Mental health budget worth £1.9bn 'to be devolved'

Mental health budget worth £1.9bn 'to be devolved'  Mental health specialised commissioning will be fully devolved to providers within the next three years, according to the chief executive of a major mental health trust. Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust chief executive John Short told HSJ he expected NHS England’s £1.9bn specialised commissioning budget would be devolved to provider collaboratives.
“I think within two-and-a-half to three years all the £1.9bn of NHS England mental health spec comm will be run by collaboratives. That ambition is Simon Stevens’ ambition”, he said. Mr Short said he sat on an NHS England advisory board set up to examine how more of this budget, which includes forensic adult mental health, inpatient child and adolescent mental health, and eating disorder services, can be shifted to groups of providers. HSJ

NHS ‘better equipped’ to deal with winter crisis after funding boost

NHS ‘better equipped’ to deal with winter crisis after funding boost  The NHS in England has said it is “better equipped” to deal with the surge in demand for health services during winter thanks to a “£420m boost”. Part of the extra money has gone towards upgrading emergency departments – expanding space, creating new treatment areas and adding bed capacity at 80 hospitals across the country. Most of the improvements were put in place before Christmas, officials said. NHS England said the funding is making it easier to transfer patients from A&E to different wards and speed up their test results, helping to better manage the number of patient beds in use. Health officials said they expect the benefit from the schemes will be the equivalent of an additional 900 beds this winter. iNews

Falling immigration could destroy the NHS

Falling immigration could destroy the NHS  Workforce gaps currently pose a major threat to the viability of our health services, as noted in a joint 2018 report by the King’s Fund, Nuffield Trust, and Health Foundation. One in 11 NHS clinical posts is currently unfilled, rising to one in eight nursing posts. The report estimates that, without concerted action, the current shortage of NHS staff employed by trusts in England—already around 100 000—will grow to an estimated 250 000 by 2030. The BMJ

Radiotherapy should be given at different times of day to reduce side effects, Leicester Uni study suggests

Radiotherapy should be given at different times of day to reduce side effects, Leicester Uni study suggests Radiotherapy should be given at different times of day to reduce terrible side effects according to a new study from Leicester University.
A breakthrough study by genetic scientists at the University of Leicester shows that radiotherapy toxicity - the side effects from radiotherapy - can be reduced by scheduling treatment according to the body’s circadian rhythm. They found that 24 percent of patients treated in the morning had bright red skin after radiotherapy compared to 11 percent of those treated in the afternoon. Telegraph

2019: handling the uncertainty

2019: handling the uncertainty An NHS long-term plan, a social care Green Paper, a prevention Green Paper. And somewhere woven in amongst all that, Brexit. Or possibly not Brexit, depending on how the politics plays out. At the same time staff in the newly aligned NHS England and NHS Improvement will be settling into post, not least in the newly restructured regions – this alignment ends well over a decade of separation, remembering that Monitor existed long before the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Of course, on a bigger scale, the whole NHS is moving from competition to co-operation despite the legislative framework. Meanwhile across the country we expect sustainability and transformation partnerships to continue the journey towards integrated care systems with an added dose of primary care networks on top. King's Fund

Government promises to improve maternity care

Government promises to improve maternity care Mothers and new babies will be offered better support as part of plans designed to make the NHS one of the best places in the world to give birth. The measures will improve safety, quality and continuity of care to halve stillbirths, maternal and infant deaths and serious brain injuries in new-born babies by 2025.
At the heart of these plans is a major redesign of neonatal services, led by an expansion in staff numbers – with more expert neonatal nurses and specialists, and new roles for allied health professionals. Gov.uk

NHS England wants to see new year boost to numbers getting health check

NHS England wants to see new year boost to numbers getting health check Making a New Year’s resolution to take up a free NHS health check could stop people developing dementia as well as catching physical conditions, a top doctor said today. The national health check – a 20-minute, pain-free assessment carried out by a GP or nurse and involving tests on blood pressure, weight and height – is free to everyone aged 40 years old and above.
Symptoms like high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat increase the risk of having a stroke or suffering a heart attack and can be spotted as part of the routine health check. The national health check programme also picks up conditions such as kidney disease and type 2 diabetes and, since June, has included advice about preventing dementia. However, recent figures show that of the 15 million people eligible for a free NHS health check over the last five years, fewer than 50% took one. NHS England

EU exit operational readiness guidance: actions the health and care system in England should take to prepare for a 'no deal' scenario

EU exit operational readiness guidance: actions the health and care system in England should take to prepare for a 'no deal' scenario Department of Health and Social Care - This guidance, developed and agreed with NHS England and NHS Improvement, will support the health and care system in England to be prepared for a no-deal scenario. It summarises the areas where the department is focusing no-deal exit contingency planning, and where local action is required. Further operational guidance will be provided to support the health and care system to prepare for the UK leaving the EU before 29 March 2019. King's Fund
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