Monday 28 November 2022

Revealed: The GP surgeries in Northampton with the best, and worst, ratings for appointment waiting times

Revealed: The GP surgeries in Northampton with the best, and worst, ratings for appointment waiting times Patients at some doctor’s surgeries in Northampton have to wait far longer for appointments than at others, NHS figures show. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Has Brexit affected the UK’s medical workforce?

Has Brexit affected the UK’s medical workforce? How have the numbers of doctors in the NHS who come from the EU and the European Free Trade Association changed since the Brexit referendum in 2016? And do certain specialties face particular problems? Martha McCarey and Mark Dayan take a closer look at what’s happened since the vote. Nuffield Trust

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What does the autumn statement mean for public services?

What does the autumn statement mean for public services? This report sets out the impact of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s plans on four service areas: the NHS, schools, the criminal justice system and local government. It warns that while frontloading funding in protected areas shields them from the damaging ‘austerity 2.0’ feared, this is still unlikely to enable key services like the NHS to return performance to pre-pandemic levels this parliament. It also suggests that unless historic pay cuts are addressed, it may not be enough to improve recruitment and retention or avert widespread strikes. Institute for Government

Mind the gaps: understanding and improving out-of-hours care for people with advanced illness and their informal carers

Mind the gaps: understanding and improving out-of-hours care for people with advanced illness and their informal carers The hours outside of Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, including weekends and bank holidays, make up 75% of the time in every week. So it's no surprise that many people with a terminal illness need care urgently in this out-of-hours period.

But out-of-hours services aren't up to scratch. This report shows they're disjointed, confusing and unreliable. Lots of people can't get the care they need at home in a crisis, especially if they live in a deprived area.

This can leave people with no option but to go to A&E departments. And it means they aren't getting the good end of life experience that we all hope for. Marie Curie

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Government to use Vaccine Taskforce model to tackle health challenges

Government to use Vaccine Taskforce model to tackle health challenges NHS patients are set to benefit from cutting-edge new treatments and technologies as the government introduces a Vaccine Taskforce style approach to tackling some of the biggest public health challenges facing the UK.

The government has today announced over £113 million to fund research into four healthcare missions – cancer, obesity, mental health and addiction – to unlock the next generation of medicines and diagnostics to save lives, transform patient care and ensure UK patients are the first to benefit from medical breakthroughs. Department of Health and Social Care

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Thousands more cancer cases linked to deprivation

Thousands more cancer cases linked to deprivation Thousands of extra cancer cases are linked to deprivation in Scotland, according to Cancer Research UK (CRUK).

The charity has found that around 4,900 extra cancer cases a year are linked, which equates to 13 cases a day.

Those living in the poorest areas are also more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage when cancer can be harder to treat successfully.  BBC News

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Eight days waiting in A&E: Inside the crisis in NHS mental health care

Eight days waiting in A&E: Inside the crisis in NHS mental health care People suffering from mental illness are increasingly struggling to access help at every level of the NHS – from record numbers facing “unacceptable” delays in referrals to patients waiting up to eight days in A&E for a hospital bed.

Figures seen by The Independent show almost four times as many people are waiting more than 12 hours in emergency departments as two years ago.

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‘This is as much about patient safety as pay’: NHS faces wave of strikes as more unions vote

‘This is as much about patient safety as pay’: NHS faces wave of strikes as more unions vote The NHS faces the threat of coordinated industrial action lasting several months, with results to be announced within days of strike ballots of ambulance crews and about 300,000 health workers.

Junior doctors, paramedics, midwives, porters, cleaners, pharmacy technicians and physiotherapists are being balloted across the NHS. The government now faces the threat of waves of strikes across the public sector, from nurses and firefighters to civil servants and teachers. The Guardian

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No 10 hiring of healthcare lobbyist prompts privatisation concern

No 10 hiring of healthcare lobbyist prompts privatisation concern Rishi Sunak has appointed a private healthcare lobbyist with links to a series of controversial clients to advise him in Downing Street, raising concerns over further privatisation within the NHS.

Bill Morgan, a founding partner of the PR and lobbying firm Evoke Incisive Health, joined No 10 as a health policy adviser earlier this month where he is believed to be helping drive through NHS efficiencies. The Guardian

Rotherham: inquiry after family says boy, 5, died after hospital turned him away

Rotherham: inquiry after family says boy, 5, died after hospital turned him away A hospital trust in South Yorkshire has opened an investigation after the family of a five-year-old said he died after being turned away by doctors because there were no available beds.

Yusuf Ahmed died on Monday after a tonsil infection had spread to his lungs and caused multiple organ failure. The boy had been taken to Rotherham general hospital by his uncle Zaheer Ahmed on 14 November with complaints of a sore throat. He had been prescribed antibiotics the previous day by his GP, but his condition had not improved. The Guardian

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Older people left with incontinence after hospital visits as NHS staff 'fit catheters unnecessarily'

Older people left with incontinence after hospital visits as NHS staff 'fit catheters unnecessarily' Older people who spend time in hospital are being discharged suffering from long-lasting incontinence because NHS staff are too busy to take them to the toilet while they're on the ward, experts warn.

One reason, say specialists, is inappropriate use of urinary catheters – a tube inserted into the urinary tract which empties the contents of the bladder into a drainage bag. The Daily Mail

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Fast-track drug brings prostate cancer hope as it could extend life expectancy for patients

Fast-track drug brings prostate cancer hope as it could extend life expectancy for patients Around 9,000 men with one of the most advanced forms of prostate cancer will be eligible for a new life-extending drug – thanks to a fast-tracked deal.

The NHS in England will become the first healthcare provider in Europe to roll out Darolutamide to patients whose prostate cancer has spread to other parts of the body.

Trials of the drug have shown the chances of living longer are increased by a third in men who were previously left untreated. The Daily Mail