Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba: GMC boss told position is 'untenable'

Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba: GMC boss told position is 'untenable'  Medics have called for the head of the General Medical Council (GMC) to stand down over his handling of the case of a doctor who was struck off.

Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba has won her bid to be reinstated over the death of six-year-old Jack Adcock in 2011.

Hospital doctors have said GMC chief executive Charlie Massey's position was "untenable". BBC News

See also:

• HCSA warns GMC Chief Executive position 'untenable' Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association 
• Doctors demand resignation of GMC head over handling of Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba case The Daily Telegraph
• Doctors tell medical council boss his position is 'untenable' over Bawa-Garba case The Independent

The mental health chatbot

The mental health chatbot Chatbots are being taught to assist people in dealing with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. The bots do not treat or diagnose - but human therapists have some reservations about the tech. BBC News

Abortion pill will be allowed to taken at home in England, under new plan

Abortion pill will be allowed to taken at home in England, under new plan Women in England will be allowed to take an early abortion pill at home, under a government plan due to take effect by the end of the year.

Currently, women ending a pregnancy in its first 10 weeks must take two pills at a clinic, 24 to 48 hours apart.

Under the new plans, which will bring England into line with Scotland and Wales, the second pill can be taken at home.

This avoids the risk of women miscarrying while on the journey home. BBC News

Health Secretary pledges to overhaul NHS IT system

Health Secretary pledges to overhaul NHS IT system Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has vowed to overhaul the NHS IT network, saying it would be unacceptable in any other 21st-century organisation.

The “bleary eyed” minister, who replaced Jeremy Hunt in July, said he saw first hand how staff were hindered by poor technology as he shadowed front-line staff during an overnight shift. ITV News

NHS boss: 'Run failing hospitals like Tesco to improve them' - iNews

NHS boss: 'Run failing hospitals like Tesco to improve them' Failing hospitals should be run like supermarket chains if they are to improve, the boss of one of the country’s best-rated trusts has said.

Sir David Dalton, chief executive at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, said groups of hospitals should work together to implement best practice – much like a chain of Sainsbury’s or Tesco stores.

He argued that the 135 separate acute non-specialist trusts in England, all with “different ways of doing things”, were “a key reason why standards in care vary so dramatically in what is meant to be a national health service”. iNews

Syphilis diagnoses are booming - it's clear sexual health needs an overhaul

Syphilis diagnoses are booming - it's clear sexual health needs an overhaul | Richard Vize Responsibility for services is shared by NHS and councils and there is little evidence of a united effort on prevention

The health and social care select committee has launched an inquiry into sexual health. The move comes as serious infections are rising and funding is falling, hitting services of vital importance to young people and many others.

There is a widespread feeling among public health staff that the NHS no longer sees public health as its problem Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS maternity units were forced to close 287 times last year

NHS maternity units were forced to close 287 times last year Labour says turning away expectant mothers is ‘disgrace’ and blames Tories for midwife shortage

Almost half of maternity units at hospitals in England were closed to expectant mothers at least once during 2017, research by Labour has found, with the party blaming staff shortages and other resourcing problems.

Freedom of information (FoI) requests by Labour identified almost 300 occasions when maternity units were closed and expectant mothers Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• England in maternity crisis with almost half of units turning mothers away, Labour warns The Independent

More than four in five MPs want extra funding to be found for social care

More than four in five MPs want extra funding to be found for social care More than four in five MPs want extra funding to be found for social care, polling reveals.

The survey by the Local Government Association (LGA) comes ahead of a green paper this autumn, which will examine how best to fund care of the elderly and disabled.

Earlier this year Theresa May announced a £20bn boost for the NHS. But plans about how best to fund long-term care of the elderly were pushed back, having last year proved politically toxic. The Daily Telegraph

Trailblazing female heart surgeon 'forced out' from unit by colleagues 'envious of her success'

Trailblazing female heart surgeon 'forced out' from unit by colleagues 'envious of her success' A leading cardiac surgeon claims she was suspended from a heart unit criticised for soaring death rates because colleagues were envious of her success.

Professor Marjan Jahangiri, the first female professor of cardiac surgery in Europe, claims she was subjected to a "campaign of bullying and harassment", and in one instance was anonymously sent a dead animal and a decapitated doll in the post.

She has asked the High Court to issue an order lifting her exclusion from St George's Hospital in south west London with immediate effect. The Daily Telegraph

Every GP surgery in England should hire a mental health expert to tackle depression, experts say

Every GP surgery in England should hire a mental health expert to tackle depression, experts say Every doctor's surgery in England is being encouraged to employ mental health therapists.

The therapists will focus on common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, particularly in people with long-term physical illnesses like diabetes and heart conditions.

NHS England is encouraging GPs to bring mental and physical health services under one roof after a survey found two in five patient appointments are now for mental health. The Daily Mail

Scandal of the 3.6million NHS 'ghost patients': Huge numbers still registered at practices have either died or moved away... but GPs receive £151 for each one despite a crackdown pledge

Scandal of the 3.6million NHS 'ghost patients': Huge numbers still registered at practices have either died or moved away... but GPs receive £151 for each one despite a crackdown pledge A staggering 3.6 million patients who do not exist are registered with GPs' surgeries, a Mail on Sunday investigation reveals today.

Despite a crackdown launched three years ago on so-called 'ghost patients', the numbers have risen at a rate of almost 6,000 a week.

Doctors in England receive an average of £151 a year for each patient on their books, whether they see them or not. The Daily Mail

See also:

• GPs receiving payments for 3.6 million 'ghost patients' The Daily Telegraph
• NHS: GPs have up to 3.6 million 'ghost patients' on books - report The Guardian