KGH completes £5.5 million refurbishment of its main operating theatres

KGH completes £5.5 million refurbishment of its main operating theatres Kettering General Hospital has just completed a £5.5 million refurbishment of its six main operating theatres.

The investment has ensured the operating theatres – located on the first floor of the main ward block – have the highest standards of technology and safety.

The work has taken two years to complete and has been carried out on a theatre-by-theatre basis, with the final trauma theatre being completed at the end of August. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northants councillors to look at cost of attacks on ambulance crews while on duty

Northants councillors to look at cost of attacks on ambulance crews while on duty The financial cost of attacks on ambulance crews while on duty is being investigated by a group of Northamptonshire county councillors.

A working party has been set up after the issue of large legal costs was raised by county councillor Lizzie Bowen at a health scrutiny committee meeting.

During 2017/18 there were 362 physical assaults on ambulance staff in the region, according to the East Midlands Ambulance Service trust which covers Northants. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Bid to boost ambulance crew numbers in Northants Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The journey towards integrated care

The journey towards integrated care June 2018 marked a year since the first integrated care systems (ICSs) were announced. Over the past few months, The King’s Fund has been exploring how eight of these ‘first wave’ ICSs have developed – who has been involved, what leadership and governance arrangements have been put in place, and how the ICSs have been working with national NHS bodies. Of course, one of the most important questions for our research was – what difference are ICSs making to services? The King's Fund

Prevention must be the heart of the NHS long-term plan

Prevention must be the heart of the NHS long-term plan If we get the NHS long-term plan right, we will prevent 3 of the biggest killers, says CEO of Public Health England.

Code of conduct for data-driven health and care technology

Code of conduct for data-driven health and care technology Initial version of a code of conduct for the use of digital technology in health and care. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• New digital technology code 'will protect patients' OnMedica

Government response to the recommendations of the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry into ‘Integrated care: organisations, partnerships and systems’

Government response to the recommendations of the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry into ‘Integrated care: organisations, partnerships and systems’ This is a joint response reflecting the views of the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, NHS Improvement, the Care Quality Commission and Health Education England. It sets out how the government intends to address the committee’s recommendations as part of the long-term plan for the NHS. Department of Health and Social Care

Many serious surgeries cancelled on the day, study finds

Many serious surgeries cancelled on the day, study finds A significant number of patients requiring serious surgery are having operations postponed, a study suggests.

Research led by the Royal College of Anaesthetists and University College London looked at more than 26,000 cases in a seven-day period in March last year, across 245 UK hospitals.

They found one in seven operations were cancelled on the day of surgery.

However, researchers acknowledged it was likely this figure would be lower during quieter periods of the year. BBC News

See also:

• Cancelled operations: a 7-day cohort study of planned adult inpatient surgery in 245 UK National Health Service hospitals British Journal of Anaesthesia
• One in seven NHS operations are cancelled on the DAY of the surgery The Daily Mail
• Record numbers of operations cancelled at last minute thanks to A&E chaos The Daily Telegraph
• NHS cancels 14% of operations at last minute, research finds The Guardian
• One in seven major operations in UK cancelled on day of surgery, data shows The Independent

Creaky systems 'cost lives': Health secretary Matt Hancock pledges to solve NHS IT woes

Creaky systems 'cost lives': Health secretary Matt Hancock pledges to solve NHS IT woes Former Minister of Fun slams lack of interoperability and reliance on faxes.

Faltering NHS IT systems are "costing lives", health secretary Matt Hancock has said ahead of announcing a further £200m for trusts to create digital testbeds.

The former Minister of Fun will take to the stage at the NHS Expo in Manchester this afternoon for one of his first major speeches since taking over from Jeremy Hunt. The Register

See also:

• Matt Hancock: new technology is key to making NHS the world's best Department of Health and Social Care
• Pilot areas announced for NHS app to book appointments BBC News
• Patients lives are at risk because of 'downright dangerous' IT systems, Matt Hancock says The Daily Telegraph

Girls 'being pressured into FGM in UK playgrounds', survivor warns amid international crackdown

Girls 'being pressured into FGM in UK playgrounds', survivor warns amid international crackdown Girls are being pressured to undergo female genital mutilation(FGM) in British playgrounds, a survivor has warned amid an international crackdown on the practice.

Dr Leyla Hussein, who underwent the procedure when she was seven years old in Somalia, said pressure was being put on children by their peers as well as relatives.

“Some of my clients are 19-year-old girls who were children or were born in this country, and they will say they were pressured in a playground in a school in London to go and have it done,” she added, urging people in affected communities to confront the idea of FGM as a “tradition”. The Independent

Sexual health care cuts will stop me helping survivors of rape and FGM

Sexual health care cuts will stop me helping survivors of rape and FGM Women will bear the brunt of these funding shortfalls. As a doctor, I know we’re cutting off a lifeline for them

A record number of visits were made to sexual health clinics in England in 2017, the equivalent of an extra 1,500 attendances a week since 2013. It couldn’t be coming at a worse time for UK women.

But why is this bad? Surely it’s good news that more people are getting tested? The issue now is that government cuts mean we who work in sexual health can’t cope with demand. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS bill for hiring non-UK staff could hit £500m post-Brexit, say doctors

NHS bill for hiring non-UK staff could hit £500m post-Brexit, say doctors Immigration costs for NHS workers will soar once freedom of movement ends, warns RCP

The NHS could face a bill of almost £500m a year to hire overseas staff as a result of Brexit and the government’s immigration policies, hospital doctors have said.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has calculated that the costs of recruiting EU and non-EU staff could more than triple from the current £150m a year if freedom of movement ends as a result of Brexit. Continue reading... The Guardian

Urgent action taken at NHS trust facing baby death inquiry

Urgent action taken at NHS trust facing baby death inquiry Watchdog says inspection at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital trust raised concerns

Urgent enforcement action has been taken against an NHS trust where patients have been alleged to have suffered serious harm.

An inquiry was commissioned in April last year by the then health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to look into the deaths of 23 babies and mothers at Shrewsbury and Telford hospital NHS trust. Continue reading... The Guardian

GPs should prescribe gardening, dancing and cookery, Matt Hancock says

GPs should prescribe gardening, dancing and cookery, Matt Hancock says GPs should prescribe hobbies like ballroom dancing, gardening and art classes to millions of people, because it is often better than drugs, the health secretary says.

Matt Hancock called for an increase in “social prescribing” in a bid to “shift the balance” away from automatically prescribing drugs for many illnesses.

Speaking at an NHS conference in Manchester, he urged GPs to try to encourge patients to be more sociable and active, referring them to classes and groups, in a bid to reduce reliance on painkillers and antidepressants. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS should expand 'social prescribing', says health secretary The Guardian

Almost 1,000 elderly people a day needlessly admitted to hospital amid social care crisis

Almost 1,000 elderly people a day needlessly admitted to hospital amid social care crisis Almost 1,000 elderly people a day are being admitted to hospital needlessly amid a crisis in social care, Age UK has found.

Analysis of NHS figures by the charity found that there were 341,074 avoidable emergency admissions for people aged 65 and over during the year to April 2017.

The number has risen by 107 per cent since 2003 for those aged 65 to 69, and by 119 per cent for older people aged 75-79.

Among the general population of England, the number has risen by 63 per cent. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The failing safety net Age UK

Betrayal of our nurses: Thousands have been forced to use food banks in the past year

Betrayal of our nurses: Thousands have been forced to use food banks in the past year Thousands of nurses are forced to rely on food banks because they cannot afford to eat, shocking new research suggests.

Out of a survey of more than 1,000 nurses, nine per cent admitted to having collected free food in the past year, while 38 per cent said they struggle to buy food.

Over half claim to have less than £500 to fall back on if a personal crisis were to strike, such as ill health or a relationship breakdown.

The English and Scottish government recently agreed a deal that should see basic pay for nurses rise by around 6.5 per cent over three years. Salary increases were previously capped at one per cent. The Daily Mail



See also:

• Survey reveals financial pressures faced by nurses Nursing Times