Northamptonshire: Crisis council replacement plans reach Parliament

Northamptonshire: Crisis council replacement plans reach Parliament The legal process to scrap a cash-crisis council and seven others in the same county has reached Parliament.

Legislation outlines plans for two unitary authorities in Northamptonshire to replace its troubled county council and the district and borough councils.

The government has already approved the scheme, but it will now be considered by the Commons and Lords.

If passed, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire Councils are due to start operating on 1 April 2021. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Legislation for new Northamptonshire councils finally laid before parliament – but election talk leaves timetable uncertain Northamptonshire Telegraph

Tailor-made bras to be made for women at NGH after breast removal surgery

Tailor-made bras to be made for women at NGH after breast removal surgery Patients who undergo a mastectomy or breast removal surgery at Northampton General Hospital will now receive a free suitable post-operative bra to wear during their recovery, thanks to local charity Crazy Hats Breast Appeal.

It is hoped that the new bras will support patients through the next steps in their treatment and recovery and take away the daunting process of buying a bra post-surgery. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

A descriptive analysis of health care use by high cost, high need patients in England

A descriptive analysis of health care use by high cost, high need patients in England Despite the increasing financial pressure on the NHS over the past decades, there has been little research to understand the distribution and concentration of health care costs across the population.

This paper explores for the first time the distribution of both primary and secondary health care costs in England, including GP-prescribed drug cost. Identifying high-cost, high-need patients and examining the way in which they use health care services might help to design initiatives to reduce costs or to improve efficiency. The Health Foundation

See also:

• Average annual costs per patient for the top 5% of patients are over 20 times higher than all other patients The Health Foundation

Prevention concordat for better mental health: consensus statement

Prevention concordat for better mental health: consensus statement Describes the consensus statement of the prevention concordat for better mental health and lists the signatories. Public Health England

Raising staff awareness of the NHS App

Raising staff awareness of the NHS App The NHS wants to encourage health and care staff to simplify their lives by using the NHS App. Download resources and suggested copy to use, so your organisation can be part of the campaign. NHS Digital

The expanding role of volunteers in the NHS

The expanding role of volunteers in the NHS Helen Gilburt, fellow in health policy at the King’s Fund, explores the increasing importance and role of volunteers within the healthcare service. National Health Executive

Peanut-allergy therapy 'protection not a cure'

Peanut-allergy therapy 'protection not a cure' Treating peanut allergy with regular exposure to small amounts of the food is effective - but only if a patient stays on the therapy, a study suggests.

King's College London scientists looked at the underlying behaviour of patients' cells - and found it did not change.

They say that shows immunotherapy offers "protection but not a cure" for peanut allergies. BBC News

See also:

• Peanut oral immunotherapy induces blocking antibodies but does not change the functional characteristics of peanut-specific IgE (abstract) Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
• Peanut allergy treatment does not CURE patients but protects them from reactions, scientists say The Daily Mail

Asthma carbon footprint 'as big as eating meat'

Asthma carbon footprint 'as big as eating meat' Many people with asthma could cut their carbon footprint and help save the environment by switching to "greener" medications, UK researchers say.

Making the swap would have as big an "eco" impact as turning vegetarian or becoming an avid recycler, they say.

It's because some inhalers release greenhouse gases linked to global warming.

But the Cambridge University team told BMJ Open patients must check with a doctor before changing medication. BBC News

See also:

• Costs of switching to low global warming potential inhalers. An economic and carbon footprint analysis of NHS prescription data in England (open access) BMJ Open
• Switching to 'green' inhalers could reduce carbon footprint by 37-fold The Daily Mail

Progress in reducing food sugar content ‘lost’ as people buying more, Public Health England warns

Progress in reducing food sugar content ‘lost’ as people buying more, Public Health England warns Progress in reducing food sugar content is being “lost” due to people consuming more sugary items, Public Health England‘s chief executive has warned.

Duncan Selbie faced questions from the Health and Social Care Committee about the progress of the government’s childhood obesity plan which was published in 2016.

Despite the plan setting a voluntary target for the food industry to reduce 20 per cent of sugar from key food categories by the end of 2020, Mr Selbie said the figure currently stood at a “disappointing” 2.9 per cent. The Independent

I’m the dad who took on Boris Johnson over the NHS. I can’t stand by as he runs it down

I’m the dad who took on Boris Johnson over the NHS. I can’t stand by as he runs it down | Omar Salem I confronted him about funding at Whipps Cross hospital. His reassurances since are utterly unconvincing

A few days after my daughter was born, she nearly died. During this time, she had to wait for hours on a ward at Whipps Cross hospital in east London, just to see a doctor. The Guardian

US healthcare algorithm is accused of being racially bias against black people

US healthcare algorithm is accused of being racially bias against black people An algorithm used by hospitals in the US to identify patients with chronic diseases has a significant bias against black people, researchers have claimed.

The artificial intelligence, sold by health firm Optum, disproportionately advised medics to give more care to white people even when black patients were sicker.

It means just 18 per cent of black patients were suggested for a continued care programme, when 47 per cent of them were in desperate need of it.

The software helps medics decide the future of roughly 200million patients across the US each year. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Dissecting racial bias in an algorithm used to manage the health of populations (open access) Science