Birthday event for Recovery College NHFT celebrates five years of supporting recovery

Birthday event for Recovery College NHFT celebrates five years of supporting recovery A host of dignitaries and guests joined a special birthday event celebrating five fantastic years of helping people on their health recovery journey.

Recovery College NHFT, run by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, held its fifth birthday celebration on March 29 at the Sikh Community Centre in Northampton, in the presence of key healthcare professionals, as well as many of those who have benefited from both developing, and attending, the college’s well-being courses. Northamptonshire Telegraph

The hidden problems behind delayed discharges and their costs

The hidden problems behind delayed discharges and their costs In the past six months, there has been a rapid increase in the number of people experiencing delayed discharge from hospitals in England, with the number of patients remaining in hospital overnight who no longer meet the criteria to remain averaging 13,771 in February 2023. That’s up from 12,589 on average in April, an increase of 9.4 per cent. The King's Fund

RCP view on healthcare sustainability and climate change

RCP view on healthcare sustainability and climate change The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published a new position paper on healthcare sustainability and climate change setting out recommendations to improve the sustainability of healthcare and reduce the health impacts of climate change.  

Climate change represents the biggest long-term threat to human health.

Lack of reimbursement leaves home haemodialysis patients left out in the cold, according to new report

Lack of reimbursement leaves home haemodialysis patients left out in the cold, according to new report According to a Kidney Care UK report released today, one third of home dialysis patients are not receiving any reimbursement from their trusts and less than a third of trusts are reimbursing patients using the appropriate tariff. This is despite the fact that NHS trusts receive funds from NHS England to pay for reimbursements.

See also:

• NHS payments 'not reaching' at-home dialysis patients Evening Standard

Integrated Care Systems: autonomy and accountability

Integrated Care Systems: autonomy and accountability This report into new partnerships aimed at delivering joined-up health and care services is calling for the Government and NHS England to address key concerns if an opportunity to deliver change is to be realised. It found enthusiasm for the potential of Integrated Care Systems to deliver on challenges facing the health and care sectors. However, it warns of a lack of clarity in some areas with risks that short-term pressures could be given priority over longer term ambitions such as preventing ill-health. Health and Social Care Select Committee

MPs lament NHS and Government complaints body’s “lack of ambition” to return to pre-pandemic service delivery levels

MPs lament NHS and Government complaints body’s “lack of ambition” to return to pre-pandemic service delivery levels The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee has today published its report on the performance of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) from 2021-22.

The Committee raises concerns with the PHSO continuing its policy of not considering less serious health complaints, introduced to reduce the backlog of cases resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Despite successfully reducing caseload levels, MPs do not see the policy as an “appropriate long-term solution”. MPs note it is “regrettable” that the organisation makes no reference in its recent corporate strategy for 2022-25 to how it will cope with the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 and high levels of cases.

See also:

• MPs criticise NHS ombudsman for not investigating ‘less serious’ complaints The Independent

COVID-19 testing approach from April 2023

COVID-19 testing approach from April 2023 Changes to coronavirus (COVID-19) testing will come into effect on 1 April 2023, to ensure testing continues to focus on those at highest risk, enables appropriate clinical treatment and supports the management of outbreaks in high-risk settings including health and social care.

Testing in England can now be further aligned with the management of other common respiratory infections thanks to the ongoing success of the vaccination programme, increased access to therapeutic treatments and high immunity amongst the population. UK Health Security Agency

See also:

• Guidance: COVID-19: testing from 1 April 2023 UK Health Security Agency
• Official Statistics: PPE disposals, donations and sales, up to 28 February 2023 Department of Health and Social Care
• Research and analysis: Face coverings and COVID-19: statement from an expert panel UK Health Security Agency
• Official Statistics: National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports: 2022 to 2023 season UK Health Security Agency
• Covid testing scaled back further in England BBC News
• Nando's-style Covid alert levels are binned just as cases are starting to rise again The Daily Mail
• NHS Covid-19 app to close down on 27 April following decline in users Digital Health
• Government disposed of 3bn items of PPE bought in pandemic, data shows The Guardian
• Routine Covid testing ends in the NHS and care homes except for highest risk iNews

UKHSA update on scarlet fever and invasive group A strep

UKHSA update on scarlet fever and invasive group A strep The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that scarlet fever notifications are in line with what we would expect to see at this time of year, and have significantly reduced since the peak in December 2022. However, iGAS notifications remain higher than normally seen at this point in the season. UK Health Security Agency

Policy paper: NHS mandate 2022 to 2023

Policy paper: NHS mandate 2022 to 2023 The government’s mandate to NHS England confirms their objectives and budgets for the year ahead.

The financial directions published alongside (revised on 30 March 2023) provide further details on how NHS England’s budget is broken down. Department of Health and Social Care

Bring in four-day week to stop exodus of NHS workers, say campaigners

Bring in four-day week to stop exodus of NHS workers, say campaigners Moving towards a four-day working week across the NHS could help tackle burnout and stem the exodus of exhausted health workers, campaigners argue in a new report.

The 4 Day Week Campaign, which recently oversaw a successful pilot involving more than 60 companies, is now urging public sector employers to experiment with a shorter working week. The Guardian

See also:

• Four day week in the NHS: Tackling burnout, overwork and poor staff retention rates 4 Day Week

NHS seeking views on centralising patient data from public and private sector

NHS seeking views on centralising patient data from public and private sector The NHS is inviting people to express their views on the health service collecting data from private healthcare facilities in a bid to improve oversight and enhance patient care.

The moves comes after the Paterson Inquiry recommended centralising data on all consultant-led activity to give the NHS better insight into the quality of treatment being delivered across the public and private sector. National Health Executive

Warning over string of fatal overdoses from online pharmacies selling dangerous drugs

Warning over string of fatal overdoses from online pharmacies selling dangerous drugs Dangerous drugs are still being 'freely marketed' online despite a series of deaths over the past decade, experts have warned.

Medication bought through online pharmacies have led to the deaths of a number of people in the UK, analysis of coroners' records found.

Yet despite a number of recommendations designed to clampdown on the supply of prescription and unlicenced drugs over the internet, a lack of regulation means the potentially fatal drugs are still available. The Daily Mail

See also:

• ‘Pandemic of tragedy’: the deaths caused by gaps in online drug supply regulations The Pharmaceutical Journal

Hope for thousands with haemophilia in form of new injection

Hope for thousands with haemophilia in form of new injection A monthly injection could transform the life of haemophilia patients after it was found to significantly reduce bleeds.

Trials of the treatment, called fitusiran, found it stopped bleeds in up to two-thirds (66 per cent) of patients with haemophillia A or B.

Experts say the preventative treatment could soon improve patients’ daily lives by slashing the number of hospital trips. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Fitusiran prophylaxis in people with severe haemophilia A or haemophilia B without inhibitors (ATLAS-A/B): a multicentre, open-label, randomised, phase 3 trial (abstract) The Lancet Haematology