Northampton: Maternity unit needs 37 more midwives

Northampton: Maternity unit needs 37 more midwives A criticised maternity service needs 37 more midwives, about a fifth of its total midwifery workforce.

The care regulator has said Northampton General Hospital did not always have enough qualified and experienced staff to keep women safe from avoidable harm.

Figures obtained by the BBC show that 49 serious incidents have occurred in its maternity services in four years.

The hospital said it had undertaken "a lot of work" in the past 18 months and a recruitment process was under way. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust maternity services remain rated requires improvement by CQC Care Quality Commission

What caused the UK’s elective care backlog, and how can we tackle it?

What caused the UK’s elective care backlog, and how can we tackle it? The latest statistics on elective (non-emergency) care in England are making headlines for all the wrong reasons – the waiting list is over seven million, and over 400,000 have waited more than a year. Why is this? And what can be done about it? The King's Fund

Interim report explores impact of staff wellbeing on patient safety

Interim report explores impact of staff wellbeing on patient safety HSIB have published a third interim report for this investigation which focuses on staff wellbeing across the urgent and emergency care systems and the impact that this has on patient safety.

The investigation team spoke to staff working across the urgent and emergency care system in the NHS including in emergency departments, NHS 111 call handling centres and ambulance services. As conversations progressed, we saw that there was ‘significant distress’ from staff as they expressed that not being able to help the sickest of people had an impact on their personal health and wellbeing. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

See also:

• NHS staff cried in safety interviews, says watchdog BBC News
• ‘How many people will we kill today?’: Shocking reality facing NHS ambulance workers The Indepedent

Urgent action needed to prevent eating disorder deaths

Urgent action needed to prevent eating disorder deaths The UK’s Health Ombudsman has warned that people with eating disorders are being repeatedly failed by the system and radical changes need to be made to prevent further tragedies.

Little progress has been made in the six years since the publication of a report by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) which highlighted serious failings in eating disorder services.

See also:

• Eating disorder patients ‘repeatedly failed’, says England watchdog The Guardian

NHS pilots artificial intelligence software to cut missed hospital appointments

NHS pilots artificial intelligence software to cut missed hospital appointments Artificial intelligence (AI) that predicts likely missed appointments and offers back-up bookings will be piloted by the NHS in a bid to maximise resources and potentially save billions.

Through algorithms and anonymised data, the technology breaks down the reasons why someone may not attend an appointment – using a range of external insights including the weather, traffic and jobs.

The appointments are then arranged for the most convenient time for patients – for example, it will give evening and weekend slots to those less able to take time off during the day. NHS England

Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust prosecuted after three patients died

Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust prosecuted after three patients died A mental health trust is to be prosecuted after three patients died in its care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is bringing charges against the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys (TEWV) NHS Trust.

It is thought they relate to the deaths of Christie Harnett, 17, Emily Moore, 18, and a third person.

The trust is said to have failed "to provide safe care and treatment" which exposed patients to "significant risk of avoidable harm". BBC News

Abortion UK: Women 'manipulated' in crisis pregnancy advice centres

Abortion UK: Women 'manipulated' in crisis pregnancy advice centres Women are being misled and manipulated about abortion by some crisis pregnancy advice centres in the UK, according to evidence from a Panorama investigation.

The centres operate outside the NHS and tend to be registered charities.

Most say they don't refer women for abortions, but offer support and counselling for unplanned pregnancies.

But the BBC's investigation reveals more than a third of these services give misleading medical information or unethical advice, and sometimes both. BBC News

Campaigners demand inquiry into treatment of ethnic minority NHS staff

Campaigners demand inquiry into treatment of ethnic minority NHS staff The partner of a nurse who set himself on fire outside Kensington Palace has staged a protest on the steps of Downing Street to demand an independent inquiry into the treatment of BAME staff within the NHS.

Amin Abdullah, 41, an award-winning NHS nurse, took his own life in 2016 after being dismissed from his job at Charing Cross Hospital and suffering a mental breakdown because of his treatment. Evening Standard

Regular cannabis consumption could give you a heart attack, new study reveals

Regular cannabis consumption could give you a heart attack, new study reveals Whether you smoke or eat cannabis, regular consumption could give you a heart attack, according to a new study.

People who smoke marijuana or eat weed-laced edibles daily are a third more likely to develop coronary artery disease (CAD.)

One of the largest studies of the long term toll of the drug on the heart revealed that the more you smoke the higher the risk. The Independent

UK spent only £15m on brain tumour research after promising £40m

UK spent only £15m on brain tumour research after promising £40m Ministers have spent only £15m in five years on research into tackling brain tumours, the biggest killer of adults and children under 40, while boasting about delivering £40m, MPs have found.

The revelation emerged in a damning report seen by the Guardian that is due to be published this week by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on brain tumours after a two-year inquiry.

Depth of NHS crisis is revealed by coroners’ courts reports

Depth of NHS crisis is revealed by coroners’ courts reports NHS waiting times, staff shortages and service backlogs have been flagged as concerns in relation to dozens of patient deaths across England and Wales since the start of last year, the Observer can reveal, with coroners facing a succession of inquests concerning ambulance delays.

Coroners issue prevention of future deaths reports (PFDs) when they believe preventive action should be taken, and send them to relevant individuals or organisations, which are expected to respond.

NHS needs are long-term, complicated and challenging

NHS needs are long-term, complicated and challenging Since the pandemic respiratory services have been flat out and there is no end in sight. More than seven million people are waiting for elective care in England. A list that was too long before the pandemic and has only become longer. Sky News

New AI blood test for bowel cancer could save lives by slashing huge backlog of cases

New AI blood test for bowel cancer could save lives by slashing huge backlog of cases Scientists are rolling out a new ‘artificial intelligence blood test’ for bowel cancer that they hope will save lives by prioritising those who need a check-up straight away.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a huge backlog of patients awaiting a colonoscopy – the ‘gold standard’ examination for bowel cancer in which a tiny camera is inserted into the body to look for tumours. The Daily Mail