A Locala service for local people

A Locala service for local people

District nurse Julie Maguire works in a world where all of her patients' information is held electronically. EHI Insight

Cochrane review finds that acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy and electrostimulation show little benefit for smoking cessation

Cochrane review finds that acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy and electrostimulation show little benefit for smoking cessation

Despite being on the decline, smoking is still one of the largest causes of preventable morbidity and mortality in the world. According to recent World Health Organisation data, smoking directly kills around 5 million people every year. The NHS spends almost £90 million on cessation efforts to combat the £5 billion treatment cost. Recent research [read the full story...]

Quitting Smoking: Therapeutic in Mental Health Treatment - Psychiatric Times

Quitting Smoking: Therapeutic in Mental Health Treatment - Psychiatric Times

A recent study aimed to investigate the impact of smoking cessation on mental health in general and psychiatric populations.10 The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies and found 26 studies which examined ...

Exclusive: New meningitis vaccine for every child will ease 'parent’s greatest fear'

Exclusive: New meningitis vaccine for every child will ease 'parent’s greatest fear'

A new vaccine against meningitis B – one of the most feared diseases, which can quickly kill children or leave them needing limb amputations – is to be made available free on the NHS. Independent

Thousands of dementia patients not referred to specialists

Thousands of dementia patients not referred to specialists

Hospitals failing thousands of patients with suspected dementia, new figures show. Telegraph

Values mapping tool

Values mapping tool

This tool aims to help organisations to map their values to the those in the NHS Constitution. It has been developed as part of Health Education England’s Values Based Recruitment programme which will ensure that selection into all new NHS funded training posts incorporates testing of values based recruitment by March 2015. NHS Employers
Mapping tool
NHS Employers - recruitment and retention

Consultation skills for pharmacy practice: practice standards for England

Consultation skills for pharmacy practice: practice standards for England

This framework aims to help pharmacy professionals to improve their skills in carrying out consultations with patients and in delivering public health messages. It represents a national programme of change in pharmacy and will apply to more than 60,000 pharmacy professionals across England. Health Education England
Practice standards
Standards of ethics, conduct and performance
Consultations skills for pharmacy practice - website
HEE - news

Patient safety alert: improving incident reporting and learning

Patient safety alert: improving incident reporting and learning

NHS England and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency have jointly issued two patient safety alerts to help healthcare providers increase incident reporting for medication errors and medical devices. The alerts instruct providers to take specific steps that will improve data report quality; and will see the establishment of national networks to maximise learning and provide guidance on minimising harm relating to these two incident types.
Medical device safety alert
Medication error safety alert
NHS England - news

Threatened refuges handed reprieve

Threatened refuges handed reprieve The planned closure of refuges that protect domestic abuse victims in Northamptonshire is halted until operators can find other funds. BBC Northamptonshire

Police helicopters searching for missing Northampton General Hospital patient

Police helicopters searching for missing Northampton General Hospital patient Officers from Northamptonshire Police are searching for a 64-year-old man who has gone missing from Northampton General Hospital. Graham Lane was last seen at about 1pm at the hospital. He is slim, white, about 5ft 7in with a pale complexion. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Budget 2014 - the headlines

Budget 2014 - the headlines  There were a number of announcements in the budget with a NHS or workforce angle. Read our summary for more details. NHS Employers

FAQs on the NHS pay award 2014/15 and 2015/16 published

FAQs on the NHS pay award 2014/15 and 2015/16 published Following the Government’s announcement last week on the NHS pay award for the next two years, we have now published a set of frequently asked questions and answers (FAQs) to help explain more of the detail. NHS Employers

Lung cancer rates up among UK women

Lung cancer rates up among UK women Lung cancer rates among women in the UK have increased by 73% since 1975 while declining by 47% in men, new figures have revealed. BBC News

NHS complaints system 'too complex'

NHS complaints system 'too complex' Healthwatch England says more than 70 organisations are involved in the process for dealing with complaints about the NHS and social care. BBC News

Health and wellbeing peer challenges

Health and wellbeing peer challenges This publication contains a number of case studies outlining how peer challenge is playing a strong role supporting and improving public health. Local Government Association

Kelsey admits care.data use unclear

Kelsey admits care.data use unclear NHS England delayed the care.data programme because it could not give guarantees on how the data would be used, NHS England's director of patients and information has said. E-Health Insider

NHS hospitals suffer annual loss for first time in eight years

NHS hospitals suffer annual loss for first time in eight years Combined deficit of £456.8m reported by 26 of 102 trusts, renewing fears about long-term financing of the NHS.

NHS hospitals will end the financial year in the red for the first time in eight years, according to official figures, with 26 loss-making trusts reporting a combined deficit of £456.8m.

The University Hospitals of Leicester NHS trust has run up the largest deficit: £39.8m. The figures published on Thursday will renew fears that the NHS's finances have been deteriorating sharply in recent months, especially as a result of many trusts having to hire extra staff, notably nurses, in order to ensure safe and high-quality care in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire scandal.

Dutch idea of health checks via the web show NHS a cost-cutting future

Dutch idea of health checks via the web show NHS a cost-cutting future

Imagine if your doctor was as easy to contact as your Facebook friends - and you could Skype them whenever you liked to talk about your health concerns. The Independent

Outgoing NHS boss Sir David Nicholson wants to work with press regulator to stop health service being undermined by ‘sensational’ newspaper...

Outgoing NHS boss Sir David Nicholson wants to work with press regulator to stop health service being undermined by ‘sensational’ newspaper...

The outgoing boss of the NHS in England has revealed he plans to spend the next stage of his career defending the health service from newspapers which “hate the NHS”. The Independent

Disabled people in care facilities 'deprived of liberty', says judge

Disabled people in care facilities 'deprived of liberty', says judge 'A gilded cage is still a cage', according to judge who says disabled people have the same human right to physical liberty as the rest of the human race. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Disabled in care ‘denied human rights,’ Supreme Court rules The Independent