GPs' new contract 'cuts bureaucracy'

GPs' new contract 'cuts bureaucracy' Changes to the way GPs are paid will allow them to spend more time with patients, says the health minister. BBC News

Campaigners vow to cut sugar in food

Campaigners vow to cut sugar in food A campaign group has been formed to reduce the amount of sugar added to food and soft drinks in an effort to tackle obesity and diabetes in the UK. BBC News

See also:

• Sugar is as dangerous as alcohol and tobacco, warn health experts The Daily Telegraph
• 'Sugar is the new tobacco': Cuts to amounts hidden in food could halt obesity epidemic, doctors claim The Independent

First H5N1 death in North America

First H5N1 death in North America Canadian health officials confirm the first known fatal case of the H5N1 avian flu strain in North America - a patient in Alberta. BBC News

'Piggy-backing proteins' could kill cancer cells

'Piggy-backing proteins' could kill cancer cells “Cancer-killing "sticky balls" can destroy tumour cells in the blood and may prevent cancers spreading,” BBC News reports.

The headlines follow a laboratory study which found that “piggy-backing” two proteins to white blood cells caused cancer cells to die.

High-impact leadership: improve care, improve the health of populations, and reduce costs

High-impact leadership: improve care, improve the health of populations, and reduce costs This white paper presents three interdependent dimensions of leadership that together define high-impact leadership in health care: new mental models; high-impact leadership behaviours; and IHI high-impact leadership framework. The white paper also includes examples from a variety of health care leaders, to help illustrate high-impact leadership behaviours in real-world practice. Institute for Healthcare Improvement

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Britain is reaching 'a tipping point in its use of antibiotics', says Wellcome Trust director

Britain is reaching 'a tipping point in its use of antibiotics', says Wellcome Trust director Professor Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said Britain is reaching a tipping point in its use of antibiotics beyond which people will start dying of everyday infections. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• 'Golden age' of antibiotics 'set to end' BBC News

Minister signals new help for elderly deemed 'not sick enough' for care

Minister signals new help for elderly deemed 'not sick enough' for care The Coalition's sweeping reforms of the elderly care system are not the 'final word' says Norman Lamb, the care minister, as he hints at further changes to help those told they are 'not sick enough' The Daily Telegraph

Reasons why inspectors will visit Northampton General Hospital revealed

Reasons why inspectors will visit Northampton General Hospital revealed Inspectors will ask for improvements at Northampton General Hospital after they visit later this month, the NGH chief has predicted. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• EDITOR'S LETTER: Northampton General Hospital prepares us for bad news Northampton Herald and Post

New chief executive appointed at Kettering General Hospital

New chief executive appointed at Kettering General Hospital The boss of the NHS in Wales has been appointed as the new chief executive of Kettering General Hospital. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• NHS Wales boss leaves for new post BBC Northamptonshire

Smokers edge close to one billion

Smokers edge close to one billion Although smoking is becoming less popular in many parts of the world, the total number of people who smoke is growing and has reached close to a billion, global figures reveal. BBC News

See also:

• War on tobacco far from won The Guardian

Report cites 'weak' hospital bosses

Report cites 'weak' hospital bosses Bedford Hospital leadership is described as "weak" in a report into paediatric training issues which condemns management for its "high tolerance of unsafe practice". BBC News

Does a high-fibre diet help relieve asthma?

Does a high-fibre diet help relieve asthma? "Eating more fibre could help treat symptoms of asthma, scientists say," The Independent reports. This headline is based on a mouse study that looked at the role that different types of dietary fibre play in the gut and its effect on allergic airway inflammation.

New evidence on management and leadership

New evidence on management and leadership This paper presents a digest of recent research and evidence on healthcare management and leadership. The studies discussed aim to help organisations and individuals to understand better the ways in which effective managers improve services for patients. National Institute for Health Research

Public health grants to local authorities 2013 to 2014 and 2014 to 2015

Public health grants to local authorities 2013 to 2014 and 2014 to 2015 This local authority circular outlines the public health grants to local authorities. The ring fenced grants for 2013 to 2014 and 2014 to 2015 provide local authorities with £2.66 billion and £2.79 billion to spend on public health services for their local populations.The grant conditions and reporting arrangements that will apply to the grant from April 2013 have also been published. Department of Health

• Local authority circular
• Table of local authority grants
• Grant conditions and report arrangements
• Further information and supporting documents

Government 'buried' release of key evidence on minimum alcohol price before policy U-turn

Government 'buried' release of key evidence on minimum alcohol price before policy U-turn

The Government “buried” key evidence in the run-up to a major U-turn on minimum pricing for alcohol, it has emerged, amid accusations from doctors that pressure from the alcohol industry was “instrumental” in blocking the policy. The Independent

See also:

• Were ministers under the influence of drinks industry? The Daily Telegraph

A&Es see some people 50 times a year

A&Es see some people 50 times a year Some patients are going to A&E units in the UK more than 50 times a year, a BBC investigation into the issue of repeat visits shows. BBC News

AUDIO: Oesophageal cancer deaths up by 50%

AUDIO: Oesophageal cancer deaths up by 50% Death rates from oesophageal cancer rise by almost 50% over the last 40 years, according to Cancer Research UK. BBC News

Experts say sadness is wrongly being medicalised

Experts say sadness is wrongly being medicalised  Two experts have warned that antidepressants are being “doled out as cure for simple sadness,” reports The Daily Telegraph.

The news is based on an opinion piece written by two professors in the British Medical Journal. It is one of an ongoing series of articles looking at the potential harms of overdiagnosing different conditions.

The authors argue the current criteria for diagnosing depression includes wide groups of people with mixed severities of the condition, and are therefore too broad.

There's a new climate of diktat and fear sweeping through the NHS | Polly Toynbee

There's a new climate of diktat and fear sweeping through the NHS | Polly Toynbee An occupational therapist who won awards for her work has been sacked for querying cuts to a stroke unit.

Nurses face three-year competency checks

Nurses face three-year competency checks Nurses and midwives will be forced to reflect on the comments of their patients and retrain if necessary to keep their registration. The Daily Telegraph