Friday 20 September 2019

What can England learn from the long-term care system in Germany?

What can England learn from the long-term care system in Germany? This report seeks to assess the German long-term care system through the lens of the policy challenges that face England. Using a literature review and a series of interviews with experts on the German system both within and outside Germany, it seeks to draw out elements of the German system that could either be incorporated into the current system or that offer cautionary tales. Nuffield Trust

Social media sites act on NHS call for greater online protection

Social media sites act on NHS call for greater online protection The chief executive of the NHS in England has called on all social media firm to crack down on potentially harmful material after two of the biggest sites confirm they plan to act on health service demands for action. NHS England

Caring, supportive, collaborative: doctors’ vision for change in the NHS

Caring, supportive, collaborative: doctors’ vision for change in the NHS This report draws on the experience and expertise of BMA members across all branches of medical practice in the UK. It outlines where the BMA believe changes are needed to ensure patient care is safe, makes the NHS a great place to work and transforms services for the better. British Medical Association

Hospitals relying on 'emergency' loans to cover costs

Hospitals relying on 'emergency' loans to cover costs Hospitals in England are "lurching" from month to month on "emergency" government loans to cover costs, a think tank has said.

The Nuffield Trust said some NHS hospitals had to cut spending on patients to pay the interest.

Trusts owed £10bn to the government in 2018-19 for "interim revenue support" and paid £185m in interest last year. BBC News

Children being denied new cancer drugs

Children being denied new cancer drugs Children with cancer are being denied new, highly precise drugs that are available to adults, doctors warn.

Medics at the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research said the rules were "too cautious".

Their study, in the European Journal of Cancer, found just 7% of suitable children were getting drugs that target genetic weak spots in their cancer.

The researchers said children may benefit from precision medicines even more than adults. BBC News

See also:

Diabetes drug also treats heart failure, researchers say

Diabetes drug also treats heart failure, researchers say A drug used successfully to treat type 2 diabetes can also be effective to treat heart failure, researchers at Glasgow University have said.

They described the clinical implications of their findings as "potentially huge."

The drug Dapagliflozin controls blood sugar levels, helps promote weight loss and reduces blood pressure. BBC News

See also:

NHS trusts give Google green light to process confidential patient data

NHS trusts give Google green light to process confidential patient data Sensitive NHS patient records will be shared with Google after an unprecedented deal signed by five healthcare trusts.

Confidential data now to fall under the US tech giant’s watch, covering thousands of NHS patients, could include medical history, diagnoses, treatment dates and ethnic origin.

It is the first agreement of its kind in the medical sector, coming after DeepMind, a London-based artificial intelligence firm, handed control of its healthcare contracts to its Californian parent company Google Health UK. iNews

See also:

Most common antidepressant does little to relieve depression symptoms, researchers say

Most common antidepressant does little to relieve depression symptoms, researchers say The most common antidepressant does little to relieve symptoms of depression, researchers say.

The largest study of its kind found that most people taking sertraline saw little or no effect on depressive symptoms, such as low mood, in the first six to 12 weeks of taking the drug.

Experts said they were “surprised” by the findings relating to depression, but that it was clear the drugs helped cut anxiety and should continue to be prescribed by GPs. The Independent

See also:

Asylum seeker denied cancer treatment by Home Office dies

Asylum seeker denied cancer treatment by Home Office dies Kelemua Mulat had advanced breast cancer but was refused NHS care for six weeks.

An Ethiopian woman who was denied potentially life-saving cancer treatment for six weeks amid confusion about whether she should be charged by the NHS has died aged 39.

Kelemua Mulat, who had advanced breast cancer, was refused chemotherapy last year after Home Office and NHS officials decided that she was not eligible for free care. The Guardian

Class A drug use hits record high as milennial ecstasy and cocaine habits blamed

Class A drug use hits record high as milennial ecstasy and cocaine habits blamed Record numbers of people are taking Class A drugs, figures have shown as experts blamed the cocaine and ecstasy habits of millennials for the rise.

The Home Office said 3.7% of 16 to 59-year-olds admitted taking the most dangerous substances in 2018/19 - the highest rate since records began in 1996. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

Twice as many primary school children are hospitalised for rotten teeth as for tonsillitis

Twice as many primary school children are hospitalised for rotten teeth as for tonsillitis Tooth decay now lands children in hospital more than twice as often as tonsillitis.

NHS figures revealed today there were 25,702 hospital admissions for tooth decay among five to nine-year-olds in England in 2018-19.

In comparison, only 11,811 admissions were needed to treat tonsillitis – the second most common problem on the list. The Daily Mail

See also: