Monitoring the Mental Health Act in 2017/18

Monitoring the Mental Health Act in 2017/18 The Care Quality Commission's (CQC) annual report on the use of the Mental Health Act (MHA) looks at how providers are caring for patients, and whether patient’s rights are being protected. The CQC has seen some improvement in the quality of care planning for patients who are subject to the MHA but continues to be concerned about the quality and safety of mental health wards.

Waiting times and attendance durations at English accident and emergency departments.

Waiting times and attendance durations at English accident and emergency departments This report presents a detailed review of the demand-side, supply-side, practice and emergent factors that lead to four-hour breaches in accident and emergency departments, with a particular focus on changes that have taken place since 2010. The Strategy Unit

GP staff taught self-defence amid patient violence fears

GP staff taught self-defence amid patient violence fears More than 3,000 violent patients in England were barred from seeing their GP in 2018, figures obtained by the BBC have revealed.

The individuals were subject to the Special Allocation Scheme, a register for violent or abusive patients.

A GP practice in West Yorkshire said employees had been given self-defence training, in response to rising levels of violence and abuse.

NHS England said staff should be able to carry out their work without fear. BBC News

Autism-anorexia link 'must be acted on'

Autism-anorexia link 'must be acted on' The NHS must change the way it assesses eating disorders to take account of a link with autism, a research charity has said.

Autistica said findings suggested one in five women presenting to UK clinics with anorexia may also have autism and tailored therapy was vital.

One woman said her autism had made her "obsessed" with counting calories, even though she did not want to lose weight.

Health watchdog NICE said more research was required. BBC News

DWP plans to obtain people’s medical data will deter benefit claimants accessing healthcare, doctors warn

DWP plans to obtain people’s medical data will deter benefit claimants accessing healthcare, doctors warn Doctors have warned that benefit claimants could be deterred from accessing healthcare after it emerged that the government is to start accessing medical records as part of the welfare assessment process.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is in the process of creating a system to more quickly access people’s health data to help them to determine how much welfare support they are entitled to, including automating “routine” requests for medical information.

GPs and charities said the plans resemble the controversial data-sharing scheme between the Home Office and the NHS, which prompted outrage after it emergedsome immigrants were subsequently afraid to access healthcare, ultimately forcing the government to end the policy. The Independent

Trans patients in England face 'soul destroying' wait for treatment

Trans patients in England face 'soul destroying' wait for treatment Patients face unprepared GPs and long consultation waiting lists, the Guardian reveals

Trans men and women are being left humiliated and desperate after seeking care from their GP, according to a Guardian investigation that has shed light on serious flaws in how the NHS treats transgender patients.

Hundreds of transgender people responded to a request from the Guardian to describe their experience of navigating the NHS, with the most common complaints coming from patients who felt their GP did not understand gender dysphoria, were not adequately trained to deal with their needs, and erroneously referred patients to mental health services.

See also:

• 'Are you a man or a woman?': trans people on GP care The Guardian

NHS England survey reveals 'alarming downturn' in staff wellbeing

NHS England survey reveals 'alarming downturn' in staff wellbeing Number of those sick due to work-related stress is highest in five years

Two in five NHS staff in England felt sick from the stress of their job at some point last year, according to a survey.

The figure of 39.8% of staff feeling unwell as a result of work-related stress was the highest in five years. The NHS staff survey also found that increasing numbers of doctors, nurses and other personnel felt disillusioned, were working unpaid overtime and were thinking about quitting.

A majority (51%) are thinking about leaving their current role and 21% want to quit the NHS altogether.

More than three-quarters (78%) feel under unrealistic time pressures some or all of the time.

Nearly six in 10 (58%) say they do unpaid overtime every week, though that number is falling.

Nearly 28% have suffered back pain in the last year as a direct result of their work, up two percentage points since 2017.

Fewer than three in 10 (28.6%) feel their trust takes positive action to improve staff health and wellbeing. The Guardian
See also:

• 2018 Result NHS Staff Survey Coordination Centre
• NHS staff survey shows workforce under pressure The Health Foundation
• The King's Fund responds to the findings of the NHS Staff Survey The King's Fund
• Downturn in NHS staff wellbeing will have a knock on effect on patients Nuffield Trust
• Staff 'feeling unwelcome pressure', says NHS Employers in response to NHS Staff Survey results NHS Employers
• NHS publishes latest NHS staff survey results NHS England
• Number of black and minority NHS staff reporting abuse from patients and the public is rising The Daily Mail
• Bullying on the rise in NHS, with one in three staff falling victim to abuse The Daily Telegraph
• NHS staff bullying on the rise with one in four workers experiencing harassment or abuse National Health Executive

Nurse paid double her NHS wages for a year by mistake spared jail after admitting theft

Nurse paid double her NHS wages for a year by mistake spared jail after admitting theft A nurse who kept quiet about being paid double her wages by the NHS for nearly 18 months has escaped jail after admitting theft.

Sarah Merry, 35, pocketed more than £25,000 as she continued to receive her monthly wages for a hospital job she was no longer doing. The mother of one failed to tell her former bosses about the payments - and spent the money on family trips abroad and watching football and rugby. The Daily Telegraph