Tuesday 10 July 2018

The changing shape of NHS finances

The changing shape of NHS finances The Prime Minister’s announcement of a multi-year funding offer from April 2019 has understandably taken up most of the oxygen in the room recently when it comes to NHS funding and finance. But we still have the 2018/19 financial year to get through before this funding kicks in. It was originally hoped that the NHS provider sector would be financially balanced this year, but four months into 2018/19, and it is still unclear what level of financial deficits the NHS provider sector is actually planning for. Our recent quarterly monitoring report (QMR) survey of NHS trust finance directors suggests the NHS still has a difficult year ahead. The  King's Fund

Burnt out doctors feel exhausted before they start a shift - GMC survey shows

Burnt out doctors feel exhausted before they start a shift - GMC survey shows Nearly a quarter of trainee doctors say their work makes them feel ‘burnt out’, and almost one in three say they are often ‘exhausted’ in the morning at the thought of another shift, according to a General Medical Council (GMC) survey.

The GMC has today (Monday 9 July) published the initial findings from its annual national training surveys, a detailed UK-wide poll of more than 70,000 doctors in training and doctors who act as trainers.

Almost half of trainees reported regularly working beyond their rostered hours, and around one in five say they often feel short of sleep while at work. Forty per cent described the intensity of their work as ‘heavy or very heavy’.

Trainers also reported heavy workloads, with a third of them saying it was hard to find the time they need to fulfil their educational roles.

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HSIB second national investigation report: CAMHS to AMHS

HSIB second national investigation report: CAMHS to AMHS  The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch has published its second full investigation report to support a new learning culture around mistakes in the NHS. The investigation reviewed the transition of care from child and adolescent to adult mental health services to understand how variations in the transition impacts the safe and effective care of young people. As a result of the investigation a number of recommendations have been made to national NHS organisations to make the transition smoother and safer for young people.

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Financial sustainability of local authorities

Financial sustainability of local authorities This report finds that after seven years of government funding reductions totalling nearly 50 per cent and rising demand for services, local authorities are under real strain. Key services that support vulnerable people, such as social care and housing, are now under enormous pressure. The harsh reality is that more and more local authorities are now showing signs of financial stress such as overspending on services. They now face a period of greater uncertainty as their funding framework beyond 2019–20 is unclear. The report notes that recent announcement about additional money for the NHS did not include anything for social care. Given that social care is the other half of the equation, it is vital that there is a long-term solution. Public Accounts Committee 

Immediate stop to NHS mesh operations

Immediate stop to NHS mesh operations NHS England is putting an immediate curb on mesh operations after safety concerns.

It has accepted the advice of a new review looking at harm reported by women who received the treatment for stress urinary incontinence.

The review's chair, Baroness Julia Cumberlege, said she was "appalled at the seriousness and scale of the tragic stories" that her team had heard.

Many women say the implants caused them agony by cutting into tissue.

Some say they have been left with life-changing injuries. BBC News

Brexit: UK trade deal with US could trigger 'break-up' of NHS, leading expert warns

Brexit: UK trade deal with US could trigger 'break-up' of NHS, leading expert warns Britain leaving the European Union could lead to the “break-up” of the NHS, one of the world’s leading Brexit experts has told The Independent.

Professor Alex de Ruyter, director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University (BCU), warned any future trade deal with the US would mean American pharmaceutical companies looking to access the health service.

His warning comes just months after Theresa May stoked fears of an NHS “for sale” in a future trade deal with the US, after she refused to say it would be excluded from talks. The Independent

Matt Hancock is new health secretary following Jeremy Hunt's appointment as foreign secretary

Matt Hancock is new health secretary following Jeremy Hunt's appointment as foreign secretary Theresa May has appointed Matt Hancock as the new health secretary following Jeremy Hunt's promotion to foreign secretary.

The changes to Ms May's cabinet were forced upon the prime minister after cabinet Eurosceptics Boris Johnson and David Davis both dramatically resigned in protest at the government's new Brexit strategy.

Mr Hancock was only appointed as culture secretary six months ago but he threw himself into the role with aplomb, posting videos of himself learning how to moonwalk and doing parkour, as well as becoming the first MP to create his own smartphone app - called "Matt Hancock". The Independent

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The NHS relies on its BME staff – so why do they still face discrimination?

The NHS relies on its BME staff – so why do they still face discrimination? | Kailash Chand I arrived from India in 1978 – and became part of a rich history of BME staff in the NHS. Yet so many still face prejudice

The NHS depends on black and minority ethnic staff to provide high quality, reliable and safe care to patients – and has done since its inception in 1948. They enrich the NHS with their skills, enthusiasm and diverse perspectives.

I would often compete for jobs with UK graduates who had less experience, but I would still lose out to them Continue reading... The Guardian

'The right care at the right time': the team helping patients leave hospital

'The right care at the right time': the team helping patients leave hospital Health staff are working with colleagues in social care and the voluntary sector to tackle the problem of delayed discharges

“From the minute a patient comes through the door – be that via A&E or one of our admission wards – we’re starting to think about how we can get [them] home,” says Rachel Blackmore, an operational manager at University hospital of North Tees in the north-east of England.

It’s making a difference to patients as it provides joined up care Continue reading... The Guardian

Sex addiction could be treated on NHS after health chiefs recognise it as mental health condition

Sex addiction could be treated on NHS after health chiefs recognise it as mental health condition Sex addicts may be given treatment on the NHS after global health chiefs formally recognised the addiction as a mental health condition.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said people who suffer from the disorder for at least six months and experience substantial distress should be entitled to medical treatment.

Up to four per cent of people in the UK are believed to suffer from sex addiction, however the NHS currently does not recognise it as an illness. The Daily Telegraph

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Prestigious medical journal retracts 2 papers

Prestigious medical journal retracts 2 papers The Lancet - considered one of the most-well known journals - made the rare step of taking down both studies authored by the 59-year-old Italian Paolo Macchiarini. The Daily Mail

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