NHS lacks money and staff for seven-day operation, David Cameron told

NHS lacks money and staff for seven-day operation, David Cameron told NHS chief executive Simon Stevens, former health minister Norman Lamb and doctors’ groups cast doubt on prime minister’s ambition.

The head of the NHS, a former health minister and several medical bodies have warned David Cameron that financial problems and a lack of staff will make it difficult to achieve his ambition of a truly seven-day health service by 2020.

The prime minister’s reaffirmation of the plan, first unveiled during the election campaign, prompted questions about how the NHS, which is forecast to be £2bn in the red by the end of the year, would pay for becoming a full 24/7 operation. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Speech: PM on plans for a seven-day NHS Department of Health
• RCGP response to Prime Minister's speech on 'Seven Day' NHS Royal College of General Practitioners
• The RCN responds to plans for a new seven-day NHS Royal College of Nursing
• David Cameron to make NHS the first 7-days-a-week health service The Daily Mail
• Tech part of 7-day NHS - Cameron E-Health Insider
• David Cameron pledges seven-day NHS - video The Guardian
• NHS England chief: cash shortages could hit plans for seven-day health service The Guardian
• The Guardian view on the English NHS: the seven-day daydream | Editorial The Guardian
• David Cameron’s promise of a ‘seven-day NHS’ is rooted in ignorance, not evidence | Colin Leys The Guardian
• Can the NHS handle a seven-day service? Poll The Guardian
• Seven-day NHS unaffordable on existing budget, Lib Dems say OnMedica

Fat parents must 'shape up or face music', head of NHS warns

Fat parents must 'shape up or face music', head of NHS warns Simon Stevens, the chief executive of the NHS, said a third of parents are unable to spot that their children are overweight amid concerns that obesity is becoming the norm. The Daily Telegraph

Nurses may call strike if Government tries to cut pay as David Cameron vows to deliver 'truly seven-day NHS' plans

Nurses may call strike if Government tries to cut pay as David Cameron vows to deliver 'truly seven-day NHS' plans Nurses will take industrial action if the Government tries to cut pay to deliver its election promise of a “truly seven-day NHS”, the leader of Britain’s biggest nursing union has warned. The Independent

See also:

• Jeremy Hunt attacks nursing union for 'ridiculous' strike threat over seven-day NHS The Daily Telegraph

Northamptonshire NHS wants to get people talking about end of life plans

Northamptonshire NHS wants to get people talking about end of life plans The NHS in Northamptonshire are encouraging people to plan their future care and support as part of dying matters awareness week from May 18 to 24. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Hospital staff set up to fail by conflicting targets, says Northampton General Hospital boss

Hospital staff set up to fail by conflicting targets, says Northampton General Hospital boss Hospital staff are too often asked to meet targets that conflict with each other, sometimes making it impossible to succeed, according to the boss of NGH. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton mental health worker wins national diversity award

Northampton mental health worker wins national diversity award A mental health employee at a Northampton hospital has won a public services award during a national ceremony. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

GPs leaving profession early due to patient overload, Northamptonshire doctors’ group says

GPs leaving profession early due to patient overload, Northamptonshire doctors’ group says Early retirement of exhausted GPs and recruitment problems are leading to a crisis in general practice in Northamptonshire, a doctors’ group has warned. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Improving mental health: recognising the vital role of charities

Improving mental health: recognising the vital role of charities A longstanding criticism of health care in the United Kingdom is that people with mental health problems often fail to receive the same access to services or quality of care as people with other forms of illness.

In their election campaign, the Conservatives pledged to increase mental health funding and ensure psychological therapists are available in every part of the country. But there is a long way to go before mental health achieves ‘parity of esteem’ with physical health. For example, three in four people with a mental health problem in England receive little or no treatment for their condition, and there are large gaps in terms of health outcomes – people with the most severe mental illnesses die on average 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population.

Hospitals fined millions on targets

Hospitals fined millions on targets Hospitals in the South West are being fined millions of pounds for not meeting their targets. BBC News

Exclusive: NHS IT 'too fragmented' to cope with integrated care

Exclusive: NHS IT 'too fragmented' to cope with integrated care Healthcare IT systems are currently too isolated for new models of care to succeed, an IT expert and former GP has warned. GP Online

Migrants avoid NHS healthcare due to fears of arrest, charity claims

Migrants avoid NHS healthcare due to fears of arrest, charity claims Doctors of the World warns of public health ‘time bomb’ as migrants to the UK suffer legal, administrative and language barriers

Migrants who have permission to be in the UK are avoiding seeking vital medical treatment for fear of being arrested, a charity has warned.

Doctors of the World, which runs a clinic in Bethnal Green, east London, said 83% of the patients it spoke to for its annual survey had no access to the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian

Hospitals cancelling largest number of operations for ten years

Hospitals cancelling largest number of operations for ten years Latest NHS England figures warn that patients affected suffer anxiety or distress as a result

Hospitals are cancelling the largest number of operations for ten years, according to new official figures, prompting warnings that the NHS is under “extreme pressure”.

A total of 20,464 planned surgeries were cancelled at the last minute for non-clinical reasons in January, February and March in England. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Surge in cancelled operations BBC News
• Surge in cancelled NHS operations The Daily Telegraph

Thousands more GPs to create a world class seven-day NHS, David Cameron to say

Thousands more GPs to create a world class seven-day NHS, David Cameron to say The Prime Minister will express 'shock' at the death rates in hospitals at weekends compared with weekdays and point out that the largest numbers of seriously ill patients arrive when NHS staffing is at its lowest. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Press release: Seven-day a week NHS: Prime Minister's speech Department of Health
• Cameron renews NHS funding promises BBC News
• VIDEO: Hunt dismisses nursing concerns BBC News
• David Cameron vows to deliver world's first seven-day health service Guardian

Hospital chiefs at UK's biggest mental health trust under fire after refusing to reveal findings into fraud investigation

Hospital chiefs at UK's biggest mental health trust under fire after refusing to reveal findings into fraud investigation Hospital chiefs at the UK’s biggest mental health trust have been criticised for refusing to reveal if it will publish its findings into a year-long fraud investigation triggered by the discovery of a £4m black hole that led to the scrapping of several clinical projects. The Independent

Medical union to seek legal advice on treatment of young doctors amid fear NHS is breaching Human Rights Act

Medical union to seek legal advice on treatment of young doctors amid fear NHS is breaching Human Rights Act The country’s leading medical union is to seek legal advice on the treatment of young doctors by their NHS employers, amid concerns that it may be in breach of the Human Rights Act. The Independent

Inclusion and diversity in the NHS: let’s be bigger and bolder

Inclusion and diversity in the NHS: let’s be bigger and bolder This week marks NHS Employers’ Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Week. In the past year, the NHS has started to make progress in this area, particularly in terms of raising awareness – a crucial first step. However, measuring diversity and setting quotas are not ends in themselves; they are part of the progression towards inclusive, successful organisations and cultures of high-quality care.

There is increasing evidence that a diverse, inclusive workforce can bring economic and strategic advantages. McKinsey’s Diversity matters report makes the case that diversity is business-critical and no longer about piecemeal policies, one-off interventions and well-intentioned recruitment drives. Diverse companies, it says, are ‘better able to win top talent, improve their customer experience, improve employee satisfaction and decision-making, leading to a virtuous cycle on increasing returns'.

The election, the result - but what does the future hold for integrated services?

The election, the result - but what does the future hold for integrated services? Integration means health and social care working as one. We have to treat them as two parts of the same whole, giving them equal consideration, and equally fair funding too, says Izzi Seccombe. The Health Foundation

A glazier or a window breaker?

A glazier or a window breaker? A glazier or a window breaker – which approach do we need from our Secretary of State for Health over the next five years? A bit of both, says Jennifer Dixon. The Health Foundation

International recruitment - quick guides for employers

International recruitment - quick guides for employers A range of quick guides on the subject of international recruitment developed by NHS Employers

Peer support: what is it and does it work?

Peer support: what is it and does it work? This review found evidence that peer support can help people feel more knowledgeable, confident and happy, and less isolated and alone. It also showed that there is a limited understanding of the different forms of peer support, how best to deliver support and the forms of training and infrastructure to get the most impact from it so concludes that further evidence is needed to fully understand the impact it has on the health service and individuals with long-term health conditions. National Voices