Concerns remain about providers of online GP services

Concerns remain about providers of online GP services The quality of online primary care services, such as those that provide GP consultations and prescriptions through independent websites and apps, has improved over the last 12 months but further action from providers and the wider system is needed to ensure they are as safe as general practice in physical premises. NHS Networks
See also:

• The state of care in independent online primary health services report Care Quality Commission (CQC)

Teenagers urged to take part in meningitis B vaccine trial

Teenagers urged to take part in meningitis B vaccine trial Teenagers in Great Britain are being asked to take part in a study to learn if immunising them against meningitis B could protect them and other people.

The NHS wants 24,000 to take part in the Oxford Vaccine Group's Be On The Team trial, which is helped by National Institute for Health Research funding.

Bacteria at the back of the throat can cause meningitis and the study will see if vaccination can stop this happening. The trial will take place in four waves of recruitment over the next two years. BBC News - Health
See also:

• Pupil overcomes needle fear to take part in meningitis vaccine trial BBC News - Health

NHS public health functions agreement 2018-19: public health functions to be exercised by NHS England

NHS public health functions agreement 2018-19: public health functions to be exercised by NHS  England Department of Health and Social Care -This agreement sets out the arrangements under which the Secretary of State delegates responsibility to NHS England for certain public health services. The services currently commissioned in this way are: national immunisation programmes; national cancer and non-cancer screening programmes; Child Health Information Services; public health services for adults and children in secure and detained settings in England; and sexual assault services. King's fund - Health Management and Policy Alert
See also:

• Public Health Commissioning in the NHS 2018 to 2019 Gov.uk

NHS and councils face up to gender pay gap as reporting deadline looms - The Guardian

NHS and councils face up to gender pay gap as reporting deadline looms - The Guardian Two-thirds of councils and 90% of NHS trusts have a gender pay gap. That’s the stark finding, based on submissions from 196 town halls and 74 English NHS trusts. This year, for the first time, all organisations in Great Britain with more than 250 employees will have to publish gender pay gap data. By the end of this week, all public sector bodies in England should have submitted their gender pay gap data (Scotland and Wales already publish their figures), while the deadline for private and voluntary organisations is 4 April. The Guardian

Nearly 14m in patients in England now use online GP services

Nearly 14m in patients in England now use online GP services  Latest figures from NHS Digital show that nearly 14m patients are now using online services to book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and view their records. This represents 24% of all patients, NHS England said. GP Online
See also:

• Dramatic annual surge in online GP services as patients sign up for convenience NHS England

NHS: PM to look at 'multi-year' funding plan for health service

NHS: PM to look at 'multi-year' funding plan for health service Theresa May has promised a "multi-year" funding plan for the NHS in England to address its long-terms financial needs.

The PM said she wanted to get away from annual "cash top-ups" and would come up with a blueprint later this year to allow the NHS "to plan for the future".

She said she hoped to build a political consensus on improving productivity and efficiency and reducing cost pressures.

Labour said it welcomed any promise of extra funding from a government which had "starved" the NHS of resources. BBC News - Politics
See also:

• Theresa May pledges to accelerate NHS long-term funding plan The Guardian

Young people with mental health problems facing 'unacceptable barriers' - iNews

Young people with mental health problems facing 'unacceptable barriers' - iNews Teenagers and young people are facing “unacceptable barriers” in getting mental health support, a charity has warned. A survey of 2,700 people up to the age of 25 who had struggled with mental health issues found that less than 1 in 10 (9 per cent) felt it was easy to get the support they needed. The YoungMinds poll also found that two-thirds felt it was “difficult” to get help. Only 6 per cent said they believe there is enough support for children and young people with mental health problems. iNews

Carers 'need mandatory LGBT training'

Carers 'need mandatory LGBT training' Carers looking after older people should be given statutory LGBT training to help tackle homophobia in the sector, the charity Stonewall has said.

Discrimination is "alive and kicking," with many older people fearing abuse from care workers, one man told the Victoria Derbyshire programme.

Currently, there is a code of conduct but all training is voluntary. The government said making training mandatory was not possible as care providers were private employers. BBC News

NHS England and NHS Improvement: working closer together

NHS England and NHS Improvement: working closer together NHS England and NHS Improvement are today announcing some key steps that we are taking to bring our organisations closer together. We have one NHS: commissioners and providers in each part of the country are serving the same people, and we need to use the resources that Parliament gives the NHS to greater benefit for benefit for local patients. This requires a much stronger focus on collaboration and joint working nationally as well as in local health systems. NHS England

Integrating mental health and social care: does it work in practice?

Integrating mental health and social care: does it work in practice? This briefing looks at the integration of mental health services and social care, the benefits behind this and the challenges faced on the ground. NHS Networks