, according to shocking figures compiled by the Department of Health.

Despite government pledges to reduce inequalities in areas such as life expectancy and susceptibility to disability and disease, those living in the most deprived areas of the country run a greater risk of premature death, seeing a child die soon after it is born, and of ending up in hospital as an emergency case. Differing health outcomes for the rich and the poor were identified by Theresa May last year as a “burning injustice”. Continue reading... The Guardian

600-plus children and teens now have Type 2 diabetes as cases soar

600-plus children and teens now have Type 2 diabetes as cases soar The number of children and teenagers with Type 2 diabetes has risen 14 per cent in a single year amid a “hugely disturbing trend” in youth obesity.

New figures reveal more than 600 young people were suffering from the condition last year, the majority of whom are aged 15 to 19.

The data from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) also showed that eight in ten of those with the illness, which was unheard of among children 18 years ago, were clinically obese. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Type 2 diabetes rise in children 'disturbing' BBC News
• Over 600 children are treated for a type of diabetes The Daily Mail

Midwives agree to drop 'normal births' campaign as it makes women 'feel like failures'

Midwives agree to drop 'normal births' campaign as it makes women 'feel like failures' Midwives have dropped a campaign to encourage "normal births" and will no longer urge women to have babies without medical intervention.

The 12-year long campaign has been dropped by the Royal College of Midwives after it "made women feel like failures". In an overhaul of its guidance to professionals, it is seeking to dispel the myth that caesareans and epidurals are abnormal. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Midwives back down on campaign for natural childbirth The Daily Mail

How nearly 30,000 doctors are now 'paid £100,000 a year'

How nearly 30,000 doctors are now 'paid £100,000 a year' Nearly 30,000 NHS hospital doctors are now paid at least £100,000 a year by the cash-strapped NHS, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The number of staff on six- figure salaries has risen by a quarter in five years, according to NHS Digital, the Health Service’s official statistics body.

Doctors account for more than 90 per cent of NHS staff in the six-figure club. The number of ‘professionally qualified clinical staff’ in England with total earnings over £100,000 rose from 23,835 in 2011 to a staggering 29,776 in 2016. The Daily Mail

6-YEAR backlog of 22,000 vital medical letters

6-YEAR backlog of 22,000 vital medical letters The documents stated what follow-up care was deemed necessary for anyone who was receiving treatment at the hospitals ran by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. The Daily Mail