GP struck off

GP who 'stroked 16-year-old's nipples' struck off medical register. A GP who stroked a 16-year-old girl's nipples and squeezed her breasts during an unnecessary examination has been struck off the medical register.

Ex-England rugby player Jonathan Raphael, 65, pulled down the girl's bra without asking for her consent at his surgery in Northampton.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) rejected his claim he was attempting to diagnose pregnancy.  It found his actions were sexually motivated. BBC News Northamptonshire

Appointment-only plan for Corby’s Urgent Care Centre approved

Appointment-only plan for Corby’s Urgent Care Centre approved A plan to change access to Corby’s Urgent Care Centre to appointment-only was approved last night (Tuesday). Northamptonshire Telegraph

Cancer shame as UK survival rates lag behind rest of world

Cancer shame as UK survival rates lag behind rest of world Thousands of British cancer patients are dying early because NHS survival rates are trailing behind the rest of the world, a report has found.

The largest study of cancer survival ever conducted puts the UK towards the bottom of global league tables for several common cancers.

Health charities last night called for urgent action to close the 'appalling' and 'unacceptable' gulf with other nations, blaming slow diagnosis and poor treatment. The Mail Online

2017 survey of women's experiences of maternity care

2017 survey of women's experiences of maternity care This report finds that overall women reported positive experiences of maternity care over 2017 and there were small incremental improvements in results across almost every question. Whilst there have been general improvements overall, the results highlight the need for better communication and greater patient choice. King's Fund - Health Management and Policy Alert

• Maternity Services Survey 2017 - Care Quality Commission (CQC)
• NHS leaves one in four mothers alone during labour or childbirth - The Guardian
• A quarter of mothers are alone during labour: Women say they struggled to summon help and claim midwives do not take them seriously The Mail Online

'Overwhelming' evidence for adding folic acid to flour

'Overwhelming' evidence for adding folic acid to flour There are fresh calls for the government to fortify flour with folic acid in the UK to help protect babies from common birth defects.
A new study concludes higher doses of the B vitamin, which can prevent spina bifida in unborn babies, will not harm the general public.

Folic acid is added to flour in more than 80 countries worldwide, but the UK has previously held off. Pregnant women are advised to take folic acid tablets, but many don't.

Fortification would provide extra cover, say experts. The idea of mandatory fortification has already been backed by health ministers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not England. BBC News - Health

• Public health failure in the prevention of neural tube defects: time to abandon the tolerable upper intake level of folate Public Health Reviews
• Deaths or birth defects of thousands due to folic acid 'avoidable tragedy' - The Telegraph
• Put folic acid in bread to protect babies from devastating medical conditons, says study: Pressure grows on Jeremy Hunt to tackle 'avoidable tragedies' The Mail Online

Just promising NHS money 'not good enough'

Just promising NHS money 'not good enough' More reform - not just extra money - is needed to ensure the NHS stays relevant, says Lord Darzi. BBC News

NHS England sets out plans to be first in the world to eliminate hepatitis C

NHS England sets out plans to be first in the world to eliminate hepatitis C England could be the first country in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, under ambitious plans announced by the NHS. NHS Networks

Lack of physical activity among girls leading to poor mental health and low aspirations, warn experts - The Independent

Lack of physical activity among girls leading to poor mental health and low aspirations, warn experts There is a "direct correlation" between a lack of physical activity by young British girls and them having poorer mental health and lower aspirations than their male counterparts, experts have warned. Boys aged between eight and 15 spend almost twice as much time doing sport activities as girls of the same age, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

They also revealed that girls spend an average of 25 minutes a day on sports activities, compared with 40 minutes for boys. The Independent

Hunt urges NHS mental health units to prevent inpatient suicides - The Guardian

Hunt urges NHS mental health units to prevent inpatient suicides Jeremy Hunt is urging mental health units to prevent the scores of suicides by patients that occur on wards every year, which he says are due to failings of care by NHS providers.

The health and social care secretary wants to cut the number of inpatients taking their own life on NHS premises from more than 80 to none. The Guardian

The Government response to the Naylor review

The Government response to the Naylor review Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - This document sets out the government’s response to Sir Robert Naylor’s review of NHS property and estates, published in March 2017. The actions outlined will drive transformation of the NHS estate and help the NHS to deliver the Five Year Forward View. King's Fund - Health Management and Policy Alert