Thursday 16 May 2019

National health servers: delivering digital health for all

National health servers: delivering digital health for all This research considers how technology could be adopted quicker and more widely by the NHS to improve the care that patients receive and to drive better health outcomes. The report tracks the patient journey, from prevention and diagnosis in the community, into primary and secondary care, through into management of long-term conditions. It sets out proposals for future development of technology in the NHS, which impact across the patient journey. Social Market Foundation

Rough sleeping grant: testing community based models of access to health services

Rough sleeping grant: testing community based models of access to health services he Health and Social Care Secretary has announced that £1.9 million will be given to councils by Public Health England to help improve the health of rough sleepers.

The funding will be awarded to projects that improve access to health services and continuity of care for people with mental ill-health and substance misuse problems who are sleeping rough or at risk of returning to rough sleeping.

Applications for funding are now being accepted up until 5 July 2019 and successful projects will be announced in the summer. Department of Health and Social Care

    The social impact of participation in culture and sport

    The social impact of participation in culture and sport This report finds that opportunities to reap major benefits in criminal justice, education and health are being missed by the failure of government to recognise and harness social impact. It argues that the full health impacts of cultural programmes are far from being reached in social prescribing and recommends that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport should encourage sporting organisations to take part in social prescribing schemes which can go beyond physical health benefits to include social impacts, such as tackling loneliness. House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee

      Severe morning sickness: 'I asked if pregnancy was worth it'

      Severe morning sickness: 'I asked if pregnancy was worth it' More than 5,000 women from across the UK have shared their experience of extreme pregnancy sickness with BBC News.

      For Hannah Dalton, pregnancy meant not being able to drink fluids for eight months without throwing up, going into hospital 27 times for intravenous drips and living off ice lollies and anti-sickness medication.

      Hannah, 30, from Thundersley, Essex, had hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), the severe pregnancy sickness the Duchess of Cambridge experienced during her three pregnancies.

      She was bedridden for six months, ended up in a wheelchair and, at her worst, her body started to shut down.

      Privately-run mental health units putting young people at risk

      Privately-run mental health units putting young people at risk Poor care in privately-run child and adolescent mental health units is putting vulnerable young people at risk, a Sky News investigation has found.

      Patients, parents and whistleblowers have shared their experiences of privately-run facilities paid directly by the NHS to care for some of the most challenging mental health patients, including those with serious eating disorders and engaged in persistent self-harm and suicidal behaviour.

      One former patient told us she had experienced "brutal" physical restraints and had been able to inflict life-threatening self-harm while in a privately-run unit.

      Brexit the 'one thing' slowing down international GP recruitment

      Brexit the 'one thing' slowing down international GP recruitment Brexit is the ‘one thing’ slowing down international GP recruitment, according to one of recrutiment agencies targeting overseas doctors as part of the NHS England scheme.

      Head Medical, an agency approved by NHS Employers to carry out the international GP recruitment drive, has told Pulse that ‘the fear of the unknown’ from Brexit has been putting off overseas doctors from coming to work in the NHS. Pulse

      Dementia risks: Mediterranean diet and exercise can help stave off condition, WHO says

      Dementia risks: Mediterranean diet and exercise can help stave off condition, WHO says Moving more, eating better but binning cigarettes and health supplements are some of the best ways to lower your odds of dementia, according to the first global guidelines on preventing the condition.

      After a major review of current evidence on the impact of lifestyle on dementia, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has concluded that the condition is “not a natural or inevitable consequence of ageing”.

      Dementia affects 50 million people worldwide, costs $818bn (£633 billion) annually to treat and diagnoses are likely to triple by 2050, the review said. The Independent

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      'There is a stigma in training': the battle to find mental health workers

      'There is a stigma in training': the battle to find mental health workers Recruitment figures for psychiatrists and nurses are poor, although there are signs that things may be starting to shift

      At first glance the recruitment and retention statistics for the mental health workforce look grim. Vacancies for mental health nursing – the largest staff group in the sector – account for more than 20% of all unfilled nursing posts in England, while around 9% of UK consultant psychiatric posts remain unfilled. In September 2018, MPs were told that 2,000 mental health staff in England alone were quitting every month. There is little doubt then that the government is way off meeting its target to create another 21,000 new posts in mental health by 2021.

      But look a little closer and there are indications that things are starting to shift and that the skilled workforce, so crucial to the delivery of mental health care – which is at the heart of the government’s NHS long term plan – is showing signs of growth.

      Why is it that people experiencing mental illness don’t deserve the best and brightest doctors? The Guardian

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      NHS to fund drug that prolongs lives of children with muscle-wasting disease

      NHS to fund drug that prolongs lives of children with muscle-wasting disease Spinraza to be made available to spinal muscular atrophy patients

      A drug that could prolong the lives of children with a rare muscle-wasting disease has been approved by the NHS in England after lengthy negotiations with the manufacturer over the high price.

      Spinraza could help between 600 and 1,200 children and adults in England and Wales who have the genetic condition spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). It affects the nerves in the spinal cord, making muscles weaker and causing problems with movement, breathing and swallowing. It can shorten the life expectancy of babies and toddlers. The Guardian

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      Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK may be unnecessarily taking drugs

      Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK may be unnecessarily taking drugs Hundreds of thousands of patients with underactive thyroids are being prescribed a drug that offers no benefit, research suggests.

      The drug levothyroxine is offered to people with thyroid problems to treat symptoms such as depression, feeling cold, tired and having muscle aches.

      More than 32 million prescriptions for the hormone replacement drug were issued by NHS England last year, but experts have now said it is unnecessary and does not help relieve symptoms. The Daily Mail

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