Monday 9 October 2017

KGH car parking charges to be reduced

KGH car parking charges to be reduced Visitors staying at KGH for less than four hours will see their parking charge reduced shortly.

The current charge is £5.10 but that will drop with CP Plus taking over management of the hospital’s car parks. Northamptonshire Telegraph

The medico-legal crisis and how to solve it

The medico-legal crisis and how to solve it The author of this report concludes that the NHS' liabilities for medico-legal claims now total £65bn, draining the NHS of much-needed funds and putting patients at risk by driving GPs out of practice. The report puts forward nine recommendations to bring down costs for the NHS and provide better outcomes for patients. Centre for Policy Studies

Assaults on mental health staff up 25% in four years

Assaults on mental health staff up 25% in four years Mental health staff in the UK are working in a "powder keg" environment, as assaults by patients soar, a BBC investigation has revealed.

Figures obtained by 5 live Investigates show there were more than 42,000 reported attacks on staff in 2016-17 in the mental health trusts who responded.

The figure is more than a quarter higher than for the corresponding trusts four years earlier.

Health bosses say violence on NHS staff is "completely unacceptable".

Nearly two-thirds of mental health trusts in the UK provided data under a Freedom of Information request, which revealed assaults increased from 33,620 in 2012-13 to 42,692 last year. BBC News

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US-style abortion battles loom in UK amid claims of intimidation

US-style abortion battles loom in UK amid claims of intimidation As street tensions increase, pro-choice group says a London council must curb ‘harassment’ of women at Marie Stopes clinic

A London council will decide on Tuesday whether to pursue a public space protection order to prevent the harassment and intimidation of women accessing abortion services at the Marie Stopes clinic in Ealing, west London.

In the first case of its kind, Ealing council will debate the move after a petition from local pro-choice group, Sister Supporter, which demanded action to stop anti-abortion protesters holding vigils six days a week outside the clinic and approaching patients.

The people who frustrate the rights of women in the name of religion using moral blackmail are bullies of the worst kind Continue reading... The Guardian

Warnings on hospital crowding with doubling in legal actions by CQC

Warnings on hospital crowding with doubling in legal actions by CQC A growing crisis in hospital safety is revealed in official figures showing a doubling in the number of legal warnings issued by NHS watchdogs.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) launched 135 “enforcement actions” against hospitals in 2016/17 - a rise from 58 interventions the year before, the records show.

Overcrowding and staff shortages on health service wards were common themes in the notices, which are issued when care is so poor that it falls below legal requirements.

The findings come ahead of CQC’s annual State of Care report, which is expected to raise concerns about the capacity of NHS trusts to cope with rising pressures. The Daily Telegraph

25,000 operations cancelled last year due to NHS crisis

25,000 operations cancelled last year due to NHS crisis Twenty-five thousand operations are cancelled every year because hospitals are so full, an investigation by The Mail on Sunday has found.

A lack of beds is forcing the cancellation of 100 operations every working day across the NHS in England – a figure that has risen 35 per cent in just five years.

Dozens of trusts have seen bed-related cancellations double since 2012, with one soaring seven-fold.

Even urgent heart and cancer ops are being delayed, sometimes repeatedly, due to the shortage. The consequences can be fatal.

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NHS patients aren't turning up to their GP appointments

NHS patients aren't turning up to their GP appointments Time-wasting patients are placing more strain on the NHS by not turning up to their GP appointments, damning research suggests.

Frustrated doctors have revealed that around one in 20 of their consultations are 'wasted' by patients who fail to attend.

Around 17 million appointments, which each last for around 10 minutes, are lost on a yearly basis because patients don't turn up, a survey suggests.

Leading medics have branded the figures as 'disappointing', as general practice is already considered to be 'at breaking point'. The Daily Mail