Rise in 'anti-abortion protests'

Rise in 'anti-abortion protests' The rise in US-style anti-abortion protests in England. BBC News

See also:

• VIDEO: Anti-abortion protests rise in UK BBC News

Breaking even 'would have shut A&E'

Breaking even 'would have shut A&E' A major hospital would have to close its A&E department nine days in every 10 to break even because of the funding formula, a former chief executive says. BBC News

UK/China fund on antimicrobial resistance to launch

UK/China fund on antimicrobial resistance to launch Plan to attract £1 billion investment in research. OnMedica

Having borderline personality disorder helps me in my NHS job

Having borderline personality disorder helps me in my NHS job Some people have said it’s a career death sentence but my lived experience of mental health problems makes me a more compassionate clinician. The Guardian

Should the NHS scrap the four-hour A&E wait time target?

Should the NHS scrap the four-hour A&E wait time target? Some of the incentives in the system have to change in order to secure a sustainable health service

One month before the comprehensive spending review, data from the King’s Fund have revealed the shocking impact of social care cuts on NHS hospitals. The financial distress in trusts can no longer be allowed to crush every other funding demand across the care system.

The King’s Fund’s latest quarterly monitoring report shows nearly 90% of acute trust finance directors surveyed say social care cuts are affecting the performance of local health services. Continue reading... The Guardian

Processed meat and cancer link: Just two rashers of bacon per day increases risk of bowel cancer, says WHO

Processed meat and cancer link: Just two rashers of bacon per day increases risk of bowel cancer, says WHO World Health Organisation places bacon and ham in the same category as cigarette smoke and formaldehyde. The Independent

See also:

• IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat (press release) World Health Organization
• Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat World Health Organization
• Bacon, burgers and sausages 'are as big a cancer threat as cigarettes,' global health chiefs declare The Daily Mail
• Processed meat ranks alongside smoking as major cause of cancer, World Health Organisation says The Daily Telegraph
• Does bacon cause cancer? Key questions about the WHO red meat report The Daily Telegraph
• Bacon and sausages are carcinogenic – but there are 480 things the WHO says may cause cancer The Independent
• Red meat could raise cancer risk, conclude experts OnMedica

TTIP: Jeremy Corbyn, Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon and Natalie Bennett sign appeal to exempt NHS from trade deal

TTIP: Jeremy Corbyn, Nigel Farage, Nicola Sturgeon and Natalie Bennett sign appeal to exempt NHS from trade deal The organisers, from Unite, say that they approached the Conservatives asking for support but were refused. The Independent

Health campaigners to lobby south Northamptonshire MP over trade deal which they claim threatens NHS

Health campaigners to lobby south Northamptonshire MP over trade deal which they claim threatens NHS Campaigners in south Northamptonshire are calling for action from their MP over a trade deal that they say threatens the NHS. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Two CCGs set to rank GP practices based on A&E attendances

Two CCGs set to rank GP practices based on A&E attendances GP practices across one area of England will be ranked internally based on the number of patients on their list who attend A&E.

NHS Nene CCG and NHS Corby CCG plan to list the top 20 GP practices across Northampton that have the highest number of ‘frequent’ A&E users.

Once identified, the practices will be ‘supported in managing those patients proactively’, board papers revealed. Pulse

Mental Health Act: detentions rise by almost ten per cent on previous year

Mental Health Act: detentions rise by almost ten per cent on previous year Detentions under the Mental Health Act rose by 9.8 per cent (5,220) to 58,4003 in 2014/15 compared to the previous year, according to official statistics published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

See also:

• Inpatients Formally Detained in Hospitals Under the Mental Health Act 1983 and Patients Subject to Supervised Community Treatment, England - 2014-2015, Annual figures Health and Social Care Information Centre
• Mental health detentions up by 10% BBC News
• England's mental health crisis: Patients sectioned rises by 10% The Daily Mail
• Mental Health Act detentions rise 10% The Guardian
• Rise in mental health detentions shows 'services are struggling' The Guardian
• Mental Health Act Detentions Rise By Nearly 10 Percent, HSCIC Figures Show The Huffington Post UK
• Sharp rise in Mental Health Act detainments shows need for urgent investment National Health Executive
• More people are being detained under the Mental Health Act OnMedica

Community mental health patient experience scores

Community mental health patient experience scores The latest statistical information on patients’ experience of mental health services in the NHS.

This is an update to include results from the 2015 Community Mental Health Survey. NHS England

Hospital trusts productivity in the English NHS: uncovering possible drivers of productivity variations

Hospital trusts productivity in the English NHS: uncovering possible drivers of productivity variations This study looks at how NHS trusts perform in terms of how much they produce given the resources (doctors, nurses, medicines and premises) they use. It finds that on these criteria there is a lot of variation between trusts and that the best and worst performers stay the same over time. It is not possible to explain away the variation in terms of the kinds of patients that are treated. These results suggest that there may be scope for making substantial savings by ensuring that all trusts perform as well as the best ones. Centre for Health Economics

Majority of emergency service staff suffer alcohol fuelled abuse

Majority of emergency service staff suffer alcohol fuelled abuse A new report, Alcohol’s Impact on Emergency Services, reveals the full extent of the toll alcohol takes on emergency services in England.

The report presents an extensive survey of police officers, ambulance and paramedic staff, accident and emergency department consultants and fire officers. It outlines both the financial burden on the emergency services and the human cost to frontline staff. The report also recommends a set of evidence-based policy measures to address this issue. Institute of Alcohol Studies

See also:

• Alcohol's impact on emergency services (full report) Institute of Alcohol Studies
• Alcohol's impact on emergency services (summary) Institute of Alcohol Studies
• Alcohol's impact on emergency services (video) Institute of Alcohol Studies
• A&E paramedics and police spend a quarter of their time dealing with drunks The Daily Mail
• Police call for end to 24-hour licensing over alcohol-related violence The Guardian

Paramedics 'baffled' by legal highs

Paramedics 'baffled' by legal highs The complex chemical make-up of legal highs is leaving ambulance services dangerously uncertain about how to treat casualties, a senior paramedic claims. BBC News

Chancellor urged to scrap health cuts

Chancellor urged to scrap health cuts Medical groups are asking George Osborne to reverse planned cuts to vital health services in England. BBC News

See also:

• Letter to Treasury Public Health Funding Cuts Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
• Health organisations call on Chancellor to reverse public health cuts Royal College of Nursing
• George Osborne broke Government pledge to protect NHS budget, say doctors and council leaders The Independent
• Joint plea to protect public health services OnMedica

GPs demand end to 'scandalous' waste of 14m appointments from repeat hospital referrals

GPs demand end to 'scandalous' waste of 14m appointments from repeat hospital referrals GP leaders are calling on NHS commissioners to stop hospitals dumping unnecessary workload on practices by forcing them to re-refer patients who miss appointments. GP Online

NHS medical director coy on 'weekend effect' of hospital deaths

NHS medical director coy on 'weekend effect' of hospital deaths Prof Sir Bruce Keogh did not confirm Jeremy Hunt’s claim that 11,000 patients die annually due to understaffed hospitals

The NHS’s medical director has distanced himself from Jeremy Hunt’s controversial claim that understaffing of hospitals at weekends causes the death of 11,000 patients a year.

Prof Sir Bruce Keogh has reiterated his view that it is not possible to say for sure how many die avoidably as a result of “the weekend effect”, which he and other experts have found. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS and social care must share a budget, says former health secretary

NHS and social care must share a budget, says former health secretary New NHS Confederation chair Stephen Dorrell says it makes no sense to ringfence health budget while cutting social care.

Health and social care should become one joined-up system with a single budget, former health secretary Stephen Dorrell has said.

Dorrell, who was named this month as chair of the NHS Confederation, said it made “no sense” to ringfence the NHS budget while cutting social care funding. He added: “If we mean what we say about joined-up health and social care, that has to be around one budget and one budget-planning process.” Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Social care is on the cusp of a crisis The Guardian
• Health and social care still live in parallel universes | Stephen Dorrell The Guardian

Patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E rises 10-fold in three years

Patients waiting more than 12 hours in A&E rises 10-fold in three years Exclusive: Senior doctors reveal the number of patients waiting on trolleys has surged to an "unacceptable" level. The Daily Telegraph

NHS spends millions on larger equipment for obese people

NHS spends millions on larger equipment for obese people At least £7 million has been spent on adapting equipment and services. The Independent

See also:

• NHS spending millions on larger equipment for obese patients The Guardian