Friday 12 April 2019

Woman, 78, died after nine-hour ambulance wait

Woman, 78, died after nine-hour ambulance wait Faster treatment could have saved the life of a 78-year-old woman who waited more than nine hours for an ambulance, a coroner has said.

Diana Gudgeon died on 25 May 2018, two days after calling 111 with symptoms of a water infection and sepsis.

A Northampton coroner has raised concerns over how her emergency call was graded and an ambulance shortage.

East Midlands Ambulance Service said it was recruiting more staff to plug the "fundamental gap" in its resources. BBC Northampton

Context matters: the contrasting effect of enhancing support in residential and nursing homes

Context matters: the contrasting effect of enhancing support in residential and nursing homes The NHS Long Term Plan commits to improving NHS support to all care home residents over the next five years. This includes stronger links with primary care networks to help keep care home residents healthy and out of hospital wherever possible. The Health Foundation

Meeting the challenge of reducing stress and building resilience in the NHS workforce

Meeting the challenge of reducing stress and building resilience in the NHS workforce A new framework aimed at helping health and social care employers improve the mental wellbeing of their employees has been launched by Health Education England (HEE).

The Workforce Stress and the Supportive Organisation – A framework for improvement through reflection, curiosity and change encourages employers to take a closer look at the systems they currently have in place for managing staff wellbeing, it challenges them to give greater consideration to the impact workforce stress has on staff and look at the role they can play in providing better support to staff who may need it.

Fewer people injured in violent attacks - A&E data study

Fewer people injured in violent attacks - A&E data study Overall levels of violence in England and Wales are on the decline, in spite of an increase in knife crime, a study of A&E data suggests.

Analysis by Cardiff University found admissions of patients injured in violent attacks dropped 1.7% in 2018.

Its indicates a rise in knife crime, gun crime and homicide recorded by police is not part of a wider upsurge. BBC News

Give women more consistent abortion service, NHS told

Give women more consistent abortion service, NHS told Abortion services in England must provide a more consistent service to women, the NHS says.

The call comes from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) - the official NHS advisory body - in its first abortion guidance.

The draft proposal says women should be offered an appointment within a week and a termination a week after that.

All services should also accept self-referrals rather than expecting women to see a GP first, it adds. BBC News

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Doctors call for transparency over no-deal drug risk

Doctors call for transparency over no-deal drug risk Doctors' leaders have raised concerns over a lack of clarity about drug availability highlighted by no-deal Brexit planning.

The British Medical Association (BMA) warns "a culture of secrecy" could undermine the ability of medics to plan care and deliver treatment.

Confidential NHS England files, seen by Newsnight, suggest supply chain issues mean some drugs "cannot be stockpiled".

The government said it has been "as transparent as possible". BBC News

Brexit uncertainty affecting mental health of 1 in 3 UK adults, study shows

Brexit uncertainty affecting mental health of 1 in 3 UK adults, study shows Uncertainty about the future of Brexit is affecting the mental health of a third of UK adults, a new survey has found.

Around 33 per cent of people said Britain's departure from the European Union has had a negative effect on their wellbeing, according to a poll by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). The Independent

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A&E patients waiting more than four hours reaches record high

A&E patients waiting more than four hours reaches record high Almost 3 million people not dealt with in target time last year, NHS England data shows.

Almost 3 million patients in England waited more than four hours to be dealt with by A&E last year, the highest number since records began 16 years ago.

Figures from NHS England show 88% of patients were dealt with in four hours or less in 2018-19, the lowest-ever level, down from 88.3% in 2017-18. The Guardian

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Hospital inspections 'bad for patients'

Hospital inspections 'bad for patients' Hospital inspections are bad for patients because they divert staff away from giving basic care, a new study indicates. A major review of NHS trusts found the rate of potentially dangerous falls and bedsores tends to be worse in the aftermath of a visit by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) than they otherwise would be.

Since 2013, the watchdog has undertaken longer and more complex inspections of hospitals at least once every three years. The Daily Telegraph

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More than 71,000 'frail' patients were rushed back to hospital after just one day

More than 71,000 'frail' patients were rushed back to hospital after just one day More than 71,000 patients were taken back to hospital last year just a day after they were sent home, figures have revealed.

The number of readmissions soared by a third in four years, figures revealed, with experts blaming a severe shortage of hospital beds.

They are concerned patients are being sent home before they have recovered to create room for others arriving from A&E. The Daily Mail