Tuesday 5 February 2019

Corby family who lost baby help fund KGH project

Corby family who lost baby help fund KGH project Special skylight tiles have been fitted at KGH’s special care baby unit after a donation from a Corby family who lost their son. The 28 skylight tiles – which give a realistic image of the sky along with clouds and other natural features - have been fitted above the unit’s 18 neonatal and intensive care cots to support and promote brain development in premature and poorly babies. Northamptonshire Telegraph

One of the largest mental health trials launches in schools

One of the largest mental health trials launches in schools Hundreds of children and young people will learn how to use a range of innovative techniques to promote good mental health through one of the largest studies in the world of its kind.

To mark Children’s Mental Health Week (4-10 February), the Education Secretary Damian Hinds announces that up to 370 schools in England will take part in a series of trials testing different approaches to supporting young people’s mental health. GOV.UK

HEE publishes update on developing and strengthening AHP roles

HEE publishes update on developing and strengthening AHP roles The growing influence and increasingly enhanced role of Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in delivering safe and effective health care as part of an integrated service is highlighted in a review published today by Health Education England (HEE). Health Education England

Polypharmacy: new guidance available

Polypharmacy: new guidance available The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has today published guidance on polypharmacy for pharmacists and all healthcare organisations involved with medicines.

Polypharmacy: Getting our medicines right provides a summary of the scale and complexity of the issue of polypharmacy. It outlines how healthcare professionals, patients and carers can find solutions when polypharmacy causes problems for patients and points to useful resources that can help. Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Universal personalised care: implementing the comprehensive model

Universal personalised care: implementing the comprehensive model Personalised Care will benefit up to 2.5 million people by 2024, giving them the same choice and control over their mental and physical health that they have come to expect in every other aspect of their life. This document confirms how we will do this by 2023/24. It is the action plan for the rolling out personalised care across England. NHS England

NHS England launches 'Help Us Help You' Pharmacy campaign

NHS England launches 'Help Us Help You' Pharmacy campaign The NHS England has launched their ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign today, 4th February, encouraging the public to use their local pharmacy as their first port of call for managing minor illness.

The community pharmacy teams have already received a resource pack and these materials are displayed in their pharmacies. Participation in the campaign and displaying the materials are mandatory as the PSNC and NHS England decided to list this as one of the six public health campaigns for the year. Pharmacy Business

NHS Improvement recognises the leadership contribution psychologists can offer

NHS Improvement recognises the leadership contribution psychologists can offer New guidance from NHS Improvement says psychologists have a great leadership contribution to make to the NHS, but existing structures and expectations can make it hard for them to reach strategic management roles. Clinical leadership – a Framework for Action has been endorsed by nine professional bodies, including the British Psychological Society. The British Psychological Society

New data reveals 'shocking' uptake of yearly health checks

New data reveals 'shocking' uptake of yearly health checks Nearly half of people in England with a learning disability did not receive an annual health check last year, new data has revealed.

NHS figures released last week showed only 55 per cent of people with learning disabilities had a health check in 2017-18.

Although this has increased from 43 per cent in 2013-14, it is still far short of the new health check uptake target included in the long-term plan. The long-term plan set a goal of having at least 75 per cent of people aged 14 and over with a learning disability get a health check from their GP each year. HSJ

Tube teddies help sick kids understand their illnesses

Tube teddies help sick kids understand their illnesses A Glasgow woman is putting a smile on the faces of sick children after creating teddies that look just like them.

Fiona Allan, 28, suffers from a serious genetic condition that caused her to be given a nasal feeding tube and a surgical catheter.

She found it hard to adjust to her new appearance but felt even more for children going through the same thing.

Now her teddies with feeding tubes and stoma bags are in demand.

And they are making a difference. BBC News

Scottish researchers find 100 genes linked to depression

Scottish researchers find 100 genes linked to depression An international study led by the University of Edinburgh has discovered more than 100 genes linked to depression.

Experts studied data from two million people in 20 countries.

They found genetic variations affected nerve connections in the parts of the brain controlling decision-making and personality.

The more gene variations their subjects had, the more likely they were to be depressed.

Researchers believe their discovery could lead to better treatments. BBC News

Nearly half of GPs would want assisted death, poll suggests  

Nearly half of GPs would want assisted death, poll suggests
Almost half of GPs would want to be prescribed drugs to help them die if they were terminally ill and suffering unbearably, a poll suggests.

The survey of more than 1,000 family doctors found most would want the option of “assisted dying” under certain circumstances.

The poll, commissioned by a pressure group in favour of assisted dying, comes as the Royal College of Physicians questions its members on its position. The Telegraph

Carers quitting jobs from pressure

Carers quitting jobs from pressure More than 600 people a day leave their jobs because of the demands of being a carer, says research from a charity.

The pressures of looking after an elderly, ill or disabled relative have made almost half a million people quit their jobs in the UK in the past two years, says Carers UK.

The report calls for more flexibility in the workplace for carers.

The charity's head, Helen Walker, says that 15% of the working population is "now working and caring". BBC News

The NHS 10-year plan doesn’t do enough for children | Al Aynsley-Green

The NHS 10-year plan doesn’t do enough for children | Al Aynsley-Green The government’s NHS 10-year plan, which launched last month, has been broadly praised by children’s organisations. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, for one, celebrates that “it lays the foundations for an NHS with infants, children and young people at its core”. But does it? The Guardian

FGM 'increasingly performed on UK babies'

FGM 'increasingly performed on UK babies' Female genital mutilation (FGM) is increasingly being performed on babies and infants in the UK, the Victoria Derbyshire programme has been told.

FGM expert and barrister Dr Charlotte Proudman said it was "almost impossible to detect" as the girls were not in school or old enough to report it.

In one report, in Yorkshire, a victim was just one month old.

The National FGM Centre said it was "not surprised" that victims may be younger now. BBC News