Children's Commissioner says creating Northamptonshire children's trust will be 'messy and complicated'

Children's Commissioner says creating Northamptonshire children's trust will be 'messy and complicated' Creating Northamptonshire’s children’s trust will be ‘messy and complicated’ according to the government -appointed commissioner sent in to make improvements.

In a frank discussion with Northamptonshire County Council’s overview and scrutiny committee on Wednesday (Feb 26) Andrew Christie laid bare the risks of moving the inadequate children’s service into a new trust at the same time as shutting down the county council and creating two new unitary authorities. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Coroner 'concerned' about A&E overcrowding deaths

Coroner 'concerned' about A&E overcrowding deaths A coroner has raised concerns about deaths in A&E after an 85-year-old died at an "overcrowded" hospital.

There were "several lapses and omissions" in the way Mohan Acharya was monitored at Northampton General Hospital, an inquest heard.

Hassan Shah said even though these did not contribute to his death, he would be writing to the government with a prevention of future deaths report.

The hospital trust said it accepted the coroner's conclusion. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Coroner orders report to shine spotlight on Northampton's overcrowded A&E's after inquest 85-year-old man's death Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Successes and shortcomings: health policy lessons

Successes and shortcomings: health policy lessons With Nigel Edwards’s speech at this year’s Nuffield Trust Summit looking back at lessons from 40 years of health policy, here he runs through some policy highlights and failures over that time – and argues how we can do better in future.

Social care can’t cope alone with the cost of the living wage

Social care can’t cope alone with the cost of the living wage The cost to local authorities of commissioning social care is heavily affected by the rate of careworker pay. The impending 6.2 per cent rise in the national living wage is richly deserved by care staff but, along with rising demand for services and workforce shortages, may be more than the sector can bear. The King's Fund

Nurse numbers increase by 8,570 in the past year

Nurse numbers increase by 8,570 in the past year The number of nurses has gone up as the government works to increase nursing numbers in the NHS by 50,000 in the next 5 years. Department of Health and Social Care

Specialised services: transforming delivery for patients

Specialised services: transforming delivery for patients This report shows how NHS specialised services are adapting to a changing environment to deliver world class and innovative care for patients and service users. It shares the opinions of leaders from trusts and the wider health and care sector on key issues and looks at the key role specialised services play in delivering the ambitions of the long term plan. NHS Providers

Primary Care Networks: briefing paper for VCSE sector organisations

Primary Care Networks: briefing paper for VCSE sector organisations This briefing paper explains a new way in which health and care services are being organised locally across England and explores how VCSE organisations might supply knowledge, expertise and training to help PCNs develop. The authors argue that this could be vital in making sure PCNs become more closely engaged with their local communities. National Voices

Coronavirus: First Welsh case among three new UK diagnoses

Coronavirus: First Welsh case among three new UK diagnoses Three more cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in the UK, including the first one in Wales.

Two new patients in England contracted the virus while in Iran, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Public Health Wales said it was working to identify close contacts of the Welsh patient, who is from the Swansea area and was infected in northern Italy before returning to the UK.

The new cases bring the total number in the UK to 19. BBC News

See also:

• Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest information and advice Department of Health and Social Care
• Guidance: COVID-19: self-isolation for patients undergoing testing Public Health England
• College urges patients not to contact their GP for Covid-19 holiday cancellation letters Royal College of General Practitioners
• Coronavirus: Where are we with a vaccine? BBC News
• Coronavirus: Watch how germs spread BBC News
• How would the UK tackle a coronavirus outbreak? BBC News
• WHO director says countries must 'act aggressively now to contain coronavirus' The Daily Mail
• NHS would sacrifice most vulnerable patients' critical care during coronavirus surge, medics admit The Daily Mail
• Coronavirus suspect was wrongly told to go to hospital where he sat in a packed waiting room The Daily Mail
• The NHS is woefully ill-equipped for coronavirus - but there is hope The Daily Telegraph
• What is coronavirus, how did it start and could the outbreak grow bigger? The Daily Telegraph
• 'They have no idea': government failing on coronavirus, say GPs The Guardian
• Coronavirus: England only has 15 beds for worst respiratory cases The Guardian
• Coronavirus spreads around the world – in pictures The Guardian
• Coronavirus in the UK: Outbreak poses shutdown threat to Britain, with festivals banned and schools closed for months iNews
• Coronavirus spread triggers historic stock market plunge across globe as recession fears grow The Independent
• Coronavirus: Football games and concerts could be banned for two months if pandemic hits UK, says chief medic The Independent
• NHS announces wider surveillance testing for COVID-19 OnMedica

Thousands of depression cases 'linked to universal credit'

Thousands of depression cases 'linked to universal credit' A study has linked a spike in mental-health problems among the unemployed with the rollout of universal credit and other government welfare changes.

The number of unemployed people with psychological distress rose 6.6% between 2013 and 2018, it suggests.

And this represents an extra 63,674 people in England, Wales and Scotland - 21,760 of whom became clinically depressed over the period.

The government highlighted the study found no causal link. BBC News

See also:

• Effects on mental health of a UK welfare reform, Universal Credit: a longitudinal controlled study (open access) Lancet Public Health

Heather Planner died after being given other patient's medicine

Heather Planner died after being given other patient's medicine An 87-year-old woman died after her carers gave her the wrong medication, a coroner was told.

Heather Planner, from Butler's Cross in Buckinghamshire, died at Wycombe Hospital on 1 April from a stroke.

Senior coroner Crispin Butler heard three staff from Carewatch Mid Bucks had failed to spot tablets handed over by the pharmacy were for a male patient. BBC News

Boy, nine, wins £17million NHS payout after he was left brain damaged

Boy, nine, wins £17million NHS payout after he was left brain damaged A nine-year-old boy has won a £17 million payout from the NHS after medics left him brain damaged by failing to ensure he got the proper nutrition when he was born.

The child's blood sugar levels fell dangerously low after his birth at Hertfordshire's Lister Hospital, and now needs 24-hour care and cannot do anything for himself.

The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffers from body-wide cerebral palsy, severe visual impairment and epileptic seizures which sometimes strike more than once a day. The Daily Mail