NGH welcomes state-of-the-art virtual assistant to give visitors health tips and directions

NGH welcomes state-of-the-art virtual assistant to give visitors health tips and directions Northampton General Hospital has become the first organisation in the town to welcome an unusual new addition to the team to dish out vital information.

The virtual assistant, who’s been given the name Mia (messaging, information and advice), looks like a real person and "speaks" to people coming into the hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northamptonshire pilot project offers treatment instead of jail time for low-level offences by women

Northamptonshire pilot project offers treatment instead of jail time for low-level offences by women A pilot scheme in Northamptonshire is helping to divert women offenders with low-level mental health problems away from jail by providing treatment instead.

The programme is backed by the Ministry of Justice, Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England with the aim of increasing the use of community sentences for mental health, drug and alcohol treatment requirements.

Dr Sunil Lad, principal counselling psychologist at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and clinical lead for the project, said: “This has been an exciting project to be part of. We have been helping women who are in contact with the criminal justice system having experienced adverse life events resulting in developing unhelpful ways of coping.

"We are able to better understand how they come into these difficulties and have introduced them to different ways of coping." Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Developing new care models through NHS vanguards

Developing new care models through NHS vanguards The vanguard programme, one of NHS England’s attempts to better meet patients’ needs and deliver savings by developing new care models to integrate health and social care services, has not delivered the depth and scale of transformed services it aimed for at the beginning of the programme, says today’s report by the National Audit Office.

Separated at birth The impact of poor access to mental healthcare during pregnancy

Separated at birth The impact of poor access to mental healthcare during pregnancy One in five women experience a mental health problem during pregnancy or the first year after birth, but often receive inadequate care from the NHS reports the British Medical Association

See also:

• Babies at risk of being harmed by mothers with postnatal depression due to lack of help on the NHS The Daily Mail
• Mothers separated from newborns amid 'disgraceful' lack of specialist care The Daily Telegraph
• Mums With Mental Health Issues Are Being Separated From Their Babies, Warn Doctors HuffingtonPost UK

Review of the National Childbirth Trust 'Hidden Half' report and GP consultation

Review of the National Childbirth Trust 'Hidden Half' report and GP consultation This report found that resourcing GPs to offer a ten-minute appointment about the mother’s health would cost around £27 million a year but this could help to identify more women who are experiencing mental health difficulties after the birth of their child, and ensure that they receive timely, effective support. It concludes that an additional health check with GPs would provide an important opportunity to help women whose difficulties were missed during pregnancy. Centre for Mental Health

The value of the executive commissioning nurse

The value of the executive commissioning nurse Since their establishment, CCGs have been required to include a registered nurse on their governing body to expand the clinical knowledge and patient experience of the board. Many CCGs have expanded this role in recognition of the contribution that executive nurses embedded full-time in the day to day decision making of the CCG can make. This infographic showcases the expertise and insight that executive commissioning nurses can bring for patients, populations and the health care system. NHS Clinical Commissioners

Seeing the same doctor over time 'lowers death rates'

Seeing the same doctor over time 'lowers death rates' Patients who see the same doctor again and again have lower death rates, a study suggests.

The benefits applied to visits to GPs and specialists and were seen across different cultures and health systems.

University of Exeter researchers said the human aspect of medical practice was "potentially life-saving" but had been neglected.

GPs' leaders said they recognised the value of patients seeing "their own" doctor.

Because of intense workforce pressures, however, this could mean waiting even longer for an appointment, the Royal College of GPs said. BBC News

See also:

• Continuity of care with doctors—a matter of life and death? A systematic review of continuity of care and mortality (open access) BMJ Open
• Balancing continuity of care and access to GP services a 'huge challenge', says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• Why seeing the same doctor every time could save your life The Daily Mail
• Seeing the same GP really is a matter of life and death, major study finds The Daily Telegraph
• GP continuity of care linked with lower death rate, study shows GPonline

Deprived areas 'have five times more fast food outlets'

Deprived areas 'have five times more fast food outlets' Deprived areas such as Blackpool and parts of Manchester and Liverpool have five times more fast food outlets than affluent areas, a survey suggests.

The data, from Public Health England (PHE), compared levels of deprivation with numbers of takeaways such as chip shops, burger bars and pizza places.

Experts say children exposed to fast food on the way home from school are more likely to eat unhealthily.

PHE wants local authorities to refuse applications from new takeaways.

One in three children is now overweight or obese by the age of 11. BBC News

See also:

• Research and analysis: Fast food outlets: density by local authority in England Public Health England

NHS at 70: Being a nurse in the 1940s versus now

NHS at 70: Being a nurse in the 1940s versus now Grace Stephenson and Ethel Armstrong have both worked in nursing for the NHS, but they have a 68-year age gap.

While Ethel began her career as a cadet back in 1948, Grace started her training last year.

The women, aged 20 and 88, share their experiences of the NHS during a visit to County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. BBC News

Traditional GP model will be swept aside by tech revolution, NHS England chair predicts

Traditional GP model will be swept aside by tech revolution, NHS England chair predicts The NHS has reached a tipping point in the way it provides care and the traditional model of general practice may not be able to cope with the increasingly complex wealth of data that will be available in the future, NHS England's chair has said. GPonline

NHS chief: Major ramp up of children's mental health services needed

NHS chief: Major ramp up of children's mental health services needed Simon Stevens has said significant expansion required to treat increasing problems

Children’s mental health services will need to expand significantly to cope with the growing problems faced by young people, the head of the NHS in England has said.

Simon Stevens said higher rates of mental illness combined with a greater willingness of people coming forward with problems meant there would have to be a “major ramp up” in services. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Children's mental health services need 'major ramp up' BBC News
• NHS will 'ramp up' children's mental health care to deal with social media fallout The Daily Telegraph
• NHS chief calls for 'major ramp up' of children's mental health services The Independent

Protect the NHS – but don’t protect it to death

Protect the NHS – but don’t protect it to death | Harry Quilter-Pinner As our beloved health service turns 70, it would be wrong to allow it to stagnate. It really must embrace change

Dancing doctors, uniform-clad nurses and children jumping on hospital beds. There are very few countries that would include a celebration of their healthcare system in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. But this was the sight that greeted the millions who tuned in at the start of London 2012. After all, as former chancellor Nigel Lawson said: “The NHS is the closest thing the English people have to a religion.”

Now the country will once again celebrate the NHS, as it turns 70. And so we should. Across the globe, 400 million people still don’t have access to essential healthcare services. Thanks to the NHS, no one in the UK faces this injustice. It is there for us all – regardless of race, sexuality, gender or financial means – at our times of greatest need. Continue reading... The Guardian

Doctors 'should not have to report' suspected terrorists

Doctors 'should not have to report' suspected terrorists Doctors should not be obliged to refer concerns about suspected terrorists to Prevent de-radicalisation authorities, their union has ruled.

The British Medical Association agreed a motion to support any members who refuse to take part in training in the scheme.

Doctors said the obligations on them were “Orwellian” “Kafka-esque” and “like a scene from Minority Report” – claiming the measures were creating “a climate of fear and mistrust”.

They said that the obligation to refer suspicions about patients or colleagues to the authorities could undermine trust in medics. The Daily Telegraph

Vacation DOES bust stress - but the benefits fade after three days, study finds

Vacation DOES bust stress - but the benefits fade after three days, study finds After vacations, most Americans feel less stressed and more motivated, the American Psychological Association found. But a stressful work culture means we're just as tense again in three days. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Vacation Time Recharges US Workers, but Positive Effects Vanish Within Days, New Survey Finds American Psychological Association

NHS funding: what we know, what we don’t know and what comes next

NHS funding: what we know, what we don’t know and what comes next As the dust settles on the new NHS funding announcement, it is a good time to set out our understanding of exactly what is included, what is yet to be determined and outline what we can expect to happen over the next few months as the ’plan’ for spending this money is developed. The King's Fund

Resources to support safer modification of food and drink

Resources to support safer modification of food and drink A resource alert has been issued to eliminate use of the imprecise term ‘soft diet’ and assist providers with safe transition to the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework, which introduces standard terminology to describe texture modification for food and drink. NHS Improvement

See also:

• Patients 'choked on hospital soft food' BBC News
• Up to 270 NHS patients choked with two dying after being fed solid food on a 'soft diet' The Daily Mail
• Safety alert after hospital patients choke on hash browns and peas The Daily Telegraph

This could cost lives: a frontline view on the funding of supported housing

This could cost lives: a frontline view on the funding of supported housing This report is based on a survey of 117 staff members who work in supported housing services for people with mental illness. It reveals that 84 per cent of those surveyed believe that the Government’s new funding proposals would mean their service would probably close. Rethink Mental Illness

Student mental health support must improve, universities told

Student mental health support must improve, universities told Universities are being told to "dramatically improve" support for students with mental health issues.

The government is announcing it will award a certificate of excellence to institutions which meet new standards of mental health care.

It also wants universities to give students an opt-in service for vice chancellors to contact parents.

This would mean if students find themselves in a mental health crisis their relatives can be alerted. BBC News

Babylon claims its chatbot beats GPs at medical exam

Babylon claims its chatbot beats GPs at medical exam Claims that a chatbot can diagnose medical conditions as accurately as a GP have sparked a row between the software's creators and UK doctors.

Babylon, the company behind the NHS GP at Hand app, says its follow-up software achieves medical exam scores that are on-par with human doctors.

It revealed the artificial intelligence bot at an event held at the Royal College of Physicians.

But another medical professional body said it doubted the AI's abilities.

"No app or algorithm will be able to do what a GP does," said the Royal College of General Practitioners. BBC News

See also:

• AI smartphone 'as good as a doctor' for diagnosing patients The Daily Mail
• Babylon's AI 'outperforms average doctor' in MRCGP exam GPonline

Noel Conway: Terminally-ill man loses assisted dying challenge

Noel Conway: Terminally-ill man loses assisted dying challenge A terminally-ill man who wants to be helped to die has lost his legal challenge at the Court of Appeal.

Noel Conway, 68, who has motor neurone disease, has fought a legal battle for the right to a "peaceful and dignified" death.

The retired lecturer challenged an earlier High Court rejection of his case at a hearing in May.

Mr Conway, from Shrewsbury, said he now intends to take his fight to the Supreme Court. BBC News

Gosport doctor implicated in deaths of 456 patients says she was 'doing her best for patients'

Gosport doctor implicated in deaths of 456 patients says she was 'doing her best for patients' The doctor implicated in the deaths of at least 456 patients over 12 years working at Gosport War Memorial Hospital has said she was “doing her best for patients” in a pressurised part of the NHS.

Last week a major inquiry concluded Dr Jane Barton was “responsible” for the practice of prescribing powerful and unnecessary opiates which killed as many as 650 patients between 1988 and 2000.

Dr Barton and her husband, Tim Barton, stepped out from their Gosport home on Wednesday and in a statement read by Mr Barton maintained that a lack of hospital funding had been a factor in the deaths. The Independent

See also:

• Gosport hospital deaths: Doctor 'did best for patients' BBC News
• 'Doing her best': doctor criticised in Gosport inquiry responds The Guardian

Nico Reed: report details series of failings in care home death

Nico Reed: report details series of failings in care home death Reed, who had cerebral palsy, died aged 23 at an NHS-run facility in Oxfordshire

Failure to provide prompt emergency treatment was among a host of shortcomings that contributed to the death of Nico Reed, a 23-year-old disabled resident at an Oxfordshire care home, an independent investigation has concluded.

The report, commissioned by the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), also criticises the way Reed’s family were treated by officials after his death, saying they failed to provide appropriate communication and support. Continue reading... The Guardian

Theresa May got it wrong with her cash boost for the NHS. Here's why

Theresa May got it wrong with her cash boost for the NHS. Here's why Assessing what the health service needs is essential before giving it more money to meet demand

Four key things were missing from Theresa May’s announcement of extra money for the NHS.

There was no admission that there is an NHS crisis that needs tackling. Or that money is needed now for both the the health service and social care. Without this emergency cash injection, there will be insufficient time and resource to make the necessary preparations to avoid a repeat – or indeed worsening – of last year’s winter crisis in the NHS and social care with the trail of waits, delays, suffering and extra deaths that accompanied it. Continue reading... The Guardian

GPs dole out fewer antibiotics when paid bonuses to cut rates

GPs dole out fewer antibiotics when paid bonuses to cut rates GPs are doling out fewer antibiotics after being paid bonuses for cutting prescribing levels, research shows.

Under the schemes, groups of doctors can receive an extra £5 for every patient on their list if they meet targets to cut antibiotic prescribing.

A study by Imperial College London and Public Health England found that the financial rewards helped to reduce antibiotic prescriptions for common respiratory tract infections by three per cent. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Age-related decline in antibiotic prescribing for uncomplicated respiratory tract infections in primary care in England following the introduction of a national financial incentive (the Quality Premium) for health commissioners to reduce use of antibiotics in the community: an interrupted time series analysis (abstract) Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy

Doctors call for final vote on Brexit

Doctors call for final vote on Brexit Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees Mogg has accused the British Medical Association of ignoring the will of their patients by calling for a final vote on any deal secured by the government to leave the EU. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Brexit is bad for Britain’s health, doctors say The Guardian

MPs Call for Social Care Premium to fund personal care for all

MPs Call for Social Care Premium to fund personal care for all The Housing, Communities and Local Government and Health and Social Care Committees' joint report calls for a sustainable funding solution for adult social care.

The report calls for the introduction of a ‘Social Care Premium’, either as an additional element of National Insurance or with the premium paid into dedicated not-for-profit social insurance fund that people would be confident could only be used for social care.

To ensure fairness between the generations, the premium should only be paid by those aged over 40 and extended to those over the age of 65, with the money being held in an independent, dedicated and audited fund to help gain public trust and acceptance for the measure.

See also:

• Tax over-40s for old age care, say MPs BBC News
• MPs calls for over-40s to pay a ‘social care premium’ The Daily Mail
• Over 40s should pay new tax to fund creaking social care, MPs say The Independent

Healthy ageing should be part of long-term plan

Healthy ageing should be part of long-term plan An older people’s charity sets out the case for why NHS England should make some bold commitments to healthy ageing in its long-term plan. Centre for Ageing Better

Monetising goodwill: empowering places for civic renewal

Monetising goodwill: empowering places for civic renewal This report claims that the majority of people would be willing to pay more in council tax or voluntary one-off levies to better fund particular local services across the country. Polling undertaken by YouGov reveals the top five public services people would pay more per month in council tax are, in rank order: public health, fire, police, adult social care and children’s social care. The survey uncovered six issues with majority support for paying some extra cash as a voluntary one-off levy: helping older people to live independently for longer; support for local homeless people; improving disability access; repairing potholes; reducing loneliness and reducing anti-social behaviour. Regional variations in attitudes to tax and spending showed residents of the East Midlands were the most willing to make bigger tax contributions, followed by respondents from Yorkshire and the Humber and London. Localis

'Tax and regulate more to improve health'

'Tax and regulate more to improve health' The government should tax and regulate more to encourage people to be healthier, a group of experts says.

The independent analysis, produced for the BBC, said the success of the smoking ban and sugary drinks tax should embolden ministers.

The experts also said the fear of the "nanny state" tag was unfounded as polling suggested the public have an appetite for tough action.

It comes after ministers in England unveiled new plans for child obesity. BBC News

See also:

• Government should do more to improve the public’s health The King's Fund

'It's like Michael walking into a fog'

'It's like Michael walking into a fog' "It is like Michael walking into a fog," says Lynda Basford, describing the 13 years during which her husband Michael has descended into dementia.

She has been at his side throughout.

"You can't quite hold on to him," she says, "and as the years go by, he gets deeper and deeper into that fog and you can't do anything about it."

Michael needs a lot of support. He doesn't really know where he is and he no longer recognises his wife. Even remembering to eat requires encouragement.

She looked after him for years in their own home with little support but, last year, it all became too much. BBC News

Ofsted warns parents could be overmedicating their children as ritalin prescriptions double in a decade

Ofsted warns parents could be overmedicating their children as ritalin prescriptions double in a decade Ritalin use has more than doubled in the past ten years, the chief of Ofsted has claimed, warning that parents may be medicating their children instead of addressing behavioural problems.

Prescriptions for “smart drugs,” which are often used to tackle attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), reportedly increased to 1.5 million in 2017 – up from 700,000 a decade earlier. The Independent

Government spending watchdog challenges NHS funding claims

Government spending watchdog challenges NHS funding claims ‘Brexit dividend’ is several years away, cross-party committee report says

Theresa May’s claim that the extra £20bn-a-year for the NHS will be funded by a “Brexit dividend” is being challenged by parliament’s spending watchdog.

The public accounts committee is warning that any cash boost that might come in the wake of the UK’s exit from the European Union is several years away. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Clarity on costs crucial to meaningful vote on Brexit Public Accounts Committee 

Doctors want a similar healthcare system to Sweden with just 13 appointments a day

Doctors want a similar healthcare system to Sweden with just 13 appointments a day Doctors want a similar healthcare system to Sweden where GPs have just 13 appointments a day.

The GPs’ union is calling for a cap on consultations so family doctors can turn patients away.

They say the safety of patients and ‘sanity’ of doctors is being put at risk, with claims that GPs carry out up to 70 consultations on busy days. The Daily Mail

See also:

• GPs 'will go mad' without limits on patient numbers The Daily Telegraph
• BMA demands GP workload cap to protect patients and doctors GPonline

The NHS at 70: How good is the NHS?

The NHS at 70: How good is the NHS?  To mark the BBC's coverage of the NHS's 70th birthday in July 2018, researchers from the Health Foundation, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust have joined forces for the first time, using combined expertise to shed light on some of the big questions on the NHS.

The four organisations have been asked by the BBC to look at five key topics, covering the relative strengths and weaknesses of the health service, the state of social care, NHS funding, the public’s expectations of the NHS and the potential of technology to change things in future. This project and the reports we have produced are intended to inform the national conversation about the past, present and future of the NHS.

See also:

• NHS receives mixed scorecard in major analysis of international health systems The King’s Fund
• NHS no longer the envy of the world, says independent report BBC News
• UK has worse healthcare service than many Western countries but spends similarly The Daily Mail
• NHS among worst in Western world at preventing avoidable deaths, study finds The Daily Telegraph
• NHS 'worse than average in treating eight common causes of death' The Guardian
• NHS ranked among world’s best at protecting poor despite having far fewer beds and staff than other countries, report finds The Independent 

The public and the NHS: what’s the deal?

The public and the NHS: what’s the deal? The NHS is under financial pressure with growing demand for services. As the NHS reaches its 70th birthday, The King’s Fund has been exploring how the public views its relationship with the NHS. In March 2018, in partnership with Ipsos MORI, we carried out three ‘deliberative workshops’ to explore this issue. The King's Fund

Survey reveals women experience severe reproductive health issues

Survey reveals women experience severe reproductive health issues A new Public Health England (PHE) survey reveals that 31% of women experience severe reproductive health problems, but under half seek help.

In the first report of its kind, PHE has revealed the impact of women’s reproductive health issues on the nation’s physical, mental and social wellbeing. The report combines women’s experiences, as reported in a new survey, with existing data to define reproductive health as a public health issue.

The report shows for the first time the extent of the impact these issues have on women’s ability to work and go about their daily lives and will form the basis of a cross-governmental 5-year action plan on reproductive health.

See also:

• Reproductive health: what women say Public Health England 
• Guidance: Health matters: reproductive health and pregnancy planning Public Health England 
• Case study: Preconception and pregnancy: opportunities to intervene Public Health England 
• Case study: Understanding the contraceptive needs of postnatal women Public Health England 
• Women's top reproductive worries revealed BBC News
• Almost half of women are dissatisfied with their sex lives - but over 55s are least likely to complain, PHE survey finds The Daily Telegraph

Hiding in plain sight: Treating tobacco dependency in the NHS

Hiding in plain sight: Treating tobacco dependency in the NHS The report argues that existing models of delivering stop smoking services separately from mainstream NHS services, while successful in the past, may now not be the best approach. We argue that responsibility for treating smokers lies with the clinician who sees them, and that our NHS should be delivering default, opt-out, systematic interventions for all smokers at the point of service contact. Royal College of Physicians

See also:

• NHS staff smokers cost health service £200m a year with cigarette breaks and sick days, report finds The Independent
• Doctors call for a ‘radical change’ to the way NHS treats smoking OnMedica

NHS England and UK Space Agency launch multi-million pound drive to improve patient care

NHS England and UK Space Agency launch multi-million pound drive to improve patient care The UK Space Agency has today announced that it is allocating up to £4 million to find hi-tech solutions to the major health and care challenges facing the NHS in its 70th anniversary year in a joint initiative with NHS England.

An insole with GPS tracking for dementia patients

An insole with GPS tracking for dementia patients The NHS in Dorset is trialling a tracking device to keep dementia patients safe. It is an insole that a patient places in his or her shoe. It helps to keep tabs on the wearer so that relatives and carers will always know their location. BBC News

Tory MPs could refuse to back tax rises for £20bn NHS boost, says Jacob Rees-Mogg

Tory MPs could refuse to back tax rises for £20bn NHS boost, says Jacob Rees-Mogg Jacob Rees-Mogg has warned that Conservative MPs may refuse to support tax rises to fund the government’s £20bn pledge to fund the NHS.

The influential backbencher said the chancellor Philip Hammond would be moving into “dangerous territory” if he broke away from the Conservative manifesto pledge to keep taxes low.

Mr Rees-Mogg, who chairs the pro-Brexit European Research Group, also insisted that a “Brexit dividend” could help to pay for the cash boost, referring to the money Britain could claw back from Brussels after leaving the EU. The Independent

Doctors are so tired from long shifts that they 'behave like they are drunk'

Doctors are so tired from long shifts that they 'behave like they are drunk' Doctors are endangering lives because they are too often as tired as if they were drunk, medics have warned.

Doctors said those working shifts of more than 12 hours had the concentration and judgement of those who were inebriated.

And they said the research had found those performing under such conditions had no idea their skills were impaired.

Dr Satish Jayagopal, a surgeon from Salisbury, told the British Medical Association conference that patients being treated by doctors working such shifts had a 27 per cent increased risk of suffering an adverse incident. The Daily Telegraph

NHS well-intended health campaigns may actually make us MORE ill

NHS well-intended health campaigns may actually make us MORE ill Doctors fear that encouraging people to asses 'symptoms' is leading to a nation of people overly-concerned with their health - and imagining diseases. The Daily Mail

Internal transfer scheme to improve nurse retention: case study

Internal transfer scheme to improve nurse retention: case study In this case study, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust shares how it tackled its high rate of nurse leavers. It explores how the trust introduced two unique nurse-led initiatives, resulting in a reduction of the nursing vacancy rate by 50 per cent. It features key learning points, looks at how the trust overcame certain challenges, and highlights guidance which may be useful for organisations seeking to address retention of the workforce. NHS Employers

Double or quits: calculating how many more medical students we need

Double or quits: calculating how many more medical students we need This policy brief by RCP registrar and president-elect Dr Andrew Goddard outlines new calculations for the number of doctors needed, and sets out key issues facing workforce planning in the UK that affect the current supply, future service demand and predicted losses in the workforce. Royal College of Physicians

See also:

• Double the number of medical students to keep NHS afloat, health chiefs say The Daily Telegraph

The state of care in urgent primary care services: findings from CQC’s programme of comprehensive inspections in England

The state of care in urgent primary care services: findings from CQC’s programme of comprehensive inspections in England This report finds that urgent care centres, NHS 111 services and GP out-of-hours services play a vital role in England’s healthcare system. It highlights that effective urgent primary care benefits not only patients but the wider healthcare system, by easing pressure on other services. It finds that while the majority of care is rated good or outstanding, voluntary sector groups have raised concerns that there is a lack of public information about which services to contact and when, and that people require guidance to overcome an historic reliance on accident and emergency. Care Quality Commission

NHS use of 'unsafe' syringes to be examined

NHS use of 'unsafe' syringes to be examined The government will examine claims the NHS was slow to take a "dangerous" automatic syringe out of service.

It follows a whistleblower's warning, reported in the Sunday Times, that the devices could have caused widespread deaths among elderly patients.

The syringes, used to give powerful painkillers, were in use until 2015. BBC News

See also:

• Gosport nurses first raised alarm over use of painkillers 30 years ago The Daily Telegraph
• Gosport inquiry panel accused of "NHS cover up" over faulty syringe drivers The Daily Telegraph
• Hunt orders probe into faulty opioid syringe pumps amid allegations thousands may have died The Daily Telegraph
• After Gosport, who would want to be elderly and in hospital now? | Catherine Bennett The Guardian
• NHS use of ‘fatal’ syringes to be examined, says Jeremy Hunt The Independent
• The Observer view on Gosport War Memorial hospital editorial The Observer

Child obesity plan targets sweets at checkouts

Child obesity plan targets sweets at checkouts Sweets and fatty snacks sold at checkouts and as part of supermarket deals will be banned under new government proposals to halve childhood obesity in England by 2030.

Tighter restrictions on junk food ads on TV and online are also planned, as well as mandatory calorie labelling on restaurant menus.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the measures gave "power to parents to make healthier choices".

The plans have been broadly welcomed. BBC News

See also:

• The King's Fund responds to new government measures to tackle childhood obesity The King's Fund
• Obesity epidemic demands more action and investment to protect children The Guardian
• Supermarkets targeted in the battle against obesity The Guardian
• Energy drinks set to be banned for under-16s as part of government plan to tackle obesity The Independent

How It Feels To Be An Inpatient At A Psychiatric Hospital

How It Feels To Be An Inpatient At A Psychiatric Hospital I was expecting an overcrowded, sterile and cheerless environment. Instead it was more like a Travelodge with nursing staff. Huffington Post UK

Mental health services for the young is NHS's 'silent catastrophe'

Mental health services for the young is NHS's 'silent catastrophe' Survey of frontline staff finds chronic underfunding and redesign of services to blame

Failings in treatment of children and young people with mental health problems is a “silent catastrophe” within the NHS and is due to chronic underfunding and serious structural issues, a report by the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP) claims.

The report, which exposes a “serious and worsening crisis” for the health service through a survey of those working in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), says trusts are being hollowed out and specialist services are disappearing owing to underfunding and the transformation and redesign of services in recent years. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Children turned away from mental health help unless 'acutely suicidal', psychotherapists warn The Daily Telegraph
• Children face mental health epidemic, say teachers The Guardian

There’s a huge hole in Theresa May’s spending pledge for the health service

There’s a huge hole in Theresa May’s spending pledge for the health service | Andrew Rawnsley Every other government department is already cut to the bone, so just where will that £20bn a year for the NHS come from?

One of the more sensible things that the Tories did during their otherwise terrible general election campaign last summer was not to make too many promises about tax. Though they never explicitly acknowledged that taxes might have to go up during this parliament, Theresa May and Philip Hammond signalled this could be so when they dropped many of the pledges inherited from David Thingy and George Whatnot. Anyone with a basic diploma in political semaphore could intuit that this meant that there was a strong possibility that taxes would rise.

Possibility has turned into racing certainty. That is one conclusion we can draw from Mrs May’s announcement that there will be £20bn extra per year for the NHS by 2023. Even the magic money tree can’t produce that kind of cash without some watering by the taxman. This is more than the chancellor wanted to sign off on before Jeremy Hunt, the wily survivor as health secretary, managed to persuade the prime minister that money would be the most popular 70th birthday present for the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian

New NHS investigative body to examine suspicious deaths

New NHS investigative body to examine suspicious deaths Campaigners say body could block public from knowing truth behind patient’s deaths

A new body being set up to investigate suspicious deaths in the NHS will be so secretive it will block families from finding out the truth of what happened to their relatives, campaigners have said.

The government says the Health Service Safety Investigations Body is designed to provide a “safe space” for doctors, nurses and other NHS staff to be open about what went wrong when a patient died or was harmed unnecessarily. The proposal for setting up the body is currently with a joint committee in the Houses of Parliament. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS trusts win legal fight over Virgin Care child health contract

NHS trusts win legal fight over Virgin Care child health contract Court throws out Lancashire council’s awarding of £104m services deal to private firm

A decision by Lancashire county council to award a £104m contract for children’s healthcare services to Virgin Care has been thrown out after a legal challenge by NHS trusts.

A high court judge found the local authority’s process was flawed and the contract for services for children aged 0-19 should not have been awarded to the private provider late last year. Continue reading... The Guardian

Doctors living in fear of fatal mistakes due to NHS pressures, says BMA

Doctors living in fear of fatal mistakes due to NHS pressures, says BMA NHS doctors are living in fear of making life-threatening mistakes due to financial pressures and staff shortages, according to a new survey.

The British Medical Association (BMA) says “perpetual” rota gaps have put the health service into a state of all-year crisis, with three quarters of doctors believing that the drive to meet financial targets is overriding patient safety. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS being 'run ragged' by all-year crisis, according to BMA council chairman The Independent

Patients should be charged for GP and hospital visits to fund NHS, leading doctors say

Patients should be charged for GP and hospital visits to fund NHS, leading doctors say Patients should be charged for GP and hospital visits, leading doctors say.

The British Medical Association (BMA) will vote next week on whether to lobby the Government to introduce alternative ways to fund the NHS.

The radical move, which would end the principle of an NHS free at the point of delivery, will be discussed at the BMA's annual conference on Monday. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Charging patients for appointments 'against founding principle of NHS', says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• Family doctors call for £5 fee to reduce unnecessary appointments The Daily Mail

Millions of NHS patients are being denied migraine super drug

Millions of NHS patients are being denied migraine super drug Millions of Britons who suffer crippling migraines are being denied a cheap drug that could dramatically slash the number of debilitating attacks.

Migraine sufferers participating in studies using the drug have seen their headaches reduced, on average, from four a week to just one.

The drug, called flunarizine, is already the standard treatment in many other countries around the world for migraine, which affects one in seven Britons. But it is not licensed in the UK – though research shows the drug can work for patients who have failed to respond to up to six other drugs. The Daily Mail

NHS addiction clinic launches for people addicted to online computer games

NHS addiction clinic launches for people addicted to online computer games Doctors are set to launch the first NHS internet addiction clinic amid fears over dangerous online video games.

The clinic will help adults and children with gaming disorders, with children as young as nine needing help for addictions to violent video games such as Fortnite.

If approved by managers, it will be run by an NHS foundation trust in London, and could also help people obsessed with pornography and social media.

Dr Henrietta Bowden-Jones, the consultant psychiatrist behind the centre, is seeking NHS funding to tackle the growing number of compulsive internet users. The Daily Mail

See also:

• 'He was terrified of people': when gaming becomes an addiction The Guardian

KGH celebrates excellence of medical students, junior doctors and consultants

KGH celebrates excellence of medical students, junior doctors and consultants The professional excellence of medical students, junior doctors and consultants at Kettering General Hospital was celebrated with an annual awards ceremony. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Parkrun UK teams up with RCGP to 'prescribe' active lifestyles to patients and practice staff

Parkrun UK teams up with RCGP to 'prescribe' active lifestyles to patients and practice staff The initiative aims to improve the health and wellbeing of health care staff, patients and carers, reducing the need for lifelong medication.
GP practices will be encouraged to develop closer links with their local parkrun to become certified 'parkrun practices', with health care practitioners signposting patients and carers to parkrun, particularly those who are the least active and have long-term health conditions.
There are currently 535 parkruns across the UK with more events starting every week, many situated close to GP practices. They are free, 5k events that take place every Saturday morning year-round in public areas of open space. Each event is coordinated entirely by local volunteers and they are accessible for people of all ages and abilities. There are also 220 2k junior parkruns for 4-14-year-olds and their families on Sunday mornings. Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP)
See also:

• RCGP urges GP practices to link up with local 'parkrun' events GP

New NHS funding must focus on services outside hospitals

New NHS funding must focus on services outside hospitals New funding must focus on services outside hospital including social care and community health services, according to NHS finance directors surveyed for the latest quarterly monitoring report from The King’s Fund.
Providing more care outside hospitals and closer to people's homes has long been a goal for NHS policy-makers. A survey of NHS trust finance directors and clinical commissioning group (CCG) finance leads carried out for the report asked them to identify their top three priorities for additional funding. King's Fund
See also:

• How is the NHS performing? June 2018 quarterly monitoring report King's Fund

Employers welcome settled status announcement for EU workers, says Cavendish Coalition

Employers welcome settled status announcement for EU workers, says Cavendish Coalition The Cavendish Coalition is a group of 37 health and social care organisations working together to ensure health and social care maintains an effective and sustainable workforce through Brexit and beyond. NHS Empoyers

Digital change in health and social care

Digital change in health and social care  King's Fund - The use of digital technology in health and social care can improve quality, efficiency and patient experience as well as supporting more integrated care and improving the health of a population. This report shares practical learning from a series of case studies where largescale digital change is happening. King's Fund - Health Management and Policy Alert

How to fix the funding of health and social care

How to fix the funding of health and social care Institute for Government -This report calls for a parliamentary inquiry into how to raise money for health and social care both now and in the future. It dismisses the idea of a ‘Brexit dividend’ and argues that unless there is a clear way to raise the additional money it will have to come from cuts to other parts of public expenditure. King's Fund - Health Management and Policy Alert

Gosport scandal exposes blame culture in NHS, says Hunt

Gosport scandal exposes blame culture in NHS, says Hunt The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has suggested that the hundreds of deaths at Gosport War Memorial hospital could have been prevented if whistleblowers had been encouraged to come forward in the NHS.
He said the scandal exposed a blame culture across the health service that made medical staff reluctant to raise the alarm about mistakes. The Guardian
See also:

• Hundreds of whistleblowers claim they faced recriminations as NHS fears repeat of Gosport scandal Independent

Pathologists like me save lives daily. Yet so few people know what we do

Pathologists like me save lives daily. Yet so few people know what we do Those of us who work in ‘the lab’ often feel forgotten. But our role in the NHS is crucial – and we care deeply about patients. Anyone who watched BBC2’s fly-on-the-wall documentary Hospital might have heard of “the lab”. I am one of many who work there – and as a pathologist I often feel, as many of my lab colleagues do, like a forgotten or unknown entity. There are nearly 20 disciplines of pathology – and that number is growing – and 70% of all diagnoses made in the NHS involve pathology and biomedical science. The Royal College of Pathologists’ annual report [pdf] tells us that more than a billion tests are carried out annually – and NHS England says the number of pathology tests [pdf] equates to 14 for each person in England and Wales. The Guardian

Gosport War Memorial Hospital: the report of the Gosport Independent Panel

Gosport War Memorial Hospital: the report of the Gosport Independent Panel The Gosport Independent Panel was set up to address concerns raised by families over a number of years about the initial care of their relatives in Gosport War Memorial Hospital and the subsequent investigations into their deaths. This report is an in-depth analysis of the Panel’s findings. It explains how the information reviewed by the Panel informed those findings and illustrates how the disclosed documents add to public understanding of events at the hospital and their aftermath. King's Fund - Health Management and Policy Alert
See Also:

• NMC responds to Gosport Independent Panel Report Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC)
• Gosport hospital deaths: Prescribed painkillers 'shortened 456 lives' BBC News
• Gosport hospital deaths: families condemn 'scandalous' failings The Guardian
• Gosport hospital deaths: how victims' families were let down for 20 years TheGuardian
• Gosport: NHS 'blame culture' must end to prevent more hospital scandals, warns Jeremy Hunt The Telegraph

Allied Health Professions hold key role in future NHS

Allied Health Professions hold key role in future NHS The Allied Health Professions (AHPs) have a significant role to play in the future delivery of integrated urgent care within the NHS. And the quality of leadership of the AHPs will be vital in determining their impact and the quality of care that patients receive. These are two of the key findings of a study ‘Leadership of Allied Health Professions in Trusts: what exists and what matters’ commissioned by NHS Improvement and compiled by Kingston University. NHS England
See Also:

• Allied Health Professions key to NHS integration On Medica

Cases of cancer in elderly to surge by 2035, report says

Cases of cancer in elderly to surge by 2035, report says Cancer Research UK estimates that by 2035 about 234,000 over-75s will get cancer each year - up from 130,000 now. The charity also said the elderly were more likely to have multiple health conditions, leading to later diagnoses. It called on the health service to prepare now for the rise in older patients with "complex needs". The government said cancer was a "priority" and the prime minister had just announced increased funding for the NHS. BBC News - Health

See Also:

• Number of elderly people with cancer 'tipped to soar over next 20 years' The Telegraph

Sex, drugs and A&E: 10 charts on how the under-30s use the NHS

Sex, drugs and A&E: 10 charts on how the under-30s use the NHS Debates about the NHS often focus on the pressures of an ageing population, but how do younger patients use the service? BBC News

NHS at 70: How Moorfields Eye Hospital changed the world

NHS at 70: How Moorfields Eye Hospital changed the world In seven decades as an NHS institution, Moorfields Eye Hospital has been at the forefront of pioneering treatments. Today, cutting-edge research continues, new cures for blindness are discovered and hope is given to patients nationwide. BBC News

Enhancing Junior Doctor Working Lives progress report

Enhancing Junior Doctor Working Lives progress report Health Education England (HEE) has published the 2018 Enhancing Junior Doctor Working Lives progress report. This latest report provides an update on the work that HEE has completed with partners, including the British Medical Association (BMA), medical royal colleges and the General Medical Council, over the past year in response to the concerns doctors in training have raised and to help boost morale. NHS Employers

Guidance: Bowel cancer screening: bowel scope standard operating procedures

Guidance: Bowel cancer screening: bowel scope standard operating procedures These standard operating procedures (SOPs) help commissioners and providers in establishing and implementing bowel scope screening. Public Health England (Gov.UK)

News story: Cancer patients at increased risk of suicide

News story: Cancer patients at increased risk of suicide Cancer patients in England are at increased risk of suicide compared to the general population, according to new figures from Public Health England (PHE).The first national study of its kind in England reveals cancer patients have a 20% increased risk of suicide, with the highest risk seen within the first 6 months of diagnosis. Public Health England (Gov.UK)

Northants County Council misspent £8m of public health money

Northants County Council misspent £8m of public health money  After months of talks a deal has been struck between the local authority and Public Health England (PHE) over the council’s misspending of its public health grant. The council received a £35m grant from PHE in 2017-18 and a similar sum in 2016-17. The grant was given to provide services with public health outcomes but instead several millions were incorrectly spent on adult social care and children’s services. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Judge grants judicial review over Corby Urgent Care Centre changes

Judge grants judicial review over Corby Urgent Care Centre changes The Save Our UCC group scored a win over Corby CCG, which pays for the running of the centre, after a court in Cardiff ruled in their favour today (June 19) by granting a judicial review. The action group say that the proposal to offer an appointment-only system is a material change to the function of the walk-in facility and therefore bosses should have launched a full consultation before they announced the change. But Corby CCG say it is not a big enough change to warrant a full consultation change and so a full consultation wasn’t necessary before the decision was taken. Northamptonshire Telegraph

System under strain: why demand pressures are more than a winter phenomenon

System under strain: why demand pressures are more than a winter phenomenon A report from NHS Confederation shows that increases in demand for health care services are not restricted to particular parts of the service and specific times of the year. NHS Networks

Strong bones after 50: fracture liaison services explained

Strong bones after 50: fracture liaison services explained The Royal College of Physicians has released new guidance for patients and carers to support older people who have broken a bone following a fall. NHS Networks

See Also:

• Strong bones after 50: Fracture liaison services explained  Royal College of Physicians

NHS boss warns of cannabis addiction risk for kids after former Tory leader calls for legalisation

NHS boss warns of cannabis addiction risk for kids after former Tory leader calls for legalisation Legalising cannabis risks making children believe it is safe, the head of the NHSwarned yesterday.
In a major intervention, Simon Stevens highlighted serious health dangers, such as addiction and psychosis. He spoke out after former Tory leader Lord Hague urged ministers to be ‘bold’ and legalise cannabis for recreational use – meaning it could be sold in shops with alcohol and tobacco.
The peer claimed the war on the class B drug had been ‘comprehensively and irreversibly lost’. But campaigners said it would be wrong to decriminalise a narcotic linked to mental illness, organised crime, violence and road deaths. Mail Online

See Also:

• Government to review medicinal use of cannabis On Medica
• Young people 'see cannabis as safer than alcohol' BBC News
• Medicinal cannabis use to be reviewed by government BBC News
• Cannabis: What are the risks of recreational use? BBC News
• Home secretary announces review into medicinal cannabis use The Guardian

Doctors ordered to recognise the ‘human value’ of patients with dementia in major care overhaul

Doctors ordered to recognise the ‘human value’ of patients with dementia in major care overhaul Doctors have been ordered to recognise the ‘human value’ of patients with dementia as part of a major overhaul of care.
Dementia patients should be treated as individuals, have a say in their care and not face discrimination for their age or the severity of their illness, new guidelines say.
While there is currently no cure for dementia, the guidelines from the health watchdog Nice stress the importance of diagnosis so that patients and their families can prepare for the future and start treatments to slow its advance. This includes giving patients a controversial spinal tap when doctors are unsure whether they have dementia. Mail Online

See Also:

• Dementia: assessment, management and support for people living with dementia and their carers NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)

Gosport hospital deaths: Independent panel findings due

Gosport hospital deaths: Independent panel findings due Families of hundreds of people who died at a scandal-hit hospital hope a report published later could end a decades-long wait for the truth. The report follows several inquiries into the prescribing of sedatives at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.
A fresh review, led by former Bishop of Liverpool James Jones, spoke to more than 100 families and analysed 800 death certificates. BBC News
See Also:

• Widespread blame expected from inquiry into suspicious hospital deaths The Guardian

NHS 70: How have hospitals changed for children?

NHS 70: How have hospitals changed for children? It's 70 years since the start of the NHS. How have hospitals changed for child patients since 1948? BBC News - Health

The nurses tackling mental illness in police custody

The nurses tackling mental illness in police custody About third of those arrested in England have mental health issues. The BBC met the nurses who help them. BBC News

Northampton aspires to be 'dementia friendly' town

Northampton aspires to be 'dementia friendly' town Northampton is working towards becoming a ‘dementia friendly town’ with a host of schemes to try to improve the quality of life of those with the debilitating illness.

Bus passes identifying commuters with the condition and where they live if they get confused are part of the proposals, as are ID cards for carers.

The suggestions by Northampton Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny committee were rubber-stamped by cabinet last Wednesday (June 13). Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The 35 medicines no longer available on NHS prescription from this month

The 35 medicines no longer available on NHS prescription from this month 

The NHS has banned free prescriptions for some ‘over the counter’ medicines such as constipation and athletes foot starting this month

NHS England is hoping to free up almost £100 million for frontline care each year by bringing in the changes. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Press release: HPV vaccine reduces cancer-causing infection by 86 per cent

Press release: HPV vaccine reduces cancer-causing infection by 86 per cent A new study has found that the HPV vaccination has led to major reductions in the number of young women who have the infection, which can cause cervical cancer.Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) 16 and 18 infections, which cause the majority of cervical cancer cases, decreased by 86% in women aged 16 to 21 who were eligible for the vaccination as adolescents between 2010 and 2016.

The surveillance data from England was published today (Monday 18 June 2018) in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Overall, declines were seen across 5 high-risk HPV types, which together cause around 90% of cervical cancer cases, as well as low-risk HPV types. GOV.UK

See also:

• HPV vaccine cuts cancer-causing infection BBC News

Manual for improving access to psychological therapies

Manual for improving access to psychological therapies NHS England has published a new manual for improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT).

The manual will help commissioners, managers and clinicians expand their local IAPT services while maintaining quality and ensuring that patients receive effective and compassionately delivered care. It provides guidance on setting up and running an efficient IAPT service that achieves good outcomes, and which creates an innovative and supportive environment for staff and clients. It also explains how to use local and national data to improve understanding of the strengths and limitations of a service. NHS Networks

Over half acute trusts now using the NHS e-referral service

Over half acute trusts now using the NHS e-referral service More than 50% of acute hospital trusts in England have switched off paper referrals and are now processing GP referrals for outpatient appointments digitally.

The traditional paper method is currently being phased out across all trusts and from 1 October 2018, providers will no longer be paid for activity which results from referrals that were not made through the NHS e-referral service (e-RS). NHS Networks

Rebuilding my body: breast reconstruction in England

Rebuilding my body: breast reconstruction in England This report compiles evidence from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests conducted by the Breast Cancer Now in 2017. It shows that 47 out of 208 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in England (22.6 per cent) have established policies to restrict reconstruction services for non-clinical reasons. With a further nine CCGs (4.3 per cent) having draft policies or informal restrictions in place. The emerging policies – which have been described by the charity as 'totally unacceptable' and 'not in the best interest of patients' – include limiting the number of surgeries women are allowed, enforcing a time-frame on their completion and denying ‘balancing surgery’ to the unaffected breast to achieve symmetry with the reconstruction, resulting in widespread variation in care across England. King's Fund

Listening to our future: early findings from the Health Foundation's Young people's future health inquiry

Listening to our future: early findings from the Health Foundation's Young people's future health inquiry The Health Foundation’s Young people’s future health inquiry is a first-of-its-kind research and engagement project that aims to build an understanding of the influences affecting the future health of young people.This report sets out the initial findings of the engagement work with young people around the United Kingdom. King's Fund

Driving improvement in GP practices

Driving improvement in GP practices To help shine some light on this, we have put this collection of case studies together as a source of information to help general practices improve the quality of care they provide for their patients. These examples represent only a handful of practices that have successfully improved their quality – and therefore their rating – but we know there are many more working tirelessly to improve. Care Quality Commission

Theresa May ready to ditch tax pledges to pay for NHS funding plans

Theresa May ready to ditch tax pledges to pay for NHS funding plans Theresa May is prepared to tear up the Tories’ tax pledges from last year’s general election to pay for her NHS funding plans, as she comes under growing pressure to explain how she will find the money.

Government sources signalled that planned cuts to corporation tax and a pledge to increase the personal income tax allowance to £12,500 a year by 2020 could both be ditched, as could a promise to lift the higher rate threshold to £50,000.

In a speech at the Royal Free hospital in London on Monday, with the chancellor, Philip Hammond, in the audience, the prime minister confirmed the government would set aside an extra £20.5bn a year for the health service by 2023. The Guardian

See also:

• Theresa May is asked where NHS cash will come from BBC News
• £20bn NHS funding boost by 2023 'still falls short', GPs warn GP Online

Emotional eating 'learned by children not inherited'

Emotional eating 'learned by children not inherited' Children who eat more or less when stressed or upset have learned the behaviour rather than inherited it, a study suggests.

A study by University College London found home environment was the main cause of emotional eating.

And this was due to parental behaviours including giving upset children their favourite food to soothe them.

But eating-disorder charity Beat says parents shouldn't be blamed for children's eating issues.

Emotional eating "indicates an unhealthy relationship to food", said senior lead researcher Dr Clare Llewellyn. BBC News

See also:

• Comfort eating is caused by stress at the dinner table in childhood Mail Online

Medicinal cannabis review to happen quickly, says Hunt

Medicinal cannabis review to happen quickly, says Hunt There is a need to review how cases for the medical use of cannabis are handled, the prime minister has said.

Theresa May made the comment after a special licence was granted allowing Billy Caldwell, 12, to be treated with cannabis oil for his severe epilepsy. BBC News

See also:

• Hunt wants swift review of cannabis oil law after Billy Caldwell case The Guardian

Three KGH staff named in the NHS’ ‘Top 70 Stars’

Three KGH staff named in the NHS’ ‘Top 70 Stars’ A consultant obstetrician at KGH has been voted one of the NHS’ ‘Top 70 Stars’ for her outstanding work – achieving 7th place in the national top ten. Northamptonshire Telegraph

CQC report set to slam 'unsatisfactory' experience for over 65s in Northamptonshire

CQC report set to slam 'unsatisfactory' experience for over 65s in Northamptonshire An upcoming Care Quality Commission review of health and social care for people over 65 in Northamptonshire is set to criticise the ‘unsatisfactory experience’ for patients.

The health watchdog is expected to hit out at the lack of a clear, shared vision for care services for pensioners, while it also noted that staff did not know its care improvement plans ‘on the ground’ and were neither excited or as motivated as they should be by it.

The whole-system CQC review is due to be officially reported in July, but councillors on the adults, health and wellbeing scrutiny committee were given a verbal update of the key findings ahead of publication from Anna Earnshaw, the executive director for Northamptonshire Adult Social Services (NASS). Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton mental health hospital for men shakes off major failings but is still below standard, says inspectors

Northampton mental health hospital for men shakes off major failings but is still below standard, says inspectors
Inspectors say a Northampton mental health hospital has shaken off a list of failings pointed out in a damning report last year - but still has a long way to go.

St Andrew's Hospital's men's service was branded "inadequate" by inspectors in a scathing report last year that found failings in cleanliness, patient safety and pointed to an "oppressive culture" for staff.

But in the latest report by the CQC, the hospital has bounced back from the poor rating and has even been scored "good" in some areas. Northampton Chronical and Echo

Reducing emergency admissions

Reducing emergency admissions House of Commons Public Accounts Committee -This report warns hospitals, GPs, community services and social care need to work together more effectively to prevent emergency admissions to hospitals. It concludes that NHS England needs to deliver on its five-year plan to move care into the community and out of hospitals. King's Fund

Better health and care for all: a 10-point plan for the 2020s

Better health and care for all: a 10-point plan for the 2020s Institute for Public Policy Research -A previous report concluded that a bold and long-term funding and reform plan is needed to secure the NHS and social care for the future. This final report of the Lord Darzi Review puts forward a ten point plan to achieve this, as well as a ten point offer to the public which sets out what the health and care system will be able to offer if this plan for investment and reform is adopted. King's Fund

Hay fever rates smash records

Hay fever rates smash records Hay fever cases in England have reached their highest level so far this year, with more than 45,000 people visiting GPs with symptoms according to the latest weekly figures from the Royal College of General Practitioners' Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC).

The RSC revealed there were 45,355 cases of hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, presented to GP practices between 4 June-10 June 2018, 76.7 presentations per 100,000 population - up from 19.8/100,000 the previous week when there were only 11,708 cases. OnMedica

See also:

• Hay fever rates smash five-year average across England, latest RGCP data shows  Royal College of General Practitioners

Gaming addiction can be treated on the NHS after it is declared a medical disorder

Gaming addiction can be treated on the NHS after it is declared a medical disorder Children hooked on addictive video games like Fortnite will be able to seek treatment on the NHS after video gaming is classified as a medical disorder by the World Health Organisation (WHO) next week.

The WHO will on Monday notify governments around the world that they will be expected to incorporate “gaming disorder” into their health systems. The Telgraph

See also:

• Computer game addiction: 'I spend 20 plus hours a week gaming' BBC News

Mental health patients still sent hundreds of miles for treatment

Mental health patients still sent hundreds of miles for treatment Despite government promises to end practice, figures show almost no change since 2016

Hundreds of mental health patients are being sent hundreds of miles from home to get treatment, despite ministers branding the practice damaging and unacceptable.

Latest NHS figures show that in February 650 adults in England had to travel for inpatient treatment, even though Jeremy Hunt, the health and social care secretary, has pledged to reduce, and eventually ban, out-of-area placements by 2020. The Guardian

Number of children waiting six months for dental operations soars

Number of children waiting six months for dental operations soars Labour says 52% rise in England over three years is ‘damning indictment of Tory neglect’

The number of children in England waiting longer than six months for a dental operation under general anaesthesia has risen by 52% over the past three years, data provided by NHS trusts suggests.

The figures also show a 15% increase in the number of children on waiting lists for such treatment between 2015 and 2017. The Guardian

Over 40s health check to include dementia advice

Over 40s health check to include dementia advice People over 40 in England will be given advice on dementia as part of their free NHS health check.

Guidance on how to reduce the risk of dementia will be given to patients at GP surgeries and through community health programmes.

Public Health England (PHE) said up to one-third of dementia cases could be improved through lifestyle choices.

But its says 28% of people have no awareness of risk factors and only 2% know what they can do to reduce them.

The planned roll-out follows a small pilot conducted by PHE, with the help of Alzheimer's Research UK and the Alzheimer's Society, which led to both charities calling for it to become mandatory. BBC News 

See also: 

• News story: Dementia risk now included as part of NHS Health Check GOV.UK