Smear tests: 'Five minutes could save your life' A woman diagnosed with cervical cancer after a smear test has urged everyone eligible to book regular screenings.
Invites are sent to women aged between 25 and 64, but NHS records showed 30% were not up-to-date with their tests.
Sophie Palmer, 35, from Northampton, was given the all-clear after a radical hysterectomy and was alarmed so many women were missing out on screening.
She said: "That's just crazy. It takes five minutes and it's five minutes that could save your life." BBC Northampton
Thursday 10 August 2023
System risk management: key considerations for evolving arrangements
System risk management: key considerations for evolving arrangements Integrated care systems (ICSs) are developing their approach to system risk management following the enactment of the Health and Care Act 2022. NHS organisations and their partners are working to understand system risks, accountability and the impact on partnership decision-making. The fundamentals of good risk management are the same for both organisations and systems. But system risk management is more complex in that it requires partners to align their strategic understanding, risk appetite and risk management processes. This joint briefing from the HFMA and the Good Governance Institute (GGI) aims to support systems as they work on system risk management. It includes two case studies and sets out the key challenges, opportunities and considerations involved in effective system risk management. Healthcare Financial Management Association
Best practice timed diagnostic cancer pathways: practical guidance for clinicians to maximise use of NHS Cancer pathways for the benefit of patients
Best practice timed diagnostic cancer pathways: practical guidance for clinicians to maximise use of NHS Cancer pathways for the benefit of patients GIRFT and the NHS England Cancer Programme have co-produced this guide, outlining how cancer alliances and constituent organisations can implement NHSE’s best practice timed pathways for cancer, with insights from the relevant GIRFT national clinical leads. The guide summarises the key guidance documents available to NHS colleagues, with links provided. Getting It Right First Time
Experts to lead AI Safety Summit preparations as new funding announced to modernise healthcare
Experts to lead AI Safety Summit preparations as new funding announced to modernise healthcare Two leading experts have been appointed to spearhead preparations for the UK to host the first major international summit of its kind on the safe use of artificial intelligence, as the Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan announces £13 million to transform healthcare research. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
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NHS launches hospital matching platform to bring down longest waits
NHS launches hospital matching platform to bring down longest waits Thousands of patients who need NHS treatment could be quickly and easily allocated to hospitals that can take on their care thanks to a new online ‘matching’ platform.
As part of efforts to reduce the covid backlog, the easy-to-use tool allows NHS staff to view and add available surgery slots in hospitals across the country, including independent sector capacity.
Clinical teams can upload details of patients on their waiting list who are willing to travel, with other NHS and independent sector providers able to log on and ‘match’ people up to treatment. NHS England
See also:
- Tinder for the NHS! Health chiefs will match patients with hospitals with shorter waits further from home in bid to clear record Covid backlogs The Daily Mail
- NHS patients will be able to travel to other hospitals to skip treatment queues The Daily Telegraph
- Patients who can travel given opportunity to skip NHS queues Evening Standard
- More patients to be able to skip NHS waiting lists - if they can travel for treatment Sky News
NHS braced for further disruption during latest junior doctor strike
NHS braced for further disruption during latest junior doctor strike The NHS is facing another period of significant disruption this week, with potentially thousands more appointments and procedures postponed due to the latest round of industrial action by junior doctors.
From 7am on Friday 11 August until 7am on Tuesday 15 August, junior doctors across England will be on strike, as the NHS enters the ninth month of industrial action across its services. NHS England
See also:
- NHS leaders warn that recorded cancellations as a result of industrial action are ‘the tip of the iceberg’ NHS Confederation
- End doctors' pay dispute, says Bristol's hospital boss BBC News
- Junior doctors strike August 2023: Why are they taking action? Evening Standard
- NHS leaders urge people to 'use services wisely' as junior doctors strike for 5th time iNews
NHS enforcement guidance
NHS enforcement guidance This guidance outlines how NHS England intends to exercise its enforcement powers for both integrated care boards (ICBs) and providers, by setting out how it would use these powers to direct an ICB and the licence enforcement mechanisms that apply to foundation trusts, NHS trusts, licensed independent providers of NHS services and licensed NHS controlled providers. It explains the regulatory and statutory processes in the event of enforcement action and the subsequent rights of appeal. NHS England
Weight-loss drug reduces stroke and heart risk
Weight-loss drug reduces stroke and heart risk A weight-loss drug has been proven to also reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack, according to a new trial.
The makers of Wegovy, Novo Nordisk, say its latest study shows it cuts risk of a cardiovascular event in overweight people with heart disease by a fifth.
The firm hailed it a "landmark trial", saying it would change the way obesity is regarded and treated.
While the findings still have to be fully reviewed, experts agreed the results were potentially significant. BBC News
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COVID-19: New strain spreading across UK designated 'variant of interest' by WHO
COVID-19: New strain spreading across UK designated 'variant of interest' by WHO A new fast-spreading COVID strain has been designated a "variant of interest" by the World Health Organisation.
EG.5 is descended from the Omicron variant of coronavirus and is growing in prevalence globally, including in the UK, US and China.
It has been detected in 51 countries in total, including South Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia, Singapore, France, Portugal and Spain. Sky News
See also:
- EG.5 Initial Risk Evaluation, 9 August 2023 World Health Organization
- WHO declares ‘Eris’ Covid strain a variant of interest as cases rise globally The Guardian
- Everything we know about EG. 5, the Covid subvariant dominating the US The Independent
- WHO classifies EG.5 as COVID-19 'variant of interest' Reuters
Generation Sad... or Soft? Half of entire global population predicted to have a mental health condition by age 75, Lancet study
Generation Sad... or Soft? Half of entire global population predicted to have a mental health condition by age 75, Lancet study Half of the world’s population could have a mental health condition such as depression or anxiety by age 75, a major study suggests.
Researchers drew on two decades’ worth of World Health Organization surveys representing over 156,000 adults from 29 countries to look for trends in diagnoses.
They projected that one in two people could have at least one mental health disorder by the time they reach old age, a stark increase from the 2019 estimate of one in every eight. The Daily Mail
See also:
- Age of onset and cumulative risk of mental disorders: a cross-national analysis of population surveys from 29 countries (abstract) The Lancet Psychiatry
Outrage over month-long delay to flu jab roll-out as chemists demand NHS U-turns and starts scheme like usual in September to avoid chaos for millions of patients and wasting vaccines
Outrage over month-long delay to flu jab roll-out as chemists demand NHS U-turns and starts scheme like usual in September to avoid chaos for millions of patients and wasting vaccines Britain may be forced to throw away flu jabs because of the decision to delay the drive, pharmacists fear.
Usually the NHS's annual vaccination drive begins on September 1.
But health chiefs have announced this autumn's campaign, which has been scaled back massively, won't kick off until October. Officials are trying to get more clinics ready to offer the flu jab at the same time as Covid vaccines. The Daily Mail
See also:
- Community Pharmacy England calls on Ministers to prevent delay to flu vac start date Community Pharmacy England
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