Kettering Hospital ward accused of traumatising children may close

Kettering Hospital ward accused of traumatising children may close Children's services could be forced to close at a hospital that is accused of leaving young patients traumatised and sick through poor care.

The care regulator said it had taken action to "ensure people are safe" on Skylark ward at Kettering General Hospital (KGH) in Northamptonshire.

Thirteen parents with serious concerns after their children died or became seriously ill have spoken to the BBC.

The hospital said it was "very sorry" to families who felt let down. BBC Northampton

Kettering General Hospital's diagnostics test wait times among worst in the country

Kettering General Hospital's diagnostics test wait times among worst in the country KGH bosses say they’re working to clear a backlog after the trust’s diagnostics test wait times were revealed to be among the country’s worst.

NHS targets say 95 per cent of patients should have their tests – which include those such as MRI scans and non-obstetric ultrasounds – within six weeks.

But newly-published data from NHS England showed that the Rothwell Road hospital was nowhere near hitting that figure in December 2022. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Fixing the foundations: why it’s time to rethink how we support older people with health problems to stay well at home

Fixing the foundations: why it’s time to rethink how we support older people with health problems to stay well at home This report provides a first-hand account of older people’s difficulties in getting the good, joined up health and social care they need to manage at home, leaving them at risk of crisis which often results in being admitted to hospital. Yet the evidence is clear that with the right care at the right time many of these admissions could have been avoided. Age UK

Hundreds of thousands of women experiencing menopause symptoms to get cheaper Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hundreds of thousands of women experiencing menopause symptoms to get cheaper Hormone Replacement Therapy Around 400,000 women across England will get better access to menopause support – saving hundreds of pounds and making treatment more accessible. Department of Health and Social Care

Improved system of organ use to save lives

Improved system of organ use to save lives Patients waiting for organs will benefit from changes to organ transplant services designed to better match donated organs with recipients, increase the number of transplants and improve the patient experience.

The Organ Utilisation Group has produced the report ‘Honouring the gift of donation - utilising organs for transplant’ which includes a number of recommendations - accepted by the government - designed to make sure as many donated organs as possible are used to save the lives of patients on the waiting list. Department of Health and Social Care

Big rise in long-term sick hitting UK workforce

Big rise in long-term sick hitting UK workforce The UK risks a shrinking workforce caused by long-term sickness, a new report warns.

Pensions and health consultants Lane, Clark and Peacock (LCP) says there has been a sharp increase in "economic inactivity" - working-age adults who are not in work or looking for jobs.

The figure has risen by 516,000 since Covid hit, and early retirement does not appear to explain it.

The total of long-term sick, meanwhile, has gone up by 353,000, says LCP. BBC News

See also:

• "The Great Retirement or the Great Sickness?” – is the Government at risk of ‘barking up the wrong tree’ on the rise in economic inactivity Lane, Clark and Peacock

NHS crisis: Why are so many staff leaving the health service?

NHS crisis: Why are so many staff leaving the health service? Chronic staff shortages are raising the pressure on NHS staff, with long working hours and high anxiety driving more staff to quit. Sky News analysis shows that a surge in resignations due to work-life balance cost the NHS 10,000 staff last year. Sky News

See also:

• Health workers ‘shattered’, says Jeremy Farrar as more NHS strikes loom The Guardian
• Record numbers of NHS doctors are resigning. One senior consultant tells us why she had to leave Sky News

Junior doctors in England to strike for 72 hours in March

Junior doctors in England to strike for 72 hours in March Hundreds of thousands of operations and medical appointments will be cancelled in England next month and progress in tackling the huge care backlog will be derailed as the NHS prepares to face the most widespread industrial action in its history.

Junior doctors are poised to join nurses and ambulance workers in mass continuous walkouts in March after members of the British Medical Association (BMA) voted overwhelmingly to take industrial action. The Guardian

 

See also: 

• Junior doctors vote yes to industrial action BMA
• Industrial action NHS Employers
• Supplementary FAQs on support during strike action of junior doctors NHS Employers
• Juniors doctors vote for strikes in England BBC News
• Junior doctors set for three-day walkout as huge majority back strikes GPonline
• Junior doctors vote by 98% for unprecedented strike that will hit every hospital The Independent
• Junior doctors’ strike: Why are they taking action and what are their demands? The Independent
• NHS staff met with ‘wall of silence’ says union as pay dispute widens in England Nursing in Practice

Revealed: record number of households in UK depending on food banks

Revealed: record number of households in UK depending on food banks More people are depending on food banks than ever before in Britain, new figures show, as “ever-increasing” numbers of households – including pensioners, NHS staff and teachers – seek help amid the cost of living crisis.

New research by the Independent Food Aid Network (Ifan), shared with the Observer, found that almost 90% of food banks surveyed reported increased demand in December 2022 and January 2023 compared with a year earlier. Half of the 85 organisations running 154 food banks that responded said if demand rose further they would either have to cut support or turn people away.

New type of CPR ‘could save more patients in cardiac arrest’

New type of CPR ‘could save more patients in cardiac arrest’ More heart patients could be saved thanks to a new type of “advanced” CPR which involves hooking up patients to an artificial lung machine.

People who suffer cardiac arrest – when the heart stops pumping blood around the body – could be offered the advanced form of resuscitation if they do not respond to traditional CPR thanks to a new service in the Thames Valley region. The Independent

Children's surgery backlog grows as NHS prioritises adult waiting lists

Children's surgery backlog grows as NHS prioritises adult waiting lists Hundreds of thousands of children are waiting for surgery as new figures show the backlog has spiralled by almost 50 per cent in two years.

The latest NHS data for December lays bare the parlous state of paediatric medicine, with NHS leaders and doctors warning that adult care is being prioritised over children’s. The Independent

Number of mental health service users rose by 16% this year, data shows

Number of mental health service users rose by 16% this year, data shows The number of people accessing NHS mental health services in England has risen year on year, even as overall numbers of mental health nurses across hospital and community services has fallen, data has shown.

Data released by NHS Digital today reveals that 16% more people accessed NHS-funded secondary mental health, learning disabilities, and autism services in 2021-2022 compared with 2020-21. Nursing in Practice

Over 1,000 chemists and clinics have shut since 2015, study shows

Over 1,000 chemists and clinics have shut since 2015, study shows More than 1,000 GP practices and pharmacies have closed over the past seven years - forcing patients to travel further for care, a damning study reveals.

A major audit of official data on new openings and permanent closures from 2015 to 2022 today lays bare the tragic demise of primary care in England.

It found there has been a net loss of 670 pharmacies and 343 GP practices over this period, with the most deprived areas hit hardest. The Daily Mail

Pharmacists warn of further vital drug shortages

Pharmacists warn of further vital drug shortages Britain's medicines shortage crisis is deepening, with an unprecedented 70 commonly taken drugs now out of stock, according to the latest data.

Over the past 12 months, supply problems have hit crucial antibiotics, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs, painkillers and over-the-counter cold and flu remedies – but now certain antidepressants, stop-smoking pills and a sleeping tablet taken by millions have been added to the list. The Daily Mail

Nurses in Northants to strike next month with union warning of ‘absolute minimum’ services

Nurses in Northants to strike next month with union warning of ‘absolute minimum’ services Nurses at Kettering General Hospital (KGH) and Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will join tens of thousands of others on strike next month in the largest NHS strike in history.

Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) voted to strike for 48 hours between March 1-2 in an ongoing dispute with the government over pay and conditions. The union has warned that services will be an "absolute minimum” at the 120 NHS trusts affected. Northants Live

Improving staff experience and staff engagement at QEH

Improving staff experience and staff engagement at QEH The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust is a rural district general hospital in West Norfolk. In 2019, QEH had the worst NHS Staff Survey results in the country. This case study explores what the organisation did and how it applied staff engagement methods to improve its NHS Staff Survey scores. NHS Employers

NICE says evidence that COVID-19 treatment Evusheld is effective in protecting vulnerable adults against current variants is lacking as it announces new rapid update process for COVID-19 medicines

NICE says evidence that COVID-19 treatment Evusheld is effective in protecting vulnerable adults against current variants is lacking as it announces new rapid update process for COVID-19 medicines The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has issued draft guidance for public consultation which does not recommend Evusheld for preventing COVID-19 in adults who are unlikely to have an adequate immune response to COVID-19 vaccination, or who can’t be vaccinated.

See also:

• Tixagevimab plus cilgavimab for preventing COVID-19 (draft guidance) NICE
• Evusheld European Medicines Agency
• Covid-19: Evusheld is unlikely to prevent infection with current or future variants, NICE concludes The BMJ
• AstraZeneca sends updated Covid drug Evusheld to regulators for approval The Daily Mail
• U.S. FDA pulls authorization for AstraZeneca's COVID-19 treatment Evusheld Reuters

Plans to bolster patient safety and boost support for frontline staff by streamlining the system for healthcare regulators

Plans to bolster patient safety and boost support for frontline staff by streamlining the system for healthcare regulators The government has reaffirmed its commitment to streamline the system, improve patient safety and expand the role of medical support staff in the NHS to relieve pressure on GPs and improve access to services.

A new consultation will be launched today seeking views on draft legislation to provide the General Medical Council (GMC) with powers to regulate physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) for the first time. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• Regulating anaesthesia associates and physician associates (consultation open until 16th May 23) Department of Health and Social Care
• Consultation outcome: Regulating healthcare professionals, protecting the public Department of Health and Social Care
• NMC welcomes milestone on journey to better, safer regulation for people and communities across the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council

Hundreds of junior doctors in England announce March strike

Hundreds of junior doctors in England announce March strike Hundreds of junior doctors in England have said they will strike for the first time in the union’s history next month in a dispute over pay.

Members of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) voted to strike in March, following a ballot.

Around 45,000 junior doctors who are members of the British Medical Association (BMA) have also been balloted on strike action – with the result due at the end of February. ITV News

See also:

• BMA warns of huge escalation of strike action in England if Government continues to refuse to talk BMA
• NHS dispute widens to cover most parts of England UNISON
• British Medical Association calls government reckless over pay talks BBC News
• Strikes update: How Monday 20 February’s walkouts will affect you BBC News
• Around 144,000 appointments and procedures postponed due to strikes, says NHS Confederation director of policy Channel 4 News
• Fresh strike hell for NHS: More than 11,000 ambulance workers walk out TODAY - on same day ballot of 45,000 junior doctors will down tools for the first time in their union's history The Daily Mail
• Junior doctors’ mass strike expected as they threaten to leave NHS ‘for better-paid jobs’ The Daily Telegraph
• Nurses’ leader and Unison call on Rishi Sunak to help resolve pay disputes The Guardian
• Nurses’ pay squeeze and Tory tax cut ambitions: can they perhaps be related? The Guardian
• NHS leaders urged not to cancel operations during strikes in March The Guardian
• Ambulance workers’ strike goes ahead after government’s ‘reckless’ refusal to negotiate The Independent
• Junior doctors to strike next month in dispute over pay The Independent
• Thousands of ambulance workers go on strike today - as junior doctors announce when they will stage walkout Sky News

Breast cancer: Living life after treatment

Breast cancer: Living life after treatment BBC News editor Carly Appleby was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2017. At that time, she had no idea how gruelling treatment was going to be. Now looking back - and to the future - she reflects on how it has changed her life.