Emergency contract for new end-of-life carer service in Corby after provider hits trouble

Emergency contract for new end-of-life carer service in Corby after provider hits trouble A new end-of-life care provider has had to be brought in to deliver services in the Corby area after its contracted provider hit financial difficulties.

Long-established palliative care provider Marie Curie will now provide the service for the NHS Corby Clinical Commissioning Group after Allied Healthcare, which ran the service under its Primecare company, gave notice in November with the service ending on December 14.

The CCG said it had treated the problem as a ‘major incident’ and had to carry out an emergency tender. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Northamptonshire maternity services raise concerns about response to safeguarding referrals

Northamptonshire maternity services raise concerns about response to safeguarding referrals Northamptonshire’s maternity services have raised concerns about how social services are dealing with safeguarding referrals for unborn children and newborn babies.

Health professionals say there are ‘real challenges’ in the county and the NHS clinical commissioning groups have now funded two new posts to monitor and support the multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) which is the first point of contact for anyone who has concerns about a child at risk.

Concerns have also been raised by maternity services in relation to how Northamptonshire County Council, which runs social services, is handling safeguarding issues. Northamptonshire Telegraph

2018: So what did happen in health and social care?

2018: So what did happen in health and social care? With 2018 coming to a close, you may remember that last Christmas we’d made a list (after checking it twice) of what might happen in health and social care this year. So how did it go? Here the same 12 Nuffield Trust experts look back at the year just gone.

The immigration white paper is a mixed picture for health and social care

The immigration white paper is a mixed picture for health and social care Workforce experts note that despite avoiding some damaging proposals, there is little to cheer about in the long run. Nuffield Trust

See also:

• Immigration White Paper no long-term solution for NHS, says NHS Employers NHS Employers

Double pressure of winter and paediatric workforce shortages highlighted in new report

Double pressure of winter and paediatric workforce shortages highlighted in new report The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has launched a report in response to severe workforce pressures faced by paediatric units across the UK.

The Workforce briefing winter 2018 report has revealed that patient demand is strongly outstripping the supply of doctors as the usual seasonal increase combined with a rise in children’s emergency admissions is placing unprecedented demand on services.

The report reveals chronic understaffing in clinics with demand for paediatric consultants in the UK around 21% higher than 2017 levels with clinics falling 850 consultants short of being able to provide a safe and sustainable service. Meanwhile, with winter pressures hitting the service, paediatricians across the country are reporting that staff are being pulled from treating children to deliver care to adults.

See also:

• Children ‘second class citizens’ as paediatric A&E staff redeployed to adult emergency care, experts warn The Independent

The Women’s Mental Health Taskforce: final report

The Women’s Mental Health Taskforce: final report The Women’s Mental Health Taskforce was formed in response to a rise in mental ill health among women. The taskforce’s final report sets out how women’s experience of mental ill health can differ to men’s. It covers: core themes in women’s mental health; the involvement of women with lived experience; principles for service design; and future strategic priorities. The report urges commissioners and providers across the health and care system to take note of the report’s findings and to embed these in their work. Department of Health and Social Care

Widow's A&E plea after husband dies in hospital corridor

Widow's A&E plea after husband dies in hospital corridor A widow has pleaded for people to "stay away from A&E unless it is life-threatening" after her husband died in a hospital corridor.

John Donnelly, 51, was admitted to Peterborough City Hospital on 2 March and died the next day.

Huntingdon Coroner's Court heard a doctor was treating between 60 and 70 people and "had to prioritise".

Sharon Donnelly said staff were "overwhelmed". The coroner ruled Mr Donnelly died of natural causes. BBC News

Rise in reports of polio-like illness being investigated

Rise in reports of polio-like illness being investigated An increase in reported cases of a rare polio-like illness that mostly affects children is being investigated by Public Health England.

Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) affects the nervous system, causing one or more of the limbs to become weak or floppy.

PHE said 28 cases had been reported in England. Typically, a "handful" of cases are reported each year.

The disease remains very rare but anyone who develops weakness in any limb should seek medical help, it says. BBC News

See also:

• PHE investigating rise in reports of rare illness Public Health England
• Guidance: Acute flaccid paralysis: clinical management guidance Public Health England
• Guidance: Acute flaccid paralysis: investigating and reporting a case Public Health England
• Form: Acute flaccid paralysis: reporting form Public Health England
• Guidance: Acute flaccid paralysis: information for patients Public Health England
• Warning issued over mystery rise of rare polio-like illness in England The Daily Mail
• Acute flaccid paralysis: Investigation into mystery rise of rare polio-like illness leaving children paralysed The Independent

NHS England launches seven-day GP advertising campaign

NHS England launches seven-day GP advertising campaign Seven-day access has now been fully rolled out across England, according to NHS England.

The body said that every patient in England should now able to see a GP in the evening or at weekends, with around nine million extra appointments set to be provided a year.

NHS England said it has launched a communications campaign in the run up to Christmas to raise public awareness of the extra appointments.

This comes after a Pulse investigation earlier this year revealed that the scheme failed to fill appointments in areas where it was rolled out and garnered little support from GP leaders. Pulse

Man called 999 to report injured seagull in his house

Man called 999 to report injured seagull in his house A woman whose finger nail had come off, a man having bad dreams and a man who found an injured seagull in his house all dialled 999 for help, ambulance bosses have revealed.

Details and audio recordings of the 10 most ridiculous calls were released by the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust in an effort to discourage time-wasters over Christmas

The list requests for help included a man who said he was sweating while using his computer. One woman dialled 999 to report her dog had died, while one man called to ask emergency workers for a lift home. The Independent

Warning of rising drug prices as Britain prepares for no-deal Brexit

Warning of rising drug prices as Britain prepares for no-deal Brexit Drug firms are pushing up their prices amid preparations for a no-deal Brexit, as the health secretary charters a plane to airlift urgent medication to the UK.

Pharmacies warned that drugs prices are soaring, amid attempts to build up a stockpile ahead of Britain’s departure from the EU.

They highlighted spiralling prices for a number of drugs, some of which have seen prices hiked six-fold in a matter of months, as the industry prepares for the growing risk of a no-deal Brexit. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS trusts struggle to produce Brexit plans amid continuing uncertainty The BMJ

Woman left infertile after NHS failed to detect cancer for four years awarded £580k to cover surrogacy costs

Woman left infertile after NHS failed to detect cancer for four years awarded £580k to cover surrogacy costs A young woman left infertile because her cervical cancer was not spotted for more than four years has been awarded the costs of having surrogate children in America by the Court of Appeal.

Whittington Hospital NHS Trust admitted negligence in failing to detect signs of cancer, leading to the woman, known only as XX, developing highly invasive cancer requiring chemo-radiotherapy treatment, which left her infertile at the age of 29.

The High Court awarded XX a total of £580,000 in damages last year, including the costs of fertility treatment, cryopreserving her eggs and having children by surrogacy in the UK. The Daily Telegraph