Stafford trust fined over patient deaths

Stafford trust fined over patient deaths The NHS trust that ran Stafford Hospital is fined £500,000 for "basic" blunders linked to the deaths of four patients, a court hears. BBC News

See also:

• Mid Staffs scandal: NHS trust fined £500,000 for 'basic' blunders The Guardian

GPs could face 'collapse' as social care cuts drive up workload

GPs could face 'collapse' as social care cuts drive up workload General practice could face a 'sudden and cataclysmic collapse' as cuts to social care funding increase pressure on primary care, according to one of London's top GPs. GP Online

Hospitals to receive £1.8bn bailout to tackle soaring deficits

Hospitals to receive £1.8bn bailout to tackle soaring deficits New money makes up just under half the £3.8bn NHS funding increase pledged by the Government for next year. The Independent

See also:

• News story: Hospitals get £1.8 billion for sustainability and transformation Department of Health

Families doubt plans to close NHS long-stay units will improve care

Families doubt plans to close NHS long-stay units will improve care People with learning disabilities need to be able to challenge inpatient admissions and discrimination, say campaigners.

It is a year since Claire Dyer’s family successfully campaigned for her release from a medium secure hospital unit in Brighton, a 500 mile, 10-hour round trip from her Swansea home. After a 96,000-signature petition, the local health board reversed its decision and the autistic 21-year-old was granted bespoke, home-based support.

Commissioners need to meet people and their families and the result will be better understanding of people's needs. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• ‘We must stop learning disabled people being dumped in waste bins of life’ The Guardian

What chance do care leavers stand, with support services being shredded?| Lola Okolosie

What chance do care leavers stand, with support services being shredded?| Lola Okolosie The cuts to mental health services for children leaving care is immoral and economically short sighted. This week’s parliamentary inquiry must realise this.

Imagine this: as a baby your cries were regularly ignored and you entered the world addicted to drugs. Or this: as a toddler you spent lots of time crouched in a corner avoiding the blows directed at your mother.

Imagine that you were hardly ever washed, and your home was filthy. You never knew when you would be fed and your primary carer was your older sister, herself only seven. That was your day-to-day reality until you were taken into care.

It's simple: investing in mental health services for children in care will save society money further down the line Continue reading... The Guardian

Only a Royal Commission will get us talking sensibly about the NHS

Only a Royal Commission will get us talking sensibly about the NHS The public view is shifting, but politicians are afraid to think big on financing the health service. The Daily Telegraph

Thousands of pensioners in Northants risking health by shunning flu jab

Thousands of pensioners in Northants risking health by shunning flu jab New figures have revealed that over 45,000 pensioners in Northamptonshire have still not had the flu jab.

Latest figures for the NHS Nene Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area show that just 57 per cent of patients over 65 and 32 per cent of the eligible people under 65 have had the flu vaccine.

The uptake is also low among pregnant women with just 31 per cent protecting themselves and their babies against the potentially devastating effects of flu.

As a result, health leaders at NHS Nene CCG are now reminding all those 'at risk' to get the flu vaccine. Northampton Herald and Post

Sustainability and financial performance of acute hospital trusts

Sustainability and financial performance of acute hospital trusts The financial performance of acute hospital trusts has significantly declined in the last year and their financial position looks set to worsen in 2015-16.

The deterioration in the financial position of NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts has been severe and worse than expected, with their £843 million deficit in 2014-15 representing a sharp decline from the £91 million deficit reported in 2013-14.

Overall, the financial position of NHS bodies worsened in 2014-15, as NHS commissioners, NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts together moved from a surplus of £722 million in 2013-14, to a deficit of £471 million, according to the National Audit Office

See also:

• Sustainability and financial performance of acute hospital trusts (report) National Audit Office
• Financial problems 'endemic' in NHS BBC News
• NHS trusts expect to overspend by £2.2bn, warns official report The Guardian

Finance from the front

Finance from the front The NHS Confederation surveyed doctors, nurses and allied health professionals on the front line to find out what they knew about prices and costs in the NHS.

New guidelines to improve care for people at the end of life

New guidelines to improve care for people at the end of life The first guidelines for the NHS on improving care for people who are in their last days of life have been launched by NICE

See also:

• Care of dying adults in the last days of life (guideline NG31) NICE
• Dying guidelines 'overhauled' BBC News
• VIDEO: NICE: Dying patients not a 'tick box' BBC News
• 'Arrogance' of doctors STILL using banned Liverpool Care Pathway The Daily Mail
• Doctors should not make snap decisions on end-of-life care, says health watchdog The Guardian
• Dying patients should be offered water in their final hours, say new guidelines The Independent

Dementia in the family: the impact on carers

Dementia in the family: the impact on carers This report highlights the the realities of daily life for carers who are looking after their loved ones and reveal how dementia changes family relationships, leaving people feeling socially isolated, and affects both the health and finances of family carers. The findings underline the importance of research to provide new treatments capable of reducing care needs for people with the condition. Alzheimer's Research UK

Learning Disability Census 2015: almost half of inpatients with learning disabilities common to each census since 2013

Learning Disability Census 2015: almost half of inpatients with learning disabilities common to each census since 2013 Almost half of inpatients (1,450 or 48 per cent) with learning disabilities in specialist inpatient units on 30 September 2015 were also receiving inpatient care at the time of previous census collections dating back to 2013. This finding comes from the third annual Learning Disability Census, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

Exclusive: Rationing of services and treatments on rise, GPs warn

Exclusive: Rationing of services and treatments on rise, GPs warn Six in 10 GPs say that rationing of NHS treatments and services has worsened in their area over the past year, with up to half denied direct access to key cancer diagnostic tests, a GP Online poll suggests.

First CCG is placed in special measures

First CCG is placed in special measures NHS England has confirmed that it has placed NHS Shropshire CCG into the “special measures regime”, for the first time for any CCG. OnMedica

NHS devolution: London councils to be given extensive new healthcare powers

NHS devolution: London councils to be given extensive new healthcare powers Jeremy Hunt says five London pilots will be 'trailblazers' for Government's ambition to 'integrate' NHS services. The Independent

See also:

• News story: London deal paves way to transform health care across the capital Department of Health
• Policy paper: London health devolution agreement Department of Health

Cancer drug Nivolumab will not be available in England and Wales

Cancer drug Nivolumab will not be available in England and Wales The drug nivolumab, which is twice as effective as chemotherapy and carriers far fewer side effects has been greeted with wonder but officials warn it is too expensive for the NHS. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NICE rejects breast cancer drug Kadcyla BBC News

Call to review baby death rates at more than 20 NHS trusts and boards

Call to review baby death rates at more than 20 NHS trusts and boards Inquiry urges those with higher than average stillbirth and newborn death rates to examine their maternity care to see if mistakes were made

More than 20 NHS trusts and health boards in the UK should investigate why they have a higher stillbirth and newborn baby death rate than their peers, an inquiry has recommended.

The trusts and boards should review their maternity care to find out whether mistakes were made or if there were other reasons for a death rate that was more than 10% higher than average, said a national team of experts from MBRRACE-UK (Mothers and Babies: Reducing Risk Through Audits and Confidential Enquiries Across the UK), led by the University of Leicester. Continue reading... The Guardian

For us student nurses, bursaries are a lifeline. We will fight against their cuts | Danielle Tiplady and Charlotte Humm

For us student nurses, bursaries are a lifeline. We will fight against their cuts | Danielle Tiplady and Charlotte Humm How does the government expect to recruit more nurses if they must take out loans to pay fees? And with wards full to bursting, how would they be trained?

Proposed changes to NHS student funding will mean students could be burdened with up to £65,000 of debt. Under the present system, a bursary allows those without financial means to go on to study and thrive as nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. Education should be free for all, with grants to cover the cost of living. The proposed removal of NHS student grants in healthcare marks the death of state support for further education students.

Many already struggle to make ends meet, with the rising cost of living and a challenging, intensive course. If you try to have a part-time job – alongside at least 37.5 hours per week in placement or university, plus extra learning hours on assignments, exams or observed practicals – there are simply not enough hours in the day.

The present state of the NHS for newly qualified nurses is abysmal Continue reading... The Guardian

University of Northampton and Northampton General Hospital join forces to improve health

University of Northampton and Northampton General Hospital join forces to improve health Closer links between the University of Northampton and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust will pave the way for academic research to be put into practice and open up new opportunities for research projects to improve health and wellbeing. Northampton Herald and Post

See also:

• Research agreement announced between hospital and university Northampton General Hospital

Behavioural insights in health care: Nudging to reduce inefficiency and waste

Behavioural insights in health care: Nudging to reduce inefficiency and waste Health care spending is rising and the NHS faces a funding gap of up to £30bn in the period to 2020. Therefore, making health care more sustainable by reducing inefficiency and waste is critical. Individual behaviour lies at the heart of this issue. Health care consumers’ behaviours are major determinants of their health, while health care providers’ behaviours are major determinants of whether the best and most appropriate care is delivered. However, the behaviours of both can be inconsistent with their intentions, leading to outcomes that could be improved.

It has been suggested that nudges – approaches that steer people in certain directions while maintaining their freedom of choice – might offer an effective way to change behaviour and improve outcomes at lower cost than traditional policy tools. The Health Foundation

Medics sentenced for boy's death

Medics sentenced for boy's death A doctor and nurse who "seriously neglected" a six-year-old boy who died in hospital are given suspended sentences for his manslaughter. BBC News

NHS integration: Can accountable care organisations deliver a truly GP-led NHS?

NHS integration: Can accountable care organisations deliver a truly GP-led NHS? East London GP and healthcare professor Dr Martin Marshall says GPs should not reject out of hand the latest fad among policy wonks: accountable care organisations. Set up correctly, he argues, they might be able to deliver on promises of a GP-led health service. GP Onlinr

Shortfall in health visitors and school nurses threatens babies’ life chances

Shortfall in health visitors and school nurses threatens babies’ life chances A possible decline in health visitor numbers and a massive shortfall in school nurses could jeopardise the life chances of the estimated 200,000 babies living in ‘complex’ family situations, Unite, the country’s largest union, has warned. OnMedica

See also:

• Health visitors’ jobs fear as report highlights threat to babies’ life chances Unite

Reckitt Benckiser: Nurofen manufacturer under investigation by UK watchdog for selling 'misleading' painkillers

Reckitt Benckiser: Nurofen manufacturer under investigation by UK watchdog for selling 'misleading' painkillers Exclusive: Versions supposedly targeting different parts of the body were in fact identical. The Independent

See also:

• How to pick the best painkiller BBC News
• Nurofen tablets taken off shelves in Australia still sold in the UK The Daily Mail
• Painkiller rip-off: Pills for migraine, period pain, backache 'are identical' The Independent

Nurses jailed for falsifying stroke patients' records

Nurses jailed for falsifying stroke patients' records Rebecca Jones and Lauro Bertulano jailed for ‘playing with people’s lives’ by making up blood test results at Princess of Wales hospital, Bridgend

Two nurses have been jailed for “playing with people’s lives” by falsifying vulnerable stroke patients’ vital medical tests.

Jailing Rebecca Jones, 31, and Lauro Bertulano, 46, the judge Tom Crowther QC said the pair had betrayed patients and their families. “This was not a failure to do your job, but a failure of compassion and humanity,” he said. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Nurses jailed over faked results BBC News

My time as a junior doctor was hell, but it led me to the most rewarding job

My time as a junior doctor was hell, but it led me to the most rewarding job I was controlled, belittled and threatened. Now I’m a consultant my abuser has less power over me

During their training, junior doctors become familiar with the retrospectoscope. This valuable instrument allows the medical practitioner to look back on and reconsider the diagnoses they missed or the medical errors they made. With the retrospectoscope, the lung tumour is blindingly obvious on the chest x-ray.

I have spent the last few months watching the battle between the junior doctors and the government play on while considering whether I support their defiance. I have put my retrospectoscope to good use, to revisit my 18 years of training and shed light on their plight. Continue reading... The Guardian

Building the House of Care

Building the House of Care This paper explores how the House of Care, a coordinated approach to personalised care and support planning, can transform the health and care of people with long-term conditions (LTCs). It contains case studies of evolving practice in Leeds and Somerset and seeks to understand how two whole health economies - individuals, communities, health and social care services and others - are working to manage the rise in the number of people with multiple LTCs and enhance their care experiences. The paper is intended for CCGs, public health teams, other front-line providers and national bodies. The Health Foundation

See also:

• Person-centred care around the world The Health Foundation

Policy paper: Deprivation of liberty standards (DoLS): consultation response

Policy paper: Deprivation of liberty standards (DoLS): consultation response The Department of Health has published its response to the Law Commission’s consultation on how the law should regulate deprivations of liberty (DoLS) for people who lack capacity to consent to their care and treatment arrangements.

The consultation proposes that DoLS should be replaced by a new system called ‘protective care’. It also proposes that there should be a new code of practice.

The Law Commission will publish its final recommendations by the end of 2016.

New guidance on managing sharps injuries released

New guidance on managing sharps injuries released Read HSWPGs new guidance on managing sharps injuries, written in partnership with staff side and employers. NHS Employers

NHS partners Tinder on transplants

NHS partners Tinder on transplants The UK's health service is working with Tinder to persuade more young people to donate organs after death. BBC News

Rise in newborns 'taken into care'

Rise in newborns 'taken into care' There has been a "huge increase" in the number of newborn babies who are subject to care proceedings in England, newly-compiled figures show. BBC News

Future for adult social care 'bleak'

Future for adult social care 'bleak' The future for adult social care services in England "looks bleak", the International Longevity Centre warns, despite government attempts to protect budgets. BBC News

See also:

• The End of Formal Adult Social Care? International Longevity Centre UK

GPs slash prescribing of 'last line' antibiotics as use in hospitals soars

GPs slash prescribing of 'last line' antibiotics as use in hospitals soars GPs' efforts to preserve 'last line' antibiotics have seen prescriptions in general practice drop by 8.5% over the past five years, Public Health England (PHE) figures show. GP Online

Patients 'waiting three years for gender identity clinic consultations'

Patients 'waiting three years for gender identity clinic consultations' Portrayal of transgender people in mainstream media triggered a surge in demand, experts say. The Independent

Hospitals run out of beds as NHS strained by norovirus

Hospitals run out of beds as NHS strained by norovirus Health service figures show several casualty units were shut around the country and no spaces free even before onset of full winter conditions.

Hospitals have run out of beds, had to temporarily close their A&E unit and been battling outbreaks of norovirus this month, even though winter has not yet brought its usual major problems for the NHS, such as flu and bad weather.

Official figures released on Friday by NHS England, for hospital performance in the first week of December, show many are already struggling to cope with the extra pressures, even before the heaviest strain of norovirus, which usually arrives in January. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• The NHS in winter - an alphabet soup of stats BBC News
• NHS winter crisis underway as figures show hospital trusts running out of beds The Independent

Stafford Hospital investigation calls for new inquest into death of three-year-old boy

Stafford Hospital investigation calls for new inquest into death of three-year-old boy Independent report into death of Jonnie Meek attacks NHS's 'closed culture' after claims hospital tried to cover up failings by forging staff statements. The Daily Telegraph

Apology after woman left waiting for ambulance two hours following street fall in Kettering

Apology after woman left waiting for ambulance two hours following street fall in Kettering East Midlands Ambulance Service has apologised after a woman had to wait two hours for an ambulance after suffering a nasty fall in Kettering. Northamptonshire Telegraph

A practical guide to self-management support

A practical guide to self-management support This new practical guide provides useful ideas for what practitioners and commissioners should consider when starting to support patients to self-manage their care. The Health Foundation

Guidance: Sexual and reproductive health and HIV: strategic action plan

Guidance: Sexual and reproductive health and HIV: strategic action plan This strategic action plan sets out Public Health England’s approach to improving the public’s sexual and reproductive health and reversing the HIV epidemic. It identifies the key areas for PHE action, and describes how PHE can work with partners at a national and regional level to improve health and reduce inequalities.

The strategic action plan focusses on four key areas for action, to reduce:

• incidence of HIV
• rates of sexually transmitted infections
• unplanned pregnancies
• rates of under 16 and under 18 conceptions

Independent report: Chief Medical Officer annual report 2014: women’s health

Independent report: Chief Medical Officer annual report 2014: women’s health The report examines women’s health in England and makes a range of recommendations to improve it. It identifies several missed opportunities for intervention in women’s health, and brings attention to ‘embarrassment’ as a needless barrier to health.

The main themes include:

• obesity and its impact on women’s health, including reproductive health
• women’s health in later life (menopause)
• women’s health in later life (pelvic floor dysfunction and incontinence)

The report has been developed with the help of expert academic and clinician input and recommends that obesity be included in the government’s national risk planning.

Professor Dame Sally Davies’s report is independent of government and is aimed at government, regulators, policy makers and healthcare professionals. Each recommendation is targeted at specific organisations. Department of Health

See also:

• Obesity 'women's biggest health threat' BBC News

Conversations, communication and co-design: engaging local people in information sharing to support health and social care integration

Conversations, communication and co-design: engaging local people in information sharing to support health and social care integration This report compares the approach from Leeds, North West London, Southend and Warrington with regards to engaging local people in information sharing to support health and social care integration. It considers how local people become engaged, how were partners and local people involved in the design of communications, how to raise awareness and manage expectations and also conclusions and recommendations for the future. Centre of Excellence for Information Sharing

NHS failure to probe deaths 'shocking'

NHS failure to probe deaths 'shocking' The government is "profoundly shocked" by the findings of a report which said the NHS failed to investigate the unexpected deaths of more than 1,000 people, Jeremy Hunt says. BBC News

MailOnline readers share pictures of the WORST hospital food served in the UK

MailOnline readers share pictures of the WORST hospital food served in the UK From cold potatoes to meals so tiny that they wouldn't feed a child being offered to heavily pregnant women, people from all over the country have shared pictures of the horrendous meals. The Daily Mail

Creating an effective healthcare workforce in six steps

Creating an effective healthcare workforce in six steps Six Steps Methodology aims to support organisations looking to better meet the needs of their local population

Skills for Health has released a free guide detailing its proven Six Steps Methodology for workforce planning, to help ensure health organisations have the right number of staff with the right skills to deliver cost effective, high quality patient care.

The guide aims to support organisations looking to make improvements as outlined in the NHS Five Year Forward View to better meet the needs of their local population, by providing practical information about sustainable and evidence based workforce planning. Continue reading... The Guardian

Record numbers of 'fit' patients stuck in hospital spark fears for NHS winter crisis

Record numbers of 'fit' patients stuck in hospital spark fears for NHS winter crisis Cuts to local social care blamed for lack of patient support as NHS England figures show targets for cancer treatment and ambulance response times missed

Record numbers of patients are getting stuck in hospital in England despite being fit to leave, raising new fears that the NHS will struggle to cope with this year’s winter pressures and could run out of beds.

In all, 160,094 bed days were taken up in hospitals in England during October by patients who were unable to be discharged safely, mainly because local social care was unavailable to support them. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• VIDEO: Why hospitals are under so much pressure BBC News
• VIDEO: 'More beds needed to ease pressure on hospitals' BBC News
• NHS winter crisis deepens: A&E targets missed as 'frail and elderly' are blamed for bedblocking levels reaching record highs The Daily Mail
• NHS faces a double crisis this winter as financial day of reckoning nears The Guardian
• NHS bed-blocking reaches highest ever level as key targets missed The Independent

Patients at risk because of shortage of inspectors, MPs warn

Patients at risk because of shortage of inspectors, MPs warn The Public Accounts Committee raises concerns that the Care Quality Commission has just two thirds of the inspectors it needs. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Health regulator not effective, say MPs BBC News
• CQC 'not yet an effective regulator', MPs warn GP Online
• Care Quality Commission 'displays alarming lack of attention to detail' The Independent

Anti-vaccination school hit by chickenpox epidemic

Anti-vaccination school hit by chickenpox epidemic At least 25 per cent of pupils have been hit by the illness in the past fortnight. The Daily Telegraph

NHS will struggle to cope this winter, new analysis finds

NHS will struggle to cope this winter, new analysis finds Just 3.6 per cent of patients took up over a third of all bed capacity in acute hospitals in England last year, new analysis by the Nuffield Trust of pressures on the NHS last winter has found.

See also:

• The A&E winter crisis: lessons from last year Nuffield Trust
• Warning of NHS winter beds 'struggle' BBC News
• Winter pressures: A detailed look at how the NHS coping BBC News
• Winter in the NHS: The lost beds problem BBC News

Guidance: Health matters: antimicrobial resistance

Guidance: Health matters: antimicrobial resistance This document provides information on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), sets out effective methods to avoid unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics and provides advice for healthcare professionals.

Download the infographics, references and a shorter version of this publication. Public Health England

Policy paper: NHS bursary reform

Policy paper: NHS bursary reform From 1 August 2017, new nursing, midwifery and allied health students will no longer receive NHS bursaries. Instead, they will have access to the same student loans system as other students. This guidance explains the reforms. Department of Health

NHS 'failed to investigate deaths'

NHS 'failed to investigate deaths' The NHS has failed to investigate the unexpected deaths of more than 1,000 people since 2011, according to a report obtained by BBC News.

See also:

• NHS trust investigated ‘too few’ deaths of mental health and learning disability patients Community Care
• NHS mental health trust 'is slammed by an official report for failing to investigate more than 1,000 patient deaths' The Daily Mail
• NHS 'failed to investigate 1000 deaths' The Daily Telegraph
• NHS trust 'failed to properly investigate deaths of more than 1,000 patients' The Guardian
• NHS trust 'failed to investigate 1,000 unexpected deaths', report finds The Independent

Half of GPs willing to resign NHS contracts

Half of GPs willing to resign NHS contracts Almost half of GPs support mass resignation from the NHS in protest at the current state of general practice, a Pulse survey has revealed.

The survey of 922 GPs found that 49% are willing to resign their NHS contracts to highlight issues such as chronic underfunding, relentless bureaucracy and the ‘misrepresentation’ of doctors.

However, 35% of respondents said they were against the measure, saying that mass resignation could enable the Government to divide the profession and privatise the NHS.

See also:

• Half of GPs are prepared to join mass resignation over the state of the NHS The Daily Mail

Revalidation on track to cover almost all doctors

Revalidation on track to cover almost all doctors Programme’s high uptake linked to improved rates of appraisal and high patient involvement. OnMedica

One in four new doctors 'have signs of depression', study shows - and their patients may be suffering because of it

One in four new doctors 'have signs of depression', study shows - and their patients may be suffering because of it Researchers say the gruelling years of training for a medical career may be partly to blame. The Independent

See also:

• Prevalence of Depression and Depressive Symptoms Among Resident PhysiciansA Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (abstract) JAMA

NHS bosses claim revelations don't justify cost of FOI investigations

NHS bosses claim revelations don't justify cost of FOI investigations The Health Service swallows more than £2 billion of taxpayers’ money every week and is one of the biggest employers in the world, with 1.3 million staff. But the bureaucrats in charge of NHS England claim answering Freedom of Information requests is putting too great a burden on them. The Daily Mail

The NHS is failing people with mental health and substance use problems

The NHS is failing people with mental health and substance use problems After 15 years of initiatives, staff still lack compassion and many of the national programmes have disappeared.

People who have mental health along with substance use problems (known as dual diagnosis) have multiple needs, and yet struggle to find services to help them.

Those with complex needs have often experienced a great deal of adversity in their lives, including childhood abuse and deprivation, loss of close family, and poverty. As an adult, having multiple needs brings consequences such as homelessness, unemployment and exploitation, and there is a high risk of poor physical health, suicide, self-harm and of perpetrating violence. Those with dual diagnosis are also unpopular, partly because of society’s entrenched attitudes to substance use problems, which are perceived as a lifestyle choice rather than a health condition deserving of care and treatment. Continue reading... The Guardian

Britain should lead way on genetically engineered babies, says Chief Scientific Adviser

Britain should lead way on genetically engineered babies, says Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Mark Walport, who advises the government on scientific matters, said it could be acceptable to genetically edit human embryos. The Daily Telegraph

Two care homes to close and 343 jobs at risk in Northamptonshire County Council cuts

Two care homes to close and 343 jobs at risk in Northamptonshire County Council cuts A total of 343 jobs could be lost at Northamptonshire County Council after the authority announced proposals to cut £77 million from its budget next year. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Plans by Northamptonshire County Council to cut £77 million off budget are ‘unrealistic’, claims opposition Northampton Chronicle and Echo

New trust could take over Northamptonshire County Council’s children’s services by September 2016

New trust could take over Northamptonshire County Council’s children’s services by September 2016 Children’s services at Northamptonshire County Council could be outsourced to a new not-for-profit organisation within a year as part of multi-million pound cost saving plans announced today. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Burton Latimer GP practice requires improvement, say inspectors

Burton Latimer GP practice requires improvement, say inspectors A doctors surgery in Burton Latimer has been told it must improve after an out-of-date medicine was found in its medicine cupboard. Northamptonshire Telegraph

NHS vanguards: redesigning the aeroplane in flight

NHS vanguards: redesigning the aeroplane in flight Last month, the 50 vanguard sites in the New Care Models programme met for a series of events in London to take stock of progress. The majority of the sites – those announced in March 2015 – have now been running for 200 days.

As at previous meetings, the enthusiasm was palpable – this is a group of people who believe their projects can make a difference – but so was the weight of expectation. The intention is for the vanguards to make a major contribution to addressing the NHS’s financial challenges – both through improvements in their local systems and blueprints that can be adopted across the rest of the NHS.

As others have argued, the vanguards face the challenge of ‘redesigning the aeroplane in flight’ – making significant changes to the configuration of local health and care systems, all the while sustaining existing services in a difficult environment, with limited spare cash and growing service pressures. The King's Fund

Research and analysis: Allied health professionals: interventions that improve public health

Research and analysis: Allied health professionals: interventions that improve public health Public Health England commissioned a team of academics led by Sheffield Hallam University to undertake an initial review to:

• identify examples where there is good evidence of impact on public health by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs)and therefore an opportunity to broaden practice
• identify areas which require more focus to demonstrate impact by AHPs on public health

This report describes the key findings of this work.

Cancer cash crisis

Cancer cash crisis This report finds that NHS in England spends more than £500 million a year on emergency care for people diagnosed with the four most common cancers alone. Of this, more than £130m is spent treating people more than six months after their diagnosis, when initial treatment has usually finished. The report warns that a lack of post-diagnosis support for people living with cancer is putting increased pressure on overstretched A&E departments as the health service faces another winter of high demand. Macmillan Cancer Support

The socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of United Kingdom junior doctors in training across specialities

The socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of United Kingdom junior doctors in training across specialities This study finds that junior doctors who opt to become surgeons in the NHS are more likely to be male, white and from a better-off background. It also found that in general, junior doctors from better-off socioeconomic backgrounds are less likely to go into general practice than other specialties. The research also confirmed a persistent gender gap - more surgeons are male and more GPs are female. Centre for Health Economics

Girls are twice as likely as boys to experience cyber-bullying

Girls are twice as likely as boys to experience cyber-bullying  Findings reported in new survey of 120,000 15-year olds, alongside information about body image, wellbeing and diet. Health and Social Care Information Centre

Flavouring found in e-cigarettes linked to 'popcorn lung'

Flavouring found in e-cigarettes linked to 'popcorn lung' "Smokers who use e-cigs 'are risking harm to their lungs'," the Daily Mail reports after US researchers discovered some brands contained diacetyl, a buttery flavouring linked to lung disease in people who worked in microwave popcorn factories.

Two other chemicals linked to lung damage were also found in the cigarette alternatives, calling their safety into question.

Diacetyl was detected in 39 of the 51 flavours tested, ranging from barely measurable levels to concentrations of 239 micrograms per e-cigarette.

Diacetyl, a safe food flavouring, has been used to give microwave popcorn its buttery taste. But it has also been implicated in the case of eight popcorn factory workers who developed a lung condition called severe bronchiolitis obliterans after breathing it in.

Nicknamed "popcorn lung", bronchiolitis obliterans causes scarring of the lungs and loss of function that can become so severe the only treatment option may be a lung transplant.

Much of the alarm caused by this study hangs on the strength of evidence from previous reports linking these chemicals to lung damage.

However, this study didn't look at this issue directly, so whether there is a link between e-cigarettes and "popcorn lung" is currently unknown. NHS Choices

Share of life in good health 'rising'

Share of life in good health 'rising' The proportion of life spent in good health is increasing in England, even as life expectancy continues to rise, a study suggests. BBC News

Lariam: Medical experts condemn MoD for giving soldiers anti-malarial drug with psychiatric side effects

Lariam: Medical experts condemn MoD for giving soldiers anti-malarial drug with psychiatric side effects The Commons Defence Select Committee recently announced an inquiry into the MoD's use of the drug. The Independent

Care bodies demand crisis talks with Osborne over support shortfall

Care bodies demand crisis talks with Osborne over support shortfall Care homes will close, say four health bodies in letter to ministers, and ask what has happened to £6bn from care-cap savings

Leading care and health bodies are demanding crisis talks with ministers over the unravelling of measures in George Osborne’s spending review that were supposed to prop up the tottering social care system.

Four groups representing care and health organisations are warning of an accelerating rate of closures of care homes and companies providing homecare. Their warnings follow analysis by the two most respected NHS thinktanks which declared Osborne’s support package “another setback for people who need social care”. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Vital care services 'remain at risk' BBC News

NHS rationing 'is denying patients care' as cash crisis deepens

NHS rationing 'is denying patients care' as cash crisis deepens Survey of doctors reveals concern about adults and children being denied treatment, resulting in emergency care or worsening of long-term conditions.

Patients are being denied mental health care, new hips and knees, and drugs to boost their recovery from illnesses including cancer as the NHS increasingly rations treatments to try to overcome its growing cash crisis.

A survey of doctors reveals that three-quarters said they had seen care rationed in their area over the last year – including treatments such as speech therapy, operations to remove varicose veins, Botox to help children with cerebral palsy move better and even potentially life-saving stem cell transplant surgery. Continue reading... The Guardian

Praise for caring NHS staff by mum of young baby goes viral on social media with support for Northampton General Hospital

Praise for caring NHS staff by mum of young baby goes viral on social media with support for Northampton General Hospital A post on the Chronicle & Echo’s Facebook page praising the work of NHS has gone viral reaching 80,000 people and getting positive support for staff at Northampton General Hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Devastated families left without answers as avoidable death and harm incidents aren’t being investigated properly by hospitals across England

Devastated families left without answers as avoidable death and harm incidents aren’t being investigated properly by hospitals across England Nearly three quarters of hospital investigations into complaints about avoidable harm and death claimed there were no failings in the care given, despite the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's investigations of the same incidents uncovering serious failings.

See also:

• NHS watchdog slams hospitals' handling of patient complaints The Guardian
• NHS hospitals 'too quick to absolve staff of blame in wake of serious errors' The Independent

Do the public still trust doctors and nurses?

Do the public still trust doctors and nurses? Do the public still trust doctors and nurses to deliver high-quality care and put patients’ interests first, or could high-profile failings in hospital care, such as those at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust, and the outcomes of Care Quality Commission inspections have contributed to a change in public opinion? The King's Fund

New report reveals value to nurses and patients of SPQ in district nursing

New report reveals value to nurses and patients of SPQ in district nursing The Queen’s Nursing Institute has published a report on the value of the specialist practitioner qualification (SPQ) in district nursing.

Apology over 'do not resuscitate' order

Apology over 'do not resuscitate' order A hospital trust apologises for placing a "do not resuscitate" order on a patient with Down's Syndrome, and listing his learning difficulties among the reasons. BBC News

GPs should urge patients 'to go online'

GPs should urge patients 'to go online' GPs should actively encourage patients to go online for booking appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions, suggests a review of NHS digital services. BBC News

Cutting antibiotic prescribing lowers GP satisfaction scores, study shows

Cutting antibiotic prescribing lowers GP satisfaction scores, study shows Antibiotic prescribing volume is a positive predictor of doctor and practice satisfaction, with practices that prescribe fewer antibiotics receiving lower satisfaction scores in the GP Patient Survey, research reveals. GP Online

GPs are not ‘immigration control’, warns lead doctor

GPs are not ‘immigration control’, warns lead doctor Consultation launched on fees for non-EU patients. OnMedica

See also:

• Open consultation: Overseas visitors and migrants: extending charges for NHS services Department of Health
• Charging overseas patients for GP visits may cause confusion and put patients at risk, says BMA GP Online

Will scrapping nurse bursaries help or worsen NHS staffing crisis?

Will scrapping nurse bursaries help or worsen NHS staffing crisis? Plans to axe bursaries and replace them with loans have been condemned by unions, but universities say they will lead to more training places for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals

Plans to scrap bursaries for student nurses, midwives and allied health professionals and replace them with loans were announced by the chancellor, George Osborne, in his spending review.

The measures will allow the cap on the number of student places to be lifted and the government claims this will enable the NHS to provide up to 10,000 extra training places this parliament. The move has been condemned by unions, but could making students pay for training be the medicine the health service needs to cure its chronic nursing shortage? Continue reading... The Guardian

Half of perinatal suicides by women 'could be prevented by better care'

Half of perinatal suicides by women 'could be prevented by better care' Study finds those who suffer severe mental health problems during or after pregnancy are let down by poor resources and failures to spot warning signs

Around half of suicides by women while pregnant or after giving birth could be prevented by better standards of care, experts have said.

The Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths, based at the University of Oxford and partially funded by NHS England, found that women who suffer serious mental health problems during or after pregnancy are being let down by a lack of resources and failures to spot warning signs. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• New mums with postnatal illness are 'too scared to seek help' The Daily Mail

MRSA fears as patients put GPs under pressure to prescribe antibiotics

MRSA fears as patients put GPs under pressure to prescribe antibiotics

Overuse of antibiotics has resulted in the evolution of new strains of immune bacteria. Independent

Prescriptions affecting GP ratings

Prescriptions affecting GP ratings

GPs who prescribe fewer antibiotics have less satisfied patients, according to a new study by researchers at King's College London. BBC News

Almost half of junior doctors left NHS after foundation training

Almost half of junior doctors left NHS after foundation training


Official figures reveal sharp fall in number of young medics opting to work towards becoming GP or specialist after first two years in NHS

Almost half of all junior doctors are opting not to continue their training in the NHS, threatening a “disaster” that senior medics fear will worsen the service’s shortage of frontline clinicians.

This year only 52% of junior doctors who finished the two-year foundation training after medical school chose to stay in the NHS and work towards becoming a GP or specialist – the lowest proportion in the health service’s history and down from 71.3% as recently as 2011. Guardian

Related: Hundreds of operations cancelled despite doctors' strike being called off

These are disturbing figures. All this is very worrying.

Continue reading...

Ailing NHS leadership needs urgent treatment

Ailing NHS leadership needs urgent treatment


There needs to be the same sense of urgency to improve health service management as there is to sort out budgets

There are too few NHS staff willing to take on the toughest leadership roles, and too few of those that do survive. Successive reviews have exposed the failures in NHS leadership development, but progress in addressing them is a long way from matching the scale of the problem.

The review of NHS leadership by former Marks & Spencer executive chairman Lord Rose, published in June, pinpointed one of the central difficulties facing the health service – the organisation is committed to a vast range of changes but does not have sufficient management and leadership capability to deliver them. GuardianContinue reading...

Government accused of trying to 'cover up' scale of looming NHS winter crisis

Government accused of trying to 'cover up' scale of looming NHS winter crisis

Health service confirms scaled-back bulletins will no longer include A&E waiting times or cancelled-operation figures. Independent

New healthcare watchdog boss 'needs experience on NHS frontline'

New healthcare watchdog boss 'needs experience on NHS frontline'

Exclusive: Health select committee MPs worry Peter Wyman is not yet qualified to chair the health and social care regulator. Independent

GP charges 'for non-EU patients'

GP charges 'for non-EU patients'

Overseas visitors should be forced to pay for using some GP services as well as ambulances and A&E care, the government announces as a consultation begins. BBC News

• Government plans to extend NHS charges for non-EU patients Guardian
• Doctors and unions attack plan to charge visitors for emergency NHS care  Guardian

NHS challenged over new treatments

NHS challenged over new treatments

Leading doctors say the NHS must prepare for much greater use of medicines to prevent rather than just treat disease. BBC News

How well do over-the-counter painkillers work?

How well do over-the-counter painkillers work?

Which over-the-counter painkillers work best for acute pain? Evidently Cochrane

GMC appoints former mental health tsar to improve its support for vulnerable doctors

GMC appoints former mental health tsar to improve its support for vulnerable doctors

The General Medical Council (GMC) has appointed one of the UK’s leading mental health experts to provide independent advice on how it can support vulnerable doctors. General Medical Council

News story: Declining Ebola case numbers, new control methods prompt PHE screening scale-back

News story: Declining Ebola case numbers, new control methods prompt PHE screening scale-back


Other factors influencing the decision include the introduction of new control methods such as a highly-effective Ebola vaccination, the WHO declaring Sierra Leone Ebola transmission free and the continued low risk presented to the UK by the disease.

Under the scaled back operations, from 5 December 2015 screening will stop for travellers from Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia. PHE will maintain its monitoring system for high-risk returning workers until the outbreak has been declared over in the affected countries.

The latest risk assessment assessed the likelihood of further Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases being imported into the UK as very low and the risk of transmission occurring within the community in the UK as negligible due to the range of robust measures that have been put in place. 

 Public Health England

Diagnosis: overrated - an analysis of the structural flaws in the NHS

Diagnosis: overrated - an analysis of the structural flaws in the NHS


This report looks at NHS performance and discusses the funding structure, patient choice and how health outcomes compare with other countries.

Institute of Economic Affairs 
Report
Institute of Economic Affairs - press release

Improving diagnosis of bipolar disorder: can blood-based diagnostic panels help?

Improving diagnosis of bipolar disorder: can blood-based diagnostic panels help?

Can blood-based diagnostic panels help us reduce the misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment often experienced by people with bipolar disorder? Murtada Alsaif reviews a recent retrospective study that has some encouraging findings for biologically identifying the disease. The Mental Elf

E-cigarettes for millions on the NHS - Express.co.uk

E-cigarettes for millions on the NHS - Express.co.uk

E-cigarettes for millions on the NHS
They are now the number one quitting aid in Britain, outranking other products like nicotine gum and patches. In England in 2013-14 there were nearly 1.8 million items issued on prescription to help patients stop smoking. The cost to the NHS in that ...Express.co.uk
E-cigarettes will be prescribed on the NHS - but the Government didn't want

Can overweight men pass obesity risk to their children?

Can overweight men pass obesity risk to their children?


"Are you fat because of your dad?" is the Mail Online's bold question to its readers, explaining that "Men's weight directly affects genes in sperm linked to appetite and brain development".

This was based on a new study that found a man's weight influences the genes in his sperm.
This small study showed that DNA in the sperm of obese men differed from that of healthy weight men. The DNA itself wasn't changed, but modifications affecting how it's used by the body were.

These differences raised the possibility that children of overweight men could inherit genetic traits that make them more likely to be overweight themselves. Health News from NHS Choices

NICE wants people with type 2 diabetes more involved in their own care

NICE wants people with type 2 diabetes more involved in their own care

Healthcare professionals should involve people with type 2 diabetes in decisions about their care such as managing blood glucose levels, NICE says. NHS Networks

NHS England appoints three new senior leaders

NHS England appoints three new senior leaders

NHS England is today announcing three senior appointments to lead key aspects of its work implementing the NHS Five Year Forward View. All three posts were publicly advertised and filled following open competition. NHS Commissioning

Hundreds of schools to benefit from £3 million investment in mental health in schools

Hundreds of schools to benefit from £3 million investment in mental health in schools

NHS England and the Department of Education have joined forces to launch a multimillion pound joint mental health pilot scheme for hundreds of schools. NHS Commissioning

UK pays 'low price' for cancer drugs

UK pays 'low price' for cancer drugs

The UK is paying less for new cancer drugs than a number of other high-income countries, according to a report in The Lancet Oncology. BBC News

Patients less happy with foreign-educated nurses, says report

Patients less happy with foreign-educated nurses, says report

Experts behind the research said recruiting more nurses from overseas may 'negatively' affect the quality of care. Independent