Thursday, 10 July 2014
Making mental health count: the social and economic costs of neglecting mental health care
Making mental health count: the social and economic costs of neglecting mental health care This report argues that even in those OECD countries with a long history of deinstitutionalisation, there is still a long way to go to make community-based mental health care that achieves good outcomes for people with severe mental illness a reality. It addresses the high cost of mental illness, weaknesses and innovative developments in the organisation of care, changes and future directions for the mental health workforce, the need to develop better indicators for mental health care and quality, and tools for better governance of the mental health system. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
Fears raised 'free NHS' will end
Fears raised 'free NHS' will end Fears are being raised the NHS in England will no longer be free at the point of use - up to now a key principle for the health service - within 10 years. BBC News
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Call to review surgery waiting times
Call to review surgery waiting times The new president of the Royal College of Surgeons says the 18-week waiting target for routine operations in England should be reviewed. BBC News
Community prescribing increases by almost 60 per cent, but costs rise by only 15 per cent since 2003
Community prescribing increases by almost 60 per cent, but costs rise by only 15 per cent since 2003 The number of prescription items dispensed in the community has increased by 58.5 per cent since 2003 new Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) analysis shows today. Over 1.03 billion items were prescribed in 2013 compared to 649.7 million in 2003.
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Dengue fever cases in returning travellers increase by 60% in one year
Dengue fever cases in returning travellers increase by 60% in one year In 2013, 541 cases of dengue fever were reported in travellers returning from dengue-affected countries. OnMedica
Pensioners to prisoners: how telecare can treat hard to reach patients
Pensioners to prisoners: how telecare can treat hard to reach patients Airedale foundation NHS trust conducts videoconferencing consultations with prisoners at Full Sutton maximum security jail
Last winter, 93-year-old Ernest Towers had access to arguably one of the most transformational tools in healthcare, when his North Yorkshire care home, Sutton Lodge, was linked to Airedale NHS foundation trust's telemedicine service.
For many older people, unplanned admissions to emergency departments or even routine hospital appointments can be hugely disruptive. The link to Airedale's telehealth hub, staffed by nurses experienced in acute assessment, provides Towers with on call specialised medical care around the clock, albeit via video link. Continue reading... The Guardian
Last winter, 93-year-old Ernest Towers had access to arguably one of the most transformational tools in healthcare, when his North Yorkshire care home, Sutton Lodge, was linked to Airedale NHS foundation trust's telemedicine service.
For many older people, unplanned admissions to emergency departments or even routine hospital appointments can be hugely disruptive. The link to Airedale's telehealth hub, staffed by nurses experienced in acute assessment, provides Towers with on call specialised medical care around the clock, albeit via video link. Continue reading... The Guardian
One in 10 NHS watchdog staff should not have got the jobs
One in 10 NHS watchdog staff should not have got the jobs Documents reveal one in 10 inspectors working for Care Quality Commission failed competency tests but will not be fired. The Daily Telegraph
Charities warn of 'alarming' rise in cancer test waits
Charities warn of 'alarming' rise in cancer test waits Official statistics show number of patients waiting at least six weeks for some NHS scans has doubled in just one month. The Daily Telegraph
Head of NHS England announces a radical new patient care plan in move to save money
Head of NHS England announces a radical new patient care plan in move to save money The head of NHS England has unveiled a radical plan for the reorganisation of how care is delivered in the community by giving vulnerable patients control of their own combined health and social care budgets. The Independent
See also:
See also:
- NHS England Chief offers local government leaders radical new health and social care integration option NHS England
- Patients to control their own integrated care funding from 2015 GP Online
- Individuals to be allowed to control their own NHS and community care OnMedica
- Frail 'need joint NHS and care fund' BBC News
Exclusive: Government launches inquiry over 100 suspicious deaths at a Hampshire hospital
Exclusive: Government launches inquiry over 100 suspicious deaths at a Hampshire hospital
A Hillsborough-style inquiry to investigate up to 100 suspicious deaths at a Hampshire hospital during the 1990s is set to be announced by the Government today. The Independent
A Hillsborough-style inquiry to investigate up to 100 suspicious deaths at a Hampshire hospital during the 1990s is set to be announced by the Government today. The Independent
Wednesday, 9 July 2014
Pay dispute at NGH steps up as full strike called by locked out blood scientists
Pay dispute at NGH steps up as full strike called by locked out blood scientists The lockout of blood test scientists by Northampton General Hospital has turned into full strike Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Better Care Fund, better read the small print?
Better Care Fund, better read the small print? Although earlier rumours of the demise of the Better Care Fund – the government’s flagship £3.8 billion pooled fund to promote integrated care – have turned out to be greatly exaggerated, the significance of the government’s latest announcement about the fund should not be. Although this has been fed by mounting political anxieties about the state of hospital finances ahead of next year’s general election, the writing has always been on the wall.
Staff engagement case studies
Staff engagement case studies These focus on the journey, the challenges and the outcomes of three NHS trusts. Some of the key outcomes include major improvements in national staff survey results, reductions in sickness absence and staff feeling more valued. NHS Employers
The pursuit of happiness: a new ambition for our mental health
The pursuit of happiness: a new ambition for our mental health This is the final report of the CentreForum Mental Health Commission, chaired by Paul Burstow MP, which looked at the state of mental wellbeing in England. It calls for parity of funding for mental health which currently receives 13% of NHS spend in England but accounts for 23% of demand. It also identifies five key priorities for policy makers to improve the investment in mental health services; improve access to mental health services; and promote self-care, support and recovery in mental health. Centre Forum
New ways of working in mental health services: a qualitative, comparative case study assessing and informing the emergence of new peer worker roles in mental health services in England
New ways of working in mental health services: a qualitative, comparative case study assessing and informing the emergence of new peer... A variety of peer worker roles are being introduced into the mental health workforce in England, in a range of organisational contexts and service delivery settings. The evidence base demonstrating the effectiveness of peer worker-based interventions is inconclusive and largely from outside England. This study aimed to test the international evidence base, and what is known generally about role adoption in public services, in a range of mental health services in England. It also aimed to develop organisational learning supporting the introduction of peer worker roles, identifying learning that was generic across mental health services and that which was specific to organisational contexts or service delivery settings. National Institute for Health Research
Organ transplants 'on the rise'
Organ transplants 'on the rise' The number of organ transplants is continuing to rise, but the UK still lags behind other countries, official figures show. BBC News
See also:
See also:
- VIDEO: How organ transplant changed my life BBC News
- Organ transplants at record level The Daily Telegraph
GPs keen to play bigger role in responding to cases of child maltreatment
GPs keen to play bigger role in responding to cases of child maltreatment The report, The GP’s Role in Responding to Child Maltreatment, claims that giving family doctors the time, support and autonomy to work with vulnerable families in the community – as well as referring cases to social care services – could benefit children and families in the short and long term. Royal College of General Practitioners
Improving dementia long-term care: a policy blueprint
Improving dementia long-term care: a policy blueprint The authors identified 25 high-impact policy options covering five broad objectives to improve dementia long-term services and support the delivery system, workforce and financing. Rand Corporation
Monday deadline for tech fund two bids
Monday deadline for tech fund two bids NHS trusts in England are at varying stages of readiness for the £240m second round of NHS England's technology fund, with the deadline for applications closing in less than a week. E-Health Insider
Blood test for Alzheimer’s 'no better than coin toss'
Blood test for Alzheimer’s 'no better than coin toss' “Research in more than 1,000 people has identified a set of proteins in the blood which can predict the start of the dementia with 87% accuracy,” BBC News reports.
The primary goal of the test was to predict whether people with mild cognitive impairments (usually age-related memory problems) would go on to develop “full-blown” Alzheimer’s disease over approximately a year.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, so people may question whether an early warning system for the disease is of any practical use.
However, having a relatively reliable method of identifying high-risk people who will develop Alzheimer’s could be useful in recruiting suitable candidates for clinical trials investigating future treatments.
An important point is that, while the test accuracy rate of 87% sounds impressive, it may be a large overestimate of what would happen in reality.
Given real world assumptions on the proportion of people who have mild cognitive impairment that progress to Alzheimer’s disease (10-15%), the predictive ability of the test falls to around 50% – no better than a coin toss.
Furthermore, the test only made predictions from around a year earlier.
Consequently, on its own, this test is unlikely to be much good. However, refining this test and combining it with other methods (such as a lipid test we discussed in March) might improve accuracy rates, making it a viable predictive tool in the future.
The primary goal of the test was to predict whether people with mild cognitive impairments (usually age-related memory problems) would go on to develop “full-blown” Alzheimer’s disease over approximately a year.
There is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s, so people may question whether an early warning system for the disease is of any practical use.
However, having a relatively reliable method of identifying high-risk people who will develop Alzheimer’s could be useful in recruiting suitable candidates for clinical trials investigating future treatments.
An important point is that, while the test accuracy rate of 87% sounds impressive, it may be a large overestimate of what would happen in reality.
Given real world assumptions on the proportion of people who have mild cognitive impairment that progress to Alzheimer’s disease (10-15%), the predictive ability of the test falls to around 50% – no better than a coin toss.
Furthermore, the test only made predictions from around a year earlier.
Consequently, on its own, this test is unlikely to be much good. However, refining this test and combining it with other methods (such as a lipid test we discussed in March) might improve accuracy rates, making it a viable predictive tool in the future.
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