Friday 14 December 2018

Snowed under? Understanding the effects of winter on the NHS

Snowed under? Understanding the effects of winter on the NHS As autumn draws to a close, this explainer unpacks what winter means for the NHS, in terms of its impact on health, demand for services, and how the NHS responds. Nuffield Trust

Independent Breast Screening Review report

Independent Breast Screening Review report This report sets out the findings and recommendations of the Independent Breast Screening Review, established to look into the failings in the breast screening programme in England.

The review makes 15 recommendations for the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health England and NHS England. Department of Health and Social Care

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New data reveals the UK fertility sector is performing well, and most patients are satisfied

New data reveals the UK fertility sector is performing well, and most patients are satisfied The second annual state of the fertility sector report and the first ever national fertility patient survey, both published today, provide an overview of the UK’s fertility sector and what patients think of the services they receive.

The report shows that the UK fertility sector performed well in 2017-18 with HFEA licensed clinics meeting the standards required. Very few incidents took place compared to the number of treatment cycles, which continue to rise year on year.

Inspections of 101 licensed clinics took place in 2017-18 with most awarded a four-year licence, the maximum length possible. This shows that the vast majority of clinics are meeting all the required standards. At inspections at the time of licence renewal, two thirds of clinics also met more standards than the last time they were inspected. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority

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Why did Rachel Johnston die after having all her teeth removed?

Why did Rachel Johnston die after having all her teeth removed? A disabled woman died after having all her teeth removed by a dentist at an NHS trust criticised for its "drastic" full extractions from other vulnerable patients.

Rachel Johnston underwent the operation after it was deemed necessary because of severe tooth decay.

But she collapsed hours after being discharged and spent days on a life-support machine in hospital, before her devastated family were told medics could not do any more to save her.

The procedure was carried out by the community dental service in Worcestershire. Two more families have told the BBC of their concerns with the service after their sons had the same "extreme" treatment without their knowledge. BBC News

NHS faces 'bleakest winter yet' as number waiting 12 hours in A&E for bed doubles

NHS faces 'bleakest winter yet' as number waiting 12 hours in A&E for bed doubles Twice as many patients spent 12 hours or more sitting in A&E trolleys waiting for a bed in November as in the same month last year, as experts warn of the ”the bleakest winter” in NHS history.

A&E performance figures show 54,000 people waited more than four hours for a bed after the hospital had decided they were sick enough to admit.

In this figure, 258 patients waited more than 12 hours for a bed, compared to just 107 waiting in November 2017.

The numbers released on Tuesday reveal the worst November A&E performance on record, with just 87.6 per cent of patients admitted, treated or sent home within four hours attending A&E. The Independent

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£20.5bn NHS funding boost not enough to improve care – study

£20.5bn NHS funding boost not enough to improve care – study Almost all the £20.5bn extra a year for the NHS risks being swallowed up by the ageing population, pay rises, the rising cost of drugs and hospitals’ deficits, a report has concluded.

As little as £1.3bn of the increase could be left to fund improvements in treatment unless the service dramatically overhauls how and where it cares for patients, the report by the IPPR thinktank and former senior NHS staff says.

The findings raise doubts about how far the £20.5bn that Theresa May gave the NHS in England to mark its 70th birthday this year will allow it to expand services, given the other demands it is facing. The Guardian

Being detained under the Mental Health Act drove me to improve care

Being detained under the Mental Health Act drove me to improve care My friend tried to kill himself when we were in the same psychiatric unit. Now I support others in similar situations

I was awoken by the sound of gasps and bangs coming from the bedroom next door. It was 4am on a medium-secure psychiatric unit where it’s always noisy, but I instinctively knew this wasn’t good. I ran into my neighbour’s room and found him in the process of killing himself. I screamed for help.

The man trying to end his own life was a friend. We had both attended the same pupil referral unit I was sent to after being excluded from school and for different reasons we ended up on the same psychiatric ward years later. After the nursing team had managed the incident, I asked him why he had taken such a step. He said he’d had enough of life and believed that things would never get better for “people like us”, and that our destiny was “death or to be in places like this forever”. He was discharged shortly after, but within weeks I was told that he had died of an overdose. He had only just turned 30. The Guardian

Fireworks, knives and microwaves used to attack ambulances, investigation finds

Fireworks, knives and microwaves used to attack ambulances, investigation finds Regular attacks on ambulances are "consciously inhibiting" the ability of paramedics to do their jobs, it has been claimed.

More than 200 incidents of vandalism have been reported between 2015 and October this year, according to a freedom of information request by the BBC.

Over the past three years, fireworks, scooters, bricks, knives and metal poles have been used to cause thousands of pounds worth of damage to ambulances and rapid response vehicles. The Daily Telegraph

Patients spend a record £1BILLION on private operations

Patients spend a record £1BILLION on private operations People in the UK spent a record £1.1billion on private healthcare last year in an attempts to avoid NHS waiting times.

Excluding cosmetic surgery, the amount spent on private treatments rose 75 per cent to £793milllion between 2012 and 2017.

Knee and hip operations, cataract surgery and cancer treatment are the three most commonly paid-for therapies.

Experts warn longer waits for free healthcare are 'without doubt' driving people to fork out, with some parts of the NHS keeping people waiting until their conditions become constantly painful or crippling. The Daily Mail

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GP crisis laid bare: Patient numbers are up nearly 50% since 2004

GP crisis laid bare: Patient numbers are up nearly 50% since 2004 Britain's GP crisis has been laid bare by new figures showing practice list sizes have risen by almost 50 per cent since 2004.

NHS data shows 59.6million patients were registered with a GP surgery in December 2018 - across 7,017 practices.

This made the average practice list size 8,490 in December 2018. By contrast, the average number was 5,891 in 2004, the figures showed.

The soaring rates are concerning, as GP practices in England are reaching 'breaking point' because of chronic staff shortages. The Daily Mail

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