Nursing students to receive £5,000 payment a year

Nursing students to receive £5,000 payment a year All nursing students on courses from September 2020 will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year which they will not need to pay back. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• £5k nursing student grants welcome, but tuition fees must be scrapped too Royal College of Nursing
• Don't doubt my commitment to NHS says Boris, as he sets out plans for free bursaries for all nursing students The Daily Telegraph
• Nurses say training grants are only ‘first step’ in fixing NHS shortage The Independent

Complaints about the NHS in England: Quarter 1 2019-20

Complaints about the NHS in England: Quarter 1 2019-20 In this quarterly report we have published more information about our casework than in previous reports, as part of progress towards our strategic commitment to publish the majority of our casework online.

For the first time, we have published data and information from the first quarter of this year on the complaints we received, assessed and investigated about health organisations, and recommendations we have made to the organisations we investigate. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman 

Detection of retained vaginal swabs and tampons following childbirth

Detection of retained vaginal swabs and tampons following childbirth The report highlights the potential for physical and psychological harm to women if swabs and tampons used after childbirth are accidentally left in the vagina.

The report comes after we looked at the case of a 30-year old woman who had a surgical tampon inserted after the birth of her first child. It was left in and not discovered until five days after leaving hospital.

We’ve made one safety recommendation to NHS England/Improvement as a result of this investigation. Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch

See also:

• Women are suffering 'severe pain' and infection risk because NHS medics leave tampons inside them The Daily Mail

Motor neurone disease 'linked to cholesterol'

Motor neurone disease 'linked to cholesterol' Scientists say they have discovered a possible underlying cause of the neurological disorder, motor neurone disease (MND).

The University of Exeter team says it has found evidence that MND is linked to an imbalance of cholesterol and other fats in cells.

It says the research could lead to more accurate diagnosis and new treatments.

MND affects around 5,000 people in the UK and causes more than 2,000 deaths a year. BBC News

See also:

• Lipid metabolic pathways converge in motor neuron degenerative diseases (open access) Brain: A Journal of Neurology

At least 280,000 people homeless in England with tens of thousands more at risk, Shelter report reveals

At least 280,000 people homeless in England with tens of thousands more at risk, Shelter report reveals At least 280,000 people are currently homeless in England, with tens of thousands more at risk of losing their accommodation, Shelter’s annual report reveals.

This marks an increase of several thousand since last year and 23,000 since the charity’s first report in 2016, with the analysis suggesting one in 200 people are now sleeping rough, or living in hostels and temporary accommodation. The Independent

Safety fears for hundreds of ‘hidden’ children on ventilators

Safety fears for hundreds of ‘hidden’ children on ventilators Experts have warned hundreds of “hidden” children who rely on machines to help them breathe at home are at significant risk of harm due to staff shortages, poor equipment and a lack of training.

The number of children who rely on long-term ventilation is rising but new research has shown the dangers they face with more than 220 safety incidents reported to the NHS between 2013 and 2017.

In more than 40 per cent of incidents the child came to harm, with two needing CPR after their hearts stopped. Other children had to have emergency treatment or were rushed back to hospital. The Independent

See also:

• Analysis of paediatric long-term ventilation incidents in the community (open access) Archives of Disease in Childhood

Catalogue of errors by Norfolk hospital led to death of baby

Catalogue of errors by Norfolk hospital led to death of baby Harris James died in 2015 after doctors at James Paget hospital misdiagnosed a heart complaint

A “sweet and affectionate” six-month-old boy died when doctors misdiagnosed his heart complaint as pneumonia, a highly critical report by the NHS ombudsman has revealed.

Harris James died in 2015 after a catalogue of errors by staff at James Paget hospital in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. The hospital then compounded his parents’ anguish by mishandling his mother’s complaint and failing to apologise for its failings. The Guardian

See also:

• Hospital which failed to save six-month-old baby criticised by health ombudsman The Independent

Poorest die most often from emergency surgery, research finds

Poorest die most often from emergency surgery, research finds Patients from most deprived areas in England have 29% greater risk of dying than those from wealthiest parts

Poor people are much more likely than wealthy people to die after undergoing emergency surgery, according to new research.

Patients from the most deprived areas have a 29% greater risk of dying than those from the wealthiest districts, the study from University College London found. The Guardian

See also:

• Socioeconomic deprivation and mortality after emergency laparotomy: an observational epidemiological study (abstract) British Journal of Anaesthesia 

Women over 50 should lose weight to cut breast cancer risk: study

Women over 50 should lose weight to cut breast cancer risk: study Most women over 50 should lose weight to cut their breast cancer risk, a major study suggests.

The Harvard research on more than 180,000 participants found those who lost the most weight cut their risk by up to a quarter.

One in eight women in the UK will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Sustained weight loss and risk of breast cancer in women ≥50 years: a pooled analysis of prospective data (abstract) Journal of the National Cancer Institute 
• Overweight women in their 50s who lose 20lbs are 26% less likely to get breast cancer The Daily Mail

Air pollution is making the NHS winter crisis worse, 175 doctors warn

Air pollution is making the NHS winter crisis worse, 175 doctors warn Air pollution is leading to a spike in cases of asthma and bronchitis and heaping pressure on the struggling NHS, leading doctors have warned.

A group of 175 doctors and health professionals have warned the Prime Minister there is a 'public health crisis' on hospital wards and GP surgeries as thousands of people arrive with respiratory conditions. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Air pollution making NHS winter crisis worse, 175 doctors tell Boris Johnson in new letter The Independent
• NHS winter crisis: Air pollution damaging public health and crowding hospitals and GP surgeries iNews

People performance management toolkit: communications pack

People performance management toolkit: communications pack The pack contains key messages for HR and internal comms teams to help promote the toolkit with managers in their organisations. The pack includes tips on where to start with line management, how to work with both underperforming and exceptional staff and advice on how to give constructive feedback. It also features a number of different management scenarios and can help identify solutions to the challenges most relevant to staff. NHS Employers

What's the best colour lighting for sleep?

What's the best colour lighting for sleep? The idea artificial light from screens is keeping people awake at night is flawed, say scientists who have been studying the best type of lighting to nod off to.

According to the researchers, from Manchester University, this blue light from devices is not the main problem.

They exposed mice to different light settings to study the impact.

The controversial findings, in Current Biology journal, suggest the answer lies in how warm and bright a light is. BBC News

Coroner criticises NHS after death of patient with broken neck who was shunted between hospitals three times

Coroner criticises NHS after death of patient with broken neck who was shunted between hospitals three times An 88-year-old woman with a broken neck died after being transferred three times between two hospitals in the space of just 48 hours, The Independent can reveal.

The death of Jean Waghorn, who died after contracting pneumonia in hospital, sparked criticism from a coroner who said the NHS trust had ignored earlier warnings over moving patients between hospitals.

NHS 'should not pay' for US surrogacy after cancer misdiagnosis

NHS 'should not pay' for US surrogacy after cancer misdiagnosis UK supreme court hears case of woman left infertile after cervical cancer treatment

The NHS should not have to pay for patients to have surrogate children through commercial agreements in the US, the supreme court has been told in a controversial medical compensation case.

Whittington hospital NHS trust in north London has admitted negligently failing to detect signs of cervical cancer for more than four years. That oversight led to the woman, identified only as XX, developing highly invasive malignancy, which required chemo-radiotherapy treatment and left her infertile at the age of 29. The Guardian

Doctors reveal the bittersweet stories of working over Christmas

Doctors reveal the bittersweet stories of working over Christmas Being in hospital over Christmas or New Year isn’t something most of us would welcome. But for NHS doctors and nurses on call over the festive season, going to work is just another day . . . or is it? Here, medics share their yuletide memories, from the hilarious to the profoundly sad. The Daily Mail

Scientists develop a test for sepsis in premature babies

Scientists develop a test for sepsis in premature babies Scientists have developed a rapid and reliable test for sepsis in premature babies that scours for harmful bugs in their nappies.

Children delivered before 37 weeks are at high risk of the deadly condition because of their underdeveloped immune systems.

The test works by analysing bacteria in a newborn's stool and takes just four hours to tell if they are at risk of infection. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Rapid MinION profiling of preterm microbiota and antimicrobial-resistant pathogens (open access) Nature Microbiology

Suspected heart attack victim slams ambulance service after being left waiting for hours in Northamptonshire

Suspected heart attack victim slams ambulance service after being left waiting for hours in Northamptonshire A Northamptonshire man has complained about being stranded with a suspected heart attack after an ambulance failed to turn up.

Rob Johnson, who has a cardiac condition, woke in the night with serious chest pains on Sunday, December 1.

He and his partner Trudy Thornton - both are experienced first aiders - realised the emergency and called 999. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Quality improvement in general practice: what do GPs and practice managers think?

Quality improvement in general practice: what do GPs and practice managers think? There is growing recognition of the importance of quality improvement in general practice. But what is the extent of knowledge and usage of quality improvement tools and approaches across the UK, and how can we embed a culture of improvement? The Health Foundation

Why can't this doctor work in the UK?

Why can't this doctor work in the UK? The NHS in North-East England is making an effort to exploit the skills of doctors who arrived in the UK as refugees. But well-trained doctors from one country, who would love to practise here, are still having to spend their days working in factories or delivering pizzas, reports the BBC's Emma Jane Kirby. BBC News

Pregnant women died after fears Tory crackdown on ‘health tourism’ would bankrupt them, report delayed until after election reveals

Pregnant women died after fears Tory crackdown on ‘health tourism’ would bankrupt them, report delayed until after election reveals Tory measures to stop “health tourism” on the NHS have been linked to the deaths of three pregnant women in a major report that was delayed until after the election.

The women all died after delays in seeking help because they mistakenly believed that they would have to pay for care under the government’s strict charging regime. They sought help in hospitals too late and died as a result of complications.

It is the first time researchers have identified the impact of the government’s controversial charging regime among maternity deaths, and they warned other mothers could be at risk. The Independent

See also:

• Lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2015–17 MBRRACE-UK

Call to vaccinate children against flu amid 'super spreaders' warning

Call to vaccinate children against flu amid 'super spreaders' warning Public Health England data shows 24% rise in doctor’s appointments for flu

Senior doctors have urged parents to vaccinate their children, who are “super-spreaders” of flu, as vital NHS services are being flooded with patients this winter.

Medical professionals have said jabs are the best defence against the highly infectious disease which has hit the UK earlier than usual this year. The Guardian

See also:

• Flu surge drives up pressure on general practice GPonline

A&E waiting times worst ever, with quadrupling in 12 hour delays

A&E waiting times worst ever, with quadrupling in 12 hour delays Accident & Emergency waiting times are the worst ever, with a quadrupling in the numbers waiting at least 12 hours on a trolley, in just one year, official figures show.

The statistics show that for the first time, not one trust hit the target to see 95 per cent of patients in four hours.

In total, 81.4 per cent of A&E patients were seen within four hours in November, a fall from 87.6 per cent the previous year. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The King's Fund responds to the latest NHS England hospital performance figures The King's Fund
• Today's figures show safety net of NHS at risk of breaking down: Health Foundation response to NHS England monthly performance statistics The Health Foundation
• Combined Performance Summary: October-November 2019 The Nuffield Trust
• New Government faces a grim NHS winter - Nuffield Trust comment on NHS performance figures The Nuffield Trust
• Hospital waiting times worsen again BBC News
• NHS winter crisis: Worst EVER delays in A&E delays The Daily Mail
• NHS England 'on its knees' as performance figures hit new lows The Guardian
• All major trusts miss four-hour target as performance plunges across NHS Health Service Journal
• Waiting times for A&E and hospital operations worst on record, NHS figures show The Independent
• 'Record number' of non-urgent operations cancelled at last minute in English hospitals, figures show iNews
• NHS 'on its knees' as cancer and A&E treatments see record delays  Sky News

Eating two apples daily for eight weeks can lower 'bad' cholesterol, study finds

Eating two apples daily for eight weeks can lower 'bad' cholesterol, study finds An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but two might be better, a study suggests.

Eating two apples a day may reduce people's risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, experts found.

When 40 people with slightly high cholesterol ate two large apples a day for eight weeks, it lowered their levels of 'bad' cholesterol by almost four per cent. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Two apples a day lower serum cholesterol and improve cardiometabolic biomarkers in mildly hypercholesterolemic adults: a randomized, controlled, crossover trial (open access) The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Latest data on safeguarding adults in England

Latest data on safeguarding adults in England This publication provides the findings from the Safeguarding Adults Collection (SAC) for the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019. Safeguarding Adults is a statutory duty for Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities in England under the Care Act 2014, in order to safeguard adults from abuse or neglect. The data is collected directly from these councils, also known as ‘local authorities’ in this publication. NHS Digital

Drug that prevents half of breast cancers carries on working

Drug that prevents half of breast cancers carries on working A drug that halves a woman's risk of breast cancer continues to work long after they stop taking it, say researchers.

Anastrozole blocks the production of the hormone oestrogen, which fuels the growth of many breast cancers.

It is already available on the NHS, but researchers at Queen Mary University of London said only a tenth of eligible women were receiving it. BBC News

See also:

• Use of anastrozole for breast cancer prevention (IBIS-II): long-term results of a randomised controlled trial (open access) The Lancet
• Drug that halves a woman's risk of breast cancer works for SEVEN YEARS after they stop taking it The Daily Mail

Revealed: NHS England bosses meet with tech and pharmaceutical giants to discuss price list of millions of Brits' medical data

Revealed: NHS England bosses meet with tech and pharmaceutical giants to discuss price list of millions of Brits' medical data Talks to package millions of British medical records into a vast, commercially valuable database that may then be sold on are already underway between NHS England bosses and global giants, documents exclusively obtained by The Register show.

Last month, a cache of leaked files emerged into public view, detailing post-Brexit trade negotiations between Britain and the United States in which access to the UK's national health service was said to be on the table.

Children's transgender clinic hit by 35 resignations in three years as psychologists warn of gender dysphoria 'over-diagnoses'

Children's transgender clinic hit by 35 resignations in three years as psychologists warn of gender dysphoria 'over-diagnoses' A transgender clinic has been hit by 35 resignations in three years, as psychologists warn of “overdiagnoses” of gender dysphoria among children.

The whistleblowers said too many children were being put on puberty-blocking drugs when they should not have been given the diagnosis.

Former staff said they were unable to properly assess patients over fears they will be branded "transphobic". The Daily Telegraph

Pharmacists warning over safety of cannabis oil products, amid concern some contain illegal high inducing chemical

Pharmacists warning over safety of cannabis oil products, amid concern some contain illegal high inducing chemical Pharmacists have been told to check the safety of their cannabis oil products, amid concerns that some may contain illegal high-inducing chemicals.

As the market for cannabis derived products has grown rapidly in recent years, fears have been raised that some are being mislabelled and that users may unknowingly be ingesting illegal drugs. The Daily Telegraph

Flu cases have jumped by 25% in a WEEK

Flu cases have jumped by 25% in a WEEK Flu cases in England have risen by a quarter in the past week, official figures show following an early start to the season.

Almost 8,000 patients went to their GP with flu-like symptoms, up by 1,500 from the week before and nearly twice as high as last year.

Government data shows the flu virus is now circulating at low levels across England, while it is less of a problem in Scotland and Wales. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Official Statistics: Weekly national flu reports: 2019 to 2020 season Public Health England
• 'Not too late to get a flu jab,' says RCGP Chair Royal College of General Practitioners
• Rise in flu deaths and patients admitted to hospital triggers government alert to GPs The Independent

A place to work: system approaches to workforce challenges in the NHS

A place to work: system approaches to workforce challenges in the NHS This briefing examines how trusts are working with their staff and local partners to enable the workforce to adapt to new ways of collaborative working. NHS Providers

Adult social care and wellbeing policy in the four nations of the UK

Adult social care and wellbeing policy in the four nations of the UK This review summarises main policy developments on wellbeing in the field of adult social care since 2000 in the four nations of the UK. It is the first paper from the Sustainable Care: Connecting People and Systems programme from the Centre for International Research on Care, Labour & Equalities (CIRCLE) at the University of Sheffield. The programme’s overarching objective is to advance understanding of sources of economic and social sustainability in care, especially how wellbeing outcomes can be achieved for care users, their families and carers and paid care workers. University of Sheffield

'Four hours to walk off pizza calories' warning works, experts say

'Four hours to walk off pizza calories' warning works, experts say Food packs should display how much exercise a person would need to take to burn off the calories contained in the product, UK researchers say.

Appreciating it would take four hours to walk off the calories in a pizza or 22 minutes to run off a chocolate bar creates an awareness of the energy cost of food, they say.

The labels would help people indulge less, exploratory studies suggest.

The aim is to encourage healthier eating habits to fight obesity. BBC News

See also:

• Effects of physical activity calorie equivalent food labelling to reduce food selection and consumption: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled studies  (open access) Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
• Exercise advice on food labels could 'change eating habits' NHS UK
• RSPH welcomes research on activity equivalent calorie labelling Royal Society for Public Health
• Labelling junk food with exercise needed to burn off calories inside shames people into eating less The Daily Mail
• Replacing calories with exercise required on food labelling it would ease obesity, Royal Society for Public Health says The Daily Telegraph

A third of hospitals 'increased parking charges'

A third of hospitals 'increased parking charges' A third of hospitals in England put up car parking charges last year, with total income rising by a 10th, an investigation shows.

The Press Association used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain data from more than 140 NHS trusts.

The responses showed £254m had been raised during 2018-19 - up from £232m the year before, with hourly charges varying between £4 and £1 for an hour. BBC News

GP Manish Shah guilty of sexually assaulting female patients

GP Manish Shah guilty of sexually assaulting female patients A GP who cited Angelina Jolie and Jade Goody to instil fear in his patients about their health has been found guilty of sexually assaulting 23 women.

Manish Shah preyed on cancer concerns to carry out invasive intimate examinations for his own sexual gratification, the Old Bailey heard.

He convinced his victims to have unnecessary checks between May 2009 and June 2013.

He was convicted of 25 counts of sexual assault and assault by penetration. BBC News

See also:

• GP who used cases of Angelina Jolie and Jade Goody to molest patients convicted of sexual assault The Daily Telegraph

The NHS robots performing major surgery

The NHS robots performing major surgery How would you feel about a robot performing major surgery on you?

2019 has seen a boom in the use of cutting edge robotic technology and there is more to come.

Evidence suggests robotic surgery can be less invasive and improve recovery time for patients.

That could be good news with ever growing demand on health services. BBC News

Hospitals at ‘breaking point’ as winter NHS crisis deepens

Hospitals at ‘breaking point’ as winter NHS crisis deepens Hospitals across the country are at “breaking point” as a winter surge threatens to overwhelm the NHS.

NHS trusts have been forced to cancel operations, divert ambulances and leave patients on trolleys as thousands wait for treatment.

In one hospital, four patients were left for at least an entire day before a space on a ward became available. The Independent

Using temporary nurses can increase risk of patients dying, warns new study

Using temporary nurses can increase risk of patients dying, warns new study Patients are more likely to die on wards staffed by a high number of temporary nurses, a study has found.

Researchers say the findings, published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship, are a warning sign that the common practice by many hospitals of relying on agency nurses is not a risk-free option for patients.

The University of Southampton study found that risk of death increased by 12 per cent for every day a patient experienced a high level of temporary staffing – defined as 1.5 hours of agency nursing a day per patient. The Independent

See also:

• Temporary Staffing and Patient Death in Acute Care Hospitals: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study (abstract / OpenAthens) Journal of Nursing Scholarship

Doctors at West Suffolk hospital 'too scared' to report safety issues

Doctors at West Suffolk hospital 'too scared' to report safety issues Senior staff, at health secretary Matt Hancock’s local hospital, express concern to CQC

Doctors at a hospital accused of bullying its staff have told the NHS care regulator that they are too scared to report lapses in patient safety in case they end up facing disciplinary action.

The Guardian revealed on Wednesday that West Suffolk hospital stands accused by its own medics of secrecy, bullying and intimidation after it demanded they take fingerprint tests in its effort to identify a whistleblower. The Guardian

Yeovil hospital admits liability for operating on conscious woman

Yeovil hospital admits liability for operating on conscious woman Woman says she was left with PTSD and nightmares after procedure at Yeovil hospital

A hospital has admitted liability after a woman reported being operated on while conscious, leaving her with post-traumatic stress disorder, lawyers have said.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she screamed in agony when a surgeon cut into her belly button during an operation at Yeovil hospital. The Guardian

See also:

• Patient has recurring nightmares of having skin cut after not properly anaesthetised The Independent

Patients who plan their death end up living longer, study finds

Patients who plan their death end up living longer, study finds People who plan their death end up living longer, research suggests.

The study of terminally ill patients found that those who discussed their preferences for end-of-life care with doctors actually lived for longer than other patients. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Advance care planning and longer survival in the terminally ill: a randomised controlled trial unexpected finding (open access) BMJ Supportive and Palliative care

Mumps outbreak hits hundreds of students across UK after a fall in children having MMR vaccine

Mumps outbreak hits hundreds of students across UK after a fall in children having MMR vaccine Hundreds of students have been struck down by a severe outbreak of mumps that is spreading across British universities.

Public Health England figures show that more than 7,200 suspected mumps cases have been reported in the UK since July, almost triple the same period last year.

Health officials said students were driving the surge and urged any who missed out on the MMR jab to get vaccinated. The Daily Mail

Eight hundred more people dying each week in England and Wales this winter on average

Eight hundred more people dying each week in England and Wales this winter on average The number of people dying each week this winter is far higher than average levels, official data revealed today.

Figures show 10,958 deaths were recorded in England and Wales during the last full week of November.

In contrast, this is almost eight per cent higher than the average for the same time period in the previous five years (10,164).

The Office for National Statistics data shows deaths between November 16 and 22 were also considerably higher - 758 more than the average since 2014. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Excess winter mortality in England and Wales: 2018 to 2019 (provisional) and 2017 to 2018 (final) Office for National Statistics

Tree of Light shines at Northampton hospital to remember those who are no longer with us

Tree of Light shines at Northampton hospital to remember those who are no longer with us Dozens turned out to remember their loved ones who won't be here this Christmas at the 'Light Up a Life' event last week. The Tree of Light, at the Billing road entrance of Northampton General Hospital, has been dedicated to over 140 loved ones who have passed away or who have been gifted a light by a loved one. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton Saints spread Christmas cheer at Northampton General Hospital

Northampton Saints spread Christmas cheer at Northampton General Hospital  Northampton Saints players took a break away from the rugby pitch to spread some Christmas cheer to patients, visitors and staff at Northampton General Hospital. More than 25 players visited wards and departments including the A&E department, Esther White and Walter Tull wards, the oncology department, Haematology, Chemotherapy, Talbot Butler ward and the children’s wards, Disney and Paddington. Here they spent a few hours chatting with patients and handing out Christmas presents, as part of the Travis Perkins Big Christmas Toy Appeal. Northampton Chronicle and Echo.

Online prescribing 'must get safer'

Online prescribing 'must get safer' More deaths could occur unless action is taken to keep people safe when obtaining medications from online health providers, says a UK coroner.

Nigel Parsley has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock highlighting the case of a woman who died after obtaining opiate painkillers online.

Debbie Headspeath, 41, got the medication, dispensed by UK pharmacies, after website consultations.

Her own GP was unaware of what she had requested from doctors on the internet.

The Suffolk coroner has now written to the Department of Health asking for urgent action to be taken. BBC News

Surgeons withdraw support for heart disease advice

Surgeons withdraw support for heart disease advice European clinical guidelines on how to treat a major form of heart disease are under review following a BBC Newsnight investigation.

Europe's professional body for heart surgeons has withdrawn support for the guidelines, saying it was "a matter of serious concern" that some patients may have had the wrong advice. BBC News

BMA backs stop-gap plan to end pension tax trap but demands GP guarantees

BMA backs stop-gap plan to end pension tax trap but demands GP guarantees The BMA has formally backed short-term plans to tackle punitive pension tax rules that have forced thousands of doctors to reduce their working hours - but has demanded further assurances for GPs. GP Online

Anorexia deaths not being properly recorded by NHS, inquest hears

Anorexia deaths not being properly recorded by NHS, inquest hears Anorexia deaths are not being properly recorded by the NHS, an inquest into the death of a young woman with the condition has heard.

Maria Jakes, 24, who died in September 2018 after battling with the eating disorder for more than 10 years, was one of five anorexia fatalities to occur within the Cambridge and Peterborough Foundation Trust (CPFT). The Telegraph

GPhC survey paints a picture of the pharmacy workforce

GPhC survey paints a picture of the pharmacy workforce
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has published the findings of its second major survey, which asked pharmacists and pharmacy technicians about their roles and responsibilities, work settings, employment and practice and future work plans.

The GPhC commissioned Enventure Research, an independent research organisation, to carry out the survey over summer 2019. Over 18,000 registered pharmacy professionals (23% of professionals on the register) responded to the online survey. General Pharmaceutical Council

More than 200000 NHS devices still running Windows 7

More than 200000 NHS devices still running Windows 7 NHS Trusts are still using more than 200,000 devices running the 10-year-old Window 7 operating system, which is due to reach End of Life next year.

That's according cloud computing firm Citrix, which recently obtained the information through a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. Computing.co.uk

'Rip-off' hospital parking charges top £250m a year with relatives charged £100 a visit

'Rip-off' hospital parking charges top £250m a year with relatives charged £100 a visit Hospitals are charging relatives more than £100 to visit the sick amid record charges of more than £250 million a year, an investigation reveals.

One in three NHS trusts increased their prices in the last year, with overall charges rising by 10 per cent, the findings show. The Telegraph

See also:

• One in three hospitals in England raised car park prices last year Mail Online
• A third of hospitals 'increased parking charges' BBC News

Next NHS staff shortages will include radiographers, as courses close

Next NHS staff shortages will include radiographers, as courses close Radiography and nursing degree courses may be at risk of closure, academics are warning – at a time when the NHS is wrestling with a recruitment crisis.

The Council of Deans of Health has now drawn up an “at risk” list of university courses struggling to attract and retain enough students following the removal of the student bursary in 2017. The courses include: radiography, mental health nursing, learning disability nursing, podiatry and prosthetics. The list also includes orthoptics, which is the provision of devices such as splints, braces and helmets, which help people recover from injury. The Guardian

Thousands of patients die waiting for beds in hospitals – study

Thousands of patients die waiting for beds in hospitals – study Almost 5,500 patients have died over the past three years because they have spent so long on a trolley in an A&E unit waiting for a bed in overcrowded hospitals, a study by leading NHS doctors has found. The Guardian

Unit where police take people detained under the Mental Health Act not up to national standards say inspectors

Unit where police take people detained under the Mental Health Act not up to national standards say inspectors The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found during a one day well-led inspection in October that Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust’s (NHFT) 136 suite at the Berrywood Hospital in Duston was not up to national guidelines.

A 136 suite is where people detained under Section 136 of the Mental Health Act by the police on concerns they are suffering from a mental disorder are taken. Once in the suite, the person is assessed to establish whether they need treatment. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Group B Strep: ‘A common bug could have killed my baby’

Group B Strep: ‘A common bug could have killed my baby’ The mother of a child who developed meningitis and sepsis because of a bacterial infection called Group B Strep is calling for all pregnant women to be tested for it. Currently the test is only available privately - and some women are still not being told about the potential threat the bug poses to their baby.

Bethany Rashley had a straightforward pregnancy until 33 weeks, when she experienced possible labour pains and noticed her baby was moving less than it had before. She went into Kettering General Hospital, was kept in for a few days, and then sent home. BBC News

Public perceptions of the NHS and social care

Public perceptions of the NHS and social care This report presents the findings of a research project commissioned by the Health Foundation and conducted by Ipsos MORI.

The polling suggests there is an increasing willingness among the public to pay more tax for health and social care.

A majority of people – 62% – said it was completely or somewhat unacceptable to have to sell your own home to pay for social care.

An increasing proportion want to see NHS-funded care delivered exclusively through the NHS (as opposed to via private providers).

The polling also indicates very strong support for EU workers in the NHS and social care being allowed to stay in the UK after Brexit.

Health and social care funding: what’s in, what’s out and who offers the most?

Health and social care funding: what’s in, what’s out and who offers the most? If you think that comparing the funding commitments of the different political parties is a job for statisticians, think again. Admittedly, to make sense of the different offers does require the skills of a Gertrude Cox (the First Lady of Statistics, in case you didn’t know), but they must be leavened with a healthy dose of Miss Marple. As we are often asked which manifesto is the most generous to health and social care, I am channeling both to help answer the question. The King's Fund

Latest RCEM data shows true scale of the number of patients waiting longer than 12 hours in A&E

Latest RCEM data shows true scale of the number of patients waiting longer than 12 hours in A&E The first publication of data from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s 2019-20 Winter Flow Project shows that existing data does not reflect the true scale of the problem of 12 hour stays in A&E.
RCEM data shows that in the first week of December over 5,000 patients waited for longer than 12 hours in the Emergency Departments of 50 Trusts and Boards across the UK.

The sample of trusts and boards from across the UK is the equivalent to a third of the acute bed base in England.

From the beginning of October 2019 over 38,000 patients have waited longer than 12 hours for a bed at the sampled sites across the UK – yet data from NHS England reports that in England alone a total of only 13,025 patients experienced waits over 12 hours since 2011-12. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine

See also:

• A&E trolley waits over 12 hours could be affecting tens of thousands more than official data suggests The Independent
• NHS England 'covering up' true scale of 12 hour hospital waits iNews

General Election 2019: NHS boss - Parties 'ducked' big issues

General Election 2019: NHS boss - Parties 'ducked' big issues Politicians have "ducked" the big issues in health and social care during the election, a leading NHS boss says.

At the start of the campaign, NHS Providers chief Chris Hopson urged parties not to make "empty promises" or create "unrealistic expectations".

There have since been manifesto pledges of millions more in NHS funding and extra staff from both main parties.

But Mr Hopson says they have not offered "credible answers" to the NHS's biggest challenges. BBC News

See also:

• Politicians and the NHS – they’ve ducked the big tackles NHS Providers
• Party manifestos offer 'too little too late' on NHS pension tax crisis GPonline
• The NHS is set for a post-election windfall – but staffing must be the priority The Guardian
• Hospital patients will see their doctors less without action, warns UK top doctor The Independent
• NHS promises from all major parties are 'not physically possible' Metro

Patient data from GP surgeries sold to US companies

Patient data from GP surgeries sold to US companies Dealings with international pharma raise new fears about American ambitions to access NHS

Data about millions of NHS patients has been sold to US and other international pharmaceutical companies for research, the Observer has learnt, raising new fears about America’s growing ambitions to access lucrative parts of the health service after Brexit.

US drugs giants, including Merck, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Eli Lilly, have paid the Department of Health and Social Care, which holds data derived from GPs’ surgeries, for licences costing up to £330,000 each in return for anonymised data to be used for research. The Guardian

See also:

• NHS gives Amazon free use of health data under Alexa advice deal The Guardian
• Conservative government giving NHS data to Amazon for free, documents reveal The Independent

NHS appoints 'head of flexible working' in bid to push part-time jobs

NHS appoints 'head of flexible working' in bid to push part-time jobs The NHS has appointed a “Head of Flexible Working” in a bid to encourage more part-time work in the health service.

The appointment - reporting to a “Head of Improving People Practices” - follows warnings from health chiefs that the NHS needs to recruit significantly more staff, because millennial workers do not expect to work the hours their predecessors put in. The Daily Telegraph

Patients should no longer consider cancer diagnosis a death sentence, experts insist

Patients should no longer consider cancer diagnosis a death sentence, experts insist Cancer should increasingly be seen as a manageable condition like diabetes rather than thought a death sentence, experts said last night.

The Institute of Cancer Research says huge progress that allows patients to live longer is being overshadowed by a focus on the ‘Holy Grail’ of finding a cure.

Survival time from cancer has roughly doubled in a decade, and the average patient now lives more than ten years after diagnosis. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Cancer research offers more hope than people think Institute of Cancer Research
• Cancer cure search is overshadowing progress of sufferers living longer with the disease, experts warn The Daily Telegraph

NHS has paid almost £600million in compensation to patients it had failed to diagnose correctly

NHS has paid almost £600million in compensation to patients it had failed to diagnose correctly NHS hospitals have paid out almost £600million in compensation to patients in the last three years for failing to diagnose them correctly.

There have been 4,097 payouts, totalling £583million, to patients who didn't receive a crucial diagnosis.

It means that the NHS is settling claims at the rate of 26 every week at a cost to the health service of £3.7million every week. The Daily Mail

Christmas fundraiser sees Northampton hospital on its way to raising £20,000 for two sensory rooms

Christmas fundraiser sees Northampton hospital on its way to raising £20,000 for two sensory rooms Nurses at Berrywood Hospital want to turn two rarely used rooms into sensory rooms for children to use on both the Burrows and Sett wards.The rooms will be used in different ways to suit each patient’s needs and will allow the children to self-manage stress and anxiety, in the company of their families.

Wednesday saw staff, patients and their family and friends take part in a raffle, tombola and charity cake sale, in the company of the Rock Choir, to raise funds to pay for the two facilities. So far, £600 has been raised and one of the activity coordinators, Katie Trevor, said she's happy with the progress they have made so far. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Unconventional health and care: five organisations delivering care differently

Unconventional health and care: five organisations delivering care differently How can we make sure that people always receive the compassionate care they need? This long read looks at five organisations that are thinking differently about how they support patients and service users, and considers what we can learn from their unconventional approach. The King's Fund

Measles deaths 'staggering and tragic'

Measles deaths 'staggering and tragic' More than 140,000 people died from measles last year as the number of cases around the world surged once again, official estimates suggest.

Most of the lives cut short were children aged under five.

The situation has been described by health experts as staggering, an outrage, a tragedy and easily preventable with vaccines.

Huge progress has been made since the year 2000, but there is concern that incidence of measles is now edging up.

In 2018, the UK - along with Albania, the Czech Republic and Greece, lost their measles elimination status. BBC News

Briton Audrey Schoeman revived after six-hour cardiac arrest

Briton Audrey Schoeman revived after six-hour cardiac arrest A British woman whose heart stopped beating for six hours has been brought back to life in what doctors have described as an "exceptional case".

Audrey Schoeman developed severe hypothermia when she was caught in a snowstorm while hiking in the Spanish Pyrenees with her husband in November.

Doctors say it is the longest cardiac arrest ever recorded in Spain.

Mrs Schoeman, who has made a near-full recovery after the ordeal, says she hopes to be hiking again by spring. BBC News

See also:

• British woman brought back to life six hours after cardiac arrest The Daily Telegraph
• British hiker survives six-hour cardiac arrest in 'exceptional' case: 'It's like a miracle' The Indepdent

Major reforms needed to healthcare education to tackle workforce shortages, unions warn

Major reforms needed to healthcare education to tackle workforce shortages, unions warn A radical overhaul of the healthcare education system in England is needed to tackle significant workforce shortages facing the sector, an alliance of unions has warned.

An open letter, shared exclusively with The Independent, calls for nursing, midwifery and allied health students to receive greater financial support to help solve the recruitment crisis in the NHS.

See also:

• The RCN has written to political party leaders demanding urgent funding for England’s nursing students in the first budget of the next government Royal College of Nursing

Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Inspectors warn of unsafe staffing amid signs of improvement

Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Inspectors warn of unsafe staffing amid signs of improvement Maternity services at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust were 50 midwives short of what was safe, hospital inspectors have said.

A new report by the Care Quality Commission, published today, revealed the trust, which is at the centre of the largest maternity scandal in the history of the NHS, had a 26 per cent vacancy of midwives in April this year. The Independent

See also:

• Royal Shrewsbury Hopsital inspection report Care Quality Commission
• Women giving birth at scandal-hit trust are still at risk, watchdog finds The Daily Telegraph

As a junior doctor I can reach breaking point. A patient's note keeps me going

As a junior doctor I can reach breaking point. A patient's note keeps me going To have someone recognise the difficulty of my job meant so much, and reminded me why I became a doctor

As a junior doctor who has experienced depression, I often wake up feeling like there’s a weight on top of me. During shifts we’re split in so many different directions that eating or even going to the toilet are out of the question. I’m painfully aware patients wait hours for care or even just to be discharged, and I can’t stand not being able to prevent delays.

It’s rare that I’d ever get a chance to voice these concerns to patients. That’s why Mr Jones, an elderly patient I got to know from his recurring visits to the ward I was working on, sticks out in my mind. The Guardian

Winter vomiting bug sees twice as many hospital beds closed as last year

Winter vomiting bug sees twice as many hospital beds closed as last year Health officials have warned that winter vomiting bug is on the rise, with twice as many hospital beds closed as this time last year.

Hospitals in England have been forced to close more than 1,100 hospital beds over the last week due to norovirus.

NHS England urged people to stay at home if they get the bug - which causes vomiting and diarrhoea - to avoid passing it on. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS warning as winter vomiting bug closes 1,000 hospital beds NHS England
• Official Statistics: Norovirus and rotavirus: summary of surveillance 2019 to 2020 Public Health England
• Norovirus closes 1,100 hospital beds in England BBC News
• Norovirus forces NHS England to close more than 1,100 hospital beds The Guardian

NHS hospitals are 'unable to share medical records because they use different computer software'

NHS hospitals are 'unable to share medical records because they use different computer software' The NHS is risking patient safety because it can't get to grips with computers, a damning report has revealed.

Almost a quarter of hospitals still use paper records and those which have switched to IT systems have no standard – almost two dozen different systems are being used.

A report by Imperial College London found there were 11 million occasions last year on which patients went to appointments at hospitals which didn't have their records. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Improving data sharing between acute hospitals in England: an overview of health record system distribution and retrospective observational analysis of inter-hospital transitions of care (open access) BMJ Open
• Patients at risk because NHS hospitals using different record-keeping systems  Imperial College London

Flu hits England early: Health chiefs call for parents to get children vaccinated NOW

Flu hits England early: Health chiefs call for parents to get children vaccinated NOW Health chiefs today urged parents to immediately get their children vaccinated against flu after an early start to the season.

Statistics show the number of intensive care admissions for flu in NHS hospitals are three times higher than at the same point last winter.

Some 212 people across the country have been rushed into ICU with influenza so far this year - up from 75 in 2018 and 63 the year before. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Millions of children exposed as flu spreads following vaccine delays The Daily Telegraph

There are 59 people in Northants wishing for one thing this Christmas

There are 59 people in Northants wishing for one thing this Christmas For 59 Northamptonshire people and their families, there will be only one thing on their Christmas wishlist this year as they wait for an organ transplant.

NHS Blood and Transplant is urging families in Northamptonshire to talk about their decision on organ donation when they get together over the festive season, so their loved ones know what they want when they die. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Five hits, five misses: public and population health and the main party manifestos

Five hits, five misses: public and population health and the main party manifestos Reading manifestos is a double-edged pleasure for a policy wonk, hoping to find evidence of ‘their stuff’ while fearing its absence. The lot of a public health policy wonk is a particularly trying one because we need to look more widely, beyond the NHS (and sometimes social care) sections, to get a sense of how policies might have an impact on the population’s health. The King's Fund

‘Hospital mergers increase death and harm’? Not so fast…

‘Hospital mergers increase death and harm’? Not so fast… In February 2019 the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a working paper on the impact of hospital competition on rates of patient harm in the English NHS. The Health Foundation examined the central conclusion of the CMA paper – that the research provides ‘further empirical evidence that competition ultimately benefits patients’ – finding that this cannot be substantiated from the analysis. This working paper outlines how more rigorous well-designed research is needed to measure the impact of competition on the quality of care. Health Foundation

Stopping the staff we need? Migration choices in the 2019 general election

Stopping the staff we need? Migration choices in the 2019 general election This briefing looks back at how migrants and migration policy have shaped the care workforce across the UK in recent decades, drawing on new figures obtained from the Office for National Statistics. It assesses the risks different parties’ policies pose and how these could be addressed to ensure that we do not stop the staff we need. Nuffield Trust

See also:

• One in four NHS hospital staff were born outside the UK, analysis reveals The Daily Mail
• Both Labour and Tory migration plans 'would worsen NHS staffing' The Guardian
• NHS staff crisis 'would worsen' under both Tory and Labour governments Metro

State of the nation’s health in 2018 shown in new report

State of the nation’s health in 2018 shown in new report The latest figures for the Health Survey for England have been released by NHS Digital, monitoring trends in the nation’s health and featuring new data on gambling, asthma and longstanding conditions.

Opportunities to embed sexual and reproductive healthcare services into new models of care: a practical guide for commissioners and service providers

Opportunities to embed sexual and reproductive healthcare services into new models of care: a practical guide for commissioners and service providers More than 50 strategies and operational plans were reviewed for this report, with results showing that few areas have explicitly recognised the opportunity to embed sexual and reproductive health care services in their plans. Other areas of sexual and reproductive health such as psychosexual services and menopause were not present in the majority of plans. Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare

Lack of social care has led to 2.5 million lost bed days in the NHS between the last Election and this one

Lack of social care has led to 2.5 million lost bed days in the NHS between the last Election and this one Over the same period these ‘social care delayed discharges’ have cost the NHS a total of £587 million, or £27,000 each and every hour

During the 917 days between the last General Election on 8th June 2017 and the upcoming Election on 12th December 2019, new Age UK analysis finds that lost bed days in the NHS due to a lack of social care will have topped the 2.5 million mark.

The cost to the NHS of our national failure to reform and refinance social care over this period is £587 million overall, equivalent to £640,000 every day, or £27,000 every hour, the Charity says.

See also:

• 2.5million NHS bed days have been lost since the last election The Daily Mail
• One in eight care homes closes amid growing crisis in social care The Daily Telegraph

Air pollution in worst hit areas as deadly as smoking over 150 cigarettes each year

Air pollution in worst hit areas as deadly as smoking over 150 cigarettes each year People living in areas of the country that are worst affected by air pollution have an increased risk of death that is on average the equivalent to smoking over 150 cigarettes a year, the British Heart Foundation has warned.

The new analysis of data comes as we urge the next government to urgently adopt into law tougher World Health Organisation (WHO) air pollution limits.

The UK currently subscribes to EU limits on levels of fine particulate matter called PM2.5, which are not as stringent as those set by the WHO. This fine particulate matter is the most dangerous kind of air pollution, with the smallest particles finding their way into the circulatory system when inhaled.

See also:

• Breathing London air is 'like smoking 160 cigarettes a year' The Daily Mail
• City air pollution is equivalent of smoking 150 cigarettes a year The Daily Telegraph
• Breathing London air same as smoking 150 cigarettes a year, experts warn The Independent

Mentally ill 'spend months on hidden waiting list'

Mentally ill 'spend months on hidden waiting list' Patients with mental health problems are being left in limbo on "hidden" waiting lists by England's NHS talking therapy service, the BBC can reveal.

The service - called Improving Access to Psychological Therapies - provides therapy, such as counselling, to adults with conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.

It starts seeing nine in 10 patients within the target time of six weeks.

But that masks the fact many then face long waits for regular treatment.

Half of patients waited over 28 days, and one in six longer than 90 days, between their first and second sessions in the past year. BBC News

Seizures of illegal diazepam tablets double in a year

Seizures of illegal diazepam tablets double in a year The number of illegal diazepam tablets seized entering the UK has more than doubled in a year, figures obtained by the Victoria Derbyshire programme show.

Some 1.3 million were intercepted in the postal system by the UK's Border Force in 2018, up from 545,000 in 2017.

Doctors warn the authenticity of diazepam bought online cannot be trusted. It is illegal to possess without a prescription. BBC News

General election 2019: How many 'new' NHS hospitals are Conservatives building?

General election 2019: How many 'new' NHS hospitals are Conservatives building? The Conservatives have repeatedly pledged to build 40 new NHS hospitals.

The party's manifesto says they are proud "to have begun work on building 40 new hospitals across the country".

"We will build and fund" them, it adds, "over the next 10 years."

The pledge has been questioned throughout the election campaign. Is it certain that all 40 will be built? Will they be creating new beds and additional capacity or just replacing existing facilities? BBC News

Two patients die after hospitals ignore key safety warning

Two patients die after hospitals ignore key safety warning Two patients have died as a result of NHS hospitals failing to heed warnings about the use of super-absorbent gel granules, which patients mistakenly eat thinking they are sweets or salt packets.

A national patient safety alert has been issued by NHS bosses to all hospitals, ambulance trusts and care homes instructing them to stop using the granules unless in exceptional circumstances. The Independent

See also:

• Risk of death and severe harm from ingesting superabsorbent polymer gel granules (2019) NHS Improvement

Leaked NHS document reveals government plan to use cheaper staff to fill nurse vacancies

Leaked NHS document reveals government plan to use cheaper staff to fill nurse vacancies A leaked NHS document reveals that plans to grow the number of nurses rely on using 10,000 cheaper and less qualified staff.

Even then, the health service will still be more than 20,000 nurses short of what is needed in five years’ time, according to the file seen by the Health Service Journal and The Independent, for the as yet unpublished NHS People Plan.

Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Law firm reports 180 new concerns about poor care

Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Law firm reports 180 new concerns about poor care Lawyers acting for families affected by poor care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals Trust say they have received almost 200 new enquiries since The Independent highlighted the findings of a leaked report last month.

More than 800 cases are now under investigation by midwife Donna Ockenden who herself issued an appeal last week for any families with concerns about their care at the Shropshire trust to come forward. The Independent

See also:

• Shrewsbury maternity scandal: NHS used report to create ‘false narrative’ on maternity services The Independent
• Shrewsbury maternity scandal: Hospital boss urges staff to be ‘mindful’ of harmed families and to find ‘common cause’ The Independent

Mental health: young people in crisis waiting hours for A&E help

Mental health: young people in crisis waiting hours for A&E help Thousands of young people undergoing a mental health crisis, including those who are potentially suicidal, are having to wait more than four hours for A&E care, NHS figures show.

Almost a fifth of the under-18s who seek A&E help in England for psychiatric problems such as depression and self-harm are not seen within the supposed maximum of four hours. The Guardian

Scientists develop a 'monthly' birth control that slowly releases doses

Scientists develop a 'monthly' birth control that slowly releases doses Women may finally get to delete their daily birth control alarms in exchange for once-a-month contraception, a new study suggests.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new pill that slowly releases a contraceptive drug over the course of 29 days in tests using pigs.

This is accomplished in part through the innovative design of a capsule that slowly unfolds inside the stomach. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Once-a-month oral contraceptive pill in tests BBC News

NHS-backed online 'doctor bank' could save hospitals millions

NHS-backed online 'doctor bank' could save hospitals millions An online 'doctor bank' could save the NHS millions of pounds by plugging hospital staff shortages at the last minute.

The scheme hopes to create a catalogue of locum doctors, who are essentially freelancers, to fill shifts at major hospitals across the entire country.

Currently, hospitals trying to plug last-minute gaps in their rotas have to fork out up to £4,000 per shift by paying expensive agencies for staff at short notice.

But the Locum's Nest Digital Collaborative Bank claims it can dramatically cut costs for cash-strapped health boards. The Daily Mail

KGH to provide new specialist treatment for lung cancer patients

KGH to provide new specialist treatment for lung cancer patients
KGH has launched a new procedure which can provide quick relief for lung cancer patients without the need for a major operation.The procedure uses a bronchoscope, a kind of tube with a camera and light inserted into the lungs, and then uses electricity to cut a tumour into pieces.

Respiratory consultant Dr George Tsaknis said: "Only a handful of respiratory centres in the UK provide this procedure in their respective endoscopy lists under sedation, and KGH is now one of them." Northamptonshire Telegraph

State of a generation: preventing mental health problems in children and young people

State of a generation: preventing mental health problems in children and young people As part of the Mental Health Foundation’s 70th anniversary, we have commissioned three reports, each looking at a different stage in life and the key things that both challenge and support mental health at these stages.

This is the first of these three reports, focused on children and young people. It is intended both as a review of the recent evidence, and as a guide to anyone wishing to gain a rapid understanding of a preventative approach to mental health. Mental Health Foundation

One in four cancer patients suffers delays being diagnosed, study finds

One in four cancer patients suffers delays being diagnosed, study finds One in four British cancer patients are suffering delays in diagnosis which could cost lives, a major study has found.

The research by Cancer Research UK found that long waits for tests and results after seeing a GP were the chief factor.

Experts warned that half of patients who suffered an avoidable delay ended up waiting at least two months longer than those given a prompt diagnosis. The Telegraph

See also:

• A quarter of cancer patients in England wait TWO MONTHS before being diagnosed Mail Online
• Better GP access to diagnostic tests and more people across the NHS needed to improve cancer care, says RCGP RCGP 

NHS could 'buckle' this winter due to shortage of specialist lung doctors

NHS could 'buckle' this winter due to shortage of specialist lung doctors The NHS could 'buckle' under a flu outbreak this winter due to a crippling shortage of specialist lung doctors, experts fear.

The British Thoracic Society today warned the lack of staff and flux of patients over the coming months is the 'perfect storm'.

It said hospital admissions for lung diseases and killer complications of pneumonia and flu soar this time of year.

And half of UK hospitals UK had at least one vacant respiratory consultant post in 2019 – an increase of 10 per cent since 2015. Mail Online

NHS medics reject 'ideology of Trump' in rally against visit

NHS medics reject 'ideology of Trump' in rally against visit - The Guardian Doctors and nurses have led protests in London against Donald Trump’s visit to Britain, a week after leaked papers surfaced showing that UK and US trade envoys had discussed dismantling NHS drug-price protection.

Demonstrators gathered in Trafalgar Square from 4pm on Tuesday, with NHS workers slated to lead them down the Mall towards Buckingham Palace, where the US president was due to meet the Queen and Boris Johnson at a reception for Nato heads of government. The Guardian

See also:

• Trump wants 'nothing to do' with NHS after Brexit BBC News

Survey finds high level of self-prescribing among doctors

Survey finds high level of self-prescribing among doctors Prescribing for self, family, friends and colleagues is widespread among young Irish doctors, a new survey* shows.
Published online in the Journal of Medical Ethics, the data reveals that some doctors are prescribing addictive and controlled substances, such as sedatives and opiates, despite clear guidance issued by the UK’s professional regulator, the General Medical Council (GMC). OnMedica

More than half of adults in the UK now gamble, new statistics show

More than half of adults in the UK now gamble, new statistics show More than half of adults in the UK now gamble, new figures show, prompting warnings that smartphone betting is fuelling increasingly addictive behaviour.

The head of the NHS last night said too many people were falling victim to “aggressive” tactics by online gambling firms, as the Tories pledged action to treat addiction.

Experts said the Health Survey of England, which polls 10,000 adults and children on their lifestyles, shows smartphone betting holding an increasing grip on younger generations. The Telegraph

See also:

• A nation of gamblers: NHS report reveals four in 10 adults went to casinos or placed bet in 2018 Mail Online
• NHS survey: more than half of English adults gambled in 2018 iGaming Business

Half of GP partners say their practice is less financially secure than a year ago

Half of GP partners say their practice is less financially secure than a year ago Nearly half of GP partners say the financial security of their practice has deteriorated in the past 12 months - and more than two thirds say recent contract funding hikes have yet to benefit them. A total of 46% of GP partners responding to the latest GPonline opinion poll said that their practice felt less financially secure now than 12 months ago - with a further 40% reporting no change.
Just 10% of 136 GP partners who took part in the survey said their practice felt more financially secure than 12 months ago, with the rest unsure. GP Online

Unnecessary appendix surgery 'performed on thousands in UK'

Unnecessary appendix surgery 'performed on thousands in UK'

Thousands of people in the UK, particularly young women, are having their appendices removed unnecessarily because of inadequacies in the way appendicitis is diagnosed, surgeons say.

A study has found that almost a third of women and 12% of men in the UK who undergo surgery for suspected appendicitis end up having a normal appendix removed. The Guardian

See also:

• Women needlessly having their appendix out in almost one in three cases The Telegraph 
• Thousands of young British women 'have needless operations to remove their appendix' Mail Online