Northamptonshire agencies had 'delayed responses' before baby death

Northamptonshire agencies had 'delayed responses' before baby death There were "insufficiently robust or delayed responses" to a family whose six-week-old baby died, a report found.

Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership found the boy had injuries "not inconsistent" with co-sleeping when he died in November 2021.

It said his mother concealed the pregnancy from social workers, but had they known it may not have prevented his death.

The agencies involved said they had learned lessons from the case. BBC Northampton

See also:

• Northamptonshire agencies respond after the death of a six-week old baby who was smothered who was co-sleeping with an adult Northamptonshire Telegraph

Kettering doctor who said she couldn't make a mistake suspended after being found guilty of serious misconduct

Kettering doctor who said she couldn't make a mistake suspended after being found guilty of serious misconduct A Northamptonshire doctor who told a panel that she could never make a mistake has been suspended. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Should we really send more money to the front line?

Should we really send more money to the front line? Watch the second part of this online event series that engages in challenging debate and get a second opinion on whether some of the fundamental assumptions in modern health policy really bear scrutiny.

The second event in this series will ask whether the NHS really needs to steer more money to the front line and spend less on administration. This has been a constant refrain among politicians and even the public - but is it wrong or even backwards? The Nuffield Trust

Combined authorities: part of the cure for the ailing NHS?

Combined authorities: part of the cure for the ailing NHS? Consider health as being about more than just health care. It is an often-cited figure that 80 per cent of the causes for which people seek out health care services are about things that happen outside the traditional health sphere, about the wider determinants of health. These are about where and how people live and work, how much support and connection they have to their friends, family and communities, how easily they can get around their area to access vital services like schooling, good jobs and, indeed, quality health care. There is a wide recognition of this fact, but how do you go about tackling the wider determinants of health and ultimately help the NHS? This is where the role of place-based assets, be that local authorities or voluntary sector organisations, or other bodies that have statutory function that links to the wider determinants should be highlighted. The King's Fund

Government invites views on tackling major conditions in England

Government invites views on tackling major conditions in England A call for evidence has been launched to invite views on how best to prevent, early diagnose, treat and manage the 6 major groups of conditions which drive ill health and contribute to the burden of disease in the population in England.

The 6 major health conditions - cancer, cardiovascular diseases including stroke and diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, dementia, mental ill health and musculoskeletal disorders - affect millions of people in England with data showing that one in 4 suffer from 2 or more of these major long-term conditions. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Open consultation: Major conditions strategy: call for evidence Department of Health and Social Care
• Consultation outcome: Mental health and wellbeing plan: discussion paper and call for evidence Department of Health and Social Care
• Consultation outcome: 10-Year Cancer Plan: call for evidence Department of Health and Social Care

NHS rolls out new 'lifeline' combination therapy for hundreds of women with womb cancer

NHS rolls out new 'lifeline' combination therapy for hundreds of women with womb cancer Hundreds of women with advanced womb cancer in England are to be offered a new ‘lifeline’ option from today, as the NHS rolls out a life-extending new combination therapy that can halt the progression of the disease for twice as long as chemotherapy.

The NHS has agreed landmark commercial deals for two drugs from different manufacturers, which will be used in combination to treat advanced endometrial cancer in between 500 and 750 women each year. NHS England

Ageing body scans to aid understanding of why diseases occur

Ageing body scans to aid understanding of why diseases occur The world's biggest human imaging project is set to rescan the brains and bodies of 60,000 UK volunteers to find new ways of treating and preventing disease.

By looking at how bodies age, the study could help predict those more likely to develop dementia or different cancers.

The study has already led to a genetic test for people born with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. BBC News

Call for national guidelines on discussing past trauma in maternity appointments

Call for national guidelines on discussing past trauma in maternity appointments National guidelines are needed to help maternity care professionals navigate discussions with pregnant women about past traumas, experts have said.

Their study also found that while talking about previously experienced traumas can be valuable, they can also trigger painful memories if not approached sensitively.  The Independent

See also:

• Views from women and maternity care professionals on routine discussion of previous trauma in the perinatal period: A qualitative evidence synthesis (open access) PLOS One

Obese patients cost NHS double the amount of healthy people

Obese patients cost NHS double the amount of healthy people Obese patients cost the NHS double the amount that people who are a healthy weight do, a landmark new study has revealed.

One million patients who were a healthy weight cost the NHS £638 on average in 2019, the research found. Meanwhile, £1,375 was spent per year on morbidly obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 40.

Experts warned the future viability of the NHS relies on combatting increasing obesity as it was leading to record levels of long-term sickness.

The research, presented at the European Congress of Obesity in Dublin, is the first to show how NHS spending varies depending on a patient’s weight. The Independent

See also:

• How obesity is draining the NHS of billions of much-needed cash every year The Daily Mail
• Massive cost of obesity to NHS revealed The Daily Telegraph
• Obese patients cost NHS twice as much as those with healthy weight, study says The Guardian

Lesbian and bisexual women at higher risk of heart disease, study finds

Lesbian and bisexual women at higher risk of heart disease, study finds Cardiologists should ask patients about their sexual orientation during heart checkups, researchers say.

The recommendation came from a study that found lesbian and bisexual women are at a higher risk of heart disease than their straight counterparts. Meanwhile, gay men were at a lower risk compared to heterosexual men of the same age. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Sexual Minority Status Disparities in Life's Essential 8 and Life's Simple 7 Cardiovascular Health Scores: A French Nationwide Population‐Based Study (open access) Journal of the American Heart Association