Monday 30 July 2018

The Montefiore Health System in New York: a case study

The Montefiore Health System in New York: a case study The Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, New York, has found ways of helping even the most deprived by stepping beyond the bounds of conventional health services.

This commissioned report builds on the overview of the Montefiore Health System we published in April 2018 and explores building primary and community care, managing patients with complex needs, supporting infrastructure, and elements of a high-performing system. The King's Fund

Health matters: health economics - making the most of your budget

Health matters: health economics - making the most of your budget This guidance outlines how local authorities, NHS commissioners and health care providers can make better evidence-based commissioning decisions, and get the most from their budget using easy to use health economic tools, resources and core principles. Public Health England

Satisfaction with NHS cancer care at record high, national patient survey reveals

Satisfaction with NHS cancer care at record high, national patient survey reveals With survival rates at an all-time high, the national cancer patient survey has revealed the best results in its history with almost 70,000 patients rating their overall care nine out of 10.

The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey asks people with cancer across England to rate their care on a scale of zero (very poor) to 10 (very good).

Overall ratings continue to improve, with year on year increases in reported positive experience. Patients also reported more positively on areas including involvement in decisions about care and treatment, and being treated with dignity and respect.

The survey also points to areas for further improvement including follow up community and social care after treatment. NHS England

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Family wins case on end-of-life decisions

Family wins case on end-of-life decisions Legal permission will no longer be required to end care for patients in a long-term permanent vegetative state, the Supreme Court has ruled.

It will now be easier to withdraw food and liquid to allow such patients to die.

When families and doctors are in agreement, medical staff will be able to remove feeding tubes without applying to the Court of Protection. BBC News

Millions miss out on seven-day GP access

Millions miss out on seven-day GP access More than five million people across England are unable to book an appointment with a GP outside of working hours.

BBC analysis of official data shows 10% of registered patients live in areas where there is no access to GPs in evenings and at weekends.

Labour has accused the government of "breaking its promises".

NHS England said it was still on target to provide access to extended care for all patients by 1 October. BBC News

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Gosport hospital deaths: Police announce new probe

Gosport hospital deaths: Police announce new probe A new police investigation is to be held into the deaths of patients who were given painkillers at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

An inquiry found in June more than 450 patients died after doctors gave them "dangerous" levels of the drugs.

Three previous investigations into 92 of the deaths by Hampshire Constabulary resulted in no charges being brought. BBC News

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Aston Hall: More people speak out over hospital abuse claims

Aston Hall: More people speak out over hospital abuse claims A further 15 people have come forward after a report outlined claims of historical abuse by a doctor.

The number of people to speak to investigators about alleged abuse at Aston Hall psychiatric hospital has now risen to 130, Derbyshire Police said.

A report found children were allegedly given a "truth drug", stripped, abused and put in straitjackets.

Police said Dr Kenneth Milner would have been questioned over rape and cruelty claims if he was still alive. BBC News

Blue badges: UK charities welcome introduction of parking permits for people with 'hidden disabilities'

Blue badges: UK charities welcome introduction of parking permits for people with 'hidden disabilities' UK charities supporting individuals with autism and mental healthconditions have welcomed government plans to introduce blue badge parking permits for those with “hidden disabilities”.

In what marks the largest overhaul of the current system in 40 years, the Department for Transport has confirmed that, from 2019, those with unseen disabilities will now be granted permits enabling them to park closer to their destinations.

Citing the fact that current rules concerning the badge scheme are “open to interpretation” by local authorities, the government has said the new scheme will help to offer greater clarity. The Independent

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Is outsourcing still bad news? Is seems to be for Capita

Is outsourcing still bad news? Is seems to be for Capita The company is hoping to reassure investors about its turnaround plan this week, but fresh rows have blown up about its NHS and MoD deals

For a business already struggling to improve its image, having one of your major projects described by MPs as a “shambles” is not the best advertisement.

But for bosses at Capita – the company behind the London congestion charge, running the teachers’ pension scheme and collecting the BBC licence fee – it’s just the latest in a series of setbacks. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Leaked figures reveal more patients coming to harm as NHS standards fall

Leaked figures reveal more patients coming to harm as NHS standards fall Ex-coalition health minister Norman Lamb says rise in serious incidents to critically ill patients caused by ‘sub-optimal care’ is ‘deeply disturbing’

Growing numbers of critically ill patients are coming to harm as a result of inadequate care provided by NHS staff, new figures reveal.

The number of “serious incidents” involving what the NHS calls “sub-optimal care of deteriorating patients” is going up in hospitals, ambulance services and mental health settings. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Maternity units 'could prevent 600 stillbirths a year in England'

Maternity units 'could prevent 600 stillbirths a year in England' NHS says use of best practice already saved 160 babies over two years at 19 units

About 600 stillbirths a year in England could be prevented if maternity units followed national best practice, the health service said.

NHS England said practical steps including reducing smoking in pregnancy, and better monitoring of babies’ growth and movement in pregnancy and subsequently during labour, had already contributed to improved survival rates. Continue reading... The Guardian

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Homeless people make us miss NHS targets, says UK's chief dentist

Homeless people make us miss NHS targets, says UK's chief dentist Many don’t finish treatments - dentists are then penalised by ‘tick-box’ contracts, says Mick Armstrong

The British Dental Association’s leader has accused homeless people of being “no-hopers” and suggested it was sometimes acceptable to deny them treatment.

In leaked emails seen by the Guardian, Mick Armstrong, who chairs the BDA, said many practitioners were wary of taking on homeless patients. Continue reading... The Guardian

Veterans will be offered extra help from the NHS under a national scheme to help them adjust to civilian life

Veterans will be offered extra help from the NHS under a national scheme to help them adjust to civilian life Military veterans will be offered extra help from the NHSunder a national scheme to help them adjust to civilian life.

GPs are signing up to become “veteran friendly” under the plan which aims to identify former members of the armed forces and ensure support is available.

The scheme, backed by NHS England and the Royal College of GPs, is being rolled out nationally following a pilot involving 90 GP practices in the West Midlands. The Daily Telegraph

Facebook putting children's lives at risk by reviving spurious MMR claims, say UK health chiefs

Facebook putting children's lives at risk by reviving spurious MMR claims, say UK health chiefs Facebook is putting children’s lives at risk by reviving spurious MMR claims, the UK’s top health chiefs have said.

The anti-vaccination sites which promote the fake science that caused a surge in measles cases as well as conspiracy theories about other vaccines appear at the top of searches when parents use Facebook to find information about the MMR vaccine or other vaccinations.

Andrew Wakefield, the discredited doctor behind the fraudulent research linking the MMR vaccine to autism, features prominently on the sites with his film Vaxxed in which he accuses the US government’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of a cover-up over the risks. The Daily Telegraph

Revealed: NHS spent more than £3million on toothpaste, shampoo and other toiletries after a rise in prescriptions for items many patients buy themselves

Revealed: NHS spent more than £3million on toothpaste, shampoo and other toiletries after a rise in prescriptions for items many patients buy themselves Doctors are giving out nearly 500,000 prescriptions a year for toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste and body wash, official figures reveal.

The NHS is spending £3.5million a year on the items, even though many can easily be bought at chemists and supermarkets.

This bill – described as ‘absurd’ by campaigners – has risen seven-fold in a decade. Figures from NHS Digital show a total of 470,678 prescriptions for toiletries were handed out last year, up from 79,341 in 2007. The Daily Mail