Criticism over plans to axe door-to-door services for disabled school children

Criticism over plans to axe door-to-door services for disabled school children Disabled children could be expected to walk a mile alone to be taken to school as part of a new Northamptonshire County Council (NCC) idea.

The 'initiative' will mean children with special educational needs and disability (SEND) - who currently get picked up by a minibus or taxi from their homes - might instead have to walk one mile to be picked up from a bus stop instead.

The county council has called the scheme, it is set to introduce to parents and children on November 4, 'Pick Up and Set Down Points'. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Children's commissioner at 'failing' Northamptonshire council quits

Children's commissioner at 'failing' Northamptonshire council quits A government-appointed commissioner of a cash-strapped council's children's services department has resigned.

The Department for Education (DfE) said Malcolm Newsam would be leaving his role at Northamptonshire County Council.

Mr Newsam took up the role in 2018 after an Ofsted report found people in its care were at "potential risk". BBC Northampton

See also:

• Northamptonshire's Children's Commissioner resigns Northamptonshire Telegraph

Hospital trials pocket-sized ultrasound device that plugs into iPhone

Hospital trials pocket-sized ultrasound device that plugs into iPhone An ultrasound device that fits inside a pocket and plugs into a smartphone has is being put through its paces at a UK hospital.

It is being tested at Northampton General Hospital by Dr Jonny Wilkinson, who believes the innovative technology represents the future of medical examinations. Sky News

How town planning teams can help create healthier places

How town planning teams can help create healthier places The origins of town planning are closely aligned with those of public health: both disciplines sprang out of an understanding that the conditions in which people live have a profound impact on whether or not they are healthy. Access to fresh air, good homes, good food, green spaces, employment and a strong community are the foundations of public health and can be created, or supported, by good town planning. So what can town planners learn from NHS England’s Healthy New Towns programme? The King's Fund

NHS hospitals wind back the clock for dementia care

NHS hospitals wind back the clock for dementia care NHS hospitals are going back to the future to help patients with dementia by decorating their wards, rooms and corridors in 1940s and 1950s style – creating a calming, familiar environment which can help jog memories, reduce anxiety and distress.

With ageing well and caring for people with dementia both key priorities in the NHS Long Term Plan; hospitals across the country have revamped their dementia ward decor, with innovations ranging from a ‘memories pub’ to 1950s style ‘reminiscence rooms’ and even a cinema booth where patients can watch old films. NHS England

NHS will not pay for 'life-changing' migraine drug

NHS will not pay for 'life-changing' migraine drug A migraine drug that has been described as "life changing" by some patients will not be made available on the NHS outside of Scotland.

Erenumab - also known by the name Aimovig - is one of the first bespoke migraine drugs in decades and has been described by doctors as a "huge deal".

But the body that approves new drugs said there were doubts whether it was good enough or worth the money. BBC News

See also:

• Erenumab for preventing migraine NICE
• NHS rejects 'life-changing' breakthrough migraine drug after a row about how effective it is The Daily Mail

Improve fetal heart monitoring, NHS report says

Improve fetal heart monitoring, NHS report says Research into the best way to monitor the heart rates of unborn babies is urgently needed, says an NHS report that records babies born with avoidable brain injuries in England.

It says all affected families should be offered an apology and an open conversation about their care. BBC News

See also:

• The Early Notification scheme: progress report: collaboration and improved experience for families NHS Resolution
• More than one thousand neonatal admissions could be avoided per year by following NICE guidance NICE
• Midwives failing to check babies heart rates is biggest cause of birth blunders in the NHS The Daily Telegraph

NHS concerns about no-deal Brexit

NHS concerns about no-deal Brexit With the prospect of a no-deal Brexit still very much on the table, the minister in charge of planning for one, Michael Gove, has been insisting that “many businesses” are “well prepared”.

Labour’s Keir Starmer rejected that idea, saying to leave the country unprepared was “unforgivable”.

We’ve seen documents given to one Manchester hospital – and no doubt replicated across England – revealing the concerns many in the NHS have about the future. Channel 4 News

NHS privatisation to be reined in under secret plan to reform care

NHS privatisation to be reined in under secret plan to reform care Proposal expected to feature in Queen’s speech after spending on private firms passes £9bn

Privatisation of NHS care will be significantly curbed under confidential plans that health service bosses expect Downing Street to include in the Queen’s speech next month.

Local NHS bodies in England would no longer have to put out to tender any contract worth at least £615,278. That requirement has contributed to a big increase in outsourcing of services and a record £9.2bn of the NHS’s budget now being handed to private firms. The Guardian

Soaring suicide rates among young people is slowing down national life expectancy, ONS figures reveal

Soaring suicide rates among young people is slowing down national life expectancy, ONS figures reveal Soaring suicide rates among young people is slowing down the national life expectancy, government data reveals.

Earlier this month the Office for National Statistics published data which revealed that the rate of suicides in Britain has risen sharply to its highest level since 2002, with men accounting for three-quarters of the number of people who took their own lives last year. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Number of people in UK older than 105 more than doubled since 2002 The Guardian

UK health officials approve 'life-changing' spina bifida surgery which is done in the WOMB

UK health officials approve 'life-changing' spina bifida surgery which is done in the WOMB NHS doctors will be able to perform open spine surgery on unborn babies with spina bifida 'within weeks', the health service has announced.

The surgery involves taking the foetus out of the womb temporarily for an operation to repair its spinal cord to prevent nerve damage.

It has already been used experimentally and is performed elsewhere in the world but has now been approved for routine use by NHS doctors. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Fetoscopic prenatal repair for open neural tube defects in the foetus (consultation) NICE
• Open prenatal repair for open neural tube defects in the fetus (consultation) NICE
• NICE supports procedure to treat spine bifida on unborn babies OnMedica

Minimum unit pricing in Scotland has worked and slashed the amount of alcohol purchased by almost 8%

Minimum unit pricing in Scotland has worked and slashed the amount of alcohol purchased by almost 8% A controversial price hike on alcohol in Scotland has slashed the amount of purchases by eight per cent since it was introduced last May, research suggests.

Scottish adults bought one unit less of alcohol - the equivalent of half a pint of beer, half a glass of wine, or a single measure of spirit - each week than they did before the drastic policy was introduced on average, according to an analysis. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Immediate impact of minimum unit pricing on alcohol purchases in Scotland: controlled interrupted time series analysis for 2015-18 (open access) The BMJ
• Minimum price cuts drinking by 'half a pint a week' BBC News