NHS hospitals provided more care, more efficiently, while delivering improved finances in last quarter

NHS hospitals provided more care, more efficiently, while delivering improved finances in last quarter Despite the pressure of demand, the provider sector continued to improve quality and achieved one of the best financial performances in recent years.

Statistics on the performance of the NHS published today show Emergency Departments (EDs) treated or discharged 5.3 million patients within four hours of arrival between January and March — 314,594 more than last year.

6.2 million patients attended ED in the first quarter of the year, almost 362,000 more than the same time last year. The number of people requiring elective surgery increased by almost 400,000 patients.

Despite these pressures, the NHS delivered its first winter year-on-year improvement on ED performance in five years.

The report also found NHS providers reduced their deficits by almost £400 million in 2018/19 compared to the previous year, helping the wider NHS to balance its books. NHS Improvement

See also:

• 'Running to stay still' – The King's Fund responds to data on the performance of the NHS provider sector for 2018/19 The King's Fund
• Performance of the NHS provider sector offers grounds for optimism but systemic challenges remain NHS Confederation
• Significant wins for patients but we are a long way off where we want and need to be NHS Providers
• Financial black hole is getting deeper - Nuffield Trust responds to latest NHS finance figures Nuffield Trust

Not made to be measured: why evaluating integrated care initiatives is so difficult

Not made to be measured: why evaluating integrated care initiatives is so difficult Knowing which of the growing number of initiatives to join up care in the health service actually work for patients is crucial. Based on her experience with an earlier wave of integration initiatives – the “Pioneers” – Eilís Keeble looks at what needs to be done to make this possible. Nuffield Trust

Life in the shadow of the snowy white peaks

Life in the shadow of the snowy white peaks My son has a lot of questions about what I do at work and, although health and care policy is such a broad concept to grasp, he gets that a big part of what I do involves talking to people who work in (or around) the NHS. Recently I’ve struggled with his questions about a particular piece of research I’m involved in about race inequality in the NHS workforce. Racism is a reality that influences how many people – my son and I included – will experience life, including being at work. That doesn’t make it any easier or more comfortable to explain to an 8-year-old. The King's Fund

Simplifying cross-sector working between NHS Integrated Care Systems, Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships and industry: Guidance on governance and process

Simplifying cross-sector working between NHS Integrated Care Systems, Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships and industry: Guidance on governance and process This document sets out a series of governance and process recommendations to enable NHS Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships and Integrated Care Systems rapidly and confidently to develop collaborations with industry partners to address local health needs. AHSN Network and ABPI

New research for the Care Quality Commission shows racial disparity in people raising concerns about their care

New research for the Care Quality Commission shows racial disparity in people raising concerns about their care Research undertaken for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as part of their year-long “Declare Your Care” campaign has revealed those from a black and minority ethnic (BME) background are less likely than those from a non-BME background to raise concerns about the standard of care they receive, particularly in relation to mental health.

Celebrate me: capturing the voices of learning disability nurses and people who use services

Celebrate me: capturing the voices of learning disability nurses and people who use services The purpose of this initiative was to engage with nurses and people using services to gather evidence and demonstrate the impact of learning disability nursing, from experience, to help sustain its future. The outcomes from the extensive engagement have enabled us to highlight everything that there is to celebrate about learning disability nursing (the impact) in a new report and what needs to be championed for the future (to sustain it), from the voices of learning disability nurses and those of people with a learning disability and their families. Foundation of Nursing Studies

RSPH calls for overhaul of infection control in UK shops offering tattoos and piercings

RSPH calls for overhaul of infection control in UK shops offering tattoos and piercings RSPH has published its latest report, Skins and Needles, which takes a look at health risks associated with the increasing number of people in the UK having tattoos, piercings and other treatments that compromise the skin barrier. Between 2004-2014 there was a 173% increase in the number of tattoo parlours in the UK, and now one in five of us have a tattoo.

Currently there is no standard legal requirement across the UK in infection control for anyone offering special procedures, such as tattoos or piercings. This means that currently anyone can set up shop without appropriate training and could ultimately put people at risk of infection. In UK legislation, the term ‘special procedures’ refers to tattoos, cosmetic piercings, acupuncture and electrolysis. There is also no specific legislation covering other equally invasive treatments, such as dermal fillers. Royal Society for Public Health

See also:

• Tattoo parlours pose infection risk, warn health experts BBC News
• One in five people who get tattoos end up infected, experts warn The Daily Telegraph
• Call for tattooists and body piercers to qualify in infection control The Guardian

Contaminated blood: What caused the NHS scandal?

Contaminated blood: What caused the NHS scandal? The infection of up to 30,000 people with contaminated blood has been called the biggest treatment disaster in NHS history. Thousands have died.

A public inquiry is now under way - but what is already known about the scandal? BBC News

Research shows public do not support exploitation of NHS patient data

Research shows public do not support exploitation of NHS patient data According to YouGov, the UK public expect NHS patient data to be protected as a national asset that primarily benefits UK patients, the health service and the country as a whole.

The research shows only 13% of public trust tech multinationals with sensitive health data. This comes amidst significant public fear about international technology companies accessing people’s personal health information, and recognition of the need for patients to be able to opt out of having their data analysed if they choose. Health Europa

Phone checks on pensioners after they leave hospital can cut readmission rates by almost half

Phone checks on pensioners after they leave hospital can cut readmission rates by almost half Simple phone checks on the elderly after they leave hospital can cut the number of emergency readmissions by more than 40 per cent, research has found.

Experts said the measure could stop thousands of pensioners from worsening health - and save the NHS millions. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Reducing readmission rates through a discharge follow-up service Future Healthcare Journal

Abortion rate hits record high of 200,000 as mothers and older women fuel rise

Abortion rate hits record high of 200,000 as mothers and older women fuel rise Abortions have reached the highest level ever in the UK, as new data reveals that 200,000 women had their pregnancies terminated last year.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published figures today revealing that there were 200,608 abortions for women in England and Wales in 2018. This marked an increase of 4% or 192,900 from the previous year. A further 4,687 abortions were carried out on non-residents in 2018. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2018 Department of Health and Social Care
• Abortion statistics for England and Wales: 2017 Department of Health and Social Care
• Abortions reach all-time high of 200,000 in England and Wales The Independent

Number of over-65s with dementia in England reaches a record high

Number of over-65s with dementia in England reaches a record high A total of 453,881 people over the age of 65 were living with brain-damaging dementia in England in May, NHS figures reveal, and experts say the rising toll is a 'health crisis that won't go away on its own'. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Number of people diagnosed with dementia hits record high ITV News