Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital Trust appoints new interim CEO

Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital Trust appoints new interim CEO A new CEO has been appointed to act as the interim boss of University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group that jointly manages Northampton General Hospital Trust (NGH) and Kettering General Hospital Foundation Trust (KGH).

Group chief digital information officer Andy Callow has stepped up in Simon Weldon’s absence from the top job for "personal reasons”. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Union tables claim to increase pay rise offered by Northampton mental health hospital

Union tables claim to increase pay rise offered by Northampton mental health hospital A union representing workers at St Andrew’s Healthcare in Northampton has tabled a claim to improve the pay increase offer.

UNISON has formally proposed that St Andrew's employees receive either a £2,000 rise at all career levels or the current rate of Retail Price Index (RPI) - presently 11.8 percent - whichever is higher. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

‘A’ is for ambulances: 4 ways to support paramedics this winter

‘A’ is for ambulances: 4 ways to support paramedics this winter It was on a ride along with an ambulance crew when it first became clear to me that being a paramedic is one of the toughest jobs there is. It’s an incredibly rewarding job, but it’s also relentless, highly pressured and physically and emotionally draining. And that was before the pandemic. The situation now is even worse. NHS leaders need to be doing everything realistically possible to support ambulance services and staff, and consequently their patients, as we head into a difficult winter. The King's Fund

Vacancies in social care increase by 52% to their highest rates and the workforce shrinks for the first time

Vacancies in social care increase by 52% to their highest rates and the workforce shrinks for the first time New figures released by Skills for Care show that the number of vacant posts in adult social care have increased by 52% in one year - the highest rate on record.

At the same time the demand for care has risen, highlighting that social care is facing a complex challenge with recruitment and retention which will be impacting on the lives of people who need social care.

Staff turnover rates within care roles remain high at 29% as approximately 400,000 people left their jobs. However, not everyone who leaves their job leaves social care - with around 63% of people working in the sector having been recruited from other care roles. Social care is still seeing high rates of turnover amongst the youngest staff with 52.6% of people under 20 leaving within 12 months.

See also:

• The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England Skills for Care
• Skills for Care report shows sector is ‘on its knees’ The Health Foundation
• 1 in 5 residential care workers in the UK living in poverty before cost-of-living crisis The Health Foundation
• Care worker numbers fall, leaving more people without support BBC News

Falling short: how far have we come in improving support for unpaid carers in England?

Falling short: how far have we come in improving support for unpaid carers in England? People who provide care unpaid for a family member or a friend due to illness, disability, or mental health provide a vital role bridging gaps in state-funded support. But despite the laudable policy statements in support of carers, this report looking at the policy history and latest data shows that the reality for unpaid carers has been one of diminishing help over time. Nuffield Trust

RCN releases independent report into its culture and launches investigations

RCN releases independent report into its culture and launches investigations RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive Pat Cullen has pledged to ‘overhaul’ the organisation as a result of the Bruce Carr KC review into the culture of the College. Royal College of Nursing

See also:

• Damning probe shines light on Royal College of Nursing's toxic male-dominated culture The Daily Mail
• Bullying, misogyny and sexual culture at Royal College of Nursing, inquiry finds The Guardian

NHS Helps Record Numbers Of Young People With Their Mental Health As Students Return To Universities

NHS Helps Record Numbers Of Young People With Their Mental Health As Students Return To Universities England’s top mental health nurse is urging students starting or returning to university to seek mental health support as soon as they need it, as new data show record numbers of young people are accessing support.

Access to NHS mental health services for 18 to 25-year-olds was almost a fifth higher in 2021/22 than pre-pandemic, while the NHS has seen a rise of almost a fifth in people being referred to mental health crisis services compared to pre-pandemic levels. NHS England

‘Exploited’ foreign doctors worry about risk to UK patients

‘Exploited’ foreign doctors worry about risk to UK patients Doctors recruited from some of the world's poorest countries to work in UK hospitals say they're being exploited - and believe they're so overworked they fear putting patients' health at risk.

A BBC investigation has found evidence that doctors from Nigeria are being recruited by a British healthcare company and expected to work in private hospitals under conditions not allowed in the National Health Service. BBC News

See also:

• Treatment of Resident Medical Officers by UK recruitment agencies a “disgrace”, finds joint BMA and DAUK survey BMA
• BMA-DAUK RMO Survey 2022 Results Summary BMA

Lucy Letby trial told poisoner was at work at baby deaths hospital

Lucy Letby trial told poisoner was at work at baby deaths hospital A "poisoner was at work" at a hospital where there was a "significant rise" in the number of healthy babies dying, a court has heard.

Lucy Letby has been accused of murdering five baby boys and two girls, and attempting to murder 10 other babies at Countess of Chester hospital.

Nick Johnson KC, prosecuting, said she was a "constant malevolent presence" in the hospital's neonatal unit.

Ms Letby, 32, of Hereford, denies 22 charges at Manchester Crown Court. BBC News

Thousands of pancreatic cancer patients die early 'because their disease is MISSED on scans'

Thousands of pancreatic cancer patients die early 'because their disease is MISSED on scans' Thousands of patients are dying early because pancreatic cancer is being missed on scans, a damning study has warned.

More than a third of pancreatic cancer cases (36 per cent) were potentially avoidable if they had been picked up sooner, researchers found.

But the UK study found many patients were being denied potentially curative surgery because signs were not being picked up after scans. The Daily Mail

GP practices told to cut services to protect core care for patients

GP practices told to cut services to protect core care for patients GP practices will have to drop some services and adopt waiting lists for non-urgent appointments to ensure core work can be maintained in the face of soaring pressure, the BMA has warned. Pulse