Tuesday 16 July 2019

Meaningful measures of integration

Meaningful measures of integration The NHS long-term plan confirmed, once again, that collaboration is now the organising principle of the NHS, and that integrated care is the idea on which national leaders have pinned their hopes. There have been a number of initiatives to integrate services over the past decade, but the pace picked up considerably with the appointment of Simon Stevens as the Chief Executive of NHS England in 2014 and the publication of the NHS five year forward view. If anything will define his legacy when he eventually steps down, it will be the success or otherwise of this. The King's Fund

National training surveys 2019: initial findings report

National training surveys 2019: initial findings report More than 75,000 doctors in training and trainers took part in this year's GMC surveys. This initial findings report outlines the key trends across the UK. General Medical Council

    Social care: paying for care home places and domiciliary care (England)

    Social care: paying for care home places and domiciliary care (England) This updated briefing paper considers the current structure of the care home market in England, as well as issues facing the sector and how private clients (“self-funders”) tend to pay more than local authority funded residents (known as “cross-subsidisation”). House of Commons Library

      Scotland's drug deaths set to top 1,000

      Scotland's drug deaths set to top 1,000 New figures released later are expected to show that more than 1,000 people died as a result of drugs in Scotland last year.

      Scotland already has the worst record for reported drug overdose deaths in Europe but the latest figures will show another steep rise.

      Last week, Scottish Public Health Minister Joe Fitzpatrick said the level of drug deaths was an "emergency".

      He told MPs this should be a "wake-up call" over UK government policy. BBC News

      NHS litigation bill rises while claim number remains steady

      NHS litigation bill rises while claim number remains steady Latest figures show the cost of clinical negligence claims is continuing to rise despite a flattening of the number of claims, prompting medical defence bodies to urge the UK government to hasten reform of the legal processes.


      In its annual report NHS Resolution says that provision for claims indemnified had increased by £6.4bn to a record high of £83.4bn as of 31 March 2019. OnMedica

      Rough sleepers denied access to healthcare, pushing them into ‘repeat cycles of homelessness’, study says

      Rough sleepers denied access to healthcare, pushing them into ‘repeat cycles of homelessness’, study says Homeless people are being denied access to basic healthcare, according to research which suggests “perceived stigma and discrimination” in health settings are pushing people with no fixed abode into “repeat cycles of homelessness” and causing “unnecessary deaths”.

      A study by researchers at the University of Birmingham found homeless people were being denied registration at GP surgeries and discharged from hospital onto the streets with no referral to primary care providers. The Independent

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      Britons and their unborn children at risk due to government inaction over toxic chemicals in everyday use, MPs warn

      Britons and their unborn children at risk due to government inaction over toxic chemicals in everyday use, MPs warn Ministers are ignoring a ‘cocktail of toxic chemicals’ in furniture, food packaging and children’s prams which could harm the health of Britons, even before they’re born, MPs have warned.

      A damning report by the Commons Environmental Audit Committee has accused the government of “sitting on its hands” and allowing chemicals which may be hazardous to health to enter people’s homes. The Independent

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      Anorexia may originate in the body, not just the mind, groundbreaking study says

      Anorexia may originate in the body, not just the mind, groundbreaking study says Anorexia may not be a purely psychological illness, according to a new study which suggests for the first time sufferers’ metabolism may play an equally important role.

      An international team of researchers found people who develop anorexia are genetically predisposed to have an increased metabolic rate, less body fat and higher physical activity.

      It had been assumed that these physical differences were a consequence of people with anorexia starving themselves. The Independent

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      The Guardian view on policing youth violence: knives are a public health issue | Editorial

      The Guardian view on policing youth violence: knives are a public health issue | Editorial Ministers and the mayor of London have embraced a new approach. But breaking the cycle will take resources as well as ideas

      When the Guardian embarked on a project to investigate the rising number of children and teenagers being stabbed in 2017, our reporters expected to encounter people traumatised by extreme violence. The loss of a child or young person is always hard to bear, but when they have died as the result of deliberate aggression, the anger and regret of those left behind can be overwhelming. The series, Beyond the Blade, sought to tell the stories of these victims in more detail than they are usually afforded. It also looked for the patterns that underlay the rise in this form of crime. The Guardian

      Coroners link eleven deaths to glitches in NHS 111 and 999 systems 

      Coroners link eleven deaths to glitches in NHS 111 and 999 systems The deaths of eleven patients, including two young children, have been linked to glitches in the algorithms used by the NHS 111 and 999 services.

      Coroners have issued warnings about the “triaging” system after a catalogue of safety concerns.

      The “prevention of future death” reports were issued because of fears the tragedies would be repeated, without swift action to improve the service and reduce the risk of fatal errors. The Daily Telegraph

      New superbug tsar tells of her fear that children will grow up in a 'post-antibiotic apocalypse'

      New superbug tsar tells of her fear that children will grow up in a 'post-antibiotic apocalypse' Britain is sleepwalking into a 'post-antibiotic apocalypse' which would see grave setbacks in our ability to fight disease, the new superbug tsar has warned.

      Professor Dame Sally Davies used her appointment as the UK's special envoy on antimicrobial resistance to make an emotional plea for leaders to sit up and tackle the looming drug crisis.

      She painted a frightening picture of a 'return to the dark ages' of healthcare if we continue to gobble up existing antibiotics without finding replacements. The Daily Mail