Monday 16 September 2019

International recruitment scheme attracts 12 GPs to one area in six months

International recruitment scheme attracts 12 GPs to one area in six months The international GP recruitment programme has brought 12 GPs to Northamptonshire in just six months since starting the scheme.

Since the programme was initiated in Nene in March, seven international GPs have been recruited to start their post in general practice ‘imminently’.

The CCG confirmed that a further three are to start in the area around November or December, and another two will begin work in February 2020. NHS Nene CCG also confirmed that all 12 GPs are from the EU. Pulse

NHS admin: how does it affect patient experience?

NHS admin: how does it affect patient experience? Are all your interactions with NHS services as good as you would like? My guess is that, at one time or another, most of us have experienced feeling frustrated by bureaucratic processes, outdated IT systems or unsatisfactory interactions with administrative staff. The King's Fund

WHO publishes international comparison of nursing workforce

WHO publishes international comparison of nursing workforce A report from the World Health Organisation explores the variations in structure and organisation of the nursing workforce across the different countries of Europe.

As health systems shift radically in response to rising demand, the role of nurses becomes even more important. The report is part of a two-volume study on the contributions that nurses make to strengthening health systems. Its aim is to raise the profile of nursing within health policy.

Course corrections: how health care innovators learn from setbacks to achieve success

Course corrections: how health care innovators learn from setbacks to achieve success This report examines new models for delivering and paying for health care to better serve vulnerable patients, including people with multiple chronic conditions, serious illnesses, or functional limitations, as well as those at risk of developing health problems because of their social circumstances or behavioral health conditions. It also showcases models that improve quality of care and health outcomes while lowering costs or reducing unnecessary health care use. The Commonwealth Fund

    Bodies of Evidence: How professional organisations in health, education and policing champion the use of research

    Bodies of Evidence: How professional organisations in health, education and policing champion the use of research This report outlines the pioneering evidence work of UK and Irish professional bodies in health, teaching and policing. They have been championing research and evaluation in the daily work of more than one million professionals – to improve the lives of patients, pupils and the wider public. Alliance for useful Evidence

    Universities 'in dark' over student mental health needs

    Universities 'in dark' over student mental health needs Universities should be bound by law to meet the mental-health needs of their students, an ex-health minister says.

    Information gathered by Sir Norman Lamb's office reveals a "complex and fragmented" picture of mental-health provision across UK universities.

    Many of the 110 universities which responded said they did not record all relevant key statistics, such as their budgets or waiting times.

    Universities said they could not deal with the issue of mental health alone. BBC News

    Meningitis: 'I'm no longer Miss Independent'

    Meningitis: 'I'm no longer Miss Independent' Life is very different for Lesley Hart since she had meningitis nearly 10 years ago.

    "I'm no longer Miss Independent. It's impacting more and more as time goes on. But I live each day as I want to."

    Lesley is one of nearly 2,500 people who develop bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease each year in the UK.

    The Meningitis Research Foundation says the right support is key for people like her. BBC News

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    Rugby's Gareth Thomas on HIV: 'I want to break the stigma'

    Rugby's Gareth Thomas on HIV: 'I want to break the stigma' Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas has revealed he is HIV positive, saying he wants to "break the stigma" around the condition.

    He made the announcement as he prepared to compete in the Ironman Wales triathlon in Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

    Thomas said he is taking part to show how people with HIV are misrepresented as "walking around with walking sticks who are close to dying". BBC News

    NHS trusts handing over £205m a year to Government in interest payments as debts mount - iNews

    NHS trusts handing over £205m a year to Government in interest payments as debts mount NHS trusts are handing over more than £205m a year to the Government in interest payments after being forced to take out loans, i can reveal.

    Critics accused the Conservatives of “starving the NHS” by charging unreasonable interest rates on the loans they make to hospitals and other organisations which are struggling to afford their running costs.

    Trusts across England have paid more than £607m to Whitehall in interest over the past five years. The amount paid out is rising every year as NHS debts continue to mount; last year it could have paid the salaries of 7,500 nurses. iNews

    Dishing out more drugs won’t stop the pain. Doctors need new tools

    Dishing out more drugs won’t stop the pain. Doctors need new tools | Ann Robinson As a GP, I know opioids have their place. But we shouldn’t be complacent about a US-style crisis happening in Britain

    Growing concern about the prescription of drugs that cause dependence has been backed up by a recent report from Public Health England (PHE). The agency discovered that in 2017-18, 13% of adults in England received at least one prescription for opioids such as morphine or oxycodone (although this represented a slight downturn in prescribing after a long upward trend). Other drug classes were implicated too, with 25% of adults prescribed one or more of the following drugs: benzodiazepines (such as Valium), z-drugs (sleeping pills such as Zopiclone), gabapentinoids (gabapentin or pregabalin, prescribed for neuropathic pain) or antidepressants.

    The fear is that the UK is following in the footsteps of the US, where overprescribing is said to have led to a full-blown “opioid crisis”. The Guardian

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    UK cancer survival rates are too low – our priorities are all wrong

    UK cancer survival rates are too low – our priorities are all wrong | Mark Dayan Short-termism has hampered investment in equipment and staffing that could help the NHS keep people alive

    Cancer survival rates in the UK have long lagged behind those in other countries of comparable wealth and income levels. And an international study published this week shows that while the UK is making rapid progress, there’s still a big gap in the survival rates cancer patients can expect in Britain compared with countries such as Australia, Canada and Norway.

    The good news is that the outlook for patients suffering from major forms of cancer has got much better. On an age standardised basis, fewer than half of patients with rectal cancer in the UK lived more than five years in 1995. By 2014, more than 60% did. The Guardian

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    NHS bosses tried to 'gag' father of boy whose life was ruined in botched operation

    NHS bosses tried to 'gag' father of boy whose life was ruined in botched operation An NHS hospital effectively paralysed a young boy for life and then tried to “gag” his family from speaking out.

    Bosses at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust threatened legal action unless the child's father watered down his account of the event on the grounds it was “too emotional and too critical”.

    This came after a botched operation to deal with intestinal problems left his two-month-old son, who cannot be named, with catastrophic brain injuries, causing quadriplegic cerebral palsy, blindness and double incontinence. The Daily Telegraph

    Vaping could be a 'ticking time bomb', Chief Medical Officer warns amid growing concerns of e-cigarette risk

    Vaping could be a 'ticking time bomb', Chief Medical Officer warns amid growing concerns of e-cigarette risk England's chief medical officer has raised fears that vaping is “a ticking time bomb” which could do long-term harm, amid growing concern about the safety of e-cigarettes.

    Prof Dame Sally Davies, who will stand down later this month, made the comments just before Donald Trump announced plans to ban flavoured vaping products, in a bid to discourage children from taking up the habit. The Daily Telegraph