Monday 16 July 2018

New advice to help employers deal with domestic abuse and stigma

New advice to help employers deal with domestic abuse and stigma Public Health England and Business in the Community publish new toolkit to help employers support workers affected by domestic abuse.

Mencap wins 'unaffordable' overnight back pay appeal

Mencap wins 'unaffordable' overnight back pay appeal Care workers who had to stay overnight as part of their job will not be entitled to back pay at the minimum wage after a Court of Appeal ruling.

The charity Mencap, who won the appeal, argued that a previous tribunal decision which compelled care providers to fund six years' back pay for overnight carers was unaffordable.

And it said smaller employers could be forced out of business by the decision.

But a union said workers should be paid what they were legally entitled to. BBC News

Cost of NHS clinical negligence payouts continues to soar

Cost of NHS clinical negligence payouts continues to soar NHS Resolution, which handles legal claims against secondary care providers, spent an extra £404m on clinical negligence payouts last year solely related to the discount rate cut.

The total cost of payouts relating to clinical claims was up by close to one-third to £2.23bn in 2017/18, from £1.71 bn in 2016/17.

According to the report, this comes despite 'clinical claim numbers' having 'stabilised after many years of significant growth' - however payouts have grown in size including some at £20m. Pulse

Over 60% of NHS trusts surveyed don't have instant messaging policy

Over 60% of NHS trusts surveyed don't have instant messaging policy Just under two-thirds of NHS Trusts surveyed do not have a policy regarding the use of messaging apps, a freedom of information act (FOI) has revealed.

Hospify, a company that provides a secure mobile messaging service compliant for use in healthcare, sent FOI requests to 152 trusts in England earlier this year, asking a number of questions regarding their instant messaging guidelines.

As part of the request, hospitals were asked whether they had a policy regarding the use of messaging apps by their staff, and whether or not non-compliant apps were actively prohibited from use. Digital Health

NHS performance figures show ‘the writing is on the wall’

NHS performance figures show ‘the writing is on the wall’ NHS Providers has warned that “the writing is on the wall” as the latest official NHS performance figures show no let-up in the growing demand for NHS services – and its performance slipping against cancer targets, a sharp rise in the number of people waiting more than a year for routine operations, and no year-on-year improvement in accident and emergency performance.

Following his appointment last week as health and social care secretary, Matthew Hancock promised doctors, nurses, NHS managers and leaders and other care workers: “I will work with you, I will back you and I will make sure you have the long-term plan you need.” But the NHS Confederation said the new figures are a “baptism of fire” for him, as he takes on ministerial responsibility for “a system under intolerable strain”. OnMedica

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Horsefly bites: Drain paddling pools to stop biting insects breeding, say experts as reports soar

Horsefly bites: Drain paddling pools to stop biting insects breeding, say experts as reports soar Families should drain paddling pools to fend off bloodsucking horseflies, experts have said, amid a surge in reports of bites that can lead to potentially deadly infections.

The insects – also known as clegs – are flourishing in Britain’s longest heatwave in 40 years, according to scientists.

Calls to the NHS 111 helpline about insect bites last week were nearly double the average for this time of year, while doctors have reported patients needing hospital treatment for resulting infections. The Independent

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I work at the Suicide Crisis Centre, so I know how much the NHS needs more funding for mental health services

I work at the Suicide Crisis Centre, so I know how much the NHS needs more funding for mental health services A woman calls us; she says she cannot get through to the NHS crisis team. We talk to her and then phone the crisis team for her. It’s on voicemail, and this has happened regularly in recent weeks. They must be inundated, too. The Independent

Nearly 8 million people providing care for family members without pay

Nearly 8 million people providing care for family members without pay Charities call for investment in care system, saying carers are losing out

The number of people caring for a family member has reached 7.6 million, a sharp increase of one million compared with a decade ago.

Data analysis by the Social Market Foundation, an independent thinktank, shows that millions are now giving up their time to for free to look after elderly relatives, a partner or a sick or disabled child – with the number spending 20 hours or more caring for a relative up by 4% between 2005 and 2015. Continue reading... The Guardian

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NHS opt-in transplant policy at risk due to cuts and staff stress

NHS opt-in transplant policy at risk due to cuts and staff stress Report shows transplant service short of necessary skilled staff and equipment

Plans to save hundreds of lives by making everyone in England a potential organ donor could fail because hospitals are so short of transplant surgeons and specialist nurses, the NHS’s own analysis of the policy has revealed.

Lives could be lost because teams of organ retrieval specialists are already under “extreme stress” and understaffed transplant centres are struggling to keep up with existing demand, according to NHS Blood and Transplant’s (NHSBT) impact assessment of switching to a system of presumed consent. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Doctors warn of rise in addiction to prescription drugs bought online

Doctors warn of rise in addiction to prescription drugs bought online Clinic set up for teenagers sees high number of adults seeking treatment after illicitly buying drugs such as Xanax to treat anxiety

A pioneering clinic set up to help teenagers addicted to Xanax and other prescription drugs is being sought out by adults who use pills purchased illicitly on the internet.

At the beginning of the year Dr Owen Bowden-Jones opened the Addiction to Online Medicine (Atom) service in London, a free, easy-to-access NHS clinic that offers one-to-one meetings and group mindfulness sessions. Continue reading... The Guardian

Smokers forced to quit on their own after funding cuts

Smokers forced to quit on their own after funding cuts Prescriptions for drugs that help kick the habit fall by 75% in England, report says

Thousands of smokers are being left without the support they need to quit after prescriptions of products to help them stop plummeted by 75% over the last decade, according to a report.

GPs are the most common first port of call for smokers who want to beat their addiction in England – 38% of smokers choose this route.  Continue reading... The Guardian

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Prenatal depression soars 50 per cent in a generation, new study finds

Prenatal depression soars 50 per cent in a generation, new study finds Depression during pregnancy is on the rise due to an an increase in women in work combined with pressure from social media, experts have said.

A new study reveals an “alarming” 50 per cent rise in levels of prenatal depression in a single generation. The Daily Telegraph

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