Quarter of women in Northampton did not take up breast cancer screening invitation

Quarter of women in Northampton did not take up breast cancer screening invitation Nearly a quarter of all women sent breast cancer screening reminders in Northampton last year did not take up the offer, figures have revealed. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Healthwatch Northamptonshire chair to make sure commissioners 'put the needs of local communities and people' first

Healthwatch Northamptonshire chair to make sure commissioners 'put the needs of local communities and people' first Northamptonshire Healthwatch's new chairman is to make sure any decisions taken by the government-appointed commissioners will bear the needs of the county's adult and social care users in mind when making decisions on the council's finances. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Tackling the nursing shortage

Tackling the nursing shortage highlights the financial impact of using temporary staffing to address the shortage, as well as many of the factors driving it, suggesting that new routes into the profession, like apprenticeships, can help to plug the gap and future-proof the nursing workforce in the long-term (free access to the report requires registration). Open University 

See also:

• Nurse shortages cost the NHS up to £2.4 billion last year The Daily Telegraph
• NHS spends almost £1.5bn a year on temporary nursing staff – report The Guardian
• NHS spending £1.5bn a year on temporary nurses as staff leave in droves, study reveals The Independent

'Not enough nurses to provide safe care'

'Not enough nurses to provide safe care' Three out of four people in the UK think there aren’t enough nurses to care safely for patients in the NHS, a new survey of public opinion has revealed. Those surveyed said they feared they might not get the care they or their family members need as a result.

In addition, those surveyed in England thought employing more nurses should be the Government’s top priority for the NHS if extra funding for the service is found.

Almost one in three said recruiting more nurses was the single most important area for NHS investment, from a list of seven possible spending priorities. Royal College of Nursing

See also:

• Staffing for Safe and Effective Care: Nursing on the Brink (report) Royal College of Nursing
• 'Three-quarters of public worried about nurse staffing' BBC News
• NHS nurses are under so much pressure many are turning to alcohol The Daily Mail
• One in three nurses do not have time to carry out basic patient care The Daily Telegraph
• Danger to patients revealed in reports by 18,000 NHS nurses The Guardian

Sexual and Reproductive Health. RCN report on the impact of funding and service changes in England

Sexual and Reproductive Health. RCN report on the impact of funding and service changes in England This report brings together the results of a RCN survey with nurses working in sexual and reproductive health. It provides clarification and evidence following increasing concerns reported from those working in England on the impact of service provision following the changes to commissioning after the Health and Social Care Act (2012). Royal College of Nursing

See also:

• Short-staffed sexual health clinics turn people away Royal College of Nursing
• STDs are on the rise with syphilis up 12% in a year as more youngsters shun tests in ‘major risk’ The Daily Mail
• Patients being turned away from sexual health clinics, RCN says The Guardian

School referrals for mental health treatment rise by over a third

School referrals for mental health treatment rise by over a third In a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to NHS Trusts in England, we found that 123,713 referrals were made by schools seeking professional mental health help between 2014/15 and 2017/18.

The request also showed:

• 56% of referrals came from primary schools
• on average 183 referrals were made per school day in 2017/18

Where information was provided about the outcome of the referral, almost one third were declined specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) treatment (this is based on a subset of the data). NSPCC

See also:

• Sharp rise in mentally ill children aged under 11 BBC News
• Primary school mental health crisis as referrals for counselling rise by a third The Daily Telegraph
• Children needing specialist mental health treatment up by a third over three years The Independent

Measles outbreaks across England

Measles outbreaks across England Between 1 January 2018 and 9 May 2018 there have been 440 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England, with London (164), the South East (86), West Midlands (78), South West (42) and West Yorkshire (37) reporting the most cases.

The increase in measles circulation is mainly associated with travel to and from Europe where there are large ongoing measles outbreaks.

Young people and adults aged 15 and over who missed out on MMR vaccine when they were younger and some under-vaccinated communities have been particularly affected.

Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can sometimes lead to serious complications and can be fatal in very rare cases. Public Health England

Severe allergic reactions in surgery 'caused by antibiotics'

Severe allergic reactions in surgery 'caused by antibiotics' Antibiotics are the main cause of life-threatening allergic reactions during surgery, a new report suggests.

The Royal College of Anaesthetists says more patients are claiming to be allergic to penicillin, leading to other riskier antibiotics being used.

Out of nearly 300 life-threatening reactions, there were 10 deaths in one year in the NHS in the UK.

Anaesthetists said some of the deaths could have been prevented. BBC News

See also:

• RCoA undertakes largest ever study of anaphylaxis in anaesthesia and surgery Royal College of Anaesthetists 

Unprecedented level of joint working is transforming lives of older people

Unprecedented level of joint working is transforming lives of older people An alliance involving Croydon’s council, NHS and charities is to develop its work after demonstrating early benefits.

Robert spent the best part of 11 months in hospital after suffering shortness of breath and rapid weight loss. He lost his wife during that time and the outlook for the 77-year-old seemed bleak. But now he is living independently with help to maintain his home and garden, advice on benefits and tips on healthy living. Continue reading... The Guardian

Scrap healthcare fees for non-EU staff in NHS, say nurses' leaders

Scrap healthcare fees for non-EU staff in NHS, say nurses' leaders Charge of £200, affecting tens of thousands and splitting up families, is set to double.

Non-EU migrants working in the NHS should be exempt from health surcharges to help tackle the health service’s staffing crisis, nurses’ leaders are urging ministers.

Nurses from outside the European Economic Area should no longer have to pay the £200-a-year surcharge now levied on all such migrants, as well as their spouses and children, according to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Foreign patient charge 'tears apart families' BBC News
• Nurses from EU face annual £600 fee for own NHS costs after Brexit, leaders warn The Independent

Three in four Britons felt overwhelmed by stress, survey reveals

Three in four Britons felt overwhelmed by stress, survey reveals Extensive mental health study into the impact of stress also shows one in three felt suicidal and one in six self-harmed.

Three in four Britons have been so stressed at least once over the last year that they have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope, according to the biggest survey into the impact of stress. Continue reading.. The Guardian

See also:

• Stress: are we coping? Mental Health Foundation
• Workplace stress should be regulated as safety hazard says charity after third of Britons admit feeling suicidal The Independent

Dame Tessa Jowell's 'legacy' will be the cancer treatments she campaigned for, ministers announce

Dame Tessa Jowell's 'legacy' will be the cancer treatments she campaigned for, ministers announce Dame Tessa Jowell’s dying wish that NHS cancer patients be offered experimental methods of treatment will be granted as part of her “lasting legacy”, ministers have announced.

Theresa May agreed a new £20 million fund to fight the disease as she paid tribute to the “inspirational” Labour grandee, who has died aged 70 a year after being diagnosed with brain cancer. The Daily Telegraph

Calls for urgent investigation to explain 20,000 additional deaths

Calls for urgent investigation to explain 20,000 additional deaths Researchers have called for an urgent investigation to find an explanation for more than 20,000 ‘additional deaths’ so far this year, amid severe pressure on the NHS.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that in the first sixteen weeks of the year, there were 20,215 more deaths in England and Wales compared to the previous five years. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Doctor says doling out of pills could explain fall in life expectancy The Daily Mail

Care home insolvencies rise amid pressure from living wage costs

Care home insolvencies rise amid pressure from living wage costs The number of care home businesses going bust has nearly doubled in a year as experts warn that the new living wage could be putting standards at risk.

Official figures show that the number of residential care businesses entering insolvency during the year to the end of March rose to 148, up from 81 during the previous financial year. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• 83% rise in number of care home businesses entering insolvency Moore Stephens