A £150 million investment up to April 2025 will better support people experiencing – or at risk of experiencing – mental health crises to receive care and support in more appropriate settings outside of A&E, helping to ease pressures facing the NHS. Department of Health and Social Care
Monday, 23 January 2023
Mental health services boosted by £150 million government funding
Mental health services boosted by £150 million government funding Anyone experiencing a mental health emergency will benefit from more tailored emergency care and support in the community through specialised mental health ambulances, more crisis services, and improved health-based places of safety.
Ambulance staff on strike in England and Wales
Ambulance staff on strike in England and Wales Ambulance staff belonging to three unions - GMB, Unison and Unite - are on strike in a dispute over pay.
In line with previous industrial action, life-threatening 999 calls will be attended to, but other emergencies may not be, or could face delays.
The biggest day of industrial action for the NHS in this dispute is set to happen on 6 February, when nurses will walk out too.
Governments say the above-inflation pay rises requested are unaffordable. BBC News
See also:
- NHS England boss: Repeated strikes make workload more challenging BBC News
- Thousands of treatments lost during nurse strikes BBC News
- Ambulance strikes: Unite workers announce new days of walkouts BBC News
- NHS strikes will only end if ministers offer workers a 10 PER CENT pay rise, warns union boss The Daily Mail
- Jeremy Hunt led calls for big pay rise for NHS nurses last summer The Guardian
- NHS leaders voice alarm as 10 more ambulance strikes planned The Guardian
- Health staff strikes making workload ‘more challenging’, says NHS chief The Guardian
- Everything you need to know about the ambulance strikes The Independent
- Tory ministers ‘looking to privatise’ NHS, says union boss The Independent
- As the NHS prepares for its biggest ever walkout, how will strikes impact you? ITV News
- Ambulance workers strike for third time in five weeks as pay and staffing dispute rumbles on Sky News
- Union leader accuses government of 'lying' and suggests it is 'looking to privatise the NHS' Sky News
Mental health: NHS crisis lines failing to answer suicide calls
Mental health: NHS crisis lines failing to answer suicide calls Suicidal patients in England are being put at risk of serious harm, with one in five calls to NHS helplines going unanswered, BBC research shows.
One caller said after repeatedly trying to get through, staff eventually told her to "think happy thoughts".
Coroners have expressed fears over how patients are assessed. One man who died told staff he wanted to end his life, but was not referred for support.
NHS England said crisis lines had seen "record demand". BBC News
Pandemic drinking: Alcohol misuse treatment up 10%
Pandemic drinking: Alcohol misuse treatment up 10% The number of adults treated for alcohol misuse in England climbed 10% in the year to March 2022, fuelled by a rise in drinking during lockdown.
New government data shows this rise pushed the number of people receiving treatment for all types of substance misuse to 289,215, a seven-year high.
And experts say there are many more people struggling with drug or alcohol use who are not receiving treatment. BBC News
New government data shows this rise pushed the number of people receiving treatment for all types of substance misuse to 289,215, a seven-year high.
And experts say there are many more people struggling with drug or alcohol use who are not receiving treatment. BBC News
Sexual assault and domestic violence ‘going unchecked’ by regulators, NHS staff warn
Sexual assault and domestic violence ‘going unchecked’ by regulators, NHS staff warn Patients and staff are in danger as regulators are accused of poor handling of sexual assault allegations made against doctors and nurses, The Independent has been told.
Campaigners and frontline staff who spoke to The Independent warned that professional regulators are not dealing adequately with allegations of sexual assault, harassment and domestic violence.
£800000 rapid research projects 'to help tackle NHS winter crisis using AI’
£800000 rapid research projects 'to help tackle NHS winter crisis using AI’ Sixteen rapid research projects have been awarded £800,000 to help tackle NHS winter pressures by using existing health data records and artificial intelligence.
These projects – which include helping reduce ambulance wait times and understanding the effects of cold homes on health – have been launched by Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) with funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Evening Standard
See also:
Long NHS waiting lists cutting chances of pregnancy, fertility chief warns
Long NHS waiting lists cutting chances of pregnancy, fertility chief warns Prospective parents’ chances of having a baby are being affected by long NHS waiting lists for women’s health treatments, the UK’s fertility chief has warned.
Julia Chain, chair of UK fertility regulator the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), said delays to women getting diagnoses and treatments for gynaecological issues were preventing them from starting IVF quickly, which meant it was less likely to work. The Guardian
Sajid Javid calls for patients to pay for GP and A&E visits
Sajid Javid calls for patients to pay for GP and A&E visits Patients should be charged for GP appointments and A&E visits, Sajid Javid has said, as he called the present model of the NHS “unsustainable”.
The former health secretary said “extending the contributory principle” should be part of radical reforms to tackle growing waiting times. The Guardian
See also:
- Gordon Brown warns of Tories ‘testing the water’ for two-tier healthcare The Guardian
- Mark my words: this will be the end of the NHS if the Tories have their way | Gordon Brown The Guardian
- Sajid Javid says patients should be charged for GP and A&E visits to ease waits ITV News
- Former health secretary, Sajid Javid, has called for a new NHS funding system ITV News
- Patients should be charged for GP appointments and A&E visits to ease waits, Sajid Javid says Sky News
One in four British dementia patients taking antidepressants but scientists say they are harmful
One in four British dementia patients taking antidepressants but scientists say they are harmful Dementia patients are being put on antidepressants even though the treatment could do more harm than good, experts have warned.
Close to one million Britons are living with the neurological illness, which causes progressively worsening problems with memory and movement – and roughly one in four are prescribed the tablets to combat low mood, agitation and anxiety, which are also common symptoms.
Yet while the drugs are proven to be effective in patients without dementia, a recent series of studies suggest they provide little or no benefit to those with the condition. The Daily Mail
Britons with severe asthma to get 'life-changing' jab that 'turns off' attacks, reducing risk by 70%
Britons with severe asthma to get 'life-changing' jab that 'turns off' attacks, reducing risk by 70% Britons with severe asthma could benefit from a 'life-changing' jab that can reduce the risk of attacks by up to 70 per cent.
The at-home injector pen contains a drug called tezepelumab – which blocks a key chemical that triggers attacks – and is more effective than current treatments.
Insiders have told The Mail on Sunday that the treatment is due to be approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) later this year following 'dramatic' trial results.
Friday, 20 January 2023
Number of Northampton hospital A&E patients waiting over 12 hours to be admitted TRIPLES
Number of Northampton hospital A&E patients waiting over 12 hours to be admitted TRIPLES The number of patients waiting in A&E at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) for over 12 hours to be admitted has risen threefold in a year.
Analysis of NHS England data by NationalWorld showed that one in seven patients admitted to hospital through A&E in December endured waits of over 12 hours for a bed once medics decided they needed to be admitted. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
'Patients save up problems for a GP appointment'
'Patients save up problems for a GP appointment' The NHS is under increasing pressure and GPs say they are seeing those issues on a daily basis.
But at a surgery in Moulton, near Northampton, the staff also say they feel privileged to be able to help so many people.
With more than 12,700 patients on its books and more set to join with major housing developments in its catchment area, how the staff dealing with the challenges? BBC Northampton
Emergency healthcare: a national emergency
Emergency healthcare: a national emergency This report includes an action plan, setting out suggestions as to what the Government should do to address the crisis regarding access to emergency care. It finds that, in many cases, patients are attending emergency care services because they have, or feel they have, no alternative. The report concludes that the Government should consider, consult upon, and establish a bold and ambitious new operating model for emergency health care. House of Lords Public Services Committee
People, partnerships and place: How can ICSs turn the rhetoric into reality?
People, partnerships and place: How can ICSs turn the rhetoric into reality? Integrated care systems are now legally responsible for leading the charge on using a localised approach to bring multiple aspects of the health care system closer together, and for working better with social care and other public services. But this is far from a new aspiration - why should it be any different this time? Nuffield Trust hosted a series of roundtables to discuss concerns with stakeholders and experts and understand how to ensure the aims are achieved. This new report consolidates these findings and offers ways forward as the new era gets underway. Nuffield Trust
What our joint vision means for people and communities this winter
What our joint vision means for people and communities this winter Written with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services and Local Government Association, this briefing sets out a vision for a high-quality and sustainable health and care system. The briefing explores what this might mean in the current context of intense pressures across the system. NHS Confederation
National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published
National flu and COVID-19 surveillance reports published Swab positivity for flu has decreased to 6.0% in week 2, compared to 12.2% in week 1. The highest positivity is seen in 0 to 4 year olds at 8.9%.
Hospital admission rates decreased in the last week and are at medium activity levels, approaching the low activity threshold. ICU/HDU hospital admission rates have also decreased, with activity levels returning back to the low activity range. UK Health Security Agency
Ambulance strikes: Unite workers announce 10 new days of walkouts
Ambulance strikes: Unite workers announce 10 new days of walkouts Ten more days of strikes by ambulance workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have been announced by the Unite union.
Four of the dates in February and March coincide with walkouts by staff from the GMB union, in a pay dispute.
On 6 February the two unions will be joined by nurses from the GMB in the biggest NHS walkout in this dispute.
A health department spokesman said it is "continuing to have constructive discussions" with unions about pay. BBC News
Four of the dates in February and March coincide with walkouts by staff from the GMB union, in a pay dispute.
On 6 February the two unions will be joined by nurses from the GMB in the biggest NHS walkout in this dispute.
A health department spokesman said it is "continuing to have constructive discussions" with unions about pay. BBC News
See also:
- Fury over crippled NHS's February 6 D-Day: Tory MP fears strike will lead to 'unnecessary deaths' The Daily Mail
- NHS ambulance workers announce fresh strike dates as pay row escalates The Guardian
- Ambulance workers announce six more strikes as bitter pay row escalates The Independent
- Ambulance workers from Unite union announce more strikes in coming weeks ITV News
Covid: Half a million people missed out on heart drugs
Covid: Half a million people missed out on heart drugs During the pandemic, nearly half a million people in the UK missed out on starting medication to help prevent heart attacks and strokes, a new study suggests.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) team looked at prescribing data for the first 18 months after Covid hit.
Some 491,000 people - 27,000 a month - appear to have missed out on blood pressure pills.
And 316,000 did not get treatment to lower their cholesterol. BBC News
See also:
NHS 'remains under significant pressure' as new hospital figures released
NHS 'remains under significant pressure' as new hospital figures released More than 14,000 hospital beds in England last week were filled with people who were fit to leave. Meanwhile in Wales, ambulances staff have been on strike. ITV News
See also:
- Urgent and Emergency Care Daily Situation Reports 2022-23 NHS England
- NHS Confederation responds to the latest winter situation report NHS Confederation
- Pressures of NHS's worst-ever winter are EASING The Daily Mail
- Ambulance delays cause ‘severe harm’ to record 6,000 patients a month The Independent
- What the latest NHS data reveals about the pressures hospitals are facing ITV News
‘A contentious place’: the inside story of Tavistock’s NHS gender identity clinic
‘A contentious place’: the inside story of Tavistock’s NHS gender identity clinic Clinicians and young people speak about the pioneering and controversial London facility now facing closure
This is Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust on Belsize Lane, a specialist centre for mental health therapies. Within it is the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS), one of the longest running services for gender-diverse children and young people in the world, founded 33 years ago, but whose work here as a national centre will be wound up within months. The Guardian
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