Tuesday 6 August 2019

Nearly 3,000 people needing an operation in Northampton have waited more than six months

Nearly 3,000 people needing an operation in Northampton have waited more than six months More than 10,000 patients in Northampton have been on the operation waiting list for more than four months - in what a national health body believes paints a 'bleak picture' for the town.

The national body that overseas independent health providers say there is a 'clear commitment' in the NHS constitution for people to receive treatment for things like hip and knee replacements within 18 weeks.

But figures show that 15 per cent of patients in Northampton have been on the waiting list for longer. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

What has a pensions tax crisis got to do with your hip operation?

What has a pensions tax crisis got to do with your hip operation? Changes to pensions tax policy do not generally quicken the pulse or grab the headlines. But in recent months both have happened as pensions tax rules have been linked to patients having operations cancelled and clinicians considering early retirement. The issue has reached such prominence that the new Prime Minister has personally committed to the problem being solved. So what is happening, and why are these changes to pension tax so important? The King's Fund

Mental health trusts work in partnership to support people affected by eating disorders

Mental health trusts work in partnership to support people affected by eating disorders CONNECT: the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Adult Eating Disorders Service, is a regional service aimed at improving care for adults with eating disorders. It offers a variety of treatment options based on a person’s needs including early intervention, home-based treatment or inpatient treatment. This case study describes the service provided by a partnership of four mental health trusts. NHS England

    Tackling loneliness

    Tackling loneliness The government's Loneliness Strategy was published in October 2018. It set out a wide variety of cross-departmental measures that the government would take to provide 'national leadership' to tackle loneliness in England. This briefing: explains the Strategy; the steps taken so far by the government; looks at research into the causes and impact of loneliness and possible interventions; and briefly outlines the situation in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The briefing is accompanied by a reading list. House of Commons Library

      Dame Barbara urges Johnson to 'sort out' dementia care

      Dame Barbara urges Johnson to 'sort out' dementia care Dame Barbara Windsor has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to "sort out" care for people who have dementia.

      The former EastEnders star, who has Alzheimer's, launched an open letter with her husband Scott Mitchell to coincide with their appointment as ambassadors for Alzheimer's Society.

      Ministers in England have been promising to publish plans on social care reforms since 2017. BBC News

      Humans aren’t supposed to be eternally happy, so why do we continue to force it?

      Humans aren’t supposed to be eternally happy, so why do we continue to force it? A huge happiness and positive thinking industry, estimated to be worth $11bn a year, has helped to create the fantasy that happiness is a realistic goal. Chasing the happiness dream is a very American concept, exported to the rest of the world through popular culture. Indeed, “the pursuit of happiness” is one of the US’s “unalienable rights”. Unfortunately, this has helped to create an expectation that real life stubbornly refuses to deliver. The Independent

      Man circumcised in hospital mix-up gets £20,000 payout

      Man circumcised in hospital mix-up gets £20,000 payout Terry Brazier, 70, was meant to undergo bladder Botox procedure at Leicester hospital

      A man has been awarded £20,000 in compensation after he went into hospital for a bladder procedure and was mistakenly circumcised.

      Terry Brazier, 70, was given the procedure after staff at Leicester Royal Infirmary mixed up his notes. The Guardian

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      NHS to get extra £1.8bn even under no-deal Brexit, says Hancock

      NHS to get extra £1.8bn even under no-deal Brexit, says Hancock Health secretary says extra funding for infrastructure will come from strong economy

      An extra £1.8bn will still be spent on NHS infrastructure and equipment even if there is a no-deal Brexit, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has promised before the formal announcement of the proposed funding.

      Boris Johnson was to unveil the spending plan on a visit to Lincolnshire, one of the most pro-Brexit areas in the country, fuelling speculation that the prime minister could be preparing for an autumn general election by reinforcing the Vote Leave message about extra NHS spending. The Guardian

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      HALF of clinical trials published in top psychiatry journals 'are exaggerated'

      HALF of clinical trials published in top psychiatry journals 'are exaggerated' Scientists regularly exaggerate their studies to 'beautify' the results, researchers claim.

      A study of papers published in six psychiatry journals found more than half of them had been oversold to readers.

      Experts may be claiming their results are stronger than they really are in a bid to get published in a competitive field.

      And this may in turn influence doctors' decisions on how they treat patients, the team warned, even though the evidence isn't strong enough. The Daily Mail

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