Investing in the NHS long term plan

Investing in the NHS long term plan This briefing analyses the challenges now facing health and social care and looks at the implications of the plan for activity levels and workforce in the NHS in England. It sets out funding scenarios for areas of health spending outside NHS England’s budget (including NHS workforce, capital investment, the prevention agenda and adult social care) and examine the potential impact on wider public spending. The findings of this analysis are supported by a separate survey of NHS front-line leaders carried out by NHS Confederation. The Health Foundation

See also:

• NHS needs extra £8bn or long-term plan will fail, say hospital bosses The Guardian
• Theresa May's flagship NHS plan set to fail because of dithering on social care, NHS bosses say The Independent

Vive la révolution in population health management

Vive la révolution in population health management In a guest blog, Andi Orlowski of Imperial College Health Partners explains why population health management has become so important for health systems all over the world – and why it is different from the previous approaches we have taken in public health or within the NHS. Nuffield Trust

Lives 'destroyed by NHS eating disorder failures'

Lives 'destroyed by NHS eating disorder failures' Lives are being lost and destroyed by the failure of the NHS in England to provide care for people with eating disorders, MPs and campaigners say.

They say more than a million people have an eating disorder, but specialist help is often difficult to access.

It leaves patients relying on GPs who lack the skills and training to help.

The warnings have been made in two separate reports - by charity Beat and the cross-party Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee. BBC News

See also:

• Serious lack of training for doctors on eating disorders, Committee report finds Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
• Postcode lottery of adult eating disorder services putting lives at risk Beat Eating Disorders
• Patients with eating disorders are dying because doctors have a 'serious lack of training' The Daily Mail
• Doctors with almost no training in eating disorders leave anorexics feeling under pressure to get thinner The Daily Telegraph
• Doctors’ failings on eating disorders ‘are costing lives’ The Guardian
• Lack of eating disorder training ‘causing preventable deaths’ as patients feel they have to be dangerously underweight to get help The Independent

District nurses are the hidden heroes of the NHS – so why are they being cut?

District nurses are the hidden heroes of the NHS – so why are they being cut? District nurses treat patients and tend to the dying in their own homes. They save the NHS billions by helping keep patients out of hospital. But cuts means their numbers have fallen by almost half in 10 years. iNews

Infant mortality rates rise for third consecutive year, hitting poorest communities hardest

Infant mortality rates rise for third consecutive year, hitting poorest communities hardest Infant mortality rates in England and Wales have risen for the third year in a row with families in the poorest communities worst affected, official data shows.

Between 2016 and 2017 the infant mortality rate rose from 3.8 deaths per 1,000 births, to 3.9 per 1,000, data from the Office for National Statistics shows. The Independent

Women are unaware of alcohol’s link to breast cancer risk

Women are unaware of alcohol’s link to breast cancer risk Women’s awareness of alcohol’s role in boosting breast cancer risk is poor, indicates research published in the online journal BMJ Open.
Alcohol consumption is estimated to be responsible for between 5% and 11% of cases of breast cancer, with the risk increasing in tandem with the amount consumed, but only one in five women attending breast clinics and screening appointments and only half of the staff questioned at one NHS UK centre knew that alcohol is a risk factor for breast cancer, the study found. OnMedica

Telling people to eat fewer burgers won't solve shocking health inequality

Telling people to eat fewer burgers won't solve shocking health inequality | Richard Vize Lifestyle advice helps, but the government must tackle the root causes of poor health to improve life expectancy

Media coverage of the relentless advice to eat less, eat better, and do more gives the impression that the growing problem of health inequalities could largely be solved simply by badgering enough people into laying off fried chicken.

The excitement around the Henry programme (Health, Exercise, Nutrition for the Really Young) in Leeds, which claimed to have reduced childhood obesity by helping parents give children choices while maintaining boundaries, shows how seductive this narrative can be (and it should be noted that there is a lively debate in the British Medical Journal about exactly what the programme achieved). The Guardian

NHS forced to prioritise staff wellbeing to tackle escalating crisis

NHS forced to prioritise staff wellbeing to tackle escalating crisis With 100,000 vacancies across trusts in England, trusts hope new initiatives will help them retain employees

What do ice lollies, Zumba classes, improvised comedy and tea trolleys have to do with saving the NHS? They are all being used to improve the workforce’s wellbeing, stress levels and work-life balance – and so, their employers hope, mitigate the health service’s escalating staffing crisis.

Across the NHS, employers are finally doing more to help staff deal with the stresses and strains of their jobs, such as long hours and shift patterns that disrupt family life and sleeping routines, and the increasingly intense demands of giving patients high-quality care. The Guardian

Trust for vaccines higher in UK than most of Europe, major survey finds

Trust for vaccines higher in UK than most of Europe, major survey finds People in the UK trust vaccines more than European neighbours, with the French the most sceptical in the world, according to new research.

A first-of-its-kind survey of more than 140,000 people in more than 140 countries found 79 per cent of the world's population think vaccines are safe with 92 per cent of parents saying their children have been vaccinated.

The report, conducted by biomedical research charity Wellcome, found there is less certainty about the safety of vaccines in high-income regions, with 72 per cent of people in Northern America and 59 per cent in Western Europe agreeing they are safe. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• World survey reveals people trust experts but want to know more about science Wellcome
• Low trust in vaccines 'a global crisis' BBC News
• What are vaccines, how do they work and why are people sceptical? BBC News
• Immunisation: Why we do it and how 'herd immunity' works BBC News
• ‘I got lockjaw thanks to my mum’ BBC News
• Social media fuelling anti-vaxxer movement with Europeans the most sceptical in the world, global poll shows The Independent

Eight NHS hospitals hit by listeria outbreaks as Hancock signals plans to bring catering in-house

Eight NHS hospitals hit by listeria outbreaks as Hancock signals plans to bring catering in-house Eight NHS hospitals have been hit by the listeria outbreak which has killed five patients, the Health Secretary has revealed.

Matt Hancock made the disclosures as he said he was keen to see the health service take NHS catering back in-house, in a bid to improve safety.

The Health Secretary on Monday named six NHS hospitals which have been hit by the outbreak, linked to pre-packed sandwiches and salads, as he vowed to “take the necessary steps” to restore trust in hospital food.

They include two - Leicester Royal Infirmary, and Royal Derby Hospital - in which patients have died. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Listeria outbreak: More affected hospitals named BBC News

The NHS fast-track the introduction of 'game changing' new cancer drugs

The NHS fast-track the introduction of 'game changing' new cancer drugs The NHS is to fast-track the introduction of 'game changing' new cancer drugs that target tumours according to their genetic make-up.

Tumour agnostic drugs can treat a wide range of cancers regardless of where they originate, such as the breast or lungs.

They work by blocking an enzyme which helps the tumour to grow. In trials, 75 per cent of tumours responded.

Children are expected to benefit the most, as well as those with rare cancers who don't have many treatment options. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Game-changing cancer drugs which can attack all tumours will be fast-tracked by NHS The Daily Telegraph

Cybercriminals could hack into medical devices used in NHS hospitals

Cybercriminals could hack into medical devices used in NHS hospitals Cybercriminals could hack into medical devices used in NHS hospitals, security specialists have warned.

The US-based cybersecurity firm CyberMDX lifted the lid on security flaws in hospital wards' workstations which are connected to the internet.

NHS trusts have been warned hackers could gain access to medical software that would enable them to control and cut off IV pumps.

This could lead to 'catastrophic' consequences if they were to block the delivery of chemotherapy drugs or tamper with insulin doses, one expert said. The Daily Mail

Theresa May calls for mental health to be priority

Theresa May calls for mental health to be priority Every new teacher in England will be trained in how to spot early warning signs of mental illness, under a plan being unveiled by Theresa May later.

Mrs May, using some of her remaining political authority before leaving office, has called for improvements in preventing problems.

"Too many of us have seen first-hand the devastating consequences of mental illness," says Mrs May.

Labour's Barbara Keeley said the prime minister only offered "warm words".

The shadow minister for mental health said the "reality" was support services being "stretched to breaking point". BBC News

BAME doctors more likely to be investigated than white ones

BAME doctors more likely to be investigated than white ones Nine years ago, a patient died under the care of surgeon David Sellu. He was jailed but his conviction was quashed on appeal.

Mr Sellu believes his race had an impact on how his case was handled, and he has raised concerns about how the General Medical Council (GMC) treats black and ethnic minority doctors.

Figures obtained by a BBC Freedom of Information request suggest the GMC is more likely to investigate complaints against BAME doctors than those who are white. BBC News

Listeria outbreak: Health secretary orders NHS food review

Listeria outbreak: Health secretary orders NHS food review A "root and branch" review of hospital food has been ordered by the health secretary after two more deaths were linked to an outbreak of listeria.

The number of deaths related to pre-packed sandwiches and salads at hospitals had risen from three to five, Public Health England said on Friday.

It said evidence suggested the deceased ate the products before 25 May.

Products from the Good Food Chain, which supplied to 43 NHS trusts, have been withdrawn and production halted. BBC News

See also:

• Update on listeria cases being investigated Food Standards Agency
• Listeria cases being investigated Public health England
• Hancock pledges hospital food overhaul after listeria deaths The Guardian
• Minister orders review into hospital food after more listeria deaths The Guardian
• Listeria outbreak: Health secretary orders NHS food review after five deaths linked to hospital sandwiches The Independent
• Hospital sandwich death toll rises to five as two more fatal cases of listeria poisoning confirmed The Independent

End-of-life care not 'culturally competent'

End-of-life care not 'culturally competent' A study has been launched to try to boost the number of black and Asian people using end-of-life care services.

Figures suggest black and Asian patients are 20% less likely to seek palliative help than their white counterparts.

There is concern they feel excluded by the way the services are currently set up.

The researchers, from Leicester, plan to use their results to develop national guidance to improve access. BBC News

Opiate addiction in UK in the over-40s triples in 12 years

Opiate addiction in UK in the over-40s triples in 12 years The number of people over 40 receiving treatment for opiate addiction has tripled in just 12 years, a report has found.

In 2018, 75,000 people over the age of 40 were in treatment for dependence on illegal opiates such as heroin – compared to 25,000 in 2006, a report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) found.

Over the same period, those in treatment for opioid addiction under the age of 30 fell from 60,000 to 13,000. The Independent

See also:

• Number of older opiate users in treatment has tripled Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs
• ACMD report: ageing cohort of drug users Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs

NHS care providers left autistic children at risk of self-harm

NHS care providers left autistic children at risk of self-harm Inquiry finds needs of highly troubled under-18s in Staffordshire were neglected

Potentially suicidal autistic children with mental health problems in Staffordshire have been left at risk of self-harm after receiving inadequate and unsafe care, according to a damning leaked internal NHS report.

An inquiry, sparked by parents’ serious concerns, found that the needs of highly troubled under-18s in the county were neglected as a result of significant failings in care provision by the two NHS-funded providers in the area. The Guardian

How thousands of British patients may have taken tainted NHS drugs sold by the mafia

How thousands of British patients may have taken tainted NHS drugs sold by the mafia Thousands of NHS patients may have taken pills that were tampered with or damaged by criminal gangs linked to the Italian Mafia, a shocking investigation has revealed.

Commonly prescribed drugs were stolen in Italy and then sold to British pharmacists and hospitals, exposing patients to potentially lethal consequences.

Stockpiles of medications deemed unsafe, as they may have been handled or stored improperly, are now known to have landed in Britain five years ago, and health chiefs admit they have no record of who they were prescribed to. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Unsafe medicines stolen in Italy 'entered NHS supply chain' The Guardian

NHS hospitals provided more care, more efficiently, while delivering improved finances in last quarter

NHS hospitals provided more care, more efficiently, while delivering improved finances in last quarter Despite the pressure of demand, the provider sector continued to improve quality and achieved one of the best financial performances in recent years.

Statistics on the performance of the NHS published today show Emergency Departments (EDs) treated or discharged 5.3 million patients within four hours of arrival between January and March — 314,594 more than last year.

6.2 million patients attended ED in the first quarter of the year, almost 362,000 more than the same time last year. The number of people requiring elective surgery increased by almost 400,000 patients.

Despite these pressures, the NHS delivered its first winter year-on-year improvement on ED performance in five years.

The report also found NHS providers reduced their deficits by almost £400 million in 2018/19 compared to the previous year, helping the wider NHS to balance its books. NHS Improvement

See also:

• 'Running to stay still' – The King's Fund responds to data on the performance of the NHS provider sector for 2018/19 The King's Fund
• Performance of the NHS provider sector offers grounds for optimism but systemic challenges remain NHS Confederation
• Significant wins for patients but we are a long way off where we want and need to be NHS Providers
• Financial black hole is getting deeper - Nuffield Trust responds to latest NHS finance figures Nuffield Trust