Northamptonshire council backs 'radical' cuts to services

Northamptonshire council backs 'radical' cuts to services A cash-strapped council has approved massive cuts to jobs and services in a bid to tackle a £70m funding shortfall.

Northamptonshire County Council backed the action plan to reduce spendingduring a crisis meeting.

Children's services, road maintenance and waste management are among the areas facing "radical" cuts. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Northamptonshire County Council: The story behind the cash crisis BBC Northampton
• Northants County Council cuts ‘hierarchy’ voted through at passionate county hall meeting Northampton Chronicle and Echo

These are Northampton’s best and worst rated GP practices

These are Northampton’s best and worst rated GP practices The Northampton Chronicle and Echo can today reveal a list of the town's best and worst GP surgeries, based on ratings provided by patients.

Here is the list of the best and worst surgeries in Northampton, based on the percentage of people who said they would recommend their GP surgery to others on the NHS Choices website.

How the NHS charges overseas visitors for NHS hospital care

How the NHS charges overseas visitors for NHS hospital care This summary sets out the changes that were made to the way the NHS charges overseas visitors for NHS hospital care following the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 2015. Department of Health and Social Care

It's okay to ask for HELP

It's okay to ask for HELP Read how Brighton and Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust embedded a new staff offer to help staff members get the help and therapy they needed. NHS Employers

Science and stigma: the parents who lost sons to suicide

Science and stigma: the parents who lost sons to suicide The parents of young men who died by suicide discuss mental health and what it is like to lose someone you love.

While the director of Scotland’s only dedicated suicidal behaviour research lab explains how science is guiding prevention strategies. BBC News

Medical hack poses pacemaker risk

Medical hack poses pacemaker risk Hackers from all over the world have descended on Las Vegas for two major security conferences.

BBC North America technology reporter Dave Lee met researcher Billy Rios who claims his company has uncovered a major vulnerability in a medical device that could have serious consequences. BBC News

96% patient trust in GPs, NHS England survey reveals - Pulse

96% patient trust in GPs, NHS England survey reveals Patient confidence in GPs has remained high with nearly 96% of patients saying they trust their GP, according to the latest NHS England GP Patient Survey.

The annual survey, of nearly 760,000 patients across England, was re-designed for 2018 to reflect changes in primary care and now includes answers 16 and 17 year olds. Pulse

How deadly was this year's heatwave and how has it hit the NHS?

How deadly was this year's heatwave and how has it hit the NHS? Britain has baked in its warmest and driest summer in over a decade and led to reports of hundreds of extra deaths at the hands of the deadly heatwave.

Does the data support this and how has the heatwave hit the NHS? The Independent

Criminals suffering from mental illness, alcoholism and drug addiction to be diverted away from prison into compulsory treatment

Criminals suffering from mental illness, alcoholism and drug addiction to be diverted away from prison into compulsory treatment Criminals suffering from mental illness, alcoholism and drug addiction will be diverted away from prison and into compulsory treatment under a government pilot.

The Ministry of Justice aims to reduce reoffending by replacing “ineffective” short prison sentences with programmes that “will tackle the root causes of criminality”.

A judge said the scheme could help “nip in the bud” some of the major causes of crime, as statistics show significant proportions of offenders have mental health problems, or are affected by drug and alcohol addictions. The Independent

See also:

• English courts trial mental health referrals for vulnerable offenders The Guardian

Thousands of cancer patients face NHS treatment delays

Thousands of cancer patients face NHS treatment delays Nearly 10% of patients forced to wait more than two weeks for first appointment with specialist

Record numbers of suspected cancer patients are facing delays before starting their treatment amid growing pressure on increasingly overstretched NHS services for the disease.

In the 12 months to June, 130,553 people in England had to wait more than two weeks for their first appointment with a cancer specialist after being urgently referred by a GP. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS trusts relying on the same agency workers for years on end

NHS trusts relying on the same agency workers for years on end NHS trusts are hiring “temporary” agency workers for as long as 13 years at a time, an investigation reveals.

Health officials have repeatedly vowed to clamp down on use of such workers, who can expect higher rates of pay and greater flexibility about when they work.

But the new figures show that trusts are routinely using the placement - which are supposed to be used as a short-term measure, to plug staffing gaps - for years on end.

In total the NHS has spent £16.9bn on agency staff since 2012/13 – an average of £2.8bn a year, the statistics show. The Daily Telegraph

Doubling in long waits to see GP and record pressures on A&E

Doubling in long waits to see GP and record pressures on A&E One in four patients are waiting at least a week to see their GP, amid mounting pressures in Accident and Emergency departments, new figures show.

The survey of 760,000 patients also shows rising numbers of patients struggling to even get through to their family doctor. The figures show 27.9 per cent of those polled found it difficult to get through to their GP surgery - a rise from 18.6 per cent in 2012.

It comes as new data reveals record pressures on A&E. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The King's Fund responds to new NHS figures The King's Fund
• Record 2.2m people required emergency NHS care in July The Guardian