Friday 17 February 2023

Northampton hospital praised for its 24-hour restaurant for staff and patients

Northampton hospital praised for its 24-hour restaurant for staff and patients Northampton General Hospital has been praised for its round-the-clock restaurant for patients and visitors by campaigners and NHS bosses during a recent visit. One campaigner said the NHS Trust in Northampton was "leading the way for other NHS Trusts to follow.” Northants Live 

KGH nurses receive awards for outstanding care

KGH nurses receive awards for outstanding care Nurses from Kettering General Hospital have received DAISY Awards for the outstanding compassionate and sensitive care they have provided for patients.

ICU staff nurse Jessica Flowers, Naseby A registered nurse Brenda Mgijima, Deene B registered nurse Neethu John, and Skylark Ward staff nurse Tatiana Ururu were nominated for their awards by patients or close family members. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Addressing social care workforce challenges: what can England learn from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

Addressing social care workforce challenges: what can England learn from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland? All parts of the UK are struggling with social care staffing pressures, but England has been particularly singled out for its inaction. Alongside the latest explainers in our series on adult social care across the UK, Camille Oung and Nina Hemmings look at what England can learn from social care workforce reform in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Nuffield Trust

Why can't I get care? Older people's experiences of care and support

Why can't I get care? Older people's experiences of care and support It’s been more than three years since Boris Johnson promised he would “fix care for good”.  Since then, our underfunded care system has come under even greater pressure and millions of older people are paying the price.

This short report aims to explain the answer, drawing on older people’s experiences, as well as on what we know about how the social care system is supposed to work, and how it actually works in cash-strapped 2022. Age UK

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Government progress on digitising the NHS rated ‘inadequate’ by Expert Panel

Government progress on digitising the NHS rated ‘inadequate’ by Expert Panel The Government is making inadequate progress on vital commitments to digitise the NHS, an independent panel of experts has found in a new report. The digitisation of health and social care is essential to deliver the promise of improved and better integrated health and social care services, said the Government in a policy paper published in 2022.

Despite some encouraging progress, the Expert Panel found that key Government commitments on workforce and the use of patient information were either not met or were not on track to be met. The Panel found that overall progress towards improving the digital capabilities of the NHS was too slow, and often lacked support and funding. The experts concluded that social care was often missed out in commitments, stifling progress across the health and care system. House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee

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Access to critical patient information at the bedside

Access to critical patient information at the bedside This investigation report aims to improve patient safety by supporting staff to access critical information about patients, at their bedsides, in emergency situations.

The investigation involved engagement with hospitals across England, experts in fields associated with human factors and the display of information, and national bodies with the remit of policy and strategy in the NHS. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published

National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published In week 6, swab positivity for flu decreased to 2.0% compared to 2.8% in week 5, with the highest positivity seen in those aged 15 to 44 years at 4.8%, a decrease from 5.2% in week 5.

Hospital admission rates decreased in the last week and have returned to the baseline activity range. Influenza ICU admissions slightly decreased in week 6 and remained within the baseline range of activity. UK Health Security Agency

Nurses to stage 48-hour strike as dispute escalates

Nurses to stage 48-hour strike as dispute escalates The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has announced its biggest walkout of the pay dispute in England.

Its members at half of hospitals, mental health and community services will take part in the 48-hour strike from 1 to 3 March.

The union will also ask members working in key areas such as critical care and chemotherapy to take part in strike action for the first time.

Ministers accused the union of putting patients at risk. BBC News

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Bristol scientists develop quicker way to detect papilloedema

Bristol scientists develop quicker way to detect papilloedema Bristol scientists are developing new guidelines to speed up the diagnosis of patients with a potentially dangerous eye condition.

Papilloedema is caused by increased pressure inside the head and could be the first sign of a brain tumour.

But half of people with a brain tumour have no symptoms, and optometrists may be the first to notice a problem. BBC News

Watchdogs issue safety warnings after junior doctors left unsupervised on maternity wards

Watchdogs issue safety warnings after junior doctors left unsupervised on maternity wards Two health watchdogs have issued safety warnings after junior staff were left to work unsupervised on maternity wards previously criticised after a baby’s death.

Training regulator, Health Education England (HEE), criticised the “unacceptable” behaviour of consultants who left junior doctors to work without any superiors at South Devon and Torbay Hospital Foundation Trust’s wards.

The maternity safety watchdog Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB) also raised “urgent concerns” over student midwives and “unregistered midwives” providing care without supervision. The Independent

The NHS is “a sickness service, not a health service,” say MPs

The NHS is “a sickness service, not a health service,” say MPs MPs have scrutinised the Department of Health and Social Care’s decision to prioritise the NHS backlog over prevention health services, such as tackling issues like smoking or sedentary behaviour.

The Health and Social Care Committee questioned Helen Whately, the social care minister, in Parliament on the future of integrated care systems (ICSs) – the new structure within the NHS where organisations work together to provide health and care services for a local area. Forty-two ICSs were set up in England last year. The New Statesman

Sewage leak figures prompt warning over state of England’s hospitals

Sewage leak figures prompt warning over state of England’s hospitals Hospitals in England have recorded more than 450 sewage leaks in the last 12 months, data shows, putting patients and staff in danger and prompting warnings that the NHS estate is “falling apart” after a decade of underinvestment.

Freedom of information requests to NHS trusts by the Liberal Democrats found alarming examples of sewage leaking on to cancer wards, maternity units and A&E departments. The investigation also uncovered multiple cases of urine and faeces flowing into hospital rooms and on to general wards. The Guardian

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NHS ambulance delays improving - but norovirus levels 'significantly higher' than last year

NHS ambulance delays improving - but norovirus levels 'significantly higher' than last year An increase in norovirus cases is putting pressure on the NHS, even as ambulance delays ease.

Handover times from ambulances remain above NHS targets.

But the share of ambulance handovers in England taking more than 30 minutes averaged 20% in the week to 12 February. This was pretty much identical to the same time last year when they averaged 20.1%. Sky News

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A FIFTH of Brits have still never had Covid, officials estimate

A FIFTH of Brits have still never had Covid, officials estimate Nearly a fifth of people in England have still never caught Covid, top statisticians believe.

It means around 10.3million have managed to dodge the virus since the pandemic began three years ago, in theory.

Rates shot up quickest during the winter of 2021, the Office for National Statistics believes. The Daily Mail

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