Tuesday 5 November 2019

Northamptonshire Council plans £4m children's service cut

Northamptonshire Council plans £4m children's service cut A council has proposed a £4m cut to its children's services that was described as "failing" by Ofsted.

The move is part of £23.2m of savings made by Northamptonshire County Council in its draft budget for 2020-21.

It will be the last budget before the council, along with district and borough councils, will be replaced by two unitary authorities in April 2021. BBC Northampton

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’We’re here and you’re there’: lived experiences of ethnic minority staff in the NHS

’We’re here and you’re there’: lived experiences of ethnic minority staff in the NHS Earlier this year, I wrote about our research focusing on race inequalities in the NHS workforce. As part of the work, we asked people from an ethnic minority background who work in the NHS to share their lived experiences. As a woman of colour in the minority at work, I find race an uncomfortable topic to talk about; I’m cautious about talking openly in case I am judged for it. So I was taken aback by how many people got in touch from various minority ethnic backgrounds, working across health care. I prepared myself to hear about some ugly stories of prejudice and racism. The King's Fund

All inpatients with learning disability or autism to be given case reviews

All inpatients with learning disability or autism to be given case reviews All 2,250 patients with learning disabilities and autism who are inpatients in a mental health hospital will have their care reviewed over the next 12 months, the Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has announced today.

As part of the review, the government will commit to providing each patient with a date for discharge, or where this is not appropriate, a clear explanation of why and a plan to move them closer towards being ready for discharge into the community. Department of Health and Social Care

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Securing cyber resilience in health and care: progress update 2019

Securing cyber resilience in health and care: progress update 2019 This update is the third in a series of progress reports published by the DHSC since the May 2017 WannaCry cyber attack. The report highlights the actions taken by the department and our delivery partners to build cyber resilience in health and care. It describes our progress over the past 12 months and looks forward to 2020. Department of Health and Social Care

A guide to managing medicines supply and shortages

A guide to managing medicines supply and shortages This guide aims to support pharmacists, clinicians and other NHS professionals with managing the supply of medicines to their patients and details the national, regional and local management and escalation processes and communication routes for medicines supply issues in order to consolidate existing practice across industry, government and the NHS. NHS England

Ten charts on why the NHS matters in this election

Ten charts on why the NHS matters in this election The NHS is a key battleground in the general election.

Whether it is extra money, tackling growing waiting lists or recruiting staff, politicians are keen to be seen championing the NHS.

But what shape is the NHS actually in? BBC News

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Cervical screening: DIY alternative to smear test 'promising'

Cervical screening: DIY alternative to smear test 'promising' A DIY home urine or swab test could potentially help more women discover whether they are at risk of cervical cancer, researchers say.

The new method could be used as an alternative to the smear test and would not require a visit to the doctor.

Scientists at Queen Mary University of London asked 600 women to provide self-collected samples for screening.

Although larger trials are needed, the work has been called "promising" and a potential "game-changer" by charities. BBC News

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Teen self-harm rates are dramatically down in Denmark – here’s why

Teen self-harm rates are dramatically down in Denmark – here’s why Concern has been growing over rising rates of self-harm in teenagers. In the UK and Ireland, increases began around the time of the 2008 economic crash and show no sign of slowing. One study of the UK found rates among teenage girls rose by two-thirds between 2011 and 2014.

But some surprising new findings suggest that stress caused by recession and financial uncertainty does not necessarily lead to rises in suicidal behaviour. My colleagues and I examined rates of teenagers treated in hospital for self-harm in Denmark. Contrary to expectations, we found that rates of self-harm in Danish teenagers actually fell between 2008 and 2016. Although Denmark experienced an economic recession, why didn’t rates of self-harm among teenagers see a similar spike as in other countries? The Independent

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Treasury tax rules force NHS patients to wait longer

Treasury tax rules force NHS patients to wait longer Hundreds of appointments and crucial patient scans have been delayed because punitive tax rules are forcing NHS doctors to work less hours, a new survey has revealed.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), an umbrella organisation for 24 separate medical colleges in the UK and Ireland, has now written to the chancellor Sajid Javid and health secretary Matt Hancock, urging them to take action. The Independent

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Poorest hit hardest by cuts to public health spending – research

Poorest hit hardest by cuts to public health spending – research Most deprived parts of England have lost six times as much funding as prosperous areas

England’s poorest communities have borne the brunt of almost £900m of cuts to public health spending, despite them having higher rates of disease, research has revealed.

Places with high levels of deprivation such as Liverpool, Blackpool and Birmingham have lost much more of their budgets to prevent problems such obesity and smoking than better-off areas. The Guardian

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The NHS needs more than just cash. It needs major reform too

The NHS needs more than just cash. It needs major reform too | Simon Jenkins An NHS boss says just show them the money, don’t ‘politicise’ the health service this election. But its problems run deeper

Don’t politicise the NHS say the health professionals. Let us get on with the job. The health service providers’ chief executive, Chris Hopson, pleads for the health service not to be “weaponised” or “demonised” in the election. Just give it more money.

The NHS has been political since the day it was born. Politics has served it well, making it ever vaster and ever more resistant to change. More than any country in Europe, it has maintained its archaic professional structures and its iconic free status “at the point of delivery” (except for drugs), because its leaders know well that “point of delivery” is code for votes. The Guardian

Donors will be able to follow the route their blood takes using Google Maps

Donors will be able to follow the route their blood takes using Google Maps Donors will be able to track the journey their blood takes through Google Maps in a bid to encourage more people to donate.

Roadmaps will be emailed to all donors showing which NHS hospital gets their blood and where it is processed.

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is hoping to attract more donors and retain those with in-demand blood types, such as O negative and Ro.

The initiative will be rolled out this week for donors in England and Wales. The Daily Mail

Patients across Europe are waiting months for life-saving drugs due to shortage

Patients across Europe are waiting months for life-saving drugs due to shortage Patients across Europe are being forced to wait months for life-saving medications due to bottlenecks in deliveries from Asia.

Health chiefs have warned lives are at risk, with pharmacies running out of vaccines for children, insulin for diabetics and heart disease treatments.

Chemists are also unable to access antibiotics, painkillers, the morning after pill and other basic drugs due to the hold up in Asia. The Daily Mail