Towards mental health equality: a manifesto for the next Prime Minister

Towards mental health equality: a manifesto for the next Prime Minister This manifesto focuses on five key asks of the new Prime Minister: take action to prevent mental illness; create a cross-government plan for mental health and establish a ‘mental health in all policies’ approach across government; reform the Mental Health Act; ensure everyone can access the right mental health support, in the right place, at the right time; and build a mental health workforce fit for the future. NHS Confederation

Tobacco control: how do you know that your council is doing all it can to reduce smoking-related harm?

Tobacco control: how do you know that your council is doing all it can to reduce smoking-related harm? The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates that every £1 invested in smoking cessation saves £10 in future health care costs. This paper argues that councils should implement a robust tobacco control strategy that embeds a health-in-all-policies approach. Local Government Association

'Pack children's medicines in your hand luggage'

'Pack children's medicines in your hand luggage' Medications for children should be placed in hand luggage on a flight in case they become ill during the journey, a new study suggests.

US experts say most in-flight incidents involve common conditions that should be easily treated - but airlines often fail to carry children's medicines.

They say their analysis should provide a "shopping list" for airlines.

A UK expert said parents preparing for their summer break should ensure they had suitable medications with them. BBC News

EU doctors and nurses worth more than £3bn to UK economy over five years, new figures show

EU doctors and nurses worth more than £3bn to UK economy over five years, new figures show The presence of EU doctors and nurses is worth more than £3 billion to the UK economy over five years, according to new figures.

The sum represents the taxes paid by an average of more than 11,000 doctors and 31,000 nurses as well as savings on the cost of training British replacements, said medical firm Medbelle. The Independent

Controversial MP Nadine Dorries appointed as junior health minister

 Controversial MP Nadine Dorries appointed as junior health minister Nadine Dorries, a controversial Conservative MP who previously led calls to cut the time limit for abortions, has been made a junior minister in the Department of Health and Social Care.

The appointment is likely to bring attention to Ms Dorries’ views on women’s reproductive rights, as she has repeatedly called for the time limit for abortions to be cut from 24 weeks to 20 and attempted to amend the law in 2011 to strip abortion providers of their role in counselling women. The Independent

Growing number of GPs cut shifts to avoid huge pension tax

Growing number of GPs cut shifts to avoid huge pension tax Surgeries facing workforce pressures will be forced to offer fewer appointments

A growing number of family doctors are reducing the hours they work to avoid a huge and unexpected pension tax bill.

The decision increasingly means already-overstretched surgeries have fewer appointments to offer patients. The Guardian

NHS hot food suppliers claim safety concerns around frozen meals in wake of listeria cases are a 'myth'

NHS hot food suppliers claim safety concerns around frozen meals in wake of listeria cases are a 'myth' The biggest suppliers of hot food to the NHS have spoken out against campaigners demanding fresh meals in hospitals in the wake of the listeria outbreak, claiming safety concerns are a "myth".

Private catering firm Apetito provide around a fifth of all hot meals served at hospitals in England, Scotland and Wales, which are prepared at one factory in Wiltshire before being shipped across the country. The Daily Telegraph

Prosecutions against unsafe care homes and hospitals rise by one third

Prosecutions against unsafe care homes and hospitals rise by one third Prosecutions and other criminal enforcement actions against unsafe care homes and NHS hospitals have risen a third in a year, amid warnings of a growing crisis.

Charities said older people were being put at risk by “a broken social care system and an overstretched NHS” as they urged ministers to act. The Daily Telegraph

Government faces prosecution over human rights of autistic youngsters

Government faces prosecution over human rights of autistic youngsters The equalities watchdog is poised to prosecute the Government and health regulator for permitting the human rights abuse of people with autism and learning disabilities locked up in secure units.

After The Mail on Sunday exposed how people seeking help were being held in solitary confinement for years, violently restrained, pumped full of drugs and fed through hatches, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission asked the Department of Health and Social Care and the Care Quality Commission to explain what it was doing to end such practices. The Daily Mail

Senior doctors will probe drug therapies for children who want to change gender

Senior doctors will probe drug therapies for children who want to change gender Senior doctors are to investigate the controversial drug therapies given to children who want to change gender.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has asked its ethics and law advisory committee to look into the increasing use of hormone blockers. The Daily Mail