Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital will share services

Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital will share services Health bosses have named four hospital departments which currently exist at both NGH and KGH, that may in future be provided from only one county hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS launches new bid to beat cancer and save thousands of lives

NHS launches new bid to beat cancer and save thousands of lives NHS England has announced a new independent taskforce to develop a five-year action plan for cancer services that will improve survival rates and save thousands of lives.

It also launched a major new programme to test innovative ways of diagnosing cancer more quickly at more than 60 sites across the country, and committed a further £15m over three years to evaluate and treat patients with a type of modern radiotherapy.

See also:

• NHS aims for earlier cancer diagnosis BBC News
• VIDEO: 'We must plan ahead on cancer' BBC News
• VIDEO: Cancer task force looks at diagnosis BBC News
• VIDEO: Chemotherapy on your doorstep BBC News
• Cancer worries? Forget the GP, go straight to the specialist The Independent

Case study on recruiting band 5 nurses from overseas

Case study on recruiting band 5 nurses from overseas In this case study read about Kent Community Health NHS Trust’s overseas recruitment campaign for band 5 nurses. NHS Employers

A&E waits in England 'getting worse'

A&E waits in England 'getting worse' Waiting times in A&E units in England have got even worse in the New Year, figures show. BBC News

See also:

• A&E crisis: major incidents risk being the new normal for the NHS The Guardian
• Doctors warn of patient misery as A&E crisis hits planned surgery The Guardian

E-Referrals set for 'extended testing'

E-Referrals set for 'extended testing' The Health and Social Care Information Centre will start extended testing of the new NHS e-Referral Service at the end of the month, after its go-live was delayed due to technical defects. E-Health Insider

Cancer Drugs Fund faces renewed barrage of criticism

Cancer Drugs Fund faces renewed barrage of criticism Comments come ahead of next week’s NHS England review of the Fund’s assessment priorities. OnMedica

See also:

• How do we pay for innovative drugs? BBC News
• 'Last hope' drug for prostate cancer patients is axed from the NHS, in a move doctors call a 'travesty' The Daily Mail
• The cancer drugs patients are to be denied on NHS The Daily Telegraph
• David Cameron’s flagship Cancer Drugs Fund ‘is a waste of NHS cash’ The Guardian
• Cancer drugs fund 'has done more harm than good' The Independent

Government says health workers should not be paid extra for weekend shifts

Government says health workers should not be paid extra for weekend shifts Hospital consultants and other NHS staff must no longer be paid overtime payments for working at weekends, ministers have warned, putting the Government on a collision course with medical unions. The Independent

See also:

• NHS staff ‘unsocial hours’ payments under threat The Guardian

Circle Holdings pulls out of NHS contract hours before hospital it ran was rated 'inadequate'

Circle Holdings pulls out of NHS contract hours before hospital it ran was rated 'inadequate' The first private company to be put in charge of an NHS hospital has announced plans to withdraw from its contract, hours before inspectors recommended the hospital be placed in special measures because of “inadequate” care. The Independent

See also:

• First ever private firm to run NHS hospital pulls out ahead of inspection report - blaming soaring costs, funding cuts and A&E chaos The Daily Mail
• Battle with GPs led to Circle’s retreat from Hinchingbrooke hospital The Guardian
• Our health system has too little market; but while Circle walks away the NHS can’t The Guardian
• Private healthcare provider bows out of running Hinchingbrooke Hospital OnMedica