NGH drama came after six boys sprayed taxi driver in the face with fire extinguisher, police reveal

NGH drama came after six boys sprayed taxi driver in the face with fire extinguisher, police reveal A group of boys assaulted a cabbie in Northampton after he picked them up from a fast-food restaurant before they sprayed a substance in his face, police have reported.

The man, a taxi driver, was assaulted in Mushroom Field Road, Ecton Brook, after picking up six boys from McDonald’s in Weston Favell. As he dropped them off, one of the boys sprayed a substance in the driver’s face, believed to be from a fire extinguisher kept in the vehicle. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Closure of NGH entrances due to man being sprayed with 'unknown substance' in car Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Patient care deteriorating as NHS heads into winter on a knife edge

Patient care deteriorating as NHS heads into winter on a knife edge Half (51 per cent) of NHS trust finance directors think patient care in their area has got worse over the last year, while just six per cent said it has improved, according to The King’s Fund’s new quarterly monitoring report.

As the Chancellor prepares to announce the Budget later this month, the findings show that a seven-year squeeze on NHS and social care budgets is taking a significant toll on patient care. Analysis for the report suggests that the NHS is heading into winter on a knife edge with performance worse than at this time last year against a number of key indicators.

Greater access and consistency: What people want from health and social care services

Greater access and consistency: What people want from health and social care services The Healthwatch network heard from 341,000 people, carers and staff during the last year about what they think of health and social care services. Today we share a summary of what people like and what could be improved, via our fifth annual report to Parliament Speak up. Healthwatch

Costs of stroke three times higher than thought

Costs of stroke three times higher than thought A report from the Stroke Association estimates that the current cost of stroke to the UK is £26 billion every year, a threefold increase from the previous estimated cost of £9 billion.

The 2000 days project: A new approach to NHS reform

The 2000 days project: A new approach to NHS reform While there are lots of inspiring examples of new care provision, current reform struggles to deliver the change needed, and integrated care is not happening on the scale required.

The NHS must re-energise its approach to handle rising demand, hospital debt, slow technological innovation and growing public expectations.

An Industry Coalition Group of clinicians, senior leaders in hospitals, primary care, the central bodies, charities and the private sector met earlier this year to take on the challenge. As a result a new approach has been developed, culminating in a published report - The 2000 days project. Healthcare at Home

See also:

• Health reform should start by looking at the first and last days of life | Richard Vize The Guardian

Viva la devolution: devolved public-services commissioning

Viva la devolution: devolved public-services commissioning This report argues for the devolution of over £100 billion of public-services spending, including 95 per cent of the NHS’ budget. It suggests that 38 large councils across England should control spending to improve outcomes for citizens and that NHS England and CCGs should be abolished to cede commissioning to local authorities. Reform

NHS offers smartphone GP appointments

NHS offers smartphone GP appointments A 24-hour service has been launched for NHS patients, offering GP consultations via videolink on smartphones.

The pilot scheme will initially cover 3.5 million patients in Fulham, west London.

Patients will be able to check their symptoms through the mobile app and then have video consultations within two hours of booking.

The Royal College of GPs has warned the service may not help patients with complex needs.

The new free service has been launched by a group of London GPs and the online healthcare provider Babylon. BBC News

'Speed up mental health support for children in care'

'Speed up mental health support for children in care' "It felt like no-one was there for me and no-one cared - I was crying myself to sleep every night."

This is what life was like for Callum after he was taken into care aged 13 in 2008, following the death of his father and a family breakdown.

He told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme his mental health quickly deteriorated.

"I was still an emotional kid trying to get over Dad, and everything got on top of me. He was my superhero."

Almost half of those in the care system have a diagnosable mental health disorder, according to statutory guidance published in 2015. BBC News

Psychiatrist vacancies 'double in four years' in England

Psychiatrist vacancies 'double in four years' in England One in 10 consultant psychiatrist roles is currently unfilled in NHS organisations in England, says a report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

It says the number of unfilled posts has doubled in the past four years.

Wales is also struggling to fill posts, with vacancies of 9%, while Scotland and Northern Ireland have vacancy rates of 6% and 2% respectively.

The college called the vacancies "frankly alarming" and said they increased waiting times for patients. BBC News

Reduced number of GP training places advertised for 2018

Reduced number of GP training places advertised for 2018 The number of GP specialty training places on offer across the UK in the first round of recruitment for 2018 has shrunk compared to the number offered this year, official figures suggest. GPonline

Leading charities urge Government to address 'crisis' of mental health services in UK

Leading charities urge Government to address 'crisis' of mental health services in UK Twelve mental health bodies write open letter urging ministers they ‘cannot go on’ with so many patients ‘locked out’ of vital services.

Leading charities have urged the Government to urgently address the “crisis” facing mental health services in the forthcoming Budget.

In a letter shared exclusively with The Independent, mental health bodies issued an unprecedented warning to ministers that if budgets are not increased and protected, the majority of mental health sufferers will remain “locked out” of vital services.

Almost a year on from Theresa May’s pledge to improve mental health support and ensure it has parity with physical health services, the letter accuses her of setting out “unambitious” targets, urging that services “cannot go on” with the current levels of funding. The Independent

See also:

• As a psychologist I see the fantasy of neoliberal values having a devastating effect on mental health treatment The Independent

NHS spent more than £100,000 on how to move NHS logo on stationery and signs

NHS spent more than £100,000 on how to move NHS logo on stationery and signs The health service has spent more than £100,000 drawing upplans to make every trust move its NHS logo on stationery and signs, new figures show.

Earlier this year NHS England issued a diktat ordering hundreds of organisations to rework their publicity materials, claiming that inconstistencies could be fuelling pressures on Accident & Emergency units.

Under the new rules, every trust is told to place the NHS logo above the name of their organisation, instead of beside it. The Daily Telegraph

'Epidemic' of loneliness affecting families

'Epidemic' of loneliness affecting families More than half of parents suffer from loneliness as they feel ‘cut off’ from friends and family, a new survey from The Action for Children has revealed. The survey was with 2,000 UK parents with children. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Charity reveals 'devastating impact' of loneliness on UK parents, children Action for Children

You could be forced to pay for your GP to squeeze you in

You could be forced to pay for your GP to squeeze you in If you can't get to see your GP you could be forced to pay up to £70 for them to squeeze you in.

A firm is targeting NHS family doctors to sign up to a scheme offering private appointments around their contracted NHS hours.

It has prompted fears that desperate patients, struggling to see their GP, will be forced to stump up to see doctors charging for slots during lunch, and before and after surgeries and during evenings and weekends.

An official NHS report in June revealed one in nine patients – 11 per cent – could not get an appointment the last time they tried.

Doctaly already has 25 practices on board following a 'successful' pilot scheme in London and is now rolling it service out nationally from next week. The Daily Mail