Tuesday 24 May 2022

Support at the end of life: the role of hospice services across the UK

Support at the end of life: the role of hospice services across the UK Covid-19 created huge disruption to end of life care services, with many thousands more people dying at home than previously. Hospices play a vital role supporting people and their families at the end of life, but little is known about how these services are being delivered and the issues they are grappling with. This report, based on a survey carried out by Hospice UK, provides a picture of a sector undergoing rapid change in the face of fast-changing circumstances. Nuffield Trust

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    Bringing together digital and quality improvement: how boards can connect the dots and create allies in service transformation

    Bringing together digital and quality improvement: how boards can connect the dots and create allies in service transformation This briefing from the Digital Boards programme focuses on the benefits of bringing together digital and quality improvement. Trust leaders reflect on their collective role in leading these changes and how they can make best use of existing improvement capabilities, and set out some key considerations for boards. NHS Providers

      Neurodiversity guidance for employers, managers, staff and students

      Neurodiversity guidance for employers, managers, staff and students This guidance has been developed for staff and students who are neurodiverse and for the managers and employers who support them. It is intended for the health and care sector but its overarching principles could be helpful in other settings. Royal College of Nursing

        Guidance: Monkeypox

        Guidance: Monkeypox The epidemiology, symptoms, diagnosis and management of monkeypox virus infections. UK Health Security Agency

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        UK finds 36 more monkeypox cases

        UK finds 36 more monkeypox cases The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says it has detected 36 additional cases of monkeypox in England.

        Adding in a new case found in Scotland on Monday, it brings the total number of infections in the UK to 57.

        The rare virus - which causes a rash and a fever - has been seen around the world in recent weeks, which is unusual.

        Health experts stress that the overall risk remains low, and that the disease can be contained. BBC News

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        Covid-19 linked to impaired heart function, study finds

        Covid-19 linked to impaired heart function, study finds Covid-19 is associated with impaired function of the right side of the heart, new research on intensive care patients has found.

        Led by experts from NHS Golden Jubilee, the Covid-RV study was carried out in 10 intensive care units in Scotland.

        It assessed the impact the virus had on 121 critically ill patients who required treatment on ventilators. BBC News

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        NHS 111: Parents anger over four child deaths

        NHS 111: Parents anger over four child deaths The parents of a girl who died after failings by NHS 111 said they were horrified to learn coroners had already warned about similar shortcomings.

        Hannah Royle, 16, died in 2020 after the NHS phone service failed to realise she was seriously ill.

        BBC News found concerns had been raised about the call centre triage software in 2019 after three children died.

        Gene-edited tomatoes could soon be sold in England

        Gene-edited tomatoes could soon be sold in England Tomatoes that boost the body's vitamin D could be among the first gene-edited crops allowed on sale in England.

        Researchers in Norwich created the plants by turning off a specific molecule in their genetic code.

        A bill will be introduced on Wednesday to allow commercial growing of gene-edited crops in England. BBC News

        Thousands of NHS workers may quit for better-paid jobs, ministers warned

        Thousands of NHS workers may quit for better-paid jobs, ministers warned The NHS faces a “mass exodus” of thousands of staff to better-paid jobs in pubs, shops and supermarkets as a result of the cost of living crisis, ministers have been warned.

        Health leaders fear significant numbers of lower-paid workers will leave for higher wages in the private sector amid rising food and heating bills and soaring inflation. The NHS already has 110,000 vacancies, and there are fears that a further deepening of the workforce crisis will “jeopardise” the ability of hospitals to tackle record-high waiting lists. The Guardian

        Toothaches and waiting lists: where did the NHS dentists go? - podcast

        Toothaches and waiting lists: where did the NHS dentists go? - podcast Millions of people in the UK are struggling to gain access to affordable dental care. Denis Campbell explores the crisis in NHS dentistry. The Guardian

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        Ambulance trust 'covered up evidence about mistakes by paramedics linked to deaths of 90 patients' 

        Ambulance trust 'covered up evidence about mistakes by paramedics linked to deaths of 90 patients' An NHS ambulance service misled coroners by changing documents and witness statements about deaths linked to how it treated patients, it has been reported. 

        North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has been accused of doctoring multiple reports and keeping families in the dark about exactly how their loved ones died.

        It is claimed that coroners were not given key evidence and that senior managers at the service edited witness statements that had been requested, in some cases making it look like no mistakes had been made. The Daily Mail

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