Staff treat clients with ‘compassion and kindness’ at Northampton abortion clinic rated ‘good’ by CQC

Staff treat clients with ‘compassion and kindness’ at Northampton abortion clinic rated ‘good’ by CQC A Northampton abortion clinic has been rated ‘good’ in all areas by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in their first ever inspection.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) Northampton central abortion clinic, in St Giles Terrace, has been rated good in safety, effectiveness, care, responsiveness to people’s needs and leadership. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• BPAS Northampton Central Care Quality Commission

The role of regions in health and care: what can be done between systems and the centre?

The role of regions in health and care: what can be done between systems and the centre? The advent of integrated care systems (ICSs) has driven a renewed focus on the role of local places within health and care. While ICSs themselves are large and typically cover populations of more than 1 million people, the key building blocks that sit underneath them are much smaller in scale. The King's Fund

Are integration and innovation enabling better mental health provision?

Are integration and innovation enabling better mental health provision? As demand for mental health support increases, organisations are working in new and different ways to meet demand. In this long read we explore how. NHS Confederation

Offline and isolated: the impact of digital exclusion on access to healthcare for people seeking asylum in England

Offline and isolated: the impact of digital exclusion on access to healthcare for people seeking asylum in England This report finds that people seeking asylum in England are at risk of missing out on basic healthcare services because they have limited access to the internet and digital tools. Using a peer research approach, where refugees who have been through the asylum process interviewed people seeking asylum, the report provides a detailed picture of the barriers to online healthcare services. It highlights several barriers, including the affordability of devices and mobile data, a lack of Wi-Fi in asylum accommodation, and a lack of confidence in using technology and navigating websites in English. British Red Cross

NHS progress on waiting list despite busiest winter on record

NHS progress on waiting list despite busiest winter on record The number of people waiting longest for elective treatment has dropped for the third month in a row as services dealt with the busiest winter on record, new figures show.

The NHS has continued to progress against its elective recovery plan, with the number of people waiting more than 18 months for elective care dropping by a third between January and February to 30,000 (29,778), while the number of patients waiting more than one year dropped by 17,000 to 362,498. NHS England

See also:

• A&E Attendances and Emergency Admissions 2022-23 NHS England
• NHS Activity Tracker April 2023 NHS Providers
• NHS waiting lists reach record levels, but what about the 'hidden waiting list'? Healthwatch
• The King's Fund responds the latest NHS performance data The King's Fund
• NHS under severe and unsustainable pressure NHS Providers
• NHS Tracker: Find out about hospital waiting times in your area this winter BBC News
• 125,000 Brits had 12-hour A&E waits in February as true scale of crisis is laid bare for first time The Daily Mail
• NHS waiting list hits new record high though longest waits continue to fall Evening Standard
• One in 10 A&E patients in England face ‘dangerous’ 12-hour waits The Guardian
• Crowdfunding for medical care doubles amid record NHS waiting lists The Guardian
• 10% of A&E patients waiting more than 12 hours, NHS data shows The Independent
• NHS waiting times hit new record high as junior doctors' strikes continue ITV News
• NHS continues to cut elective waiting lists despite record strike and winter pressures National Health Executive
• NHS waiting list hits all-time high - with one in 10 waiting 12 hours in A&E Sky News

Cancer survival rates improve by almost 10%

Cancer survival rates improve by almost 10% Three in every four people survive their cancer the first year after being diagnosed with rates of survival for some cancers even higher, according to figures out today.

NHS England has published a one year cancer survival index which looks at survival rates in 2020 compared to 2005. The index also breaks down the figures by types of cancer and where patients live. Department of Health and Social Care

Thousands receive diagnosis after 60 new diseases found

Thousands receive diagnosis after 60 new diseases found Thousands of children with severe developmental disorders have finally been given a diagnosis, in a study that found 60 new diseases.

Children, and their parents, had their genetic code - or DNA - analysed in the search for answers to their condition.

There are thousands of different genetic disorders. BBC News

See also:

• Genomic Diagnosis of Rare Pediatric Disease in the United Kingdom and Ireland (open access) New England Journal of Medicine

Psychiatrists warn gamblers ahead of Grand National

Psychiatrists warn gamblers ahead of Grand National Problem gamblers are being encouraged to take preventative steps, such as putting blocks on betting websites, ahead of the annual Grand National horse race which runs on Saturday.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists says this weekend will be challenging for many gamblers who struggle to control their betting habit.

Government proposals for tougher gambling laws are expected imminently. BBC News

Sunak backs greater role for private sector in providing NHS care

Sunak backs greater role for private sector in providing NHS care Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suggested there should be a greater role for the private sector in the NHS as he set out how he wanted to win voters’ trust on the issue.

Mr Sunak, who has made cutting waiting lists one of his five priorities, was speaking as official figures showed an estimated 7.22 million people were waiting to start routine hospital treatment at the end of February – the highest total since records began in 2007. Evening Standard

New nurses’ strikes likely in England if RCN members reject pay offer

New nurses’ strikes likely in England if RCN members reject pay offer Nurses in England will go back on strike this month if RCN members reject ministers’ latest pay offer, with officials saying the result of the three-week ballot is too close to call.

The Royal College of Nursing will announce the results of its vote on Friday after a lengthy consultation period in which many members have opposed the recommendation of union leaders to accept the government’s proposed deal. The Guardian

See also:

• Fears of further crippling NHS strikes as insiders claim nurses are set to reject latest pay rise The Daily Mail
• Nurses' strikes could persist as union prepares for members to vote against pay offer ITV News

Hearing aids may lower risk of dementia, Lancet study suggests

Hearing aids may lower risk of dementia, Lancet study suggests Wearing a hearing aid slashes the risk of dementia in people who are hard of hearing, a study suggests.

In a study published in the Lancet today, researchers looked at health data of hundreds of thousands of people with varying levels of hearing loss.

Results showed those who did not use hearing aids had a 42 percent higher risk of developing dementia within 12 years compared to those who used the device. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Association between hearing aid use and all-cause and cause-specific dementia: an analysis of the UK Biobank cohort (open access) The Lancet Public Health