Kettering General Hospital 'filtered' data to remove waiting list patients

Kettering General Hospital 'filtered' data to remove waiting list patients A hospital accused of "fiddling" its waiting lists to meet targets has admitted it "filtered data".

Whistleblower David Phelan claimed patients were removed from lists at Kettering General Hospital because national targets were being missed.

The hospital said it used data filtering to get a "true picture of the size of its waiting list" but the practice had stopped in December 2015.

It said its data management had been "well intended, if misguided". BBC Northampton

See also:

• KGH apologises for waiting list handling errors – but report finds no evidence of fraud Northamptonshire Telegraph

KGH buildings deemed safe after post-Grenfell Tower check

KGH buildings deemed safe after post-Grenfell Tower check All clinical and non-clinical buildings at KGH have been found to be safe after a review of potential fire risks.

Organisations up and down the country have been checking their buildings after the Grenfell Tower disaster, which claimed the lives of at least 80 people.

KGH says all clinical and non-clinical buildings have passed the review, although one staff building was found to have potentially flammable insulation. That building will no longer be used - although a KGH spokesman stressed that the decision was not because of the fire risk. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Best of Both Worlds campaign to get doctors and nurses to work in Northamptonshire

Best of Both Worlds campaign to get doctors and nurses to work in Northamptonshire Four Northamptonshire-based NHS healthcare providers and the University of Northampton have joined forces to launch a recruitment campaign.

The campaign is aimed at enticing doctors and nurses to relocate and work in the county. Recruiter

A Mile in My Shoes

A Mile in My Shoes In 2016, the Health Foundation teamed up with the Empathy Museum to develop a collection of stories from people working in, and using, health and social care in the UK. A Mile in My Shoes, invites you to step into someone else’s shoes and embark on a mile-long physical, emotional and imaginative journey to see the world through their eyes. This collection of stories showcases the remarkable contribution and challenges faced by those working in, and using, our health and social care system.

Report on transition of care between childhood and adulthood for people with diabetes

Report on transition of care between childhood and adulthood for people with diabetes A new report that charts the care of young people with Type-1 diabetes as they move from paediatric to adult services has been published for the first time today by NHS Digital.

The National Diabetes Transition Audit (NDTA) links datasets from the adult and paediatric national diabetes audits and examines whether the transition between childhood and adulthood has an effect on care.

The report includes figures on the percentage of people who are receiving the nine NICE recommended care processes, as well as the percentage of people who have met the NICE treatment targets for diabetes care.

The defibrillator drone that can beat ambulance times

The defibrillator drone that can beat ambulance times A drone which could deliver a defibrillator to a person suffering from a cardiac arrest is being tested by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

Trial flights have the shown the drones can arrive at a destination four times faster than an ambulance.

After cardiac arrest, the chances of survival decrease by 10% for every minute that an individual goes without cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or defibrillation. BBC News

Government fails to track mental health in UK prisons amid soaring suicide and self-harm rates, finds report

Government fails to track mental health in UK prisons amid soaring suicide and self-harm rates, finds report The Government does not know how many people in prisons have a mental health illness, a report has warned, prompting calls for “urgent” action amid soaring suicide rates and self-harm incidents among inmates.

Prison authorities’ response to rising suicide and self-harming rates in British jails has been “poor”, according to research by the National Audit Office (NAO).

Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS), NHS England and Public Health England have set ambitious objectives for providing mental health services, but they are failing to collect enough data on inmate’s wellbeing, the report states. The Independent

See also:

• Mental health in prisons National Audit Office

'Without this, I would have killed myself': gardening helps heal refugees' trauma

'Without this, I would have killed myself': gardening helps heal refugees' trauma An NHS-run therapeutic gardening project in London is helping to alleviate symptoms of severe mental health problems

It was around a year after Fatu Mangeh* arrived in the UK that she considered taking her own life.

In 2002 she fled the civil war in Sierra Leone where she had been raped and tortured – scars are still visible on her hands 15 years later. Her parents were killed and the only family she had left was her two-year-old daughter. She was lured to the UK by a man who promised to marry her but abandoned her, leaving her destitute and with no support. Wandering the streets, she came across a woman from Sierra Leone who offered to help; she took her to the Home Office to claim asylum and registered her with a GP. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS staff taking more sick days than ever

NHS staff taking more sick days than ever As the NHS comes under increasing strain, the number of staff taking time off has risen, with mental health conditions among the main reasons

NHS staff are taking more time off work because of illness, with the total now close to 17m days a year. Continue reading... The Guardian

Thousands with long-term conditions skipping treatments

Thousands with long-term conditions skipping treatments Thousands of people with long-term health conditions are skipping medications because of prescription costs, charities have claimed.

Research for the Prescription Charges Coalition suggests 30 per cent of people who have conditions such as asthma and arthritis, and are not eligible for free prescriptions, sometimes skip their drugs or reduce their dose because of cost.

Of those, 43 per cent cite the cost of their prescription as a reason for doing so, and 59 per cent admit skipping doses has had a negative impact on their health.

Some 34 per cent of those who have missed or reduced their dose have required extra medical treatment - such as GP or hospital appointments - as a result. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Still paying the price: Prescription charges and people with long term conditions Prescription Charges Coalition
• Call for free prescriptions for long-term ill BBC News

GPs allowed to close their doors when they get busy

GPs allowed to close their doors when they get busy Up to 250 doctors voted in favour of the policy, similar to that of a 'black alert' used by hospitals, at the British Medical Association's annual conference in Bournemouth. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Sicknote Britain: One in four visits to a GP is avoidable BBC News
• BMA to develop GP 'black alert' system for practices facing unsafe workload GPonline

Scotland to introduce 'soft' opt-out organ donation system

Scotland to introduce 'soft' opt-out organ donation system Scots will have to actively opt out of donating their organs after death under a controversial new system that aims to increase donation rates.

Aileen Campbell, the Scottish Public Health Minister, said legislation would be tabled to introduce a “soft” opt-out system whereby people will have deemed to have consented to the removal of their organs unless they say otherwise. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Scotland to introduce soft opt-out system for organ donation The Guardian

Senior KGH midwife struck off for series of serious failings

Senior KGH midwife struck off for series of serious failings A senior midwife who put the health of mothers and babies at KGH at risk through a series of failings has been banned from the profession. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northamptonshire's patient transport service handed to company lambasted in every area by latest inspection

Northamptonshire's patient transport service handed to company lambasted in every area by latest inspection A service that transports Northamptonshire's sick and elderly patients to appointments has been given to an organisation that inspectors recently found operated with dirty ambulances with "poor infection control". Northamptonshire Telegraph

Championing quality and seizing improvement opportunities – are we getting it right?

Championing quality and seizing improvement opportunities – are we getting it right? Our new report on the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) programme describes the efforts that leading orthopaedic surgeons made to improve care in their specialty – with impressive results. It reminds me of an early clinical encounter that shaped my own interest in health and care improvement. The King's Fund

Winter warning: managing risk in health and care this winter

Winter warning: managing risk in health and care this winter This report highlights concerns from NHS leaders around the ability of the health system to respond to mounting pressures next winter. It argues that the extra £1bn social care funding committed to easing delayed transfers of care will not be sufficient with 91 per cent of trusts reporting a lack of capacity in social care. The report calls for a funding injection of £350m to ensure that there is enough capacity across the system and to ensure adequate resourcing. NHS Providers

See also:

• NHS - planning for winter already BBC News

News story: Secondary school staff get mental health 'first aid' training

News story: Secondary school staff get mental health 'first aid' training From June 2017, teachers in secondary schools around the country will take part in a new training programme to help them identify and respond to early signs of mental health issues in children.

The programme, backed by £200,000 government funding, and delivered by the charity Mental Health First Aid, will eventually cover every secondary school in England, as part of a government commitment to improve support for children and young people.

Teachers and other school staff will receive practical advice on how to recognise issues including depression and anxiety, self-harm, and eating disorders.

They will also be invited to become ‘first aid champions’, sharing their knowledge and experiences across schools and communities to raise awareness and break down stigma and discrimination. Department of Health

A&E cuts will hit 23m people, British Medical Association says

A&E cuts will hit 23m people, British Medical Association says Nearly 23 million people in England - more than 40% of the population - could be affected by proposed cuts to A&E departments, doctors are warning.

The analysis of NHS plans by the British Medical Association also warned the changes were being rushed through without the evidence they will work.

The proposals have been put forward by local managers seeking to make savings under the direction of NHS England.

Bosses have argued services in the community will be boosted in return. BBC News

See also:

• Delivery costs extra: Can STPs survive without the funding they need? (download) British Medical Association
• Millions of patients affected by STPs as new health managers receive ‘eye watering’ salaries British Medical Association
• Doctors ‘horrified’ by STP staff costs British Medical Association
• STPs are 'vehicles for cuts' and must be scrapped, warns BMA GPonline

Vulnerable told to expect cuts to council care

Vulnerable told to expect cuts to council care The elderly and disabled in England are being told to expect cuts to care services and rises in charges after council chiefs unveiled spending plans.

The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services said £20.8bn was expected to be spent on care this year, a cash rise of 5% since last year.

It follows a £1bn cash injection announced in the Budget which ministers said would relieve the pressures.

But ADASS said £824m of savings were still having to be made.

The group, which represents social care directors, said rising demand meant cuts were inevitable given the current funding levels. BBC News

Charlie Gard parents lose court appeal

Charlie Gard parents lose court appeal Judges at the European Court of Human Rights have rejected a plea from the parents of terminally-ill baby Charlie Gard to intervene in his case.

Chris Gard and Connie Yates lost their final legal bid to take their son to the US for treatment.

Specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital believe Charlie has no chance of survival.

The court agreed, concluding that further treatment would "continue to cause Charlie significant harm".

Charlie is thought to be one of 16 children in the world to have mitochondrial depletion syndrome, a condition which causes progressive muscle weakness and brain damage. BBC News