Friday 17 November 2017

Health service provision in Corby ‘has to change’

Health service provision in Corby ‘has to change’ The way health services are delivered in Corby must change in the future, according to local health bosses.

The group has released information about its challenges ahead of a full three-month public consultation, which is due to take place in early 2018.

The town’s urgent care centre (UCC), funded by the Corby Care Commissioning Group (CCG), has been at the centre of a long-standing dispute with the threat of closure earlier this year. Health bosses say new figures on the centre’s usage and and its effect, or lack of, on A&E attendances at KGH show the current model isn’t working. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Daventry man says mother's death was avoidable had hospital staff listened to him - Daventry Express

Daventry man says mother's death was avoidable had hospital staff listened to him A Daventry man believes the death of his mother from a urinary tract infection (UTI) could have been prevented if Northampton General Hospital staff had listened to his warnings about her condition. Daventry Express

New care models point to a better future for patients and staff

New care models point to a better future for patients and staff Last week I had the privilege of visiting new care models in Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey and Buckinghamshire in the company of Don Berwick, international visiting fellow at the Fund. We met clinical and managerial leaders working to improve patient care by providing same-day access to GP appointments, integrating community services in localities, aligning these services with general practices, redesigning mental health services in association with service users, and strengthening specialist care by concentrating services on fewer sites where this will deliver better outcomes – to name but a few of the examples we saw. The King's Fund

Have your say on the biggest reform of professional regulation

Have your say on the biggest reform of professional regulation The Department of Health launched a 12 week public consultation on the reform of the UK regulatory system in October. Complete our survey to be part of our response on behalf of employers. NHS Employers

Does hospital competition improve efficiency? The effect of the patient choice reform in England

Does hospital competition improve efficiency? The effect of the patient choice reform in England This paper investigates the effect of hospital competition on dimensions of efficiency including indicators of resource management and costs. Findings suggest that increased competition had mixed effects on efficiency. Centre for Health Economics

Keeping us well: how non-health charities address the social determinants of health

Keeping us well: how non-health charities address the social determinants of health This report aims to support non-health charities to better understand and use the evidence about the social factors that impact on people’s health and well-being. New Philanthropy Capital

NHS deficit set to hit worse levels than predicted

NHS deficit set to hit worse levels than predicted NHS trusts in England are now predicting a worse deficit than originally predicted by the end of the current financial year, according to the latest performance data.

The quarterly performance of the NHS provider sector for the second quarter (July to September) of the 2017-18 financial year reveals that NHS trusts and foundation trusts are collectively predicting a full-year deficit of around £623 million – £127 million worse than planned.

The data from NHS Improvement also showed that despite the NHS treating more patients than even before, more people were seen within four hours in A&E and within 18 weeks for planned care. OnMedica

BME communities face 'cultural taboo' over mental health

BME communities face 'cultural taboo' over mental health Charities said expectations on how to behave and family honour stopped some women speaking out.

Figures show white British people are accessing more help while BME women are most likely to have a mental condition.

Campaigner Asha Iqbal said fears of shaming the family and not being the "perfect wife" made her anxiety worse.

Latest NHS figures show a white person with mental health issues is twice as likely to be receiving treatment than someone from an Asian or black background.

The statistics also show women from such backgrounds were most likely to experience a mental health disorder. BBC News

First gene-editing in human body attempt

First gene-editing in human body attempt Gene-editing has been attempted on cells inside a patient, in a world first by doctors in California.

Brian Madeux, 44 from Arizona, was given the experimental treatment to try to correct a defect in his DNA that causes Hunter's syndrome.

Mr Madeux says he was prepared to take part in the trial as he is "in pain every second of the day".

It is too soon to know whether or not the gene-editing has worked in Mr Madeux's case. BBC News

Seeing a GP on a smartphone sounds wonderful – but it's not

Seeing a GP on a smartphone sounds wonderful – but it's not The new GP in Hand app fails to provide equality of access and undermines practice revenues

Last week, with very little warning – even to those of us working in general practice – along came GP at Hand. Private doctor provider Babylon caused shockwaves with its offer to sign up patients from across London to its online GP service as a replacement for their regular NHS practices, with plans to expand to the rest of England. GP at Hand promises that patients will be able to “book an appointment within seconds” via its smartphone app and have a video consultation with a GP typically within under two hours of booking “anytime, anywhere”. Those who need it can then see a GP face to face within 48 hours at one of six sites across London.

On the surface, GP at Hand sounds wonderful – the NHS finally embracing technological advances in IT, offering almost immediate access when some are waiting three weeks for a non-urgent GP appointment. But while anyone can join its service, the website says it may not be suitable for “complex mental health problems or complex physical, psychological or social needs”. Or if you’re pregnant or older and frail, and as long as you don’t have dementia or learning difficulties or safeguarding issues. This new service is cherry-picking its target population. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS faces even worse winter crisis than last year, watchdog warns

NHS faces even worse winter crisis than last year, watchdog warns NHS Improvement says failure of hospitals to free up beds means it will struggle to cope with busiest months of the year

The NHS is in an “extremely challenging” position with winter approaching because hospitals have failed to free up enough beds, the health service regulator has warned.

Hospitals are missing key waiting time targets and ending up in the red because wards remain so full they cannot admit new patients, NHS Improvement (NHSI) said. Continue reading... The Guardian

'Phantom' three-month NHS waiting times branded 'unethical'

'Phantom' three-month NHS waiting times branded 'unethical' NHS bosses have threatened to impose “phantom” three-month minimum waiting times in order to save money in the hope that patients “get better over time”.

More than a million people could be affected by new rules forcing them to wait for routine procedures such as cataract operations and hip replacements even if they practically could be seen sooner.

It means that under the proposals, which were last night branded “disgusting” by patient groups, some would end up waiting twice the length they currently do naturally.

Minimum waiting times were banned by the Government in 2011 which criticised them as prolonging unnecessary suffering. The Daily Telegraph

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