Councillor spots unallocated cashpot that could help day care centres facing cuts

Councillor spots unallocated cashpot that could help day care centres facing cuts A councillor has identified an unallocated pot of cash that could be given to the day care centres which are losing a county council contract.

A number of day centres for the elderly and organisations that help rough sleepers will lose their funding at the end of March because Northamptonshire County Council has decided not to continue its £1.6m annual social wellbeing contract. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Out of commission: What’s behind poor care for people with learning disabilities?

Out of commission: What’s behind poor care for people with learning disabilities? As another report shows that care for people with learning disabilities is not good enough, Helen Buckingham looks more closely at the role of commissioners in preventing and addressing these systemic failures in care. Nuffield Trust

“Unacceptable inequalities in health outcomes” for LGBT people “glare out wherever you look”

“Unacceptable inequalities in health outcomes” for LGBT people “glare out wherever you look” LGBT people are being let down in health and social care, by structures and services that are not inclusive or designed with them in mind, and by a lack of leadership in Government, NHS and social services.

In a new report the Women and Equalities Committee has found that too often LGBT people are expected to fit into systems that assume they are straight and cisgender. But the Committee has found that deep inequalities exist in health outcomes for these communities and that treating them “the same” as non-LGBT people will not address these poor outcomes.

See also:

• 'Ask about sexual orientation to improve LGBT inequalities' BBC News

Preventing serious violence: a multi-agency approach

Preventing serious violence: a multi-agency approach This information is for partners in local areas across the country, including police and crime commissioners, public health departments and community safety partnerships. It will help them understand and respond to serious violence that affects their communities. Public Health England

Designing digital skills interventions for older people

Designing digital skills interventions for older people This report brings together recommendations for designing digital skills interventions for older people with care and support needs. It draws on insights from two pathfinders, which were funded by NHS Digital and supported by Good Things Foundation as part of the Widening Digital Participation programme. The pathfinders generated insights on small system-level changes that can embed digital inclusion in social care support and factors influencing digital inclusion within social housing schemes. Good Things Foundation

Eating disorders: Over-65s unable to access some clinics

Eating disorders: Over-65s unable to access some clinics Over-65s with eating disorders are being prevented from accessing some specialist clinics despite NHS England saying they are open to all ages, the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire programme has found. For some, such support is seen as essential in keeping them alive. BBC News

Dementia in footballers three and a half times more likely than in general population

Dementia in footballers three and a half times more likely than in general population Former professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than people of the same age range in the general population, according to new research.

Experts at Glasgow University have been investigating fears that heading the ball could be linked to brain injuries.

The study began after claims that former West Brom striker Jeff Astle died because of repeated head trauma. BBC News

See also:

• Neurodegenerative Disease Mortality among Former Professional Soccer Players (free with registration) The New England Journal of Medicine
• Football and dementia: former players over five times more likely to die of Alzheimer’s, says landmark study The Drake Foundation

Watchdog to investigate suicide monitoring of benefit claimants after ministers refuse to publish data

Watchdog to investigate suicide monitoring of benefit claimants after ministers refuse to publish data A watchdog is to investigate the government’s monitoring of suicides among benefit claimants amid concerns about links between welfare reforms and declining mental health.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said it would call on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to reveal what information it held on the issue, after ministers refused to provide an MP with figures on the number of people in the welfare system who had taken their own lives. The Independent

Chest X-rays miss nearly quarter of lung cancers, review finds

Chest X-rays miss nearly quarter of lung cancers, review finds Lung Cancer is being missed at an early opportunity in almost a quarter of cases due to the use of out-dated X-rays, researchers have found.

A review in the British Journal of General Practice reveals that despite being the recommended method for investigating suspicious symptoms, such as persistent coughs or chest aches, X-rays miss up to 23 per cent of patients with the disease. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Sensitivity of chest X-ray for detecting lung cancer in people presenting with symptoms: a systematic review (abstract) British Journal of General Practice
• X-rays inadequate to diagnose lung cancer OnMedica

Cancer patients reluctant to bother overworked NHS staff

Cancer patients reluctant to bother overworked NHS staff Cancer patients are suffering side-effects of treatment in silence because they are afraid of bothering overworked NHS staff, a new survey reveals.

More than two thirds of newly diagnosed cancer patients questioned by Macmillan Cancer Support said they are not getting all the help they need - estimated to be about 300,000 people across the UK. The Daily Telegraph

Number of over 85s in UK to double in 25 years, amid fears of social care crisis escalating

Number of over 85s in UK to double in 25 years, amid fears of social care crisis escalating The number of over 85s in the UK is set to double within the next 25 years, new data reveals, amid fears of the social care crisis escalating.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has today published data showing national population projections.

Researchers found that the UK population is set to rise by 3 million (or 4.5%) in the next decade, from around 66.4 million in mid 2018 to around 69.4 million in mid 2028. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• National population projections: 2018-based Office for National Statistics
• UK population expected to pass 70 million by 2031 The Guardian
• UK population set to rise by 3 million in next decade due to net migration increases The Independent

Parents have a moral duty to give their children the MMR jab warns Health Secretary Matt Hancock

Parents have a moral duty to give their children the MMR jab warns Health Secretary Matt Hancock Parents who shun the MMR jab are endangering the lives of babies and seriously ill children, the Health Secretary warns today.

Matt Hancock says unvaccinated youngsters may catch measles themselves and then infect vulnerable, high-risk patients.

He says that while parents might think their decisions on jabs are a 'personal choice' and 'nobody else's business', they in fact have a 'moral' duty. The Daily Mail

See also:

• 'This isn’t hippy stuff': Totnes parents defiant over vaccines The Guardian