Wednesday 20 November 2019

NGH confirms non-urgent operations have been cancelled to support A&E

NGH confirms non-urgent operations have been cancelled to support A&E Non-urgent operations over the next four months have been cancelled at Northampton General Hospital so doctors can better support A&E demands.

The news comes as Northampton General Hospital yesterday (Tuesday) was seeking advice from its commissioners about how to deal with soaring demand for NHS services. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Remember those no longer with us at 'Light Up A Life' event in Northampton

Remember those no longer with us at 'Light Up A Life' event in Northampton NGH's charity is dedicating lights on their Christmas tree this year to remember loved ones that cannot be with us for this festive period.

Northamptonshire Health Charity - which aims to enhance patient experience beyond what the NHS can fund - say this celebration will provide a chance to reflect and remember people who are no longer with us. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

We know the public love the NHS, but do they think it is a good employer?

We know the public love the NHS, but do they think it is a good employer? Despite being one of the largest employers in the world, it is well publicised that the NHS is facing enormous challenges, with its workforce crisis being one of the most pressing issues. Earlier this year, the Interim NHS People Plan set out the vision for supporting those working in the NHS. It outlines that the route to tackling the high number of vacancies and turnover across the NHS lies not only in increasing the number of staff, but also in making the NHS ‘the best place to work’. The King's Fund

Immigration and the NHS: the evidence

Immigration and the NHS: the evidence New promises for the NHS are appearing almost daily on the campaign trail: more cash, more doctors and nurses, better hospitals and equipment. Meanwhile – in the real world – NHS performance continues to deteriorate. NHS data out last week paints a grim picture. A&E performance is the worst on record. And 4.6 million people are stuck on waiting lists.

In response, the Conservative Party issued a statement suggesting that international migrants – among other things – will make things worse. It said: ‘the last thing our NHS can afford is Labour’s plans for a four day week and uncontrolled and unlimited immigration, which would could cripple our health service, leaving it understaffed and underfunded.’

This isn’t a new argument. And it plays on public perceptions that international migration can put pressure on public services. Migration policy is about much more than its impact on the NHS or the economy. And political narratives often fail to reflect the different experiences, understandings, and impacts of migration in the UK. But – leaving these issues aside – the idea that migration has a negative impact on the NHS is not backed up by the evidence. The Health Foundation

Revealed: scandal of 30,000 NHS workers on zero hours contracts

Revealed: scandal of 30,000 NHS workers on zero hours contracts At least 30,000 NHS workers in the UK report employed on zero hours contracts, new GMB analysis of official figures has revealed.

The true number is likely higher as the statistics may not include outsourced workers, or workers employed through controversial ‘wholly owned subsidiary’ companies that are not bound by nationally agreed employment standards.

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Guidance: Oral care and people with learning disabilities

Guidance: Oral care and people with learning disabilities To help health professionals, paid social care staff and family members to support someone with learning disabilities to get good oral care. Department of Health and Social Care

Seeing an NHS dentist 'a problem everywhere'

Seeing an NHS dentist 'a problem everywhere' More than 2 million adults in England are unable to see an NHS dentist, BBC analysis suggests.

They include an estimated 1.45 million who have tried and failed to get an NHS appointment in two years with the rest on waiting lists or put off by cost.

Another 2 million assume they cannot get care where they live, suggesting nearly one in 10 miss out overall. BBC News

Old age: Why 70 may be the new 65

Old age: Why 70 may be the new 65 It may be time to rethink how we measure and define old age in the UK because more people are surviving into their late 80s and beyond, say experts.

The Office for National Statistics team says although 65 has traditionally been seen as the start of old age, 70 could be seen as the "new 65".

That's because many people who reach this milestone birthday can still expect to live another 15 years. BBC News

Sepsis alert system hailed for reducing deaths and hospital stays

Sepsis alert system hailed for reducing deaths and hospital stays Digital alerts which monitor patients for sepsis have resulted in a fall in deaths and hospital stays linked to the deadly condition.

The system has been in place across the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust’s emergency departments and inpatient wards since 2016, notifying doctors if factors such as temperature, heart rate and glucose levels fall outside what is considered safe.

Clinicians are informed via a pop-up warning which appears in electronic health records or on a dashboard. ITV News

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‘Largest maternity scandal in NHS history’: Dozens of mothers and babies died on wards of hospital trust, leaked report reveals

‘Largest maternity scandal in NHS history’: Dozens of mothers and babies died on wards of hospital trust, leaked report reveals Dozens of babies and three mothers died on the wards of a single hospital trust, in what is being described as the largest maternity scandal in the history of the NHS, The Independent can today reveal.

Clinical malpractice was allowed to continue unchecked over a period of 40 years, with repeated failings by doctors, midwives and hospital bosses, according to a leaked internal report.

The investigation singles out the deaths of at least 42 babies and three mothers at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust (SATH) between 1979 and 2017.

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Calls to scrap ‘immoral’ NHS fee for foreign staff

Calls to scrap ‘immoral’ NHS fee for foreign staff Exclusive: medical associations say surcharge rise will worsen staffing crisis

Boris Johnson’s plans to charge foreign staff who help save British lives £625 a year to use the NHS will worsen its staffing crisis, medical associations have warned.

They have reacted with dismay over the prime minister’s proposal to extend the so-called health surcharge to nurses, doctors and other medical and ancillary staff who come to work in the NHS from EU27 countries. The Guardian

Social care must be solved by next government, coalition of charities and councils tell Telegraph 

Social care must be solved by next government, coalition of charities and councils tell Telegraph The social care crisis must be solved by the next government, a coalition of charities and councils have warned, as they urge politicians to finally 'grasp the nettle'.

Since 2010, almost £8billion has been cut from council adult social care budgets during a time of growing demand.

Writing in The Telegraph today care experts have issued a warning to politicians that “social care must be at the top of the domestic policy agenda”.

Three clinics rapped for misleading pregnant women

Three clinics rapped for misleading pregnant women Three clinics have been rapped for misleading pregnant women by exaggerating the effectiveness of Down's syndrome blood tests.

My Baby Company, The Birth Company and Ultrasound Direct charge up to £650 for the test.

All three claimed it was 99 per cent accurate – but the Advertising Standards Authority said evidence shows only 82 per cent of babies given a 'positive' result would be born with Down's. The Daily Mail

NHS trusts only received a third of the £91million they billed 'health tourists' last year

NHS trusts only received a third of the £91million they billed 'health tourists' last year NHS hospitals only managed to claim back 38 per cent of the money they billed health tourists from outside of Europe last year.

Just £35million out of a £91m total was reclaimed by the health service for care it provided to citizens from countries not in European Economic Area.

London hospital trusts were the worst affected, in some cases getting paid only £1 for every £10 they were owed and writing off more than £4million in a year. The Daily Mail

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