How are the political promises for health and social care stacking up?

How are the political promises for health and social care stacking up? Clearly Brexit will be centre stage in the election campaign. But given surveys show public concerns about the NHS come a constant second to Brexit what have the parties pledged so far on health and care? How do they stack up? The Health Foundation

Local lessons: what can we learn from Tameside and Glossop?

Local lessons: what can we learn from Tameside and Glossop? Nigel Edwards reflects on a visit to Tameside and Glossop CCG, which has recently improved its performance in a number of areas. He argues that three things in particular struck him about how they do things – and that we should be wary of thinking such models can be simply copied elsewhere. Nuffield Trust

Human rights of many people with a learning disability and/or autism are being breached in mental health hospitals

Human rights of many people with a learning disability and/or autism are being breached in mental health hospitals Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights condemns the “horrific reality” of conditions and treatment under which many young people with learning disabilities and autism are detained in mental health hospitals, “inflicting terrible suffering on those detained and causing anguish to their distraught families”.

Evidence to the inquiry into the detention of young people with learning disabilities and/or autism was so “stark” and consistent that the Committee says it has “lost confidence that the system is doing what it says it is doing and the regulator's method of checking is not working. It has been left to the media, notably the BBC and Ian Birrell in the Mail on Sunday, to expose abuse. No-one thinks this is acceptable.” In relation to the Care Quality Commission, the Committee finds that “a regulator which gets it wrong is worse than no regulator at all”.

See also:

• Detention of children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism inquiry Joint Committee on Human Rights
• 'Horrific' treatment of my autistic daughter BBC News
• Children with learning disabilities endure ‘terrible suffering’ in mental health hospitals, report finds The Independent
• Father criticises NHS and social care of his autistic daughter Sky News

Universal approaches to improving children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing: short descriptions of interventions identified from the synthesis of systematic reviews

Universal approaches to improving children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing: short descriptions of interventions identified from the synthesis of systematic reviews This report, and associated documents, summarises the evidence for the effectiveness of universal approaches to improving children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The documents are intended for strategic and operational leads, working on children and young people’s mental health. Public Health England

Research and analysis: HIV: women in the UK

Research and analysis: HIV: women in the UK Report presenting data on the HIV epidemic among women in the UK and experiences of women living with HIV. Public Health England

Public back NHS plans for new rapid care measures

Public back NHS plans for new rapid care measures England’s top doctor has welcomed new polling showing that patients and the public support NHS proposals focussing on fast treatment for those who need it in A&E.

A national survey commissioned by Healthwatch England found that an overwhelming majority of people placed a high priority on early initial assessment on arrival at A&E for everyone, allowing staff to prioritise those patients with the greatest need, and ensuring that patients with critical conditions get the right standard of care quickly.

These priorities are mirrored in new standards now being trialled across the NHS, as part of a review led by NHS National Medical Director, Professor Stephen Powis, supported by leading staff and patient groups. NHS England

See also:

• Unclear whether new targets are an improvement Nuffield Trust
• Seven in ten casualty patients waiting longer under new A&E standards The Daily Telegraph

Artificial intelligence: how to get it right - putting policy into practice for safe data-driven innovation in health and care

Artificial intelligence: how to get it right - putting policy into practice for safe data-driven innovation in health and care This report is intended to provide a cohesive overview of the current state of play of data-driven technologies within the health and care system. It aims to make clear where in the system AI technologies can be utilised and the policy work that is, and will need to be done, to ensure this utilisation is done in a safe, effective and ethically acceptable manner. NHSX

Get a move on: steps to increase activity levels in the UK

Get a move on: steps to increase activity levels in the UK This briefing examines the wide range of benefits of physical activity, the current low levels of physical activity in the UK and the significant inequalities that exist in levels of physical activity within the population. Policy recommendations across four core parts of people’s lives – travel, leisure, school and work – set out the steps government and policy-makers should take to increase physical activity levels across the UK. British Medical Association

Liver cancer deaths climb by around 50% in the last decade

Liver cancer deaths climb by around 50% in the last decade Liver cancer death rates have increased by around 50% in the last decade and have tripled since records began, according to the latest calculations by Cancer Research UK.

New mortality data shows that there were around 5,700 deaths from liver cancer in 2017 in the UK, which is the highest ever yearly number of deaths recorded. This has climbed from 3,200 deaths in 2007. Of all cancer types, liver cancer has had the largest increase in death rates over the last decade and the most rapid rise in deaths since UK records began.

See also:

• Liver cancer deaths have increased by around 50% in the last decade The Daily Mail
• Unhealthy lifestyles fuel a 50 per cent rise in UK deaths from liver cancer The Daily Telegraph
• Liver cancer deaths in England triple in 20 years The Independent

Antibiotic use falling but resistant infections rising

Antibiotic use falling but resistant infections rising There has been a 17% drop in the number of prescriptions for antibiotics written by GPs in England over the past five years, latest figures show.

But antibiotic-resistant infections are still rising - up 9% between 2017 and 2018, to nearly 61,000.

Public Health England is urging the public to take antibiotics only when necessary.

And it urges people to listen to their doctor or pharmacist's advice on when to use them. BBC News

See also:

• 165 new antibiotic resistant infections every day in England Public Health England
• English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) report Public Health England
• Surge in superbugs: Official figures reveal antibiotic resistant infections up 9% on the year before The Daily Mail
• Number of infections resistant to antibiotics rises by 9% in one year The Daily Telegraph
• Number of antibiotic-resistant infections has risen by almost 10 per cent, Public Health England warns The Independent

'Can I have a white doctor for the operation?': Racist abuse against NHS staff almost triples, ITV News finds

'Can I have a white doctor for the operation?': Racist abuse against NHS staff almost triples, ITV News finds We all know it's against the law to discriminate someone based on their race, age, gender, sexual orientation or religion or indeed to subject anyone to a hate crime.

We know that don't we? So why is it that discrimination and hates crimes still occur and why do people still tolerate it?

I ask because ITV News has done some research on racism in the NHS and the results are somewhat worrying.

We found the number of recorded racist attacks against NHS staff increased from 589 in 2013 to 1448 last year - that's an increase of 145%.

NHS surgeons say fireworks should carry graphic warnings

NHS surgeons say fireworks should carry graphic warnings A&E doctors say plain packaging and cigarette-style warnings would reduce injuries

Fireworks should have to carry graphic, cigarette-style warnings and be sold in plain packaging to cut the number of injuries they cause, NHS surgeons have said.

They said urgent action was needed because of the toll of serious, disfiguring and sometimes life-changing injuries to hands and faces from fireworks. The Guardian

Number of women using pain relief for child birth falls to lowest in a decade

Number of women using pain relief for child birth falls to lowest in a decade The use of painkillers by women in childbirth has dropped by six per cent in the last decade, prompting concerns that women might be being denied the pain relief they want.

Data released today by NHS Digital showed the use of pain medication such as anaesthetics while having a child has dropped from 67% in 2008-09 to 61% in 2018-19. The Daily Telegraph

MMR jab: Scientists find measles can leave you vulnerable to other killer bugs in future

MMR jab: Scientists find measles can leave you vulnerable to other killer bugs in future Measles completely wipes the immune system of children and leaves them prone to catching other killer bugs, scientists say.

A study of 26 unvaccinated youngsters with measles discovered the life-threatening infection reset their body's internal defence system.

This meant the resistance youngsters had developed against other illnesses were completely forgotten. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Measles virus infection diminishes preexisting antibodies that offer protection from other pathogens (open access) Science Immunology
• Game of clones: How measles remodels the B cell landscape (open access) Science Immunology
• Incomplete genetic reconstitution of B cell pools contributes to prolonged immunosuppression after measles (open access) Science Immunology
• Measles makes body 'forget' how to fight infection BBC News
• Measles infections can wipe out a child's immune system for up to five years The Daily Telegraph