Petition launched against proposed closure of Finedon Health Centre

Petition launched against proposed closure of Finedon Health Centre A petition has been started against the proposed closure of a medical centre.

Finedon Health Centre in Regent Street in the town is part of Burton Latimer Medical Centre.

However, the medical centre is looking to close the Finedon branch and has launched a consultation with patients. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Health inequalities: the NHS plan needs to take more responsibility

Health inequalities: the NHS plan needs to take more responsibility The NHS has a critical role in reducing health inequalities. When we look at what determines our health, we know that treatment comes in third place: after the wider determinants of health, and our health behaviours. But even third place means that around 10–20 per cent (or more, by some estimates) of our health outcomes are directly determined by the NHS. Crucially, NHS leaders have huge control over that chunk and they can influence beyond that into the wider determinants and our behaviours. We should therefore be expecting a lot from the long-term plan on health inequalities. The King's Fund

Research and analysis: Severe mental illness (SMI): physical health inequalities

Research and analysis: Severe mental illness (SMI): physical health inequalities Comparing physical health conditions between people with SMI and the general population by age, sex and deprivation using primary care data. Public Health England

2.5m patients across England may see their GP surgeries close in the next five years, creating a "catastrophic" impact on patient care, says RCGP

2.5m patients across England may see their GP surgeries close in the next five years, creating a "catastrophic" impact on patient care, says RCGP The College says drastic action must be taken to address the workload pressures that are making a career in general practice untenable – and for more initiatives to be implemented to increase retention of the GP workforce. Royal College of General Practitioners

Leading as a junior doctor

Leading as a junior doctor This toolkit is designed to help junior doctors build, sustain and run their own local leadership and engagement structures. It includes a number of case studies which showcase good practice from across the country as well as some practical guides to help with the day-to-day management of these groups. It also summarises the relevant academic literature and explains how different local leadership structures relate to existing contractual requirements. Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management

Contaminated blood scandal: Where does the UK's blood supply come from now?

Contaminated blood scandal: Where does the UK's blood supply come from now? The UK government has apologised to victims of a scandal that involved thousands being infected with HIV and hepatitis viruses from blood products imported from the US in the 1970s and 1980s.

It has become known as the contaminated blood scandal.

The patients in question, most of whom had haemophilia - a blood disorder caused by a lack of clotting agents in the blood - were actually infected with a product derived from blood called Factor 8.

It is one of the proteins found in plasma (the clear liquid making up most of our blood's volume) which is involved in clotting.

So where does the UK source its blood products from currently and how are they screened? BBC News

Placenta complications: 'Women must know the risks'

Placenta complications: 'Women must know the risks' Expectant mothers should be told that the risk of placenta complications rises after a caesarean or fertility treatment, according to top doctors.

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) guidelines said early diagnosis of conditions placenta praevia and placenta accreta was vital.

They added doctors should discuss with women the safest way to give birth.

The conditions can lead to heavy bleeding and sometimes put mother and baby's lives at risk. BBC News

Female genital mutilation in England and Wales 'not being properly investigated' due to lack of data

Female genital mutilation in England and Wales 'not being properly investigated' due to lack of data The scale of female genital mutilation (FGM) in England and Wales is not being properly investigated due to a lack of consistent high-quality data, according to new research.

FGM, a term which refers to any procedure that intentionally alters female genital organs for non-medical reasons, has been illegal in Britain since 1985 but the law was strengthened in 2003 to prevent girls travelling to undergo FGM abroad.

However, it is estimated that in 2015 there were more than 100,000 women and girls living in the UK who had endured female genital cutting, which is linked with severe long-term complications.

The new report - by experts from The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, the University of Salford and a prominent barrister - suggested the mandatory reporting of FGM was "more symbolic" than genuinely effective. The Independent

Government spending on children at risk of neglect or abuse slashed by more than a quarter in five years, figures show

Government spending on children at risk of neglect or abuse slashed by more than a quarter in five years, figures show Government spending on children at risk of neglect or abuse has been slashed by 26 per cent over the past five years, new figures show, leading campaigners to claim they were being left to “fend for themselves”.

Budgets for “early intervention” children’s services, designed to help stop family problems such as abuse and neglect spiralling out of control, have dropped by £743m in the last five years, data from the Department for Education shows. The Independent

Black medics in NHS paid thousands less than white medics

Black medics in NHS paid thousands less than white medics Union says findings show BME staff face unacceptable barriers and discrimination

Black doctors in the NHS are paid on average almost £10,000 a year less and black nurses £2,700 less than their white counterparts, the biggest study of earnings by ethnicity has found.

The revelations, based on analysis of 750,000 staff salaries in the NHS in England, prompted claims of racial discrimination. The Guardian

No more excuses: the NHS must fund the drug that stops people getting HIV

No more excuses: the NHS must fund the drug that stops people getting HIV | Timothy Hildebrandt Our research shows that fears of a public outcry over PrEP are fuelled by negative media coverage, not facts.

In a ruling last week, the high court overturned the drug patent extension for Truvada, a highly effective anti-HIV drug, opening the door for generic versions of the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug to be made available in the UK at a fraction of the cost. The hope of many sexual health campaigners is that this lower price will compel NHS England to provide full access to the drug.

Despite large studies in the UK and worldwide that have demonstrated its effectiveness in preventing HIV and research showing how access to it could save billions of pounds in lifetime treatment costs for those newly infected with HIV, in June 2016 the NHS decided it would not fund the drug. While the high court overturned this decision just months later, NHS England continued to drag its feet. Claiming that issues around large-scale PrEP implementation were not sufficiently understood, another trial – involving 10,000 individuals over three years – was launched . The Guardian

Breast cancer deaths set to rise as unhealthy lifestyles roll back decades of progress

Breast cancer deaths set to rise as unhealthy lifestyles roll back decades of progress The number of women dying from breast cancer will begin rising for the first time in decades due to unhealthy living, a new report predicts.

By 2022, three decades’ of progress cutting the death toll in Britain will be in reverse, despite improvements in medical science, experts have said.

Breast Cancer Now, which led the new research, said that while modern medicine means an individual woman’s chance of beating cancer is getting better, more are developing the disease in the first place due in part to preventable lifestyle factors. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• UK breast cancer deaths 'set to rise by 2022', new analysis shows Breast Cancer Now
• Breast cancer charity demands action to avert rise in deaths The Guardian
• Breast cancer deaths to rise by 2022 unless government tackles unacceptable care ‘postcode lottery’, charity warns The Independent

Hospitals 'regularly break the law' by not paying invoices on time

Hospitals 'regularly break the law' by not paying invoices on time A third of NHS trusts regularly break the law by failing to pay non-NHS invoices on time, an investigation has revealed.

Not a single trust included in the data made all its payments to suppliers on time last year, and 44 of them paid more than half of their invoices late.

One paid only five per cent of bills on time, while the value of another trust's overdue payments came to more than £404 million.

And combined, all 137 trusts racked up £7.9 billion which they failed to pay within the 30-day time limit during 2017-18. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Revealed: The slowest invoice payers in the NHS Health Service Journal

Pictures show new £12 million building to reduce waiting times at Northampton's A&E

Pictures show new £12 million building to reduce waiting times at Northampton's A&E A new assessment unit will open next week to relieve pressure off the NGH A&E department and allow medics to assess patients quickly in a different facility without needing to admit them as in-patients.

The Nye Bevan Building Emergency Assessment Unit, named in honour of the architect of the NHS, is a £12 million investment by NGH providing 60 beds, a mix of small wards and individual rooms including dedicated rooms for vulnerable patients who might need end-of-life care or who are suffering from infection. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The impact of integrated care teams on hospital use in North East Hampshire and Farnham

The impact of integrated care teams on hospital use in North East Hampshire and Farnham This briefing examines the early effects on hospital use of introducing multidisciplinary integrated care teams in North East Hampshire and Farnham. It presents the findings of an evaluation conducted by the Improvement Analytics Unit, a partnership between NHS England and the Health Foundation

CQC inspection regime having an impact but there is room for improvement, landmark report finds

CQC inspection regime having an impact but there is room for improvement, landmark report finds Care Quality Commission (CQC)’s ‘Ofsted-style’ inspection and rating regime is a significant improvement on the system it replaced, but it could be made more effective, according to the first major evaluation of the approach introduced in 2013. The King's Fund

Lord Carter's review into unwarranted variation in NHS ambulance trusts

Lord Carter's review into unwarranted variation in NHS ambulance trusts Lord Carter’s review identifies unwarranted variation in the delivery of ambulance services, as well as the potential savings of £500 million that could be made in efficiencies by 2020/21. NHS Improvement

See also:

• Ambulances not an A&E taxi service, NHS warned BBC News
• 'An ambulance is NOT a taxi to A&E', report says The Daily Mail
• Ambulances ‘being used as taxis’ heaping needless pressures on A&E, watchdog warns The Daily Telegraph

Shropshire baby deaths review expanded to cover decades

Shropshire baby deaths review expanded to cover decades An NHS trust at the centre of concerns over its maternity services has been asked to hand over hundreds of records to regulators, BBC News has learned.

The Shrewsbury and Telford trust will have to provide details over almost two decades of all stillbirths, maternal and neonatal deaths and significant harm in maternity services.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said "all potential cases" should be looked at.

The trust has always said it would cooperate fully with a review. BBC News

See also:

• Scores of cases of alleged poor care on Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust maternity unit to be reviewed The Independent

Government apologises 'unreservedly' to victims of contaminated blood scandal

Government apologises 'unreservedly' to victims of contaminated blood scandal The government has said sorry for the infected blood scandal at the inquiry into the treatment of thousands of people given products containing hepatitis and HIV.

But the son of one of the victims said that the apology does not “feel genuine”.

The government told the inquiry on Wednesday the treatment of information surrounding the use of contaminated blood products has been “at worst, a cover-up, at best a lack of candour about past events”.

Eleanor Gray QC made the comments to the Infected Blood Inquiry on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care. The Independent

Are we really on the brink of a cure for Alzheimer’s?

Are we really on the brink of a cure for Alzheimer’s? A new study has inspired headlines claiming a cure for Alzheimer’s disease could be available within six years – but are we genuinely on the verge of an effective treatment? The Guardian

Separating fact from hype in the study of cancer and obesity

Separating fact from hype in the study of cancer and obesity Findings of a report from Cancer Research UK about cancer in women are challenged by David Steinsaltz. The Guardian

Air pollution kills six million people every year: it's time for us to wake up to this grave threat

Air pollution kills six million people every year: it's time for us to wake up to this grave threat The government was applauded for its draft Clean Air Strategy, published in May, when it recognised that air pollution is now the leading environmental risk to human health in the UK and for setting out policies to reduce that harm.

It is currently estimated that air pollution will make 2.4 million ill in England between now and 2035. And the health and social care costs of air pollution could reach £18.6 billion by 2035.

However, critics have expressed concern that key policy areas, such as road transport, are not fully addressed in the strategy – potentially limiting the health benefits that could be realised. The Daily Telegraph

Medical unit will relieve pressure on hospital's A&E

Medical unit will relieve pressure on hospital's A&E A medical unit to help relieve pressure on accident and emergency services in Northamptonshire is preparing to open.

The £12m A&E assessment unit at Northampton General Hospital is almost finished.

It is designed to help assess patients without needing to admit them as in-patients, which should cut waiting times and reduce pressure on staff. ITV News

Hospital porter used England flag to treat unconscious man in Northampton town centre - Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Hospital porter used England flag to treat unconscious man in Northampton town centre A Northampton General Hospital worker was forced to use whatever came to hand when a football fan suffered a head injury in front of him.

Porter Nathan Loughran was walking through Northampton town centre with friends after watching a televised England match when they found himself in the middle of a large fight near George Row.

In the midst of the chaos a man not part of their group fell to the ground, smacking his head hard on the kerb and prompting Nathan to spring into action using first aid skills he had learned at NGH. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Harnessing the winds of change – early learning on integrated care systems

Harnessing the winds of change – early learning on integrated care systems Working with a group of leaders from one of the ‘first wave’ integrated care systems (ICSs) the other day, I was reminded yet again of how important ‘local weather’ conditions can be – in this case influencing the nature of collaborative working between staff from four NHS organisations. To date, the work of the integrated care system has been held by a small group of leaders and a few senior staff from participating organisations. The senior leadership group was discussing how to increase local capacity for system working. There was recognition, as in other ICS areas, that other groups of staff such as clinicians and middle managers must become more involved to achieve the desired changes in patient care and population health. The King's Fund

The spread challenge: how to support the successful uptake of innovations and improvements in health care

The spread challenge: how to support the successful uptake of innovations and improvements in health care This report outlines the challenges facing the NHS in improving the uptake of new ideas and practices, and the need for new approaches when developing national and local programmes to support the spread of innovation. It highlights key recommendations for practitioners involved in spreading health care improvement. The Health Foundation 

The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, 2018

The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, 2018 This report provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, based on data from the National Minimum Data Set for Social Care (NMDS-SC). Skills for Care

All the lonely people: loneliness in later life

All the lonely people: loneliness in later life This report presents new evidence about what Age UK knows about loneliness amongst people aged 50 and over, what increases the chances of people experiencing loneliness and how best to help those older people who are persistently lonely. The focus throughout is on the need for approaches to reducing loneliness to be tailored to the circumstances of the individual.

World alzheimer report 2018: the state of the art of dementia research: new frontiers

World alzheimer report 2018: the state of the art of dementia research: new frontiers This report looks at a broad cross section of research areas including basic science; diagnosis; drug discovery; risk reduction and epidemiology. With the continued absence of a disease modifying treatment, the report also features progress, innovation and developments in care research. It highlights an urgent need for increased and sustainable funding for dementia research. Alzheimer's Disease International

CIPD and Mind launch guidance for managers to support mental health at work

CIPD and Mind launch guidance for managers to support mental health at work The CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, and Mind, the mental health charity, have today jointly published a revised mental health guide for managers to improve support for those experiencing stress and mental health issues at work.

The updated guidance follows recent CIPD research which found that less than one in three organisations (32%) train line managers to support staff with poor mental health. Mental ill health is now the primary cause of long-term sickness absence for over one in five (22%) UK organisations. A recent Mind survey of over 44,000 employees also found that only two in five (42%) felt their manager would be able to spot the signs they were struggling with poor mental health. CIPD

Hernia mesh complications 'affect more than 100,000'

Hernia mesh complications 'affect more than 100,000' Up to 170,000 people who have had hernia mesh implants in England in the past six years could face complications, the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme has found.

In that time, there have been about 570,000 such operations and the complication rate is said to be 12-30%.

Some patients have been left unable to walk or work, others left suicidal.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency continues to back the use of hernia mesh. BBC News

EpiPen shortage 'worrying' for people with allergies

EpiPen shortage 'worrying' for people with allergies A shortage of EpiPens is causing worry for people with allergies in the UK.

The makers of the adrenaline injection pen, which is used to treat severe and life threatening allergic reactions, say the supply problems are due to manufacturing issues.

The Department of Health said they were working with the manufacturers to "resolve the supply situation as quickly as possible".

They said limited supplies were being closely managed. BBC News

NHS England Is Not Prioritising Care For The Dying - This Is Bad News For Us All

NHS England Is Not Prioritising Care For The Dying - This Is Bad News For Us All NHS England seems to be signalling they don’t particularly care where people die or how people die. It’s as if once illness becomes no longer treatable you are no longer a priority.

NHS England is currently consulting on its long-term plan for the NHS. Covering the next ten years, the plan will set out how the NHS will deal with the challenges of providing care to an ageing population under extreme financial pressure. At the time of writing, NHS England will not be prioritising the care that people need when they are dying in its plan for the next decade. Huffington Post UK

Monkey pox: Contagious disease confirmed as having spread in UK for first time as third case discovered in Blackpool

Monkey pox: Contagious disease confirmed as having spread in UK for first time as third case discovered in Blackpool Another person has been quarantined with monkeypox in the UK after the potentially fatal virus spread following the first ever cases earlier in September, public health officials have confirmed.

A healthcare worker from the Blackpool Victoria Hospital has been put in isolation at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle after treating one of the earlier victims before their infection had been diagnosed. The Independent

See also:

• Monkeypox case in England Public Health England
• Monkeypox: Heathcare worker is third UK case of disease BBC News
• Third monkeypox case hits the UK The Daily Mail

Contaminated blood scandal: many medical records disappeared, inquiry hears

Contaminated blood scandal: many medical records disappeared, inquiry hears Victims’ QC says many patients believe their experiences amount to evidence of cover-up

Evidence of medical cover-ups in the NHS’s contaminated blood scandal must be investigated and those responsible encouraged to apologise, the infected blood inquiry has been told.

The inquiry, which opened on Monday, will investigate how thousands of people with the blood-clotting disorder haemophilia were given blood by people who were infected with the HIV virus and hepatitis C. At least 4,689 British haemophiliacs are thought to have been treated with contaminated blood in the 1970s and 80s. So far, half have died.

The inquiry will try to figure out the exact number of people who have been infected, examine the impact the infection had on people’s lives, investigate whether there was any attempts to conceal details of what happened, and identify any individual responsibilities as well as systemic failures. Theresa May announced the inquiry last year, following years of intense pressure from MPs and campaign groups. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Contaminated blood scandal: Inquiry 'must uncover truth' BBC News
• Contaminated blood scandal 'worst tragedy to hit NHS' ITV News
• 'Treated like pariahs': contaminated blood victims tell their stories The Guardian

British teenage girls are among the heaviest drinkers in Europe – and have overtaken boys

British teenage girls are among the heaviest drinkers in Europe – and have overtaken boys British girls are among the worst in Europe for binge drinking, despite drinking less than previous generations, new research shows.

The study for the World Health Organisation shows that teenage girls in England, Scotland and Wales take three of the top six places in a drinking league table comparing 36 European nations.

And teenage girls in the UK are now more likely than boys of the same age to have got drunk at least twice, the figures show. The Daily Mail

Number of children going to hospital with rotten teeth rises to 26,000, NHS figures show

Number of children going to hospital with rotten teeth rises to 26,000, NHS figures show Growing numbers of children with tooth decay are being admitted to hospital, damning figures show.

More than 26,000 children aged five to nine were taken to hospital in the past year because of rotten teeth, NHS figures have revealed.

The number has risen for the second year in a row and is more than double the amount of children who needed treatment for tonsillitis. The Daily Mail

Autistic children in Northamptonshire 'struggling' due to delays in diagnosis and help, watchdog report says

Autistic children in Northamptonshire 'struggling' due to delays in diagnosis and help, watchdog report says Both the education and the emotional health of autistic Northamptonshire children is suffering due to delays in assesment.


That is the conclusion of a report by the county's health watchdog, Healthwatch Northamptonshire which spoke in depth to 12 families who have a child with autism or ADHD.

It found that the route to any help from the NHS and Northamptonshire County Council is so maze-like parents are sometimes unsure if they are even on the official pathway. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Life expectancy progress in UK 'stops for first time'

Life expectancy progress in UK 'stops for first time' Life expectancy in the UK has stopped improving for the first time since 1982, when figures began.

Women's life expectancy from birth remains 82.9 years and for men it is 79.2, the figures from the Office for National Statistics, for 2015-17, show.

In some parts of the UK, life expectancy has even decreased. BBC News

Loneliness among over-50s 'is looming public health concern'

Loneliness among over-50s 'is looming public health concern' Greater numbers will feel impact of widowhood, poor finance and ill-health, says Age UK

Soaring numbers of over-50s in England will suffer from loneliness in the coming years as a result of widowhood, ill-health and money problems, according to a new analysis.

More than two million people of that age will be lonely by 2025-26, a 49% increase on the 1.36m who were socially isolated in 2015-16, according to projections by Age UK. Continue reading... The Guardian

Tainted blood scandal: another 25,000 victims could be infected

Tainted blood scandal: another 25,000 victims could be infected The tainted blood scandal could have infected at least 25,000 people and is continuing to kill victims, the chairman of an independent inquiry has warned.

Sir Brian Langstaff also suggested criminal trials could follow the independent Infected Blood Inquiry, as he promised to investigate allegations of a cover-up and hold those responsible to account.

His comments at the Inquiry’s opening on Monday came as it was confirmed former health secretaries, top civil servants and senior doctors would be compelled to answer questions in public about their involvement in the scandal for the first time. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Contaminated blood victims: How lives have been torn apart - their own words The Daily Telegraph
• Infected NHS blood inquiry opens with tribute to victims The Guardian

First cancer patient in the UK is treated with 'groundbreaking' radiotherapy

First cancer patient in the UK is treated with 'groundbreaking' radiotherapy Barry Dolling, 65, from Selsdon in Surrey, has become the first person in the UK to receive radiotherapy treatment from the MR Linac machine at the Royal Marsden in London. The Daily Mail

Almost one in three knee operations and one in five hip replacements are done privately

Almost one in three knee operations and one in five hip replacements are done privately The Royal College of Surgeons warned the growing number of operations being carried out outside of NHS hospitals means young surgeons are not getting the experience they need. The Daily Mail

Child mental health: Camhs 'not fit for purpose'

Child mental health: Camhs 'not fit for purpose' Children with mental health problems are not receiving treatment until they are in crisis and sometimes suicidal, doctors have told the BBC.

A letter leaked to Panorama reveals at least one area's child and adolescent mental health service (Camhs) to be rationing care. Leading psychiatrist Jon Goldin described the service as "not fit for purpose". The government said it was investing an extra £1.4bn in child mental health. BBC News - Health

See Also:

• Child mental health services ‘not fit for purpose’, says top psychiatrist Pulse
• Mental health: Five hour journey for anorexia help BBC News - Health

New tool available: older people with depression

New tool available: older people with depression A mental health network and Public Health England have issued a guide for commissioners and others interested in depression in older people. NHS Networks

The NHS long-term plan: factoring in multiple risks

The NHS long-term plan: factoring in multiple risks  Crunch time is approaching for the NHS as details are pinned down for the long-term plan to set the future direction of the health service. Fresh thinking is required to ensure health services are working to improve the population’s health, not just reducing the burden of disease. King's Fund-Blog

NHS wins legal fight against pharma firms over sight-loss drug

NHS wins legal fight against pharma firms over sight-loss drug  Health service wins right to give patients cheaper and effective Avastin treatment.

The NHS has won a legal battle against the pharmaceutical industry which will lead to patients with the most common form of blindness receiving a drug that is much cheaper but still very effective.

The high court backed a bid by 12 NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCG) in the north-east of England to give Avastin to people with worsening sight loss. The Guardian

See Also:

• NHS wins legal battle against drugs giants over saving millions with cheaper medicine The Telegraph
• NHS wins landmark High Court battle with two major drug firms over a drug for the biggest cause of blindness that could lead to savings of hundreds of millions of pounds a year Mail Online

Contaminated blood scandal: Inquiry 'must uncover truth'

Contaminated blood scandal: Inquiry 'must uncover truth' Campaigners say it is time to find out the truth about the contaminated blood scandal that left nearly 3,000 people dead, as a public inquiry begins.

The inquiry is looking at how thousands of NHS patients were given blood products infected with hepatitis and HIV during the 1970s and 1980s.

Many say the risks were not explained, in what has been called the worst treatment disaster in NHS history. BBC News

See Also:

• 'I gave birth, and got Hepatitis C'. BBC News - Health
• Victims accuse ministers of breaking funding promise for contaminated blood inquiry The Telegraph

Health Secretary: The NHS needs to radically change the way it helps doctors and nurses who experience trauma in their daily work

Health Secretary: The NHS needs to radically change the way it helps doctors and nurses who experience trauma in their daily work The NHS needs to radically change the way it helps doctors and nurses who experience trauma in their daily work, the Health Secretary has said.

Matt Hancock said significant improvements in attitudes towards mental health across society, had not translated into giving enough support to those working on the NHS frontline.

The Health Secretary, who was appointed in July, said he planned to make major changes in the help and training given to those dealing with gruelling and potentially traumatic experiences in healthcare. The Telegraph

NHS sued for failure to help transgender patients with fertility

NHS sued for failure to help transgender patients with fertility Equality watchdog insists on the right to start a family later in life.

NHS England is to be taken to court by the UK’s equality watchdog for failing to offer fertility services to transgender patients.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission will launch a high-profile judicial review action, a legal manoeuvre that is likely to prove controversial at a time when the NHS is struggling to balance budgets and provide core services. The Guardian

Health visitors struggling with ‘dangerously high’ caseloads

Health visitors struggling with ‘dangerously high’ caseloads Some are responsible for up to 830 children – when the safe limit is 250, study warns. Health visitors are struggling to care for families properly because they have “dangerously high” workloads in which some are looking after as many as 829 children, a study shows.

Falling numbers of health visitors mean that in most parts of England they are now looking after more – often many more – under-fives than the recommended maximum 250. The Guardian

Obesity 'to be linked to more female cancers' than smoking

Obesity 'to be linked to more female cancers' than smoking Obesity is set to overtake smoking as the biggest preventable cause of cancer in UK women by 2043, a Cancer Research UK report predicts.
Currently, 12% of cancers in women are linked to smoking, and 7% to being overweight and obese.
But with the number of smokers falling and obesity rates projected to rise, the charity estimates that gap will disappear in 25 years time. The figures assume that current trends will continue. BBC News - Health

Hundreds of nurses will be encouraged to relocate to Northampton at NHS open days

Hundreds of nurses will be encouraged to relocate to Northampton at NHS open days Hospitals and NHS trust in Northampton are holding a series of open days, with some featuring on-the-spot interviews.

It is part of this autumn's ‘Best of Both Worlds’ recruitment campaign to attract hundreds of nurses and healthcare professionals to relocate and work in hospitals and the community across Northamptonshire.

NHS bosses are looking for nurses of all levels and specialisms as well as therapists and healthcare assistant roles. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

How children's services cuts are affecting one family

How children's services cuts are affecting one family As Northamptonshire County Council makes £70m worth of spending cuts, how does it feel for a needy family to have support withdrawn? BBC Northampton

‘Moving at the speed of trust’ – the journey to integrated care systems

‘Moving at the speed of trust’ – the journey to integrated care systems In May of this year, NHS England announced four new integrated care systems (ICSs) to join the ten existing systems. But ‘announced’ is not really the right word; as we have found in our work with the systems, creating an ICS is most definitely a journey and not an event.

We’ve been tracking these journeys over the past year, conducting interviews with more than 70 NHS and local government leaders and other stakeholders in eight of the first ICSs. Our new report, published today, sets out the findings from this work and identifies emerging lessons for local systems and national policy-makers. The King's Fund

See also:

• Working across boundaries: realising the vision of integrated care Nuffield Trust

Planning and preparing for later life

Planning and preparing for later life This review focuses on planning for later life (age 60 and over) from mid-life (age 40-60) onwards. It concludes that planning ahead could make it more likely that we achieve a good later life, including saving for retirement, taking actions to maintain and improve health and working out whether homes might need adaptations in the future. Centre for Ageing Better

What price safe motherhood? : charging for NHS maternity care in England and its impact on migrant women

What price safe motherhood? : charging for NHS maternity care in England and its impact on migrant women This study explores the experiences of women who faced charges for NHS maternity care. Most of the participants were socially and economically vulnerable but faced debts for bills which they were sent from the NHS. It shows how NHS charging gives rise to stress and anxiety among migrant women who are pregnant and new mothers. Some women were deterred from attending maternity care and so did not receive needed clinical care and social support with possible long-term consequences for their own and their children’s health. Maternity Action

Turning around the lives of dementia patients

Turning around the lives of dementia patients Confronting the stigma and isolation people with dementia face in some communities around the world. BBC News

Pre-sex HIV drug should be made available on NHS, MPs say

Pre-sex HIV drug should be made available on NHS, MPs say A drug that cuts the chances of contracting HIV during sex should be made available on the NHS in England to anyone at risk, three MPs have told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme.

Tory MPs Crispin Blunt and Nigel Evans, and Labour's Stephen Doughty said the Prep drug had been proven to be cost-effective during continuing trials.

A much cheaper version of Prep could soon be available to the NHS.

NHS England said it would "look at evidence from the trial".

Prep (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is available on the NHS in Scotland and Wales. BBC News

NHS England 'ahead of target' on GP funding rise plans with £580m boost

NHS England 'ahead of target' on GP funding rise plans with £580m boost NHS England is 'ahead of target' to increase GP funding, it has claimed, amid an annual rise last year of £580m.

Official data released today showed that GP funding increased by 3.9% last year, rising to a total of £10.8bn in 2017/18.

NHS England said this marked the fifth annual consecutive real-terms increase to general practice funding and put it 'ahead of target' on its GP Forward View pledge for general practice to receive £12bn a year by 2020.

But the BMA said the figure was 'potentially misleading' because it included funding for drug reimbursements and other initiatives like GP services in A&E. Pulse

Lifeline public health services face £96m funding drop as councils are forced to make cuts, Labour warns

Lifeline public health services face £96m funding drop as councils are forced to make cuts, Labour warns Lifeline addiction support, sexual health clinics and stop-smoking services face cuts of £96m this year after “shortsighted and cynical” reductions to council budgets, Labour has claimed.

New analysis shows 85 per cent of English councils plan to slash spending on vital services to balance their books, as life expectancy rates stall, and drug-related deaths and childhood obesity levels hit record highs.

Sexual health services were among the worst hit, with services being stripped back by 95 councils at a loss of £17.6m of funding compared to the previous year, according to 2018-19 budget figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Independent

Ban on cigarette displays cuts children buying tobacco in shops by nearly a third, study finds

Ban on cigarette displays cuts children buying tobacco in shops by nearly a third, study finds The ban on displays of tobacco products in shops may have reduced the proportion of children buying cigarettes by 17 per cent, according to new research.

A study into buying habits suggests the introduction of the 2015 ban may have prompted an immediate fall in children’s tobacco consumption.

The research, by Imperial College London, assessed survey responses from 18,000 11- to 15-year-olds from across England between 2010 and 2016. The Independent

See also:

• Child awareness of and access to cigarettes: impacts of the point-of-sale display ban in England (open access) Tobacco Control

NHS proposes A&E appointments system in targets shakeup

NHS proposes A&E appointments system in targets shakeup Patients may have to pre-book for emergency care as health chiefs look to Danish model

Patients could have to start booking appointments in A&E units, and those with only minor ailments wait many hours before they are seen, under a proposed shakeup of NHS targets.

NHS England chiefs are examining whether to relax the longstanding obligation to see 95% of A&E patients within four hours. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Target to treat patients within 18 weeks of seeing their GP should be scrapped, health chiefs warn The Daily Mail
• NHS loses £350 million as patients fail to turn up to appointments The Daily Mail

NHS trusts told to stop using subsidiary firms to save money

NHS trusts told to stop using subsidiary firms to save money Unions say ‘subcos’ risk creating two-tier NHS workforce in which some staff are paid less than others doing same job

NHS hospital trusts have been told to stop setting up private companies and transferring staff into them, a move that has provoked strong criticism from health unions and Labour.

NHS Improvement, which regulates the health service’s finances, has ordered England’s 240 trusts to “pause” controversial plans to create any more of the subsidiary companies. Continue reading... The Guardian

Conservatives back higher taxes to fund the NHS

Conservatives back higher taxes to fund the NHS Most Conservative voters now back higher taxes to fund the NHS, the British Social Attiudes Survey has found.

The polling, carried out by the National Centre for Social Research, found that 53 per cent of Conservatives Party supporters think the Government should increase taxes and spending on public services.

It marks a departure from data showing that for more than 15 years most Conservatives have said taxes should either fall or stay the same. The Daily Telegraph

'Snowflake generation' is threatening the future of NHS by refusing to work nights or weekends

'Snowflake generation' is threatening the future of NHS by refusing to work nights or weekends The new generation of NHS workers is threatening the future of the health service by refusing to work nights or weekends, a health chief has warned.

Around the clock shifts are going unfilled due to millennial staff, often referred to as 'snowflakes', insisting on flexible hours, according to the trust chief executive who declined to be named.

The shift in the workforce is placing pressure on the health service and creating a generational clash with long-standing NHS staff, he said. The Daily Mail

NHS will become the first health service to use routine genetic testing

NHS will become the first health service to use routine genetic testing Professor Dame Sue Hill, NHS England's chief scientific officer, believes shifting treatments from being 'one size fits all' to a more personalised approach is the 'holy grail of the health system'. The Daily Mail

Frustration at Northampton hospital clinic after calls to crucial phone line go unanswered

Frustration at Northampton hospital clinic after calls to crucial phone line go unanswered Northampton General Hospital bosses have apologised to patients of a facial treatment clinic after many struggled to arrange appointments.

The maxillofacial unit based in Billing Road offers a range of treatments related to the face - from mouth cancer, to jaw problems, orthodontics and dental surgery.

But patients of the clinic have told the Chronicle and Echo how they have simply been unable to make appointments in recent weeks due to the fact the phone lines there were not being answered.

The hospital said the problem was down to "staffing gaps", which have now been filled.

One person quits smoking every 80 seconds in England

One person quits smoking every 80 seconds in England PHE encourages people to join in the mass quit attempt, Stoptober, and get the right stop smoking support for them.

Last year, nearly 400,000 smokers in England quit successfully, which is the equivalent to 1,069 smokers each day. Despite new smokers starting and ex-smokers relapsing, there are now 1 million fewer smokers in England since 2014.

Of the 6.1 million smokers in England, 6 in 10 want to quit but most try to quit using willpower alone (or ‘cold turkey’) despite this being the least effective method. The most successful quit attempts use a combination of effective stop smoking support methods. Public Health England

See also:

• Stoptober 2018 resources Public Health England
• 'Don't go cold turkey' to quit smoking BBC News
• Latest stop smoking campaign includes an online guide to where your nearest e-cigarette shop is The Daily Mail

Recommendations for future EEA migration post-Brexit

Recommendations for future EEA migration post-Brexit The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) has published its recommendations for a future migration system post-Brexit.

The report follows a request from the Home Secretary in July 2017 to assess current patterns of European Economic Area (EEA) migration, what likely future patterns may arise, and the impact this will have on the UK. NHS Employers

Shropshire hospitals baby deaths review cases rise to over 100

Shropshire hospitals baby deaths review cases rise to over 100 A review into mother and baby deaths and injuries at hospitals in Shropshire is examining more than 100 cases, it is understood.

In 2017, Jeremy Hunt ordered an investigation into maternity care relating to 23 cases at the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust (SaTH).

That figure expanded to 40 but is now thought to include 104 families.

Meanwhile, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has taken urgent action against the maternity department. BBC News

See also:

• Shrewsbury baby scandal at maternity unit expands to 100 cases The Daily Telegraph
• Scores of cases of alleged poor care on Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust maternity unit to be reviewed The Independent

Public Health England accused of links with drinks industry

Public Health England accused of links with drinks industry Public Health England (PHE) has failed to learn the lessons over its partnership with the drinks industry, warn public health experts in The BMJ.

Last week, Ian Gilmore, a senior government adviser on alcohol policy, stepped down from his role at PHE after the agency partnered with Drinkaware, an alcohol education charity that receives funding from industry, for a new campaign encouraging middle-aged people to have more alcohol-free days per week.

In an editorial for The BMJ, Gilmore and colleagues Linda Bauld and John Britton, of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, University of Nottingham, state that voluntary agreements with the tobacco industry in the second half of the 20th century served to “undermine, dilute or constrain measures designed to curtail their activities.” OnMedica

Millions of unpaid carers putting own health at risk to look after loved ones, councils warn

Millions of unpaid carers putting own health at risk to look after loved ones, councils warn Millions of unpaid carers are putting their own health at risk in order to look after loved ones as the adult social care system edges closer to “collapse”, local councils have warned.

Rising demand for care and the increasing cost of providing it is putting more pressure on families to look after loved ones, with many of the 5.7 million unpaid carers in England unable to take a break from their caring roles, according to the Local Government Association (LGA). The Independent

See also:

• Strain on unpaid carers putting adult social care at increased risk of collapse Local Government Association
• Carers action plan 2018 to 2020 Department of Health and Social Care

Smoking will be 'eradicated in England by 2030'

Smoking will be 'eradicated in England by 2030' Smoking will be “eradicated” in England by 2030 as roughly a thousand people quit every day, health chiefs have predicted.

More than a million smokers have kicked the habit since 2014, Public Health England said yesterday, leaving overall rates at their lowest ever, with just 14.9 per cent of adults smoking. The Daily Telegraph

Top journal RETRACTS six studies by disgraced celebrity scientist

Top journal RETRACTS six studies by disgraced celebrity scientist One of the world's top medical journals has retracted six papers by a celebrity scientist.

Brian Wansink, PhD, earned a name for himself with fun, relatable, and (most importantly) viral studies about the way we eat and the way food brands target us. The Daily Mail

NHS pays £100,000 a day to compensate people scarred for life in hospital errors

NHS pays £100,000 a day to compensate people scarred for life in hospital errors More than three people a week are suing the NHS after being left permanently disfigured by treatment that went wrong.

Patients have lost limbs, gone blind or been scarred for life by the NHS and compensation claims are costing the health service more than £100,000 a day.

Since 2010 the NHS has paid compensation to 810 people who suffered a needless amputation of a limb. The Daily Mail

Northants health bosses draw up plan to prevent winter crisis

Northants health bosses draw up plan to prevent winter crisis The county’s health and social care services are pioneering a new way of working this winter in a bid to prevent another seasonal crisis.

In a national first, the county’s acute and community hospitals have joined with GP surgeries and social care to commission a demand and capacity plan that should lead to less hospital admissions this winter and shorter stays for patients. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Corby sleep apnoea sleep-tracker trial attracting attention from medics across UK

Corby sleep apnoea sleep-tracker trial attracting attention from medics across UK Some of Corby’s estimated 1,500 obstructive sleep apnoea sufferers have paved the way for easier diagnosis for patients around the UK after taking part in a ground-breaking trial.

Because diagnosing the dangerous sleep condition can be a time consuming process involving spending time at the overnight sleep clinic in Leicester, doctors in Corby came up with using an wrist-worn activity-tracker device to give people the chance to be diagnosed while they sleep at home. Northamptonshire Telegraph

What is the ethnicity pay gap among NHS doctors?

What is the ethnicity pay gap among NHS doctors? Following on from our work showing an overall gender pay gap in favour of men in the English NHS, John Appleby looks at how the pay of doctors in the health service varies by ethnic group. Nuffield Trust 

The health and well-being of men in the WHO European Region: better health through a gender approach

The health and well-being of men in the WHO European Region: better health through a gender approach This first ever WHO report on men’s health and well-being in the 53 countries of the WHO European Region reveals men are living healthier and longer lives than ever before. But despite progress, many of them die far too young from preventable causes, and the reasons behind this go beyond biology. The new findings are prompting calls to use a gender approach to get men’s health on the agenda of health policy-makers in the European Region. World Health Organization

Meeting pathology demand: histopathology workforce census

Meeting pathology demand: histopathology workforce census This workforce census finds that only three per cent of NHS histopathology departments have enough staff to meet clinical demand. The report highlights the intense pressures that histopathologists face from increased workloads, such as new NHS screening programmes. In addition, services are facing more complex work as personalised medicine develops and guides new therapies. Outdated IT systems compound these pressures. Royal College of Pathologists

Clinical radiology: UK workforce census 2017 report

Clinical radiology: UK workforce census 2017 report This annual radiologist workforce report highlights the UK’s current and predicted future shortage of imaging doctors and urgently calls for more funding for trainees and better NHS retention and recruitment. The report shows that 10.3 per cent of UK radiologist jobs remained empty in 2017, with nearly a fifth of posts (18.4 per cent) in Northern Ireland unfilled. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of unfilled NHS radiologist posts have been vacant for a year or more. Royal College of Radiologists

Pregnancy weight gain 'going unmeasured'

Pregnancy weight gain 'going unmeasured' Midwives are calling for official guidance on how much weight is healthy for women to put on during pregnancy.

One in five women in the UK are obese when they start pregnancy, yet there is no national target for what constitutes normal pregnancy weight gain.

Regular weigh-ins fell out of favour in the 1990s when it was suggested that they cause pregnant women unnecessary anxiety for little or no clinical gain.

Officials say they are considering whether to reintroduce them. BBC News

Air pollution: ‘Toxic’ school run poses health risk to thousands of children, experts warn

Air pollution: ‘Toxic’ school run poses health risk to thousands of children, experts warn Children are most exposed to dangerous air pollution on the school run and in the playground, experts have warned.

While children only spend 40 per cent of their time on the school run and at school, they receive 60 per cent of their exposure to tiny particles of black carbon during those times, a study has found.

Peaks in children's exposure to the pollution were recorded while they travelling to and from school and during breaktime when they were likely to be in the playground, the report by Unicef UK and Queen Mary, University of London showed. The Independent

See also:

• Every child's breath is under threat: How toxic air is putting children’s health at risk and what you can do to help fix it Unicef UK

NHS fees for maternity care 'putting migrant mothers at risk'

NHS fees for maternity care 'putting migrant mothers at risk' Vulnerable women becoming distressed by legacy of ‘hostile environment’, report says

Migrant mothers and their babies are being put at risk because they are too frightened of incurring large debts and falling victim to the so-called hostile environment immigration policy to access vital medical care, a report has found.

Mothers who are not settled in the UK are not eligible for taxpayer-funded treatment, and are charged 50% more than the normal tariffs for antenatal care, births and postnatal care. Some with secure immigration status have also been mistakenly charged for treatment. Attempts at debt collection launched shortly after new mothers leave hospital can trigger mental health issues among some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in the UK, the research found. Continue reading... The Guardian

Number of children getting the MMR jab declines for the fourth year in a row

Number of children getting the MMR jab declines for the fourth year in a row The number of children being given the MMR vaccine has fallen for the fourth year in a row, with immunity now at its lowest since 2011.

The jab protects against measles, mumps and rubella, and children are expected to have their first dose before their second birthday.

But only 91.2 per cent of children across England are meeting this target, meaning thousands have no protection against the three killer infections.

The number is down from 92.7 per cent in 2014 – the highest level of the past decade years – and from 91.6 per cent in 2017, NHS Digital data has revealed. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Childhood Vaccination Coverage Statistics- England 2017-18 NHS Digital
• Take-up of MMR vaccine falls for fourth year in a row in England The Guardian

New guidance to help you with reflection

New guidance to help you with reflection New guidance has been published to support doctors to be ‘reflective practitioners’.

It has been developed in partnership with the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), the Conference of Postgraduate Medical Deans (COPMED), the General Medical Council (GMC) and the Medical Schools Council (MSC).

A reflective practice toolkit includes a number of templates and examples for use with the guidance.

Preventing suicide in community and custodial settings

Preventing suicide in community and custodial settings This guideline covers ways to reduce suicide and help people bereaved or affected by suicides. It aims to: help local services work more effectively together to prevent suicide; identify and help people at risk; prevent suicide in places where it is currently more likely. It does not cover national strategies, general mental wellbeing, or areas covered by other NICE guidance such as self-harm or mental health conditions. NICE

Private provision of publicly funded health care: the economics of ownership

Private provision of publicly funded health care: the economics of ownership This briefing aims to improve understanding of how economics can or cannot help to resolve the question of whether the private ownership of health care provision is good or bad. The economics literature that informs this overview includes: the theory of the organisation of production; theories of behaviour and motivation and the role of incentives and payments in influencing decisions. Office of Health Economics

Hiding my psychosis for 10 years from the age of 12

Hiding my psychosis for 10 years from the age of 12 Luke Watkin was in year eight at school and alone in a corridor when he first heard a strange noise.

"I heard what sounded like a train brake, followed by a metal on metal noise.

"It was just something completely out of the ordinary. It was a bit of a shock to the system, something I just couldn't understand or really process.

"My experience at the time was quite terrifying."

It was his first experience of the mental health condition, psychosis. Luke was 12 years old. BBC News

Targeted treatment for melanoma to be free on NHS

Targeted treatment for melanoma to be free on NHS Hundreds of patients with a type of aggressive skin cancer will be offered a targeted therapy on the NHS in England and Wales, which reduces the risk of it returning.

At present, they have to hope their cancer will not return after surgery.

The drug has been shown to improve the survival of people with stage III melanoma, with a particular mutation.

A skin cancer charity said making the treatment available on the NHS was "a huge step forward". BBC News

NHS smacks down hundreds of staffers for dodgy use of social media, messaging apps

NHS smacks down hundreds of staffers for dodgy use of social media, messaging apps More than a thousand NHS staffers have been slapped down for their use of social media and apps since 2013, with some even posting about patients.

According to figures released under Freedom of Information laws, at least 65 workers in the UK's National Health Service have lost their jobs because of the incidents.

The Times reported more than 1,200 employees had been disciplined for various unwise activities online, such as sharing patients' information, complaining about colleagues and gossiping about drinking. The Register

The government must be clearer with the public about how it shares NHS data

The government must be clearer with the public about how it shares NHS data Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, has established himself as a passionate advocate of technology in the National HEalth Service. In a series of speeches over the summer, he has shown his frustration at the fact that the NHS is “one of the largest purchasers of fax machines on the planet”. He has promised almost £700m for its neglected technology division and warned that where a new service challenges the system “the right response isn’t to reject the new service but to change the system”.

This is welcome news. But new technology alone is not enough. The rules on the handling of data in the NHS urgently need reform, too. They are arcane, outdated and not fit for purpose. iNews

UK heatwave caused hundreds of extra deaths this summer, figures suggest

UK heatwave caused hundreds of extra deaths this summer, figures suggest Hundreds of extra deaths were recorded in England as a result of a heatwave during spring and early summer, official statistics show.

In the last week of June, when temperatures rose above 30C, 382 more deaths occurred than the average.

During an earlier period of unseasonably warm spring temperatures in April, 243 more deaths were observed than the five-year average. The Independent

Early gender tests 'leading to selective abortions of girls in UK'

Early gender tests 'leading to selective abortions of girls in UK' Blood tests used to reveal a baby’s gender are leading to the abortion of unwanted girls in the UK, MPs and charities have warned.

Labour MP Naz Shah, shadow women and equalities minister, said the government must act now to stop the misuse of Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) to abort pregnancies based on gender. The Independent

See also:

• Call to ban early baby gender tests BBC News
• Labour calls for ban on early foetus sex test The Guardian

Health Secretary Matt Hancock backs 'second pension' plan for care

Health Secretary Matt Hancock backs 'second pension' plan for care Health Secretary Matt Hancock has endorsed proposals for every adult in England to pay into a second 'pension' that will be used for funding their old age care.

Mr Hancock said he wants people take more 'personal responsibility' for their health and care by regularly saving from their salary. The Daily Mail

Struggling ambulance trust will force patients to SHARE vehicles

Struggling ambulance trust will force patients to SHARE vehicles A struggling ambulance trust may get patients to share vehicles in a bid to improve response times under a controversial new policy.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAT), which looks after almost six million people, is one of the slowest at responding to emergencies.

In a desperate attempt to improve its performance statistics and drag it off the bottom of the league table, it implemented the new policy last month.

However, the scandal-hit trust's move has been branded 'crazy', 'desperate' and even a 'mess' by outraged politicians and senior staff. The Daily Mail

Corby health body manages to balance its books

Corby health body manages to balance its books Corby’s health chiefs have said they have managed to balance their £110m books with some spare change at the end of the last financial year.

Corby Clinical Commissioning Group - the country’s smallest CCG - had a spending budget of £110.097m with £2.002m of savings to make. They managed it with £71,000 to spare.

Although the full accounts have not yet been signed off so are not available to view, interim chief financial officer Stuart Rees who joined Corby CCG on April 1, said that there was lots of work to do to ensure the organisation stayed in the black. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton-based charity spent £4 million on failed projects

Northampton-based charity spent £4 million on failed projects St Andrew's Healthcare spent millions of pounds on two projects that brought no benefit to its patients or staff, its latest accounts show.

The registered charity that runs St Andrew's Hospital has disclosed in its 2017/2018 annual report that £2,1 million was spent looking into whether it should expand its Birmingham operation, a venture which never transpired. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Ambulance crews attacked 135 times in 12 months in Northamptonshire

Ambulance crews attacked 135 times in 12 months in Northamptonshire East Midlands Ambulance Service has welcomed the news that anyone who assault an ambulance crew member could face a doubled prison sentence.

It comes after frontline staff suffered 476 assaults since April, including five incidents involving spitting, five involving knives, two involving firearms and three involving racial abuse.

In Northamptonshire, there were 135 assaults in 2017/2018, eleven of which caused injury and 41 of which when the assailant was drunk. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Acute medical care in England: Findings from a survey of smaller acute hospitals

Acute medical care in England: Findings from a survey of smaller acute hospitals This profile of smaller hospitals in England finds trusts struggling to recruit and retain acute medical staff. Services across the country are configured in a wide variety of ways, with little evidence of an 'ideal' model for acute medical care emerging from our research. Nuffield Trust

Social care funding in England: call for evidence

Social care funding in England: call for evidence This inquiry will focus on the funding challenges faced by the social care system in England. The Committee is seeking to assess the effectiveness of different funding models, the shortfalls in delivery and to make recommendations on how future social care demands can be met in England. The deadline for submissions is 9 October 2018. House of Lords Economic Affairs Committee

Pathologists shortage 'delaying cancer diagnosis'

Pathologists shortage 'delaying cancer diagnosis' Patients are facing delays in diagnosis because of severe shortages among pathology staff, according to a report seen by the BBC.

A survey by the Royal College of Pathologists found only 3% of the NHS histopathology departments that responded had enough staff.

Histopathologists are doctors and scientists who diagnose and study diseases such as cancer.

Hundreds more pathologists are now working in the NHS, health chiefs said. BBC News

NHS bosses will be sacked if they fail to stamp out 'alarming' bullying of hospital staff

NHS bosses will be sacked if they fail to stamp out 'alarming' bullying of hospital staff NHS bosses will be sacked if they fail to stamp out what ministers admit are “alarming” levels of bullying of hospital staff, under a new crackdown.

A “fit and proper person” test is set to be toughened to include a legal duty to act on the victimisation of health workers by both patients and colleagues, The Independent has learnt.

The uncomfortable truth is that many psychiatric wards have a culture of sexual assault

The uncomfortable truth is that many psychiatric wards have a culture of sexual assault Sexual assault and harassment is “commonplace” on inpatient psychiatric wards, according to Dr Paul Lelliott, the deputy chief inspector of hospitals and mental health lead at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), following the publication of an important, national report this week. This is not news to psychiatric patients, who have been raising the issue for more than 50 years. Will this report provide the #MeToo wake-up call on sexual violence that mental health services desperately need? Or will the currents of denial, avoidance, victim blaming and silencing that swirl around sexual assault, and which psychiatric discourse specifically enable, block progress as they have time and time again? The Independent

Matt Hancock, you need to hear what happened to my daughter during a mental health crisis

Matt Hancock, you need to hear what happened to my daughter during a mental health crisis My daughter has endured the most devastating lack of continuity of care during the past six years under a depleted mental health service. The Independent

See also:

• Out of Area Placements in Mental Health Services - June 2018 NHS Digital
• Mental health patients sent 300 miles from home due to lack of beds The Guardian

NHS mental health crisis worsens as 2,000 staff quit per month

NHS mental health crisis worsens as 2,000 staff quit per month Pledge to boost services undermined by failure to retain thousands of key workers, minister admits

Thousands of nurses, therapists and psychiatrists are quitting NHS mental health services, raising serious doubts about ministerial pledges to dramatically expand the workforce.

Two thousand mental health staff a month are leaving their posts in the NHS in England, according to figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The news comes as services are already seriously understaffed and struggling to cope with a surge in patients seeking help for anxiety, depression and other disorders. Continue reading... The Guardian

Sick of waiting at the doctor's? The app will see you now

Sick of waiting at the doctor's? The app will see you now The public sector should be leading the charge with queue-busting tech, not leaving innovation to private companies

It hasn’t been all that long since Matt Hancock was best known for his app, which he called Matt Hancock, in a very Ronseal approach to technology. Not long after being promoted from a digital minister to culture secretary, Hancock rolled out the app in a bid to keep his constituents up to date with local goings-on, and to create a space for feedback. Naturally, Hancock got the piss taken out of him on social media. But aside from legitimate data concerns with the app accessing users’ photos – seemingly even when permission was not given; but that, unfortunately, isn’t a niche breach – the derisive response was, for the most part, unjustified.

People can’t have it both ways: dissing politicians for not being innovative or digitally astute, and then mocking the few who seem genuinely interested in technology and how it can change politics for the better. Continue reading... The Guardian

Health regulator withholding vaccines results making it impossible to establish if drugs could be harmful

Health regulator withholding vaccines results making it impossible to establish if drugs could be harmful The failure of England's public healthy body to publish results of three major studies into vaccines for children makes it impossible for experts to establish whether the drugs could be harmful, scientists have claimed.

Hundreds of children took part in three potentially risky Government drug trials, but Public Health England (PHE) breached the law by failing to add the findings to the official register set up to allow the scientific community to scrutinise the outcomes.

Experts have accused PHE of an “incomprehensible” violation of the trust of parents who gave their consent for their children to take part in the tests. The Daily Telegraph

More than 3 million people in Britain now vape, data suggests

More than 3 million people in Britain now vape, data suggests ASH estimates there are around 3.2 million vapers in Britain in 2018 – in the region of six per cent of the total population. It is 10 per cent up on the amount estimated for 2017. The Daily Mail

Corby Urgent Care Centre changes put on hold

Corby Urgent Care Centre changes put on hold A plan to change access to Corby’s Urgent Care Centre has been placed on hold. Corby CCG had decided, controversially, to replace the current walk-in service with a new appointment-based GP-led ‘Same Day Access Hub’. Those plans were the subject of a judicial review with campaigners against the plans claiming victory after a judge ruled the CCG did not carry out the consultation it had promised. But now the health body has decided to instead search for an organisation to run the centre for another three years rather than immediately progressing with their previous plan. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• ‘Bridges to be built’ between opposing sides in Corby Urgent Care Centre row Northamptonshire Telegraph

How children's services cuts are affecting one family

How children's services cuts are affecting one family  As Northamptonshire County Council makes £70m worth of spending cuts, how does it feel for a needy family to have support withdrawn? BBC News

Northants health bosses want meeting ahead of service cuts

Northants health bosses want meeting ahead of service cuts Health bosses from across Northamptonshire are demanding a meeting with leaders at Northamptonshire County Council ahead of expected huge service cuts. There was strong criticism of the county authority at yesterday’s Health and Wellbeing Board meeting (September 13) that the authority is seemingly moving ahead with plans to cut its services without having an input from Northamptonshire’s various health services. There are fears the cuts could have a huge impact on communities. Health bosses, including the leader of Northamptonshire Health Foundation Trust Angela Hillery and Northampton General Hospital’s chief executive Sonia Swart, blasted the authority for not asking for their input. Northamptonshire Telegraph