A transformation fund for the NHS

A transformation fund for the NHS We and The King’s Fund have both called for a properly resourced ’transformation fund’ to support change in the NHS. Over the coming months, we'll be working together to explore the concept in more detail, including what resource is required and alternative sources of funding. The Health Foundation

See also:

• A transformation fund for the NHS The King's Fund

GMC to review its treatment of vulnerable doctors under fitness to practise investigation

GMC to review its treatment of vulnerable doctors under fitness to practise investigation The General Medical Council (GMC) is committed to reviewing the way it treats vulnerable doctors under fitness to practise investigations following the publication of an independent review it commissioned.

See also:

• Doctors who commit suicide while under GMC fitness to practise investigation: Internal review General Medical Council
• 'Support vulnerable doctors' call BBC News

Press release: PHE figures confirm flu season has started

Press release: PHE figures confirm flu season has started Following Public Health England (PHE) advice, the Chief Medical Officer has this week issued guidance to all GPs in England about using antiviral drugs, for people presenting with flu-like illness who are at higher risk of developing complications. Although flu is starting to circulate, flu levels currently remain relatively low.

Integrating personal budgets for people with mental health problems

Integrating personal budgets for people with mental health problems This resource aims to support staff who are working with mental health personal budgets. The guide gives an overview of the terminology and current policy background; it also examines the key areas that need to be tackled for integration to become a reality; and it makes recommendations for implementing integrated personal budgets in mental health. Social Care Institute for Excellence

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) systems map: overview of the factors influencing the development of AMR and the interactions between them

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) systems map: overview of the factors influencing the development of AMR and the interactions between them The aim of producing an AMR systems map is to provide a broad overview of the factors influencing the development of antimicrobial resistance and the interactions between them rather than detailed consideration of individual factors or infectious agents. It is hoped that this will increase awareness of the diverse factors that influence AMR, aid research groups in identifying issues for investigation and aid in policy development. Department of Health

Care.data review raises questions

Care.data review raises questions An independent review on the first stage of NHS England's controversial care.data programme says a wide range of "unresolved" questions must be answered before it can proceed. E-Health Insider

See also:

• Independent report: IIGOP report on care.data Department of Health

Shift workers more likely to report poor health

Shift workers more likely to report poor health "Higher rates of obesity and ill-health have been found in shift workers than the general population," BBC News reports.

These are the key findings of a survey into health trends among shift workers; defined as any working pattern outside of the normal fixed eight-hour working day (though start and finish times may vary).

According to the survey (The Health Survey for England 2013), shift workers were more likely to report general ill-health, have a higher body mass index (BMI) and increased incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Exclusive: GP funding hit as CCGs denied £180m in quality payments

Exclusive: GP funding hit as CCGs denied £180m in quality payments CCGs have missed out on more than £180m of funding that many had earmarked for primary care, official data reveal. GP Online

NHS managers 'delaying cancer tests to meet targets and avoid fines' are putting lives at 'serious risk'

NHS managers 'delaying cancer tests to meet targets and avoid fines' are putting lives at 'serious risk'  NHS guidelines say that 93 per cent of patients given an urgent GP referral for suspected cancer should be seen by a specialist in hospital within two weeks, who will then send them for tests. The Daily Mail

People with learning disabilities should not have to call a hospital home

People with learning disabilities should not have to call a hospital home Care Quality Commission report into Calderstone’s NHS trust is sharp reminder why urgent action is needed.

The report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that was announced yesterday paints a sickening picture of what was found within inpatient units for people with a learning disability run by Calderstones NHS trust.

The CQC found serious deficiencies in the quality of care, including dirty and unsafe wards and seclusion rooms, inadequate staffing, frequent use of physical restraint and seclusion – including face-down restraint – and failures in relation to the Mental Health Act. The CQC report also reveals that 40% of patients at Calderstones have been there for five years or more, mostly detained under the Mental Health Act, many subject to Ministry of Justice restrictions. Continue reading... The Guardian

How NHS organisations should use social media

How NHS organisations should use social media New report analyses top NHS social media users and recommends top tips for engagement and building presence

• Why one NHS trust is experimenting with social media
• Using social media should be encouraged – but be aware of the risks

With the dust settling over the chancellor’s £2bn “down payment” on NHS England’s Five Year Forward View, it’s becoming clear that its implementation will impact on all NHS and social care providers.

Applications are due by the end of January to become one of the new care models envisioned. NHS chief executive Simon Stevens has emphasised that radical change is both required and expected, a view reinforced by last week’s Dalton Report to NHS England on future care models. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Social media blurs doctor patient relationship, warn experts OnMedica

A&E waiting times won't be published so staff can have a break, says Hunt

A&E waiting times won't be published so staff can have a break, says Hunt Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt denies 'news blackout' on publishing A&E figures over the festive period and insists staff "deserve" a break. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• VIDEO: Hunt: NHS getting record funds BBC News
• Labour attacks NHS England’s Christmas ‘news blackout’ The Guardian

Norovirus closes wards in nine hospital amid fears of winter NHS crisis

Norovirus closes wards in nine hospital amid fears of winter NHS crisis Nine hospitals have been forced to close wards because of outbreaks of the norovirus, according to a report. The Independent

Obesity could be considered a disability after landmark EU ruling on workplace discrimination

Obesity could be considered a disability after landmark EU ruling on workplace discrimination Being severely overweight – classified as having a body mass index of more than 30 – could be considered a disability if it affects an employee’s ability to work, European judges have ruled. The Independent

See also:

• Obesity 'is a disability' - courts BBC News
• Obesity IS a DISABILITY, rules highest EU court after 25st Danish childminder was 'sacked for being too fat to perform his job properly' The Daily Mail

Flu revealed to be cause of death in one in 11 pregnant women in UK as Northamptonshire health experts issue warning

Flu revealed to be cause of death in one in 11 pregnant women in UK as Northamptonshire health experts issue warning Expectant mothers in Northamptonshire are being urged to get a flu jab after the virus was revealed to be the cause of death in one in 11 pregnant women across the UK. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Stroke treatment in England varies widely by location

Stroke treatment in England varies widely by location New figures released today show that the treatment of stroke patients in England varies widely depending on where patients live.

Of the 68,8003 patients admitted to hospital with stroke during 2013-14, 41,200 (60 per cent) were admitted to an acute stroke unit within four hours of arrival at hospital. This figure varied by clinical commissioning group (CCG). Health and Social Care Information Centre

See also:

• Postcode lottery in stroke care laid bare The Daily Telegraph

VIDEO: Visiting the doctor via the internet

VIDEO: Visiting the doctor via the internet A state-of-the-art clinic in Denmark is set to make dramatic changes to the relationship between doctor and patient. BBC News

Ill teenagers not to be held in cells

Ill teenagers not to be held in cells Teenagers experiencing mental health problems will no longer be detained in police cells as a "place of safety", Home Secretary Theresa May is to announce later. BBC News

Astonishing over-reliance on overseas nurses

Astonishing over-reliance on overseas nurses Dr Peter Carter, RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary, responds to latest figures from the Health Service Journal showing the number of overseas nurses being recruited in the UK. Royal College of Nursing

See also:

• VIDEO: Fewer or more nurses in NHS today? BBC News
• 80,000 UK students are told they can't train as a nurse The Daily Mail

E-cigarettes could help some smokers quit

E-cigarettes could help some smokers quit “E-cigarettes can help smokers quit or cut down heavily,” The Guardian reports. An international review of the evidence, carried out by the well-respected Cochrane Collaboration, found evidence that they can help some smokers quit.

However, the available body of evidence was slim – just two randomised controlled trials (RCTs), involving around 950 participants.

The two studies found that 9% of people using e-cigarettes with nicotine quit smoking for at least six months, compared to 4% of people using placebo e-cigarettes. However, the results on quitting were only significant when the trials were added together, because so few people managed to quit. The individual trials found no difference in the number of people who quit smoking by at least six months when using e-cigarettes with nicotine compared to placebo e-cigarettes or nicotine patches. The researchers say that the pooled results should therefore be treated with caution.