Kettering hospital looks to India to recruit nurses after EU 'dries up'

Kettering hospital looks to India to recruit nurses after EU 'dries up' Kettering General Hospital will be recruiting staff from India in a bid to tackle its large staff shortage.

Currently the hospital has 433 full time job vacancies, which is just over 10 per cent of its needed workforce. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Social care funding reform:

Social care funding reform: As a former senior civil servant, I’ve had a ringside seat for every effort to reform social care funding in the past decade. I’ve drafted Green Papers and White Papers and even got legislation passed, but not one reform has ever been implemented. The King's Fund

Detailed guide: NHS entitlements: migrant health guide

Detailed guide: NHS entitlements: migrant health guide Advice and guidance for healthcare practitioners on the health needs of migrant patients. Public Health England

Improving menopause support for staff

Improving menopause support for staff Sherwood Forest Hospital Foundation Trust has developed and implemented a menopause strategy which has had a positive impact for staff working with the menopause.

After recognising that staff sickness absences were often related to menopause symptoms the trust made a commitment to introducing change including educating staff and raising awareness and making it easier for staff to disclose menopause related health problems. NHS Employers

Primary care networks: a quiet revolution

Primary care networks: a quiet revolution The Community Network, a partnership between NHS Providers and NHS Confederation, have published this briefing to act as a guide to support provider organisations to engage effectively with primary care networks (PCN). The briefing draws on official guidance and discussions with both PCN leaders and providers of community services. It explores the role of PCNs, what the emerging picture is, what this means for providers of community services and, crucially, how we can work together effectively. The Community Network

Kidney condition detected in minutes by app

Kidney condition detected in minutes by app A mobile phone app has speeded up the detection of a potentially fatal kidney condition in hospital patients.

Staff describe the technology as a "potential lifesaver", providing diagnoses in minutes instead of hours.

Acute kidney injury is caused by serious health conditions, including sepsis, and affects one in five people admitted to hospital. BBC News

See also:

• Evaluation of a digitally-enabled care pathway for acute kidney injury management in hospital emergency admissions (open access) Nature Digital Medicine

The 'dual stigma' of alcohol-related brain damage

The 'dual stigma' of alcohol-related brain damage Alcohol-related brain damage, a condition similar to dementia, is poorly understood and often missed by health professionals, a study by charity Alcohol Change UK says.

And patients struggling with the "double stigma" of brain impairment and alcohol addiction often end up in accident and emergency units because of a lack of community services. BBC News

See also:

• Dual diagnosis, double stigma: a rapid review of experiences of living with alcohol-related brain damage Alcohol Change UK

Exclusive: NHS Patients Enduring 'Traumatic' Waits Of More Than Two Years For Autism Assessment

Exclusive: NHS Patients Enduring 'Traumatic' Waits Of More Than Two Years For Autism Assessment People waiting for a formal autism diagnosis are enduring “traumatic” waits of more than two years for their first assessment, HuffPost UK can reveal.

National guidelines say assessment should begin within three months of a patient being referred to a trust for diagnosis – but new data shows adults in England faced waits of up to 122 weeks for an appointment in 2017/18.

Meanwhile, children as young as five were stuck on waiting lists for up to 98 weeks. Huffington Post UK

Pregnant women left without midwives as home-birth service closes

Pregnant women left without midwives as home-birth service closes About 1,700 women affected after One to One Midwives succumbs to financial difficulties

About 1,700 pregnant women, some due to give birth within weeks, will need to find new midwives after a maternity care service was forced to close because of financial difficulties.

One to One Midwives announced it was withdrawing the services it provided for the NHS and will enter insolvency proceedings. The Guardian

Public Health warning over spate of drug deaths amid concerns fentanyl could be to blame

Public Health warning over spate of drug deaths amid concerns fentanyl could be to blame Public Health England has issued a warning over a spate of drug deaths, amid concerns that fentanyl could be to blame.

Police officers in Essex have launched an investigation after six people died in 50 hours in what they suspect to be Class A drug-related deaths.

A woman in her 30s was found dead in Southend on Sunday morning, while two women and three men died on Monday and Tuesday. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Essex drug deaths: Sixth person dies in three days as police warn over possible link The Independent