Stretched to the limit: tackling the NHS productivity challenge

Stretched to the limit: tackling the NHS productivity challenge Despite performance gains to date, the NHS is tasked with delivering yet more activity within existing resources as well as taking further costs out of the system without impacting on patient care. This will present a major challenge for providers and staff, already stretched to the limit.

In this report we explore the main barriers trusts are facing as they seek to recover performance and improve productivity. We also consider the financial impact of current pressures and the scale of the efficiency ask, which is even more stretching than in 2022/23. NHS Providers

Variations in the delivery of palliative care services to adults

Variations in the delivery of palliative care services to adults Palliative and end of life care is ‘variable and inequitable’ across the NHS in England.

The report sets out an investigation we undertook examining the quality and consistency of palliative care provided to adults. Since 2004, and even with a national strategy in place since 2008, numerous publications have highlighted concerns about the limitations of the delivery of palliative and end of life care. These limitations may be more noticeable in areas where funding for services is limited or where care is being delivered across wide geographical areas. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

See also:

• NHS end-of-life care in England ‘variable and inequitable’ says watchdog The Guardian

SAS professional development funding: application guidance

SAS professional development funding: application guidance To support the implementation of the new 2021 specialty doctor and specialist contracts and the professional development of specialist, associate specialist and specialty doctors (SAS) doctors, NHS England included the SAS development funding in 2021/22 and 2023/24 within commissioner allocations. This guidance has been published in partnership with the British Medical Association to support employers to allocate SAS development funding. NHS Employers

Junior doctors begin longest strike yet in England

Junior doctors begin longest strike yet in England Junior doctors in England have begun their longest walkout yet today, in protest over pay.

They said the government's refusal to talk ahead of the five-day strike was "baffling" and "frustrating".

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said doctors' 35% pay demand was "unreasonable" and the strike would put patient safety at risk.

Thousands of planned appointments are being postponed, as emergency and urgent care are prioritised. BBC News

See also:

• Junior doctors urge Government to come back to the table as new strike begins in England BMA
• Strikes will cause major disruption over the next week, says top NHS doctor NHS England
• Junior doctors ready to begin longest strike in NHS history Channel 4 News
• Junior doctors told to use 5-day NHS strike to go on a picnic The Daily Mail
• Sunak won’t meet NHS waiting times pledge if strikes continue, warn health bosses The Guardian
• NHS strikes: who is taking part and why are they happening? The Guardian
• Warning junior doctors’ strike will top £100m as fresh walkout begins The Independent
• Junior doctors walk out on strike set to be the 'longest in NHS history' ITV News
• Upcoming industrial action will have a serious impact on local NHS services in Northamptonshire Northamptonshire Telegraph
• Junior doctors walking out for five days - the longest strike in NHS history Sky News

Call for clarity over NHS role after misdiagnosis death

Call for clarity over NHS role after misdiagnosis death The mother of a woman who died after a misdiagnosis by an NHS worker she mistakenly believed was a GP has called for better patient protection.

Emily Chesterton, from Salford, died after being seen twice by a physician associate, a role which the NHS said supports doctors in diagnosis.

The 30-year-old, who lived in London, was told her calf pain was a sprain, when she actually had a blood clot.

Her mother Marion said more regulation was needed around physician associates. BBC News

Care watchdog sounds fresh alarm over mental health trust being investigated over 2,000 deaths

Care watchdog sounds fresh alarm over mental health trust being investigated over 2,000 deaths The NHS safety watchdog has sounded fresh alarm over the risk to mental health patients at an Essex health trust already facing a public inquiry over 2,000 deaths.

Essex Partnership University Foundation Trust [EPUT] is being investigated over failures relating to the deaths of patients spanning two decades. The Independent

Majority of public want digital health apps to be used in NHS

Majority of public want digital health apps to be used in NHS Sixty-eight percent of people agree that digital health apps should be used within the NHS, according to the third annual survey into public attitudes on health apps in the UK by the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA).

In line with this, 60% more GPs have recommended digital health apps to their patients this year, in comparison to last year. London GPs were revealed to recommend more health apps than any other region.

In addition, nearly half (47%) of all those surveyed said they were already using a health app. Digital Health

Powerful Google tool is almost as good as human doctors in giving answers to basic ailment questions

Powerful Google tool is almost as good as human doctors in giving answers to basic ailment questions Family doctors already have patients turning to 'Dr Google' for a diagnosis.

But Google has now developed AI which could perform as well as a doctor when answering questions about ailments.

The tech giant reports in the journal, Nature, that its latest model, which processes language similarly to ChatGPT, can answer a range of medical questions with 92.6 per cent accuracy. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Large language models encode clinical knowledge (open access) Nature

Even 'SAFE' levels of air pollution can trigger heart attacks, study warns

Even 'SAFE' levels of air pollution can trigger heart attacks, study warns Even 'safe' levels of air pollution can trigger heart attacks, a study suggests.

Researchers also found people can be struck down within just an hour of breathing in dirty air.

Tougher air quality standards are now urgently needed, experts claimed. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Can traffic-related air pollution trigger myocardial infarction within a few hours of exposure? Identifying hourly hazard periods (open access) Environment International