Kettering children’s ward which inspectors said was failing has made some improvements, says health boss

Kettering children’s ward which inspectors said was failing has made some improvements, says health boss A children’s ward which inspectors said was failing has made some improvements, a health boss said.

The care regulator told Kettering General Hospital that its children and young people’s services were inadequate in April following an inspection last December. Northamptonshire Telegraph

The inbetweeners: a review of the barriers and facilitators in the process of the transition of children and young people with complex chronic health conditions into adult health services

The inbetweeners: a review of the barriers and facilitators in the process of the transition of children and young people with complex chronic health conditions into adult health services This report finds that the process of transition and subsequent transfer is often fragmented, both within and across specialties, and that adult services often sit only with primary care. The report’s recommendations highlight areas that are suitable for regular local clinical audit and quality improvement initiatives by those providing care to this group of patients. It suggests that the results of such work should be presented at quality or governance meetings, and action plans to improve care should be shared with executive boards. Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership

Finding hope: the final report of the IPPR health and care workforce assembly

Finding hope: the final report of the IPPR health and care workforce assembly IPPR recruited a workforce assembly – across the NHS, social care, and unpaid care – to define a new vision for health and care work. 

The findings from the assembly come with new analysis from IPPR which show that since 2010, England has had up to 10,000 ‘missing managers’ within frontline NHS hospital and community care services. 

Through assembly deliberations and further research, the IPPR has developed these principles into a ten-point policy plan for the future. Institute for Public Policy Research

4 million checks, tests and scans carried out by CDCs

4 million checks, tests and scans carried out by CDCs CDCs have delivered over 4 million checks, tests and scans for patients across the country since July 2021, cutting waiting lists and giving patients quicker access to care.

The government is showing progress on its promise to open 160 of the facilities by March 2025, with a further 8 due to open before the end of the year, the Health and Social Care Secretary has today confirmed. These will provide capacity for more than 742,000 extra tests a year once fully operational, bolstering access to care. Department of Health and Social Care

NHS plan to improve workforce experience

NHS plan to improve workforce experience The NHS should draw up talent management plans to reduce staff turnover, increase recruitment and improve diversity in leadership positions, as part of the NHS’s first equality improvement plan aimed to boost patient experience and support staff.

Every trust will be asked to roll out measures to improve staff experience and progression through mentoring and other development opportunities for staff by June 2024. NHS England

Covid inquiry: The questions we really want answers to

Covid inquiry: The questions we really want answers to A massive inquiry to understand the UK's response to, and the impact of, the Covid-19 pandemic, throws its doors open to the public on Tuesday, with the first evidence session. Not one of us was left untouched by the effects of the pandemic, and we all have questions. I asked a range of people who were in the eye of the Covid storm what one question each of them most wants answered. BBC News

See also:

• As COVID inquiry begins, bereaved families call for greater transparency Sky News

NHS: 'Tired' nurses and strikes see applications fall, university says

NHS: 'Tired' nurses and strikes see applications fall, university says The UK's biggest provider of healthcare courses said seeing nurses "tired" and on strike had led to a fall in applications by almost a quarter.

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) trains about 1,000 nurses a year and said a rise from the pandemic had dropped off.

The Department of Health said it was on track to recruit 50,000 nurses by March 2024, but many have come from abroad. BBC News

Unite announces further ambulance and hospital staff strikes

Unite announces further ambulance and hospital staff strikes New strikes by ambulance and hospital staff have been announced in an ongoing dispute over pay as well as safe staffing levels in the NHS.

Unite members at West Midlands Ambulance Service will take action on Monday 12 June.

Workers at Birmingham's City Hospital and Christie Hospital in Manchester are set to walk out on Wednesday.

That action is set to coincide with the British Medical Association junior doctors' strike. BBC News

See also:

• NHS cannot cope with continued junior doctor strikes, chiefs warn The Daily Telegraph
• NHS strikes must not become 'business as usual', health chief warns Evening Standard

Survey reveals ‘shocking’ levels of NHS staff shortages ‘hitting patient safety’

Survey reveals ‘shocking’ levels of NHS staff shortages ‘hitting patient safety’ A survey of NHS workers has revealed “shocking” levels of staff shortages which are impacting on patient safety, according to a leading trade union.

Half of more than 3,000 polled Unite members – working in different roles throughout the NHS in England – said staffing levels in their area have regularly reached a point where “patient care has been compromised and unsafe” in the past year. The Independent

See also:

• Full extent of NHS staffing crisis revealed Unite the Union

‘The signs are too stark to ignore’: seven reasons the NHS is in crisis

‘The signs are too stark to ignore’: seven reasons the NHS is in crisis As the NHS approaches its 75th anniversary, writers close to it – including Rachel Clarke, Jack Thorne and Henry Marsh – reflect on the numbers behind its problems, and what it will take to heal the wounds. The Guardian

Revealed: huge disparities in birth control prescriptions across UK

Revealed: huge disparities in birth control prescriptions across UK Doctors in areas of England with the fewest ethnic minorities spend more than four times as much on contraception prescriptions per 1,000 women as those with the largest ethnic minority populations, new data shows. The Guardian

NHS to deploy street mental health teams to help England’s rough sleepers

NHS to deploy street mental health teams to help England’s rough sleepers Exclusive: £3.2m plan aims to curb rise in people sleeping rough as councils cut homelessness budgets

The NHS will deploy street mental health teams in English locations from Devon to Doncaster in an attempt to curb a rise in rough sleeping in England.

Fourteen outreach teams will aim to get more rough sleepers on to a path to counselling, medication or other treatments and will seek out people “who have often been through incredibly traumatic experiences to ensure they get the help they need”, said Prof Tim Kendall, NHS England’s clinical national director for mental health. The Guardian

Brighton hospital under investigation as police probe 40 deaths

Brighton hospital under investigation as police probe 40 deaths The deaths of around 40 people at a hospital are being investigated by police.

Detectives are looking into allegations of medical negligence at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton over a five-year period.

The claims concern alleged failings in neurosurgery and general surgery. Metro

See also:

• Police investigate deaths at Royal Sussex County Hospital BBC News
• Police launch investigation into dozens of deaths at Brighton hospital The Daily Telegraph
• Police investigate dozens of deaths at hospital in Brighton The Guardian
• Police probe around 40 deaths at Brighton hospital The Independent
• Royal Sussex County Hospital patient deaths to be investigated by police Sky News

Rapid 20 minute STI test could soon be available on the NHS as diagnoses reach record highs

Rapid 20 minute STI test could soon be available on the NHS as diagnoses reach record highs An ultra-fast test for common sexually transmitted infections could soon be made available amid fresh concerns of the diseases skyrocketing.

The tool, either a vaginal swab or urine test, allows patients to get tested and treated on the same day, reducing the risk of infection spreading.

It uses sophisticated technology that can detect minuscule bacterial DNA within 20 minutes. The Daily Mail

New drug approved on NHS reduces risk of relapse of rare blood cancer by a quarter

New drug approved on NHS reduces risk of relapse of rare blood cancer by a quarter NHS patients being treated for an aggressive type of blood cancer will now benefit from a potent drug that can slash the risk of their disease returning.

Experts say that the medicine, called Polivy, could drastically improve survival rates for the 5,000 Britons who each year develop the condition, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. A third of sufferers don't survive more than five years after diagnosis. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Polatuzumab vedotin in combination for untreated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma NICE

Toilet roll and underwear could soon come with warnings about cancer symptoms under new NHS plan

Toilet roll and underwear could soon come with warnings about cancer symptoms under new NHS plan Underpants and toilet roll could soon come with warnings about cancer symptoms.

The NHS is in talks with underwear and bathroom tissue manufacturers to give advice on cervical, bowel and other cancers.

It is also speaking with supermarkets about putting advice on underwear labels and lavatory rolls urging people to check for the most common symptoms of cancer. The Daily Mail