More children are being diagnosed with diabetes at Northampton General Hospital - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

More children are being diagnosed with diabetes at Northampton General Hospital - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

More children are being diagnosed with diabetes at Northampton General Hospital Northampton Chronicle & Echo Doctors at Northampton General Hospital have seen a significant increase in the number of new diagnoses of type 1 diabetes in children in the last three months. New research shows that the hospital have seen 19 new diagnoses of type 1 diabetes in the ...

NHS staff 'gagging clauses' banned

NHS staff 'gagging clauses' banned: The government bans "gagging clauses" in NHS severance agreements in England, to ensure staff with care concerns are not silenced. BBC News

See also:

• Jeremy Hunt to ban gagging of NHS whistleblowers The Independent
• Gagging clauses for NHS staff to be banned The Daily Telegraph
• Ban on NHS gagging orders The Guardian

Conflicts 'rife' in new GP groups

Conflicts 'rife' in new GP groups: More than a third of GPs on the boards of new NHS commissioning groups will have a potential conflict of interest, an investigation suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Study in the British Medical Journal (open access - no password required)
• GPs' links to private healthcare firms spark fears of conflict of interest The Guardian
• Third of GPs have links to private health companies that could make millions from the Government's health reforms The Daily Mail
• GP conflicts of interest rife on commissioning boards OnMedica News

UK 'not ready for ageing society'

UK 'not ready for ageing society': The UK is "woefully under-prepared" for the social and economic challenges presented by an ageing society, a Lords committee warns. BBC News

Up to 100,000 people use the internet to improve their health

Up to 100,000 people use the internet to improve their health: The NHS Commissioning Board (NHS CB) today announces plans to help up to 100,000 more people to use the internet to improve their health.

Quality at a glance: using aggregate measures to assess the quality of NHS hospitals

Quality at a glance: using aggregate measures to assess the quality of NHS hospitals: This is the first ever overall assessment of NHS hospital quality in England, and aims to contribute to the ongoing debate about how best to
measure quality in the NHS. Findings include: many of the lowest performing trusts on the quality index are subject to regulatory intervention; Foundation Trust status is a good indicator of high performance on the quality index; patient experience and waiting times matter most to members of the public who responded to the poll; and that condition-specific ratings are deemed more useful to patients than general ratings when making informed decisions about their care.

• Report
• Quality index
• MHP Health Mandate - publications

After Francis: doing justice

After Francis: doing justice: This report highlights urgent changes which could make a difference to patient care post-Francis. Recommendations include: a legal duty of honesty; an end to “gagging” clauses for departing staff;
whistle-blowing protection rights for patients and their families; legal rights for patients to participate in producing a care plan; a legal right to an independent advocate for the most vulnerable patients; as well as ring-fenced funding for local Healthwatch organisations, and the replacement of restrictions which could potentially constrain their freedom to comment on policy.

• Report
• National Voices - publications

Fit enough for patients?: an audit of workplace health and wellbeing services for NHS staff

Fit enough for patients?: an audit of workplace health and wellbeing services for NHS staff: This report into the wellbeing of NHS staff finds that physiotherapy services play a vital role in improving staff health and wellbeing. The evidence shows that early access to physiotherapy can reduce staff sickness rates, stop people going off sick at all, or help them return to work more quickly. It recommends investing in good occupational health services and prioritising staff health and wellbeing to make potential savings which can then be invested in patient care.

• Report
• CSP - publications

NHS should not underestimate value of volunteers

NHS should not underestimate value of volunteers: Volunteers are helping to deliver care in hospitals and in the community, but the health service does not always make the most of their knowledge and expertise.

Breastfeeding advice ignored by most mothers

Breastfeeding advice ignored by most mothers: Official breastfeeding and weaning advice is being ignored by the vast majority of mothers, according to a new Department of Health study. The Daily Telegraph

'Big stick' approach to NHS might backfire, Jeremy Hunt warned

'Big stick' approach to NHS might backfire, Jeremy Hunt warned: A 'big stick' approaches to fixing the NHS after the Stafford hospital scandal will be counter productive, alienating staff and making managers secretive, a think-tank is warning. The Daily Telegraph

New NHS mileage payment system to be implemented in July

New NHS mileage payment system to be implemented in July: New arrangements come into place in July for reimbursing NHS staff for the costs incurred in using their vehicle for work. Reimbursement will move to a single rate for up to 3,500 miles and a reduced rate thereafter. RCN

HPA study shows poor hygiene practices at mobile vendors

HPA study shows poor hygiene practices at mobile vendors: Research from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed that food, water, chopping boards, cleaning cloths and security wristbands sampled from mobile and outdoor food vendors were contaminated with a range of bacteria including E.coli. This bacteria, which originates from human or animal faeces indicates either poor hygiene, undercooking or cross-contamination in the kitchen.