Wednesday 29 May 2019

English councils warned on 'running out' of reserve cash

English councils warned on 'running out' of reserve cash Some councils in England (including Northamptonshire County Council) have been warned they risk running out of cash reserves if recent spending continues.

Analysis by the BBC has identified 11 authorities the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (Cipfa) said would have "fully exhausted" reserves within four years unless they topped them up.

The Local Government Association said councils faced "systemic underfunding".

The government said councils were responsible for managing their funds. BBC News

£4.4bn funding gap projected for social care in England as spending per person falls further behind other UK countries

£4.4bn funding gap projected for social care in England as spending per person falls further behind other UK countries New analysis from the Health Foundation shows that there will be a social care funding gap of £4.4bn in England in 2023/24 to meet rising demand and address critical staffing shortages in the sector.

In the absence of an additional funding commitment, the money available for adult social care will rise at an annual average rate of 1.4% a year. This is much lower than the 3.4% a year the government has committed to the NHS and crucially, far below rising demand of 3.6% a year, with increasing numbers of elderly and younger adults needing help with day to day activities such as washing, eating and dressing.

The Health Foundation also point to poor pay and conditions in social care as a major threat to the quality of care and future sustainability of the sector. Staff turnover has been increasing since 2012/13 and there are over 110,000 vacancies in adult social care. Over 40,000 nurses work in adult social care but almost a third are estimated to have left their role within the past 12 months. Adult social care wages are low and below equivalent salaries in the NHS.

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Five myths of compassionate leadership

Five myths of compassionate leadership The NHS is facing a crisis in staffing with large gaps in the nursing and medical workforces in both primary and secondary care. Recruitment is proving ever more difficult, absenteeism is high and staff are leaving or retiring early. There is no magic solution in sight. Part of the reason is the sustained work overload staff face, which has been increasing over time. This leads to high levels of staff stress (50 per cent higher than in the working population as a whole), harming the physical and mental health of staff across the NHS. It is an unsustainable position which demands a wise and powerful response. The King's Fund

The impact of primary care incentive schemes on care home placements for people with dementia

The impact of primary care incentive schemes on care home placements for people with dementia The interface between primary care and long-term care is complex. In the case of dementia, this interface may be influenced by incentives offered to GPs as part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) to provide an annual review for patients with dementia. The hypothesis is that the annual reviews reduce the likelihood of admission to a care home by supporting the patient to live independently and by addressing carers’ needs for support. Centre for Health Economics

Evaluation of Babylon GP at hand: final evaluation report

Evaluation of Babylon GP at hand: final evaluation report Ipsos MORI, working in partnership with York Health Economics Consortium, and with advisory input from Professor Chris Salisbury (University of Bristol), were commissioned by NHS Hammersmith and Fulham Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England in May 2018 to undertake an independent evaluation of the Babylon GP at Hand (BGPaH) practice. This report sets out the final results of the evaluation.

    Homeless and disabled: ‘I’m at my wits’ end’

    Homeless and disabled: ‘I’m at my wits’ end’ The number of physically disabled people affected by homelessness in England increased by three quarters during an almost 10-year period, according to official statistics.

    Now new government figures show thousands of vulnerable people are struggling amid a shortage of suitable accommodation – with many living on the streets.

    The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government says it's "providing councils with almost £1 billion over the next two years to adapt properties for disabled people."

    The BBC 's disability news correspondent, Nikki Fox, has been to meet three homeless disabled people in Birmingham to hear their stories. BBC News

    Nurses struggling to look after dying patients due of staff shortages, survey finds

    Nurses struggling to look after dying patients due of staff shortages, survey finds Nurses are struggling to look after dying patients because of staff shortages, according to a survey.

    Two-thirds of nurses (65 per cent) said staffing levels are the main “barrier” to providing good care in the final stages of patients’ lives, according to an annual poll by magazine Nursing Standard and charity Marie Curie.

    Last year, 38 per cent reported the same reason.

    Meanwhile, more than half (57 per cent) of nurses reported time constraints as an issue, compared to 25 per cent last year. The Independent

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    Government policy makes people ill – and the NHS pays the price

    Government policy makes people ill – and the NHS pays the price Poverty and pollution are political choices. Ministers should be accountable for the burden they put on our health system.

    NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has been remarkably successful in prising more money for the health service out of the government, but short-term ministerial thinking about the service and its resources has resulted in an unedifying, dysfunctional scramble for cash in austerity Britain. Finally, though, ideas are emerging that could change all that. The Guardian

    Nearly five million children and young people at risk of measles across Europe

    Nearly five million children and young people at risk of measles across Europe Some 4.5million young people in Europe are at risk of catching measles because they have not been vaccinated against this highly infectious disease, research has shown.

    An analysis of vaccination rates across countries in the European Union and European Economic Area shows that about four per cent of the people born in the region since 1999 are not fully protected against the disease. The Daily Telegraph

    Working night shifts is NOT linked to an increased risk of breast cancer

    Working night shifts is NOT linked to an increased risk of breast cancer Women who work night shifts do not face a higher risk of breast cancer, according to a major scientific analysis.

    For decades, it has been suggested that burning the midnight oil could raise the risk of the killer disease.

    But researchers have now quashed the fears, after finding no evidence of any greater odds of breast cancer in female night shift workers. The Daily Mail

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    Hospital builds a replica bus stop in A&E department to calm dementia patients

    Hospital builds a replica bus stop in A&E department to calm dementia patients A hospital has built a replica bus stop inside its A&E department to help people with dementia feel at home.

    Southend University Hospital has constructed the stand with its own sign, timetable and bench – but no buses will be driving through the department.

    It's hoped the stop will provide a familiar sight for people suffering from the brain-damaging disease, which can leave them feeling lost, confused and anxious. The Daily Mail

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