Lack of resources for mental health in Northampton 'failed' my son, says mother at 21-year-old's inquest

Lack of resources for mental health in Northampton 'failed' my son, says mother at 21-year-old's inquest A mother says her 21-year-old son was 'failed' by the lack of resources for mental health in Northampton after he took his own life last year.

The young man from Northampton was found dead in a wooded area near his home on June 8, 2018.

But at his inquest yesterday (January 16), his mother told the coroner she believed her son 'reached out for help and never received it in time' and claimed there is not enough help in Northampton for people suffering from mental health issues. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

New app shows waiting times at NGH, KGH and Corby Urgent Care Centre

New app shows waiting times at NGH, KGH and Corby Urgent Care Centre Those seeking medical attention at KGH and Corby Urgent Care Centre can now see how long the wait is on a smartphone app.

The app, called WaitLess, enables those in need of urgent but not life-threatening care to see waiting times at the two sites, as well as at Northampton General Hospital.

It will also factor in journey times using live traffic and travel information to help them choose the most appropriate location to have their condition or injury seen to. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northamptonshire child service's boss Victoria Perry removed

Northamptonshire child service's boss Victoria Perry removed A councillor overseeing a troubled children's services department has been asked to step down.

Victoria Perry was removed from her position as Northamptonshire County Council cabinet member for children's services by council leader Matt Golby.

Ms Perry said the move came out of the blue. No replacement has yet been announced.

Mr Golby praised Ms Perry's time in the post and thanked her on behalf of the council. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Northamptonshire councillor in charge of children's services given the chop Northamptonshire Telegraph

Are patients benefitting from better integrated care?

Are patients benefitting from better integrated care? As QualityWatch publishes a scrolling data story investigating whether the drive in recent years to integrate services more closely has resulted in any tangible improvements for patients, Sarah Scobie puts the study in context and explains the findings. Nuffield Trust

NHS financial sustainability

NHS financial sustainability In its annual report on the financial sustainability of the NHS, the NAO concludes that the existence of substantial deficits in some parts of the system, offset by surpluses elsewhere coupled with growing waiting lists and year-on-year increases in waiting times, does not paint a picture that is sustainable. The recent NHS long-term plan sets out a prudent approach to achieving the priorities and tests set by the government in return for its long-term funding settlement but a number of risks remain to the delivery of the plan.

The long-term funding settlement equates to a 3.4% average real-terms increase in funding, from 2019-20 to 2023-24 and applies only to the budget for NHS England and not to the Department’s entire budget. Consequently, it does not cover some key areas of health spending such as education, public health and capital investment that could affect the NHS’s ability to deliver the priorities of the long-term plan. In addition, without a long-term funding settlement for social care, local NHS bodies are concerned that it will be very difficult to make the NHS sustainable. National Audit Office

See also:

• The NHS has a new long-term plan but this is not 'job done' The Health Foundation
• The King’s Fund responds to the National Audit Office (NAO) report on NHS sustainability The King's Fund
• NHS hospitals overspend by up to £141m a year The Guardian
• NHS not sustainable and Theresa May’s £20.5bn funding pledge won’t fix it, NAO warns The Independent

Pharmacists warn of a 'surge' in shortage of common medicines

Pharmacists warn of a 'surge' in shortage of common medicines Pharmacists say they are struggling to obtain many common medicines and paying "vastly increased" prices for them.

This is leaving patients complaining of delays in getting hold of drugs such as painkillers, anti-depressants and blood pressure medication.

The BBC has found there has been a big rise in the number of drugs on the "shortage of supply" list for England.

There are 80 medicines in such short supply that the Department of Health has agreed to pay a premium for them.

This is up from 45 in October. BBC News

See also:

• Pharmacists facing 'massive shortages' in common medicines across UK, experts warn The Independent

NHS must tackle 'systemic racism' as report shows staff discrimination on the rise

NHS must tackle 'systemic racism' as report shows staff discrimination on the rise The NHS has been urged to tackle its “systemic racism” as new figures reveal that black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds remain “grossly underrepresented” and discrimination is on the rise.

The number of BME staff who reported experiencing discrimination in the last 12 months has risen to 15% according to data published by NHS England in a new workforce race quality standard report. National Health Executive

See also:

• NHS commits to long term support for race equality NHS England
• Workforce Race Equality Standard 2018 report NHS England

UK asthma sufferers experience three times more attacks than previously suggested, charity warns

UK asthma sufferers experience three times more attacks than previously suggested, charity warns The number of potentially life-threatening asthma attacks suffered in the UK each year is more than three-times higher than previously thought, according to new data.

The Asthma UK charity surveyed more than 10,000 people with asthma and found each had an attack on average twice a year.

Extrapolated across 5.4 million people in the UK currently being treatment for asthma, experts calculated that this averaged one attack every three seconds.

Previous studies have suggested that the rate was closer to one every 10 seconds, the charity said. The Independent

See also:

• 'My son's severe asthma is very distressing' BBC News
• Asthma attacks three times more common than thought, amid warnings over air pollution The Daily Telegraph

Mental capacity changes give care homes too much power, critics say

Mental capacity changes give care homes too much power, critics say Charities, lawyers and Labour warn against government rushing out legislation in England and Wales

Changes to mental capacity safeguards – intended to protect hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people – will hand care home managers and private hospitals far too much power, the government has been warned.

The Law Society, mental health charities and Labour have accused the Department of Health and Social Care (DoH) of rushing through legislation that would remove independent scrutiny of the monitoring process to ensure that residents were not subjected to excessive restrictions. The Guardian

Anti-vaxxers are among the top 'threats to global health' in 2019, WHO declares

Anti-vaxxers are among the top 'threats to global health' in 2019, WHO declares Anti-vaxxers have been named one of the top threats to global health in 2019 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The anti-vaccine movement joined air pollution and climate change, HIV, and a worldwide influenza pandemic on the list released on Monday.

'Vaccine hesitancy', as the WHO calls it, 'threatens to reverse progress made in tackling vaccine-preventable diseases.'

The organization added in its statement: 'Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective ways of avoiding disease - it currently prevents [two to three] million deaths a year, and a further 1.5 million could be avoided if global coverage of vaccinations improved.' The Daily Mail

See also:

• Ten threats to global health in 2019 World Health Organization
• Anti-vaccine movement 'a top threat to global health in 2019' says WHO The Independent

NHS crisis: Damning figures show ambulance diverts have doubled and 19 out of 20 beds are full

NHS crisis: Damning figures show ambulance diverts have doubled and 19 out of 20 beds are full The number of times hospitals turned ambulances away from their A&E departments soared last week to its highest level this winter.

Accident and emergency performance figures this week show the NHS is feeling the strain, as snow falls across Britain and temperatures plunge to -4C.

One in eight people taken to A&E in an ambulance were forced to wait at least half an hour before being handed over because hospitals were too busy.

And 19 out of 20 overnight hospital beds in the entire country are full – higher than the 'safe operating level' and the busiest they have been all winter. The Daily Mail

See also:

• UK flu levels according to PHE statistics: 2018 to 2019 Public Health England
• Official Statistics: Weekly national flu reports: 2018 to 2019 season Public Health England
• Flu piles pressure on over-stretched NHS hospitals as the outbreak KILLS 26 people in a week The Daily Mail
• Flu pressures on intensive care units now as bad as at height of last year's winter crisis The Daily Telegraph
• Winter pressures on NHS appear to be growing Public Finance