Sharp decline in district nursing workforce poses threat to patient safety

Sharp decline in district nursing workforce poses threat to patient safety The UK’s district nurse workforce is under severe threat due to long-term underinvestment in training, education and skills, posing a direct threat to patient safety, warn the authors of a new, independent report, commissioned by the Queen’s Nursing Institute. NHS Networks

More families come forward in Shropshire maternity inquiry

More families come forward in Shropshire maternity inquiry Campaigners say 25 new cases have emerged since the leak of a report into maternity care in Shropshire. BBC News

See Also:

• Doctors may face suspension over NHS 'worst maternity scandal'  The Guardian

Patient died after 'transplant surgeon error' in Welsh hospital

Patient died after 'transplant surgeon error' in Welsh hospital A transplant patient died after a surgeon failed to disclose he had spilt stomach contents on organs which went on to be used in NHS operations.

The 36-year-old died of an aneurysm caused directly by infection from a donated liver, while two other patients became ill from transplants.

The incident took place in 2015 but only came to light when one of the sick patients attended a hospital in Wales. It had involved a surgeon from Oxford University NHS Foundation Trust. BBC News

See Also:

• Patient died after being given an organ contaminated when surgeon accidentally opened donor's stomach The Telegraph
• One NHS patient DIED and another became seriously ill after receiving infected organs from surgeon who failed to disclose his fatal mistake Mail Online

Inducing labour at 41 weeks could save lives, new research claims

Inducing labour at 41 weeks could save lives, new research claims Pregnant women should be induced earlier to reduce baby deaths, a new study has found, as researchers call for the end of a ‘wait and see’ approach.

The study, done in conjunction with hospitals and academics across Sweden, concluded that pregnant women should not be offered induction later than 41 weeks.

During the course of the trial which involved almost 3,000 women between 2016 and 2018, six babies died after labour was induced at or beyond 42 weeks of pregnancy. The Telegraph 

See Also:

• Inducing labour at 41 weeks 'could save thousands of babies Mail Online

Smear test attendance rises for the first time in FIVE years in England

Smear test attendance rises for the first time in FIVE years in England Statistics from the NHS show 71.9 per cent of women in England attended their cervical screening appointments last year but experts warn there are still too many turning down the offer. Mail Online

Transgender people face years of waiting with NHS under strain

Transgender people face years of waiting with NHS under strain Long waits for appointments cause stress for patients, with suicide and self-harm a risk

Thousands of transgender adults and children face waits of up to three or more years for gender identity treatment as NHS services come under strain with growing numbers seeking treatment.

The number of adults and children being referred to gender identity clinics in England rose from 3,330 in 2014-15 to 8,074 in 2018-19, an average year on year increase of around 25%, according to freedom of information data from five clinics offering services. The Guardian

Time for NHS to 'wake up' to GP burnout risk, warns next RCGP chair

Time for NHS to 'wake up' to GP burnout risk, warns next RCGP chair In the week that he is due to take over from Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Professor Martin Marshall said that the working conditions of doctors had to be improved, warning that ‘undoable’ workloads were not an ‘inconsequential problem’.

His comments follow a GMC report that found doctors with high levels of burnout could have up to a 63% higher chance of making a major medical error in the following three months. GP Online

'Half of women will be carers by the age of 46'

'Half of women will be carers by the age of 46' Women can expect to take on caring responsibilities for an older, sick or disabled relative more than a decade earlier than men, a report concludes.

Research by Sheffield and Birmingham universities shows half of women will care by the age of 46, compared with half of men, for whom the age is 57.

The research suggests two-thirds of UK adults can expect to become an unpaid carer during their lifetimes. The charity Carers UK says carers need five-to-10 days of paid care leave. BBC News

The nation's health: priorities for the next government

The nation's health: priorities for the next government The Health Foundation -This report looks at how long-term improvements in life expectancy and mortality in the UK have stalled and are falling behind other high-income countries. At the same time the difference between the health of people living in the best- and worst-off communities is widening. It calls for action across the whole of government to address these trends. It asks that investment be directed towards areas of public spending that create the right conditions for people to lead healthy lives. King's Fund - Health Management and Policy Alert

Older people living with dementia and costs of dementia care in the UK 2019–2040

Older people living with dementia and costs of dementia care in the UK 2019–2040 This report, commissioned by Alzheimer’s Society, provides projections of the number of older people (aged 65 and over) living with dementia and the costs of health care, social care and unpaid care for older people living with dementia from 2019 to 2040 in the UK. NHS Networks