Corby MP: care bosses have 'serious questions to answer'

Corby MP: care bosses have 'serious questions to answer' Corby’s MP says the town’s healthcare commissioner has serious questions to answer over the town’s urgent care centre.

A high court judgement handed down yesterday said that NHS Corby CCG failed to properly consult local people when it decided to make changes to the way the town’s urgent care centre.

It also said the CCG failed to take into account the needs of vulnerable groups including those with learning disabilities and mental health problems. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Corby Urgent Care Centre: Changes put on hold by judge BBC Northampton
• CCG loses high court battle to close urgent care centre HSJ
• Save Corby Urgent Care Centre group wins key legal fight Northamptonshire Telegraph
• “When you make a promise you’re going to consult, you keep your promise” says Corby urgent care centre barrister Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northamptonshire County Council: 'Radical' service cuts planned

Northamptonshire County Council: 'Radical' service cuts planned A cash-strapped local authority has proposed "radical service reductions" to tackle its financial crisis.

Northamptonshire County Council said it must save up to £70m by March, and held an emergency meeting on Wednesday.

Its "action plan", revealed on Thursday, involves possible cuts in adult social care, children's services, road maintenance and school transport.

Council leader Matthew Golby said the plan "includes rigorous controls on spending, recruitment and contracts".

The proposals will be discussed at a full council meeting on 9 August. BBC Northampton

See also:

• 'Shortcuts' cannot be taken with vulnerable children NSPCC warns as Northamptonshire County Council prepares cuts package Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Children's A&E attendances: linking data to explore why parents mental health matters

Children's A&E attendances: linking data to explore why parents mental health matters As pressures on emergency care within the NHS continue to rise, research has focused on the demand attributed to our growing older population. However, we know far less about what is driving children and young people's demand for emergency care. Over a single year between 2014/15 and 2015/16 there was a 5% increase in accident and emergency (A&E) attendances for children and young people. The Health Foundation

Sustainable county social care: a green paper that delivers a new deal for counties

Sustainable county social care: a green paper that delivers a new deal for counties This document sets out the County Councils Network’s policy positions on adult social care, ahead of the forthcoming government green paper. It supports the government’s plan to introduce a cap on the costs of care, but warns that it must be fully-funded otherwise it will inadvertently push services, care providers and councils closer to breaking point. The paper also argues that if the government’s reform agenda is to be successful, then social care must remain a local service and ministers should ‘not be swayed’ by overly-simplistic arguments to combine all, or elements of social care into the NHS. County Councils Network

Hospital sepsis deaths 'jump by a third'

Hospital sepsis deaths 'jump by a third' Sepsis deaths recorded in England's hospitals have risen by more than a third in two years, according to data collected by a leading safety expert.

In the year ending April 2017, there were 15,722 deaths in hospital or within 30 days of discharge, where sepsis was the leading cause.

Prof Sir Brian Jarman believes staff shortages and overcrowding on wards are partly to blame.

NHS England said more conditions were being classed as sepsis than before.

A spokesperson added that efforts had also been made to improve diagnosis. BBC News

Learning how to read emotions aged nine

Learning how to read emotions aged nine Nine-year-old Alex Cullenbine was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at six years old - but his mum, Donji, said she knew from 18 months that something was different.

He avoided making eye contact, was slow to develop speech and was overly sensitive to sounds.

Since his diagnosis, he had received behavioural therapy one or two times a week but he remained gaze avoidant.

However, a few weeks after he started taking part in a small trial funded by the US government, at Stanford University, Donji noticed a difference in her son. BBC News

Tongue splitting: Surgeons warn of serious health risks

Tongue splitting: Surgeons warn of serious health risks People who have their tongues split deliberately are putting their health at serious risk, surgeons have warned.

The procedure involves cutting the tongue in half to create a lizard-like forked effect.

But experts said it came with the risk of significant blood loss, infection, nerve damage and problems with breathing and swallowing.

They also warned that tongue and lip piercings carry serious dangers, such as tooth fractures and gum damage. BBC News

Volunteers could be asked to drive ambulances in bid to avert crisis

Volunteers could be asked to drive ambulances in bid to avert crisis Volunteers could be asked to drive ambulances under NHS proposals to cope with staff shortages.

Health officials are also considering calling in the military in a bid to avert a crisis if pressures on services mount.

It comes amid a national shortage of paramedics, with a shortage of more than 1,000 ambulance staff in total, and attempts to recruit staff from Poland and Australia.

East of England Ambulance Services trust said it is now considering “every alternative” to maximise its resources, including the use of volunteers to drive ambulances to and from incidents. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Struggling ambulance trust considers using military drivers The Guardian

Video GPs tried to block 'inaccurate and misleading' report

Video GPs tried to block 'inaccurate and misleading' report Private healthcare provider Babylon threatened to sue a health watchdog for damages following a critical inspection report, it has been claimed.

The creators of the controversial 'GP at Hand' digital GP service threatened the Care Quality Commission with legal action and suggested one of its chief inspectors could appear biased.

It said a draft inspection report which found some areas of its private digital primary care service were not safe was 'inaccurate and misleading'. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Babylon CQC emails revealed HSJ