Life-changing £1.8m KGH unit set to open

Life-changing £1.8m KGH unit set to open A unit at KGH which will allow patients needing facial surgery to see a 3D image of how they could look post-operation is set to open.

The Rothwell Road hospital is officially opening its £1.8m new maxillo-facial and orthodontic unit on Friday, June 7. The new unit has doubled the size of the department and expanded and significantly improved services for patients – and staff - and enabled the trust to address increased demands on the service. Northamptonshire Telegraph

St Andrew's Hospital chief admits 'we have failed staff'

St Andrew's Hospital chief admits 'we have failed staff' The chief executive of St Andrew's Hospital says she feels they have let down their hardworking staff.

Yesterday the mental health hospital's adolescents ward was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and placed in special measures.

And Katie Fisher, chief executive of St Andrew's Healthcare - the charitable company which runs the hospital - has acknowledged how her employees are feeling about the blow. Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Today I have to talk to three of my patients about dying. This is how I do it

Today I have to talk to three of my patients about dying. This is how I do it  It’s tempting to put these all-important conversations off but the consequences can be dire

It’s 9.15am. The medical team is full of energy and caffeine. We have patients to see, some of whom are on the road to recovery, others who have already been recognised as dying, and some who have uncertain futures. There are three new patients whose condition could worsen at any time. Given their frailty I believe cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) would be futile. It is now my job to start a discussion about their future care. Three conversations. I take a deep breath. The Guardian

UK running out of care home places, says geriatrics society chief

UK running out of care home places, says geriatrics society chief Quality of care for older people set to fall and ‘wheels could come off completely’, says Tahir Masud.

The UK is running out of care home places and soon there will not be enough to look after the growing number of vulnerable older people needing specialist care, the president of the British Geriatrics Society has warned.

Prof Tahir Masud, fears that because so many care homes have collapsed in the past few years that the quality of those left will also decline as a result. The Guardian

Domestic abuse survivors 'more at risk of serious mental illness'

Domestic abuse survivors 'more at risk of serious mental illness' Women who experience domestic abuse are three times more likely to develop a serious mental illness, Birmingham University research suggests.

But they are also twice as likely to have had some form of mental illness already, the study in the British Journal of Psychiatry found. Experts said opportunities were being missed to detect abuse and support vulnerable women. GPs said they were highly trained to spot it, but it was often well-hidden. BBC News - Health

See Also:

• Female survivors of intimate partner violence and risk of depression, anxiety and serious mental illness British Journal of Psychiatry
• GPs failing to pick up extent of UK domestic abuse, study suggests On Medica

NHS drive for diversity in key roles ‘going backwards’

NHS drive for diversity in key roles ‘going backwards’ Fewer women and people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds are being given key roles running NHS trusts, prompting claims that the health service is going backwards on diversity and inclusion.

The proportion of chairs and non-executive directors of NHS trusts in England who are from an ethnic minority has almost halved from 15% in 2010 to just 8%, research shows.

The proportion of women in those posts has also fallen from 47% in 2002 to only 38%, despite a flurry of initiatives to improve female as well as BME representation in senior NHS roles.

As a black nurse, I see the crushing racial inequality across the NHS. This has to stop
Donna Kinnair. The findings are contained in a report by the NHS Confederation, which represents 85% of local health service bodies in England. The Guardian

See Also:

• Chairs and non-executives in the NHS: The need for diverse leadership NHS Confederation

One million new STIs every day, says WHO

One million new STIs every day, says WHO One million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) occur every single day, the World Health Organization has estimated. That means more than 376 million new cases annually of four infections - chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and syphilis.

The WHO highlights a lack of progress in stopping the spread of STIs, and says its figures are a "wake-up call". Experts are particularly concerned about the rise in drug-resistant STIs. BBC News - Health

Are we more constipated than we think?

Are we more constipated than we think? Doctors and the public are at odds over the symptoms of constipation, leaving some people without the advice or treatment they need, researchers say.

While medics think infrequent bowel movements are an important sign, less than a third of the public does, a study found.

The King's College London team said a new definition for constipation was needed, based on patient experiences. "This shows the poo taboo is over," charity Guts UK said. Constipation is a very common condition, affecting around one in seven people who are otherwise healthy. BBC News - Health

See Also:

• Research redefines constipation King's College London

Review on gross negligence manslaughter and culpable homicide - recommendations for employers

Review on gross negligence manslaughter and culpable homicide - recommendations for employers An independent review into gross negligence manslaughter and culpable homicide has been published today, focusing on how medical regulation can be improved to support a more just and fair culture.

The review, commissioned in January 2018 by the General Medical Council (GMC) and chaired by Leslie Hamilton, saw engagement with health stakeholders across the UK including doctors, doctors’ organisations, patients and their families, patient organisations, healthcare providers and regulators. A total of 29 recommendations have been made for a range of organisations, aimed at the better application of a just and fair culture when things go wrong. NHS Employers

Amanda Pritchard named as NHS chief operating officer

Amanda Pritchard named as NHS chief operating officer NHS England has announced that Amanda Pritchard has been appointed as the NHS chief operating officer (COO). NHS Networks

See Also:

• Amanda Pritchard appointed NHS’ Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive of NHS Improvement NHS England