£2m lung scan project to detect cancer earlier in Corby hotspot

£2m lung scan project to detect cancer earlier in Corby hotspot Lung scanning trucks are coming to Corby as part of a four-year £2.3m project to detect cancer earlier.

Lung cancer rates for the town have for many years been much higher than those of surrounding towns and the national average.

Now in a bid for earlier detection, patients aged between 55 and 74 with a history of smoking will be offered a lung MOT by their GP and a low dose CT scan from a mobile unit. The units will also be stationed at places such as supermarkets so that people can drop in for a check. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Outbreak of virus sees closure of Northampton General Hospital ward

Outbreak of virus sees closure of Northampton General Hospital ward Six patients have been affected by an outbreak of the norovirus bug at NGH prompting the hospital to warn those who have had diarrhoea and sickness not to visit.

A spokeswoman for the hospital confirmed a minor outbreak, which is contained to Becket Ward.

To keep patients safe and prevent further spread of the virus managers have implemented "stringent infection prevention and control procedures", which include isolating the ward. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Campaign to tackle 'botched' cosmetic procedures

Campaign to tackle 'botched' cosmetic procedures A campaign to tackle "botched" cosmetic procedures is to be launched shortly by the government in England.

It follows a rise in people seeking surgeries such as a "Brazilian butt lift" abroad, which has led to deaths.

There have also been warnings about the rise in the use of self-injected dermal and lip fillers, with the risk of causing complications that then have to be treated on the NHS. BBC News

Targeted checks 'prevent one-in-10 heart attacks'

Targeted checks 'prevent one-in-10 heart attacks' Nearly one in 10 heart attacks and strokes in England and Wales could be prevented if routine check-ups were better targeted, say researchers.

Currently, people aged 40 and over are eligible to have their heart health assessed every five years.

But UCL scientists say people at low risk are being checked too often while those considered at high risk are not checked often enough.

They say a personalised approach could save lives without costing any more. BBC News

See also:

• 5-year versus risk-category-specific screening intervals for cardiovascular disease prevention: a cohort study (open access) Lancet Public Health

Learning disability 'trapped' in hospitals as NHS target missed

Learning disability 'trapped' in hospitals as NHS target missed An NHS target to reduce the number of people with learning disabilities being treated in long-stay hospitals has been missed, resulting in more than 2,200 remaining in-patients in England.

Charities say they are at risk of abuse and neglect in hospital units and should be cared for in homes in the community, close to their families.

NHS England committed to halving the numbers in hospitals, but achieved 19%.

It said it was investing in community care to help hundreds more people. BBC News

NHS mental health patients kept on locked wards for years

NHS mental health patients kept on locked wards for years Guardian finds many people confined far from families, sometimes for decades

A patient locked in a secure ward for more than 21 years is among hundreds of people with mental health problems being kept in what one MP has called “old-style asylums” in NHS hospitals, an investigation can reveal.

Keeping people in so-called “locked rehabilitation wards” has been condemned as “outdated and sometimes institutionalised care”, by the NHS watchdog, with many patients housed far from their homes. This is despite a 2017 report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that said the model of care had no place in a modern healthcare system. The Guardian

Sexual dysfunction cuts risk 'leaving thousands in UK without help'

Sexual dysfunction cuts risk 'leaving thousands in UK without help' Cuts to sexual dysfunction services risk leaving thousands of people without help for problems that can affect their wellbeing, relationships and ability to conceive, the Guardian can reveal.

Experts say funding cuts to sexual health clinics and clinical commissioning groups have led to the decommissioning of services that tackle sexual dysfunction. This, they say, is leaving men and women with dwindling support for problems ranging from erectile trouble to pain during sex – a situation that not only impacts people’s quality of life, but could mean they miss their chance to start a family. The Guardian

NHS England to expand jobs scheme for mental health patients

NHS England to expand jobs scheme for mental health patients Thousands more people who want to return to work to have access to IPS support service

Thousands more people in England with mental health problems are to receive support finding a job, it has been announced.

A scheme aimed at helping patients who wish to return to work will be rolled out to 28 new local NHS areas, NHS England said. The Guardian

See also:

• Thousands more set to get help as NHS rolls out mental health job coaches NHS England

'One in four' NHS doctors suffering from a mental health condition

'One in four' NHS doctors suffering from a mental health condition More than a quarter of NHS doctors suffer from mental health conditions, a survey indicates, as leading medics say many refuse to seek help for fear it will ruin their career.

The British Medical Association (BMA) today warns of a mental health “crisis” among the workforce, with 27 per cent having received a psychiatric diagnosis. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• 1 in 4 doctors 'have suffered mental health issues' as stresses of the job can lead to depression, anxiety, and drinking problems The Daily Mail
• Burnout Britain: Report Warns Of 'Alarming Mental Health Crisis' Among Doctors Huffington Post UK

Gagging orders for NHS whistleblowers will be banned, Health Secretary promises

Gagging orders for NHS whistleblowers will be banned, Health Secretary promises Gagging orders for whistleblowers will be banished from the NHS, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has promised, after a radiographer had her non-disclosure agreement overturned.

Mr Hancock said he was "determined to end" the injustice of making health service staff choose between speaking out to protect patients or keeping their job. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS non-disclosure agreements to end, vows Matt Hancock The Guardian
• Gagging orders on NHS whistleblowers to be banned The Independent

Volunteering at hospitals will help boost your ‘personal resilience’, head of the NHS says

Volunteering at hospitals will help boost your ‘personal resilience’, head of the NHS says The head of the NHS has encouraged teenagers and young adults to help out in hospitals.

Simon Stevens called for a ‘new generation’ of volunteers step forward, pointing out that some roles would undoubtedly lead to future health service careers.

He said volunteering was particularly beneficial for younger age groups in building their self-confidence and giving them invaluable life-skills. BBC News

Number of patients seen by NHS hospitals rockets by five MILLION annually in 15 years

Number of patients seen by NHS hospitals rockets by five MILLION annually in 15 years Hospitals in England are dealing with 5 million more patients than 15 years ago.

The number of emergency, planned and day-case patients has soared by more than 40 per cent since 2004, to 17.6 million in 2016-17. The ageing population, obesity crisis and diabetes have all been blamed.

People being treated as outpatients waited 11 days longer in 2016-17, with the average time to treatment jumping from 37 days in 2007-08 to 48 days.

Researchers at the University of York spelled out the pressure mounting on the NHS, which has seen emergency visits to A&E rise almost 9 per cent in a decade. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Staff praised as NHS productivity grows more than twice as fast as wider economy NHS England
• 'Inefficient' NHS has seen productivity grow twice as fast as economy The Indepdendent