How dozens of lives were saved or transformed by Northants organ donors last year

How dozens of lives were saved or transformed by Northants organ donors last year Donors across Northamptonshire were able to save or transform dozens of lives by giving the "ultimate gift" of their organs transplants last year, according to the county's two hospitals. They say it highlights the importance of donors speaking to their families about their decision. Northants Live

Some children in Northamptonshire waiting more than a year for mental health help, health boss says

Some children in Northamptonshire waiting more than a year for mental health help, health boss says Some children in Northamptonshire who need specialist help after suffering trauma are having to wait for more than a year for treatment.

A senior manager at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) conceded some waits are “too long” at a meeting of members of NHFT. An experienced social workers also told the meeting that this is a “national problem”. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Valuing Nursing in the UK – Staffing for Safe and Effective Care

Valuing Nursing in the UK – Staffing for Safe and Effective Care A new report reveals that tens of thousands of skilled and experienced nursing staff are leaving the profession, with many of those aged 21 to 50.

The report sets out the issues contributing to the poor retention of nursing staff, the reasons why they’re leaving, and calls for immediate action from the UK governments. Royal College of Nursing

See also:

• Nurses’ union in UK warns of exodus of young staff The Guardian

The state of community health services in England

The state of community health services in England Community health services help people to stay healthy and live independently at home, but it has proved difficult to realise a long-standing ambition to deliver more services out of hospital. In this explainer, Sarah Scobie and Stephanie Kumpunen describe what community services are, who uses and provides them, who pays for them, and some of the challenges they face. Nuffield Trust

Both, and: population health and public health professionals need to make the most of distinct contributions to better health

Both, and: population health and public health professionals need to make the most of distinct contributions to better health Integrated care systems (ICSs) were established to create partnerships for population health, not simply to better manage existing patterns of NHS care. In many systems, statutory status has been accompanied by the creation of director, or similar, roles with titles that include population health. Roles intended sometimes to stimulate a reframing of work across the whole leadership team but elsewhere simply leading a standalone programme of work, often primarily analytical. How these emergent roles develop matters. The King's Fund

The cost of living impacts access to prescription medicines

The cost of living impacts access to prescription medicines The Royal Pharmaceutical Society has released the results of a survey showing that pharmacists say the cost of living is having an impact on whether people can afford prescription medicines in England.

The A&E crisis: what’s really driving poor performance?

The A&E crisis: what’s really driving poor performance? This briefing paper seeks to understand what is actually happening in emergency departments and, using publicly available data, challenges some of the arguments frequently heard about the A&E crisis. It identifies areas for further investigation which the authors believe could be key to stabilising the system. Reform

Nurses strike: A&E and cancer staff could join further walkouts

Nurses strike: A&E and cancer staff could join further walkouts Nurses from A&E, intensive care and cancer wards could join fresh strikes in England, as a major nursing union considers escalating its pay dispute.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) wants higher wages, but ministers argue that pay is set by an independent body.

The union is considering a continuous 48-hour strike, which could begin in weeks.

However, under union law staff would need to meet minimum legal levels of care. BBC News

See also:

• NHS nurses' strike action in England set to intensify Evening Standard
• Nurses set to withdraw from A&E and intensive care units as strike intensifies The Guardian
• NHS A&E and cancer nurses set to join ‘most disruptive’ strikes yet The Independent
• NHS leaders urge Health Secretary to discuss pay to avoid 'alarming' escalation in nurses' strikes ITV News
• RCN set to announce all-out and 48-hour strike action Nursing Notes
• A&E, intensive care and cancer nurses could soon join colleagues on the picket line Sky News

Northumberland hospitals test drone flights for medical supplies

Northumberland hospitals test drone flights for medical supplies An NHS trust is to use drones as a way of transporting clinical supplies between hospitals at up to 70mph.

The drone will be used to carry blood samples, chemotherapy drugs, equipment and mail between Northumberland hospitals for the next four months.

Initially there will be six flights per day, increasing to about 15 in May. BBC News

Failure to root out abusers in ambulance service leaves vulnerable patients at risk, watchdog warns

Failure to root out abusers in ambulance service leaves vulnerable patients at risk, watchdog warns Emergency patients are being left open to abuse when they are at their most vulnerable because of a lack of vetting of ambulance workers, watchdog officials have warned.

One watchdog official warned that abusers would even seek out work as a paramedic because it provided an “attractive environment” for exploitation. The Independent

First UK patient fitted with heart failure sensor the size of a pen lid

First UK patient fitted with heart failure sensor the size of a pen lid The innovative technology, which is implanted during a simple 45-minute procedure, will enable more rapid interventions, helping keep people well for longer and avoiding hospital admissions that cost billions of pounds every year. Sky News

NHS consultants run private firms charging to cut waiting lists at their own hospitals

NHS consultants run private firms charging to cut waiting lists at their own hospitals Some of the country’s most senior NHS clinicians are earning a lucrative side-line running private firms that offer to cut waiting lists at their own hospitals, the Observer can reveal.

Top consultants in Manchester, Sheffield and London are among directors of “insourcing” agencies that charge the health service to treat patients at weekends and evenings and have won millions of pounds of work.

See also:

• NHS consultants charge hospitals they work at through their own private companies The Daily Mail 

How a new treatment for diabetes offers hope for millions | podcast

How a new treatment for diabetes offers hope for millions | podcast The development of an ‘artificial pancreas’ could revolutionise the daily lives of people living with type 1 diabetes. Now the technology could be made available to more than 100,000 people in the UK on the NHS. The Guardian

More than 84,000 babies missed health checks within two weeks of birth

More than 84,000 babies missed health checks within two weeks of birth More than 84,000 babies missed out on health visitor checks in the first two weeks of life last year, data shows.

Figures from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities reveal a drop in the proportion of newborns visited on time, from 88 per cent in 2020/21 to 83 per cent in 2021/22. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Health visitor service delivery metrics experimental statistics: quarterly data for 2022 to 2023 Office for Health Improvement and Disparities
• More than 84,000 newborn babies ‘missed out’ on health visitor checks The Independent

New figures show the number of areas with more than 2,000 patients per GP has almost DOUBLED

New figures show the number of areas with more than 2,000 patients per GP has almost DOUBLED The number of areas with more than 2,000 patients per GP has almost doubled over six years, analysis reveals.

Some 92 of 106 health districts in England now have more than 2,000 patients per fully qualified GP – up 80 per cent from 51 areas in 2016.

On average across England, there are now 2,273 patients per fully qualified GP – an increase from 1,981 in 2016. The rise means patients face longer waits for appointments, and experience a weaker bond with their doctor. The Daily Mail

Bird flu warning as top experts say world is 'nowhere near' ready for inevitable pandemic

Bird flu warning as top experts say world is 'nowhere near' ready for inevitable pandemic The world is 'nowhere near ready' for another pandemic, experts have warned amid mounting fears over an 'unprecedented' wave of bird flu sweeping the planet. 

Cases of the killer H5N1 strain have already jumped from birds to mammals.

It has sparked huge concern among top virologists that the deadly pathogen is now one step closer to spreading in humans — a hurdle which has so far stopped it from triggering a pandemic. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Bird flu (avian influenza): latest situation in England DEFRA and Animal and Plant Health Agency
• The influenza imperative: we must prepare now for seasonal and pandemic influenza (open access) The Lancet Microbe
• Be warned: the next deadly pandemic is not inevitable, but all the elements are in place The Guardian
• Bird flu: Expert calls for work to start on vaccine with risk to humans 'increasing' Sky News