Emergency admissions in the NHS increase by almost half in a decade due to rise in sicker patients, new research shows

Emergency admissions in the NHS increase by almost half in a decade due to rise in sicker patients, new research shows New research published by the Health Foundation looks at trends in emergency admissions over the past decade. It finds that one in three patients admitted to hospital in England as an emergency in 2015-16 had five or more health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dehydration, hip fracture or dementia. This is up from one in ten admitted patients having five or more conditions in 2006-7.

The number of patients admitted urgently to hospital has increased by almost half over the past decade, up 42% - that's an average of 3.2% per annum. This exceeds growth in total number of people attending A&E departments, which is up by only 13% - just over 1% per annum. The Health Foundation

See also:

• Emergency hospital admissions in England: which may be avoidable and how? The Health Foundation

New tool calculates NHS and social care costs of air pollution

New tool calculates NHS and social care costs of air pollution A tool calculating the potential costs of air pollution will provide councils with further impetus to act and improve air quality. Public Health England

RCN launches first ever protocol for animals in health care

RCN launches first ever protocol for animals in health care New guidance supports hospitals and other health care services to explore the use of animal therapy.

The RCN protocol provides evidence-based best practice criteria so that hospitals and other health settings can introduce animals into the care environment.

By following it, services will be able to ensure the safety of patients and health care staff as well as the animals and their owners, while allowing patients to reap the benefits that interaction with animals can bring. Royal College of Nursing

National campaign needed to tackle loneliness 'epidemic', says RCGP

National campaign needed to tackle loneliness 'epidemic', says RCGP The call is one of several in Tackling Loneliness: A Community Action Plan, which argues that a widespread campaign is essential to educating the public, and should also encourage people to talk to their neighbours and get involved in, or start local initiatives in a bid to build and strengthen social connections throughout communities.

The action plan has come out of the College's first-ever roundtable on loneliness; an event which saw charities, and community, voluntary and faith organisations come together to discuss how communities, including GPs, can tackle loneliness and social isolation in society. Royal College of General Practitioners 

See also:

• Top doctor says patients should be referred to knitting groups to tackle loneliness The Daily Mail
• RCGP manifesto demands campaign to fight loneliness and social isolation GPonline

Ambitious new education standards will shape the future of nursing for next generation

Ambitious new education standards will shape the future of nursing for next generation The first nurses can begin training against the new standards as early as January 2019.

Last week we launched ambitious new standards that set out the skills and knowledge the next generation of nurses need. We also introduced a more modern and innovative approach to the way universities and their practise partners train nurses and midwives. The changes will allow greater independence of assessment, and greater innovation by placement providers. Nursing and Midwifery Council

Campaigners in court over NHS policy

Campaigners in court over NHS policy A judicial review by a group of campaigners challenging government health policy in England gets under way at the High Court later.

The group, which was backed by Prof Stephen Hawking before his death, is fighting the creation of accountable care organisations (ACOs).

These are to act as partnership bodies incorporating hospitals, community services and councils.

Campaigners say it risks privatisation, but this is denied by ministers. BBC News

See also:

• NHS legal challenge backed by Stephen Hawking reaches High Court ITV News

Interview: 'The NHS should stop trying to integrate GPs with hospitals'

Interview: 'The NHS should stop trying to integrate GPs with hospitals' Londonwide LMCs chief executive Dr Michelle Drage talks to GPonline about how the NHS needs to change to help alleviate pressure on practices and deliver improvements for patients.

NHS at 70: the health service is at a critical point in its lifetime

NHS at 70: the health service is at a critical point in its lifetime With warnings of year-round winter crises and funding under pressure, will the system continue to meet the public’s needs?

The Bible tells us our life span is “three score years and 10”. As the National Health Service prepares to pass that milestone, it seems paradoxically both held in higher regard and to be in greater danger than at any time since its founding on 5 July 1948.

Seventy years always looked a little on the optimistic side for the time of Moses in Psalm 90. Even in 1948, life expectancy for men was only 66 and for women 71. Today, though, it is 79 and almost 83 respectively, which tells you a lot about the problems the NHS faces in sustaining its founding principle of cradle-to-grave healthcare, free at the point of use. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Why the south Wales town that forged the NHS now points to its future The Guardian

Hospitals struggling to afford new equipment after NHS budget cuts

Hospitals struggling to afford new equipment after NHS budget cuts Bosses say lack of money for equipment and repairs is affecting quality of care

Hospitals can no longer afford the most modern scanners and surgical equipment to treat patients who have cancer and other diseases because of multibillion-pound cuts to the NHS’s capital budget, research reveals.

Staff are having to continue using vital diagnostic and treatment technology beyond its natural life because there are insufficient funds to replace it. Continue reading... The Guardian

Food industry in England fails to meet sugar reduction target

Food industry in England fails to meet sugar reduction target Only yoghurts, cereals and sweet spreads hit the 5% sugar reduction target, Public Health England says.

The food industry has failed to hit its target of cutting sugar by 5% over the past year, with experts describing the results as “hugely disappointing” and suggesting the government may be forced to introduce a tax, as with sugary drinks.

Public Health England had called for a cut of 20% of sugar in the products we buy to take home and eat in cafes by 2020, with 5% in the first year. In a massive new report, PHE shows food manufacturers and supermarkets have cut out 2% over the first 12 months, but much more has been achieved in some areas and by some companies than others. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Blitz on sweet treats sees slow start BBC News
• Are sweeteners healthier than sugar? BBC News
• Half of Britons will be obese by 2045 The Daily Telegraph

Government pledges more than£30m to fight superbugs

Government pledges more than£30m to fight superbugs The UK government has given the fight against deadly superbugs a boost with a pledge of £31m for the development of new drugs and diagnostics.

New antibiotics are seen as vital in the battle to curb the rise in drug resistant infections, thought to be linked to around 700,000 deaths around the world every year, including 5,000 in the UK alone.

A report on the growing global threat of antibiotic resistance by former Goldman Sachs boss, Lord O'Neill, warned that, if left unchecked, superbugs could kill 10m people around the world by 2050. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Superbugs could render even the most routine procedures deadly, warns chief medical officer The Daily Telegraph
• By 2050 one person will die every three seconds if we don't tackle antibiotic resistance The Daily Telegraph

London hospital is replacing doctors with AI technology to help tackle mounting A&E wait times

London hospital is replacing doctors with AI technology to help tackle mounting A&E wait times A major London hospital has unveiled plan to replace A&E doctors with robots.

From diagnosing cancers to prioritising patients, the AI technology aims to reduce waiting times and ensure critical cases are treated sooner.

University College London Hospital (UCLH), in Bloomsbury, London, will pioneer the technology in a bid 'to make services safer, quicker and more efficient.'

Professor Bryan Williams, director of research at UCLH's NHS Foundation Trust, claims AI could almost instantly assess a patient in A&E who is breathless and needs an X-ray.

This crucial time-saving step may allow patients in life-threatening conditions to be fast tracked for immediate treatment. The Daily Mail