Care and treatment reviews to become ‘business as usual’

Care and treatment reviews to become ‘business as usual’ NHS England has today set out how it intends that reviews of care and treatment arrangements for people with learning disabilities are to be embedded across the health and care system.

Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRs) were developed as part of NHS England’s commitment to improving the care of people with learning disabilities or autism. They aim to reduce unnecessary admissions and lengthy stays in specialist hospitals, and have been rolling out since October 2014; over 1,400 people had their care reviewed up to March this year, with hundreds more since.

They bring those responsible for the care of those who are in, or at risk of being admitted to, specialist hospitals around the table with the individual themselves and their families, as well as independent clinicians and experts by experience, to ensure that the care needs of that individual are being met.

Care and Treatment Review: Policy and Guidance (also available in easy read) has been produced by building on the learning from the reviews which have taken place so far, including extensive engagement with people with learning disabilities, their representatives and their families.

The NHS: Busting the myths

The NHS: Busting the myths The NHS Confederation is publishing a series of myth busters, which challenge common misconceptions and enrich the debates on topical, sometimes controversial, issues regarding our health and care." These are the first three:

• Primary care in the NHS
• Competition in the NHS
• NHS Managers

School nurses essential to solve child health crisis

School nurses essential to solve child health crisis The RCN is warning of an escalating health crisis among children and young people because of insufficient investment in school nursing. Royal College of Nursing

Hospital shop prices 'exploitation'

Hospital shop prices 'exploitation' An MP says it is "fundamentally wrong" for shops in hospitals to charge higher prices than their high street branches for some items. BBC News

Ministers 'failing on mental health'

Ministers 'failing on mental health' A row over spending on mental health in England breaks out after Labour accuses the government of failing to honour promises to boost funding. BBC News

NHS constitution has barely achieved anything since it was introduced

NHS constitution has barely achieved anything since it was introduced The constitution is characterised by a lack of awareness among patients and staff, narrow vision and low enforcability that call into question its validity

While Britain celebrates the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a much less heralded contract with the English people is about to assume its latest iteration – the NHS constitution. Introduced as part of the Health Act 2009, and commencing in 2010, it claimed to “set out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled” by bringing together “the principles, values, rights and responsibilities that underpin the NHS”.

What do we have to show after five years? The problems are mostly well known: Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS competition could waste millions says Labour, after Care UK complains

NHS competition could waste millions says Labour, after Care UK complains UK’s biggest private healthcare provider demands investigation into decision by GPs to remove elective care contract and award it to local NHS health trust

Labour has warned that the NHS could be forced to spend millions on competition lawyers after the UK’s biggest private healthcare provider demanded an immediate investigation into a decision to award an elective care contract to a local health trust.

Care UK has been branded a bad loser after lodging a complaint with the NHS watchdog Monitor over the management of a contract by commissioners in north London. Continue reading... The Guardian

Thousands of new doctors opting for a better life abroad

Thousands of new doctors opting for a better life abroad Disillusioned medics are quitting the NHS and heading for countries such as Australia

Doctors who are newly qualified form a growing proportion of the thousands of British medics seeking jobs abroad each year, triggering concerns that the NHS is heading for a staffing crisis.

Specialist recruitment agencies and GPs’ leaders say doctors, many of whom have just finished their training, are becoming disillusioned with the state of their profession and seeking fresh starts in countries such as Australia, where they can earn double what they are paid in Britain. Figures given to the Observer by the General Medical Council show that an average of 2,852 certificates enabling British doctors to work abroad were issued annually between 2008 and 2014 – a total of 19,522. Continue reading... The Guardian

'Britain's girls are at crisis point': The truth about teen mental health

'Britain's girls are at crisis point': The truth about teen mental health New research shows almost half of British girls aged 17 to 21 have suffered with mental health problems. Emma Gees explains why. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Parents 'miss pressures on girls' BBC News
• Almost half of British girls seek help for mental health problems The Daily Telegraph
• Teenage girls' mental health overlooked by parents, survey finds The Guardian
• Survey reveals 'fragile' state of girls wellbeing OnMedica

Jeremy Hunt: NHS bosses face jail over links to drug firms

Jeremy Hunt: NHS bosses face jail over links to drug firms Hospitals and GP groups will be required to keep a register of hospitality and gifts from pharmaceutical firms to health service staff in a major crackdown on corruption in the NHS. The Daily Telegraph