Fears cash-strapped council may cut services for vulnerable children

Fears cash-strapped council may cut services for vulnerable children Northamptonshire County Council scrambles to save £70m amid warnings even core services are at risk.

The funding crisis facing local authorities has deepened after a Tory-run council warned services for vulnerable children and adults can no longer be protected as it prepared drastic measures to survive ongoing financial difficulties described as “without parallel in modern times”.

Northamptonshire county council – already technically insolvent – has called an extraordinary meeting for Wednesday to seek support for cutbacks which will reduce statutory services to the bare legal minimum and see non-core services shrunk or closed. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Northamptonshire County Council 'ignored 2015 crisis warning' BBC Northampton
• Crucial meeting will determine service 'priorities' ahead of county council cuts Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Children's services likely to be big loser in Northamptonshire County Council cuts Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Attempt to stop county council spending due to 'financial crisis' was ignored THREE years ago Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Seven-day GP access is a long way off in Northamptonshire as study reveals only two surgeries at Nene CCG offer 'full provision'

Seven-day GP access is a long way off in Northamptonshire as study reveals only two surgeries at Nene CCG offer 'full provision' Only two doctors' surgeries in the wider Northampton area offer full seven-day a week access - four years after the Government announced plans to improve GP opening hours.

In 2014, the Government pledged to introduce extended opening hours at GP surgeries across the country. Northampton Chronicle and Echo 

From lab to bedside: ensuring new medicines are available in a cost-effective and timely way

From lab to bedside: ensuring new medicines are available in a cost-effective and timely way At a challenging time for the NHS in terms of finances, demand for services and patient expectations, policy-makers need to ensure patients have access to new medicines in a cost-effective and timely way. Many of these new medicines are predicted to add high costs to a rising medicines bill, meaning the NHS will find it increasingly difficult to offer new medicines within current financial constraints. NHS England and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) are trying to answer this challenge, but doing so without restricting patient access is proving difficult. The King's Fund

UK biological security strategy

UK biological security strategy Significant outbreaks of disease are amongst the highest impact risks faced by the UK. The UK biological security strategy draws together for the first time the work taking place across government to protect the UK and its interests from significant biological risks, no matter how these occur and no matter who or what they affect. The strategy, produced in association with the Home Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, sets out the nature of the biological risks and the opportunities we face, looks at how this landscape is continuing to evolve, and explains what our response is to these challenges. Department of Health and Social Care

Evaluation of the implementation of the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle in early adopter NHS trusts in England

Evaluation of the implementation of the Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle in early adopter NHS trusts in England This independent evaluation, commissioned by NHS England, shows clinical improvements such as better monitoring of a baby’s growth and movement in pregnancy, as well as better monitoring in labour, led to maternity staff helping to save more than 160 babies’ lives across 19 maternity units. The report found that stillbirths fell by a fifth at the maternity units where national guidance, known as the Saving Babies Lives Care Bundle, had been implemented. The best practice guidance is now being introduced across the country and has the potential if these findings were replicated, to prevent an estimated 600 stillbirths. University of Manchester

IHI innovation system

IHI innovation system This paper describes how a health care organisation might create its own internal innovation system, based on the needs of the organisation, that focuses on improving health care delivery. The Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) uses examples from its nearly 30 years of experience with innovation to highlight how to move through this process, determine what is right for an organisation, and balance innovation activities with ongoing operations. Institute for Healthcare Improvement

Clinical pharmacists in general practice: pilot scheme evaluation

Clinical pharmacists in general practice: pilot scheme evaluation This evaluation report showed that clinical pharmacists significantly increase patient appointment capacity and reduce pressure on GPs. More than 490 clinical pharmacists were placed in over 650 practices across England in the pilot project which supports the aim of having over 2,000 clinical pharmacists working in general practice by 2020/21 – a ratio of one per 30,000 patients. The research team investigated the work of the newly created clinical pharmacist roles from the perspectives of the pharmacists, those working immediately with them in their roles, professional stakeholders and patients. University of Nottingham

Life on steroids: 'It's my personal choice'

Life on steroids: 'It's my personal choice' BBC Radio 5 Live has been given exclusive access to a steroid clinic in Newport, south Wales.

It's the first of its kind in the UK, where doctors and nurses carry out blood and heart-function tests on users, while also giving advice about the substances they use. BBC News

Vagina rejuvenating therapies 'pose serious risk'

Vagina rejuvenating therapies 'pose serious risk' Women are being warned against risky cosmetic "rejuvenating" procedures to reshape and tighten the vagina.

Experts say the "therapies", offered by some private clinics in the UK and the US, pose a serious risk of burns, scarring and recurring pain.

Typically during these procedures, a probe is inserted into the vagina to heat or laser the vaginal tissue.

Although it is non-surgical and can be done in a lunch hour, it is not necessarily safe, say officials. BBC News

Homeopaths to pay £120,000 bill for failed legal challenge against NHS

Homeopaths to pay £120,000 bill for failed legal challenge against NHS The NHS is looking to claim back all £120,000 in costs it incurred defending a legal challenge from homeopath groups challenging its ban on the non-evidence based remedies.

Arguing that the taxpayer should not be made to pick up the bill for “tap water masquerading as medicine” NHS England said it will seek full reimbursement after judges dismissed the homeopaths’ challenge in June.

The British Homeopathic Association (BHA) was ordered to pay NHS England’s costs by the High Court and said it intended to raise the money by crowd-funding from patients who felt they had benefited from the remedies. The Independent

Young people’s mental health is a ‘worsening crisis’. Action is needed

Young people’s mental health is a ‘worsening crisis’. Action is needed | Mary O’Hara In both the UK and US, services for young people are being cut, leaving those from marginalised groups at greatest risk of suicide

One recent report called the problem a “silent catastrophe” while a survey of teachers labelled it an “epidemic”. But, whatever the language deployed to describe the scale of mental health challenges facing Britain’s young people, it has to be addressed immediately.

NHS figures published last month revealed that almost 400,000 children and young people aged 18 and under are in contact with the health service for mental health problems. According to the figures, the number of “active referrals” by GPs in April was a third higher than the same period two years prior. Those seeking help for conditions such as depression and anxiety showed a sharp increase. Continue reading... The Guardian

Take a prescription drug? Here’s how Brexit could put you at risk

Take a prescription drug? Here’s how Brexit could put you at risk | Ash Soni Getting medicines to pharmacies is a complex process. If European supply chains are disrupted, there could be shortages

Medicines form an essential part of the care provided by the NHS. More than one billionitems are dispensed annually through community pharmacies, and the total bill for medicines is more than £17bn. For patients with long-term conditions such as diabetes, asthma or schizophrenia, daily medicines play a vital role in maintaining their health and wellbeing. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS mortuaries so lax families are at “significant risk” of burying the wrong bodies, watchdog finds

NHS mortuaries so lax families are at “significant risk” of burying the wrong bodies, watchdog finds Hospital mortuaries are storing the dead in filthy fridges and employing such lax checks that families are at “significant risk” of burying the wrong bodies, inspections show.

An investigation reveals a 20-fold rise in major failings found by watchdogs in just one year.

Saws used to carry out post-mortems were found to be rusty and dirty, with body fluids left to pool on examination tables.

At some hospitals, protocals to identify the dead were so weak that there was “a significant risk of misidentification of the deceased,” the checks found. The Daily Telegraph

Health Secretary accused of ignoring dementia

Health Secretary accused of ignoring dementia Dementia charities have warned the new health secretary they are "deeply concerned" he is ignoring the "greatest health challenge of our time".

Senior figures from Alzheimer’s charities have accused Matt Hancock and NHS chief executive Simon Stevens of failing to prioritise the area, as they embark on a 10 year plan for the health service.

Since Mr Hancock was appointed health secretary last month he has set out a number of priorities, including workforce, technology and prevention of ill-health. The Daily Telegraph

Children will be studied on the NHS for gaming addiction

Children will be studied on the NHS for gaming addiction Around seven out of 15 addicts have been enrolled for therapy at the Central and North West London NHS trust, all of which are aged between 12 and 20. It is unclear how they will be treated. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS to treat child gaming addicts as young as 12 isolated from friends The Daily Telegraph