Thursday 7 December 2017

A conversation with the public: could different be better?

A conversation with the public: could different be better? As part of our work on the NHS and the public, we are publishing a series of blogs providing different perspectives on the relationship between the NHS and the public, and how it has changed over time. Here, Professor Keith Willett, Medical Director for Acute Care, NHS England, considers the conversation around the changing nature of care. The King's Fund

One in three people sent home from hospital too early – with no plan for further mental health care

One in three people sent home from hospital too early – with no plan for further mental health care Research by mental health charity Mind reveals serious problems with the planning around discharging people from mental health hospitals. The survey of over 1,000 people[1] who have been in hospital in mental health crisis, found:
  • One in three people (38 per cent) felt they were discharged from hospital sooner than they should have been
  • One in five (21 per cent) were given no notice at all that they were going home. This even happens when people have been in hospital for a long time - one in three people (33 per cent) in hospital for more than a month were given less than 48 hours’ notice that they were being discharged or no notice at all 
  • Two out of five people (37 per cent) said there was no plan for further care and support, contrary to guidelines
  • Less than half of people (44 per cent) said managing their mental health or self-care was considered in plans for leaving hospital 
  • Only half of people (51 per cent) said their accommodation needs were considered in any plans, and less than a third (29 per cent) said that money and benefits were considered
The days and weeks after leaving hospital after a mental health crisis are critical. People are at high risk of suicide in the first week after leaving hospital and if they are unsupported they risk becoming unwell again and ending up back in hospital.

Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care, Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2013–15

Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care, Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2013–15 The fourth annual Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care report issued by the MBRRACE-UK collaboration is published today 7th December 2017.

In this, the latest Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity, the MBRRACE-UK collaboration report on the care of 124 women who died during or after pregnancy in the UK and Ireland between 2013 and 2015, and 46 women who had severe illness in this period. In particular the care for women with severe epilepsy and women who had severe mental illness was examined, as well as the care for women who died.

A key finding was that forward planning of care and optimising medication doses for women with physical and mental health problems could make a major difference to women’s risk of complications during and after pregnancy. In particular pregnant women and those who are planning pregnancy who are on medication should not discontinue their treatment without consulting a specialist. National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit

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NHS Trusts have prepared for a tough winter but patient risk remains

NHS Trusts have prepared for a tough winter but patient risk remains NHS trusts have done all they can to prepare for extra winter pressures. Local and national planning for winter is more extensive and meticulous than ever before. But the health service may be sorely tested in the coming months as it is already at or close to full stretch. Trusts are working hard to minimise the risks for patients. NHS Providers

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Long A&E waits: 3m a year wait over four hours

Long A&E waits: 3m a year wait over four hours The number of long A&E waits across the UK has more than doubled in the past four years as hospitals struggle to cope with demand, BBC analysis shows.

Northern Ireland has the worst performance, although England has seen the fastest deterioration, the figures show.

Over 3m patients who visited UK A&Es waited over four hours in the past 12 months - up by 120% since 2012-13.

By comparison the number of visits has only risen by just over 7% to 26.9m. BBC News

'Stark' increase in overweight youngsters

'Stark' increase in overweight youngsters There is a "stark" increase between the ages of seven and 11 in the proportion of children in the UK who are overweight or obese, new data suggests.

The study of nearly 12,000 children found 25% were overweight or obese at age seven, rising to 35% at 11.

Between 11 and 14, there was little change, however, which researchers say may be because children of this age are making more of their own food choices.

Campaigners are calling for more action on weight issues in younger children. BBC News

New fund to cut delayed hospital discharges

New fund to cut delayed hospital discharges NHS Digital is offering a fund of £1.4 million to NHS bodies and local authorities to encourage them to integrate their systems for a better approach to discharging patients from hospitals to social care.

Delayed discharges were estimated to cost the NHS £820 million in 2016 due to approximately 2.7 million older patients remaining in hospital when they no longer required acute treatment because ongoing social care was not organised or available.

Health think tank The King’s Fund has said previously that the impact on patients can be severe, with the likelihood of readmission and long-term care needs increasing. OnMedica

How an army of volunteers could help win the fight for the NHS | David Brindle

How an army of volunteers could help win the fight for the NHS | David Brindle A pioneering project aims to double the amount of voluntary workers in hospitals and alleviate the stress levels and pressure staff face in the health service

Geoff Mann is about to mark 10 years as a volunteer at North Tyneside general hospital. The retired chartered quantity surveyor does a day a week, sometimes more, driving patients and visitors with mobility needs around the hospital in North Shields in an electric buggy.

“It’s what everybody says – the enormous sense of satisfaction,” says Mann, 77, when asked what he gets out of it. “You meet a lot of people, you help them get around, you put them at ease if they’re worried – and you feel you’re part of one big family.”

Even three years ago, staff at my trust didn’t know what to do with volunteers. But now they are bursting with ideas Continue reading... The Guardian

Labour demands Commons vote on 'secret' plan for NHS

Labour demands Commons vote on 'secret' plan for NHS Party says ministers are trying to push through changes that could lead to greater privatisation and rationing of care

Labour is demanding that MPs be allowed to debate and vote on “secret” plans for the NHS that they claim could lead to greater rationing of care and privatisation of health services.

The party says ministers are trying to push through the creation of “accountable care organisations” (ACOs) without proper parliamentary scrutiny. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS isn’t ready for the winter, concerned doctors warn

NHS isn’t ready for the winter, concerned doctors warn Patients will have to 'sleep, take paracetamol and pray', concerned doctors have warned ahead of the impending winter crisis.

The NHS is expected to face unprecedented pressure in the coming months, as campaigners fear it will be disastrous amid soaring waiting lists in A&E.

Now GPs are echoing the widespread worries, claiming it will become a 'survival of the fittest' as they are already struggling to cope.

A survey of 633 doctors, undertaken by GPOnline, revealed the concerns as the recruitment crisis continues to burn with no signs of slowing. The Daily Mail