NGH appoints two specialist vaccination nurses to support pregnant mums and new babies

NGH appoints two specialist vaccination nurses to support pregnant mums and new babies Northampton General Hospital has appointed two specialist nurses to support pregnant mums and their new babies by providing a dedicated vaccination service.

With over 25 years’ experience between them in community nursing, schools and clinics, Julie Cowan and Gillian Thomason aim to provide a one-stop support service at NGH by providing whooping cough and flu vaccinations to pregnant women. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS reform timeline

NHS reform timeline This interactive timeline brings 70 years of reform and change in the National Health Service to life, charting the evolution of this public institution from its inception in the post-war years through to the present day. Nuffield Trust

End of life care for adults: service delivery

End of life care for adults: service delivery This draft guideline, open for consultation, covers organising and delivering end of life care services for adults approaching the end of their life. It aims to ensure that people have access to end of life services in all care settings, according to their needs and wishes. It also includes advice on services for carers and other people important to adults who are approaching the end of their life. The consultation closes on 7 June 2019 at 5pm. NICE

Gosport hospital deaths: Families await police review

Gosport hospital deaths: Families await police review Relatives of hundreds of patients who died after being given painkillers at a hospital are due to hear if a new criminal investigation will take place.

An inquiry that ended last summer found more than 450 patients died after they were given "dangerous" levels of the drugs at Gosport War Memorial Hospital.

A review of evidence has been carried out by Kent and Essex Police over the past six months.

The findings will be shown to relatives at a meeting in Fareham later. BBC News

Urine test to end 'smear fear'

Urine test to end 'smear fear' Women who are too anxious or embarrassed to go for a smear test could instead provide a urine sample to be screened for cervical cancer, research suggests.

A trial found urine testing was as good at detecting a virus called HPV that is a big risk factor for the cancer.

Bigger trials are still needed but experts said self-testing could be a game-changer for women.

The number of people going for smear tests is lower than ever in the UK. BBC News

'I want justice': contaminated blood victims speak out

'I want justice': contaminated blood victims speak out t Maria Fletcher and Nicholas Sainsbury describe how the NHS scandal has affected them

The long-awaited inquiry into the treatment of haemophiliacs who were given contaminated blood products is to begin on Tuesday. Below, two victims of the scandal describe what happened to them. The Guardian

See also:

• Contaminated blood scandal: Inquiry hearings to begin BBC News
• Contaminated blood scandal: Martin's story BBC News
• Tainted blood scandal: Government accused of 'damage limitation' over extra funding as inquiry begins The Daily Telegraph

Severely obese people in middle age 50% more likely to die early, study finds

Severely obese people in middle age 50% more likely to die early, study finds High blood pressure and type 2 diabetes among the risks, according to analysis of data on 2.8 million NHS patients

People who are severely obese in middle age are 50% more likely to die early than those of a healthy weight, according to a large study of UK data.

The research shows people with the highest levels of obesity are running a high risk of a range of serious illnesses and premature death, with 12 times the risk of type 2 diabetes, 22 times the risk of sleep apnoea and nearly four times the risk of heart failure compared to those who are of normal weight. The Guardian

Instagram vows to remove content that encourages eating disorders such as anorexia after being challenged by health secretary

Instagram vows to remove content that encourages eating disorders such as anorexia after being challenged by health secretary Instagram has agreed to remove content promoting eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia after being challenged by the Health Secretary.

Matt Hancock today hosted a round table with social media companies to discuss online harms including suicide, eating disorders and anti-vaccination messages.

Instagram, the image sharing app, said it is taking action to remove harmful content which encourages eating disorders in vulnerable teenagers. The Daily Telegraph

Invest money in 'getting the basics right' before taking the NHS on a 'digital revolution'

Invest money in 'getting the basics right' before taking the NHS on a 'digital revolution' Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been told to 'get the basics right first' before embarking on a 'digital revolution' of the NHS.

The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has said the biggest priority should be computer systems that do not crash while a doctor is writing a prescription.

It also wants to see technology that streamlines a patient's care by allowing medics to communicate from different areas of the NHS. The Daily Mail

See also:

• College calls on Health Secretary to make NHS a world leader in tech by getting the basics right first Royal College of General Practitioners

Fundraising drive for £20,000 maternity ward garden at Northampton General Hospital

Fundraising drive for £20,000 maternity ward garden at Northampton General Hospital Thousands of pounds is needed to deliver a much-needed outdoors space next to the maternity ward at Northampton's hospital to allow new parents the chance to get some respite in the fresh air.

Having access to a garden from the maternity ward could really help provide new parents with the opportunity for a positive escape from the noisy and warm Robert Watson maternity ward. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Social care: Homeowners urged to pay £30,000 towards care by downsizing

Social care: Homeowners urged to pay £30,000 towards care by downsizing Wealthier homeowners should be asked to make a voluntary payment of up to £30,000 for their care needs in old age, a new report argues.

The Centre for Policy Studies proposes a system in which everyone receives a state-funded weekly care payment.

Those able to downsize or release equity from their homes would also be encouraged to contribute more to plug the current funding gap.

But critics say it would not be enough to address the £7bn shortfall. BBC News

See also:

• More people asking for social care support but fewer getting it as demand leaves social care system at crisis point The King's Fund
• Over-50s could be forced to pay £300 a year extra to fund social care The Daily Telegraph

Opioid painkillers 'must carry prominent warnings'

Opioid painkillers 'must carry prominent warnings' All opioid medicines in the UK will carry prominent warnings on their labels saying they can cause addiction, the health secretary has announced.

Matt Hancock acted after figures in England and Wales revealed a-more-than 60% increase in prescriptions for opioid painkillers in the last decade.

People needed protection "from the darker side to painkillers," he said.

Health experts welcomed the move, saying opioids can cause "life-altering and sometimes fatal addictions". BBC News

Cosmetic procedures: Firms warned over 'duty of care'

Cosmetic procedures: Firms warned over 'duty of care' England's top doctor says practitioners offering cosmetic procedures should have training to help them protect vulnerable clients from "quick fixes".

Prof Stephen Powis believes providers should be officially registered and trained to spot people with body-image or other mental-health issues.

NHS England says only 100 out of 1,000 practitioners are currently registered. BBC News

Study reveals parents and doctors failing to spot child obesity

Study reveals parents and doctors failing to spot child obesity More than 50% of parents fail to recognise that their children may be seriously overweight – and many health professionals share this misperception, according to research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow. OnMedica

See also:

• Child obesity 'mustn't be swept under the carpet', says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• Obesity and depression 'hand-in-hand' in children BBC News

Gosport scandal families fear last chance for justice could disappear

Gosport scandal families fear last chance for justice could disappear Families who lost loved ones at Gosport Memorial Hospital fear their last chance for justice could disappear if police decide not to take forward criminal investigation.

Preparing for a meeting on Tuesday with assistant chief constable Nick Downing of the Eastern Policing Region, families said they have endured a "soul destroying" wait since the scale of the Gosport scandal was laid bare in June last year.

After a 20 year fight and 11 failed investigations, the Gosport Independent Panel revealed that as many as 650 patients were killed with medically unnecessary doses of opiate painkillers. The Independent

Child mental health: UK provision 'worse than in much of eastern Europe'

Child mental health: UK provision 'worse than in much of eastern Europe' Research places UK behind countries such as Estonia and Latvia in numbers of hospital places and psychiatrists

Britain has one of the lowest numbers of hospital beds in Europe for young people struggling with serious mental health problems, EU-funded research has found.

It is lagging far behind the level of provision in many much poorer countries in eastern Europe, such as Latvia, Estonia and Slovakia, according to a study of care for troubled under-18s across the EU. The Guardian

Save £420,000 a year on breakfasts, NHS told

Save £420,000 a year on breakfasts, NHS told New scheme will help hospitals cut back without compromising nutrition

The government is calling on the NHS to reduce the amount of money it spends on food and drink, saying it could save £420,000 a year on breakfast products alone.

The government claims that, if hospital trusts got better deals on breakfast items, they could cut their bills by a third without compromising on the quality of food or drink being served. It says that some hospitals are paying inflated prices to suppliers for breakfast items such as tea, coffee, baked beans and juice. The Guardian

Countries need to 'step up' their efforts against superbugs

Countries need to 'step up' their efforts against superbugs England’s top doctor has urged governments around the world to “step up” efforts to revitalise the antibiotics market.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, England’s chief medical officer, warned of the looming health threat as a new United Nations report on anti-microbial resistance (AMR) was launched.

It warns that unless urgent action is taken AMR will have devastating consequences, including causing 10 million deaths a year by 2050 and damage to the global economy similar to the 2008-09 financial crisis. The Daily Telegraph

Doctors urged to talk to parents about importance of vaccines

Doctors urged to talk to parents about importance of vaccines Doctors and nurses are being urged to highlight the importance of vaccines in their conversations with patients in a bid to overturn the tide of “vaccine hesitancy” sweeping the world.

In an interview with the Telegraph Professor Mike Catchpole, chief scientist at the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), said that health workers were key to ensuring that children were vaccinated. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Measles is on the march again – but scare tactics won’t improve vaccination rates | Andre Spicer The Guardian

Alarm raised over tripling in cancelled NHS appointments

Alarm raised over tripling in cancelled NHS appointments Nine million patients a year are seeing crucial hospital appointments and operations cancelled by administrators - almost triple the number a decade ago, official statistics show.

Patients groups said too many vulnerable people were being treated as though they were “lucky to get an appointment at all” with slots routinely called off at the last minute, sometimes repeatedly.

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, last night vowed to “fundamentally overhaul” the system in order to tackle the failings and spare patients distress and harm. The Daily Telegraph

Tainted blood scandal victims 'were not told they had HIV' for up to two years, evidence suggests

Tainted blood scandal victims 'were not told they had HIV' for up to two years, evidence suggests Victims of the contaminated blood scandal were kept in the dark by doctors about contracting the deadly virus HIV, according to new evidence.

One patient has uncovered a letter showing they knew he had the disease for up to two years before telling him. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Infected blood victims call for mass screening for hepatitis C The Guardian

UK is to blame for 55% of Europe's 'gonorrhoea epidemic'

UK is to blame for 55% of Europe's 'gonorrhoea epidemic' Gonorrhoea cases shot up by 13,000 across Europe last year as figures show the UK continues to be the continent's clap capital.

Reports of the STI rose by 17 per cent in 2017 to almost 90,000, in what one expert has called an 'epidemic' – and more than half of them happened in the UK.

There are now 22.2 cases of gonorrhoea per 100,000 people in the EU, the worst rate for at least four years.

And the UK's rate is more than three times as bad, with 74.7 in every 100,000 people diagnosed with the painful sexually transmitted infection. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Gonorrhoea - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2017 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

Syndrome without a name: The boy who baffles doctors

Syndrome without a name: The boy who baffles doctors When five-year-old Charlie Parkes from Corby was in the womb, a scan revealed a problem with his brain. He spent his first two years of life in hospital having tests. His parents were desperate for answers - but they never came.

"We have lots of little pieces of a puzzle, but they don't quite fit together. We haven't completed the picture yet," says his mother Laura.

Charlie is one of about 6,000 children born every year with a genetic condition so rare that doctors can't identify it and instead classify it as a Swan (Syndrome Without a Name). BBC Northampton

Social care 360

Social care 360 People often complain about the lack of data about social care; there is, in fact, a significant amount but it is often held in fragmented databases that are rarely explored.

This review outlines and analyses 20 key trends in adult social care in England over recent years. The King's Fund

See also:

• Social care at 'crisis point' as fewer people getting the care they need, study finds The Daily Telegraph

The NHS and climate change: a decade of distraction

The NHS and climate change: a decade of distraction Ten years ago, the NHS published its first carbon reduction strategy. In doing so it became the first major health system anywhere in the world to develop a strategic vision outlining how health care needs to evolve as part of the transition to a low carbon economy and to commit to progressively reducing its own carbon emissions. The King's Fund

Building communities that care: A blueprint for supporting people severely affected by mental illness in their local communities by 2024

Building communities that care: A blueprint for supporting people severely affected by mental illness in their local communities by 2024 The report found that people severely affected by mental illness wanted most support in getting benefits, staying active, and accessing free community initiative such as gardening or peer support groups. But many people we surveyed reported that they are not being offered this support. Rethink Mental Illness

Caring alone: why Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic young carers continue to struggle to access support

Caring alone: why Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic young carers continue to struggle to access support This report reveals that young Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic children who care for ill or disabled relatives are more likely than other young carers to be isolated from support services. The research says that BAME young carers in England are missing out on their childhoods because of the additional responsibilities and stresses they have to deal with. Barnardo's 

Local authority spending on homelessness: understanding recent trends and their impact

Local authority spending on homelessness: understanding recent trends and their impact According to this report, nine years of government cuts have left local services for single homeless people with a shocking £1bn a year funding gap. It warns that cuts to council budgets are leaving increasing numbers of people at risk on the streets, and calls on the Government to act now to make up the funding shortfall – or inevitably face missing its target of ending rough sleeping by 2027. St Mungo's

A taxing question: how to pay for free personal care

A taxing question: how to pay for free personal care Independent Age commissioned Grant Thornton UK LLP to create a model that would identify how much money would be generated by a number of different policy options available to the government to fill the ever-widening social care funding gap in England. At the same time, the Social Market Foundation looked at the financial impact these policy options would have on individuals of different ages, with different income and wealth. This report contains an analysis of the relative merits of nine different funding policy options that have been proposed.

Malaria: Africa pilots world's first vaccine in major trial

Malaria: Africa pilots world's first vaccine in major trial A major trial of the world's first malaria vaccine is under way in Africa - starting with Malawi, followed by Kenya and Ghana.

The disease which is spread by mosquitos kills more than 400,000 people every year, most of them young children.

Almost $1bn has gone into developing the vaccine over three decades.

Initial testing of RTS the world's first anti-malaria vaccine has indicated it reduces cases by about 40%. BBC News

Cancer test treats patients with precision

Cancer test treats patients with precision Scientists at Glasgow University have developed a cancer testing technique that they say could transform the way we treat the disease.

The medical team based at The Glasgow Precision Oncology Laboratory are able to extract huge amounts of information from tiny fragments of DNA.

The information could identify the type of cancer tumour as well as any genetic variations and its resistance to drugs. BBC News

GPs are ‘missing lung cancer symptoms’ in non-smokers despite them making up one-in-seven victims

GPs are ‘missing lung cancer symptoms’ in non-smokers despite them making up one-in-seven victims Lung cancer is on the rise among non-smokers as experts warn that GPs are missing the symptoms.

Leading health officials said the issue received far too little attention – despite the fact 6,000 Britons who have never smoked die of lung cancer every year.

Smoking remains by far the biggest cause of lung cancer, but one in seven victims is a non-smoker, and scientists predict that within a decade, people who have never smoked will overtake smokers among lung cancer patients. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Lung cancer in never-smokers: a hidden disease (abstract) Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
• One in six people dying of lung cancer in UK are non-smokers, experts say The Guardian
• Pollution contributing to ‘thousands of lung cancers deaths in non-smokers', experts warn The Independent
• GPs refer more patients than ever for urgent cancer tests Pulse

Health Secretary Matt Hancock won't rule out BANNING unvaccinated children from schools

Health Secretary Matt Hancock won't rule out BANNING unvaccinated children from schools Health Secretary Matt Hancock has refused to rule out children being kept out of schools if they aren't vaccinated against measles.

Speaking on talkRADIO this morning, Mr Hancock said he 'wouldn't rule out anything' when asked if he would consider the drastic step.

MMR vaccinations last year dropped for the fourth year in a row in the UK, while measles cases in England more than trebled in a year in 2018. The Daily Mail

There’s no longer a catch: a new way to measure how children and young people are treated

There’s no longer a catch: a new way to measure how children and young people are treated With it historically difficult to measure how health care for children and young people varies across the country, Ronny Cheung takes a look at what’s hampered progress in the past and how we might now have a breakthrough. Nuffield Trust

Community services: our time

Community services: our time NHS Providers has published the fourth edition of its publication series Provider Voices, which promotes the views of trust leaders and other parts of the system on some of the key issues facing health and care services today.

In January this year the NHS long term plan was published. This outlined a vision to shift care away from hospitals and closer to people’s homes and communities.

Community Services: Our time explores the opportunities and risks for the sector as a result of the NHS long term plan. National NHS leaders have often promised to give greater emphasis to community services, making them more central and allocating greater investment. Will this now happen?

Measles: 500,000 UK children missed jab

Measles: 500,000 UK children missed jab More than half a million children in the UK were not given a crucial measles jab between 2010 and 2017, an analysis by children's charity Unicef reveals.

It comes as NHS chief Simon Stevens warned measles cases had almost quadrupled in England in just one year and urged families to get the vaccine.

He said people rejecting vaccines was a "growing public health time bomb".

Globally, the report shows, 169 million children were not given a first dose of measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017. BBC News

See also:

• PHE offers support to UK vaccine heroes Public Health England
• Fears of measles 'timebomb' as half a MILLION British children have not been vaccinated The Daily Mail
• Millions of children do not receive the life-saving measles jab each year The Daily Mail
• Measles: more than half a million UK children unvaccinated The Daily Telegraph
• Half a million UK children at risk of measles after missing vaccination, Unicef warns The Independent
• Vaccine rejection 'public health timebomb', NHS head warns ITV News

New campaign to raise awareness of organ donation law change

New campaign to raise awareness of organ donation law change A new campaign has been launched to increase awareness of the upcoming change to organ donation law.

The opt-out system, which will come into force in England from spring 2020, will mean adults are presumed to be organ donors unless they have recorded their decision not to be.

Families will still be involved before organ donation goes ahead. ITV News

Free personal care would be fairer and cut NHS pressures

Free personal care would be fairer and cut NHS pressures Free personal care is a fairer, more transparent system that is affordable, would benefit far more older people than the current system does, and can eliminate “catastrophic costs” for all older people receiving care – as well as reducing pressures on the NHS – according to Independent Age. The charity reported that various proposals to cap the costs of care would leave the majority of older people still at risk of “catastrophic costs”, while costing not much less than free personal care. OnMedica

Under-twos should not have screen time, World Health Organisation says

Under-twos should not have screen time, World Health Organisation says Toddlers and young children should have no more than one hour of sedentary screen time a day, according to new advice from the World Health Organisation.

The guidelines suggest a 60-minute limit for those aged between two and five-years-old.

It also recommends babies and toddlers avoid any sedentary screen time, including watching TV or sitting still playing games on devices, until the age of two. The Independent

See also:

• To grow up healthy, children need to sit less and play more World Health Organization 
• No sedentary screen time for babies, WHO says BBC News
• How much screen time should children be allowed? BBC News

NHS must close gender gaps and prioritise staff wellbeing - Hancock

NHS must close gender gaps and prioritise staff wellbeing - Hancock Matt Hancock has said the NHS must end the gender pay gap and overhaul its working culture to free doctors from punishing shift uncertainty, in a speech that will burnish the Conservative leadership hopeful’s liberal credentials.

The health secretary called for the NHS to have “a more caring and compassionate culture” towards its own staff, speaking of his shock at the story of one doctor who worked long shifts while going through a severe and traumatic miscarriage. The Guardian

See also:

• The NHS is a huge employer of women – I want it to be one of the best as well | Matt Hancock The Guardian

Doctors will go part-time if pension rules are not changed, BMA warns

Doctors will go part-time if pension rules are not changed, BMA warns NHS consultants are better off working part-time under new Treasury pension rules, unions have warned.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has raised fears that the majority of senior doctors will end up opting to cut their hours or work part-time as a result.

A letter to the Chancellor warns that some consultants will see a significant drop in their pension - unless they go part-time. The Daily Telegraph

One in six cancer patients struggle to get their drugs

One in six cancer patients struggle to get their drugs The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London will today publish a 10-point manifesto calling for action to improve drugs access. The Daily Mail

See also:

• One in six cancer patients is being denied drugs recommended by doctors The Daily Telegraph
• One in 10 cancer patients denied drugs recommended by their doctor, study says The Independent

Caring for the mental health of the medical workforce

Caring for the mental health of the medical workforce This report provides a summary of findings from a large-scale survey into doctors’ and medical students’ mental health. The survey, which was open to BMA members and non-members across the UK received over 4,300 responses. Four in ten respondents to our survey reported currently experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, burnout, stress, emotional distress or a mental health condition that is impacting on their work/training/study. British Medical Association

Pay deal row erupts between government and NHS England

Pay deal row erupts between government and NHS England A row has broken out between the government and NHS England over £50m funding for NHS staff pay.

The money is due to be paid this year for the annual pay rise promised by the government to staff in NHS public health services, like sexual health, health visiting and school nursing.

But both the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England are refusing to fund it, leaving the providers of these services – mostly NHS community and mental health trusts – facing large gaps in their income. Health Service Journal

Breast cancer surgeon who got breast cancer

Breast cancer surgeon who got breast cancer "Like many women, I did not check my breasts. I thought, 'it's not going to happen to me - I'm a breast cancer surgeon'."

Liz O'Riordan ended up having to give up the job she had trained 20 years for, after she herself was diagnosed with breast cancer. BBC News

One In Five LGBTQ+ NHS Staff Have Been Attacked n The Last Year - HuffPost UK

One In Five LGBTQ+ NHS Staff Have Been Attacked n The Last Year One in five NHS staff who are LGBTQ+ say they have been attacked while working in the last 12 months, new figures reveal.

When responding to the 2018 NHS Staff Survey, more than 20% of those identifying as gay and bisexual reported experiencing at least one attack in the last 12 months from patients, service users, relatives or other members of the public. Huffington Post UK

Give local authorities extra powers to curb junk food ads – report

Give local authorities extra powers to curb junk food ads – report Local authorities should be given greater powers to make it easier for them to impose restrictions on junk food advertising in their areas, a report has recommended.

Loopholes ripe for closure include the rules governing promotions in public telephone boxes – normally outside councils’ jurisdiction – while the remit of the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) should be extended to advertising not only near schools but also nurseries, children’s centres, parks, family attractions and leisure centres, it said. The Guardian

See also:

• Taking down junk food ads – how local authorities are taking action on outdoor advertising Food Active and Sustain

Hancock: NHS must adopt new technology or it will not survive

Hancock: NHS must adopt new technology or it will not survive The NHS must adopt new technology in order to survive, the health secretary has warned, as a report calls for widespread use of robots and artificial intelligence.

The study by the Taxpayers Alliance suggests one tenth of the NHS budget could be saved by the introduction of “automation” across the health service.

The report highlights innovations, such as the use of AI to analyse emergency calls, which were found to detect life-threatening situations more quickly. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Health Secretary launches TPA report on automation in health care Taxpayers Alliance
• Embracing technology in health and social care Taxpayers Alliance

Government promises £8million to give ambulance staff body cameras

Government promises £8million to give ambulance staff body cameras A third paramedics have been attacked in the past year, according to official figures from the NHS.

Nearly 7,000 ambulance staff admitted to having suffered physical violence at work last year from patients and the public.

The figures have prompted the Government to announce a series of measures that could see all paramedics given body-worn cameras.

In an announcement today, health chiefs promised to spend £8million on a pilot that will see staff at three ambulance trusts wear them. The Daily Mail

£2m lung scan project to detect cancer earlier in Corby hotspot

£2m lung scan project to detect cancer earlier in Corby hotspot Lung scanning trucks are coming to Corby as part of a four-year £2.3m project to detect cancer earlier.

Lung cancer rates for the town have for many years been much higher than those of surrounding towns and the national average.

Now in a bid for earlier detection, patients aged between 55 and 74 with a history of smoking will be offered a lung MOT by their GP and a low dose CT scan from a mobile unit. The units will also be stationed at places such as supermarkets so that people can drop in for a check. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Outbreak of virus sees closure of Northampton General Hospital ward

Outbreak of virus sees closure of Northampton General Hospital ward Six patients have been affected by an outbreak of the norovirus bug at NGH prompting the hospital to warn those who have had diarrhoea and sickness not to visit.

A spokeswoman for the hospital confirmed a minor outbreak, which is contained to Becket Ward.

To keep patients safe and prevent further spread of the virus managers have implemented "stringent infection prevention and control procedures", which include isolating the ward. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Campaign to tackle 'botched' cosmetic procedures

Campaign to tackle 'botched' cosmetic procedures A campaign to tackle "botched" cosmetic procedures is to be launched shortly by the government in England.

It follows a rise in people seeking surgeries such as a "Brazilian butt lift" abroad, which has led to deaths.

There have also been warnings about the rise in the use of self-injected dermal and lip fillers, with the risk of causing complications that then have to be treated on the NHS. BBC News

Targeted checks 'prevent one-in-10 heart attacks'

Targeted checks 'prevent one-in-10 heart attacks' Nearly one in 10 heart attacks and strokes in England and Wales could be prevented if routine check-ups were better targeted, say researchers.

Currently, people aged 40 and over are eligible to have their heart health assessed every five years.

But UCL scientists say people at low risk are being checked too often while those considered at high risk are not checked often enough.

They say a personalised approach could save lives without costing any more. BBC News

See also:

• 5-year versus risk-category-specific screening intervals for cardiovascular disease prevention: a cohort study (open access) Lancet Public Health

Learning disability 'trapped' in hospitals as NHS target missed

Learning disability 'trapped' in hospitals as NHS target missed An NHS target to reduce the number of people with learning disabilities being treated in long-stay hospitals has been missed, resulting in more than 2,200 remaining in-patients in England.

Charities say they are at risk of abuse and neglect in hospital units and should be cared for in homes in the community, close to their families.

NHS England committed to halving the numbers in hospitals, but achieved 19%.

It said it was investing in community care to help hundreds more people. BBC News

NHS mental health patients kept on locked wards for years

NHS mental health patients kept on locked wards for years Guardian finds many people confined far from families, sometimes for decades

A patient locked in a secure ward for more than 21 years is among hundreds of people with mental health problems being kept in what one MP has called “old-style asylums” in NHS hospitals, an investigation can reveal.

Keeping people in so-called “locked rehabilitation wards” has been condemned as “outdated and sometimes institutionalised care”, by the NHS watchdog, with many patients housed far from their homes. This is despite a 2017 report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that said the model of care had no place in a modern healthcare system. The Guardian

Sexual dysfunction cuts risk 'leaving thousands in UK without help'

Sexual dysfunction cuts risk 'leaving thousands in UK without help' Cuts to sexual dysfunction services risk leaving thousands of people without help for problems that can affect their wellbeing, relationships and ability to conceive, the Guardian can reveal.

Experts say funding cuts to sexual health clinics and clinical commissioning groups have led to the decommissioning of services that tackle sexual dysfunction. This, they say, is leaving men and women with dwindling support for problems ranging from erectile trouble to pain during sex – a situation that not only impacts people’s quality of life, but could mean they miss their chance to start a family. The Guardian

NHS England to expand jobs scheme for mental health patients

NHS England to expand jobs scheme for mental health patients Thousands more people who want to return to work to have access to IPS support service

Thousands more people in England with mental health problems are to receive support finding a job, it has been announced.

A scheme aimed at helping patients who wish to return to work will be rolled out to 28 new local NHS areas, NHS England said. The Guardian

See also:

• Thousands more set to get help as NHS rolls out mental health job coaches NHS England

'One in four' NHS doctors suffering from a mental health condition

'One in four' NHS doctors suffering from a mental health condition More than a quarter of NHS doctors suffer from mental health conditions, a survey indicates, as leading medics say many refuse to seek help for fear it will ruin their career.

The British Medical Association (BMA) today warns of a mental health “crisis” among the workforce, with 27 per cent having received a psychiatric diagnosis. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• 1 in 4 doctors 'have suffered mental health issues' as stresses of the job can lead to depression, anxiety, and drinking problems The Daily Mail
• Burnout Britain: Report Warns Of 'Alarming Mental Health Crisis' Among Doctors Huffington Post UK

Gagging orders for NHS whistleblowers will be banned, Health Secretary promises

Gagging orders for NHS whistleblowers will be banned, Health Secretary promises Gagging orders for whistleblowers will be banished from the NHS, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has promised, after a radiographer had her non-disclosure agreement overturned.

Mr Hancock said he was "determined to end" the injustice of making health service staff choose between speaking out to protect patients or keeping their job. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS non-disclosure agreements to end, vows Matt Hancock The Guardian
• Gagging orders on NHS whistleblowers to be banned The Independent

Volunteering at hospitals will help boost your ‘personal resilience’, head of the NHS says

Volunteering at hospitals will help boost your ‘personal resilience’, head of the NHS says The head of the NHS has encouraged teenagers and young adults to help out in hospitals.

Simon Stevens called for a ‘new generation’ of volunteers step forward, pointing out that some roles would undoubtedly lead to future health service careers.

He said volunteering was particularly beneficial for younger age groups in building their self-confidence and giving them invaluable life-skills. BBC News

Number of patients seen by NHS hospitals rockets by five MILLION annually in 15 years

Number of patients seen by NHS hospitals rockets by five MILLION annually in 15 years Hospitals in England are dealing with 5 million more patients than 15 years ago.

The number of emergency, planned and day-case patients has soared by more than 40 per cent since 2004, to 17.6 million in 2016-17. The ageing population, obesity crisis and diabetes have all been blamed.

People being treated as outpatients waited 11 days longer in 2016-17, with the average time to treatment jumping from 37 days in 2007-08 to 48 days.

Researchers at the University of York spelled out the pressure mounting on the NHS, which has seen emergency visits to A&E rise almost 9 per cent in a decade. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Staff praised as NHS productivity grows more than twice as fast as wider economy NHS England
• 'Inefficient' NHS has seen productivity grow twice as fast as economy The Indepdendent

Northants NHS CCG staff survey results ‘poor’

Northants NHS CCG staff survey results ‘poor’ A damning survey of NHS staff working for the body responsible for Northamptonshire’s health services has said that senior managers don’t communicate properly or act on staff feedback.

New chief executive of the Nene and Corby Clinical Commissioning Groups Toby Sanders has said the results of the survey, which was carried out last November, are very poor and that senior management should ‘be very concerned about what they tell us about the organisation.’ Northamptonshire Telegraph

Rising waiting list for chronic eye disease sufferers in Northamptonshire as hospitals are several thousand appointments short

Rising waiting list for chronic eye disease sufferers in Northamptonshire as hospitals are several thousand appointments short There is a rising waiting list for those with chronic eye disease in Northamptonshire and the county’s two hospitals could be several thousand eye appointments short each year of what is needed.

A review of eye care services undertaken by the Northamptonshire Health Care Partnership on the request of NHS England to all health systems has shown that there is a growing issue with a rising waiting list for follow-up appointments. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Government must end use of pain-inducing restraint techniques and solitary confinement of detained children

Government must end use of pain-inducing restraint techniques and solitary confinement of detained children The use of pain inducing techniques and solitary confinement of children in detention must be banned, says a new report by the UK Parliament’s Human Rights Committee. These cause physical distress and psychological harm in both the short and longer term, and are clearly not compliant with human rights standards.

“The UK is under international and domestic legal obligations to ensure that children are not subject to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

The Government must comply with its legal obligations and ensure that children in detention are not subject to solitary confinement or unnecessary or disproportionate uses of restraint.”

The Committee’s inquiry considered the use of restraint and separation in a range of settings where 2,500 children are detained at any one time: some for care, treatment or welfare reasons, and some because of criminal offences. Most are highly vulnerable, many have multiple challenges.

See also:

• Ministers under pressure to ban use of pain-inducing restraint and solitary confinement on children in detention The Independent

Building better: the role of transport infrastructure and services in improving mental health

Building better: the role of transport infrastructure and services in improving mental health According to this report, mental illness is costing the country £66.5 billion every year and better transport journeys can help. The report uses NHS Digital data to assess the prevalence and cost of mental health disorders in different English regions and finds that improving the way people travel and their experience at rail stations, airports and on roads, could play a significant role in improving their mental wellbeing. London City Airport

Number of CCGs could be cut by 75% by April 2020

Number of CCGs could be cut by 75% by April 2020 Measures to cut the number of CCGs in England by more than three quarters could be in place within a year as part of a service redesign that will see commissioning groups merge so that they align with local STPs and integrated care systems (ICSs). GP online

Ipswich murder-suicide: Crisis team 'missed opportunity'

Ipswich murder-suicide: Crisis team 'missed opportunity' A mental health trust has been criticised for failing to prevent a patient killing his wife and then taking his own life.

Thomas and Katherine Kemp were found dead in Ipswich on 6 August.

An inquest heard Mrs Kemp, 31, was found with 28 knife wounds at the flat she shared with her husband, 32.

Ipswich coroner Jacqueline Devonish said the refusal to offer Mr Kemp a bed or assessment was a "missed opportunity" to prevent their deaths.

She criticised Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT)'s crisis team for not intervening, after the couple had visited hospital in the early hours of 6 August. BBC News

'A wonder drug helped me eat - then for 10 years I had to go without'

'A wonder drug helped me eat - then for 10 years I had to go without' Because of rare illness, Louise Moorhouse is on a special diet of pills or foul-tasting shakes. There's a drug that would allow her to eat like anyone else - she took it for three years during a clinical trial. But the NHS won't pay for it, reports the BBC's Deborah Cohen - and the drug company stopped giving it to her once the trial was over. BBC News

Gene therapy cures babies of rare ‘bubble boy’ immune disorder in world first

Gene therapy cures babies of rare ‘bubble boy’ immune disorder in world first Ten newborns with the rare genetic disorder known as “bubble boy” disease were cured with gene therapy, researchers said on Wednesday.

The treatment appears to have completely rid the babies of their immune disorder with no side effects or complications – a result scientists have sought for decades through painstaking research and heartbreaking setbacks. The Independent

See also:

• St. Jude gene therapy cures babies with 'bubble boy' disease St Jude Children's Research Hospital
• HIV used to cure 'bubble boy' disease BBC News

Parents caring for sick children warned against sharing stories on social media in wake of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans cases

Parents caring for sick children warned against sharing stories on social media in wake of Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans cases Parents caring for sick children have been warned against sharing stories on social media in the wake of a number of high profile cases.

It follows the high-profile cases of Charlie Gard, Alfie Evans and Ashya King, which attracted international attention and drew commentary from figures including Donald Trump and the Pope.

The new guidance by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) suggests parents should be given more help to understand the possible impact on their personal lives of posting online or involving the media. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• New advice seeks to prevent parent/doctor conflict in paediatrics Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• Children's healthcare: new advice aims to avoid breakdown of parents’ trust The Guardian

The Priory Group fined £300,000 by judge over death of teenage girl at psychiatric hospital

The Priory Group fined £300,000 by judge over death of teenage girl at psychiatric hospital The Priory Group, a private mental healthcare company, has been fined £300,000 for breaching health and safety law after a 14-year-old girl died in its care.

A criminal investigation was launched by the Health and Safety Executive after the death of Amy El-Keria, who was found dead at Ticehurst House psychiatric hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, in 2012. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Mother of 14-year-old who killed herself at the Priory speaks out BBC News
• The Priory fined £300k over death of 14-year-old girl BBC News
• Priory fined £300,000 over death of girl, 14, in East Sussex hospital The Guardian
• Priory hospital group fined £300,000 over death of 14-year-old girl Amy El-Keria The Independent

Planned C-sections are £400 cheaper than vaginal births for the NHS, finds study

Planned C-sections are £400 cheaper than vaginal births for the NHS, finds study Delivering a baby by a planned caesarean section is cheaper for the NHS than a vaginal birth, research suggests.

Around £400 could be saved once compensation costs are taken into consideration.

The majority of expectant mothers are being denied a C-section, despite official guidelines saying they should have the choice.

However experts have raised concerns over the guidelines having previously found that the risks of serious complications - including haemorrhaging - are higher with C-sections than vaginal births. The Daily Mail

Practice reveals appointment waits were cut by 21% after adding a self-care note for colds on phone

Practice reveals appointment waits were cut by 21% after adding a self-care note for colds on phone Adding a simple message onto the end of GP phone lines on how to self-care for a cold could cut waiting times, a study suggests.

One practice in Scotland saw the wait for routine appointments drop by 21 per cent after patients decided they no longer needed to see a doctor.

It comes as millions of patients are having to wait more than two weeks to see their GP amid a staffing crisis that is hurting the NHS from all sides. The Daily Mail

Northamptonshire's Brexit planning revealed

Northamptonshire's Brexit planning revealed Officials making Brexit preparations for Northamptonshire have been looking at the possible impact on public disorder, workforce shortages, food and medicine supply and transport issues.

Over the past few months the county’s local councils, police and health agencies have been coming up with plans to make sure services in the county continue to run as smoothly as possible in the face of Britain leaving the EU. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton nurse who lied about past misconduct in job application is struck off

Northampton nurse who lied about past misconduct in job application is struck off A nurse from Northampton who misled two prospective employers about his past has been kicked out of the profession.

Fredrick Ogunsanmi was originally charged by the Nursing and Midwifery Council after failing to give a patient a pain relief patch on April 1 2014 but pretending that he had done so by signing the relevant form.

But he then went on to apply to two separate nursing home companies - Stepping Stones Care Homes in Northampton and MHA in Rushden - in which he falsely stated on forms that he had never been subject to any misconduct process or safeguarding investigation. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Specialist nursing support for unpaid carers of people with dementia: a mixed-methods feasibility study

Specialist nursing support for unpaid carers of people with dementia: a mixed-methods feasibility study Admiral Nursing is the only specialist nursing service in the UK that specifically focuses on supporting carers of people with dementia, but evidence of its effectiveness, costs, and relationships to other services is limited. This project, jointly undertaken with the University of York’s Social Policy Research Unit, aimed to address this gap and explore the feasibility of full-scale formal evaluation. Centre for Health Economics

NHS Property Services awards Mitie with extension to facilities management mega-contract

NHS Property Services awards Mitie with extension to facilities management mega-contract NHS Property Services (NHS PS) has awarded an extension to a three-year contract to deliver engineering, landscaping and security services across the health service to Mitie.

The contract will see Mitie deliver mechanical and electrical services, building maintenance, security, and ground maintenance across the public body’s portfolio of 3,500 buildings, which represents about 10% of the total NHS estate. National Health Executive

Technology to keep dementia patients out of hospital

Technology to keep dementia patients out of hospital Sensors small enough to fit in the ear, robotic devices and sleep monitors could all become standard technology in the homes of people with dementia, scientists say.

The idea is to keep people safe and independent in their own homes, rather than needing to go to hospital.

Scientists, engineers and doctors are working to develop the technology at Imperial College London.

They say much of it is affordable and "could be usable in five years". BBC News

Breech baby scan 'would save lives'

Breech baby scan 'would save lives' Mums-to-be could be routinely offered an ultrasound scan at 36 weeks to help spot risky breech deliveries, when a baby's bottom or feet will emerge first, say UK researchers.

Breech births can be hazardous and tricky to diagnose.

Currently, midwives and doctors tend to rely on the shape and feel of the mother's bump to check.

Researchers estimate the scans would avoid 4,000 emergency caesareans and eight baby deaths a year in England. BBC News

See also:

• Screening for breech presentation using universal late-pregnancy ultrasonography: A prospective cohort study and cost effectiveness analysis (open access) PLOS Medicine
• Giving all pregnant women an extra ultrasound at 36 weeks could prevent C-sections The Daily Mail
• Ultrasound at eight months could prevent deaths and emergency caesareans, study shows The Independent

Mental health nurses join police officers on duty

Mental health nurses join police officers on duty Police in Berkshire have stopped more than 150 mental health patients from being sectioned or detained unnecessarily in cells over the past year.

Officers credit an initiative where mental health nurses join them on duty for an evening.

Thames Valley Police said the "invaluable" service saves officers' time because the nurses have access to medical records.

There are now calls for the service to be expanded so it's available around the clock. BBC News

Workplace wellness schemes don't improve productivity or cut absences, trial finds

Workplace wellness schemes don't improve productivity or cut absences, trial finds Workplace wellness programmes which aim to help employees stay fit, healthy, and - crucially - productive, do not reduce sick days, staff turnover or improve job performance, a major trial has found.

For the first time researchers, led by Harvard Medical School, have conducted a comprehensive trial to test the effects of diet advice, fitness coaching and mental health schemes offered by many businesses. The Independent

See also:

• Effect of a Workplace Wellness Program on Employee Health and Economic Outcomes: A Randomized Clinical Trial (open access) JAMA

Those left behind by the contaminated blood scandal shouldn’t have to fight for support

Those left behind by the contaminated blood scandal shouldn’t have to fight for support | Su Gorman My husband was a victim of the contaminated blood scandal. His death started my Kafkaesque battle with bureaucracy

My husband, Steve Dymond, was a mild haemophiliac and a victim of the contaminated blood scandal. He was a funny, clever, gentle man for whom tributes have not ceased, since he finally died in late December, aged 62. In the 1970s he was infected with hepatitis C after being given contaminated blood products on the NHS – 4,800 British haemophiliacs were infected with the product at the time and many have subsequently died.

When I kissed his cheek for the last time and then stepped out into that lonely night, I had no idea what was awaiting me. The Guardian

Eating red meat just once a day increases bowel cancer risk by a fifth

Eating red meat just once a day increases bowel cancer risk by a fifth Eating red meat just once a day increases your risk of bowel cancer by a fifth, a study by Oxford University suggests.

The research based on almost half a million British men and women found that even moderate consumption of ham and bacon was linked to an increased chance of developing the disease.

Scientists recommended cutting intake of red and processed meat to no more than twice a week, in light of the findings. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Diet and colorectal cancer in UK Biobank: a prospective study (open access) International Journal of Epidemiology
• A rasher of bacon 'ups cancer risk' BBC News
• Eating 76g of red and processed meat STILL raises your risk of bowel cancer The Daily Mail
• Even government guideline amounts of red meat and bacon increase risk of bowel cancer, study finds The Independent

From fear to fatwas: the data behind the growing mistrust in vaccines

From fear to fatwas: the data behind the growing mistrust in vaccines Startling figures released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday showed the extent to which measles has overrun the globe in the last few months.

The data show that the number of cases of measles worldwide more than trebled in the first three months of 2019, compared to the same period in 2018, increasing from around 28,000 to 112,000 cases.

WHO is clear that stagnating vaccination rates are one of the key reasons behind the disease's resurgence. The Daily Telegraph

Hitting the sweet spot?

Hitting the sweet spot? It has taken a while for everybody to digest the NHS long-term plan, a meaty document of over 130 pages and by some counts around 500 commitments. As if that weren't enough, it has also been followed by a plethora of further detail. The King's Fund

Hospitals still running with nurse staffing levels that put patient lives at risk

Hospitals still running with nurse staffing levels that put patient lives at risk Hospital wards across the NHS in England are still under staffed and putting patient lives at risk despite new policies coming into force as a result of the 2013 Mid-Staffordshire Inquiry, warns a new report published by the University of Southampton.

See also:

• Implementation, impact and costs of policies for safe staffing in acute NHS trusts University of Southampton.
• One in four NHS wards routinely operate at unsafe staffing levels that threaten patient safety The Daily Mail
• One in four NHS wards has dangerously low numbers of nurses, researchers find The Independent

Advances in cancer treatment

Advances in cancer treatment The pace of innovation in cancer treatment is rapid, with promising developments for patients in terms of survival and quality of life. Research in the fields of immunotherapy and radiotherapy has shown positive results in treating some cancers where established treatments are not effective. This POSTnote gives an overview of recent advances, the potential benefits and risks, and considers the opportunities and challenges of using new technologies in the NHS. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology

Violence in England and Wales in 2018: an accident and emergency perspective

Violence in England and Wales in 2018: an accident and emergency perspective This report finds that despite the recent spate of knife violence and homicide in some UK cities, the number of people injured in serious violence in England and Wales dropped by 1.7 per cent between 2017 and 2018. The study, which examines data by age and sex, is produced from a scientific sample of 126 emergency departments, minor injury units and walk-in centres in England and Wales. All are certified members of the National Violence Surveillance Network (NVSN), which has published an annual report for the past 18 years. Crime and Security Research Institute

Productivity of the English National Health Service: 2016/17 update

Productivity of the English National Health Service: 2016/17 update This report updates the Centre for Health Economics’ time-series of National Health Service (NHS) productivity growth for the period 2015/16 to 2016/17 and sets out trends in output, input and productivity since 2004/05. Centre for Health Economics

Statins 'don't work well for one in two people'

Statins 'don't work well for one in two people' Cholesterol-lowering "statin" drugs taken by millions of Britons may not work well enough in about half of those prescribed them, research suggests.

UK investigators looked at 165,000 patients on statins and found that for one in two, the drugs had too little effect on bad cholesterol - one of the big risk factors for heart disease.

They are not sure why statins appear to help some more than others.

Patients should not stop taking the drugs without seeing their doctor. BBC News

See also:

• Sub-optimal cholesterol response to initiation of statins and future risk of cardiovascular disease (abstract) Heart
• Half of patients taking statins won't reach 'healthy' cholesterol levels The Daily Mail
• Statins failing adequately to reduce cholesterol in 'half' of patients The Daily Telegraph

Clampdown planned for British online pharmacies

Clampdown planned for British online pharmacies New rules to keep people safe when buying medications from online pharmacies have been described as a "big step forward" by Britain's pharmacy regulator.

It comes after patients and relatives raised concerns, as well as an investigation by BBC Panorama.

The General Pharmaceutical Council has issued guidance for providers.

It will help regulate access to addictive medication, such as strong painkillers. BBC News

See also:

• New safeguards for people seeking medicines online General Pharmaceutical Council

Number of measles cases rocket amid warnings of poor vaccination rates

Number of measles cases rocket amid warnings of poor vaccination rates The number of cases of measles rose by more than 300 per cent in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2018, according to new figures from the World Health Organization.

Some 112,163 cases of measles globally were reported between January and March this year compared to just 28,124 during the same period last year. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Measles cases triple globally in 2019, says UN BBC News
• Measles cases in first three months of 2019 up 300% globally, WHO says The Independent

The forgotten sex: why is men's health ignored by policy makers?

The forgotten sex: why is men's health ignored by policy makers? British men have died at a younger age than British women since at least the time of Queen Victoria’s accession and they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

This is not some strange peculiarity of these islands: the pattern is repeated throughout every region of the world. There is not a single country where men outlive women. In both the UK and globally, there is currently a four-year difference in life expectancy between the sexes. The Daily Telegraph

NHS trusts are now handing out cash top-ups to convince doctors not to retire

NHS trusts are now handing out cash top-ups to convince doctors not to retire The NHS is handing out cash top-ups to doctors' salaries in a desperate bid to stop them from retiring early.

Doctors are trying to avoid big tax bills from stricter pension rules that put a cap on their saving allowances.

It's led to thousands leaving the profession early, amid a worsening staff shortage in the NHS workforce.

Around ten NHS trusts have now offered to contribute cash to doctors' pensions so they can opt out of the pension scheme, the Financial Times reports. The Daily Mail

Digital tool to help reduce avoidable lengthy stays in hospital

Digital tool to help reduce avoidable lengthy stays in hospital A new digital portal is being introduced by the NHS and councils which allows health and social care staff to see how many vacancies there are in local care homes, saving hours of time phoning around to check availability and helping people to get the right care or return home as quickly as possible. NHS England

Gene-silencing: 'New class' of medicine reverses disease porphyria

Gene-silencing: 'New class' of medicine reverses disease porphyria Doctors have used a new type of medicine called "gene silencing" to reverse a disease that leaves people in crippling pain.

The condition, acute intermittent porphyria, also causes paralysis and is fatal in some cases.

The novel approach fine-tunes the genetic instructions locked in our DNA.

Doctors say they are "genuinely surprised" how successful it is and that the same approach could be used in previously untreatable diseases. BBC News

Bounty pregnancy club fined £400,000 over data handling

Bounty pregnancy club fined £400,000 over data handling Pregnancy club Bounty UK has been given a £400,000 fine for illegally sharing the personal information of more than 14 million people.

The fine was issued by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in what it said was an "unprecedented" case.

Bounty compiled personal data but did not tell people that it was shared with 39 other organisations, said the ICO.

Bounty said it "acknowledged" the ICO's findings and had now made changes to how it handled member data. BBC News

Obese people unfairly denied IVF by cost-cutting NHS, says Oxford academic

Obese people unfairly denied IVF by cost-cutting NHS, says Oxford academic Obese people are being unfairly denied IVF by NHS bureaucrats who see them as “easy targets” for refusal of the expensive treatment, Oxford University research has concluded.

A paper by health researcher Dr Rebecca Brown said unsubstantiated assumptions that people are overweight by choice, and have become infertile as a consequence of this, result in their applications being declined.

She argues high-quality data from clinical trials – which the NHS demands for other treatments as a matter of course – are scarce or absent for IVF. The Independent

See also:

• Irresponsibly Infertile? Obesity, Efficiency, and Exclusion from Treatment (open access) Health Care Analysis

Medical cannabis isn’t reaching NHS patients. And I’m in too much pain to wait

Medical cannabis isn’t reaching NHS patients. And I’m in too much pain to wait | James Coke The government has broken its promise to make products that help with my MS available on prescription

I was delighted when the home secretary, Sajid Javid, announced that medical cannabis would be made available on prescription from November, including the two main active ingredients cannabidiol (CBD) and the psychoactive component of the plant, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Having used the drug for years to alleviate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), I and thousands of others would benefit from the change, or so I thought.

I’d hoped that acquiring cannabis oil legally would be a formality by now, but the door still remains firmly closed. Having recently moved house, I registered with a new doctor and enquired about getting the oil for my pain management. The request for oil containing THC was met with incredulity and a lecture on the dangers it could have on my mental health. I had to bite my tongue as I was offered ibuprofen or OxyContin instead: the former can rot your guts and the latter can leave you addicted to opiates. To say the least, it was a disappointing appointment. The Guardian

Hospital develops AI to identify patients likely to skip appointments

Hospital develops AI to identify patients likely to skip appointments Exclusive: London’s UCLH creates tool predicting 90% of no-shows – potentially saving NHS millions

A leading hospital has developed artificial intelligence to predict which patients are most likely to miss appointments.

University College Hospital in London created an algorithm using records from 22,000 appointments for MRI scans, allowing it to identify 90% of those patients who would turn out to be no-shows. The machine intelligence is not perfect – it also incorrectly flags about half of patients attending appointments as being at risk of not showing. The Guardian

Nearly 4 million GP appointments could be freed up by 2022 under NHS plans

Nearly 4 million GP appointments could be freed up by 2022 under NHS plans Nearly 4 million GP appointments could be freed up by 2022 under an NHS plan to cut bureaucracy.

The Time for Care programme encourages GP surgeries to be more efficient, by allowing patients to book appointments sooner, cutting paperwork and offering faster access to health specialists.

The programme has been piloted at over 2,000 surgeries since 2016 and will now be rolled out across the country with an aim to cover three quarters of GP practices by 2022. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• GP scheme frees up half a million hours for patients NHS England
• Releasing time to care NHS England
• Time for Care 'one part' of much bigger solution that is needed on GP workforce and workload Royal College of General Practitoners
• More GP appointments available due to success of pilot scheme BBC News