Friday 25 October 2019

St Andrew's Healthcare: Girl locked in psychiatric unit 'cell' to receive damages

St Andrew's Healthcare: Girl locked in psychiatric unit 'cell' to receive damages A girl with autism and extreme anxiety whose father said she was kept in "cell" at a psychiatric unit is to receive damages, a council and healthcare bosses have said.

Bethany, 18, was locked in a St Andrew's Healthcare seclusion room in Northampton for almost two years.

Her father Jeremy, from Birmingham, launched legal action to get her moved. BBC Northampton

UK investing less in health care infrastructure compared to other EU countries

UK investing less in health care infrastructure compared to other EU countries New analysis from the Health Foundation suggests that the UK is investing significantly less in health care capital – which includes buildings, equipment and IT – as a share of GDP compared to most other similar countries. As a result, the total value of capital in health care in the UK has fallen.

The value of capital per health care worker in the UK – which provides an estimate of the resources available to staff to deliver care to patients – has fallen by 35% between 2000 and 2017, while many other countries have seen significant and sustained rises over the same period. Of the countries analysed*, the value of capital per health care worker in the UK is the second lowest, above Greece, and only just over half the average value.

An outsider’s reflections on NHS primary care reform

An outsider’s reflections on NHS primary care reform Martin Hefford is Chief Executive of Tū Ora Compass Health, a primary health organisation in New Zealand. He has been on a 12-week sabbatical hosted by The King’s Fund and the Birmingham Health Services Management Centre. During his sabbatical, he met with NHS clinicians and managers from across England – from Torbay to Manchester, as well as Scotland, Denmark and Macedonia, looking at primary care challenges and innovations. The King's Fund

The state of medical education and practice in the UK: the workforce report 2019

The state of medical education and practice in the UK: the workforce report 2019 This report draws on the GMC's medical register data and findings from a new survey on doctors’ workplace experiences. It sets out recommendations to help inform emerging workforce strategies and people plans across the UK. The data shows that the UK’s medical register continues to grow, with many overseas doctors joining our workforce. However, the GMC states that health services must prioritise strategies to retain UK and non-UK trained doctors, and develop supportive workplace cultures with compassionate leaders. General Medical Council

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Investigation into pre-school vaccinations

Investigation into pre-school vaccinations This investigation sets out the system for providing vaccinations to pre-school children in England. It is prompted by public concerns about the levels of uptake of pre‑school vaccinations. It sets out:
  • the current levels of vaccination uptake and cases of disease across England;
  • Public Health England (PHE)’s and NHS England’s understanding of the problem; and
  • PHE’s and NHS England’s response to the problem.
We use the MMR vaccination, the 4-in-1 booster and the Hib/MenC booster to highlight many of the challenges that exist in the system for pre‑school vaccinations and illustrate in more detail how uptake of vaccinations is falling. National Audit Office

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NHS England agrees price for 'unaffordable' cystic fibrosis drug

NHS England agrees price for 'unaffordable' cystic fibrosis drug Patients will get Orkambi by next month after years of price wrangling with manufacturer

Up to 5,000 children and young people in England with the life-shortening disease cystic fibrosis will soon get access to the new drug Orkambi, after the US manufacturer ended years of bitter wrangling and agreed a price with the NHS.

Campaigners celebrated the news, which NHS England’s chief executive said meant cystic fibrosis patients would get the drug within the month. “Given the time it has taken for the company to reach this agreement, there must be no further delay,” wrote Sir Simon Stevens to the chair of the House of Commons health select committee, Sarah Wollaston. The committee held hearings on the impasse earlier this year. The Guardian

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'NHS technology is so bad it takes me 17 minutes to log into my PC', country's most senior doctor reveals

'NHS technology is so bad it takes me 17 minutes to log into my PC', country's most senior doctor reveals NHS technology is so out-of-date it takes 17 minutes to log into PCs in the morning, the UK’s top family doctor has said.

Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners revealed she could almost complete two appointments in the time it takes to start up her 10-year-old IT system.

The Midlands GP said her practice is still forced to rely on Windows 7. The Daily Telegraph

More than HALF of GPs think ten-minute appointments are too short

More than HALF of GPs think ten-minute appointments are too short More than half of GPs say patients are put in danger because ten-minute appointments are too short.

A survey of 1,500 family doctors revealed that the majority do not think they have enough time to properly assess patients.

It prompted the head of the Royal College of GPs (RCGP) to warn that the entire profession could 'crumble'. The Daily Mail

British children face month-long delays in getting flu vaccine

British children face month-long delays in getting flu vaccine British children face a month-long delay in getting vaccinated against the flu on the NHS this winter, it has been revealed.

GPs have been told to prioritise vulnerable youngsters with underlying conditions, ensuring they are the first to get the nasal spray.

Other children across the UK may have to wait until late November to be vaccinated, Public Health England (PHE) has warned. The Daily Mail

Number of hospitals running short of nurses TRIPLES in five years

Number of hospitals running short of nurses TRIPLES in five years The amount of hospitals regularly understaffed with nurses in England has almost tripled in five years, figures show.

The number of NHS trusts which had 10 per cent or fewer nurses than they needed each month increased from 20 in June 2014 to 55 in June 2019.

Some of the worst hit departments included critical care, geriatric medicine, acute medicine, cardiology and neonatal care – where quality care is essential to save lives. The Daily Mail

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