Cancer patient waiting times at NGH meet and exceed national targets

Cancer patient waiting times at NGH meet and exceed national targets Northampton General Hospital met all its nine cancer targets during December 2017, ensuring that all patients were seen and treated within the national waiting time standards.

A report to the hospital's public trust board states that nearly 100 per cent of new cancer patients cared for by the hospital received treatment for their disease within 31 days of being told they need medical or surgical intervention. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Pals raise huge £6k sum for Kettering hospital dementia garden appeal

Pals raise huge £6k sum for Kettering hospital dementia garden appeal Two friends have raised an amazing £6,126 for the Forget-Me-Not Appeal to establish a dementia garden at Kettering General Hospital. Northamptonshire Telegraph

County care home helping young men with autism to flourish

County care home helping young men with autism to flourish A Cransley home which caters for teenagers and young men has praised the efforts of its residents in learning new skills and contributing to the community while becoming more independent. Alderwood LLA (Living and Learning with Autism) has eight homes across the county, including one in Cransley which was recently awarded a CQC rating of ‘Outstanding’. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Brexit and mental health

Brexit and mental health  NHS Confederation - This briefing outlines the possible implications of Brexit for the mental health sector. It focusses on the analysis relating to future workforce supply and legislation, research, regulation, cross border healthcare and public health. King's Fund

Psychosis patients 'not getting best care'

Psychosis patients 'not getting best care' A key government target for caring for people with severe mental health conditions in England is being missed due to underfunding, research suggests.

People experiencing a first episode of psychosis should be seen within two weeks and get a quality care package.But Liberal Democrat research indicates that while more people are being seen on time, few get the right treatment. NHS England said "the analysis inevitably gives only a partial and dated picture of progress".

New care and treatment standards for psychosis were introduced by the Department of Health in April 2016. BBC News - Health

Nice approves life-extending drug for patients with incurable breast cancer

Nice approves life-extending drug for patients with incurable breast cancer A drug that can give women suffering from incurable advanced breast cancer an extra 16 months of life has been approved for general use in the NHS in England after a price cut was negotiated with the manufacturer.

The decision by Nice, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to give the green light for NHS doctors to use pertuzumab, sold under the brand name of Perjeta by the Swiss drug company Roche, was enthusiastically welcomed by breast cancer charities. The Guardian

Press release: New figures show larger proportion of strokes in the middle aged

Press release: New figures show larger proportion of strokes in the middle aged  The Act FAST campaign has re-launched urging people to call 999 if they notice even one of the signs of a stroke in themselves, or in others. In England, one in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime, and new statistics released by PHE show that 57,000 people had their first-time stroke in 2016. It is estimated that around 30% of people who have a stroke will go on to experience another stroke. Gov.uk - Public Health England

• First stroke estimates in England: 2007 to 2016 Gov.uk - Public Health England
• Average age of first stroke in England falls, figures show BBC News - Health
• Four in ten strokes now happening in midlife, fuelled by obesity epidemic The Telegraph
• Obesity crisis means stroke victims are getting younger: Patients aged between 40 and 69 now make up nearly four in ten attacks Mail Online

From Margaret Thatcher to Theresa May: 30 years of the public’s views about the NHS and public spending

From Margaret Thatcher to Theresa May: 30 years of the public’s views about the NHS and public spending Every year since 1983 the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, carried out by NatCen Social research, has also been asking the public about its views on the NHS and other public services. How has Britain’s unofficial religion fared over this time and what does this tell us about the future? Our new briefing presents the key findings and I am going to add a set of messages here. The King's Fund