Northamptonshire Hidden Needs

Northamptonshire Hidden Needs Northamptonshire Hidden Needs Report was commissioned by Northamptonshire Community Foundation and conducted by the University of Northampton, Institute for Social Innovation and Impact.

The report explores the priority needs within our local communities. It highlights key areas of deprivation and inequality that are of great concern and need tackling within Northamptonshire urgently. There is also a presentation and interactive map focusing on the most pressing issues and problems for each locality of the county.

See also:

• New report reveals 8,400 children are living in deprivation in Northampton Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Ombudsman highlights failings in mental health care

Ombudsman highlights failings in mental health care 'Maintaining momentum' highlights failings in specialist mental health services in England, and the devastating toll this takes on patients and their families.

The report's findings provide fresh impetus to deliver on the recommendations set out in the NHS Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

NHS pressures – future trends

NHS pressures – future trends The NHS has come under unprecedented pressure this winter, with A&E attendances, waiting times and admissions rising to alarming levels. The BMA is undertaking regular analysis on our new pressure points in the NHS webpage, where we have highlighted several worrying trends as spiraling demand outstrips the ability of services to cope.

What pressures will the NHS be under this summer?

Based on current trends, our assessment is that rather than experiencing the customary fall in pressures this summer, the NHS will experience similar levels of demand and activity this summer as it did in the winter of just two or three years ago.

See also:

• Does the NHS face another year's misery? BBC News
• NHS 'winter crisis' will continue through summer, BMA warns GPonline
• NHS is facing year-round crisis, says British Medical Association The Guardian
• NHS 'winter crisis' will extend into summer, doctors warn ITV News

NHS England frees up millions of pounds which could be used for frontline services

NHS England frees up millions of pounds which could be used for frontline services NHS England has today published guidance to free up to almost £100 million for frontline care each year by curbing prescriptions for ‘over the counter’ medicines such as those for constipation and athletes foot.

See also:

• RCGP welcomes new NHS England move on prescriptions for over-the-counter medicines Royal College of General Practitioners
• NHS no to dandruff and diarrhoea treatment BBC News
• NHS BANS over-the-counter remedies on prescription! The Daily Mail
• GPs barred from prescribing OTC medicines for minor ailments GPonline

What Can the U.S. and England Learn from Each Other’s Health Care Reforms?

What Can the U.S. and England Learn from Each Other’s Health Care Reforms? While the U.S. and English health systems are significantly different, both countries are currently working toward better integrating health services, improving population health, and managing health care costs. And both countries are developing their own versions of accountable care organizations (ACOs) to help achieve these aims. In this post, we outline some key opportunities for each country to learn from the other’s experiences, drawing on two articles we recently published in BMJ and JAMA. The Commonwealth Fund

'One-stop shops' set to speed up cancer diagnosis

'One-stop shops' set to speed up cancer diagnosis "One-stop shops" aimed at speeding up cancer diagnosis are being introduced across England.

The aim is to catch the disease earlier and prevent patients from being referred for several tests for different forms of the illness.

Patients often face delays when they have non-specific symptoms.

NHS England says this is a "step change" in the way people with suspected cancer are diagnosed and treated.

The rapid diagnosis and then treatment of cancer can be vital in saving lives. BBC News

See also:

• New ‘one stop shops’ for cancer to speed up diagnosis and save lives NHS England

Paramedics set to prescribe medicines

Paramedics set to prescribe medicines Advanced paramedics in England will be able to prescribe medicines to people who do not need hospital treatment, under new laws starting on Sunday.

Up to seven out of 10 people currently seen by advanced care paramedics may need help - but not a hospital visit.

Paramedics only have a limited ability to supply medicines at the moment but will now be able to do this without delay or the patient seeing their GP.

Rachel Power, The Patients Association chief executive, called it "good news". BBC News

Revealed: hidden toll of ambulance delays at A&E puts lives at risk

Revealed: hidden toll of ambulance delays at A&E puts lives at risk Exclusive: NHS data shows problem of holdups three times worse than officially portrayed

Thousands of ambulances are being prevented from responding to life-threatening 999 calls every day because they are tied up at A&E units, in a significant continuing breach of NHS patient safety rules.

The Guardian can reveal that almost 600,000 ambulances faced delays of more than 15 minutes in their crews handing a patient over to hospital A&E staff in the past three months – something NHS rules say should never happen.

A combination of factors are at play. Hospitals have fewer beds than last year, so they are less able to deal with the recent, ongoing surge in illness. Last week, for example, the bed occupancy rate at 17 of England’s 153 acute hospital trusts was 98% or more, with the fullest – Walsall healthcare trust – 99.9% occupied. Continue reading...

Sharp rise in self-harm reported by mental health units in England

Sharp rise in self-harm reported by mental health units in England Experts say ‘extremely worrying’ increase shows NHS services struggling to provide support

The number of times patients have self-harmed while in mental health units has almost doubled in five years, prompting concern that services are struggling to help those in their care.

Data obtained by the Guardian from nearly half of NHS mental health trusts across England show that the number of incidents of self-harm among inpatients shot up from 15,489 to 28,585 between 2013 and 2017. During that period, the number of patients who reportedly self-harmed increased from 4,432 to 6,326.

One of the provoking factors for patients is the lack of understanding and empathy from staff Continue reading...

Ambulance crews risk burnout with 1,000 posts vacant

Ambulance crews risk burnout with 1,000 posts vacant Seven NHS regions say they are struggling to recruit paramedics and other frontline staff

Ambulance services in England are short of almost 1,000 frontline staff, including paramedics, job vacancy figures reveal.

An Observer survey of the 10 NHS regions found that the London Ambulance Service had the highest number of unfilled posts – more than 350. It was closely followed by the South East Coast Ambulance Service and the South Central Ambulance Service. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS hospitals save £400000 by switching to same brand of surgical gloves

NHS hospitals save £400000 by switching to same brand of surgical gloves A group of NHS hospitals has saved £400,000 a year simply by all agreeing to use the same brand of rubber surgical gloves, it has emerged.

Seven hospitals in Sheffield joined forces to buy in bulk and reduce overheads by collaborating on a price matching scheme for 11 widely used products.

The initiative achieved a total saving of £2 million, simply by choosing the same brands and negotiating lower rates, a success with highlights the huge losses the health service is making by not taking advantage of its buying power. The Daily Telegraph

Hospital trust under fire for describing use of milk formula as 'artificial feeding'

Hospital trust under fire for describing use of milk formula as 'artificial feeding' A hospital trust has caused outrage after it described using formula milk as "artificially" feeding babies.

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust used the term as it announced it would no longer provide formula milk in its maternity wards to mothers who had chosen not to breastfeed.

One of the headings in a Q&A fact sheet read: "What do I need to bring with me if I wish to artificially feed my baby?".

It said that from May 1, mothers who had decided not to breastfeed should bring a first milk starter pack to hospital for when they gave birth. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Hospital's 'artificial feeding' letter to mothers criticised BBC News

Hundreds of cancer operations were cancelled last winter as the NHS buckled under the pressure

Hundreds of cancer operations were cancelled last winter as the NHS buckled under the pressure NHS trusts in England were forced to cancel hundreds of cancer operations last winter, new research suggests.

Out of a poll of 81 NHS hospital trusts, 43 postponed at least one cancer surgery between December and February, according to a survey by the Health Service Journal (HSJ).

Hospitals in England were told to delay pre-planned operations and routine outpatient appointments throughout January to help overcome severe winter pressures.

Yet NHS England stressed cancer operations and time-critical procedures should go ahead as planned. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS trusts cancelled hundreds of cancer procedures over winter The Guardian

Health chiefs investigate 30 doctors in the UK over 'unsafe' prescribing of drugs via the internet

Health chiefs investigate 30 doctors in the UK over 'unsafe' prescribing of drugs via the internet Health chiefs are investigating 30 doctors in the UK over prescribing drugs via the internet.

The General Medical Council is currently dealing with the cases – which include 19 GPs – on suspicion of unsafe prescribing.

Several deaths have been linked to patients obtaining strong medications this way, prompting coroners to write to health authorities at least two cases, GP magazine Pulse reports. The Daily Mail

See also:

• GMC investigating 30 doctors over online prescribing Pulse

Andrew Lansley reveals he has bowel cancer and blames Treasury for opposing scheme to catch disease

Andrew Lansley reveals he has bowel cancer and blames Treasury for opposing scheme to catch disease Former Tory health secretary Andrew Lansley has revealed he has bowel cancer, and last night criticised the Treasury for opposing a scheme to catch the disease early.

Lord Lansley, 61, said he was receiving chemotherapy for the disease and had ‘every reason’ to hope he will survive long-term.

But he criticised the Treasury for ‘wrongly’ thwarting a screening programme he introduced which might have caught the cancer sooner. The Daily Mail