Northamptonshire County Council finances 'remain fragile' despite break-even optimism from commissioners

Northamptonshire County Council finances 'remain fragile' despite break-even optimism from commissioners The government appointed commissioners of Northamptonshire County Council says that the authority’s finances ‘remain fragile’, even as they predict it will break even against all odds this year.

Tony McArdle and Brian Roberts were drafted in by Westminster to oversee the failing county council after it effectively declared itself bankrupt last year by ordering a section 114 notice, which prohibits news spending.

But with the in-year overspend reducing from £64.1million to £1.4million, the commissioners are confident the council will balance its book by the end of the financial year in late March. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northampton doctor who gave drugs without a licence is free to work again

Northampton doctor who gave drugs without a licence is free to work again A doctor who was suspended while working for NHS Northamptonshire Healthcare has had his suspension revoked.

It comes after Dr Gabriel Okey worked without a licence for six weeks in 2016, including a period at HMP Bedford.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Services found he knowingly worked even though his licence had been revoked three months previously and so he had "abused his position of trust". The panel suspended him for a year in January 2018.

But a fresh tribunal has ruled that he can now return to work. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Evaluating, fast and slow: reflections from the Rapid Evaluation Conference

Evaluating, fast and slow: reflections from the Rapid Evaluation Conference Rapid evaluation should not be mistaken for ‘quick and dirty’ research, so what does it mean? Nuffield Trust

Involving NHS staff in research

Involving NHS staff in research This report looks at the different ways NHS staff are getting involved in the research process including designing studies, collecting data, and disseminating and implementing research findings. It also looks at how staff involvement in research could be improved and describes some of the barriers to active involvement, from lack funding and support through to a tendency for research opportunities to be offered to certain healthcare professions and specialties. Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute

Vulnerable Children in a Digital World

Vulnerable Children in a Digital World This report provides insight into the online world of the UK’s most vulnerable children highlights the potential online risks that different groups of vulnerable children may face online, such as pressure to be sexting, cyberbullying, cyber scams, or seeing content promoting self-harm, anorexia and suicide.

It also offers guidance on ways to support vulnerable children emphasising the introduction of specialised training and tools across all sectors to draw on the ability to identify the most likely online issues facing the highest risk children and trigger early intervention. Internet Matters.Org 

See also:

• Vulnerable children at risk of becoming 'lost in digital space', report warns The Independent

The Daffodil standards

The Daffodil standards GP surgeries will now be able to display a 'daffodil mark' as a sign of commitment to improving end of life care, as part of a new partnership between the Royal College of GPs and the terminal illness charity Marie Curie. The mark, synonymous with the charity, is based on a new set of criteria called the Daffodil Standards – a set of eight quality improvement statements designed to support primary care teams in delivering care to patients living with an advanced, serious illness or at the end of their lives, and their loved ones. Royal College of General Practitioners 

Developing people – improving care: guidance

Developing people – improving care: guidance In 2016, this framework was introduced to help NHS and social care staff to develop four critical capabilities: systems leadership; established quality improvement methods; inclusive and compassionate leadership; and talent management. The newly published guidance provides further information to those with a deeper interest on these capabilities. NHS Improvement 

Sepsis: New rapid test 'could save thousands of lives'

Sepsis: New rapid test 'could save thousands of lives' A new rapid test for earlier diagnosis of sepsis has been developed by University of Strathclyde researchers, which they say could save thousands of lives.

A microelectrode device analyses the patient's blood, with results coming through in two-and-a-half minutes.

Current diagnosis tests for sepsis can take up to 72 hours.

The researchers hope the low-cost test could come into everyday use in three to five years. BBC News

See also:

• Development of a needle shaped microelectrode for electrochemical detection of the sepsis biomarker interleukin-6 (IL-6) in real time (open access) Biosensors and Bioelectronics

Hospices are facing financial ruin – here’s how can we sustain end-of-life care

Hospices are facing financial ruin – here’s how can we sustain end-of-life care For the first time ever, one of Britain’s 200 independent hospices has closed its doors.

St Clare’s in Jarrow near Newcastle had been serving its community in the northeast of England for 30 years, raising most of its annual costs of £2.2m from local charitable giving. But after a trying period of medical understaffing, concerns from independent regulator the Care Quality Commission and mounting financial problems, it has had no choice but to shut down.

St Clare’s supporters are saddened and dismayed. The local MP has raised his concerns with the prime minister. Worryingly, the closure may be a sign of much bigger problems in the sector. Senior sources familiar with hospice finances tell me that up to 50 more hospices may be in difficulties. The Independent

With councils and the NHS at loggerheads, vital services are at risk

With councils and the NHS at loggerheads, vital services are at risk Who should run local health and care services, especially public health services, is becoming an increasingly tense battleground between the NHS and local government, with serious potential consequences.

The NHS long-term plan, unveiled in January, aims to deliver the “triple integration” of primary and hospital care, physical and mental health services and health with social care. From councils’ point of view, this is a unique opportunity to fix one of the big flaws in the way the NHS was set up in 1948, with a centralised service telling local services what to do, rather than focusing on the needs of local communities. The Guardian

Health Secretary urged to stop privatisation of NHS as companies bid for £128million contracts

Health Secretary urged to stop privatisation of NHS as companies bid for £128million contracts Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has been urged to stop private companies from securing NHS contracts.

A total of 26 health service contracts worth more than £128 million are currently out to tender, according to research commissioned by the Labour Party.

One contract – for running the NHS 111 phones line in Kent, Medway and Sussex – is worth more than £90 million. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Keep NHS contracts ‘in public hands’, Labour urges ITV News

Doctors say they are 'too BUSY' to look after dying patients because of growing workloads

Doctors say they are 'too BUSY' to look after dying patients because of growing workloads The majority of doctors say they are too busy to provide the quality of end-of-life care they would like to.

That's the finding of a new survey done by the Royal College of General Practitioners, which quizzed 1,000 GPs across the UK.

Medical professionals blame growing workloads and funding cuts for the problem.

The research also found 62 per cent of doctors feel there's insufficient community support available to terminally ill patients and their families, because of a lack of funds. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Four in five GPs struggle to find time to care for dying patients, survey shows GPonline