Hand-held computers replacing patient charts at Northampton General Hospital to alert staff to patients in danger

Hand-held computers replacing patient charts at Northampton General Hospital to alert staff to patients in danger A new hand-held computer has been introduced at Northampton General Hospital to help quickly alert nurses to deteriorating patients. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• New mobile technology for NGH nurses means less paper, more care for patients NGH News
• New technology at Northampton General Hospital means less paper work for nurses Northampton Herald & Post

How do people become good managers of their own health?

How do people become good managers of their own health? Within the general population some people actively focus on reaching and maintaining good health, while others are more passive about the whole thing. So what makes the difference?

Another £240m on offer for NHS trusts to go digital

Another £240m on offer for NHS trusts to go digital NHS trusts and now local authorities, can apply for part of £240m of funding to digitise and integrate patient information across the health and care sector, driving improvements in patient care. NHS England 

Patient empowerment: for better quality, more sustainable health services globally

Patient empowerment: for better quality, more sustainable health services globally This report takes a global perspective on how to empower patients to play a more active role in their care. Drawing lessons from over 100 innovative case studies submitted to the review, it outlines how much the UK has to learn from high, middle and low income countries – and how these lessons should be applied. At the same time, the report also highlights the UK’s strengths, its important role historically in supporting the global patient empowerment agenda, and how it can continue to play a leading role internationally. All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health

Electronic cigarettes: reports commissioned by Public Health England

Electronic cigarettes: reports commissioned by Public Health England These reports, commissioned by PHE, examine the evidence on risks and opportunities presented by electronic cigarettes. Electronic cigarettes takes a broad look at the issues relating to e-cigarettes including their role in tobacco harm reduction, potential hazards, potential benefits and regulation. E-cigarette uptake and marketing examines use of e-cigarettes by children and young people, the scale and nature of current marketing and its implications, in particular in relation to its potential appeal to young people.

• Electronic cigarettes
• E-cigarette update and marketing

Brits eating too much salt, sugar and fat

Brits eating too much salt, sugar and fat  “Too much sugar, salt and fat: healthy eating still eluding many Britons,” The Guardian reports, while the Daily Mail rather bizarrely warns of a “fruit juice timebomb”. Both papers are covering a major survey that looked at the nation’s eating habits over recent years.

The survey found that, overall, adults and children are eating too much saturated fat, added sugar and salt. We are also not getting the recommended levels of fruit, vegetables, oily fish and fibre that our bodies need.

Support to help children with complex health needs overcome the barriers to ‘An Ordinary Life’

Support to help children with complex health needs overcome the barriers to ‘An Ordinary Life’ The Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities is launching a package of new support materials to raise awareness of the aspirations of children with complex health needs and their families.

Physical care of psychiatric patients to receive major boost

Physical care of psychiatric patients to receive major boost Over 300,000 people with serious mental illness to receive comprehensive physical health checks OnMedica

See also:

• Mental health staff to introduce physical ‘MOT’ to reduce deaths NHS England
• Health MoTs for psychiatric patients BBC News

Do plans for transforming primary care stand up to scrutiny? | Richard Vize

Do plans for transforming primary care stand up to scrutiny? | Richard Vize Richard Vize looks at the contrasting proposals from politicians and NHS leaders on shifting resources from hospitals to communities.

The focus of the NHS and politicians is finally shifting to where the transformation in healthcare needs to take place primary care services. Who should commission them, how much money they should get and what they should do are all being debated.

It is striking that one of Simon Stevens' first actions as NHS England chief executive has been to tackle the paralysis in primary care development, by acceding to clinical commissioning group calls for a much bigger role in developing primary care. His invitation to CCGs to demonstrate how they would use additional powers to improve quality and put their local NHS on a "sustainable path" is a major step forward in turning the talk about shifting resources from hospitals to communities into action. Continue reading... The Guardian

Exploitation of care workers leaving elderly at risk - peer

Exploitation of care workers leaving elderly at risk - peer Elderly put at risk by care industry which leaves workers 'undervalued, underpaid and undertrained' warns Baroness Kingsmill. The Daily Telegraph

NGH safety education initiative is shortlisted for national award

NGH safety education initiative is shortlisted for national award NORTHAMPTON General Hospital NHS Trust has been shortlisted for the finals of the Patient Safety and Care Awards 2014, after producing a training course designed to help doctors of tomorrow become more safety aware. NGH News

New chief executive appointed for charity which runs St Andrew’s Hospital in Northampton

New chief executive appointed for charity which runs St Andrew’s Hospital in Northampton The new chief exectuive of the charity which runs St Andrew’s Hospital in Northampton has been revealed. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Heatwave plan for England 2014

Heatwave plan for England 2014 The Heatwave Plan for England aims to prepare for, alert people to, and prevent, the major avoidable effects on health during periods of severe heat in England. It recommends a series of steps to reduce the risks to health from prolonged exposure to severe heat. Public Health England

• Guidance
• Supporting documents

Panel to investigate statin articles

Panel to investigate statin articles Articles published by the British Medical Journal suggesting that statins could harm patients are to be investigated, the periodical says. BBC News

End-of-life care 'deeply concerning'

End-of-life care 'deeply concerning' The care given to people dying in hospital is "deeply concerning", according to doctors who have carried out a review of standards in England. BBC News

See also:

• National care for the dying audit of hospitals Royal College of Physicians
• Doctors and nurses 'are ill-equipped to help people cope with death' The Independent
• Most terminally ill patients not told they are dying, says damning report The Daily Telegraph
• Dying well (editorial)  The Daily Telegraph 
• End of life care requires 'widescale improvements', report says The Guardian
• How dying NHS patients are forgotten at weekends: Only a fifth of hospitals have specialist palliative care workers on duty on Saturdays The Daily Mail

VIDEO: Health chiefs meet over Mers virus

VIDEO: Health chiefs meet over Mers virus The World Health Organization has been meeting to decide whether to declare a public health emergency after a sudden spike in cases of a deadly virus known as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or Mers. BBC News

How do managers and leaders in the NHS and social care respond to service user involvement in mental health services

How do managers and leaders in the NHS and social care respond to service user involvement in mental health services This study set out to measure the extent and perceived impact of service user involvement (SUI) in mental health services and to explore different forms of SUI, both collective and individual. The focus was on service users’ interactions with managers and other key decision-makers in the NHS and social care. National Institute for Health Research

• Report
• Plain English summary
• NIHR publications

Health and wellbeing boards and hepatitis C

Health and wellbeing boards and hepatitis C NICE Public Health Guidance, which provides recommendations that can help prevent disease or improve health, recommends that hepatitis B and C should be included in a health and wellbeing board’s joint strategic needs assessment. This report which examined whether health and wellbeing boards are tackling hepatitis C found that prioritisation of the condition was low in local strategies. It calls for greater collaboration between local authorities and health services in order to raise awareness, screening and more targeted commissioning. The Hepatitis Trust

• Report
• Press release

NHS trusts told to end postcode lottery of IVF treatment

NHS trusts told to end postcode lottery of IVF treatment The NHS should end the 'postcode lottery' in fertility treatment and provide three full cycles of IVF treatment to most couples having difficulty conceiving for free, new strengthened guidance will say. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NICE consults on new draft standard to end 'postcode lottery' of fertility treatment NICE
• NHS organisations ordered to stop denying couples infertility treatment The Guardian

NHS trust director still getting £185k despite not being at work

NHS trust director still getting £185k despite not being at work  A struggling hospital trust is refusing to explain why a director is still being paid his £185,000 annual salary despite not being at work for six months. The Independent

Finally, training to build UK care workers' skills, but no money to pay for it | Justine Cawley

Finally, training to build UK care workers' skills, but no money to pay for it | Justine Cawley

The UK's ageing population will need 1 million care workers, so effective professional development and the funding to deliver it must start now

Tomorrow sees the Kingsmill review publish its report into working conditions in the care sector. Like last month's Panorama investigation of abuse of older people in care homes, it will highlight the urgent need for well-trained, professional and compassionate social care staff. Older people's care needs are diverse and increasingly complex, ranging from acute and chronic illness to dementia and palliative care, in addition to mobility issues and mental health problems.

But the specialist knowledge, behaviours and skills required in social care remain seriously underdeveloped. Care-home staff are the forgotten workforce and are often considered to be the lowest of the low by their counterparts in the NHS. As today's residential homes have replaced NHS long-stay hospitals, it's essential that staff have the range of knowledge, skills and practice to cope. The Guardian

Continue reading...

Chronotherapy: Drugs & our Body Clock

Chronotherapy: Drugs & our Body Clock

Is there a best time of day to receive drugs? BBC News

Anxiety is bad for health

Anxiety is bad for health

The report, Living with Anxiety, is part of a campaign to raise awareness and understanding of anxiety and its potentially debilitating effect on the nation’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Although anxiety is a natural human emotion, the more anxiety that people feel, the more they are likely to be tipped over in to diagnosable anxiety disorders, such as panic, phobias and obsessive behaviours, and to experience poor emotional wellbeing and personal distress. NHS Networks

The importance of promoting mental health in children and young people from black and minority ethnic communities

The importance of promoting mental health in children and young people from black and minority ethnic communities

This briefing looks at the policy framework for mental health service provision and provides examples of existing practice which promote mental health for BME children and young people. It also highlights the impact of poor or incomplete data on commissioning and provision of mental health services for BME children and young people. It looks at specific factors that put children and young people from BME communities at risk of developing mental health problems as well as protective factors that can help build resilience. Health Management
Briefing
Race Equality Foundation publications

Relationship between clinical quality and patient experience: analysis of data from the english quality and outcomes framework and the...

Relationship between clinical quality and patient experience: analysis of data from the english quality and outcomes framework and the...

Relationship between clinical quality and patient experience: analysis of data from the english quality and outcomes framework and the National GP Patient Survey.

Ann Fam Med. 2013 Sep-Oct;11(5):467-72

Authors: Llanwarne NR, Abel GA, Elliott MN, Paddison CA, Lyratzopoulos G, Campbell JL, Roland M

Abstract
PURPOSE: Clinical quality and patient experience are both widely used to evaluate the quality of health care, but the relationship between these 2 domains remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to examine this relationship using data from 2 established measures of quality in primary care in England. METHODS: Practice-level analyses (N = 7,759 practices in England) were conducted on measures of patient experience from the national General Practice Patient Survey (GPPS), and measures of clinical quality from the national pay-for-performance scheme (Quality and Outcomes Framework). Spearman's rank correlation and multiple linear regression were used on practice-level estimates. RESULTS: Although all the correlations between clinical quality summary scores and patient survey scores are positive, and most are statistically significant, the strength of the associations was weak, with the highest correlation coefficient reaching 0.18, and more than one-half were 0.11 or less. Correlations with clinical quality were highest for patient-reported access scores (telephone access 0.16, availability of urgent appointments 0.15, ability to book ahead 0.18, ability to see preferred doctor 0.17) and overall satisfaction (0.15). CONCLUSION: Although there are associations between clinical quality and measures of patient experience, the 2 domains of care quality remain predominantly distinct. The strongest correlations are observed between practice clinical quality and practice access, with very low correlations between clinical quality and interpersonal aspects of care. The quality of clinical care and the quality of interpersonal care should be considered separately to give an overall assessment of medical care.

PMID: 24019279 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Cutting hospital beds is a false economy | Zara Aziz

Cutting hospital beds is a false economy | Zara Aziz

Unless community-based services replace lost NHS beds discharged older patients are likely to be readmitted

A recent study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development found the UK had the second lowest number of hospital beds per capita in Europe. There are 2.95 beds in the UK per 1,000 people, and we are seeing more and more beds being cut as smaller hospitals amalgamate into larger trusts. The only country that has fewer beds is Sweden, but it has different patient demographics and invests more in community health services, such as for disease prevention and management of long-term conditions.

It is symptomatic of the challenge facing the NHS. Commissioning groups and hospital trusts are asked to deliver ever more: reduce A&E attendance, unplanned admissions and outpatient waiting times, while simultaneously coping with a workforce crisis and catastrophic budget cuts. The Guardian
Continue reading...

New advice encourages more home births

New advice encourages more home births

"More women should give birth at home, advice suggests," reports The Guardian after draft guidelines produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended that women with a low risk of complications in childbirth should be encouraged to either give birth at home or at a midwife-led unit.

The guidance has been revised after new evidence has become available since its original publication in 2007.

As part of the new guidance, NICE proposes revising its recommendations on the most appropriate place for women to give birth if they are at a low risk of complications. It is this aspect of the recommendations that has received the most media attention.

These draft guidelines about the care of healthy women and their babies during childbirth are open to consultation.

Resveratrol's health benefits ‘overstated’

Resveratrol's health benefits ‘overstated’

“Red wine health benefits 'overhyped',” BBC News reports. The headline follows a study researching the chemical resveratrol, which is found in red wine and chocolate.

Reveratrol has been reported to have long-term health benefits, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. There has been speculation that it may be responsible for the “French paradox”: the puzzling fact that rates of heart disease are low in France, despite citizens enjoying a rich diet.

This study involved almost 800 people from the Chianti region of Italy. The researchers wanted to see if resveratrol had any links with cancer, cardiovascular disease and death rates.

The study found that the risk of death during the nine-year follow-up period was no different for people with the highest levels of metabolites (breakdown products) of resveratrol in their urine, compared to people with the lowest levels. There was also no difference in the risk of developing cancer or cardiovascular disease.

However, red wine and chocolate contain more than just resveratrol. They may still be good for you (in moderation), but this study suggests that resveratrol may not be the reason why.

How patients might design a psychiatric hospital

How patients might design a psychiatric hospital

How patients might design a psychiatric ward. BBC News

Midwife-led care during labour best for most mothers and babies, says draft NICE guidance

Midwife-led care during labour best for most mothers and babies, says draft NICE guidance

NICE has begun a consultation on proposed changes to its guidance on the safe care of pregnant women and their babies during childbirth. As part of this, NICE is proposing to revise its recommendations on the safest settings for women at low risk of complications to give birth. NICE

We need safe, compassionate mental health care | Norman Lamb

We need safe, compassionate mental health care | Norman Lamb

A two-year programme aims to end the deliberate use of face-down restraint in all health and care settings

If you were being treated for a physical illness or injury like a broken leg or a heart condition you would never imagine that as part of that treatment you could be tied to your hospital bed to prevent you from moving or restrained face-down by the health professionals caring for you.

But for many people who have a mental illness, a learning disability or autism, this is a possibility. The Guardian

Continue reading...

Calls for millions to be given free vitamin D supplements

Calls for millions to be given free vitamin D supplements

One in five adults at risk of deficiency, with a lack of the 'sunshine' vitamin linked to soft bones and other conditions

Millions more people should be offered free vitamin D supplements under proposals from the government's health advisers to tackle the increasingly widespread deficiency in the vitamin.

Councils should consider making supplements available to the one in five adults who are at risk. A lack of the "sunshine" vitamin has been linked to soft bones and other health conditions. Older people and those from ethnic minorities, whose darker skin means they produce less vitamin D, would be among the recipients, according to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice). The Guardian

Continue reading...

People with learning disabilities are under-supported to live mentally healthy lives

People with learning disabilities are under-supported to live mentally healthy lives

Today the Foundation is launching a report revealing people with learning disabilities are continuing to struggle to access mental health support. Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities News

Second Heathrow Mers case identified

Second Heathrow Mers case identified

A second case emerges of a passenger who travelled through Heathrow Airport and later tested positive for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) virus. BBC News

Standards of care for people who self-harm must be improved, says NICE

Standards of care for people who self-harm must be improved, says NICE

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published a quality standard to improve the quality of care and support for children, young people, and adults who self-harm. NICE

The future of NHS England’s Choose and Book programme

The future of NHS England’s Choose and Book programme


NHS England today clarified the future of its Choose and Book programme, following an article in the Observer newspaper at the weekend.

Beverley Bryant, Director of Strategic Systems and Technology for NHS Englandexplained the contract on Choose and Book – introduced in 2004 as a national electronic appointment booking service that provides patients with a choice of place, date and time for first outpatient appointments – is coming to an end .

“A new NHS e-Referral Service will supersede it later this year,” she said. “This will build on the success of Choose and Book and lessons learnt to provide a more efficient service that better meets the needs of the NHS and our patients.

“When Choose and Book was introduced nearly 10 years ago it was a major step forward in creating a central appointments service with the aim of offering patients a choice of appointment at a time and place to suit them.

“As a result, up to 40,000 patient referrals are made through Choose and Book every day and to date over 40 million bookings have been made through the system. But we know that Choose and Book has worked for some and not for others and a combination of electronic and paper referrals is still being used in some areas.

“With the new NHS eReferrals Service we want to build on the successes of Choose and Book and use the lessons learnt. This isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it is about taking the next step.

“This is part of NHS England’s commitment to making all referrals electronic by 2018.

“What we have been very clear on is the need to understand what referring clinicians and receiving organisations want from the new system. Managing a mixed economy of paper and electronic referrals is onerous for hospitals and the lack of total slot availability makes it difficult for referring GPs to move away from paper.

“We want a system that is quick, easy and beneficial for healthcare professionals to use and ultimately improves patient experience by providing flexibility and choice around the services we offer wherever the patient is.

“When Choose and Book was designed back in 2003 agile, open technologies were not readily available. A major objective of the new NHS E-Referrals system will be to introduce functionality for patients as well as clinicians to facilitate Choice and to make the whole booking experience more user friendly”

The vision for the new NHS e-Referral Service was launched in June 2013. The announcement kicked off an extensive engagement with healthcare professionals and patients.

Feedback from consultations has helped drive the design of the new service and help develop a system that is simpler to use, adopts the latest technology and provides an improved service for users and better experience for patients, with a view to driving up utilisation.

The new NHS e-Referral Service will harness some of the new technologies used by the most successful IT companies in the world and, using the latest Agile development techniques, will deliver a service designed and assured by the users, that patients want and the NHS needs to deliver modern and efficient healthcare.

NHS Commissioning Board

Hospital plans pioneering bid to improve care of the elderly

Hospital plans pioneering bid to improve care of the elderly Kettering General Hospital is to become a pioneer in a new style of care for the 36,000 elderly patients it treats each year. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Hospital can have a ‘strong and positive future’, says new boss

Hospital can have a ‘strong and positive future’, says new boss Kettering General Hospital’s new chief executive has predicted a strong future for the hospital as it serves the area’s rapidly growing population. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Nurse cuts proposal could affect 770 Northamptonshire patients

Nurse cuts proposal could affect 770 Northamptonshire patients More than 770 Northamptonshire patients regularly visited by community nurses could be affected by a proposal to make NHS staff redundant. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Safe nursing levels recommended

Safe nursing levels recommended Hospitals in England should be wary about having nurses care for more than eight patients each on wards during the day, draft NHS guidance suggests. BBC News

See also:

• New NICE guidelines are a step towards improving staffing levels Royal College of Nursing
• Hospitals need thousands of extra nurses 'or patients' safety will be at risk' The Guardian
• Exclusive: Minimum of one nurse to eight patients, hospitals to be told The Independent
• Nursing union welcome new guidelines The Daily Telegraph

UK mental health cost of Afghan war

UK mental health cost of Afghan war There has been a "significant increase" in the number of Afghanistan veterans seeking mental health treatment, charity Combat Stress says. BBC News

Lack of exercise 'highest risk' for women over 30

Lack of exercise 'highest risk' for women over 30 "Heart disease warning: Lack of exercise is worse risk for over-30s women than smoking or obesity," The Independent reports. It is important to stress that this headline is based on a result that is applicable to a population, not to an individual.

The Australian study the headline is reporting on looked at population attributable risk, or PARs. PARs can be used to estimate the proportion of cases of a disease, such as heart disease, that would not occur in a population if the risk factor, such as inactivity, was eliminated.

New medicines, better medicines, better use of medicines

New medicines, better medicines, better use of medicines This report summarises the role pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists have played and continue to play in the development and use of medicines. It highlights the major challenges and opportunities faced when creating new medicines, improving existing medicines or ensuring the better, safer, use of medicines. It contains seven recommendations arising from the challenges, and which identify areas for development, expansion, change and innovation for the future. Royal Pharmaceutical Society

• Report
• Royal Pharmaceutical Society - project page

NHS hit by new tech failure as it scraps patient booking system

NHS hit by new tech failure as it scraps patient booking system Choose and Book outpatient appointments system set to be replaced by a potentially more expensive e-referral scheme.

The NHS is quietly ditching an electronic booking system for outpatient appointments, Choose and Book, which has cost £356m since 2004, in a further sign of the difficulties of introducing efficient IT systems into the health service.

The decision to replace it with a potentially even more expensive e-referral scheme by 2016 follows a drop in its use by doctors and patients. Continue reading... The Guardian

Pensioners to pay double cap for care home fees

Pensioners to pay double cap for care home fees Elderly pensioners face 'shocking' care home costs as most will pay double the Government's cap of £70,000 because many costs are not included, Institute of Actuaries warns. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Few 'will hit social care cost cap' BBC News

Top nurse warns on NHS whistleblowers

Top nurse warns on NHS whistleblowers NHS whistleblowers need more protection, top nurse warns. The Daily Telegraph

Mental-health patients driven hundreds of miles for treatment

Mental-health patients driven hundreds of miles for treatment A crisis in mental health care has been declared by NHS staff in East Anglia, across a region covering the constituencies of two government health ministers. The Independent

Brain injury victims suffer savage cuts in services

Brain injury victims suffer savage cuts in services

Savage cuts in rehabilitation services are resulting in thousands of brain injury victims being denied help and ultimately costing the taxpayer more money, according to a new study by the brain injury charity, Headway. The Independent

'Sack failing health body', MP urges

'Sack failing health body', MP urges

An MP demands an NHS body covering Northamptonshire be "sacked" from commissioning ongoing healthcare after a "series of failures". BBC News - Northamptonshire

Meeting the challenge: successful employee engagement in the NHS

Meeting the challenge: successful employee engagement in the NHS

This report is based on case studies of employee engagement at eight high performing NHS Trusts. It identifies the approach and interventions associated with high levels of engagement, and provides some recommendations for trusts looking to drive up engagement. It concludes that only through effectively engaging with employees will the NHS be able to meet the challenges it faces in coming years. Involvement & Participation Association
Report
Case studies
Involvement & Participation Association - news

New software helps NHS trusts track patient feedback

New software helps NHS trusts track patient feedback

Start-up HealthBerry will enable healthcare professionals to monitor and react to comments on social media and around the web, freeing up time and resources, says its chief executive

Patients are increasingly using social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, NHS Choices,Patient Opinion and Google+, to leave feedback about NHS services, engage directly with healthcare providers and interact with the NHS in real-time.

We wanted to build something that will help NHS professionals and the public make sense of all the different channels by putting everything in one place with one set of controls. Guardian

Continue reading...

80% of people in Britain think the NHS should be protected from funding cuts

80% of people in Britain think the NHS should be protected from funding cuts

Survey respondents believe health service should be exempt from more austerity, amid concerns the NHS lacks resources

Four out of five people in Britain believe the NHS should be protected from government spending cuts, according to a survey which reaffirmed the high level of affection in which the service is held.

Asked which two or three areas of public spending should be exempt from more austerity, respondents identified the NHS and healthcare (79%), schools (51%), care for the elderly (51%), the police (39%) and social services (21%). Guardian

Continue reading...

Exercise is more important than smoking for women over 30

Exercise is more important than smoking for women over 30

Inactivity responsible for more heart disease than smoking in women over 30 years old.  Daily Telegraph  

A&E waiting time targets improve

A&E waiting time targets improve

Hospital accident and emergency department waiting time targets to see patients within four hours improve on the previous year, figures show. BBC News - Health

NICE issues final draft guidance recommending enzalutamide for prostate cancer

NICE issues final draft guidance recommending enzalutamide for prostate cancer

People with hormone-relapsed prostate cancer that has spread to other parts of the body and have been treated with the cytotoxic drug docetaxel, should be given access to enzalutamide through the NHS, NICE has confirmed in final draft guidance. Enzalutamide is also known as Xtandi and manufactured by Astellas Pharma.

• New hope for prostate cancer sufferers after NHS U-turn  Daily Telegraph

Recognising the importance of physical health in mental health and intellectual disability: achieving parity of outcomes

Recognising the importance of physical health in mental health and intellectual disability: achieving parity of outcomes This report finds that a person in England and Wales with intellectual disability will die about 16 years earlier than average, and more than double the number die before the age of 50 and that their experience of NHS healthcare is often poor. It calls for this inequality to be urgently addressed and aims to identify what actions need to be taken to support doctors and the medical profession in changing the status quo in the UK. British Medical Association

The NHS was not a major issue during the 2010 election, so what should we expect in 2015?

The NHS was not a major issue during the 2010 election, so what should we expect in 2015? The government’s record on the NHS will be at the heart of the election debate. The good news for the coalition is that the unprecedented slowdown in NHS funding since 2010 has not yet had a serious, adverse impact on patient care.

Today we publish the health questions from NatCen's British Social Attitudes Survey 2013, which show that public satisfaction with the NHS remains high. The bad news is that a significant amount of capital was expended on the reforms enshrined in the Health and Social Care Act 2012, at a time when the last thing the NHS needed was a destabilising, top-down reorganisation.

Breastfeeding 'cuts childhood asthma risk'

Breastfeeding 'cuts childhood asthma risk '“Breastfeeding DOES cut the risk of asthma, says landmark study of 250,000 babies over 30 years,” the Mail Online reports. A major review has found a link between breastfeeding and reduced childhood asthma rates.

The headlines follow a large review of the link between breastfeeding and the risk of asthma in children from the general population. The researchers included 117 observational studies published between 1983 and 2012, which looked at whether a child had previously had asthma, or had experienced recent asthma or wheezing (in the previous 12 months).

Better Care Fund ‘built on flawed logic’

Better Care Fund ‘built on flawed logic’ Nuffield Trust says Government is right to review Fund. OnMedica

Much of NHS £10bn diabetes spend ‘wasted’

Much of NHS £10bn diabetes spend ‘wasted’ Most waste is on treating complications that good care could have prevented. OnMedica

See also:

• The Cost of Diabetes Report Diabetes UK

GPs to vote on charging patients for appointments

GPs to vote on charging patients for appointments Health campaigners criticise plan to deter patients from failing to turn up to surgeries as 'profiteering from the most vulnerable'

Health campaigners have expressed alarm over plans by GPs to vote on charging patients for appointments.

The proposal is aimed at saving the NHS tens of millions of pounds a year by deterring patients from failing to turn up to appointments. Continue reading... The Guardian

Then what? Special inquiry in discharge from hospitals, care homes and secure mental health units

Then what? Special inquiry in discharge from hospitals, care homes and secure mental health units Tens of thousands of people are potentially being sent home without proper support when they leave hospital or a care home. People can be left isolated in our communities and end up in crisis that could have been prevented.

This problem was escalated to us early on by the Healthwatch network as an area of significant concern.
We understand unsafe discharge can have the biggest impact on homeless people, people with mental health conditions and older people

Because of this, our inquiry will focus on the concerns of people from these three consumer groups being discharged from hospitals, care homes and secure mental health units. Healthwatch England

See also:

•  What happens when the vulnerable leave hospital? Channel 4 News
• Hospitals send dementia patients to homes without food or heating The Daily Telegraph

All newborns to undergo heart tests

All newborns to undergo heart tests Babies will undergo tests to check for heart defects, NHS screening committee rules. The Daily Telegraph

Satisfaction with A&E at lowest level for six years

Satisfaction with A&E at lowest level for six years Dissatisfaction with accident and emergency departments increases as waiting times rise. The Daily Telegraph

2015 Challenge Declaration

2015 Challenge Declaration The NHS is rightly heralded as one of our national treasures. It now faces the most challenging set of circumstances since it began. NHS Confederation

Court warns CCG over disagreeing with NICE guidance

Court warns CCG over disagreeing with NICE guidance Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) cannot choose not to follow NICE guidance because they merely disagree with it, even where there is no statutory duty to do so, a court has ruled. NICE

Carer recruits 'must speak English'

Carer recruits 'must speak English' Agencies must ensure people they recruit as carers can speak English before placing them in vulnerable people's homes, a government adviser says. BBC News

Cuts 'hit mental health patients'

Cuts 'hit mental health patients' A lack of mental health beds in England is forcing patients to travel hundreds of miles to receive treatment in other areas, figures show. BBC News

See also:

• NHS: more cash for better care | Editorial The Guardian
• Mental and physical health ‘must’ be made equal OnMedica
• Mental health patients sent hundreds of miles for care OnMedica

No deadline for care.data roll-out

No deadline for care.data roll-out There is no new date set for the national deployment of the care.data programme, after the government announced a six month delay to the go-live earlier this year. E-Health Insider

Why asthma still kills: the national review of asthma deaths

Why asthma still kills: the national review of asthma deaths This report looked into the circumstances surrounding deaths from asthma from 1st February 2012 to 30th January 2013. The primary aim was to understand the circumstances surrounding asthma deaths in the UK in order to identify avoidable factors and to make recommendations to improve care and reduce the number of deaths. Royal College of Physicians

• Report
• Report summary
• Press release

See also:

• Asthma is still a 'killer,' report warns NHS Choices
• RCGP Response to NRAD report on asthma Royal College of General Practitioners 
• Nurses call for a ‘step change’ in the treatment of asthma Royal College of Nursing
• AUDIO: 'Asthma off national agenda' BBC News

Keys to diversion: best practice for offenders with multiple needs

Keys to diversion: best practice for offenders with multiple needs This report argues that CCGs across England should ensure they offer coherent and effective support for people with mental health problems who are diverted from police stations and courts. It identifies the key elements of successful liaison and diversion services in six services and finds that the most successful teams offer support for a wide range of a person’s needs, they build packages of support from a range of local agencies, and they stay in touch with people after they have been referred to other services. Centre for Mental Health

£3.8bn NHS Better Care Fund policy delayed after damning Whitehall review

£3.8bn NHS Better Care Fund policy delayed after damning Whitehall review Review concluded that claims for policy to bring together health and social care services 'don't stack up'

A government policy intended to stop the NHS from becoming overwhelmed has been delayed after a confidential Whitehall review concluded it would not work as hoped. Neither would it help to balance the NHS budget or bring about an intended revolution in patient care.

The £3.8bn-a-year Better Care Fund was supposed to have been launched last week, but its introduction has become mired in doubt after the Cabinet Office voiced deep disquiet about its viability and argued that there was little or no detail about how the expected savings would be delivered. Continue reading... The Guardian

Female genital mutilation parties being held in UK, MPs told

Female genital mutilation parties being held in UK, MPs told Health professionals tell committee that 'cutters' are flown into Britain for events at which up to a dozen girls may be mutilated.

The cutting of girls at female genital mutilation "parties" is still going on in Britain and not just taking place abroad, healthcare experts have told MPs.

The Commons home affairs select committee has heard that "cutters" often older women are flown into Britain for the events, at which as many as a dozen girls may be operated on. Continue reading... The Guardian

50,000 will have to leave work this year to care for someone with dementia

50,000 will have to leave work this year to care for someone with dementia
The damage done by dementia to families, communities and businesses represents a threat to “the fabric of our society” the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has said, as a new report reveals that, this year alone, 50,000 people will leave work to care for someone close to them. The Independent

See also:

• 'Dementia-friendly' workplaces call BBC News
• Burden of dementia on working life revealed The Daily Telegraph

Family upset with 'dreadful' care

Family upset with 'dreadful' care

A woman criticises the care given to a 97-year-old from Northamptonshire woman at a home. BBC News - Northampton

Hospital 'failed' two patients

Hospital 'failed' two patients

An investigation into complaints involving a Flintshire hospital finds "significant failings" in the care of two patients. BBC News

Measuring what really matters

Measuring what really matters

"The paper describes the principles of person-centred care and the activities that a person-centred system should undertake in different contexts."
Measuring what really matters
A Collins The Health Foundation April 2014Read more here.

The impact of clinical research in the NHS - discussion roundup

The impact of clinical research in the NHS - discussion roundup


The key points from our discussion on how to maximise the impact of clinical research in the NHS

Richard Stephens, chair, Consumer Liaison Group: There are many people being innovative in the NHS, it's just not often joined-up or publicised. Research is bringing innovation in terms of clinical practice as often, simply running studies produces changes in practice. The issue is adopting successful innovation as standard practice that's the challenge. Guardian
Continue reading...

Diabetic patients occupy one in seven hospital beds

Diabetic patients occupy one in seven hospital beds

Diabetes costs the NHS £10 billion a year - with one in seven hospital beds occupied by someone with the condition. Daily Telegraph

Warning over tragic failings behind hundreds of deaths

Warning over tragic failings behind hundreds of deaths

Two in three asthma deaths in the UK could have been prevented with the right care, damning review finds. Daily Telegraph

UK child death rate: a scandal with a clear link to poverty

UK child death rate: a scandal with a clear link to poverty


Nearly five in every thousand babies born in Britain will not live to their fifth birthday, and experts say inequality is to blame

The death of a child is always a tragedy. The avoidable deaths of thousands of children under five years old every year in the UK is a scandal, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) and the National Children's Bureau, who say that inequalities in our society which leave many families in poverty and deprivation are to blame.

Their views, expressed in a report this week, Why Children Die, put flesh on stark new statistics published on Friday from the most authoritative number-crunchers on health in the world, the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle, part of Washington University. In their paper,published in the Lancet, they show that children under five in the UK are more likely to die than in any other western European country except Malta. Nearly five babies of every 1,000 born in the UK will not live to their fifth birthday. Guardian

Continue reading...

New fast-track programme will train top graduates to work as mental health social workers

New fast-track programme will train top graduates to work as mental health social workers

The brightest graduates are to be encouraged to train to be mental health social workers amid warnings that councils are unable to cope in the under-resourced sector. The Independent

Mobile app puts 'doctor in your pocket'

Mobile app puts 'doctor in your pocket'

A mobile app lets users see their GP through video consultations and order prescriptions on their smartphone or tablet. EHI News

Health apps - are they all good news?

Health apps - are they all good news?

Can health apps be trusted and are they useful? BBC News

New care workers to need certificate

New care workers to need certificate

New care workers in England will have to complete a training certificate within 12 weeks of starting a job, the BBC understands. BBC News

Together we can get care.data absolutely right – Tim Kelsey

Together we can get care.data absolutely right – Tim Kelsey

Tim Kelsey, NHS England’s National Director for Patients and Information, explains the important next steps in the programme:

I thought it would be helpful to update you on the latest developments around the care.data programme.

In February, we announced a six month extension to the start of care.data so we could ensure stronger safeguards around the uses of the data, clarity about the rights people have to opt out, and that appropriate, accessible information was available for professionals and the public.

Since then we have been listening to the views of patients, the public, GPs and stakeholders on how best to build trust and confidence in this project.

Northampton General Hospital investing in the future of radiology

Northampton General Hospital investing in the future of radiology

Staff at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) are involved in a new development that will transform the way radiology images and reports are used, helping to improve patient care. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

St Andrew’s Hospital patient caught after running out of breath following attack on staff

St Andrew’s Hospital patient caught after running out of breath following attack on staff

A patient at St Andrew’s Hospital in Northampton has been fined £100 after assaulting a nurse and a therapist. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Kettering Hospital gets award recognition for patient flow

Kettering Hospital gets award recognition for patient flow

Kettering Hospital has received a national award for the way its Ambulatory Care Unit has contributed to improved performance in accident and emergency. Evening Telegraph

Mass tests to track risk of dementia

Mass tests to track risk of dementia

A third of a million UK adults are to be asked to complete online reasoning and memory tests as part of a project to try to track dementia causes. BBC News

UK cancer survival rates ‘a national shame’ says Macmillan Cancer Support

UK cancer survival rates ‘a national shame’ says Macmillan Cancer Support

Britain’s leading cancer support charity has said that survival rates and care of cancer patients in the UK should be a “national shame”. The Independent

NHS funding increase needed as financial crisis looms

NHS funding increase needed as financial crisis looms

A significant increase in funding is needed to prevent a financial crisis in the NHS, according to a new report from The King's Fund.

The report finds that there are still significant opportunities to improve efficiency within the health service, for example by improving procurement and changing clinical practice. However, with more than a quarter of trusts already in deficit, the report warns that a financial crisis is now inevitable by 2015/16 and could arrive sooner than this, with damaging consequences for patient care.

The report highlights the progress made in improving efficiency in the face of the unprecedented slowdown in NHS funding since 2010. But it warns that the main ways of reducing costs - holding down salaries, reducing the prices paid to hospitals and cutting management costs - have now almost been exhausted.

Just 8% of NHS trust non-exec board members are healthcare professionals, study finds

Just 8% of NHS trust non-exec board members are healthcare professionals, study finds

Half of NHS hospitals do not have a single doctor or nurse on their non-executive board, a new study has revealed, in findings that have revived fears over the “commercialisation” of the culture of the NHS. The Independent

Vitamin D deficiency link to prostate cancer

Vitamin D deficiency link to prostate cancer

A study by Northwestern University in the US took biopsy samples from 600 men in Chicago and found that any which lacked vitamin D were strongly associated with prostate cancer.  Daily Mail

Could measuring cortisol levels become a biological test for risk of depression in adolescent males?

Could measuring cortisol levels become a biological test for risk of depression in adolescent males?

Is it possible to work out which of two adolescents sitting before you complaining of unhappiness, which one will go home and sleep it off and which will go on to develop an episode of major depression? Has the biological revolution in psychiatry finally come to fruition with a useful biomarker for making treatment decisions? [read the full story...]  The Mental Elf

Dementia prevalence calculator

Dementia prevalence calculator

This tool aims to provide locally relevant information about dementia care to facilitate the local planning of services specifically around the diagnosis of people with dementia. NHS England 
Calculator

EC consults on mobile health

EC consults on mobile health

Healthcare systems in Europe will have to open up to receiving data from patients, collected via mobile apps, the European Commission has said.  EHI News

NICE to support the NHS in gaining free trial access to medical research

NICE to support the NHS in gaining free trial access to medical research

NICE to support the NHS in gaining free trial access to medical research

Second Business plan launched

Second Business plan launched

Jo Lenaghan, Director of Strategy and Planning is pleased to announce the launch of our second Business Plan

“This plan sets out how we will deliver our commitments which includes the mandate published today.

Whilst our plan for 2013/14 reflected our status as a newly formed body in transition, our Business Plan for 2014/15 reflects our growing ambition and the challenges we face as a key part of the wider NHS system.

In particular reflecting on the way we see the workforce developing into more primary and community based services.

Read the full document here

Health Education England

• Focus on community services ‘positive first step’  RCN

Local health professionals to get more power to improve NHS primary care

Local health professionals to get more power to improve NHS primary care

Stevens announces new option for local Clinical Commissioning Groups to co-commission primary care in partnership with NHS England.

England’s 211 clinically-led local Clinical Commissioning Groups will get new powers to improve local health services under a new commissioning initiative announced today by NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens.

Speaking to GPs and other NHS health professionals at the Annual Conference of NHS Clinical Commissioners in London, Simon Stevens said:

“England has now taken the bold step – unique in the western world – of putting two thirds of its health service funding under the control of local family doctors and clinicians.

“If we want to better integrate care outside hospitals, and properly resource primary, community and mental health services – at a time when overall funding is inevitably constrained – we need to make it easier for patients, local communities and local clinicians to exercise more clout over how services are developed.

“That means giving local CCGs greater influence over the way NHS funding is being invested for their local populations. As well as new models for primary care, we will be taking a hard look at how CCGs can have more impact on NHS England’s specialised commissioning activities.

“So today I am inviting those CCGs that are interested in an expanded role in primary care to come forward and show how new powers would enable them to drive up the quality of care, cut health inequalities in primary care, and help put their local NHS on a sustainable path for the next five years and beyond.

“CCGs are still young organisations at different stages of development, and with different local needs. So rather than specifying a one-size-fits all solution, and having listened carefully to what CCGs have been saying, I’m keen to hear from CCGs themselves about what next steps they would like to explore.”

Mr Stevens announced that NHS England will be writing next week to all CCGs in England with details of how to submit expressions of interest in taking on enhanced powers and responsibilities to co-commission primary care.

Applications will need to describe the additional powers and responsibilities the CCG would like to assume. They will need to meet a number of tests, including showing they will help advance care integration, raise standards and cut health inequalities in primary care.

They will also need to show how they will ensure transparent and fair governance -with a continuing oversight role for NHS England to safeguard against conflicts of interest – all in the context of the CCG’s five-year plan for its local NHS services.

NHS England will work with the NHS Commissioning Assembly, NHS Clinical Commissioners and other stakeholders to advance this agenda.

CCG expressions of interest should be developed by June 20, the same date that CCGs will complete their initial five-year ‘Forward Views’ for local NHS services.

Each proposal will be discussed by the applicant CCG and the local Area Team of NHS England, which will subsequently make a recommendation for approval by the Board of NHS England.  NHS Commissioning Board