The elective care backlog and ethnicity

The elective care backlog and ethnicity People from Asian groups experienced a much larger fall in planned hospital care during the pandemic than people from White, Black or Mixed ethnic groups, new analysis reveals.  

According to the research, large variations in rates of hospital care in England for different ethnic groups existed prior to 2020, but the 3.7 million drop in planned hospital procedures over the pandemic’s first two years worsened these disparities. This left people in the Asian group missing out on the equivalent of over 23,000 procedures compared to the White group. Nuffield Trust

See also:

• Ethnic disparities in hospital care: the importance of knowing more Nuffield Trust
• Government must act to help NHS tackle health and race inequalities NHS Providers

ICSs aren’t just about holding people to account but helping people to change

ICSs aren’t just about holding people to account but helping people to change How are integrated care systems preparing for winter? In this episode, Adam Doyle, chief executive of the Sussex Integrated Care Board, sheds light on plans for one of the most difficult winters on record. Sitting down with Matthew Taylor, the former physiotherapist and clinical commissioning group leader explores the difference working collaboratively as integrated care systems makes, the need to lean into what other local services are doing, and the wide variety of tools leaders need to lead successfully. Podcast from NHS Confederation

Safeguarding pressures phase 8: special thematic report on children's mental health

Safeguarding pressures phase 8: special thematic report on children's mental health This report draws together returns from 125 local authorities, 21 interviews with directors or assistant directors of children’s services and supplements this with existing data, finding evidence of a crisis in children’s mental health. It finds that the recent focus has been placed on improving mental health support for children and young people but calls for more attention from central government, mental health commissioners and providers working together at a national level, with sufficient long term investment. Association of Directors of Children's Services

Understanding ‘early exiters’: the case for a healthy ageing workforce strategy

Understanding ‘early exiters’: the case for a healthy ageing workforce strategy Compared to before the pandemic, there are over 100,000 more people aged 50-64 who are no longer in work because of a long-term health condition. This report finds that the UK is the only high-income country which has seen a sustained rise in economic inactivity among this age group since the start of the pandemic. It calls for the first ever Ageing Workforce Strategy: a cross-government approach, including tax incentives to improve access to occupational health, better integration of health and employment support, and more scientific and physiological research to weaken the link between ill health and older age. Demos

Harnessing the UK’s genomics expertise to improve patient outcomes

Harnessing the UK’s genomics expertise to improve patient outcomes The UK is a world leader in genomics, but this position could soon be undermined if UK patients cannot benefit from the nation’s genomics expertise, according to a report published by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry

See also:

• NHS urged to offer patients better access to genetic testing Evening Standard
• NHS urged to offer patients better access to genetic testing The Independent

NHS prostate cancer treatments surge in England

NHS prostate cancer treatments surge in England The number of men having treatment for prostate cancer has jumped by more than a quarter in England in one year, new NHS figures show today.

Almost 4,000 men received prostate cancer treatment in August (3,898)  compared to just over 3,000 in the same month last year (3,057).

Announcing the increase, NHS Chief Executive, Amanda Pritchard, said it was thanks to awareness-raising campaigns, adding that people talking about cancer “can save lives”. NHS England

NHS boss Amanda Pritchard says patients not getting care they deserve

NHS boss Amanda Pritchard says patients not getting care they deserve Patients are not always getting the care they deserve, says the head of NHS England.

Amanda Pritchard told a conference the pressures on hospitals, maternity care and services caring for vulnerable people with learning disabilities were of concern.

She even suggested the challenge facing the health service now was greater than it was at the height of the pandemic. BBC News

See also:

• NHS is struggling more NOW than during Covid, its boss says The Daily Mail 
• NHS wants ANOTHER £7billion: Health chiefs warn soaring inflation has left them with massive hole in budget The Daily Mail 
• NHS bed-blocking: Nearly a HUNDRED hospital trusts dealing with fewer Covid patients than 'blockers' The Daily Mail
• NHS England in worse place now than in early days of Covid, says boss The Guardian
• Things harder for the NHS now than during pandemic, chief executive warns The Independent
• Public concern rising over NHS bed shortages, waiting times and poor care The Independent

NHS disruption driving rise in heart deaths, charity says

NHS disruption driving rise in heart deaths, charity says Extreme disruption to NHS services has been driving a sharp spike in heart disease deaths since the start of the pandemic, a charity has warned.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) said ambulance delays, inaccessible care and waits for surgery are linked to 30,000 excess cardiac deaths in England.

It has called for a new strategy to reduce "unacceptable" waiting times.

The government has said it is investing another £500m to ease pressure on ambulances and boost hospital capacity. BBC News

See also:

• Tipping Point: why heart care must be prioritised now (report) British Heart Foundation
• Extreme heart care disruption linked to 30,000 excess deaths involving heart disease British Heart Foundation
• Treatment delays 'causing extra 30 people to die from heart disease every day' The Daily Mail
• ‘Needless’ deaths of 30,000 heart patients in England since Covid The Guardian

Three girls died after major failings in NHS mental health care, inquiry finds

Three girls died after major failings in NHS mental health care, inquiry finds ‘Systemic’ failures at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys trust found to have contributed to self-inflicted deaths

Three teenage girls died after major failings in the care they received from NHS mental health services in the north-east of England, an independent investigation has found.

“Multifaceted and systemic” failures by the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS trust contributed to the young women’s self-inflicted deaths within eight months of each other, it concluded. The Guardian

See also:

• An independent investigation into the care and treatment of Nadia in West Lane Hospital by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust 
• West Lane: Teenagers died after failures at 'unstable' hospital BBC News
• West Lane Hospital: Staff concerns 'ignored' at Middlesbrough site BBC News
• Damning probes into how THREE teenage girls were allowed to kill themselves in hospital The Daily Mail
• Who were the girls who died after NHS mental health service failings? The Guardian
• West Lane report: 120 failings found in care of three teenagers who took lives in trust's hospitals ITV News
• West Lane: Families slam 'hell hole' mental health hospital after damning report ITV News

State of social care in England ‘never been so bad’, social services boss warns

State of social care in England ‘never been so bad’, social services boss warns Councils receiving 5,400 new requests for help each day while capacity has reduced significantly

The state of social care in England has “never been so bad”, the country’s leading social services chief has said, with half a million people now waiting for help.

Sarah McClinton, president of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS), told a conference of council care bosses in Manchester: “The shocking situation is that we have more people requesting help from councils, more older and disabled with complex needs, yet social care capacity has reduced and we have 50,000 fewer paid carers.” The Guardian

Magic-mushroom drug can reduce depression symptoms, study suggests

Magic-mushroom drug can reduce depression symptoms, study suggests Psilocybin – the active ingredient in magic mushrooms – could reduce symptoms in people with treatment-resistant depression, research suggests.

It is estimated that some 100 million people in the world suffer with the condition, which means they have not responded to at least two antidepressant treatments for their major depressive disorder.

The study of 233 people suggests that three weeks after people were given a single 25mg dose of psilocybin, they had lower levels of depressive symptoms than people treated with lower doses (1mg or 10mg). The Independent

See also:

• Single-Dose Psilocybin for a Treatment-Resistant Episode of Major Depression (abstract) New England Journal of Medicine
• Magic-mushroom drug can treat severe depression, trial suggests BBC News
• Magic mushrooms for depression 'on the NHS in a DECADE' The Daily Mail

100-year-old Union's ballot ends as thousands vote for on EVER mass NHS walk-out

100-year-old Union's ballot ends as thousands vote for on EVER mass NHS walk-out Nurses could walk off the job later this month as the first NHS workers to take to the picket line over pay this winter. 

Britain's nursing union, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), closed its historic strike action ballot of its 300,000 members today.

The 106-year-old union is demanding nurses receive a cost-of-living pay rise of 5 per cent above inflation which currently sits at 12.3 per cent. The Daily Mail