Northampton: Prime minister praises NHS trust's mental health work

Northampton: Prime minister praises NHS trust's mental health work Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has praised an NHS trust's mental health crisis and community services as "trailblazing" on a visit to one of its hospitals.

Mr Sunak was at the Berrywood Hospital in Northampton to announce £150m of funding for UK mental health provision.

He met with representatives from the Northamptonshire Health NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) to discuss mental health facilities and support.

He said its mental health response hub had put it "ahead of the curve". BBC Northampton

See also:

• Prime Minister visits mental health service in Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Health NHS Foundation Trust
• Prime Minister visits mental health services in Northampton to reveal £150m of funding for projects nationwide Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Rishi Sunak apologises for not wearing a seatbelt during visit to Northampton hospital Northants Live

Rhetoric about NHS reform is misplaced

Rhetoric about NHS reform is misplaced The NHS is in crisis, and talk of reform is little more than a distraction.

The NHS in England is in crisis. The health service entered the new year – as it did the last one – with several NHS trusts declaring critical incidents, which means they may not be able to provide urgent or safe care. The Health Foundation

Home is at the heart of inclusion health – here's why

Home is at the heart of inclusion health – here's why Jackie Stevens, Associate Director of strategic work programmes, at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System writes about work to make home the heart of inclusion health in one integrated care system. The King's Fund

Follow-up on the IMMDS report and the government’s response

Follow-up on the IMMDS report and the government’s response This report states that ministers must act urgently to enable women and children avoidably harmed by medical intervention to receive compensation and care. The report finds that families have waited too long for redress or compensation because litigation through the courts was the only option open to them. Ministers had rejected an alternative approach recommended by the independent Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety (IMMDS) review more than two years ago (‘First do no harm’) for a stand-alone redress agency. House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee

Women being let down by “glacial” Government progress on menopause

Women being let down by “glacial” Government progress on menopause The Government response to the Women and Equalities Committee report on menopause and the workplace is a “missed opportunity to protect vast numbers of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce.”

Published today, the Government’s response rejects five of the Committee’s recommendations outright, including the recommendation to consult on making menopause a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010 and pilot a specific menopause leave policy. House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee

See also:

• 'Menopause leave' trial rejected by ministers BBC News
• Women are being let down by the Government's 'glacial' progress on making workplaces menopause-friendly, MPs warn The Daily Mail
• Government rejection of menopause leave trial could ‘drive women out of work’ The Independent
• Government criticised for rejecting proposals for 'menopause leave' ITV News

Concern over drop in HPV vaccine coverage among secondary school pupils

Concern over drop in HPV vaccine coverage among secondary school pupils The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) report on the routine adolescent human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme for 2021 to 2022, which is primarily delivered in schools, shows that coverage in year 8 and year 9 pupils is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

The HPV vaccine is offered to all 12 to 13 year olds in school years 8 and 9 and follows a 2-dose schedule.

HPV vaccine coverage decreased by 7% in year 8 girls and 8.7% in year 8 boys in 2021 to 2022 when compared to the previous academic year.

Government announces rapid review of inpatient mental health services in England

Government announces rapid review of inpatient mental health services in England The government has announced a rapid review of inpatient mental health services in England.

It follows calls for an examination of patient safety after a Sky News investigation into alleged failures in the care of adolescents at mental health units run by a single provider - the Huntercombe Group, now part of Active Care Group.

Our investigation raised concerns from more than 50 former patients. Sky News

See also:

• Written statement: Mental Health Update: Statement made on 23 January 2023 UK Parliament
• Mind responds to announcement of rapid review of safety in mental health inpatient settings Mind
• Mental health leaders are committed to ensuring the safety and dignity of those who need inpatient care NHS Confederation
• Mental health patient safety review launched in wake of abuse reports Community Care
• Safety risks and failures in mental health settings to be reviewed by Government Evening Standard
• NHS introduces specialist mental-health ambulances to provide better care Evening Standard
• Ministers order ‘rapid review’ into mental health inpatient care in England The Guardian
• Government launches national safety review after scandals (Trust log in required) Health Service Journal
• Government orders urgent review into safety of mental health patients in England The Independent

350,000 patients waited over 12 hours in A&E before getting NHS bed last year

350,000 patients waited over 12 hours in A&E before getting NHS bed last year A record 350,000 patients waited more than 12 hours to be admitted to hospital from A&E last year, according to figures that raise fears about unsafe care as the NHS faces further waves of strike action.

The figures, uncovered in an analysis by the Liberal Democrats, show a steep rise in delays since 2015, when just 1,306 patients waited 12 hours. Senior doctors described the situation as “unbearable” for patients and staff, ahead of a strike in which thousands of ambulance workers will walk out across England and Wales on Monday. The Guardian

Proportion of women in England not screened for cervical cancer at 10-year high

Proportion of women in England not screened for cervical cancer at 10-year high  NHS England data show 4.6m or so women still unscreened or behind with tests, for disease diagnosed in 3,200 annually in UK

Record numbers of women are not being screened for cervical cancer, official figures show, as a leading charity urged ministers to commit to eliminating the disease.

Cervical cancer is the 14th most common cancer among women in the UK. About 3,200 women are diagnosed with it each year, of whom more than a quarter die. The Guardian

League table shame of UK women's healthcare: We languish behind Saudi Arabia in global list

League table shame of UK women's healthcare: We languish behind Saudi Arabia in global list Women's healthcare in the UK is worse than in some countries with poor records on equality, including Saudi Arabia and China, a poll has found.

The UK has ranked lower than most comparable Western countries, including the US, Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany, in the 2021 Hologic Global Women's Health Index published today.

Analysts blamed this on British women struggling to access preventive care, such as cancer screening, as well as diagnosis for causes of pain and mental health support. The Daily Mail

See also: 

• The Hologic Global Women’s Health Index: Pathways to a Healthy Future for Women 2021 Global Report Hologic

Antidepressants can numb enjoyment as well as pain, scientists say

Antidepressants can numb enjoyment as well as pain, scientists say Antidepressants can make patients feel emotionally dull, according to scientists.

One class of antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), targets serotonin, the ‘feel-good’ chemical that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain.

A SSRI side-effect is ‘blunting’, where patients say they cannot respond with the level of enjoyment they normally would. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Chronic escitalopram in healthy volunteers has specific effects on reinforcement sensitivity: a double-blind, placebo-controlled semi-randomised study (open access) Neuropsychopharmacology
• Scientists explain emotional ‘blunting’ caused by common antidepressants University of Cambridge
• Antidepressants can cause ‘emotional blunting’, study shows The Guardian
• Why antidepressants can blunt both negative and positive emotions New Scientist

Why it's important to see the SAME GP

Why it's important to see the SAME GP Patients at surgeries with a high turnover of GPs are more likely to need emergency hospital treatment than those with steady care, a study has found.

Family doctors with revolving staff were less likely to offer same day appointment or let patients see their preferred doctors.

Experts said the findings should serve as a 'wakeup call' for primary care and were particularly worrying given the number of practices with a high turnover has more than doubled in a decade. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Predictors and population health outcomes of persistent high GP turnover in English general practices: a retrospective observational study (open access) BMJ Quality and Safety