Overspend reduced at county council but concerns persist over remaining £11m savings

Overspend reduced at county council but concerns persist over remaining £11m savings Northamptonshire County Council’s overspend has reduced by £19million in the past five months, but questions remain over the deliverability of some of its remaining £11million savings.

The latest finance monitoring report, which will be discussed by cabinet next Tuesday (January 15), shows that the forecast year-end position is currently an overspend of £11m. It’s down from the £30m overspend forecast in July, when the council issued a second section 114 notice banning new expenditure. And it’s a further improvement on the £15.6million position reported last month. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

International comparison of women’s health

International comparison of women’s health A briefing from the Commonwealth Fund compares the health status and availability of health care for women in the United States with the situation for women in 10 other high-income countries, including the UK.

GP premises: the patient perspective

GP premises: the patient perspective Poor confidentiality at reception desks, issues with access for disabled people and dated waiting rooms are some of the biggest problems highlighted by patients in a new report published by the Patients Association of people’s views of their local GP surgery’s buildings.

The report has found that patients are concerned about various internal and external aspects of their local GP practice premises. The report outlines patients’ views based on an online survey and four focus groups aiming to establish the importance of the physical environment in shaping people’s experiences of primary care.

Confidentiality emerged as a key issue raised by patients, particularly the risk of being overheard at the reception desk or when telephoning practices. Of the 720 respondents to the survey and focus groups, 58% (404 of 692 respondents to this question) said that there was not enough space at the practice to allow reasonable privacy. The Patients Association

See also:

• Patients forced to whisper to GPs because walls are too thin The Daily Telegraph

Can a strong economic case be made for investing in the NHS?

Can a strong economic case be made for investing in the NHS? In September 2018, Professor Peter Smith delivered the 25th OHE Annual Lecture: Can a Strong Economic Case Be Made for Investing in the NHS? The lecture is now available as a publication, which can be downloaded for free.

Debate about funding has highlighted the difficulty of persuading sceptics that the NHS is a good use of public finance. There is a widely held view – particularly in finance ministries and some sections of the media – that health systems such as the NHS are ‘black holes’, constantly demanding increased funding without concomitant returns to society. Office of Health Economics

Home Office doubles charge for migrants to use the NHS

Home Office doubles charge for migrants to use the NHS Nurses and people who have been in the UK since childhood are among those who must pay the £400-a-year charge

he Home Office has doubled a charge for migrants to use the NHS, in a move that has been criticised for its impact on NHS workers and young people who have been in the UK since childhood.

The standard Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) will today double from £200 to £400 a year, a sum the Home Office says will bring much-needed funds to the National Health Service. Sky News

See also:

• Campaigners ‘desolate’ after Home Office doubles charge for migrants to use the NHS National Health Executive

Generation Z and Baby Boomers fear for future of the NHS, says survey

Generation Z and Baby Boomers fear for future of the NHS, says survey Concern that Brexit will harm the NHS, a surge in people turning to social media for medical advice, and ignorance regarding the pharmaceutical industry are among the findings of a new report into people's attitudes to health.

The majority (59 per cent) of young patients think Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union will have a negative impact on the NHS, compared to just 28 per cent of older patients, according to the report by health comms agency Pegasus.

It outlines the results of a poll of 500 members of Generation Z, defined as those aged 16-23, and 500 Baby Boomers, those aged 54-72, which was carried out in October 2018.

Both demographic groups are concerned about the long-term outlook for the NHS, with 69 per cent of Generation Zs and 72 per cent of Baby Boomers saying they are worried about its future. PR Week

See also:

• Generation Z: The Future of Health and Wellbeing Behavioural differences between generations (free but requires registration) Pegasus 

People at greater risk of death due to embarrassment over cancer symptoms

People at greater risk of death due to embarrassment over cancer symptoms Millions of British people are delaying getting their cancer symptoms checked due to embarrassment, putting them at increased risk of death.

New research suggests a fifth of UK adults – around 6.6 million people – have put off seeking medical advice.

Experts warn that delays in diagnosis can have a major impact on the success of treatment, and urged people to overcome their shame to ensure the best results. The Independent

Long-term NHS plan: Does the UK health service provide value for money?

Long-term NHS plan: Does the UK health service provide value for money? The government produced a “long-term plan” for the National Health Service on Monday.

This is designed to outline how the £20bn a year funding boost by 2023-24, announced last year, will be spent.

Labour, unions and various health group say the plan is underfunded and will not fill widening staffing gaps.

The Institute of Economic Affairs, on the other hand, complains that the plan does not allow for greater “competition” or “patient choice” and argues that ministers have refused to heed the lessons from superior and more efficient European health insurance systems.

So just how does the NHS compare to other countries’ health systems when it comes to value for money? Should we be learning from abroad? The Independent

See also:

• Without more staff, the NHS plan will fail. GPs will have to pick up the pieces | Zara Aziz The Guardian

Injection to halt the progress of Alzheimer’s 'available within decade'

Injection to halt the progress of Alzheimer’s 'available within decade' An injection capable of halting the progress of Alzheimer’s could be available to patients within a decade, Britain’s leading dementia organisation predicts.

The Alzheimer’s Society says a series of recent breakthroughs in treatments that disrupt harmful genes has brought scientists to a “tipping point” in their fight against the disease.

For decades, researchers have sought without success a treatment for Alzheimer’s based on targeting damaging proteins that build up in the brain. The Daily Telegraph