Tuesday, 28 March 2023

NHS slashes longest elective and cancer waits for patients

NHS slashes longest elective and cancer waits for patients The number of people waiting over 18 months for NHS care has fallen again despite continued demand for services, new figures show today.

Thanks to the efforts of NHS staff across the country, the number of patients waiting more than 18 months for care has fallen by more than four fifths since the peak.

Latest figures show a total of 20,101 patients were waiting over 18 months for elective treatment as of 19 March, down from 123,969 in September 2021. NHS England

Road noise makes blood pressure rise, study finds

Road noise makes blood pressure rise, study finds The sound of roaring engines and wailing sirens endured by people who live near busy roads can make their blood pressure rise, academics say.

University of Leicester researchers found a link between noisy road traffic and increased risk of hypertension.

Previous studies suggested it was unclear how noise or air pollution affected blood pressure.

However, academics said the new research was a "game-changer" that could affect future environment policy. BBC News

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Laughing gas: Experts warn nitrous oxide ban will not stop use

Laughing gas: Experts warn nitrous oxide ban will not stop use A ban on laughing gas will not stop people using it and will drive it into criminal hands, say experts.

The government has defended its plans to tackle anti-social behaviour, including making the possession of nitrous oxide a criminal offence.

The Drug Science scientific charity says a blanket ban "is completely disproportionate" and "would likely deliver more harm than good". BBC News

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RCN pay vote: Almost 280,000 nursing staff to vote on new NHS pay offer in England

RCN pay vote: Almost 280,000 nursing staff to vote on new NHS pay offer in England Almost 280,000 nurses in England will vote on whether to accept or reject the government's NHS pay offer from today.

Following six days of strike action since mid-December, negotiations were held between the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), along with other unions, and health ministers in late February and early March.

The government subsequently made a pay offer on 16 March. The RCN is recommending its members accept the deal. Sky News

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Doctor took her own life after working in hospital with 'toxic environment'

Doctor took her own life after working in hospital with 'toxic environment' The father of a junior doctor who took her own life says action must be taken to change a "toxic environment" at the hospital where she worked.

Dr Ravi Kumar, who also works for the NHS, was speaking ahead of the publication of a report into allegations of bullying at the University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Trust, one of the largest hospital trusts in England. Sky News

Covid app for England and Wales discontinued as usage dwindles

Covid app for England and Wales discontinued as usage dwindles The Covid contact-tracing app for England and Wales, which was downloaded 31m times during the course of the pandemic, is being wound down later this week.

Coming about three years since the first nationwide lockdown, the move is part of a drive to encourage people to “learn to live” with the virus. Users of the app will receive a notification on Tuesday telling them it is being discontinued. They will no longer receive alerts informing them when they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19. The Guardian

Mindfulness better than CBT for treating depression, study finds

Mindfulness better than CBT for treating depression, study finds Practising mindfulness is much better than taking part in talking therapies at helping people recover from depression, a British study has found.

People who used a mindfulness self-help book for eight weeks and had six sessions with a counsellor experienced a 17.5% greater improvement in recovery from depressive symptoms than those who underwent cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) while being supported by a mental health practitioner. The Guardian

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Bodies of people with mental illness ‘biologically older than their actual age’

Bodies of people with mental illness ‘biologically older than their actual age’ The bodies of people with mental illness could be biologically older than their actual age, according to a new study.

The new research suggests people with a lifetime history of conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, or anxiety disorders have signals in their blood that indicate they are older than their years. The Independent

Ouch! Cost of going to the dentist will rise by 8.5% next month

Ouch! Cost of going to the dentist will rise by 8.5% next month The cost of going to a dentist will rise by the largest amount for 17 years next month as part of price hikes branded ‘utterly grotesque’ by the British Dental Association.

NHS dental charges will increase by 8.5 per cent from April 24, the largest single jump since the current system of charges was introduced in 2006.

This means the cost of a filling will rise more than £5 from the current £65.20 to £70.70. The price of a basic check-up will rise from £23.80 to £25.80, while more complicated ‘band 3’ treatments such as crowns or dentures will increase by £24 to £306.80. The Daily Mail

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New pill for cholesterol when statins don't work

New pill for cholesterol when statins don't work A new daily pill which dramatically lowered cholesterol in trials could soon be available to patients with particularly high levels of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol.

MK-0616 has been shown to reduce levels of cholesterol by more than 60 per cent — depending on the dose. The Daily Mail

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Monday, 27 March 2023

Wellingborough NHS chefs serve up silver medal win at top cook-off

Wellingborough NHS chefs serve up silver medal win at top cook-off Two local NHS chefs rose to the occasion during a high-profile cooking competition, wowing the judges and winning a silver medal.

Kerrey Healey and Natasha Day from Cafe Vie at Wellingborough’s Isebrook Hospital – part of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) – were competing in the NHS 4 Nations Chef Challenge, part of the world famous International Salon Culinaire, in London. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Sophie's story to help promote organ donation: 19-year-old from Northampton who died of a blood clot has helped save three lives

Sophie's story to help promote organ donation: 19-year-old from Northampton who died of a blood clot has helped save three lives A 19-year-old Northampton girl who tragically died of a blood clot on the brain has helped save the lives of three others through organ donation.

And from today (Friday, March 24), Sophie Rogers’ story will be on display at Northampton General Hospital to help promote the importance of organ donation. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS pay: new seeds of division?

NHS pay: new seeds of division? A revised pay offer for 1 million NHS staff which the unions are recommending to their members is a major step forward. The government, NHS leaders, staff and patients all want industrial action to end so that the NHS can focus on the huge task of recovering services following the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether this offer is enough to persuade staff to accept only time will tell. The Health Foundation

British Social Attitudes: Survey reveals record level of dissatisfaction with social care services

British Social Attitudes: Survey reveals record level of dissatisfaction with social care services Only one in seven of the British public are satisfied with social care services, according to analysis of the British Social Attitudes survey by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund. 

The analysis from the two health and care think tanks reveals that just 14% of the 3,362 people questioned said they were very or quite satisfied with social care. Of these, only 2% were very satisfied. On the other hand, dissatisfaction rose significantly to 57% of respondents (up from 50% in the previous year) and reached its highest level recorded.

Workers' experience of Long Covid

Workers' experience of Long Covid Our research found shockingly high levels of poor treatment by employers. One in seven respondents (14 per cent) had lost their job because of reasons connected to Long Covid. Given the high numbers of people experiencing Long Covid, this finding is extremely concerning and many people losing their jobs could be in key sector roles. TUC and Long Covid Support

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Independent review of the NHS Business Services Authority: final report and recommendations

Independent review of the NHS Business Services Authority: final report and recommendations In June 2022, as part of the Cabinet Office Public Bodies Review Programme, the Department of Health and Social Care began its review of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). The review’s aim was to ensure that this public body is efficient and works effectively for citizens. The report of the NHSBSA review covers the following areas: public body assessment; accountability; governance; efficiency; efficacy; and capabilities. The report makes 18 recommendations. Department of Health and Social Care

    Record revenue for staff agencies supplying NHS

    Record revenue for staff agencies supplying NHS Companies providing freelance staff to the NHS to cover for big shortages of doctors and nurses have seen their income rise by tens of millions of pounds since 2019.

    Two companies, amongst the largest providing workers to the NHS, saw their turnover rise by 80% and 77.5%.

    BBC News looked at the financial records of about 20 agency businesses providing services in the UK.

    Nitrous oxide: Possession of laughing gas to be criminal offence

    Nitrous oxide: Possession of laughing gas to be criminal offence Possessing laughing gas is to be made a criminal offence for the first time, the government has announced.

    There will also be tighter controls on retailers to prevent the supply of nitrous oxide for misuse.

    It goes against recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) which recently advised against new laws to ban nitrous oxide. BBC News

    Patients with rare genetic conditions to receive 'pioneering' new NHS service

    Patients with rare genetic conditions to receive 'pioneering' new NHS service Hundreds of people with rare genetic conditions primarily affecting the central nervous system will be fast-tracked to diagnosis and specialist care through a “pioneering” new NHS service.

    Patients with inherited white matter disorders (IWMDs), also known as leukodystrophies, are set to benefit from faster access to expert teams, increased virtual support and improved local care from clinics providing testing and symptom management. The Independent

    NHS staff shortages in England could exceed 570,000 by 2036, leaked document warns

    NHS staff shortages in England could exceed 570,000 by 2036, leaked document warns Exclusive: workplace plan sent to ministers says deficit will rise rapidly from current 154,000 if current trends continue

    The NHS in England needs a massive injection of homegrown doctors, nurses, GPs and dentists to avert a recruitment crisis that could leave it short of 571,000 staff, according to an internal document seen by the Guardian.

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