Dementia service put under threat:
DEMENTIA sufferers and their carers fear a service that gives them stimulation and a chance to socialise will close after its funding was stopped. Evening Telegraph
Monday, 30 April 2012
Dental patients left with a gap in service
Dental patients left with a gap in service:
A DENTAL surgery has closed unexpectedly, leaving up to 2,000 patients without a registered dentist. Evening Telegraph
A DENTAL surgery has closed unexpectedly, leaving up to 2,000 patients without a registered dentist. Evening Telegraph
Diabetes care 'harming patients'
Diabetes care 'harming patients': NHS diabetes care is 'inadequate' and some patients come to further harm due to poor care in hospital, a leading specialist says. BBC News
New occupational health guidance published
New occupational health guidance published: NHS Employers has produced two new pieces of guidance to support NHS organisations in the commissioning and performance management of occupational health services.
Caring in crisis: the impact of the financial crisis on nurses and nursing
Caring in crisis: the impact of the financial crisis on nurses and nursing:
This country-by-country report looks at the impact of the economic crisis on nurses and nursing in Europe. It illustrates the current and future challenges facing the nursing profession, and offers a view of the specific dynamics in each country, as well as a tool to take action and tackle these challenges.
This country-by-country report looks at the impact of the economic crisis on nurses and nursing in Europe. It illustrates the current and future challenges facing the nursing profession, and offers a view of the specific dynamics in each country, as well as a tool to take action and tackle these challenges.
Evidence summaries: unlicensed/off-label
Evidence summaries: unlicensed/off-label: A new service providing summaries of the best available evidence on selected unlicensed and off-label medicines, designed to meet demand for information to inform local NHS planning and decision-making. NICE
Deaths in childbirth rise amid struggle with complex cases
Deaths in childbirth rise amid struggle with complex cases: The number of women dying in childbirth has risen dramatically as maternity units struggle to cope with rising numbers of older mothers and more complex cases, research has found.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
NHS risks becoming 'world health service' say campaigners
NHS risks becoming 'world health service' say campaigners: The NHS risks becoming the "world health service" because even visitors to the country can claim free treatment, campaigners warn.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
Delays 'cost NHS £324m'
Delays 'cost NHS £324m':
Delays to the discharge of NHS patients from hospitals have surged by more than 25 per cent in the past 19 months. The Independent
Delays to the discharge of NHS patients from hospitals have surged by more than 25 per cent in the past 19 months. The Independent
Friday, 27 April 2012
Home inspector in bribery arrest
Home inspector in bribery arrest: A former care home inspector is arrested at her Northamptonshire home over allegations that she pressured homes into giving money in exchange for favourable reports. BBC Northamptonshire
Payout for victim of hospital errors
Payout for victim of hospital errors:
A WOMAN who was twice failed by medics at Kettering General Hospital has received a compensation pay-out in London’s High Court and an apology. Evening Telegraph
A WOMAN who was twice failed by medics at Kettering General Hospital has received a compensation pay-out in London’s High Court and an apology. Evening Telegraph
Hospital nurse is suspended following hearing
Hospital nurse is suspended following hearing:
A NURSE who accused relatives of trying to kill a dying man when they asked her to give him pain relief has been suspended for a year. Evening Telegraph
A NURSE who accused relatives of trying to kill a dying man when they asked her to give him pain relief has been suspended for a year. Evening Telegraph
EXCLUSIVE: Mums celebrate as date is set for re-opening of Northampton breast-feeding cafe
EXCLUSIVE: Mums celebrate as date is set for re-opening of Northampton breast-feeding cafe:
MUMS in Northampton were last night celebrating news that a cafe specialising in breast-feeding support will re-open in the town in just over two weeks’ time. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
MUMS in Northampton were last night celebrating news that a cafe specialising in breast-feeding support will re-open in the town in just over two weeks’ time. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Patient choice scheme guidance for all PCTs published
Patient choice scheme guidance for all PCTs published:
The patient choice scheme document publishes guidance to all primary care trusts (PCTs) on the broader aspects of the policy on widening patient choice of GP practices. It sets out the new provisions in legislation relating to practice boundaries and the revised list closure procedure.
The Patient choice scheme guidance reiterates the aspects of the patient choice pilot scheme which apply to all PCTs, as well as the aspects of the patient choice scheme which could affect PCTs in those areas not participating in the piloting arrangements.
PCTs and practices may it helpful to be able to access the following individual documents, which appeared in the annexes to the patient choice scheme guidance:
Department of Health
The patient choice scheme document publishes guidance to all primary care trusts (PCTs) on the broader aspects of the policy on widening patient choice of GP practices. It sets out the new provisions in legislation relating to practice boundaries and the revised list closure procedure.
The Patient choice scheme guidance reiterates the aspects of the patient choice pilot scheme which apply to all PCTs, as well as the aspects of the patient choice scheme which could affect PCTs in those areas not participating in the piloting arrangements.
PCTs and practices may it helpful to be able to access the following individual documents, which appeared in the annexes to the patient choice scheme guidance:
- local enhanced service specification
- form for PCTs to notify out of area patients of arrangements for accessing primary medical care services at home
- day patient application form
- patient leaflet
- text for a letter from GP practices to a patient saying that it is no longer appropriate for them to be registered as an “out of the area patient”
Department of Health
Have your say on the future of nursing and care
Have your say on the future of nursing and care:
The independent Nursing and Care Quality Forum would like to hear your views on the quality of nursing and care, and how you think this could be improved.
The Forum’s aim is to help all those involved in providing nursing and care, in all care settings, to:
Department of Health
The independent Nursing and Care Quality Forum would like to hear your views on the quality of nursing and care, and how you think this could be improved.
The Forum’s aim is to help all those involved in providing nursing and care, in all care settings, to:
- deliver the fundamental elements of good care – compassion, dignity, respect and safety – first time, every time and to everyone
- achieve their ambition of providing the very highest quality of care through supporting the adoption of best practice and promoting innovation.
‘We want to hear your views to help us shape our messages to the Government and to influence what the Forum focuses on over the coming months.’Send your views using the online questionnaire
Department of Health
Practice boundaries to be reviewed by July
Practice boundaries to be reviewed by July: PCTs could seek to overhaul practices' existing catchment areas as part of negotiations to agree an 'outer boundary' by 1 July, according to DH guidance. GP Online
Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach
Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach: The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has published 'Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach '. The Improving Lung Cancer Outcomes project aims to improve the quality of care and patient experience for lung cancer patients. The project paired hospitals and multi-disciplinary teams and encouraged them to visit each others' services and review their processes. This publication outlines examples of best practice and practical examples of quality improvement projects.
New subject specific 5 high impact actions
New subject specific 5 high impact actions: Under each of the high impact actions for reducing agency spend, we have identified a number of specific activities that NHS trusts can undertaken to help optimise the productivity of the flexible workforce. NHS Employers
Choice of GP practice: guidance for all PCTs - covering outer boundaries, open and closed lists and aspects of the patient choice scheme
Choice of GP practice: guidance for all PCTs - covering outer boundaries, open and closed lists and aspects of the patient choice scheme:
The patient choice scheme document publishes guidance to all PCTs on the broader aspects of the policy on widening patient choice of GP practices. It sets out the new provisions in legislation relating to practice boundaries and the revised list closure procedure. The guidance reiterates the aspects of the scheme which apply to all PCTs, as well as the aspects of the scheme which could affect PCTs in those areas not participating in the piloting arrangements.
The patient choice scheme document publishes guidance to all PCTs on the broader aspects of the policy on widening patient choice of GP practices. It sets out the new provisions in legislation relating to practice boundaries and the revised list closure procedure. The guidance reiterates the aspects of the scheme which apply to all PCTs, as well as the aspects of the scheme which could affect PCTs in those areas not participating in the piloting arrangements.
Baseline spending estimates for the new NHS and public health commissioning architecture
Baseline spending estimates for the new NHS and public health commissioning architecture:
This briefing summarises the Department of Health document published on 7th February 2012 on baseline spending estimates on public health. It also gives the LGA's key messages in relation to public health funding and provides Chief Executives and Directors of Finance with advice on how they can assure themselves that the PCT estimate of public health spending will be adequate to meet the future resource requirements for public health from 2013.
This briefing summarises the Department of Health document published on 7th February 2012 on baseline spending estimates on public health. It also gives the LGA's key messages in relation to public health funding and provides Chief Executives and Directors of Finance with advice on how they can assure themselves that the PCT estimate of public health spending will be adequate to meet the future resource requirements for public health from 2013.
Give contraceptive pill without prescription
Give contraceptive pill without prescription: A new NHS report has suggested teenage girls as young as 13 should be given the contraceptive Pill without having to see a doctor.
The document, produced by NHS South East London, recommends that high street pharmacists across Britain routinely hand it out to teenagers under the legal age of consent in the hope of reducing unwanted pregnancies.
Normal practice is for girls and women to only be prescribe... Healthcare Today
The document, produced by NHS South East London, recommends that high street pharmacists across Britain routinely hand it out to teenagers under the legal age of consent in the hope of reducing unwanted pregnancies.
Normal practice is for girls and women to only be prescribe... Healthcare Today
Cancer patients 'not being prescribed appropriate drugs'
Cancer patients 'not being prescribed appropriate drugs':
MPs have suggested that three-quarters of cancer specialists are struggling to overcome NHS bureaucracy barriers to prescribe new drugs.
In a report to pharmaceutical company Merck Serono, they claim cancer patients are not always being prescribed with the most appropriate treatment. More than 50 out of 100 cancer specialists surveyed admitted they ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ prescribe a treatment that is not ... Healthcare Today
MPs have suggested that three-quarters of cancer specialists are struggling to overcome NHS bureaucracy barriers to prescribe new drugs.
In a report to pharmaceutical company Merck Serono, they claim cancer patients are not always being prescribed with the most appropriate treatment. More than 50 out of 100 cancer specialists surveyed admitted they ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ prescribe a treatment that is not ... Healthcare Today
Drug company attacks Nice for rejecting new lupus treatment
Drug company attacks Nice for rejecting new lupus treatment:
GlaxoSmithKline criticises NHS pharmaceutical approval body over rejecting belimumab drug
Britain's largest drug company has launched a forthright attack on the NHS's drug rationing body, accusing it of blocking innovation after it failed to approve the first new medicine in a decade to treat the disabling condition lupus.
GlaxoSmithKline was unusually critical of the decision by Nice, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, and also the Scottish Medicines Consortium, to reject its drug belimumab (brand name Benlysta) in final draft guidance. The UK's appraisal system, said GSK, was "a fundamental problem".
In a statement, Simon Jose, general manager of GlaxoSmithKline UK, warned that the system for approval of drugs on the NHS needed to change. "The failure to recognise and adopt innovative new medicines continues to be a systemic problem in the UK … The UK is a world leader in the research, development and manufacture of medicines, but is one of the slowest to enable patients to have access to innovative new treatments. This is a situation that must be addressed."
Nice's rejection of new drugs has frequently outraged patient groups. When Health Secretary Andrew Lansley took office, he let it be known he would strip Nice of its powers to turn down new medicines, but there has been little information since as to how a new system would work. Most experts believe something like Nice is needed to assess the value of a new drug. There is agreement, however, that drug companies should get a premium price for new medicines that are "innovative", rather than variants on those already on the market. GSK's attack on Nice adds to the pressure on government for change.
Nice caused further controversy by turning down two drugs to check the spread of certain types of advanced breast cancer. Patients groups expressed their diappointment as Nice said it was unclear whether lapatinib (Tyverb, also made by GSK) and trastuzumab (Herceptin, made by Roche) extended women's lives and they did not appear to represent good value for money for the NHS.
Jose, who is also president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said he recognised that difficult funding decisions had to be made because the NHS had limited money. But Nice should not compare belimumab to cheap, older medicines that are now out of patent. That, he said, "fails to recognise the benefit of this clinically proven medicine".
He said: "These are devastating decisions for patients with lupus whose disease is currently uncontrolled by existing therapies. By denying access to belimumab, which is the first treatment specifically developed and licensed for lupus in over 50 years, UK patients are being left behind those in other countries including the US, Germany and Spain who already have access to this medicine."
He said the company had "priced belimumab responsibly" and offered an NHS discount via a patient access scheme "which we firmly believe represents value for both a cost-constrained NHS and patients with uncontrolled lupus".
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune condition which affects the whole body. The immune system, which should be fighting disease, instead attacks healthy tissue. It can lead to serious damage to organs such as the kidneys and the heart. The standard treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen, which are very cheap. Around 25,000 people are affected in the UK - mostly women aged between 15 and 44. Some of them do not respond to the available drugs – and it is those who would be prescribed belimumab.
Nice's defended its final draft guidance, which now goes out to consultation. Chief executive, Sir Andrew Dillon, said the independent appraisal committee had looked very carefully at the evidence and taken into account the views of people with lupus and their doctors.
"The committee concluded that compared with standard care, there was some evidence of the clinical effectiveness of belimumab. However, the evidence considered did not persuade the committee that belimumab provided enough health benefit for patients in view of how much the NHS would need to pay for it compared to standard care, as the cost of the drug in relation to how well it works is very high," said Sir Andrew in a statement.
Nice says the cost of the drug – without the discount – is more than £2,300 for the first month and then £769.50 every subsequent four weeks. That equates to more than £61,000 per QALY (a year of good quality life). Nice usually rejects drugs costing more than £30,000 per QALY except in terminal illness. GSK declined to make public the amount of the offered discount, which it says is commercially confidential.
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune condition which affects the whole body. The immune system, which should be fighting disease, instead attacks healthy tissue. It can lead to serious damage to organs such as the kidneys and the heart. The standard treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen, which are very cheap. Around 25,000 people are affected in the UK - mostly women aged between 15 and 44. Some of them do not respond to the available drugs, and it is those who would be prescribed belimumab. The Guardian
Britain's largest drug company has launched a forthright attack on the NHS's drug rationing body, accusing it of blocking innovation after it failed to approve the first new medicine in a decade to treat the disabling condition lupus.
GlaxoSmithKline was unusually critical of the decision by Nice, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, and also the Scottish Medicines Consortium, to reject its drug belimumab (brand name Benlysta) in final draft guidance. The UK's appraisal system, said GSK, was "a fundamental problem".
In a statement, Simon Jose, general manager of GlaxoSmithKline UK, warned that the system for approval of drugs on the NHS needed to change. "The failure to recognise and adopt innovative new medicines continues to be a systemic problem in the UK … The UK is a world leader in the research, development and manufacture of medicines, but is one of the slowest to enable patients to have access to innovative new treatments. This is a situation that must be addressed."
Nice's rejection of new drugs has frequently outraged patient groups. When Health Secretary Andrew Lansley took office, he let it be known he would strip Nice of its powers to turn down new medicines, but there has been little information since as to how a new system would work. Most experts believe something like Nice is needed to assess the value of a new drug. There is agreement, however, that drug companies should get a premium price for new medicines that are "innovative", rather than variants on those already on the market. GSK's attack on Nice adds to the pressure on government for change.
Nice caused further controversy by turning down two drugs to check the spread of certain types of advanced breast cancer. Patients groups expressed their diappointment as Nice said it was unclear whether lapatinib (Tyverb, also made by GSK) and trastuzumab (Herceptin, made by Roche) extended women's lives and they did not appear to represent good value for money for the NHS.
Jose, who is also president of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, said he recognised that difficult funding decisions had to be made because the NHS had limited money. But Nice should not compare belimumab to cheap, older medicines that are now out of patent. That, he said, "fails to recognise the benefit of this clinically proven medicine".
He said: "These are devastating decisions for patients with lupus whose disease is currently uncontrolled by existing therapies. By denying access to belimumab, which is the first treatment specifically developed and licensed for lupus in over 50 years, UK patients are being left behind those in other countries including the US, Germany and Spain who already have access to this medicine."
He said the company had "priced belimumab responsibly" and offered an NHS discount via a patient access scheme "which we firmly believe represents value for both a cost-constrained NHS and patients with uncontrolled lupus".
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune condition which affects the whole body. The immune system, which should be fighting disease, instead attacks healthy tissue. It can lead to serious damage to organs such as the kidneys and the heart. The standard treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen, which are very cheap. Around 25,000 people are affected in the UK - mostly women aged between 15 and 44. Some of them do not respond to the available drugs – and it is those who would be prescribed belimumab.
Nice's defended its final draft guidance, which now goes out to consultation. Chief executive, Sir Andrew Dillon, said the independent appraisal committee had looked very carefully at the evidence and taken into account the views of people with lupus and their doctors.
"The committee concluded that compared with standard care, there was some evidence of the clinical effectiveness of belimumab. However, the evidence considered did not persuade the committee that belimumab provided enough health benefit for patients in view of how much the NHS would need to pay for it compared to standard care, as the cost of the drug in relation to how well it works is very high," said Sir Andrew in a statement.
Nice says the cost of the drug – without the discount – is more than £2,300 for the first month and then £769.50 every subsequent four weeks. That equates to more than £61,000 per QALY (a year of good quality life). Nice usually rejects drugs costing more than £30,000 per QALY except in terminal illness. GSK declined to make public the amount of the offered discount, which it says is commercially confidential.
Lupus is an incurable autoimmune condition which affects the whole body. The immune system, which should be fighting disease, instead attacks healthy tissue. It can lead to serious damage to organs such as the kidneys and the heart. The standard treatment is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen, which are very cheap. Around 25,000 people are affected in the UK - mostly women aged between 15 and 44. Some of them do not respond to the available drugs, and it is those who would be prescribed belimumab. The Guardian
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Northamptonshire man’s care was ‘unacceptable’ inquest hears
Northamptonshire man’s care was ‘unacceptable’ inquest hears:
THE family of a man who died of infection after healthcare workers were told not to wash him, said he was “let down” by both the home care company and his GP surgery. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
THE family of a man who died of infection after healthcare workers were told not to wash him, said he was “let down” by both the home care company and his GP surgery. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Northampton General Hospital plans care review after report says one in four deaths could have been in comfort of home
Northampton General Hospital plans care review after report says one in four deaths could have been in comfort of home:
UP to one in four people who died at Northampton General Hospital could have been allowed to pass away in comfort at home given better planning of their care, a detailed review of patient notes suggests. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
UP to one in four people who died at Northampton General Hospital could have been allowed to pass away in comfort at home given better planning of their care, a detailed review of patient notes suggests. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Do local voluntary organisations hold the key to improving health outcomes? | Lisa Weaks
Do local voluntary organisations hold the key to improving health outcomes? | Lisa Weaks: It is often small community-based charities' detailed understanding of local need and their ability and willingness to work holistically across multiple services that allows them to be so effective. (Blog, 26 Apr 2012) Kings Fund
Appeal for blood before Olympics
Appeal for blood before Olympics: As part of the contingency planning for the Olympics and Paralympics, the NHS is appealing for blood donors in the run-up to the start of the Games. BBC News
'Widen pharmacy pill access' call
'Widen pharmacy pill access' call: The contraceptive pill should be available at pharmacies without a GP prescription, including to some under-16s, an NHS report says. BBC News
Lansley promises CCGs autonomy in return for results and financial responsibility
Lansley promises CCGs autonomy in return for results and financial responsibility: Health secretary Andrew Lansley has promised clinical commissioning group (CCG) leaders autonomy but asked for accountability for results and performance within budget in return. GP Online
Toolkit for improving care for frail older people
Toolkit for improving care for frail older people:
This is the third in a series of acute care toolkits which aims to improve the care of the frail older patient. The toolkit, produced in collaboration with the British Geriatrics Society, recommends procedures for both initial assessment on admission and later Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.
This is the third in a series of acute care toolkits which aims to improve the care of the frail older patient. The toolkit, produced in collaboration with the British Geriatrics Society, recommends procedures for both initial assessment on admission and later Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.
Care in the balance: a UNISON survey into staff/patient ratios on our wards
Care in the balance: a UNISON survey into staff/patient ratios on our wards:
This survey asked nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and other staff to chart their experiences including the pressures of a typical working day to reveal some insight into NHS working.
This survey asked nurses, midwives, healthcare assistants and other staff to chart their experiences including the pressures of a typical working day to reveal some insight into NHS working.
22% increase in malaria cases
22% increase in malaria cases: The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has issued a new warning to British travellers over the risk of catching malaria during overseas travel.
New figures from the HPA – published on World Malaria Day – show a sharp rise in cases among travellers returning from the Indian sub-continent.
Overall, there was a 5% decreased in malaria infections reported in 2011 (1,677) compared to 2010 (1,761). Healthcare Today
...
New figures from the HPA – published on World Malaria Day – show a sharp rise in cases among travellers returning from the Indian sub-continent.
Overall, there was a 5% decreased in malaria infections reported in 2011 (1,677) compared to 2010 (1,761). Healthcare Today
...
Patients waiting longer than six months for ops
Patients waiting longer than six months for ops: New evidence has emerged that patients are waiting longer to be admitted to hospital for operations, sparking claims that the coalition government is losing control of NHS waiting times.
A patient survey found that one in seven waited longer than six months to be admitted and an extra 150,000 patients have been caught up in increased delays since the Coalition came to power.
Other complaints made to the... Healthcare Today
A patient survey found that one in seven waited longer than six months to be admitted and an extra 150,000 patients have been caught up in increased delays since the Coalition came to power.
Other complaints made to the... Healthcare Today
Strengthening The Commitment: The Report of the UK Modernising Learning Disabilities Nursing Review
Strengthening The Commitment: The Report of the UK Modernising Learning Disabilities Nursing Review: The report aims to ensure that people with learning disabilities of all ages have access to expert Learning Disabilities Nurses and that their families and carers get the best support and care. It also seeks to make best use of Learning Disabilities Nurses throughout the entire health and social care system and improve the career image of learning disabilities nursing as a whole.
Comprehensive review on mobile phone technologies finds no solid evidence of health effects
Comprehensive review on mobile phone technologies finds no solid evidence of health effects: A new report by the Health Protection Agency’s independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR) has concluded that there is still no convincing evidence that mobile phone technologies cause adverse effects on human health. Health Protection Agency
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Engaging leadership: Hope for the future lies with a new breed of doctors | John Clark
Engaging leadership: Hope for the future lies with a new breed of doctors | John Clark: As doctors are expected to play increasing roles in the commissioning, delivery and improvement of services, it is vital they are prepared for their increased responsibilities at a much earlier stage in their training and learning. Kings Fund
NHS 'wastes billions on diabetes'
NHS 'wastes billions on diabetes': The bulk of the £9.8bn the NHS spends on diabetes each year is wasted - and the disease could cost it a sixth of its entire budget by 2035, says a report. BBC News
Exclusive: GPs demand telecare savings evidence
Exclusive: GPs demand telecare savings evidence: Investing millions in telehealth could add to GP workload without benefiting patients, the GPC has warned, after the DH refused to explain its claim that the technology would save the NHS £1.2bn. GP Online
Grant links IT to CCG success
Grant links IT to CCG success: The chair of the NHS Commissioning Board has said that the best clinical commissioning groups will be those with the best information systems. E-Health Insider
Industrial action roundup
Industrial action roundup: Dean Royles, director of the NHS Employers organisation, has written to HR directors in the NHS with a general roundup of the current situation in terms of proposed industrial action relating to NHS pension reform. NHS Employers
Inpatient survey 2011
Inpatient survey 2011:
This survey looked at the experiences of over 70,000 people who were admitted to NHS hospitals around England. The results of the survey will be used by NHS trusts to improve their performance and to understand their patients’ experiences, and the results will be used to support the CQC's regulatory, compliance and monitoring activities.
This survey looked at the experiences of over 70,000 people who were admitted to NHS hospitals around England. The results of the survey will be used by NHS trusts to improve their performance and to understand their patients’ experiences, and the results will be used to support the CQC's regulatory, compliance and monitoring activities.
Intentional rounding: what is the evidence?
Intentional rounding: what is the evidence?:
In January 2011 the Prime Minister called for changes in the way nurses deliver care. Following a number of critical reports, concern had been expressed about the need to ensure essential aspects of nursing care are consistently delivered. One of the recommendations is for NHS hospitals to implement hourly nursing rounds, to check on patients and ensure their fundamental care needs are met – an approach related to ‘intentional rounding’ in the US. Within the UK some organisations refer to this type of nursing activity as “care rounds” or “comfort rounds”. This briefing examines different approaches to intentional rounding and reviews available evidence.
In January 2011 the Prime Minister called for changes in the way nurses deliver care. Following a number of critical reports, concern had been expressed about the need to ensure essential aspects of nursing care are consistently delivered. One of the recommendations is for NHS hospitals to implement hourly nursing rounds, to check on patients and ensure their fundamental care needs are met – an approach related to ‘intentional rounding’ in the US. Within the UK some organisations refer to this type of nursing activity as “care rounds” or “comfort rounds”. This briefing examines different approaches to intentional rounding and reviews available evidence.
NHS is failing gay and bisexual men, major survey reveals
NHS is failing gay and bisexual men, major survey reveals:
Campaigners fear lack of trust may discourage men from accessing crucial health advice and testing
Gay and bisexual men are neglected and sometimes discriminated against by a health service that tends to focus solely on their sexual health, despite the fact they are more likely to self-harm, attempt suicide and experience depression, according to a major study.
Almost 6,900 gay and bisexual men across the UK who had used NHS healthcare services in the last year were surveyed by gay rights charity Stonewall. The survey reveals that a third have had a negative experience related to their sexuality. Confidence in confidentiality systems and lack of opportunities for discussion were so poor that the same proportion had not even come out to their GP or other staff. The men said they were more likely to be open about their sexual orientation with their manager and work colleagues than with healthcare professionals.
Stonewall's chief executive, Ben Summerskill, says the findings of the report – the largest such study in the world – are "deeply troubling" because the lack of trust may discourage Britain's 1.8 million gay and bisexual men from accessing crucial advice and testing services.
Nearly a third of respondents had never had an HIV test, despite early diagnosis now being a public health priority, and 54% had never discussed HIV with a healthcare professional, the survey reveals.
In the last year, 3% of gay men and 5% of bisexual men had tried to kill themselves compared with 0.4% of all men. Over the same period, 7% of gay and bisexual men had deliberately harmed themselves, compared with just 3% of all men.
Mental health issues were even more acute among younger gay and bisexual men: of those aged 16 to 24, 6% had tried to take their own life in the last year and 15% had harmed themselves. Domestic abuse was another serious problem: half of those surveyed had experienced at least one incident from a family member or partner since the age of 16, compared with 17% of all men.
The report lays bare discrimination in the health service. "I overheard the reception staff say to a nurse: 'The poof is here for his appointment,'" David, 23, told Stonewall. Jack, 37, described how his doctor wrote "homosexual" in capital letters on a letter he had to take to hospital after breaking his wrist. Every time a different doctor pulled up his details on the computer, the same tag would appear.
Nathan, 20, said his GP refused to speak with him, ushering him out of the office and telling him to contact the local sexual health clinic instead.
Several respondents talked of health professionals assuming that because they were gay, they must be HIV positive, while others described professionals referring to them having wives or girlfriends, even after they had made it clear they were gay. Some had distressing experiences of their same-sex partner rights being ignored. "My partner is terminally ill with cancer," said Eddie, 52. "Even though he asked for his treatment to be talked over with me and to call me before his family, they have often not done so."
Of the third of respondents who had not been tested for HIV, 70% said it was because they did not think they had put themselves at risk, while a third said it was because they had never had any symptoms of HIV infection.
"These figures raise grave concerns about the effectiveness with which hundreds of millions of pounds of public money have been spent on HIV awareness and prevention in recent years," the report says.
Summerskill adds: "Patients accessing healthcare should be confident that they'll be treated compassionately, confidentially and with complete openness. But this research reveals that for many gay and bisexual men in Britain this is simply not the case."
The report also finds that respondents were more likely to smoke, drink and take illegal drugs. "It ill-serves our gay and bisexual communities when these uncomfortable truths are ignored," says Summerskill.
The report makes a number of recommendations that could help health services improve, from the Royal Colleges updating professional development programmes for their members to include topics such as same-sex partner rights, to frontline staff being trained about the importance of not assuming someone's sexual orientation. Workers should also encourage disclosure by asking open questions and having clear confidentiality policies. Just one in 11 of respondents said they had been given the opportunity to come out.
Policies explicitly protecting gay and bisexual people from discrimination should be displayed at surgeries and hospitals, and improving access to sexual health services for gay and bisexual men should be made a public health priority, the report concludes.
A Department of Health spokeswoman says lesbian, gay and bisexual people are prioritised in its mental health strategy because it recognises "they are at a higher risk of mental health problems, violence and self-harm". She adds that the latest GP Patient Survey shows that 84% of gay, lesbian and bisexual respondents described their overall experience of their GP surgery as "good". The Guardian
Gay and bisexual men are neglected and sometimes discriminated against by a health service that tends to focus solely on their sexual health, despite the fact they are more likely to self-harm, attempt suicide and experience depression, according to a major study.
Almost 6,900 gay and bisexual men across the UK who had used NHS healthcare services in the last year were surveyed by gay rights charity Stonewall. The survey reveals that a third have had a negative experience related to their sexuality. Confidence in confidentiality systems and lack of opportunities for discussion were so poor that the same proportion had not even come out to their GP or other staff. The men said they were more likely to be open about their sexual orientation with their manager and work colleagues than with healthcare professionals.
Stonewall's chief executive, Ben Summerskill, says the findings of the report – the largest such study in the world – are "deeply troubling" because the lack of trust may discourage Britain's 1.8 million gay and bisexual men from accessing crucial advice and testing services.
Nearly a third of respondents had never had an HIV test, despite early diagnosis now being a public health priority, and 54% had never discussed HIV with a healthcare professional, the survey reveals.
In the last year, 3% of gay men and 5% of bisexual men had tried to kill themselves compared with 0.4% of all men. Over the same period, 7% of gay and bisexual men had deliberately harmed themselves, compared with just 3% of all men.
Mental health issues were even more acute among younger gay and bisexual men: of those aged 16 to 24, 6% had tried to take their own life in the last year and 15% had harmed themselves. Domestic abuse was another serious problem: half of those surveyed had experienced at least one incident from a family member or partner since the age of 16, compared with 17% of all men.
The report lays bare discrimination in the health service. "I overheard the reception staff say to a nurse: 'The poof is here for his appointment,'" David, 23, told Stonewall. Jack, 37, described how his doctor wrote "homosexual" in capital letters on a letter he had to take to hospital after breaking his wrist. Every time a different doctor pulled up his details on the computer, the same tag would appear.
Nathan, 20, said his GP refused to speak with him, ushering him out of the office and telling him to contact the local sexual health clinic instead.
Several respondents talked of health professionals assuming that because they were gay, they must be HIV positive, while others described professionals referring to them having wives or girlfriends, even after they had made it clear they were gay. Some had distressing experiences of their same-sex partner rights being ignored. "My partner is terminally ill with cancer," said Eddie, 52. "Even though he asked for his treatment to be talked over with me and to call me before his family, they have often not done so."
Of the third of respondents who had not been tested for HIV, 70% said it was because they did not think they had put themselves at risk, while a third said it was because they had never had any symptoms of HIV infection.
"These figures raise grave concerns about the effectiveness with which hundreds of millions of pounds of public money have been spent on HIV awareness and prevention in recent years," the report says.
Summerskill adds: "Patients accessing healthcare should be confident that they'll be treated compassionately, confidentially and with complete openness. But this research reveals that for many gay and bisexual men in Britain this is simply not the case."
The report also finds that respondents were more likely to smoke, drink and take illegal drugs. "It ill-serves our gay and bisexual communities when these uncomfortable truths are ignored," says Summerskill.
The report makes a number of recommendations that could help health services improve, from the Royal Colleges updating professional development programmes for their members to include topics such as same-sex partner rights, to frontline staff being trained about the importance of not assuming someone's sexual orientation. Workers should also encourage disclosure by asking open questions and having clear confidentiality policies. Just one in 11 of respondents said they had been given the opportunity to come out.
Policies explicitly protecting gay and bisexual people from discrimination should be displayed at surgeries and hospitals, and improving access to sexual health services for gay and bisexual men should be made a public health priority, the report concludes.
A Department of Health spokeswoman says lesbian, gay and bisexual people are prioritised in its mental health strategy because it recognises "they are at a higher risk of mental health problems, violence and self-harm". She adds that the latest GP Patient Survey shows that 84% of gay, lesbian and bisexual respondents described their overall experience of their GP surgery as "good". The Guardian
Will the nurse training overhaul rebalance the curriculum v caring conundrum?
Will the nurse training overhaul rebalance the curriculum v caring conundrum?:
After a barrage of reports involving the neglect of hospital patients, the training and education of nurses is going under the microscope
Nursing may not quite be in crisis, but it is certainly going through a rough patch. So the launch today of a commission of inquiry into nurse education and training is enormously significant both for its timing and for who is behind it.
The commission is to be led by educationist Lord [Phil] Willis, a Liberal Democrat, and it has been initiated by the Royal College of Nursing. Hitherto an unswerving advocate of the model of training that the profession has been moving to over the past 20 years, culminating in it becoming degree-entry only from next year, the RCN is seizing the initiative before it is grabbed by others.
As its chief executive and general secretary Peter Carter acknowledges, "nursing has recently come under increased scrutiny from various sources, some of which have questioned the compassion and dedication of the profession". In setting up the commission, the college has decided to act "rather than refuse to accept that there may be issues in some areas".
This is an important and sensible admission. The charge sheet is now too long to deny that some nurses lack a certain something in the way they approach the job. Stories of ward staff chatting at nursing stations while their patients struggle to reach food and drink are legion, while the horrors of the mid-Staffordshire scandal – involving hundreds of unnecessary deaths of neglected patients – will be revisited later in the year by publication of the report of the public inquiry.
And the evidence keeps coming. In a new report on Leeds general infirmary, inspectors of the Care Quality Commission describe how they felt obliged to step in to seek help for patients during a recent two-day visit. "Had we not intervened, we believe some needs would not have been met," they say, formally registering "major concerns" about care standards and staffing levels.
Plainly there were questions of adequacy of staff numbers at Leeds. But the outlook for NHS funding means that hospitals and community health services will be waiting a long time for reinforcements. Besides which, many critics of modern nursing think the profession's leaders are too ready to hide behind defences of team size and skill mix.
The draft report of the Commission on Improving Dignity in Care, published in February, argued forcefully that there is a compassion deficit in the attitude of many nurses and other health workers towards older patients. It called for recruitment to be based as much on assessment of a candidate's caring qualities as on their academic record. Others, however, think that basic caring skills are no longer being taught properly during nurse training, and this is where the spotlight will be on the RCN's new commission.
The argument goes that in replacing hospital-based training with a university-based system, with nursing students doing placements in care settings, the reforms of the early 1990s sowed the seeds of today's failings. Abolition of state enrolled or assistant nurses, and their replacement by cheaper healthcare assistants, served to compound the problem.
Will Willis, whose mother was a district nurse, venture into this territory? He says he has no preconceptions and is being given a free hand to explore the commission's remit of identifying the "defining features" of nurse education to produce a workforce fit for the future. That will, he makes clear, include looking at the curriculum and at whether there is "the right balance" between classroom and workplace.
It seems unlikely, though, that the commission will question the principle of degree-based training. Across the rest of Europe and beyond, Willis points out, there is "a strong move towards a graduate nursing profession". The Guardian
Nursing may not quite be in crisis, but it is certainly going through a rough patch. So the launch today of a commission of inquiry into nurse education and training is enormously significant both for its timing and for who is behind it.
The commission is to be led by educationist Lord [Phil] Willis, a Liberal Democrat, and it has been initiated by the Royal College of Nursing. Hitherto an unswerving advocate of the model of training that the profession has been moving to over the past 20 years, culminating in it becoming degree-entry only from next year, the RCN is seizing the initiative before it is grabbed by others.
As its chief executive and general secretary Peter Carter acknowledges, "nursing has recently come under increased scrutiny from various sources, some of which have questioned the compassion and dedication of the profession". In setting up the commission, the college has decided to act "rather than refuse to accept that there may be issues in some areas".
This is an important and sensible admission. The charge sheet is now too long to deny that some nurses lack a certain something in the way they approach the job. Stories of ward staff chatting at nursing stations while their patients struggle to reach food and drink are legion, while the horrors of the mid-Staffordshire scandal – involving hundreds of unnecessary deaths of neglected patients – will be revisited later in the year by publication of the report of the public inquiry.
And the evidence keeps coming. In a new report on Leeds general infirmary, inspectors of the Care Quality Commission describe how they felt obliged to step in to seek help for patients during a recent two-day visit. "Had we not intervened, we believe some needs would not have been met," they say, formally registering "major concerns" about care standards and staffing levels.
Plainly there were questions of adequacy of staff numbers at Leeds. But the outlook for NHS funding means that hospitals and community health services will be waiting a long time for reinforcements. Besides which, many critics of modern nursing think the profession's leaders are too ready to hide behind defences of team size and skill mix.
The draft report of the Commission on Improving Dignity in Care, published in February, argued forcefully that there is a compassion deficit in the attitude of many nurses and other health workers towards older patients. It called for recruitment to be based as much on assessment of a candidate's caring qualities as on their academic record. Others, however, think that basic caring skills are no longer being taught properly during nurse training, and this is where the spotlight will be on the RCN's new commission.
The argument goes that in replacing hospital-based training with a university-based system, with nursing students doing placements in care settings, the reforms of the early 1990s sowed the seeds of today's failings. Abolition of state enrolled or assistant nurses, and their replacement by cheaper healthcare assistants, served to compound the problem.
Will Willis, whose mother was a district nurse, venture into this territory? He says he has no preconceptions and is being given a free hand to explore the commission's remit of identifying the "defining features" of nurse education to produce a workforce fit for the future. That will, he makes clear, include looking at the curriculum and at whether there is "the right balance" between classroom and workplace.
It seems unlikely, though, that the commission will question the principle of degree-based training. Across the rest of Europe and beyond, Willis points out, there is "a strong move towards a graduate nursing profession". The Guardian
NHS reforms will put children's lives at risk: NHS managers
NHS reforms will put children's lives at risk: NHS managers: Children's lives will be put at risk by the Coalition's health reforms because confusion among new organisations could lead to another Baby P, NHS managers have warned.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
Cancer tests 'not widely available'
Cancer tests 'not widely available':
Cancer patients may be missing out on the most effective treatments because of poor access to new biomarker tests, according to a survey of senior hospital doctors. The Independent
Cancer patients may be missing out on the most effective treatments because of poor access to new biomarker tests, according to a survey of senior hospital doctors. The Independent
Drugs firm sues doctors for being cost conscious
Drugs firm sues doctors for being cost conscious:
Independent experts have condemned the Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis for trying to force the NHS to buy an expensive drug to treat patients suffering from a degenerative eye disease, rather than using a cheaper, unlicensed alternative. The Independent
Independent experts have condemned the Swiss pharmaceuticals company Novartis for trying to force the NHS to buy an expensive drug to treat patients suffering from a degenerative eye disease, rather than using a cheaper, unlicensed alternative. The Independent
Information Data Requests – Guidance for NHS Foundation Trusts and Sponsors
Information Data Requests – Guidance for NHS Foundation Trusts and Sponsors: This document explains the changed requirements relating to information data requests to NHS Foundation Trusts.
Monitor
Monitor
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Five deaths a month at Northampton General Hospital ‘avoidable’ report suggests
Five deaths a month at Northampton General Hospital ‘avoidable’ report suggests:
FIVE deaths a month could allegedly have been prevented at Northampton General Hospital if better care had been given, new analysis has suggested. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
FIVE deaths a month could allegedly have been prevented at Northampton General Hospital if better care had been given, new analysis has suggested. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Patient increase hits Northampton General Hospital’s A&E targets
Patient increase hits Northampton General Hospital’s A&E targets:
HUGE numbers of patients meant Northampton General Hospital failed to deal with the required number of patients within four hours in the last year. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
HUGE numbers of patients meant Northampton General Hospital failed to deal with the required number of patients within four hours in the last year. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Can the NHS improve quality while saving money?
Can the NHS improve quality while saving money?:
Health Minister Simon Burns explains how better care and listening to patients about their experience of care can result in the NHS having to spend less money.
In his latest blog, the minister highlights the work being done by South East Essex Community Healthcare to improve care for children whose asthma is difficult to manage.
He says:
Health Minister Simon Burns explains how better care and listening to patients about their experience of care can result in the NHS having to spend less money.
In his latest blog, the minister highlights the work being done by South East Essex Community Healthcare to improve care for children whose asthma is difficult to manage.
He says:
‘People have voiced concerns that the NHS’s efficiency drive will in some areas reduce the quality of care. I understand those concerns.See Simon Burns’ blog Department of Health
‘The NHS’s funding is of course, protected. But because demand is increasing, it is in the middle of a major mission to find up to £20 billion of efficiency savings that it will then put back into frontline care. Back into frontline care, note – not back into Treasury coffers.
‘It is doing this not by cutting good services, but by discovering better models of caring for people. For example, making sure the fifteen million people with long term conditions – on whom nearly three quarters of the NHS’s budget is spent – spend less time in A&E, and get more of the support they need to stay in good health.’
Nurse faked dying man's records
Nurse faked dying man's records: A Bupa nurse employed at a care home in Northamptonshire is struck off after faking the records of a dead man to cover her neglect. BBC News
NHS faces challenge over eye drug
NHS faces challenge over eye drug: The pharmaceutical company Novartis is challenging the use of a cheaper alternative to its drug Lucentis for a common cause of loss of vision. BBC News
Nurses and pharmacists now able to prescribe controlled drugs
Nurses and pharmacists now able to prescribe controlled drugs: Nurse and pharmacist independent prescribers across the UK can now prescribe controlled drugs following a change to drug legislation. GP Online
CCGs given 'complete freedom' on support
CCGs given 'complete freedom' on support: Health secretary Andrew Lansley has said that clinical commissioning groups will have complete freedom to choose the organisation they want to use for commissioning support. E-Health Insider
Management of long-term sickness absence
Management of long-term sickness absence: This guidance is for all who manage long-term (or recurring short or long-term) sickness absence and incapacity, including employers and people working in the NHS. NHS Employers
Fees paid under parts 2 & 3 of Annex G of the GMS Statement of Financial Entitlement: adjustments to compensate PCTs in 2012-13
Fees paid under parts 2 & 3 of Annex G of the GMS Statement of Financial Entitlement: adjustments to compensate PCTs in 2012-13:
Following negotiations between the GPs’ Committee of the British Medical Association and NHS Employers, ministers have signed off a new method for calculating dispensing fees. Richard Armstrong, Head of Primary Medical Care Commissioning Development Directorate, has written to PCT Directors of Finance, with details of the agreement and actions for PCTs.
Following negotiations between the GPs’ Committee of the British Medical Association and NHS Employers, ministers have signed off a new method for calculating dispensing fees. Richard Armstrong, Head of Primary Medical Care Commissioning Development Directorate, has written to PCT Directors of Finance, with details of the agreement and actions for PCTs.
The Government's strategic objectives for the NHS Commissioning Board Authority
The Government's strategic objectives for the NHS Commissioning Board Authority:
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has set out the Government’s strategic objectives for the NHS Commissioning Board Authority and the basis against which the Authority will be held to account.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has set out the Government’s strategic objectives for the NHS Commissioning Board Authority and the basis against which the Authority will be held to account.
CQC criticised after care home assault
CQC criticised after care home assault:The Care Quality Commission is under fire after secret filming revealed an 80-year-old woman being slapped by a carer at a home in London.The filming was done in secret by Jane Worroll, whose mother was at the care home in Ash Court in London, after she noticed bruises on her relative's arms and legs.It showed carer Jonathan Aquino slapping Maria Worroll, who has Alzheimer's and arthritis, six times. After... Healthcare Today
Arthritis 'postcode lottery of care'
Arthritis 'postcode lottery of care': Some health authorities are spending less than a pound a day helping people with arthritis and other joint problems, while others spend three times that, according to a review that has found a postcode lottery of care.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
Ensuring Access to After-Hours Care
Ensuring Access to After-Hours Care: In recent years, several countries, including the Netherlands, Denmark, and Germany, have sought to expand access to after-hours care—often by transitioning from the traditional approach, in which practices designate someone to be "on-call," to group-based or regional approaches. As the U.S. seeks to strengthen primary care, particularly through the development of patient-centered medical homes, it has a great deal to learn from these international models.
The Commonwealth Fund
The Commonwealth Fund
Schedule 6 of the terms of authorisation
Schedule 6 of the terms of authorisation: Schedule 6 of an NHS foundation trust’s terms of authorisation lists the information they have a legal or statutory obligation to supply.
Monitor
Monitor
Quality Governance Framework
Quality Governance Framework: The Quality Governance Framework assesses the combination of structures and processes in place, both at and below board level, which enable a trust board to assure the quality of care it provides. The framework now forms part of the assessment process, Compliance Framework and risk-assessment of transactions.
Monitor
Monitor
Monday, 23 April 2012
Ambulance crew sick days reduced
Ambulance crew sick days reduced:
AMBULANCE crews are receiving extra care and support in a bid to cut the service’s absence rate. Evening Telegraph
AMBULANCE crews are receiving extra care and support in a bid to cut the service’s absence rate. Evening Telegraph
Judge calls for urgent action to prevent care home thefts by staff
Judge calls for urgent action to prevent care home thefts by staff:
A JUDGE has called for urgent action to be taken to stop vulnerable people in Northamptonshire being swindled out of thousands of pounds of cash by greedy care home workers. Northampton Chronicle & Echo
A JUDGE has called for urgent action to be taken to stop vulnerable people in Northamptonshire being swindled out of thousands of pounds of cash by greedy care home workers. Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Undercover filming shows Alzheimer's sufferer being repeatedly beaten
Undercover filming shows Alzheimer's sufferer being repeatedly beaten:
Footage of an Alzheimer's sufferer being repeatedly beaten by a member of staff at a care home will be screened tonight. The Independent
Footage of an Alzheimer's sufferer being repeatedly beaten by a member of staff at a care home will be screened tonight. The Independent
The big ideas
The big ideas: In the latest issue of Public Service Review: Health and Social Care, NHS and Commissioning Board Authority Chief Executive Sir David Nicholson, calls for a system to get the best out of the world-class talent to be found in the National Health Service.
Read the article.
Watchdog accused in care home row
Watchdog accused in care home row: The Care Quality Commission is being criticised for failing to take sufficient action after undercover filming showed an 80-year-old woman being slapped by a care worker. BBC News
CCGs adopting 'worst of PCT habits', warns GPC
CCGs adopting 'worst of PCT habits', warns GPC: Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are excluding LMCs from the development of their constitutions and risk morphing into 'the worst of PCTs', GP leaders have warned. GP Online
QOF could link to patient benefits and ignore GP workload
QOF could link to patient benefits and ignore GP workload: Primary care could be made more efficient if QOF points were linked to patient benefits rather than GP workload, research by a member of the NICE QOF team suggests. GP Online
Health and social care influenza pandemic preparedness and response
Health and social care influenza pandemic preparedness and response:
This guidance is intended to support local preparedness and response planning in England during the transition period through to 2013. The key changes in the strategy learned from the 2009 pandemic are: develop improved plans for the initial response to a new pandemic; ensure a response that is proportionate to a range of scenarios; allow for differences in the rate and pattern of spread of the disease across the country and internationally; and develop improved plans for managing the end of an influenza pandemic.
This guidance is intended to support local preparedness and response planning in England during the transition period through to 2013. The key changes in the strategy learned from the 2009 pandemic are: develop improved plans for the initial response to a new pandemic; ensure a response that is proportionate to a range of scenarios; allow for differences in the rate and pattern of spread of the disease across the country and internationally; and develop improved plans for managing the end of an influenza pandemic.
Dementia and end of life care: implications for people with sensory loss
Dementia and end of life care: implications for people with sensory loss:
This report summarises the issues discussed during a half-day seminar held in February 2012, organised by the Social Care Institute for Excellence, ARUP and the Thomas Pocklington Trust.
This report summarises the issues discussed during a half-day seminar held in February 2012, organised by the Social Care Institute for Excellence, ARUP and the Thomas Pocklington Trust.
Andrew Lansley backs lower pay for NHS staff in poorer areas
Andrew Lansley backs lower pay for NHS staff in poorer areas:
Health secretary risks new political storm by supporting proposals that unions say will worsen the north-south divide
Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, is threatening another controversial revolution in the NHS by proposing that its staff be paid less if they work in poorer parts of the country.
The cabinet minister is backing a plan for regional pay, which would mean that nurses, midwives, hospital porters, cleaners and paramedics would earn less if they work in the north or the Midlands rather than in the south of England. Official documents reveal that the only exemption backed by the Department of Health would be for highly paid managers working in new bodies established to deliver Lansley's controversial NHS reform programme, widely criticised as a privatisation of the health service.
The department, according to a submission to the NHS pay review body, believes special arrangements would be necessary for this new cohort of executives to "attract and retain high-calibre leaders and staff responsible for transforming delivery".
The revelation was seized upon by the government's critics on Saturday night as fresh evidence that the coalition is out of touch with the British public.
Health unions accused the health secretary of seeking to drive down wages in the provinces with the crippling consequence of creating an ever deeper north-south economic divide. They said women would be particularly badly hit by the proposals.
The policy is also likely to reignite disputes within the coalition over Lansley's handling of the NHS, with one senior Liberal Democrat attacking the proposal as "divisive and ideological" and warning that regional pay in the NHS was a "red-line issue" for Lib Dem MPs.
John Pugh MP, the co-chairman of the Lib Dem parliamentary policy committee on health and social care, said: "Not content with cementing the divisions between the north and south, Andrew's proposals harden the divisions between the well-paid and the rest. This demonstrates his continuing, unfortunate talent for alienating the people he needs to rely on most: NHS staff.
"Regional pay proposals and the blinkered ideology that underpins it remains a red line for many Lib Dem MPs and risk provoking an enduring, embittering standoff within the coalition which will profit no one."
Lansley's recommendation was made in response to the call by the chancellor, George Osborne, in his recent budget for the public sector to be "more responsive to local pay rates" to help the private sector grow in economically depressed parts of the UK.
Osborne argued that public sector pay should mimic the private sector and be more reflective of local economic conditions. In written evidence to the independent NHS pay review board, Lansley's department agrees that there is a prima facie case for regional pay in the NHS, described in the document as "market-facing pay".
The document suggests setting a national basic pay rate at a "minimum level necessary" and paying additional supplements in particular geographical zones. It says: "Current rates of pay in the NHS do vary geographically, but significantly less so than the pay of comparable staff in the private sector. The introduction of more sensitive market-facing pay would therefore enable more efficient and effective use of NHS funds." It further argues that "where the NHS pay premium is relatively high there is the potential for private sector enterprise to be crowded out with adverse impact on the prospects for local economic growth."
The document says the department favours a "measured approach, at least initially", and recommends the "introduction of one, or perhaps two, additional zones of geographical pay differentiation." It adds: "These could then be assessed and the evidence base on market-facing pay further developed to permit the consideration of the case for introducing further additional zones in the future."
The pay row is set to escalate when the shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham MP, addresses the Unison health conference in Brighton this week. Burnham said: "National pay is part of what underpins a truly national health service. Labour will defend it, as it is fair to staff, helps control costs and brings stability to the system.
"It is often harder to work on the NHS front line in more deprived parts of the country and yet this government wants to pay those staff less and reinforce the north-south divide. It will infuriate NHS staff to see senior managers arguing for one rule for themselves, and another for staff. They are seeking to insulate themselves from these changes, while driving down pay for thousands of front-line staff across the country."
Christina McAnea, the head of health at Unison, the largest health union, which will present its evidence on regional pay on Monday at its health conference, said: "The Department of Health's evidence on regional pay is built on sand. For a government that says it wants to cut paperwork, introducing regional pay would be a massively expensive, bureaucratic nightmare, designed to cause huge disruption and conflict.
"Regional pay would cause skills shortages in so-called low-cost areas, with nurses, midwives and specialised staff being hard to recruit and retain, hitting the care of patients.
"The government want to introduce a market ethos into the NHS but most private companies abandoned regional pay scales years ago as divisive and unworkable."
The Department of Health said: "Our evidence shows how more market-facing pay could help employers make better use of the NHS pay bill. It makes clear that there is a compelling case for implementing market facing pay for all Agenda for Change staff in England, whether they fulfil a support role, work in administration or work on the front line, such as nurses and other clinical staff. The principle of equal pay applies to all staff across the entire country.
"Any recommendations must be implemented in a way that is simple, effective and safe. National organisations like Health Education England are however in the very early stages of development.
"We have therefore invited the NHS pay review body to consider how, in the absence of detailed evidence about the appropriate job markets, their recommendations on market-facing pay might affect recruitment and retention, including the implications for equal pay in these particular organisations." The Guardian
Andrew Lansley, the health secretary, is threatening another controversial revolution in the NHS by proposing that its staff be paid less if they work in poorer parts of the country.
The cabinet minister is backing a plan for regional pay, which would mean that nurses, midwives, hospital porters, cleaners and paramedics would earn less if they work in the north or the Midlands rather than in the south of England. Official documents reveal that the only exemption backed by the Department of Health would be for highly paid managers working in new bodies established to deliver Lansley's controversial NHS reform programme, widely criticised as a privatisation of the health service.
The department, according to a submission to the NHS pay review body, believes special arrangements would be necessary for this new cohort of executives to "attract and retain high-calibre leaders and staff responsible for transforming delivery".
The revelation was seized upon by the government's critics on Saturday night as fresh evidence that the coalition is out of touch with the British public.
Health unions accused the health secretary of seeking to drive down wages in the provinces with the crippling consequence of creating an ever deeper north-south economic divide. They said women would be particularly badly hit by the proposals.
The policy is also likely to reignite disputes within the coalition over Lansley's handling of the NHS, with one senior Liberal Democrat attacking the proposal as "divisive and ideological" and warning that regional pay in the NHS was a "red-line issue" for Lib Dem MPs.
John Pugh MP, the co-chairman of the Lib Dem parliamentary policy committee on health and social care, said: "Not content with cementing the divisions between the north and south, Andrew's proposals harden the divisions between the well-paid and the rest. This demonstrates his continuing, unfortunate talent for alienating the people he needs to rely on most: NHS staff.
"Regional pay proposals and the blinkered ideology that underpins it remains a red line for many Lib Dem MPs and risk provoking an enduring, embittering standoff within the coalition which will profit no one."
Lansley's recommendation was made in response to the call by the chancellor, George Osborne, in his recent budget for the public sector to be "more responsive to local pay rates" to help the private sector grow in economically depressed parts of the UK.
Osborne argued that public sector pay should mimic the private sector and be more reflective of local economic conditions. In written evidence to the independent NHS pay review board, Lansley's department agrees that there is a prima facie case for regional pay in the NHS, described in the document as "market-facing pay".
The document suggests setting a national basic pay rate at a "minimum level necessary" and paying additional supplements in particular geographical zones. It says: "Current rates of pay in the NHS do vary geographically, but significantly less so than the pay of comparable staff in the private sector. The introduction of more sensitive market-facing pay would therefore enable more efficient and effective use of NHS funds." It further argues that "where the NHS pay premium is relatively high there is the potential for private sector enterprise to be crowded out with adverse impact on the prospects for local economic growth."
The document says the department favours a "measured approach, at least initially", and recommends the "introduction of one, or perhaps two, additional zones of geographical pay differentiation." It adds: "These could then be assessed and the evidence base on market-facing pay further developed to permit the consideration of the case for introducing further additional zones in the future."
The pay row is set to escalate when the shadow health secretary, Andy Burnham MP, addresses the Unison health conference in Brighton this week. Burnham said: "National pay is part of what underpins a truly national health service. Labour will defend it, as it is fair to staff, helps control costs and brings stability to the system.
"It is often harder to work on the NHS front line in more deprived parts of the country and yet this government wants to pay those staff less and reinforce the north-south divide. It will infuriate NHS staff to see senior managers arguing for one rule for themselves, and another for staff. They are seeking to insulate themselves from these changes, while driving down pay for thousands of front-line staff across the country."
Christina McAnea, the head of health at Unison, the largest health union, which will present its evidence on regional pay on Monday at its health conference, said: "The Department of Health's evidence on regional pay is built on sand. For a government that says it wants to cut paperwork, introducing regional pay would be a massively expensive, bureaucratic nightmare, designed to cause huge disruption and conflict.
"Regional pay would cause skills shortages in so-called low-cost areas, with nurses, midwives and specialised staff being hard to recruit and retain, hitting the care of patients.
"The government want to introduce a market ethos into the NHS but most private companies abandoned regional pay scales years ago as divisive and unworkable."
The Department of Health said: "Our evidence shows how more market-facing pay could help employers make better use of the NHS pay bill. It makes clear that there is a compelling case for implementing market facing pay for all Agenda for Change staff in England, whether they fulfil a support role, work in administration or work on the front line, such as nurses and other clinical staff. The principle of equal pay applies to all staff across the entire country.
"Any recommendations must be implemented in a way that is simple, effective and safe. National organisations like Health Education England are however in the very early stages of development.
"We have therefore invited the NHS pay review body to consider how, in the absence of detailed evidence about the appropriate job markets, their recommendations on market-facing pay might affect recruitment and retention, including the implications for equal pay in these particular organisations." The Guardian
Patients with rare illnesses 'losing out' in NHS drug allocation lottery
Patients with rare illnesses 'losing out' in NHS drug allocation lottery:
Health experts fear new national framework governing allocation of drugs could hit some more than others
People with rare diseases are failing to receive vital medical treatment because their illnesses are not recognised in guidelines that govern the distribution of NHS-approved drugs.
Health experts who fear that a new framework governing drug allocation that comes into force next year could see some people lose out.
Anglea Tyermans, 38, who has arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), an extremely rare cardiovascular defect that affects less than 1% of the population, fears she will die if she does not receive a course of injections approved by Nice, the clinical body that oversees drug allocation on behalf of the NHS.
Her primary care trust in West Sussex will not pay the £15,000 for her to have the one-off treatment, which her lawyers say will arrest her illness. Experts appointed by West Sussex PCT said "further research" was required.
Rare Disease UK, an alliance of organisations that support people with uncommon illnesess, estimates there are more than 6,000 rare diseases that will affect 1 in 17 people in the UK.
A new commissioning board next year will oversee the allocation of medicines to end the "postcode lottery" that sees some patients deprived of a drug because of where they live.
But Alastair Kent, chair of Rare Disease UK, warned economising could have an impact on how the board determines future allocations of drugs.
Kent said: "The rhetoric is about everybody achieving better healthcare but for the rhetoric to meet the reality is a huge ask." The Guardian
People with rare diseases are failing to receive vital medical treatment because their illnesses are not recognised in guidelines that govern the distribution of NHS-approved drugs.
Health experts who fear that a new framework governing drug allocation that comes into force next year could see some people lose out.
Anglea Tyermans, 38, who has arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), an extremely rare cardiovascular defect that affects less than 1% of the population, fears she will die if she does not receive a course of injections approved by Nice, the clinical body that oversees drug allocation on behalf of the NHS.
Her primary care trust in West Sussex will not pay the £15,000 for her to have the one-off treatment, which her lawyers say will arrest her illness. Experts appointed by West Sussex PCT said "further research" was required.
Rare Disease UK, an alliance of organisations that support people with uncommon illnesess, estimates there are more than 6,000 rare diseases that will affect 1 in 17 people in the UK.
A new commissioning board next year will oversee the allocation of medicines to end the "postcode lottery" that sees some patients deprived of a drug because of where they live.
But Alastair Kent, chair of Rare Disease UK, warned economising could have an impact on how the board determines future allocations of drugs.
Kent said: "The rhetoric is about everybody achieving better healthcare but for the rhetoric to meet the reality is a huge ask." The Guardian
Medics filmed 'offering female circumcision'
Medics filmed 'offering female circumcision':
Up to 100,000 women in Britain have been "circumcised", with medics across the country offering to carry out illegal genital mutilations on girls as young as 10, it was reported yesterday. The Independent
Up to 100,000 women in Britain have been "circumcised", with medics across the country offering to carry out illegal genital mutilations on girls as young as 10, it was reported yesterday. The Independent
Friday, 20 April 2012
Integrated care pilots reveal mixed results | Nick Goodwin
Integrated care pilots reveal mixed results | Nick Goodwin: Have the Department of Health's integrated care pilots driven improvements in the quality and cost effectiveness of patient care? (Blog, 19 Apr 2012) Kings Fund
Early implementers sought to test long term conditions year of care funding model
Early implementers sought to test long term conditions year of care funding model:
Early implementers are being invited to apply to test a potential new way of funding long term conditions care. The LTC year of care funding model will be tested by six early implementer sites and prescribes a set approach for the purpose of national evaluation.
The model is described in Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention long term conditions which is published today along side an application form and supporting guidance for those interested in becoming early implementers.
The deadline for applications is Friday 25 May 2012.
QIPP long term conditions is aimed at health and social care commissioners and providers who are implementing integrated LTC care services to improve outcomes and people’s experience. The funding model has been developed through the QIPP LTC work stream to support health and social care teams in integrating care in a more sustainable way by aligning funding with people’s needs.
The model, which is is not mandated, has been developed using evidence and best practice and will be formally tested by the early implementer sites. The model will evolve over time with this testing phase informing future developments. Department of Health
Early implementers are being invited to apply to test a potential new way of funding long term conditions care. The LTC year of care funding model will be tested by six early implementer sites and prescribes a set approach for the purpose of national evaluation.
The model is described in Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention long term conditions which is published today along side an application form and supporting guidance for those interested in becoming early implementers.
The deadline for applications is Friday 25 May 2012.
QIPP long term conditions is aimed at health and social care commissioners and providers who are implementing integrated LTC care services to improve outcomes and people’s experience. The funding model has been developed through the QIPP LTC work stream to support health and social care teams in integrating care in a more sustainable way by aligning funding with people’s needs.
The model, which is is not mandated, has been developed using evidence and best practice and will be formally tested by the early implementer sites. The model will evolve over time with this testing phase informing future developments. Department of Health
The week: issue 244
The week: issue 244:
On the agenda this week: the Secretary of State launches a consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products, foreign doctors to prove they can speak English before practising in England under new government proposals, and the Prime Minister announces a call to action for frontline nurses to share best practice with colleagues across the NHS. Department of Health
Download ‘the week’ issue 244 13 – 19 April 2012 (RTF 546KB)
On the agenda this week: the Secretary of State launches a consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products, foreign doctors to prove they can speak English before practising in England under new government proposals, and the Prime Minister announces a call to action for frontline nurses to share best practice with colleagues across the NHS. Department of Health
Download ‘the week’ issue 244 13 – 19 April 2012 (RTF 546KB)
Home births more 'cost effective'
Home births more 'cost effective': Research by a team at the University of Oxford has indicated that planned births at home and in midwifery units are more cost-effective than giving birth in hospital.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, where they compared costs and outcomes for mother and baby of giving birth in different locations, they said this was particularly the case for women who had given birth before.
They focussed on 60,0... Healthcare Today
Writing in the British Medical Journal, where they compared costs and outcomes for mother and baby of giving birth in different locations, they said this was particularly the case for women who had given birth before.
They focussed on 60,0... Healthcare Today
NHS needs to integrate mental and physical health services for better care and impressive savings
NHS needs to integrate mental and physical health services for better care and impressive savings: A new report from the NHS Confederation Mental Health Network makes the case for combining mental and physical healthcare. NHS Confederation
From vision to action: making patient-centred care a reality
From vision to action: making patient-centred care a reality:
The Richmond Group, an alliance of leading health and social care charities, is calling on the Government to ensure patients are central to the delivery of care in the redesigned NHS in England. This report sets out what the group would like to change to put patients at the heart of the NHS.
The Richmond Group, an alliance of leading health and social care charities, is calling on the Government to ensure patients are central to the delivery of care in the redesigned NHS in England. This report sets out what the group would like to change to put patients at the heart of the NHS.
NHS waiting times rise 6%
NHS waiting times rise 6%: New research from the Patients Association has revealed that waiting times are getting longer for common surgical procedures.
It has warned of increasingly long delays for the most common forms of surgery in NHS hospitals, despite Prime Minister David Cameron’s election pledge to cut waiting times.
Latest figures show that waiting times rose by 6% for eight types of surgery between 2010 and 2011. The ... Healthcare Today
Read the full report here
It has warned of increasingly long delays for the most common forms of surgery in NHS hospitals, despite Prime Minister David Cameron’s election pledge to cut waiting times.
Latest figures show that waiting times rose by 6% for eight types of surgery between 2010 and 2011. The ... Healthcare Today
Read the full report here
Spending cuts biggest challenge for health service leaders
Spending cuts biggest challenge for health service leaders:
Our survey found that the impact of cuts is as big a challenge for the NHS as implementing the Health and Social Care Act
The impact of spending cuts is as big a challenge for the NHS as implementing the Health and Social Care Act, say healthcare leaders.
An exclusive Guardian healthcare network survey asked members what they think are the main concerns facing the health sector; 64% said implementing efficiency savings, 62% said the impact of the Health and Social Care Act, and 35% said planned NHS reforms.
Other responses included the increasing demands placed on the health service by demographic changes - citing both the ageing population and an ageing workforce. One member wrote the biggest challenge was "becoming more cost efficient while maintaining and improving quality"; and another cited unco-ordinated thinking and planning.
The issues of spending cuts and the government reforms are recurring themes throughout the survey, with many members blaming them for the aspects they like least about their jobs, and also fearing the effect they will have in the year ahead.
Our survey was launched before the health and social care bill gained royal assent to become the Health and Social Care Act, and asked members whether they personally supported the proposed reforms - 68% said no, 11% said yes, and 21% were unsure.
One member branded the bill "unworkable", another commented "this bill could well be Cameron's 'poll tax'", and a third said: "The NHS remains a political toy and is bounced on a whim from minister to minister."
Members were also asked whether they think there should be more private sector involvement in the health service - 56% said no, 27% said yes and 18% were unsure.
And the questionnaire - completed by more than 500 healthcare network members - also asked whether healthcare leaders think there should be more integration of health, social care and housing services. Some 89% said yes, while 5% said no and 6% were unsure.
The research revealed a very strong sense of public service among healthcare network members, with a large proportion saying the chance to help people, care for patients and improve others' lives was the most enjoyable aspect of their job. Many also cited patient contact, while the variety of their role and the challenges of delivering care were also repeatedly mentioned.
When asked what they liked least about their jobs, many members said they felt uncertain about their future - whether due to government policy, NHS funding or job insecurity. A number mentioned that politics - at a local and a national level - were having a negative impact on their work, and many felt that paperwork, meetings and administration (one member cited "death by email") were the least enjoyable aspects of their work. Other members cited workloads, staff shortages, work place pressure and poor morale.
Most members (73%) think their jobs will become more difficult in the year ahead - and cuts and reorganisations were again mentioned by many.
One member said: "We are fighting to understand the new NHS structures, in 12 months we will still be trying to understand them and delivering in a changing landscape."
Another commented: "There is a huge amount of work to do, and in some instances there is a lack of focus, vision and lack of support. With uncertain financial times, and in the challenging political climate. Things are very tough."
But 25% think their role will stay the same over the next 12 months - and 3% believe it will get easier.
The research is the second in a series of quarterly questionnaires sent to healthcare network members and promoted via Twitter and Facebook. The first questionnaire also found that spending cuts are the biggest challenge facing NHS leaders.
Watch out for further opportunities to contribute to healthcare network research later in the year, and in the meantime please add your comments on the issues discussed in this piece below. Guardian Professional.
The impact of spending cuts is as big a challenge for the NHS as implementing the Health and Social Care Act, say healthcare leaders.
An exclusive Guardian healthcare network survey asked members what they think are the main concerns facing the health sector; 64% said implementing efficiency savings, 62% said the impact of the Health and Social Care Act, and 35% said planned NHS reforms.
Other responses included the increasing demands placed on the health service by demographic changes - citing both the ageing population and an ageing workforce. One member wrote the biggest challenge was "becoming more cost efficient while maintaining and improving quality"; and another cited unco-ordinated thinking and planning.
The issues of spending cuts and the government reforms are recurring themes throughout the survey, with many members blaming them for the aspects they like least about their jobs, and also fearing the effect they will have in the year ahead.
Our survey was launched before the health and social care bill gained royal assent to become the Health and Social Care Act, and asked members whether they personally supported the proposed reforms - 68% said no, 11% said yes, and 21% were unsure.
One member branded the bill "unworkable", another commented "this bill could well be Cameron's 'poll tax'", and a third said: "The NHS remains a political toy and is bounced on a whim from minister to minister."
Members were also asked whether they think there should be more private sector involvement in the health service - 56% said no, 27% said yes and 18% were unsure.
And the questionnaire - completed by more than 500 healthcare network members - also asked whether healthcare leaders think there should be more integration of health, social care and housing services. Some 89% said yes, while 5% said no and 6% were unsure.
The research revealed a very strong sense of public service among healthcare network members, with a large proportion saying the chance to help people, care for patients and improve others' lives was the most enjoyable aspect of their job. Many also cited patient contact, while the variety of their role and the challenges of delivering care were also repeatedly mentioned.
When asked what they liked least about their jobs, many members said they felt uncertain about their future - whether due to government policy, NHS funding or job insecurity. A number mentioned that politics - at a local and a national level - were having a negative impact on their work, and many felt that paperwork, meetings and administration (one member cited "death by email") were the least enjoyable aspects of their work. Other members cited workloads, staff shortages, work place pressure and poor morale.
Most members (73%) think their jobs will become more difficult in the year ahead - and cuts and reorganisations were again mentioned by many.
One member said: "We are fighting to understand the new NHS structures, in 12 months we will still be trying to understand them and delivering in a changing landscape."
Another commented: "There is a huge amount of work to do, and in some instances there is a lack of focus, vision and lack of support. With uncertain financial times, and in the challenging political climate. Things are very tough."
But 25% think their role will stay the same over the next 12 months - and 3% believe it will get easier.
The research is the second in a series of quarterly questionnaires sent to healthcare network members and promoted via Twitter and Facebook. The first questionnaire also found that spending cuts are the biggest challenge facing NHS leaders.
Watch out for further opportunities to contribute to healthcare network research later in the year, and in the meantime please add your comments on the issues discussed in this piece below. Guardian Professional.
Private companies providing GP out of hours services are 'worse than NHS'
Private companies providing GP out of hours services are 'worse than NHS': Private firms providing GP out of hour services fail to assess urgent cases within 20 minutes and leave patients waiting longer than two hours to see a doctor, a study has found.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
Death of autistic boy shines light on national problem
Death of autistic boy shines light on national problem:
A coroner warned yesterday that the "gross failure" of mental health services to help an autistic boy, who was bullied and committed suicide, could be a national problem affecting others with similar behavioural needs. The Independent
A coroner warned yesterday that the "gross failure" of mental health services to help an autistic boy, who was bullied and committed suicide, could be a national problem affecting others with similar behavioural needs. The Independent
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Seventeen-year ‘healthy years’ gap between north and south of Northamptonshire
Seventeen-year ‘healthy years’ gap between north and south of Northamptonshire:
PEOPLE in south Northamptonshire have up to 17 more years of healthy life than someone living in Corby, health experts have suggested. Northampton Chronicle & Echo
PEOPLE in south Northamptonshire have up to 17 more years of healthy life than someone living in Corby, health experts have suggested. Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Data definitions
Data definitions: A new Audit Commission briefing addresses key issues with data definitions that are a major cause of dispute within the NHS - it updates key guidance and looks at the underlying causes of these issues. Audit Commission
Breast cancer map 'a key moment'
Breast cancer map 'a key moment': What we currently call breast cancer should be thought of as 10 completely separate diseases, according to a study which has been described as a landmark moment for treatment. BBC News
Hospitals 'overcharging for care'
Hospitals 'overcharging for care': NHS money is being wasted by hospitals wrongly charging the health service for treating short-stay patients, a watchdog says. BBC News
RCGP hails 'momentous' plan to extend GP training to four years
RCGP hails 'momentous' plan to extend GP training to four years: The RCGP has hailed a 'momentous day for general practice' after Medical Education England backed its call to extend GP training to four years. GP Online
Out-of-hours comparison tool launched
Out-of-hours comparison tool launched: Data on the quality of out-of-hours services can be easily compared by commissioners and providers using an online benchmark tool that goes live today. E-Health Insider
Long-term health gains: investing in emotional and psychological wellbeing for patients with long-term conditions and medically unexplained symptoms
Long-term health gains: investing in emotional and psychological wellbeing for patients with long-term conditions and medically unexplained symptoms:
A new Mental Health Network report brings together the evidence across diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary heart disease, plus medically unexplained symptoms, to present a business case for investing in psychological services. This briefing summarises the report and describes how primary and secondary health services can improve patient outcomes, while reducing the overall costs of care for the NHS.
A new Mental Health Network report brings together the evidence across diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and coronary heart disease, plus medically unexplained symptoms, to present a business case for investing in psychological services. This briefing summarises the report and describes how primary and secondary health services can improve patient outcomes, while reducing the overall costs of care for the NHS.
NICE reject Avastin for advanced breast cancer
NICE reject Avastin for advanced breast cancer: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has decided a drug for women with breast cancer that has spread should not be available on the NHS.
The decision comes despite evidence that Avastin can stall progression of the disease for three months.
NICE has issued draft guidance on Avastin, also known as bevacizumab, which says that the drug which costs more than £3,500 a month for ... Healthcare Today
The decision comes despite evidence that Avastin can stall progression of the disease for three months.
NICE has issued draft guidance on Avastin, also known as bevacizumab, which says that the drug which costs more than £3,500 a month for ... Healthcare Today
NHS and civil servants plan pension strike in May - BBC News
NHS and civil servants plan pension strike in May - BBC News:
 BBC News | NHS and civil servants plan pension strike in May BBC News NHS workers and civil servants are to stage a one-day strike in May over their pension dispute. The Unite trade union, which has 100000 members in the NHS, will walk out on 10 May, a day after the Queen's speech is to set out the NHS reforms. Unite and PCS to strike over public sector reformProfessional Pensions Unite sets date for industrial action over pension reformManagement in Practice May 10 chosen for public sector strikeJournal Live ITV News -Finance Markets -The Guardian all 417 news articles » |
NHS waiting times rise for operations
NHS waiting times rise for operations:
NHS patients are having to wait longer for some surgery and fewer operations are taking place, according to new data. The Independent
NHS patients are having to wait longer for some surgery and fewer operations are taking place, according to new data. The Independent
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Finance boss is jailed for taking £330,000
Finance boss is jailed for taking £330,000:
A CARE home finance manager who stole more than £330,000 meant for adults with learning disabilities to buy fur coats, jewellery, champagne and a cruise has been jailed for almost three years. Evening Telegraph
A CARE home finance manager who stole more than £330,000 meant for adults with learning disabilities to buy fur coats, jewellery, champagne and a cruise has been jailed for almost three years. Evening Telegraph
Common challenges to improving quality
Common challenges to improving quality: In my experience, improvement leaders often begin new areas of work with a compelling personal vision of the potential for quality to be much improved. I think there’s a cultural bias in health management of action over reflection, and often a strong temptation to give insufficient time to the initial challenges, says Penny Pereira. Health Foundation
First ever mandatory care standards bring hope of improved care for children and young people with diabetes
First ever mandatory care standards bring hope of improved care for children and young people with diabetes:
Set by leading paediatric doctors, nurses and commissioners, working in partnership with NHS Diabetes, the ‘Best Practice Tariff for Paediatric Diabetes’ sets out 13 mandatory care standards1 for paediatric diabetes service teams to meet. Providers who can prove they meet these levels of care will qualify for greater funding. Local services unable to achieve these standards will be supported to improve but face having their funding withdrawn if unable to reach the required level by April 2013. NHS Networks
Set by leading paediatric doctors, nurses and commissioners, working in partnership with NHS Diabetes, the ‘Best Practice Tariff for Paediatric Diabetes’ sets out 13 mandatory care standards1 for paediatric diabetes service teams to meet. Providers who can prove they meet these levels of care will qualify for greater funding. Local services unable to achieve these standards will be supported to improve but face having their funding withdrawn if unable to reach the required level by April 2013. NHS Networks
Nursing and Care Quality Forum outlines work to improve nursing care
Nursing and Care Quality Forum outlines work to improve nursing care:
The Nursing and Care Quality Forum, which aims to improve the quality of nursing care across all care settings, met Prime Minister David Cameron and Health Secretary Andrew Lansley today to discuss the work the Forum will deliver.
The independent Forum will begin its work by identifying and supporting the spread and adoption of best practice across four areas:
The Forum, which is chaired by Sally Brearley, is made up of a range of expert voices, including front-line nurses working in hospitals and the community, patient representatives and members of professional bodies and voluntary sector organisations.
The Forum’s Chair, Sally Brearley, said:
Read the Nursing and Care Quality Forum mission statement.
See the Forum membership list and biographies.
See press release
The Nursing and Care Quality Forum, which aims to improve the quality of nursing care across all care settings, met Prime Minister David Cameron and Health Secretary Andrew Lansley today to discuss the work the Forum will deliver.
The independent Forum will begin its work by identifying and supporting the spread and adoption of best practice across four areas:
- how to promote and achieve accountable and empowered nurse leadership across the system
- how to make sure that the right culture and the right values that put patients first prevails at all times
- how best to involve, listen to, hear and respond to feedback from patients
- how to make sure that those providing care have the time to do so properly.
The Forum, which is chaired by Sally Brearley, is made up of a range of expert voices, including front-line nurses working in hospitals and the community, patient representatives and members of professional bodies and voluntary sector organisations.
The Forum’s Chair, Sally Brearley, said:
‘We want best practice to be common practice. The Forum’s mission is to identify and spread best practice to help all nurses deliver compassionate, dignified, respectful and safe care. We want nurses to feel confident and proud to give top quality care to those who need it.’Prime Minister David Cameron said:
‘Nurses are some of the most caring, compassionate people in the country and I want to do everything possible to allow them to do a fantastic job.If you would like to feed in your views on any of the above four themes to the Forum, you can contact it by email at ncqf@dh.gsi.gov.uk
‘That means learning from the best – and helping everyone to match those great standards. That’s why I’ve asked the Nursing and Care Quality Forum to scour the country, find out what works best and share it across the NHS.
‘We’ve seen how innovative changes to nursing can increase patient trust and confidence in their care. These are the kind of ideas we need to explore if we are to change the way nursing works and restore a sense of pride in the profession.’
Read the Nursing and Care Quality Forum mission statement.
See the Forum membership list and biographies.
See press release
Forget 'social care pot of gold'
Forget 'social care pot of gold': There will be no "pot of gold" to answer the prayers of councils struggling to look after the elderly, according to social care chiefs. BBC News
90% of GPs believe financial pressures will increase in next five years
90% of GPs believe financial pressures will increase in next five years: More than 90% of GPs believe financial pressures will increase in the next five years, a survey has revealed. GP Online
Mental health and homelessness: planning and delivering mental health services for homeless people
Mental health and homelessness: planning and delivering mental health services for homeless people: This Briefing sets out the policy context around tackling homelessness and addressing the mental health needs of homeless people. NHS Confederation
'Striking the Balance': practical guidance on the application of Caldicott Guardian Principles to domestic violence and MARACs (multi agency risk assessment conferences)
'Striking the Balance': practical guidance on the application of Caldicott Guardian Principles to domestic violence and MARACs (multi agency risk assessment conferences):
This guidance has been published jointly by the Department and the UK Council of Caldicott Guardians to assist those who need to share information about individuals involved in domestic violence. It sets out the underlying ethical considerations between confidentiality and information sharing and identifies the role of the Caldicott Guardian to ‘strike the balance’ between maintaining the individuals’ confidentiality and privacy and wider considerations such as protection from harm.
This guidance has been published jointly by the Department and the UK Council of Caldicott Guardians to assist those who need to share information about individuals involved in domestic violence. It sets out the underlying ethical considerations between confidentiality and information sharing and identifies the role of the Caldicott Guardian to ‘strike the balance’ between maintaining the individuals’ confidentiality and privacy and wider considerations such as protection from harm.
Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach
Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach:
The Improving Lung Cancer Outcomes project aims to improve the quality of care and patient experience for lung cancer patients. The project paired hospitals and multi-disciplinary teams and encouraged them to visit each others’ services and review their processes. This publication outlines examples of best practice and practical examples of quality improvement projects.
The Improving Lung Cancer Outcomes project aims to improve the quality of care and patient experience for lung cancer patients. The project paired hospitals and multi-disciplinary teams and encouraged them to visit each others’ services and review their processes. This publication outlines examples of best practice and practical examples of quality improvement projects.
NHS 'must do more to respond to rising numbers of homeless'
NHS 'must do more to respond to rising numbers of homeless':
Many homeless people struggle to register with a GP and gain access to health services, NHS Confederation warns
Health services needs to "up their game" to respond to rising levels of homelessness and people sleeping rough as the recession lingers and benefit cuts begin to bite, according to a report by the providers of NHS services.
The NHS Confederation, representing all hospitals and providers who treat the homeless, warn that those on the streets often struggle to register with a GP and that many suffer from mental health problems that doctors refuse to treat unless they are "clean".
About 70% of people who use homelessness services have mental health problems, and many self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.
"For a range of NHS-funded services, we are not treating homeless patients for mental health who are intoxicated. People are not accepted because they use drink or drugs. Clearly they do need to be referred for therapy, so it's not good enough to say, 'Go away and clean yourself up,'," said the confederation's mental health network director, Steve Shrubb.
Shrubb said there was concern in the NHS that homeless numbers were increasing at a time when the health regulator Monitor warned of cuts of 7% a year for three years. He said the government's own estimate that 2,200 people were sleeping rough on any one night in England – a jump of 23% on the previous year – was too low. "We probably have that in London alone," he said.
Shrubb pointed out that a study by the University of York revealed that 23,000 people were already in emergency accommodation, slipping in and out of homelessness. "A lot of our members tell us that this is the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of particularly young people moving from couch to couch, staying on friends' floors. It only takes a small crisis for them to be on the streets. We need to get an idea of how big this problem is."
Charities backed the report and warned that the government's programme on mental health might be too narrow. Peter Cockersell, the director of health and recovery at St Mungo's, a homeless charity, said the government's focus on improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT), centred around cognitive behavioural therapy, was in some cases obscuring those with the greatest needs.
"We are seeing counselling and therapy services [for the homeless] closed down. IAPT is getting bigger but it is working with a much narrower group of clients," Cockersell said. One of St Mungo's clients, Len, a former alcoholic who spent eight years on the streets, told the Guardian that he had only "got clean because of the therapy provided by the charity. That's all been cut now." The Guardian
Health services needs to "up their game" to respond to rising levels of homelessness and people sleeping rough as the recession lingers and benefit cuts begin to bite, according to a report by the providers of NHS services.
The NHS Confederation, representing all hospitals and providers who treat the homeless, warn that those on the streets often struggle to register with a GP and that many suffer from mental health problems that doctors refuse to treat unless they are "clean".
About 70% of people who use homelessness services have mental health problems, and many self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.
"For a range of NHS-funded services, we are not treating homeless patients for mental health who are intoxicated. People are not accepted because they use drink or drugs. Clearly they do need to be referred for therapy, so it's not good enough to say, 'Go away and clean yourself up,'," said the confederation's mental health network director, Steve Shrubb.
Shrubb said there was concern in the NHS that homeless numbers were increasing at a time when the health regulator Monitor warned of cuts of 7% a year for three years. He said the government's own estimate that 2,200 people were sleeping rough on any one night in England – a jump of 23% on the previous year – was too low. "We probably have that in London alone," he said.
Shrubb pointed out that a study by the University of York revealed that 23,000 people were already in emergency accommodation, slipping in and out of homelessness. "A lot of our members tell us that this is the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of particularly young people moving from couch to couch, staying on friends' floors. It only takes a small crisis for them to be on the streets. We need to get an idea of how big this problem is."
Charities backed the report and warned that the government's programme on mental health might be too narrow. Peter Cockersell, the director of health and recovery at St Mungo's, a homeless charity, said the government's focus on improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT), centred around cognitive behavioural therapy, was in some cases obscuring those with the greatest needs.
"We are seeing counselling and therapy services [for the homeless] closed down. IAPT is getting bigger but it is working with a much narrower group of clients," Cockersell said. One of St Mungo's clients, Len, a former alcoholic who spent eight years on the streets, told the Guardian that he had only "got clean because of the therapy provided by the charity. That's all been cut now." The Guardian
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