How do you engage clinicians in your digital change programme?

How do you engage clinicians in your digital change programme? New technology has the potential to transform a health and care sector that is under pressure to do more with less funding. In our upcoming report, Digital change in health and social care, we'll share the lessons from five case study sites that have made significant progress towards their digital aims.

In this guest blog, Dr Robert Fearn, a clinician from Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, one of the report's case study sites, explores the important relationship between technology and user engagement. The King's Fund

Report: Diagnosis Critical – Launching an inquiry into health and social care in England

Report: Diagnosis Critical – Launching an inquiry into health and social care in England Researchers find higher rates of preventable deaths in areas where there is both poor health outcomes and hospitals are in financial trouble

Health economists publish new analysis which names 32 areas in England where you are 29% more likely to die of preventable causes.

The Centre for Progressive Policy (CPP) has released a paper today, Diagnosis Critical, which identifies these 32 ‘risk zones’, each of which have below average health outcomes and NHS trusts in deficit.

CPP’s economists have found age-standardised mortality rates for causes considered avoidable, amenable and preventative are 29% higher in these risk zones than in other local authority areas.

See also:

• England’s 32 cash-strapped ‘risk zones’ Centre for Progressive Policy
• Interactive map shows 32 parts of England where lives are at risk because of cash-strapped NHS The Daily Mail

Mental health, human rights and standards of care

Mental health, human rights and standards of care This report assesses the quality of institutional care for adults with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities in the WHO European Region. Out of all the quality ratings made, only 25 per cent showed compliance with international standards, suggesting that long-term institutional care in the Region has room for improvement. World Health Organization

Clinical correspondence handling in the NHS

Clinical correspondence handling in the NHS This report finds that he NHS has wasted nearly two and a half million pounds reviewing the handling of misdirected clinical correspondence. It reports that NHS England is still assessing nearly 2,000 cases to determine whether there has been harm to patients and has so far identified two incidents where expert consultant review has concluded that patient harm cannot be ruled out. House of Commons Public Accounts Committee

Holidaymakers warned to check travel advice on medicines

Holidaymakers warned to check travel advice on medicines Holidaymakers are being warned to check the rules on carrying medicines abroad to avoid falling foul of local laws.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said some commonly-prescribed medicines were "controlled drugs" in certain countries.

In Japan, some cold remedies are banned while some sleeping pills require a licence in Singapore.

Travellers could risk a fine or even imprisonment if they break the rules, the FCO said. BBC News

Antimicrobial resistance increasing despite reduced GP antibiotic prescribing

Antimicrobial resistance increasing despite reduced GP antibiotic prescribing Antimicrobial resistance ‘continues to increase’ despite a drop in the amount of antibiotics prescribed by GPs, a Government report has found.

The annual report, published by the Department of Health and Social Care, said that although there is increased public awareness and prescribing has decreased, antimicrobial resistance and the incidence of bloodstream infections have continued to rise.

It stressed that there is a need to ‘ensure that doctors always prescribe according to professional guidance’, but GP leaders have argued that the focus should be on the 'abuse of antibiotics in agriculture' rather than 'scapegoating GPs'. Pulse

See also:

• Advisory Committee on Antimicrobial Prescribing,Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection 8th Annual Report, April 2016 - March 2017 APRHAI
• Antibiotics crisis continues to grow, despite GPs being told to stop handing them out The Daily Mail
• GPs drove down antibiotic use despite severe flu season GPonline

May to give NHS 'significant' cash boost, Jeremy Hunt reveals

May to give NHS 'significant' cash boost, Jeremy Hunt  Exclusive: health secretary says PM 100% committed to NHS in Guardian interview

Theresa May has decided to give the beleaguered NHS a “significant increase” in its budget to coincide with the service’s 70th birthday in July, the health secretary Jeremy Hunt has revealed.

The prime minister intends to ramp up spending in order to show that the Conservatives can be trusted to run the NHS and because it needs extra cash to tackle chronic understaffing, cope with the ageing population and improve care, Hunt said.

I wanted to nail my colours to the mast of getting more GPs into the system Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Joint letter to the Prime Minister on NHS funding Nuffield Trust, The King's Fund and The Health Foundation
• PM to give 'significant' cash to the NHS BBC News

For doctors with mental illness, ‘help me’ can be the hardest words

For doctors with mental illness, ‘help me’ can be the hardest words | Clare Gerada There is a greater openness about mental health generally, but for medical professionals the taboo remains

The charity Mind has found that almost half of all patients consulting their general practitioner do so for problems with their mental health, such as anxiety and depression. This will not be a surprise to most GPs. These illnesses are common; but there is now also a greater willingness to talk about them, and to seek medical help. That is to be welcomed.

But the taboo persists, in some areas more stubbornly than others. One of those, paradoxically, is the other side of the consulting room. Doctors also suffer from mental illness and, in fact, have high rates compared with the patients they see. One survey found 85% had experienced some kind of mental health problem. Continue reading... The Guardian

Older breast cancer sufferers in England have far worse survival than those in other European nations

Older breast cancer sufferers  in England have far worse survival than those in other European nations British breast cancer victims over the age of 70 face far worse survival rates than those elsewhere, new research shows.

The study of more than 230,000 older women across Europe shows those in England were far less likely to undergo surgery than others diagnosed in other countries at the same stage. The Daily Telegraph

More than 20 people go blind a month in the UK due to delayed and cancelled hospital appointments

More than 20 people go blind a month in the UK due to delayed and cancelled hospital appointments Up to 22 people go blind a month in the UK due to delayed and cancelled hospital appointments, new research suggests.

More than half of people suffering from treatable conditions such as wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma, have had an appointment postponed or cancelled at least once, according to a report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on Eye Health and Visual Impairment.

Some 77 per cent of patients claim this caused them stress or anxiety, while 54 per cent believe it had a negative effect on their quality of life, the research adds, which is being presented at a parliamentary reception for MPs today. The Daily Mail

See also:

• See the light:Improving capacity in NHS eye care in England All-Party Parliamentary Group on Eye Health and Visual Impairment
• Hundreds going blind each year amid NHS delays, research shows The Daily Telegraph