Thursday 16 November 2017

The Budget: is the government listening?

The Budget: is the government listening? In the 40 or more years I have worked with and for the NHS, I can’t remember a time when the government of the day has been so unwilling to act on credible evidence of service and funding pressures. On three previous occasions – 1974, 1988 and 2000 – Conservative and Labour governments heeded warnings of an impending crisis, and found extra resources, often substantial, to maintain and improve care. Why then has the current government turned a deaf ear to the entreaties to provide extra funding from the National Audit Office, the Care Quality Commission, the royal medical colleges, and many others? The King's Fund

Community mental health survey 2017

Community mental health survey 2017 Read the results of our latest survey which looked at the experiences of people receiving community mental health services.

Around two-thirds of respondents reported a positive experience of overall care. In addition, the vast majority of respondents said that they knew how to contact the person in charge of their care if they had concerns. Higher proportion of respondents this year also knew who to contact out of hours if they were experiencing a crisis.

However, substantial concerns remain about the quality of care some people experience when using community mental health services. There has been little notable improvement in survey results in the last year in the majority of areas. Care Quality Commission

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Mental health trusts restrain patients 'every 10 minutes'

Mental health trusts restrain patients 'every 10 minutes' Mental health trusts in England are restraining patients on average every 10 minutes, figures have revealed.

They show the number of incidents of restraint has increased each year since 2013.

Former health minister Norman Lamb said use of force was "endemic" in many units.

The Department of Health said it was working with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to ensure the use of restraint is minimised. BBC News

Young people out of love with their own bodies, says report

Young people out of love with their own bodies, says report Body dissatisfaction can start as young as six and lead to depression, anxiety and eating issues, MPs will be told.

The Youth Select Committee urged the government to recognise the seriousness of body image fears, before young people suffered a long-term impact.

It is launching its report into the issue, A Body Confident Future, as part of the annual Parliament Week.

One expert said it was now normal for young people "to be unhappy with the way their bodies look". BBC News

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Thousands to benefit as 'breakthrough' breast cancer drugs approved for NHS use

Thousands to benefit as 'breakthrough' breast cancer drugs approved for NHS use Annually, 8,000 women in England with previously untreatable advanced breast cancer will have access to drugs shown to slow disease’s progression

Thousands of women with previously untreatable breast cancer will have access to two “breakthrough” drugs that have been approved for NHS use.

The drugs, called palbociclib and ribociclib, have been shown to slow the progression of advanced cancer by at least 10 months and can delay the need for chemotherapy, giving women the chance to live a normal life for longer. In new draft guidance, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has approved the drugs for widespread use in the health service in England for the first time. Continue reading... The Guardian

'Ageism and neglect': authorities now receive 1,000 daily reports of suspected abuse

'Ageism and neglect': authorities now receive 1,000 daily reports of suspected abuse More than 1,000 cases of suspected adult abuse are now being reported every day, new figures reveal, as experts warn of a growing culture of “ageism and neglect”.

Official Government data shows the number of concerns raised by public servants rose by six per cent in 2016-17 compared to the previous year, the overwhelming majority relating to pensioners.

Charities have blamed an epidemic of short-staffing in care homes, but also said neglect and abuse - often financial - within families may be responsible for the rise. The Daily Telegraph

NHS cuts are blamed for 120,000 extra deaths

NHS cuts are blamed for 120,000 extra deaths An extra 120,000 patients have died in the past seven years following cuts to health and social care budgets, a major study has found.

The patients were all over 60 and the majority died in care homes or their own homes, rather than in hospital.

Researchers from Cambridge University likened the cuts to 'economic murder' and said local NHS and social care funding means vulnerable patients are not receiving the help they badly need.

They also linked a fall in nurse numbers, particularly to district nurses who work in the community, to the additional deaths. The Daily Mail

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