New roles to help take pressure off GPs

New roles to help take pressure off GPs A Northamptonshire doctor has welcomed the launch of a new role that will support patients to link up with community and healthcare services as he says GPs are ‘just about on their knees’.

In the biggest shake-up within doctors surgeries for 15 years, GP groups from across the county have formed 16 new primary care networks who will share a group of new professionals.

Each network will have a social prescriber whose role is to link up patients who may be socially isolated or have long-term physical or mental health conditions, with services that can help improve their lives. Northamptonshire Telegraph

'We will back you': a positive approach to risk

'We will back you': a positive approach to risk On a Thursday afternoon last October I found myself in a community centre in Wigan, listening to an anthropologist explaining the value of cows to a tribe in Africa. I knew they were doing things differently in Wigan, but I hadn’t expected this. The King's Fund

Obesity crisis: Type 2 diabetes in children up by nearly half in five years

Obesity crisis: Type 2 diabetes in children up by nearly half in five years The number of children and young people being treated for Type 2 diabetes, a condition normally seen only in older adults and often linked to obesity, has rocketed by nearly 50 per cent in just five years, new analysis by the Local Government Association reveals.

Latest figures obtained by the LGA, which represents councils in England and Wales, show there were almost 750 cases of those aged under 25 who received care for Type 2 diabetes from Paediatric Diabetes Units in 2017/18. The first cases of Type 2 diabetes in children were diagnosed less than 20 years ago.

Councils, which are responsible for public health, says this highlights the urgent need to tackle one of the nation’s biggest health challenges in childhood obesity.

See also:

• Alarm as childhood Type 2 diabetes rockets 50 per cent in five years The Daily Telegraph
• Schools should be kept open all summer, running sports clubs, in a bid to tackle Britain's growing obesity crisis The Daily Telegraph

Westminster power vacuum leaves NHS struggling

Westminster power vacuum leaves NHS struggling A Conservative leadership contest and uncertainty over a new Downing Street regime - not to mention Brexit - have left Whitehall in the doldrums.

That isn't just an academic issue - it affects real lives. Critical decisions on social care and health policy in England have been put on hold, with ministers and civil servants unable to reach difficult decisions in the current political vacuum.

First, the NHS - some hospitals are reporting record patient numbers coming through accident and emergency departments in June and this month. BBC News

Dementia risk linked to healthy lifestyle

Dementia risk linked to healthy lifestyle Nearly everyone can lower their risk of dementia, even if it runs in the family, by living a healthy lifestyle, research suggests.

The study of nearly 200,000 people showed the risk fell by up to a third.

The team at the University of Exeter said the results were exciting, empowering and showed people were not doomed to get dementia.

The findings were revealed at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference. BBC News

See also:

• Lifestyle Interventions Provide Maximum Memory Benefit When Combined, May Offset Elevated Alzheimer's Risk Due to Genetics, Pollution Alzheimer's Association

Warning issued over adrenaline pen fault

Warning issued over adrenaline pen fault Allergy patients are being warned of a potential fault with Emerade adrenaline pens.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said some have blocked needles, so cannot deliver adrenaline.

Around two in every 1,000 pens are thought to be affected. BBC News

See also:

• Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Emerade 150, 300 and 500 microgram solution for injection in pre-filled syringe (MDR 55-06/18) Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Patients ‘in pain and distress’ forced to postpone treatment as NHS six-month waits hit new record

Patients ‘in pain and distress’ forced to postpone treatment as NHS six-month waits hit new record The number of NHS patients forced to wait more than six months for treatment has hit an all-time high while A&E’s performance has reached its worst June levels on record, official figures show.

Health service performance figures for May show 245,079 people spent more than 26 weeks on the waiting list, with experts warning many will be “in pain and distress”.

A heatwave last summer led to unprecedented pressures in the NHS which sapped trusts' time to prepare for winter and there are warning signs this summer could be even worse. The Independent

See also:

• More people report waiting too long for GP appointments Health Foundation
• The King's Fund responds to the 2019 GP Patient Survey and the latest Combined Performance Summary The King's Fund
• Combined Performance Summary: May - June 2019 Nuffield Trust
• GP survey and new hospital performance data shows strain on staff and cycle of decline Nuffield Trust
• NHS waiting list hits another record high: There are now almost 4.4m people waiting for treatment The Daily Mail
• NHS patients struggle to see GP or contact surgery by phone The Guardian

Lack of homes suitable for older people fuels housing crisis – report

Lack of homes suitable for older people fuels housing crisis – report Failure to plan for ageing population will also add to pressure on health and care services

England’s small towns are set to swell with increasing numbers of elderly people as they reject city living amid a hidden housing crisis caused by a lack of appropriate homes for a rapidly ageing population, a new study reveals.

Bexhill in East Sussex, Corby in Northamptonshire and Denton in Greater Manchester are forecast to see the biggest increases in populations aged 55 and above during the next two decades, according to the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Centre for Towns think tank. The Guardian

See also:

• The Ageing of Our Towns Centre for Towns
• The coming crisis: Access to health in our towns Centre for Towns

Government to issue 'sleep hygiene' guidance

Government to issue 'sleep hygiene' guidance Leaked draft says less than seven hours’ sleep can damage mental and physical health

The government could give people guidance on how much sleep they need each night, according to reports.

A leaked draft of a public health green paper, due to be published by the health secretary, Matt Hancock, says the government will review the evidence on sleep and health. It suggests the minimum amount will vary depending on how old someone is, and the paper will give advice on “sleep hygiene”, according to the Times, which obtained the document. The Guardian

Syphilis cases in Europe have shot up 70% since 2010

Syphilis cases in Europe have shot up 70% since 2010 Syphilis cases have soared by 70 per cent in Europe since 2010, data shows.

A report reveals the sexually transmitted infection (STI) reached an all-time high in 2017, with 33,189 confirmed cases in 28 countries across the continent.

This is an increase of more than 13,000 from the 19,797 reported incidences in 2007.

Although an issue throughout Europe, cases of the STI more than doubled between 2010 and 2017 in five countries, including Britain. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Syphilis - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2017 European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
• Syphilis and congenital syphilis in Europe - A review of epidemiological trends (2007–2018) and options for response European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

Health Secretary Matt Hancock pleads with doctors not to retire early over the NHS pension crisis

Health Secretary Matt Hancock pleads with doctors not to retire early over the NHS pension crisis Health Secretary Matt Hancock is pleading with doctors not to retire early because of the NHS pension crisis.

Many medics are trying to avoid big tax bills from stricter pension rules that put a cap on their saving allowances.

Mr Hancock has reassured big earners within the health service that changes to the lifetime allowance will be 'fixed' before April.

In the meantime, he is asking the consultants and managers to 'take no precipitate action in terms of early retirement'. The Daily Mail