Text reminder service to curb £1 million of wasted appointments at Northampton General Hospital

Text reminder service to curb £1 million of wasted appointments at Northampton General Hospital Patients missing appointments cost Northampton General Hospital more than £1 million last year.

Now, health chiefs are introducing a new text message service to remind patients of their outpatient appointment.

The system will text patients with details of the date and time of their appointments, for both new and follow-up appointments. Northants Herald and Post

See also:

• Texting service to remind patients of hospital appointments Northampton General Hospital

Northamptonshire A&E departments seeing busiest summer ever, says NHS

Northamptonshire A&E departments seeing busiest summer ever, says NHS Hospitals in Northamptonshire are seeing up to 520 patients a day as the NHS warns against unwarranted hospital visits. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Visitors to Northampton General Hospital hit by increase in car park costs on same day cheaper alternative closes for revamp

Visitors to Northampton General Hospital hit by increase in car park costs on same day cheaper alternative closes for revamp Patients and visitors parking at Northampton General Hospital have been hit by a price increase...on the day a nearby public car park closed for renovations. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Paying for care: back to square one?

Paying for care: back to square one? The need to address the financial consequences of the success story that is our ageing population is universally acknowledged. But the government’s decision to breach an explicit manifesto commitment by delaying reforms to social care funding (phase 2 of the Care Act 2014) until 2020 again demonstrates the apparent inability of successive governments to make headway on this issue.

The fact that there have been at least four independent reviews or commissions, four consultations, and five white and green papers over the past 17 years pays testimony to how much effort has been expended to so little effect.

Safely home: What happens when people leave hospital and care settings?

Safely home: What happens when people leave hospital and care settings? When discharge goes wrong, it comes at significant cost, both to individuals and to the health and social care system.

Whilst the financial cost of this problem is recognised, not enough is known about the human cost. We undertook this inquiry to bring the true emotional and physical impact of this persisting problem to light. With the help of 101 local Healthwatch, we heard from over 3,000 people who shared their stories with us about their experiences of the discharge process. Healthwatch England

See also:

• RCN responds to Healthwatch England report on hospital discharge Royal College of Nursing
• Hospital discharges 'fail patients' BBC News
• Scandal of patients sent home too early The Daily Telegraph
• Hospitals show 'shocking' lack of care discharging vulnerable patients The Guardian
• Many patients get more sick because hospitals send them home too soon, patient safety group claims  The Independent

Accident and emergency statistics

Accident and emergency statistics This briefing provides summaries and visualisations of a wide range of NHS A&E trends, including: levels of attendance over time; attendance by age, and various measures of waiting times. House of Commons Library

The local health service?

The local health service? This report examines how to balance local control and national standards in access to health care. It also considers how greater control for services users, employees and local leaders can be delivered alongside higher performance and value for money. Fabian Society

• Report
• Blog

Teenager 'in 12-year HIV remission'

Teenager 'in 12-year HIV remission' An 18-year-old French woman is in remission from HIV - despite not having taken any drugs against the virus for 12 years. BBC News

NHS wheelchair services 'need major revamp'

NHS wheelchair services 'need major revamp' Campaigners, including Paralympian Tanni Grey-Thompson, slam bad design and poor availability. OnMedica

See also:

• Wheelchair services 'are failing' BBC News
• VIDEO: Wheelchair services in England 'chaotic' BBC News

NHS official demands details of millions of confidential GP appointments

NHS official demands details of millions of confidential GP appointments  A top NHS official has ordered the firm in charge of bookings at most English surgeries to hand over the date, time and duration of appointments as well as the reason for the consultation. The Daily Mail

Rationing of weight management services undermines health efforts

Rationing of weight management services undermines health efforts Access is being restricted to exercise programmes, NHS health checks and mental health services, according to research by Royal Society for Public Health.

People who are dangerously overweight are being denied vital help because weight management services are being rationed to save money, despite rising obesity, public health experts have revealed.
Continue reading... The Guardian

Jeremy Hunt asked to explain why Government has 'chosen to ignore' results of lung cancer awareness campaign

Jeremy Hunt asked to explain why Government has 'chosen to ignore' results of lung cancer awareness campaign Doctors and nurses have written an open letter to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt asking why the Government has “chosen to ignore” the positive results of a lung cancer awareness campaign and not announce a follow-up. The Independent