Wednesday 19 September 2018

Northants health bosses draw up plan to prevent winter crisis

Northants health bosses draw up plan to prevent winter crisis The county’s health and social care services are pioneering a new way of working this winter in a bid to prevent another seasonal crisis.

In a national first, the county’s acute and community hospitals have joined with GP surgeries and social care to commission a demand and capacity plan that should lead to less hospital admissions this winter and shorter stays for patients. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Corby sleep apnoea sleep-tracker trial attracting attention from medics across UK

Corby sleep apnoea sleep-tracker trial attracting attention from medics across UK Some of Corby’s estimated 1,500 obstructive sleep apnoea sufferers have paved the way for easier diagnosis for patients around the UK after taking part in a ground-breaking trial.

Because diagnosing the dangerous sleep condition can be a time consuming process involving spending time at the overnight sleep clinic in Leicester, doctors in Corby came up with using an wrist-worn activity-tracker device to give people the chance to be diagnosed while they sleep at home. Northamptonshire Telegraph

What is the ethnicity pay gap among NHS doctors?

What is the ethnicity pay gap among NHS doctors? Following on from our work showing an overall gender pay gap in favour of men in the English NHS, John Appleby looks at how the pay of doctors in the health service varies by ethnic group. Nuffield Trust 

The health and well-being of men in the WHO European Region: better health through a gender approach

The health and well-being of men in the WHO European Region: better health through a gender approach This first ever WHO report on men’s health and well-being in the 53 countries of the WHO European Region reveals men are living healthier and longer lives than ever before. But despite progress, many of them die far too young from preventable causes, and the reasons behind this go beyond biology. The new findings are prompting calls to use a gender approach to get men’s health on the agenda of health policy-makers in the European Region. World Health Organization

Meeting pathology demand: histopathology workforce census

Meeting pathology demand: histopathology workforce census This workforce census finds that only three per cent of NHS histopathology departments have enough staff to meet clinical demand. The report highlights the intense pressures that histopathologists face from increased workloads, such as new NHS screening programmes. In addition, services are facing more complex work as personalised medicine develops and guides new therapies. Outdated IT systems compound these pressures. Royal College of Pathologists

Clinical radiology: UK workforce census 2017 report

Clinical radiology: UK workforce census 2017 report This annual radiologist workforce report highlights the UK’s current and predicted future shortage of imaging doctors and urgently calls for more funding for trainees and better NHS retention and recruitment. The report shows that 10.3 per cent of UK radiologist jobs remained empty in 2017, with nearly a fifth of posts (18.4 per cent) in Northern Ireland unfilled. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of unfilled NHS radiologist posts have been vacant for a year or more. Royal College of Radiologists

Pregnancy weight gain 'going unmeasured'

Pregnancy weight gain 'going unmeasured' Midwives are calling for official guidance on how much weight is healthy for women to put on during pregnancy.

One in five women in the UK are obese when they start pregnancy, yet there is no national target for what constitutes normal pregnancy weight gain.

Regular weigh-ins fell out of favour in the 1990s when it was suggested that they cause pregnant women unnecessary anxiety for little or no clinical gain.

Officials say they are considering whether to reintroduce them. BBC News

Air pollution: ‘Toxic’ school run poses health risk to thousands of children, experts warn

Air pollution: ‘Toxic’ school run poses health risk to thousands of children, experts warn Children are most exposed to dangerous air pollution on the school run and in the playground, experts have warned.

While children only spend 40 per cent of their time on the school run and at school, they receive 60 per cent of their exposure to tiny particles of black carbon during those times, a study has found.

Peaks in children's exposure to the pollution were recorded while they travelling to and from school and during breaktime when they were likely to be in the playground, the report by Unicef UK and Queen Mary, University of London showed. The Independent

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NHS fees for maternity care 'putting migrant mothers at risk'

NHS fees for maternity care 'putting migrant mothers at risk' Vulnerable women becoming distressed by legacy of ‘hostile environment’, report says

Migrant mothers and their babies are being put at risk because they are too frightened of incurring large debts and falling victim to the so-called hostile environment immigration policy to access vital medical care, a report has found.

Mothers who are not settled in the UK are not eligible for taxpayer-funded treatment, and are charged 50% more than the normal tariffs for antenatal care, births and postnatal care. Some with secure immigration status have also been mistakenly charged for treatment. Attempts at debt collection launched shortly after new mothers leave hospital can trigger mental health issues among some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in the UK, the research found. Continue reading... The Guardian

Number of children getting the MMR jab declines for the fourth year in a row

Number of children getting the MMR jab declines for the fourth year in a row The number of children being given the MMR vaccine has fallen for the fourth year in a row, with immunity now at its lowest since 2011.

The jab protects against measles, mumps and rubella, and children are expected to have their first dose before their second birthday.

But only 91.2 per cent of children across England are meeting this target, meaning thousands have no protection against the three killer infections.

The number is down from 92.7 per cent in 2014 – the highest level of the past decade years – and from 91.6 per cent in 2017, NHS Digital data has revealed. The Daily Mail

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