How to tell a more powerful story about health

How to tell a more powerful story about health Almost every aspect of our lives influences our health – our jobs, homes, access to education and whether we experience poverty or racism. These factors – the wider determinants of health – are often left out of public debate around improving health or are poorly understood.  

To address health inequalities, we need to change the way that we communicate about the wider determinants of health to increase public understanding and build space for policy change to improve health. The Health Foundation

MPs urge radical reforms to negligence compensation system that costs NHS billions each year

MPs urge radical reforms to negligence compensation system that costs NHS billions each year The Government should remove the need to prove clinical negligence from NHS compensation claims when things go wrong in a radical overhaul of a system which last year paid out £2.17 billion, say MPs.

In a wide-ranging Report on NHS litigation reform, the Health and Social Care Committee finds the current system for compensating injured patients in England ‘not fit for purpose’ and urges a radically different system to be adopted.

See also:

• Failing NHS negligence system must change, say MPs BBC News
• £2billion-a-year NHS compensation payout scheme needs radical overhaul and to move away from costly 'culture of blame', MPs say The Daily Mail
• MPs call for radical overhaul of NHS compensation system The Independent
• NHS compensation scheme 'not fit for purpose' and reform is long overdue, new study shows Sky News

Supporting people who provide unpaid care for adults with health or social care needs

Supporting people who provide unpaid care for adults with health or social care needs This brief guide, aimed at social care practitioners, highlights some of the ways support can be provided to carers. These include offering training and advice, support to remain in work, training or education, and regular breaks. Free registration is required to access this guide. Social Care Institute for Excellence

Covid: Discharging hospital patients to care homes 'unlawful'

Covid: Discharging hospital patients to care homes 'unlawful' Government policies on discharging untested patients from hospital to care homes in England at the start of the Covid pandemic have been ruled unlawful by the High Court.

The ruling came after two women took Public Health England and the health secretary, then Matt Hancock, to court.

Dr Cathy Gardner and Fay Harris said it had caused a "shocking death toll". BBC News

See also:

• Covid inquiry should include 'any rule breaking by rule-makers', bereaved families say The Daily Mail
• Daily Covid admissions hit two-month low, deaths plunge 40% in a week and just 17,500 cases The Daily Mail
• Doctors condemn government as COVID-19 care home discharge policy ruled unlawful GPonline
• ‘Thrown to the wolves’: Covid care home ruling is bitter victory for relatives The Guardian
• Experts who warned over Covid risk to care homes were told they were ‘too risk averse’ The Independent

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust warned by CQC over failures

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust warned by CQC over failures An NHS mental health trust that has been the worst performing in England has been warned it must improve after failing another inspection.

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT) has been rated "inadequate" in the latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) report.

The CQC said it had served the trust with a warning notice that it had to act on to improve patient care. BBC News

'The thought of running out of HRT is terrifying'

'The thought of running out of HRT is terrifying' A shortage of specific types of hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) has left women struggling with untreated symptoms of the menopause. Demand for prescriptions has more than doubled since 2017 - partly because of work by campaigners to extend access - but supply of some products has not kept up.

Women have been telling BBC News about the impact on their lives.

See also:

• Women are risking 'serious side effects' in desperate efforts to source HRT, UK's top GP warns The Daily Mail
• Women warned not to swap HRT drugs amid supply issues The Independent
• ‘HRT gave me my life back – I’m afraid of losing myself again without it’ The Independent

‘As a cancer survivor you’re expected to feel grateful’: Laura Fulcher’s campaign for better care

‘As a cancer survivor you’re expected to feel grateful’: Laura Fulcher’s campaign for better care She had agonising symptoms for 15 months before she was finally diagnosed with bowel cancer, then received little support after her treatment. So Fulcher set up a charity to help cancer survivors and to campaign for faster diagnoses. The Guardian

Kellogg’s to challenge new UK rules for high-sugar cereals in court

Kellogg’s to challenge new UK rules for high-sugar cereals in court Kellogg’s, the owner of brands from Coco Pops to Special K, has launched a legal action against the UK government over new junk food rules that will ban some cereals from being prominently displayed on supermarket shelves. The Guardian

See also: 

• Kellogg's in court battle over new rules for high-sugar cereals BBC News
• Kellogg's launches legal challenge against new government food rules for high-sugar cereals Sky News

Scientists find genetic cause for autoimmune disease lupus

Scientists find genetic cause for autoimmune disease lupus Scientists have found a genetic cause for lupus, the autoimmune disease which affects around 50,000 people in the UK.

Experts carried out whole genome sequencing on the DNA of a Spanish girl called Gabriela, who was diagnosed with severe lupus when she was just seven.

Such a severe case in a young child is rare and indicates a single genetic cause. The Independent

See also:

• TLR7 gain-of-function genetic variation causes human lupus (open access) Nature

World faces ‘perfect storm’ for measles outbreak affecting children, WHO warns

World faces ‘perfect storm’ for measles outbreak affecting children, WHO warns A spike in the number of measles cases around the world has sparked concerns over the potential for serious outbreaks this year.

Almost 17,338 measles cases were reported worldwide in January and February 2022, compared to 9,665 during the first two months of last year – which represents a rise of 79 per cent. The Independent

Now Japan and Canada probe mystery hepatitis in children as global outbreak spreads

Now Japan and Canada probe mystery hepatitis in children as global outbreak spreads Suspected cases of the mysterious hepatitis sweeping the world have now been detected in children in Japan and Canada.

Canada's Public Health Agency yesterday revealed it was 'aware of reports of severe acute hepatitis of unknown origin' in the country.

And Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that a patient under the age of 16 was hospitalised with hepatitis on April 21. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Global mystery hepatitis outbreak spreads to Asia and Canada The Guardian
• What’s behind the mysterious global rise in childhood hepatitis? (podcast) The Guardian
• Nearly 200 cases of mystery hepatitis strain found in children around world The Independent