New bowel-cancer screening pilot

New bowel-cancer screening pilot: Pilots of a new bowel cancer screening programme which could save 3,000 lives a year are to begin, England's Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is to announce. BBC News

Plans to move care from hospitals

Plans to move care from hospitals: The government plans a "dramatic reduction" in the number of people with learning disabilities in hospitals in England in the wake of the Winterbourne View abuse scandal.

See also: VIDEO: Plans to move care from hospitals:

BBC News

VIDEO: DNA mapping for cancer patients

VIDEO: DNA mapping for cancer patients: Up to 100,000 patients with cancer and rare diseases in England are to have their entire genetic code sequenced. BBC News

Getting it right for dementia patients

Getting it right for dementia patients: How colour-coded bays, soft floors and extra training is helping BBC News

All systems go: testing the new licensing system for providers of NHS-funded care

All systems go: testing the new licensing system for providers of NHS-funded care: From April 2013, a new licensing system for most providers of NHS-funded services is expected to be established. The NHS Confederation partnered with Deloitte to stage a simulation event to test the licence in a set of fictitious scenarios. NHS Confederation

Standards of care for people living with HIV 2013

Standards of care for people living with HIV 2013: This set of quality standards has been produced in conjunction with care providers, professional associations, commissioners, and people living with HIV. They cover 12 key themes, prioritised as being the most important issues for the care of people with HIV. Derived from the best available evidence, the standards focus on aspects of care that have particular relevance for delivering equitable high-quality services that secure the best possible outcomes for people with HIV.

• Quality standards
• Press release
• BHIVA - publications

Diabetes increases heart attack risk by 48%

Diabetes increases heart attack risk by 48%: “People with diabetes 48% more likely to suffer heart attack, researchers find”, says The Guardian. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reports that people with diabetes are “65% more likely to have heart failure than the rest of the population”.

Both stories are based on the most recent report of the National Diabetes Audit, which presents data from England and Wales on the complications that arise due to diabetes.

Winterbourne View scandal prompts 'fitness' tests for hospital owners

Winterbourne View scandal prompts 'fitness' tests for hospital owners: Corporate owners of private units for NHS-funded patients with learning disabilities to face closer scrutiny after abuse revealed
The corporate owners of private hospitals dealing with NHS-funded patients are to be subject to tests to check if they are "fit and proper" persons to be involved with healthcare.

Can innovation really be the raison d'etre of every NHS employee as David Nicholson hopes?

Can innovation really be the raison d'etre of every NHS employee as David Nicholson hopes?: The chief executive of the NHS wants to make innovation the core business of the health service, but there is still a long way to go.
This time last year, the Department of Health launched the Innovation, Health and Wealth initiative, which was to drive the NHS into the bright sunny uplands of perpetual innovation.

Nurses 'too busy to care for patients'

Nurses 'too busy to care for patients': Nurses are too busy to care for patients, the head of a nursing union has claimed after an MP accused hospital staff of treating her husband "like a battery hen" before he died. The Daily Telegraph

Monitor seeks long-term solution for troubled foundation trust

Monitor seeks long-term solution for troubled foundation trust: Experts are being called in to recommend a long-term solution for the financial viability of Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Although the Trust has been in significant breach of its terms of authorisation on financial grounds since October 2010, there is no evidence its financial problems have affected the quality of clinical care. Monitor

Unused drugs cost NHS across Northamptonshire £4.6m

Unused drugs cost NHS across Northamptonshire £4.6m: WASTED medicines could be costing the county NHS more than £4.6 million a year.Northampton Chronicle and Echo

How must we change care systems to meet the needs of the future patient?

How must we change care systems to meet the needs of the future patient?: We deliberately kicked off our Time to Think Differently debate by focusing on the future patient. What could be more important than patient needs and preferences to the discussion about the future of health and social care? We are delighted by the quality and number of contributions to the debate and grateful to everyone for helping to shape our thinking.

GP contract proposals outlined

GP contract proposals outlined: Proposed changes to the GP contract have been outlined by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
The proposed changes will see GPs rewarded for earlier diagnosis and better care of dementia patients and putting a sharper focus on improving the lives of patients with long term conditions.

Funding 'cut' for cancer networks

Funding 'cut' for cancer networks: Clinical networks of doctors and nurses which oversee the care of cancer, heart and stroke patients have had their budgets and staff cut, figures show. BBC News

MPs call for drugs policy rethink

MPs call for drugs policy rethink: A committee of MPs urges ministers to closely consider a system of decriminalising drugs adopted in Portugal, saying the UK must rethink large parts of its drugs policy. BBC News

DNA mapping for cancer patients

DNA mapping for cancer patients: Up to 100,000 patients with cancer and rare diseases in England are to have their entire genetic code sequenced. BBC News

UK reaction to GMS contract changes for England

UK reaction to GMS contract changes for England: GP leaders are warning that practices could close if government proposals to change the GMS contract in 2013/14 are imposed. GP Online

GMC launches confidential helpline for doctors to raise concerns about patient safety

GMC launches confidential helpline for doctors to raise concerns about patient safety: For the first time doctors who are worried about patient safety will be able to contact the General Medical Council (GMC) through a new confidential helpline.

Care for older people: projected expenditure to 2022 on social care and continuing health care for England’s older population

Care for older people: projected expenditure to 2022 on social care and continuing health care for England’s older population: This analysis by the London School of Economics, commissioned by the Nuffield Trust,  projects expenditure on social care and health care for older people in England from 2010 to 2022.

• Analysis
• Press release
• Project page
• The Nuffield Trust - publications

Cancer cases rise, but more people survive

Cancer cases rise, but more people survive: New cancer statistics for the UK have hit the headlines, with most papers reporting that fewer people are dying from the disease, despite a rise in the numbers being diagnosed.

These 2008-2010 figures were produced by the Office for National Statistic (ONS) and show:

• the number of people diagnosed with cancer each year (incidence) was nearly 320,000
• the number of people dying from cancer each year (mortality rates) was about 156,000

The report found that Wales had the highest rate of cancer for men and Scotland had the highest cancer rates for women.

People with diabetes at much higher risk of suffering heart failure than the general population, national audit shows

People with diabetes at much higher risk of suffering heart failure than the general population, national audit shows: Data also shows 330 per cent greater risk of some complications than general population Death rate among people with Type 1 diabetes 135 per cent high... NHS Information Centre

Winterbourne View scandal prompts new care guidelines

Winterbourne View scandal prompts new care guidelines: Report warns that care sector risks slipping back into institutional culture typified by Victorian asylum system
Ministers will on Monday order a programme of action intended to remove up to 1,500 people with learning disabilities and autism from private hospitals such as the Winterbourne View unit where a regime of abuse and humiliation was exposed.

NHS spending has been cut, Tories forced to admit

NHS spending has been cut, Tories forced to admit:
David Cameron's general election pledge not to cut spending on the NHS has been broken, the Conservative Party conceded for the first time yesterday, as new figures revealed the health service is on the brink of a winter crisis. The Independent

Challenges still to be met in reducing occupational exposures to bloodborne viruses

Challenges still to be met in reducing occupational exposures to bloodborne viruses: There were 541 reports of needle stick injuries that exposed healthcare workers to patients carrying bloodborne viruses in 2011, twice as many as a decade ago (2002) when 271 exposures were reported. The figures are published today in the Health Protection Agency’s fourth Eye of the Needle report, which includes occupational exposures to bloodborne viruses in healthcare workers reported by hospitals through the HPA’s enhanced surveillance system. These reports are only a fraction of needle stick injuries that would have occurred.

Encouraging results in A&E patient survey

Encouraging results in A&E patient survey: 2012 A&E patient survey Northampton General Hospital

NGH discharge times among worst in NHS

NGH discharge times among worst in NHS: Northampton General Hospital has among the most bed spaces wasted by long-staying patients in the country, a new report says. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton General Hospital scores well in patient survey - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Northampton General Hospital scores well in patient survey - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Northampton General Hospital scores well in patient survey Northampton Chronicle & Echo When asked to rate their overall experience of being treated and cared for in the A&E patients gave Northampton General Hospital (NGH) a score of 7.7, which fell in the same range as 60 per cent of all trusts in the country. The trust did better than ... and more »

CQC survey: Accident and Emergency (England) 2012

CQC survey: Accident and Emergency (England) 2012: The Care Quality Commission has published the results of its latest survey which asked people about their experiences of accident and emergency (A&E) departments in 2012. Nearly 46,000 participants who attended a major A&E department were surveyed between January and March 2012 and the response rate was 38%.

Work in Progress: Progress in delivering NHS efficiency savings

Work in Progress: Progress in delivering NHS efficiency savings: This study examines the progress made in delivering NHS efficiency savings in 2011-12 and how well-placed the NHS is to deliver the required efficiency savings over the next three years. National Audit Office

Malnutrition toolkit for commissioners and providers

Malnutrition toolkit for commissioners and providers: This toolkit contains guidance for commissioners and providers on defining the relevant, measurable outcomes related to nutritional care within services in order to gain value for money, a summary of national nutritional care standards, recommendations and tools for assessment, development, education and training.  NHS Networks

NHS disabled charges 'unlawful'

NHS disabled charges 'unlawful': A leading disability rights lawyer says some NHS trusts may be breaching the law by charging disabled drivers to park. BBC News

'Never mind the patient, tick the box'

'Never mind the patient, tick the box': A leading psychiatrist says the NHS needs to listen more. BBC News

NHS Direct starts redundancy talks

NHS Direct starts redundancy talks: More than 1,400 NHS Direct staff risk losing their jobs as the organisation begins a redundancy consultation period. E-Health Insider

Autumn Statement 2012 - pension implications

Autumn Statement 2012 - pension implications: The Autumn Statement, delivered by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the 5 December 2012, contained important changes to pensions tax relief allowances. NHS Employers

Chancellor rejects NHS local pay deals

Chancellor rejects NHS local pay deals:

Autumn Statement provokes mixed response from doctors Related items from OnMedica Government pension reforms ‘triply unfair’ Audit watchdog slams ‘unaffordable’ hospital PFI deal Think tank says ditch NHS national pay Contract changes will cut GP income

Clinical-financial partnerships in the NHS: why we need them to deliver the cost and quality challenge

Clinical-financial partnerships in the NHS: why we need them to deliver the cost and quality challenge: This paper summarises interviews with over twenty senior NHS leaders. It demonstrates the importance of financial-clinical partnerships to deliver the NHS’s unprecedented cost and quality improvement challenge. It also aims to provide further evidence of the growing need for clinical and finance leaders to develop a shared understanding of their organisation’s business and to work together towards shared organisational goals.

• Paper
• NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement - news

Acute organisational audit report: public report for England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Acute organisational audit report: public report for England, Wales and Northern Ireland: This report includes national and hospital level findings in relation to aspects of stroke service organisation including: acute care
organisation; specialist roles; staffing; TIA (mini stroke) services; communication between staff groups and with patients and carers; and pathway at discharge. Findings will enable the organisation of stroke services at a national level to be compared with the national standards outlined in the fourth edition of the National Clinical Guideline for Stroke (2012) published by the Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) clinical guideline, the National Stroke Strategy 2007 and the NICE Quality Standard for Stroke (2010). Supplementary reports for each region are also available.

• Report
• Report - easy access version
• Further information and regional reports

Norovirus outbreak 2012

Norovirus outbreak 2012: Many newspapers are reporting on the Health Protection Agency’s latest figures on the ongoing outbreak of norovirus – the so-called winter vomiting disease. The data suggest that cases of the virus, which are usually highest after Christmas, are high for this time of year.

According to data available up to December 2 2012, there have been 2,313 confirmed laboratory reports (which is 64% higher than the same period in the last season). But the HPA estimates that for every confirmed report there are another 288 unreported cases.
This means that as many as 666,144 people could have been affected in this outbreak of norovirus. This number is expected to continue to rise.

Can't care, won't care: or has the NHS really changed? - Channel 4 News

Can't care, won't care: or has the NHS really changed? - Channel 4 News:

Channel 4 News

Can't care, won't care: or has the NHS really changed? Channel 4 News Mencap's 2007 report, Death by Indifference, said that people with a learning disability were dying in the NHS unnecessarily, because doctors and nurses did not value their lives. Families came to Mencap because their loved one had poor care in hospital. and more »

Cancer becoming chronic disease as death rates improve

Cancer becoming chronic disease as death rates improve: More people are living longer after being diagnosed with cancer than ever before, according to official figures which show mortality rates have dropped about 10 per cent in just seven years. The Daily Telegraph

Rise in mothers in 40s as women delay childbearing

Rise in mothers in 40s as women delay childbearing: The NHS has seen a boom in older mothers with official figures showing a 15 per cent rise in births.The Daily Telegraph

Health Care for Undocumented Migrants: European Approaches

Health Care for Undocumented Migrants: European Approaches: This issue brief examines how undocumented migrants' access to care is handled in European health systems. Policies and practices vary greatly across countries and have become issues of intense debate. The Commonwealth Fund

New therapeutic service for children & young people who are survivors of sexual abuse and violence

New therapeutic service for children & young people who are survivors of sexual abuse and violence: A new therapeutic service for children who have been sexually abused or assaulted has been launched this week. The new service is a partnership between Serenity, the county's Sexual Assault Referral... NHFT

Hospital gets average overall score in national review

Hospital gets average overall score in national review: A national report into the quality of care and use of resources has given Kettering General Hospital an average score. Evening Telegraph

Rise in assaults on NHS workers

Rise in assaults on NHS workers: There has been an increase in the number of physical assaults on NHS staff according to official figures. Evening Telegraph

Winter vomiting bug warning for Northampton General Hospital visitors - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Winter vomiting bug warning for Northampton General Hospital visitors - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Winter vomiting bug warning for Northampton General Hospital visitors Northampton Chronicle & Echo Published on Wednesday 5 December 2012 11:25. Health bosses are urging potential visitors to stay well away from Northampton General Hospital if they or their family members have had diarrhoea, vomiting or 'flu-like' symptoms in the last four days ... and more »

Measuring accountability for outcomes: is transparency enough?

Measuring accountability for outcomes: is transparency enough?: Transparency is critically important for both health care quality improvement and informing patients and the public about what they can expect from the NHS. However, just publishing information is a soft form of accountability. The NHS Commissioning Board, clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and providers need to be held to account, with plaudits if they excel, and consequences if they fall short of expected standards. Lack of a measurable expectation of stretch can leave the government open to challenge on its assertions about NHS performance in the future.

VIDEO: Winter vomiting bug cases up 64%

VIDEO: Winter vomiting bug cases up 64%: The number of confirmed cases of the winter vomiting bug, Norovirus, is 64% higher than at this time last year. BBC News

How the seasonal flu jab is made

How the seasonal flu jab is made: How the seasonal flu vaccine is made BBC News

Plan for surgeons' league table

Plan for surgeons' league table: The medical director of the NHS in England, Sir Bruce Keogh, plans to publish performance data for individual surgeons within two years. BBC News

Cameron told to come clean on NHS funds

Cameron told to come clean on NHS funds: Andrew Dilnot has issued a written rebuke to David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt over claims that health spending has risen. Public Service

Zero tolerance - Making ambulance handover delays a thing of the past

Zero tolerance - Making ambulance handover delays a thing of the past: Nobody wants to see ambulances stacked up outside hospitals waiting to hand over patients. NHS Confederation

Free to choose? reform and demand response in the English National Health Service

Free to choose? reform and demand response in the English National Health Service: This paper uses a new model to estimate whether the increased patient choice brought into effect by the NHS reforms will increase demand on hospital services, looking particularly at clinical quality and waiting times for surgical procedures. It found that demand faced by hospitals increased post-reform, giving hospitals potentially large incentives to improve their quality of care. It also found that hospitals responded strongly to the enhanced incentives due to increased demand. Findings suggest that greater choice can enhance quality, leading to significant reductions in mortality and an increase in patient welfare.

• Discussion paper
• CEP - publications

Nurses have not stopped caring | Ellie Mae O'Hagan

Nurses have not stopped caring | Ellie Mae O'Hagan: It's politically expedient to blame substandard NHS care upon cold-hearted staff rather than disastrous health policies
I've always found it strange that when a privatised institution is accused of wrongdoing, the resulting conversation usually frames those involved as bad apples that must be disposed of in order for the institution to carry on as normal. But when the same happens to a public institution, the individuals involved are ignored in favour of ideas about institutional crisis and bad behaviour becoming routine.

What matters most to NHS managers

What matters most to NHS managers:  Healthcare leaders are exhausted and overworked – but they want to do the best for their staff and patients
The annual conference of Managers in Partnership last month included a debate between members about what it means to be a good manager of health and social care and what the role of our union should be in supporting managers.

The NHS will train fewer doctors to avoid future brain drain, report warns

The NHS will train fewer doctors to avoid future brain drain, report warns: Fewer students should be admitted to medical school from next year to avoid a glut of consultants in the NHS that would be a waste of taxpayers' money and risk losing the best doctors to jobs abroad, a report has warned. The Daily Telegraph

New apps bring stroke guideline to palm of your hand

New apps bring stroke guideline to palm of your hand: Patients, carers and health professionals can now access the latest stroke guidelines via a new smartphone app from the Royal College of Physicians’ Intercollegiate Stroke Working Party.

The apps, available for Android and Apple devices, draw from the fourth edition of the National clinical guideline for stroke. Read more

RCN film outlines AfC proposals

RCN film outlines AfC proposals: A new RCN film explains the proposed changes to Agenda for Change (AfC) and outlines the consultation process to RCN members.

Thousands sign ambulance petition

Thousands sign ambulance petition: More than 3,500 people sign a petition opposing plans to cut the number of ambulance stations in Northamptonshire. BBC Northamptonshire

Top nurses launch new drive to build culture of compassionate care across the NHS

Top nurses launch new drive to build culture of compassionate care across the NHS: The nation’s top nurses today launch a new drive to ensure values such as compassion and courage are at the heart of the NHS and the public health and care sectors.
They are publishing a new three-year vision and strategy for nursing, midwifery and care staff that aims to build the culture of compassionate care in all areas of practice.
Called Compassion in Practice, it has been drawn up by Jane Cummings, the Chief Nursing Officer for England (CNO), based with the NHS Commissioning Board, and Viv Bennett, Director of Nursing at the Department of Health.

Ministers rebuked on NHS spending

Ministers rebuked on NHS spending: The statistics watchdog calls on ministers to correct claims that the coalition has increased NHS spending in the past two years. BBC News

More very early babies surviving

More very early babies surviving: More babies who are born prematurely - before 26 weeks gestation - are surviving than ever before, according to a detailed study of births in England. BBC News

NHS could save £2.9bn through 'simple things'

NHS could save £2.9bn through 'simple things': Simple digital innovations have the potential to save the NHS and the wider public sector billions of pounds if contact with the public can be shifted online, a Digital by Default conference was told today. Public Service

Seven day consultant present care

Seven day consultant present care: This report brings together 20 colleges and faculties who have committed to the recommendation that patients in hospital should be reviewed by a consultant at least once every 24 hours, including weekends and bank holidays, unless there are good reasons for them to not to have a daily review. It outlines a series of areas for improvement and highlights that it is unacceptable to not provide consultant-led care at weekends if evidence suggests that this is best for patients. It also calls for the NHS to ensure that appropriate
resources and adequate numbers of consultants are provided to enable consultant-led care to be achieved, seven days a week.

• Report
• AMRC - publications

Implementing a ‘duty of candour’: a new contractual requirement on providers - analysis of consultation responses

Implementing a ‘duty of candour’: a new contractual requirement on providers - analysis of consultation responses: This analysis examines responses to the consultation on proposals to toughen transparency in NHS organisations and increase patient confidence announced by Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter following a public consultation. The government’s proposal was for a contractual requirement, implemented through the NHS Standard Contract, covering NHS acute, ambulance, community and mental health care providers. The contract would require these organisations to be open with patients when things go wrong with their healthcare and give them information about any investigations that have taken place, or any lessons learned.

• Analysis of consultation responses
• Impact assessment
• Equalities assessment
• Department of Health - news

Securing excellence in GP IT services: operating model

Securing excellence in GP IT services: operating model: This document explains how the management of IT systems for GP practices will be organised from April 2013. It enables clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to make decisions to suit particular local requirements, ensuring information and technology supports clinical
commissioning to improve health outcomes for patients. Procurement of GP clinical systems through the GP Systems of Choice (GPSoC) scheme and local service providers, or any national systems, will continue to be
supported nationally.

• Operating model
• Factsheet
• Frequently asked questions
• NHS Commissioning Board - news

Asperger's not in DSM-5 mental health manual

Asperger's not in DSM-5 mental health manual: ‘Asperger's syndrome dropped from psychiatrists' handbook’, is the headline in The Guardian. The news is based on a press release from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) announcing the approval by their Board of Trustees of a revised fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The DSM was first published in 1952 and is often referred to as the 'psychiatrists' bible' in the US.

The NHS's £50bn question - Public Finance

The NHS's £50bn question - Public Finance:

The NHS's £50bn question Public Finance While the government may try to implement certain cuts in services by the back door they are certainly not going to put forward cuts in NHS services as their official policy. That would be electoral suicide. It is bad enough that they already will have ... NHS faces possible £54bn funding gapPulse Poll shows UK wants to pay more tax to help NHSPharmaTimes all 7 news articles »

NHS will have to admit mistakes: minister

NHS will have to admit mistakes: minister: Patients will be told when medical mistakes and blunders put them at risk, under new rules to be introduced to the NHS. The Daily Telegraph

Recruit on compassion, not grades alone, says top nurse

Recruit on compassion, not grades alone, says top nurse: Nurses should be recruited based on their "values and behaviours, as well as technical and academic skills", according to a new 'national strategy' to improve care. The Daily Telegraph

Emergency hospital readmission rates among stroke patients now higher than in 2001/02

Emergency hospital readmission rates among stroke patients now higher than in 2001/02: A bigger proportion of stroke patients were readmitted to hospital as an emergency case in 2010/11 compared to 2001/02, new figures show. Twelve in ev... NHS Information Centre

HPA update on seasonal norovirus activity

HPA update on seasonal norovirus activity: Figures from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show a drop in the number of hospital outbreaks of norovirus from 53 in the two weeks to November 25 2012 down to 40 in the two weeks to the 2 December 2012. The latest weekly report is now published.

The Goldberg Report

The Goldberg Report: The Goldberg Report: Strategy and the New NHS The Good Governance Institute

Improving decision-making in the care and support of older people

Improving decision-making in the care and support of older people: In the next 40 years the proportion of the population in retirement is estimated to rise significantly. This major demographic change makes it imperative to review the position of older people both as receivers and as givers of care and support.Read more The Joseph Rowntree Trust

Clinicians and GPs to discuss Healthier Together plans

Clinicians and GPs to discuss Healthier Together plans: About 100 clinicians from Northamptonshire’s two main hospitals and GP practices will meet on Tuesday 4th December to discuss how health services could change to deliver lasting improvements for local people.

Death rates at Northampton General Hospital improve, says report - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Death rates at Northampton General Hospital improve, says report - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Death rates at Northampton General Hospital improve, says report Northampton Chronicle & Echo “We have a rigorous process of examining all alerts and investigating issues to determine whether clinical care issues are coded correctly within the statistics. This work is linked to continuing hospital improvement programmes. “NGH will continue to ... and more » See our post on the Dr Foster report on the Library Blog

Nurses launch 'compassion drive'

Nurses launch 'compassion drive': More emphasis should be placed on nurses providing compassionate care in hospitals, industry leaders say in a new drive to reassure the public. BBC News

See also:

• AUDIO: Nursing chief: 'Restore compassion': The Chief Nursing Officer For England, Jane Cummings BBC News

New protections if care providers fail

New protections if care providers fail: A tough system of checks on the finances of the largest care companies is proposed to give early warning of problems and to challenge financial models which could be unsustainable or compromise quality. Under these proposals the government would introduce regulation of major care providers and if a provider failed there would be plans to support a well-managed exit.
The plans announced today aim to protect those being cared for should another Southern Cross happen. NHS Networks

E-portal for youth mental health

E-portal for youth mental health: A new e-portal to improve skills and attitudes towards young people's mental health is being funded by the Department of Health. E-Health Insider

MPs call for language testing of European doctors

MPs call for language testing of European doctors:

As revalidation kicks off, Health Committee calls for more stringent European standards Related items from OnMedica Revalidation starts today Nurses must be competent in English – say nurse leaders All foreign doctors to be assessed for language proficiency New NHS staff must meet language skills criteria Consultation launched on checks for foreign doctors’ language skills

People with severe mental health problems 'miss out'

People with severe mental health problems 'miss out':
A paper published in the British Journal of Psychiatry has found that the severely mentally ill are not given the treatment they require for physical illnesses.Researchers from the University of Leicester looked at 61 studies and discovered that mentally ill people had less chance of getting medication for conditions such as high blood pressure.The studies included a wide range of conditions including arthritis... Healthcare Today

'Worryingly high' hospital death rates reported

'Worryingly high' hospital death rates reported: NHS hospitals in England are “full to bursting”, says The Daily Telegraph, while The Guardian highlights concerns over “worryingly high” death rates in some hospitals.

The alarming headlines are based on an annual Dr Foster report on hospital statistics. The independent report looks at areas such as mortality rates, bed occupancy rates, staffing and efficiency, and access to treatment in each hospital.

Why the NHS reforms sow seeds of confusion

Why the NHS reforms sow seeds of confusion: The Health and Social Care Act is Janus legislation that attempts to promote both competition and collaboration at the same time
It starts to seem as if all that malarkey about competition and marketisation of healthcare during the passage of the NHS bill was just a nasty dream.

Health Minister: Dr Foster report shows NHS in good health

Health Minister: Dr Foster report shows NHS in good health: Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter says the NHS copes well with the demand from patients despite a Dr Foster report highlighting how hospitals are "full to bursting". The Daily Telegraph

Care home job advertisements 'encouraging' criminals to apply

Care home job advertisements 'encouraging' criminals to apply: CONVICTED criminals have been encouraged to apply for jobs in care homes looking after frail, elderly people. The Daily Telegraph

Say Aah! Dentists warned not to buy a hand held X-ray machine due to radiation concerns

Say Aah! Dentists warned not to buy a hand held X-ray machine due to radiation concerns:
Dentists have been warned not to buy a hand held X-ray machine which exposes patients to 10 times the recommended dose of radiation. The Independent

Stroke care delay worry at Northampton hospital

Stroke care delay worry at Northampton hospital: Stroke victims taken to Northampton General 
Hospital take six times longer to be seen by a specialist stroke team at evenings and weekends. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Hospitals 'full to bursting', claim health monitors

Hospitals 'full to bursting', claim health monitors: Hospitals are so full that staff are struggling to maintain the safety and quality of patients' care, a new report claims. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS under pressure from lack of joined-up care, says report The Guardian
• NHS accused of wasting billions on unnecessary hospital admissions The Guardian
• Hospitals are 'full to bursting' BBC News

The Dr Foster Guide can be found at: http://drfosterintelligence.co.uk/thought-leadership/hospital-guide/

Mental health medication concern

Mental health medication concern: People with mental health problems miss out on the care they should receive for physical illnesses, researchers say. BBC News

Exclusive: Huge swings in LES income

Exclusive: Huge swings in LES income: GPs across the UK face large swings in local enhanced service (LES) funding this year as commissioners squeeze contracts to hit efficiency targets, GP can reveal. GP Online

Launch of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Launch of the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS): On 1 December 2012, the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) have merged to form a new Non-Departmental Public Body, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). NHS Employers

Achieving savings from high cost drugs

Achieving savings from high cost drugs: This report sets out how commissioners and providers of NHS services
can work together to achieve savings in the use of high cost drugs. It is intended to support delivery of NHS Constitution obligations and the introduction of the compliance regime for NICE Technology Appraisals.

• Report
• Letter
• Department of Health - news

Making connections with the challenges of unscheduled care

Making connections with the challenges of unscheduled care: This publication is the result of work with a number of acute hospital sites to understand the complexity of urgent and emergency care attendances, and admissions. It shares the issues, the outcomes and identifies some tried and tested solutions that can ease the burden of
unscheduled care.

• Report
• NHS Improvement - publications

Should we start preparing for a decade of austerity in the NHS?

Should we start preparing for a decade of austerity in the NHS?: The NHS could have a £50bn funding gap by 2022 if it can't deliver unprecedented productivity, says a Nuffield Trust report

Assaults on NHS staff increase to 163 attacks per day

Assaults on NHS staff increase to 163 attacks per day: Physical attacks against NHS staff increase to 163 per day with fears waiting times and workforce cutbacks are to blame. The Daily Telegraph

'Systemic failures' to blame for poor patient care, say health leaders

'Systemic failures' to blame for poor patient care, say health leaders: Older people are being let down by "systemic failings" in the NHS, leading health figures argue today, in an apparent riposte to a savage attack that the Health Secretary made last week about the "callous" behaviour of some staff. The Daily Telegraph

Hunt concerned over 'pockets of failure' in NHS

Hunt concerned over 'pockets of failure' in NHS: Catastrophic failings that led to the deaths of hundreds of patients at Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust may be occurring in hospitals elsewhere in the UK, the Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, warns today.The Independent

Hospital Implementation of Health Information Technology and Quality of Care: Are They Related?

Hospital Implementation of Health Information Technology and Quality of Care: Are They Related?: This Commonwealth Fund-supported study found that when hospitals implement robust health information technology systems, they improved their performance on key quality-of-care measures. The Commonwealth Fund

Whooping cough cases continue to increase

Whooping cough cases continue to increase: Figures published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) today reveal 1,614 cases of whooping cough were reported in England and Wales in October 2012, bringing the total number of cases so far this year to 7,728*.