Commissioning groups overwhelmed by red tape

Commissioning groups overwhelmed by red tape:

Raft of decisions needed to set up new system diverting attention from key issues Related items from OnMedica CCGs told to hone their business skills for managing support services contracts CCG development under threat as GPs “bullied” and “micromanaged” NHS policy hampers integrated care commissioning Draft mandate for NHS Commissioning Board published DoH stresses importance of localism in commissioning

GPs failing to spot cancer

GPs failing to spot cancer:Figures from a Department of Health survey have revealed that a quarter of people who go on to be diagnosed with cancer have to go to their GP at least three times before being referred for a hospital test.
Results of National Cancer Patient Experience Survey for 2011-12 found nearly one in ten patients saw their GP five or more times before being referred and a further 16% saw their family doctor either three or... Healthcare Today

CQC could ditch annual inspections

CQC could ditch annual inspections:The Care Quality Commission is consulting on proposed changes to its inspection schedule.
It is looking at moving away from regular inspections of all regulated organisations and back towards a more risk-based model. The plan forms part of the regulator’s strategy for 2013-16 and comes a year after former chief executive Cynthia Bower announced the CQC would introduce annual inspections of all NHS providers and... Healthcare Today

Millions of people could benefit from telecare

Millions of people could benefit from telecare: New research maps the number of telecare users, and looks at how to maximise its potential.

NHS pay cuts will lead to exodus of health workers, say nurses

NHS pay cuts will lead to exodus of health workers, say nurses: Royal College of Nursing speaks out against local pay bargaining for hospital staff in south-west England NHS hospitals that impose pay cuts on staff will see health professionals leaving in protest and the quality of care coming under threat as a result, nurses' leaders claim.

Drug addict treated for anthrax

Drug addict treated for anthrax: A drug addict is being treated in hospital for anthrax, health officials have confirmed. The Independent

Packed meeting hears host of objections to Spratton care home expansion plan

Packed meeting hears host of objections to Spratton care home expansion plan:
There was standing room only at a meeting where scores of villagers objected to a proposed 84-bed extension at a care home in the countryside. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton General Hospital could lose Gosset Ward

Northampton General Hospital could lose Gosset Ward:
Only three out of the five hospitals in Northamptonshire’s NHS region will have specialist emergency surgery and newborn care in future. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Transforming health and social care: can the chrysalis become a butterfly?

Transforming health and social care: can the chrysalis become a butterfly?: Chris Ham argues that current models of care need to change fundamentally if they are to be fit for the future. (Blog, 6 Sep 2012) King's Fund

The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000

The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000:
The Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000, (IR(ME)R 2000), came into force on 13 May 2000 to implement the European Directive 97/43/Euratom (The Medical Exposures Directive). The regulations replaced the Ionising Radiation (Protection of Persons Undergoing Medical Examination or Treatment) Regulations 1988 (POPUMET) which have been repealed.

AUDIO: Doctors 'should resuscitate for longer'

AUDIO: Doctors 'should resuscitate for longer': New research suggests doctors are not trying to resuscitate patients suffering from cardiac arrest for long enough. BBC News

Revising the Clinical Trials Directive

Revising the Clinical Trials Directive: The EU Clinical Trials Directive, which was implemented in the UK in 2004, has been highly criticised for contributing to a significant drop in the number of clinical trials conducted in the UK. NHS Confederation

Health leaders’ reaction to change of Health Secretary

Health leaders’ reaction to change of Health Secretary:

Guarded responses lay down what are envisaged as Health Secretary’s highest priorities Related items from OnMedica Scale of NHS efficiency savings is ‘undoable’ Looking back and ahead NHS reforms are passed into law New report promises ‘painless’ NHS reform Jeremy Hunt replaces Andrew Lansley as Health Secretary

CSC and DH agree new deal

CSC and DH agree new deal: The Department of Health and CSC have reached a new deal over the company’s local service provider contract.
The arrangement will not only remove CSC’s exclusive rights to be the only provider of clinical IT systems in the North, Midlands and East of England but the government says it will save the NHS more than £1 billion.
The agreement effectively ends negotiations about the future of CSC’s loc... Healthcare Today

The scandal of seriously ill prisoners denied basic healthcare | Eric Allison

The scandal of seriously ill prisoners denied basic healthcare | Eric Allison: Daniel Roque Hall's horror story exemplifies how inmates are seen as prisoners first and patients very much second
As those who know the prison system well will tell you, jail is the last place you want to be if you are seriously ill. My memory bank – along with the annals of Inquest, the charity that works with those bereaved by deaths in custody – is crowded with horror stories of medical negligence: sick prisoners wrongly diagnosed, mistreated, or just plain ignored.

New factsheets on commissioning

New factsheets on commissioning: A series of new factsheets is being published to help RCN members understand the architecture of the new NHS commissioning system. Royal College of Nursing

Consultation on the arrangements for consideration of proposals on the fluoridation of drinking water

Consultation on the arrangements for consideration of proposals on the fluoridation of drinking water:
The Department is consulting on the process local authorities will use to conduct consultations on fluoridation of drinking water. We are not consulting on the benefits or disadvantages of fluoridation.
This consultation is an opportunity for the Department to obtain the views of local authorities, NHS commissioners, public health professionals, service providers, equality representatives and all other interested parties on the future arrangements for consulting on proposals for fluoridation schemes.

Mixed reception to Hunt's new job

Mixed reception to Hunt's new job: Mixed reception over news of Jeremy Hunt taking over from Andrew Lansley as health secretary. BBC News

Religion or belief - new report published by Equality & Human Rights Commission

Religion or belief - new report published by Equality & Human Rights Commission: The Equality and Human Rights Commission has published a report on religion or belief. A range of organisations contributed to the research, including NHS Employers.

NHS Right Care publishes "Spend and Outcome Tool" aimed at identifying areas of improvement for each group

NHS Right Care publishes "Spend and Outcome Tool" aimed at identifying areas of improvement for each group: NHS Right Care has published a new "Spend and Outcome Tool" to help Clinical Commissioning Groups to identify what to improve. The Right Care CCG SPOT tool is a quadrant analysis tool that graphically illustrates where each group stands compared to other similar CCG populations. Clinical Commissioners can use the CCG SPOT tool, together with other tools, to identify priority programmes for improvement or innovation programmes.

Local pay, local growth: reforming pay setting in the public sector

Local pay, local growth: reforming pay setting in the public sector:
This report argues that rebalancing the pay and pensions of public
sector workers so that they are in line with that of equivalent workers
in the private sector would save the UK £6.3 billion a year in public
spending. It makes recommendations towards enabling local public sector
employers to choose systems of pay that reflect local living conditions
and vary pay awards by the performance of employees.

• Report
• Policy Exchange - publications

Nurses 'cleaning toilets'

Nurses 'cleaning toilets': The results of a survey by Nursing Times has shown a third of nurses had cleaned toilets or mopped floors in the past year.The survey of 1,000 health service nurses and health assistants found over 50% thought the cleaning provision for their wards was not adequate and 20% said hospital bosses had made cuts to the amount of cleaning done on wards.Rose Gallagher, the Royal College of Nursing's adviser o... Healthcare Today

Jeremy Hunt replaces Andrew Lansley as health secretary - BBC News

Jeremy Hunt replaces Andrew Lansley as health secretary - BBC News:

Daily Mail

Jeremy Hunt replaces Andrew Lansley as health secretary BBC News He is a rare example of a politician who has immersed himself for almost a decade in one policy area, as a shadow health secretary who progressed to the Whitehall department. His single-minded vision for NHS reform provoked a loud chorus of opposition ... Lansley faces axe over NHS reforms: Health Secretary likely to be shock ...Daily Mail Reshuffle sees Lansley lose health jobITV News Reshuffle: Jeremy Hunt up, Andrew Lansley downTelegraph.co.uk (blog) Channel 4 News -The Independent -Evening Standard all 202 news articles »

Transforming culture in failing hospitals is possible

Transforming culture in failing hospitals is possible:

Salford Royal shows that though a tall order in a cash-strapped NHS, it is possible to bring a hospital back from the brink.

'We're doing medicine in a really inefficient way,' says RCPCH leader

'We're doing medicine in a really inefficient way,' says RCPCH leader: Dr Hilary Cass, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, explains her vision for the future and why she thinks 'defocusing on hospitals' would improve care.

Beware of the cat: Britain's hidden toxoplasma problem

Beware of the cat: Britain's hidden toxoplasma problem:
A parasite spread by cats is infecting 1,000 new people every day in Britain – about 350,000 a year – according to an official assessment of the risks posed by toxoplasma, which can cause serious illness and has been tentatively linked with schizophrenia and other psychotic disturbances. The Independent

NHS 'still not getting basics right'

NHS 'still not getting basics right':
The former head of the Care Quality Commission warned yesterday that parts of the NHS were still delivering unacceptably poor standards of care. The Independent

“Frightening” rise in hospital booze admissions

“Frightening” rise in hospital booze admissions: A town MP has hit out at a “frightening” increase in the number of people being admitted to Northampton General Hospital with alcohol-related problems. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS team that boosts workers' health given seal of approval - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS team that boosts workers' health given seal of approval - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS team that boosts workers' health given seal of approval Northampton Chronicle & Echo The occupational health team at NHS Northamptonshire Healthcare, which is made up of seven nurses and a consultant, has also become one of the first in the country to win accreditation for its exemplary standards. A spokeswoman said: “As the provider ...

What can healthcare learn from industrial espionage?

What can healthcare learn from industrial espionage?: In the tech industry, clever innovations can spread like wildfire, with companies making extraordinary efforts to prevent their own improvements being copied by others. In healthcare, however, there can be an outright reluctance to learn from or engage with innovations developed elsewhere, says Carl Macrae. Health Foundation

Join in the conversation on how to strengthen the NHS Constitution

Join in the conversation on how to strengthen the NHS Constitution: The NHS Future Forum, which is advising the Government on how the NHS Constitution might be strengthened, is talking about what the NHS Constitution means to them and are keen to hear your views.

NHS told to prepare for elderly COPD rise

NHS told to prepare for elderly COPD rise: The NHS must plan for a 'significant burden' of lung disease in the UK's growing elderly population, according to researchers who found more than a third of a million people over 85 have a respiratory condition. GP Online

Telehealth service delivers 'significant' benefits

Telehealth service delivers 'significant' benefits: NHS Gloucestershire reports successful telehealth service following 12 month evaluation. Public Service

Pension reform – new automatic enrolment duties for employers

Pension reform – new automatic enrolment duties for employers: Our information and guidance on the implications of automatic enrolment for NHS organisations has been updated. NHS Employers

Patients first: improving access to GP practices

Patients first: improving access to GP practices:This report examines the practical arrangements regarding how patients access their GPs and whether these could be improved to encourage a provision of service more suited to patients’ needs. Itargues that patient choice could be improved by opening up general practice to a larger range of providers and also makes recommendations for a greater amount of information to be made available to the public.

• Report
• Reform Scotland - news

BMA's claims rejected by government

BMA's claims rejected by government:
The government has not accepted the views of the British Medical Association which state that the health service is endangering the public's health by offering a reduced number of drugs and operations.The BMA's council chairman, Dr Mark Porter, told The Guardian that concerns about patient safety was now "a realistic concern".He told the paper that the health service's financial... Healthcare Today

How can GPs meet the needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual patients?

How can GPs meet the needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual patients?: Assumptions are the biggest issue facing LGB patients in the surgery, says Dennis Baldwin of the Lesbian & Gay Foundation.
Lesbian, gay and bisexual people face considerable health inequalities and are disproportionately likely to suffer from poor sexual, mental and physical health, as well as increased levels of substance misuse. Yet the lack of sexual orientation monitoring by health services means there remains a distinct lack of information relating to the health and social care needs of LGB patients.

Hip and knee op rationing could become 'routine'

Hip and knee op rationing could become 'routine': Rationing of hip and knee operations will become "routine" and waits get longer and longer unless radical changes are made to the way NHS orthopaedic surgery is organised, claims a leading surgeon. The Daily Telegraph

New RCN initiative to shape nursing’s future

New RCN initiative to shape nursing’s future: The Royal College of Nursing has today launched a new website called This is Nursing for members as part of an initiative that will help tackle the professional issues affecting nursing staff, and highlight the skills and expertise required to be part of the profession.

Booze is sending us to early grave

Booze is sending us to early grave: Two of the county’s health experts have called for a change in Northamptonshire’s drinking culture following a new report which illustrates the county’s booze woes. Evening Telegraph

Midwife’s own baby delivered by boss

Midwife’s own baby delivered by boss: A home-birth midwife can tell expectant women exactly how good the care from Northampton General Hospital is after choosing her boss to deliver her own baby. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Yosemite virus warning to Britons

Yosemite virus warning to Britons: About 100 British tourists who visited a US park at the centre of a deadly virus outbreak are being contacted by the UK's Health Protection Agency. BBC News

Do cuts mean 'dial 999 and wait'?

Do cuts mean 'dial 999 and wait'?: Are cutbacks hitting the front line? BBC News

DH finds £99,000 for ITK fund

DH finds £99,000 for ITK fund: The Department of Health has launched an Information Sharing Challenge Fund to support information sharing projects that can be replicated across the NHS through the interoperability toolkit. E-Health Insider

See the Department of Health for more information.

Ambulance stations may close in East Midlands

Ambulance stations may close in East Midlands:
East Midlands Ambulance Service is planning to close stations across its area under plans designed to improve emergency response times.
The trust is embarking on a three-month public consultation next month on its proposed move at a time that it has seen 5% more calls year on year. The plan includes closing 66 existing ambulance stations and replacing them with 13 hubs where specialist teams will prepare ambulanc... Healthcare Today

BMA's new leader: 'There's no evidence that a part-privatised NHS runs better'

BMA's new leader: 'There's no evidence that a part-privatised NHS runs better':

Dr Mark Porter is preparing to clash with the government on two fronts: doctors' pensions and the future direction of the NHS.

Woman killed herself after husband left her alone on NHS advice

Woman killed herself after husband left her alone on NHS advice: An NHS mental health trust has apologised and paid damages to a man whose suicidal wife killed herself after he followed its advice to give her more responsibility by leaving her at home alone. The Daily Telegraph

When the loving care stops

When the loving care stops: As some disabled youngsters live their dreams at the Paralympics, others face spending their days in homes for the elderly, reports Cherrill Hicks The Daily Telegraph

New rules governing organ transplants to be drawn up amid fear of organ sales on social networking websites

New rules governing organ transplants to be drawn up amid fear of organ sales on social networking websites:
New rules governing organ transplants are being drawn up amid concern about money changing hands illegally as patients make direct pleas to potential donors on social networking sites. The Independent

Health warning over army of NHS 'temps'

Health warning over army of NHS 'temps': NHS trusts are increasingly employing key clinical staff on "zero-hours" contracts which threaten to turn parts of the reformed service into an army of "temps". The Independent

Whooping cough cases continue to increase

Whooping cough cases continue to increase: 1,047 cases of whooping cough in England and Wales were reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in July 2012, bringing the total number of cases so far this year to 3,523*, according to figures published today. Health Protection Agency

Active pensioners 'add six years'

Active pensioners 'add six years': Being active and living a healthy lifestyle even after the age of 75 can make a huge difference to your life expectancy, a Swedish study suggests. BBC News

NHS reform targets slipped, DH report reveals

NHS reform targets slipped, DH report reveals: A series of DH targets for implementing NHS reforms have slipped, and the NHS Commissioning Board is struggling to recruit enough staff, official reports reveal. GP Online

TB drug resistance is growing around the world

TB drug resistance is growing around the world:

Major study shows TB resistant to both first and second-line drugs Related items from OnMedica TB risk increases in early pregnancy, study shows TB cases still on the rise across most of the UK Hopes raised by TB drug cocktail More action needed to treat TB Drug-resistant TB set to become more dominant

Interim measures for patient experience at the interfaces between NHS services

Interim measures for patient experience at the interfaces between NHS services: This publication highlights the data sources available to help NHS
organisations assess patient experience of integrated care locally, as
no single bespoke measure is currently available. This comes in response
to the NHS Future Forum's recommendations that new patient experience
measures should be developed to evaluate patients’ experiences across
whole journeys of care.

• Report
• Interim integration measures 
• Department of Health - news

Delays warning over flu jabs

Delays warning over flu jabs: Patients may face a delay in getting their seasonal flu jab this winter as manufacturers struggle to meet deadlines. The Daily Telegraph

One in five patients 'harmed' in some hospitals: data

One in five patients 'harmed' in some hospitals: data: One in five patients in some NHS hospitals suffer harm due to avoidable accidents, complications and mistakes, it has emerged.The Daily Telegraph

Multiple abortions 'link' to premature births

Multiple abortions 'link' to premature births:

“Repeat abortions linked to premature birth,” BBC News has reported, with the Daily Mail website adding that multiple abortions could cause “life-threatening problems in later pregnancy”.
The story is based on Finnish research that looked at the effect of induced abortions on a subsequent first birth.

Rise in hate crimes towards people with disabilities

Rise in hate crimes towards people with disabilities: The number of hate crimes towards people with disabilities in Northamptonshire increased by more than 50 per cent in the last year, figures have revealed. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Right data, right payment

Right data, right payment: The findings of the Commission's annual audit of data used to underpin Payment by Results (PbR) payments. Audit Commission

UK life 'healthier for longer'

UK life 'healthier for longer': Healthy life expectancy increased by more than two years in the period 2008-10 compared with 2005-07, Office for National Statistics figures show. BBC News

Hundreds of GP practices yet to start CQC registration as deadline looms

Hundreds of GP practices yet to start CQC registration as deadline looms: Up to 500 GP practices in England have failed to contact the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to begin registration, with less than a week to go until the regulator starts assessing applications. GP Online

HPA urges back to school vaccination as measles cases continue to increase

HPA urges back to school vaccination as measles cases continue to increase: Latest figures from the Health Protection Agency(HPA) show that almost twice as many confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales have been reported in the first six months of 2012 (964) compared to the same period in 2011 (497). Overall 1,086 cases were reported in 2011, up from 380 in 2010.

The press release from the HPA states that rubella has also shown an increase with 57 cases reported between January and June this year - exceeding the annual totals for each of the previous nine years. These cases have mainly been associated with travel to other European countries. Health Protection Agency

Formal complaints about National Health Service rise by 8%

Formal complaints about National Health Service rise by 8%: The NHS Information Centre said there were 162,129 written complaints from patients or their families in year to March 2012
Written complaints to the NHS rose by more than 8% last year, with the health service receiving more than 3,000 a week, new data reveals. The NHS Information Centre said that there were 162,129 written complaints from patients or their families in the year ending March 2012, an increase of 12,364 from 2010-11.
More than 12,000 of the complaints related to the "attitude of the staff", while almost 50,000 in England were about "all aspects of clinical treatment". About 10,000 concerned "communication to patients".
Andrew Gwynne, the shadow health minister, said: "This is yet another worrying sign of an NHS heading in the wrong direction. It will not come as a surprise that more and more patients are writing formal complaints. This government is throwing the NHS into chaos with an unnecessary reorganisation of the back office, costing over £3bn, that has taken eyes off patient care."
However, the government said that the increase was because "for the first time, all NHS organisations have submitted information about their complaints". The minister of state for care services, Paul Burstow, admitted that "this has led to a small rise in the overall number of complaints recorded". The Guardian

Methadone-related deaths soar

Methadone-related deaths soar:
The number of methadone-related deaths of men in England and Wales rose by more than a third last year to its highest rate since 1997, figures showed today. The Independent

Flu may spread before symptoms show

Flu may spread before symptoms show: If you are reaching for your handkerchief it might be too late to stop the spread of flu, research suggests.The Independent

More than 3,000 written complaints a week against the NHS

More than 3,000 written complaints a week against the NHS: - New report shows rise in written complaints on previous year About 3,100 written complaints a week were made against the NHS in 2011-12 – just over ... NHS Information Centre

Mental Capacity and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 - A literature review

Mental Capacity and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 – A literature review

This MH Foundation literature review was carried out to collate academic literature relating to mental capacity issues and to the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.  The aims were to identify mental capacity issues, problem areas and successes in the practical application of mental capacity legislation as well as identify gaps in the research. The Mental Health Foundation

Firms fined after workers exposed to asbestos at Kettering hospital ward

Firms fined after workers exposed to asbestos at Kettering hospital ward:
Two Lincoln companies have been fined after workers were exposed to asbestos during the refurbishment of a hospital ward. Evening Telegraph

NHS hospitals using innovative solutions to prevent missed appointments

NHS hospitals using innovative solutions to prevent missed appointments:
NHS hospital trusts have been using innovative, yet simple, ideas to reduce the number of missed appointments, contributing to an overall drop in missed outpatient appointments of over 250,000 last year.

Hospitals 'scored' on drug access

Hospitals 'scored' on drug access: Patients in England will soon be able to see if their local health authority is offering the latest approved drugs and treatments as scorecards rating hospitals become public. BBC News

One in three taking no exercise

One in three taking no exercise: Ministers are urged to do more to encourage people "off the sofa" as it emerges the amount of exercise we take has not changed over the last 10 years. BBC News

Quality profiles

Quality profiles: The practice profiles aim to enable commissioners to compare the
relative quality of their providers, to enable providers to benchmark
their performance against the national average, and to share with
patients and the public information on the quality of the services being
provided. Quality profiles have also been published for CCGs. They fit
into the new commissioning architecture of the NHS, and aim to support
the patient information revolution by putting this information freely
and transparently into the public domain.

• Practice quality profiles
• Practice quality profiles - case study
• CCG quality profiles

One in 10 hospital appointments missed

One in 10 hospital appointments missed:

The Department of Health has revealed that one in 10 scheduled hospital appointments in England were missed last year.The DH said that although the total number of missed appointments had dropped by 250,000 since the previous year, it still cost them millions of pounds and caused delays in care for other patients.The government has encouraged hospitals to find ways of reducing the number of missed appointments.... Healthcare Today

Does smoking 'dope' turn you into one?

Does smoking 'dope' turn you into one?:

“Adolescents who are regular users of cannabis are at risk of permanent damage to their intelligence, attention span and memory,” reported the Guardian.
The news was based on an impressive and wide-ranging study of 1,037 New Zealand individuals who were followed from birth up to the age of 38.

NHS patient records to revolutionise medical research in Britain

NHS patient records to revolutionise medical research in Britain:

Scientists to hunt for lifesaving information buried in cradle-to-grave data collected by GPs and hospitals

A revolution in medical research in Britain is to give academics and the life sciences industry unparalleled access to the cradle-to-grave health records of about 52 million people in England.

NHS Commissioning Board 'struggling to recruit'

NHS Commissioning Board 'struggling to recruit': The health quango that will be tasked with spending a third of the NHS budget is struggling to recruit staff, it has admitted. The Daily Telegraph

Do some trusts deliver a consistently better experience for patients? An analysis of patient experience across acute care surveys in English NHS trusts.

Do some trusts deliver a consistently better experience for patients? An analysis of patient experience across acute care surveys in English NHS trusts.:

Related Articles

Do some trusts deliver a consistently better experience for patients? An analysis of patient experience across acute care surveys in English NHS trusts.
BMJ Qual Saf. 2012 May;21(5):381-90
Authors: Raleigh VS, Frosini F, Sizmur S, Graham C
Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Data were used from inpatient, outpatient and accident and emergency surveys in acute trusts in England to examine consistency in patient-reported experience across services, and factors associated with systematic variations in performance.

METHODS: Standardised mean scores for six domains of patient experience were constructed for each survey for 145 non-specialist acute trusts. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to investigate whether and how trust performance clusters. Multilevel regression analysis was used to determine trust characteristics associated with performance.

RESULTS: Cluster analysis identified three groups: trusts that performed consistently above (30 trusts) or below (six trusts) average, and those with mixed performance. All the poor performing trusts were in London, none were foundation trusts or teaching hospitals, and they had the highest mean deprivation score and the lowest proportion of white inpatients and response rates. Foundation and teaching status, and the proportion of white inpatients, were positively associated with performance; deprivation and response rates showed less consistent positive associations. No regional effects were apparent after adjusting for independent variables.

CONCLUSION: The results have significant implications for quality improvement in the NHS. The finding that some NHS providers consistently perform better than others suggests that there are system-wide determinants of patient experience and the potential for learning from innovators. However, there is room for improvement overall. Given the large samples of these surveys, the messages could also have relevance for healthcare systems elsewhere.


Available online but requires an NHS Athens password.

NHS pilot scheme to help patients in care homes

NHS pilot scheme to help patients in care homes:
A new care home nurse scheme to help people living in residential and nursing care has been launched by the NHS in East Northamptonshire. Evening Telegraph

Rise in booze admissions at Northampton General Hospital

Rise in booze admissions at Northampton General Hospital:
CONCERNS have been raised after a rise in the number of people being admitted to hospital in Northampton because of alcohol-related illnesses. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Row growing over care home expansion plans

Row growing over care home expansion plans:
The company behind a proposed 84-bed care home extension for mental health patients says it has “nothing to hide” over the plans. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

AUDIO: Heavy cannabis users 'fall behind'

AUDIO: Heavy cannabis users 'fall behind': Using cannabis as a teenager can cause a permanent and irreversible drop in IQ according to a study of 1,000 people in the New Zealand town of Dunedin. Professor Terrie Moffitt, from the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London, gives his analysis of the findings. BBC News

Peer support in mental health and learning disability

Peer support in mental health and learning disability: This briefing highlights the benefits of peer support for services,
individuals receiving support, and the person giving it. It showcases
some of the Mental Health Foundation’s work within the area and looks at
how peer support can help people to recover, to gain control over their
condition, and live fulfilling lives in their communities.

• Briefing
• Mental Health Foundation - news

Good support for people with complex needs: what does it look like and where is the evidence?

Good support for people with complex needs: what does it look like and where is the evidence?: This study scopes the evidence on good practice in social care for
disabled and older people with severe and complex needs, and to find out
what this group consider to be key features of good support. It also
identifies examples of potential good practice and makes recommendations
for future evaluation.

• Report 
• Case studies
• Project page
• SPRU - publications

Top surgeon criticises 'chronic' lack of cash for stroke victims' physiotherapy

Top surgeon criticises 'chronic' lack of cash for stroke victims' physiotherapy:

Underfunding of post-surgical care is 'endemic issue' affecting recovery times and quality of life, says NHS neurosurgeon
One of Britain's leading surgeons has spoken out against the "chronic underfunding" of post-surgical care services in the NHS, which is leaving stroke victims and head injury patients at serious risk of failing to recover.

A fifth of women in labour left without a midwife: survey

A fifth of women in labour left without a midwife: survey: A fifth of women were left without a midwife during labour, contrary to official guidance, due to a shortage of staff, a survey has found. The Daily Telegraph

'Hit squads' to take over seven NHS trusts

'Hit squads' to take over seven NHS trusts: Senior government lawyers and auditors are to be sent into raphseven NHS hospital trusts on the brink of bankruptcy. The Daily Telegraph

Tax-avoidance crackdown for NHS

Tax-avoidance crackdown for NHS:
Senior NHS executives have been told to stop paying interim senior staff off payroll to tackle possible tax avoidance. The Independent

NHS paying huge price for missed appointments

NHS paying huge price for missed appointments:
One in 10 health appointments were missed last year, costing the NHS millions of pounds and delaying treatment for others, figures suggest. The Independent

Hospitals to pay price for failure to innovate

Hospitals to pay price for failure to innovate:
Patients across the country will soon be able to see whether their local hospital or health authority is rationing care as part of government plans to eradicate "postcode prescribing" in the NHS. The Independent

Special report into hospital ward assaults - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Special report into hospital ward assaults - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Special report into hospital ward assaults Northampton Chronicle & Echo One recent Chron story revealed that of the 149 assaults which took place at Northampton General Hospital in 2011-2012, a third of these happened in Creaton Ward, a 28-patient medical ward which deals with a high number of elderly patients, some of ...

New NHS Evidence QIPP case study: Musculoskeletal physiotherapy: patient self-referral

New NHS Evidence QIPP case study: Musculoskeletal physiotherapy: patient self-referral:
The self-referral pilots have shown that people who self-refer to physiotherapy take fewer days off work, and are half as likely to be off work for longer than a month compared with people who have been referred using more conventional routes.
The initiative means that people can refer themselves directly to their local NHS physiotherapy practice - as long as they are over 16 and do not have neurological, breathing or gynaecological problems. NHS Networks

Assertive outreach no better than standard care at preventing further suicide attempts in young people

Assertive outreach no better than standard care at preventing further suicide attempts in young people: Regular close contact with specially trained staff is generally regarded as the best course of treatment for someone who has recently attempted to kill themselves, in order to prevent a repeat suicide attempt. Of course it can be difficult to engage with this group of patients after-treatment, but recent research suggests that assertive and motivational [read the full story...]The Mental Elf

Clustering of unhealthy behaviours over time: implications for policy and practice

Clustering of unhealthy behaviours over time: implications for policy and practice: This report reviews the current evidence on the distribution of multiple lifestyle risks in the adult population, and how this is changing over time. It finds that the overall proportion of the Englishpopulation that engages in three or four unhealthy behaviours has
declined significantly, from around 33 per cent of the population in2003, to 25 per cent in 2008, but these reductions have mainly been seen among those in higher socio-economic and educational groups. It concludes that more effective ways must be found to help people in lower socio-economic groups and those with the least education to improve their health behaviours, including a more holistic approach to policy and practice and the closer linking of behaviour change to inequalities policy.

• Report
• Methodology and data appendices
• Blog by David Buck
• The King's Fund - publications

Reducing the cost of assessments and reviews: an adult social care briefing for councils

Reducing the cost of assessments and reviews: an adult social care briefing for councils: This briefing focuses on social care assessments and reviews. It
considers changes in councils' expenditure on assessments and reviews
over time, and examines how some councils have managed to keep their
costs low while continuing to meet vulnerable people's needs.

• Briefing
• Methodology briefing note
• Audit Commission - publications

Implant for heart failure is trialled

Implant for heart failure is trialled:

A nerve-stimulating implant for patients with heart failure is being trialled for the first time in the UK.
It has already been trialled in 32 European patients, but the work now being varied out at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester is the first time the pioneering operation to fit the device has been performed in this country.
The device is similar to a pacemaker and fitted to the vagus nerve running bet... Healthcare Today

Franchise plan is key to future of the health service

Franchise plan is key to future of the health service:

Working internationally will encourage the best hospitals to stay at the forefront of modern practice and benefit patients
The government's announcement of a renewed push to market the NHS abroad could help improve patient care in the UK – but there are risks.

Private firms ask to bid to run struggling hospital trust

Private firms ask to bid to run struggling hospital trust: Private firms are being asked to bid to run a large London hospital trust, taken over by a Government-appointed administrator earlier this summer for being on the brink of bankruptcy. The Daily Telegraph

HS managers must be paid through normal channels: Sir David Nicholson

NHS managers must be paid through normal channels: Sir David Nicholson: NHS hospitals have been ordered to stop paying temporary managers off the books in a bid to stamp out tax avoidance, it has emerged. The Daily Telegraph

Poorest left behind in fight against unhealthy lifestyles, new report finds

Poorest left behind in fight against unhealthy lifestyles, new report finds: The proportion of people engaging in multiple unhealthy lifestyle behaviours has fallen significantly according to a new report on the clustering of unhealthy behaviours over time.  However, almost all the improvement has been among higher socio-economic and better educated groups, exacerbating health inequalities. King’s Fund.