Thursday, 18 July 2013

The Keogh Report: reacting to reactions

The Keogh Report: reacting to reactions Yesterday's high octane ding-dong in the House of Commons over the Keogh report was an example of the unacceptable face of political interference in the delivery of healthcare, says Stephen Thornton. The Health Foundation

Hospital inspections 'to be tougher'

Hospital inspections 'to be tougher' he new chief inspector of hospitals in England promises more robust and broader inspections, as he acknowledges previous methods were "flawed". BBC News

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Minimum alcohol price plan shelved

Minimum alcohol price plan shelved The government will not introduce a minimum price for a unit of alcohol in England and Wales but will stop it being sold below the cost of duty plus VAT. BBC News

'Cancer sniffing' knife designed

'Cancer sniffing' knife designed An "intelligent" knife that can sniff out tumours to improve cancer surgery has been developed by scientists. BBC News

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Why not... privatise the NHS?

Why not... privatise the NHS? Arguments for and against the biggest taboo in UK politics. BBC News

Community nursing insulin chart

Community nursing insulin chart The risks associated with the administration of insulin are well known and the maladministration of insulin is now a never event.
An insulin chart has been developed by experienced community health services pharmacists and includes a number of safety features within the chart design, for example it is pre-printed with the word “units”. NHS Networks

Dementia rates dropping

Dementia rates dropping “Dementia rates fall as public health improves,” is the good news story greeting readers of The Daily Telegraph.
The news comes from UK based research published in The Lancet medical journal. The research showed the number of people with dementia in the UK in 2011 was much lower than researchers predicted based on trends two decades earlier.

Surgery deferred. Sight denied. Variation in cataract service provision across England

Surgery deferred. Sight denied. Variation in cataract service provision across England This report from the RNIB reveals the variation in rates of cataract operations across England. The analysis also reveals a national decline in the rate of second eye operations taking place which the report highlights as an area of concern. Research indicates that patients who have early access to second eye surgery may experience fewer falls and fractures compared to those who waited for 12 months.

NHS staff: social indicators

NHS staff: social indicators This briefing note provides overview statistical information on the NHS workforce in England.

Patients are twice as likely to die in some NHS hospitals because they lack proper equipment and resources, new study finds

Patients are twice as likely to die in some NHS hospitals because they lack proper equipment and resources, new study finds A study by Imperial College London found that hospital that made the most of medical equipment like ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) scanning had lower mortality rates. The Daily Mail

Elderly care revolution as state-backed insurance scheme announced

Elderly care revolution as state-backed insurance scheme announced Government shakeup planned to cap costs for one in eight poorer pensioners and cut bills for the wealthy by up to a fifth.

Care cap will only help small minority of elderly, officials admit

Care cap will only help small minority of elderly, officials admit Only one in eight elderly people will ever qualify for the long-awaited cap on the cost of care, Government officials have acknowledged for the first time.The Daily Telegraph

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Hospitals rely increasingly on income from fee-paying patients, warns BMA report

Hospitals rely increasingly on income from fee-paying patients, warns BMA report

Hospitals in England are increasingly relying on income from fee-paying patients, as NHS budget pressures continue to mount. The Independent

Wednesday, 17 July 2013

The Keogh Mortality Review

The final report of the Keogh Review into 14 NHS trusts has now been published:
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Whither public health policy: conspiracy or cock-up?

Whither public health policy: conspiracy or cock-up? Whilst Public Health England has been busy releasing useful tools to help local areas benchmark their performance against others, Whitehall has been largely quiet on the public health policy front (with the exception of the Secretary of State’s welcome focus on reducing premature mortality). 

NHS hospitals expanding private work

NHS hospitals expanding private work One in six hospitals in England have introduced new private treatment options this year, an investigation reveals. BBC News

More care, less pathway: a review of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP)

More care, less pathway: a review of the Liverpool Care Pathway (LCP) This report sets out recommendations regarding the LCP and end of life care following an independent review chaired by Baroness Julia Neuberger. The recommendations include phasing out the LCP and replacing it with an individual end of life care plan; an end to incentive payments for use of the LCP and other similar approaches; and a new system-wide approach to improving the quality of care for the dying.

Resources for commissioners of women's health services

Resources for commissioners of women's health services This new new e-resource aims to support CCGs and NHS England in the commissioning of women’s health services. It brings together standards for hospital-based obstetric and gynaecological care with community-based sexual and reproductive healthcare advice. It is also accompanied by a digital booklet, which provides a brief introduction to the medical specialties and highlights examples of best practice and innovation in UK health organisations.

Named GP for people dying in the community

Named GP for people dying in the community GPs should give dying patients their phone number for OOH emergencies. OnMedica

What questions should we be asking about end-of-life care?

What questions should we be asking about end-of-life care? The Liverpool care pathway was one element in a system that needs refocusing on how, rather than just where, people die
With the current focus on the Liverpool care pathway (LCP), there is a lot of talk about how people's end-of-life wishes are taken into account.
This is a very specific example of where a tool designed to improve co-ordination between professionals has sometimes been poorly implemented to the detriment of patients and their families.
But focusing on the LCP alone means we fail to see the wood for the trees.