E-cigarettes - miracle or menace?

E-cigarettes - miracle or menace?: The growing use of e-cigarettes continues to divide opinion BBC News

Social care cap 'set at £75,000'

Social care cap 'set at £75,000': Elderly people in England will not have to pay more than £75,000 for long-term social care after 2017, the health secretary is set to say on Monday. BBC News

Cancer patients 'struggling alone'

Cancer patients 'struggling alone': Thousands of cancer patients are struggling to manage their treatment and recovery because they get no support from family or friends, a charity says. BBC News

Beef products 'pose no health risk'

Beef products 'pose no health risk': All processed beef products are safe to eat but there is likely to be more unwelcome news of contamination in the ongoing horsemeat scandal, the government says. BBC News

The Francis Report - support for employers

The Francis Report - support for employers: Access our updated web pages for information and resources to support employers with the key workforce implications of the Francis Report. NHS Employers

Unison accept proposals for Agenda for Change

Unison accept proposals for Agenda for Change: Unison have announced that, following their consultations with members about proposed changes to Agenda for Change, they have agreed to accept the changes. NHS Employers

Specialists working in a generalist way is what works best for patients, argues Dr Partha Kar

Specialists working in a generalist way is what works best for patients, argues Dr Partha Kar: The NHS is struggling. Reports are pouring out suggesting that the health service needs more generalists and better trained general practitioners, as the patient coming through the door rarely has one pathology any more. Think of the olden days which had general medicine clinics and general physicians. They ‘specialised’ in having the bigger picture, could join … Continue reading » NHS Voices

The NHS friends and family test: publication guidance

The NHS friends and family test: publication guidance: This guidance is aimed at providers of NHS funded services on calculating and presenting the NHS friends and family test results. It details how scores will be calculated and how national and local publication should be carried out. It aims to support those who are
currently implementing the test.

• Guidance
• Ipsos MORI survey
• Department of Health - news

Job applicants with schizophrenia facing ‘discrimination’

Job applicants with schizophrenia facing ‘discrimination’: Tens of thousands of people with schizophrenia are being denied the chance to work because of “severe discrimination”, a report has found. The Independent

Innovation in Patient-Centered Care: Lessons from a Qualitative Study of Innovative Health Care Organizations in Washington State

Innovation in Patient-Centered Care: Lessons from a Qualitative Study of Innovative Health Care Organizations in Washington State: There are several different approaches to promoting patient-centered care. Little is known, however, about how health care organizations choose their approach and set goals. In this Commonwealth Fund–supported study, researchers interviewed health plan leaders and providers in Washington State, a leader in patient-centered innovation. The Commonwealth Fund

Measles at highest level for 18 years

Measles at highest level for 18 years: There were 2,016 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA) in 2012, which is the highest annual total since 1994.

Kettering General urges people not to come to hospital unless absolutely necessary

Kettering General urges people not to come to hospital unless absolutely necessary: Kettering General Hospital is urging people not to come to the hospital over the next 48 hours unless their condition is an accident, emergency or life threatening. Evening Telegraph

Scheme will guide lost Northamptonshire dementia sufferers back home

Scheme will guide lost Northamptonshire dementia sufferers back home: A scheme is to be launched in Northamptonshire that uses volunteers to return people with dementia home if they get lost. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Healthcare, holidays and how we make choices

Healthcare, holidays and how we make choices: Until levels of health literacy increase and we recognise our need to take an active role in our care, we will fail to capitalise on the greatest asset the NHS has - the people using its services, writes Jo Bibby. The Health Foundation

Most cancer cases 'referred quickly'

Most cancer cases 'referred quickly': More than 80% of patients with suspected cancer in England are referred by their GP after just one or two consultations, a study has found. BBC News

Where next for the NHS?

Where next for the NHS?: Changing health service culture will not be easy BBC News

VIDEO: MPs criticise disability work tests

VIDEO: MPs criticise disability work tests: The government's workplace capability assessments, designed to get more disabled people back to work, have been heavily criticised by a committee of MPs. BBC News

Threat of prosecution could scupper transparency

Threat of prosecution could scupper transparency:

People less likely to speak out if calls for prosecution are heeded Related items from OnMedica Francis calls for culture of care in NHS National charter launched for NHS to encourage and protect whistle-blowers Doctors' concerns over care are often ignored Increasing nurse numbers ‘is not’ the answer NHS should give patients 'more clout'

Change4Life alcohol campaign

Change4Life alcohol campaign:
The government has launched a new drive to help combat heavy drinking.
The initiative, part of a Change4Life campaign, aims to raise awareness of the health risks associated with drinking regularly over the guidelines.
The key message behind the four-week TV advertising campaign is that drinking over the recommended levels can “sneak up” on people.
It urges people to check their alcohol in... Healthcare Today

Stafford Hospital: Does NHS boss have case to answer? - BBC News

Stafford Hospital: Does NHS boss have case to answer? - BBC News:

BBC News

Stafford Hospital: Does NHS boss have case to answer? BBC News For a man who is so renowned for keeping a tight control on the health service, the past few days have been undoubtedly uncomfortable for NHS chief executive Sir David Nicholson. Campaigners have been calling for his resignation from his £270,000 post ... NHS DEATHS MOUNT BUT BOSS STAYS PUTDaily Star 3000 more 'needless' deaths at NHS trustsExpress.co.uk Anger as NHS chiefs escape action over hospital scandalshropshirestar.com Mirror.co.uk -The Times (subscription) -The Guardian all 50 news articles »

CQC 'can't guarantee' it would spot another Mid Staffs

CQC 'can't guarantee' it would spot another Mid Staffs: The main health regulator "cannot guarantee" it will spot another scandal on the scale of Mid Staffs, its new chairman has admitted. The Daily Telegraph

Nurses who don't care about patients must leave the NHS

Nurses who don't care about patients must leave the NHS: Compassion must be an essential qualification for the profession that is at the heart of the NHS, says Jane Cummings. The Daily Telegraph

Multiple births are on the increase

Multiple births are on the increase: More than 170 sets of triplets and three quads were born to women in the UK last year amid a rise in the number of multiple births, official figures have revealed. The Independent

Corby’s new urgent care centre expands services

Corby’s new urgent care centre expands services: The second phase in the development of the new Corby Urgent Care Centre is now complete with two additional services moving into the premises. Evening Telegraph

Prostitution fears following demise of support group - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Prostitution fears following demise of support group - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Prostitution fears following demise of support group Northampton Chronicle & Echo Despite SWAN widening its scope to include all vulnerable women last year, NHS Northamptonshire Healthcare's £65,000 stopgap funding has run out and the free service will close on February 28. Samantha Benfield said a rise in crime could be the result: ...

The Francis report: key findings

The Francis report: key findings:
The catastrophic failures started at the patients’ bedside but reached up, through the Byzantine hierarchy of the NHS, to heart of Government. The Independent

See also:

• Mid Staffs inquiry calls care failings a 'disaster' NHS Choices
• NHS Commissioning Board promises fundamental change in response to Francis Report NHS Commissioning Board
• Building a culture of compassionate care in the NHS The King's Fund
• The Francis Report: right diagnosis but will the treatment work? The Health Foundation
• VIDEO: Hunt: Finances have overtaken care BBC News
• Mid Staffs inquiry: how a 10-year cover-up was uncovered The Independent
• Medical staff must face criminal charges for failures, says care scandal report The Independent
• Failure at every level has shaken trust in the NHS The Daily Telegraph
• Mid Staffs report: the key figures in the scandal The Daily Telegraph
• NHS culture at Mid Staffs that tolerated low standards and sold patients short The Guardian
• What does the Mid Staffs hospital report mean for the NHS? - video The Guardian
• Francis calls for culture of care in NHS OnMedica
• Indicators and placards E-Health Insider
• NHS needs cultural shift, not shake-up Public Service

You can find the Francis Report here: http://www.midstaffspublicinquiry.com/report

MP Clwyd to advise on NHS complaints

MP Clwyd to advise on NHS complaints: David Cameron asks a Welsh Labour MP - who protested about the care her late husband received in hospital - to look at how NHS hospitals handle complaints. BBC News

NHS ahead of target on efficiency savings

NHS ahead of target on efficiency savings: The NHS is on course to achieve two thirds of its efficiency targets within the first two years, says Sir David Nicholson Public Service

'Councils and NHS must face compulsory data protection audits'

'Councils and NHS must face compulsory data protection audits': Data breaches which have led to serious distress for people and substantial fines could be avoided, says Information Commissioner Public Service

Contraception restrictions could cost NHS billions

Contraception restrictions could cost NHS billions:
A joint report authored by a sexual health charity and the Family Planning Association has warned that restrictions to contraceptive services could cost the health service £125 billion in less than a decade.The report, Unprotected Nation, was written by the FPA and Brook's sexual health charity. It said restricting access to sexual health care could cause over 90,000 more sexually transmitted infection by 20... Healthcare Today

NHS's darkest day: Five more hospitals under investigation for neglect as report blames 'failings at every level' for 1,200 deaths at Stafford Hospital

NHS's darkest day: Five more hospitals under investigation for neglect as report blames 'failings at every level' for 1,200 deaths at Stafford Hospital:
Five hospital trusts with persistently high death rates are facing investigation tonight after a damning report into Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust raised fears that basic clinical failings could be putting patients at risk across the NHS. The Independent

Mid Staffordshire Trust Inquiry Report Published

The final report of the public inquiry into Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (the Francis Report) has now been published:

• Executive Summary
• Volume 1: Analysis of evidence and lessons learned (part 1)
• Volume 2: Analysis of evidence and lessons learned (part 2)
• Volume 3: Present and future, annexes
• Key facts and figures

You can also find more information on the Inquiry's web site.

Managing NHS hospital consultants

Managing NHS hospital consultants: The 2003 contract for hospital consultants delivered many expected benefits, but there is room for improvement in how trusts manage their consultants. National Audit Office

NHS trust tricked in email scam

NHS trust tricked in email scam: A NHS trust in South Yorkshire admits it lost more than £680,000 in an email fraud. BBC News

VIDEO: Stafford nurse describes failings

VIDEO: Stafford nurse describes failings: 'Whistleblower' nurse Helene Donnelly believes Stafford Hospital's major failing was not listening to patient care concerns. BBC News

Would zero tolerance boost patient care?

Would zero tolerance boost patient care?: Hospital managers are given too many incentives to do the wrong thing, says Dr Foster co-founder. Public Service

Important changes to clinical scientist education, training and regulation

Important changes to clinical scientist education, training and regulation: Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) Scientist Training Programme (STP) has standardised pre registration clinical scientist training and education. It is important employers are aware of the subsequent arrangements for statutory regulation. NHS Employers

Introducing Health Education England: our strategic intent

Introducing Health Education England: our strategic intent: This document sets out HEE's purpose and the role that they will play in leading education, training and development across the system to deliver improvements in the quality of care for patients. It also includes high level guidance for workforce planners. HEE are welcoming
views and feedback on this document at HEE.StrategicIntentFeedback@nhs.net

• Consultation document
• HEE - news

Why is racism rife in the NHS?

Why is racism rife in the NHS?: Without immigrant staff, the health service would come to a standstill. So why aren't BME health professionals treated fairly?

Mid Staffs hospital scandal: the essential guide

Mid Staffs hospital scandal: the essential guide: With a new inquiry into the causes of poor care at the hospital being released, the findings may have ramifications for the rest of the NHS. Study the issue in depth and learn all you need to know about what happens next with our essential guide.

GSK to publish clinical trial data for drugs

GSK to publish clinical trial data for drugs:
Britain’s largest pharmaceutical company has stunned the medical world by announcing it would back a campaign to publish all clinical trial results to preserve the safety of medicines. The Independent

Mid Staffordshire Trust care scandal: Report highlighting serious failings due to be published

Mid Staffordshire Trust care scandal: Report highlighting serious failings due to be published:
The campaigner who kick-started exposure of the Mid-Staffordshire health care scandal has called for people to be held to account for its failings as a landmark report on “shocking” care at the hospital trust was due to be published today. The Independent

Air ambulance charity criticised

Air ambulance charity criticised: An air ambulance charity covering Northamptonshire is criticised for both the way it raises its funds and the way it spends them. BBC News

2013/14 NHS Standard Contract published

2013/14 NHS Standard Contract published:
The 2013/14 NHS Standard Contract has been published today by the NHS Commissioning Board.
The contract is for use by commissioners when commissioning healthcare services (other than those commissioned under primary care contracts) and is adaptable for use for a broad range of services and delivery models. It reflects the requirements set out in Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013/14. National variation documents will be issued to vary the existing standard contracts that expire after 31 March 2013.
A range of stakeholder organisations were involved in developing the 2013/14 NHS Standard Contract. This has resulted in a document which enables safe, innovative and transformation commissioning and which supports commissioners and providers in their delivery of the QIPP challenge. Developing this contract together has increased the scope for promoting improvement in outcomes, clinical leadership and the involvement of patients and the public in the commissioning of safe, high quality patient care.
For the first time, the Standard Contract is being issued as an eContract to make contracting and the contract management process easier. The launch of the eContract Portal will start on the 4 February 2013 with access to ‘The Learning Zone’, the area of the eContract portal where commissioners can find information to support them in the creation of their tailored contracts. ‘My eContracts’, the secure commission space where commissioners can generate, store and manage their contracts, will be available on 8 February.
A number of documents designed to support commissioners in the use of the contract are also available, including the final versions of the Technical Guidance and a Guide for Clinical Commissioners.
The responsibility for the preparation and publication of the NHS standard contract has passed from the Department of Health to the NHS Commissioning Board. Previously published NHS Standard Contracts are available from the Department of Health website.

Managers, not politicians, must cure NHS

Managers, not politicians, must cure NHS: Problems with the NHS can only be solved by managers, not through more inspections and legislation, Mike Farrar has warned. Public Service

HPA reports decline in cases of whooping cough after record numbers in 2012

HPA reports decline in cases of whooping cough after record numbers in 2012: Source: Health Protection Agency (HPA)

According to figures published by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), there were 9,741 confirmed cases of whooping cough reported in England and Wales in 2012 - this is almost 10 times higher than the number of cases reported in previous years (1,119 in 2011 and 902 in 2008). The highest number of cases (8,059) were reported in those aged 15 and over.
 
The figures for December 2012 show a decrease in the reported number of cases of whooping cough for the second month running (832 compared with 1,168 in November 2012).  The HPA cautions however that it usually sees a reduction in cases of whooping cough at this time of year, so this is in line with normal seasonal patterns.

MHRA launches public health campaign to urge reporting of side-effects through the Yellow Card Scheme

MHRA launches public health campaign to urge reporting of side-effects through the Yellow Card Scheme: Source: MHRA

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched a campaign to highlight the need for the public to report any suspected side effects from medicines through the Yellow Card Scheme. Figures show that reports from members of the public have declined from a high of 3,584 in 2006 to 1,789 in 2012, and that GP reporting has fallen steadily over a nine-year period - from 5,578 in 2003 to 3,511 in 2012.
 
The aims of the campaign are to ensure health professionals recognise the importance of reporting adverse reactions via the Yellow card Scheme and to increase public awareness of the scheme.  Yellow Cards are being distributed to pharmacies and materials to raise awareness among health professionals are being rolled out throughout February. A promotional video to encourage the public to report adverse drug reactions to the MHRA is also being shown in 339 Rowlands pharmacies across the UK..

Tighter rules issued on prescribing:


The General Medical Council (GMC) has issued an update to its guidance concerning the prescription of unlicensed medication.GMC chief executive Niall Dickson said he hoped doctors would find the update "useful" and added: "This new guidance tightens the current rules on prescribing and addresses the challenges doctors face in this complex area." In Good practice in prescribing and... Healthcare Today

NHS trusts should be more open about board performance, says report

NHS trusts should be more open about board performance, says report:

Review concludes that trusts must use annual reports to give a 'much more rounded articulation' of where they are
NHS trusts need to be more open about the performance of their boards and board members, according to a new study.
Few NHS organisations included details on how performance was measured in their annual reports, the review by business and financial advisory firm Grant Thornton found.
When asked how much explanation was given of how the board, committee and directors are evaluated for their performance, 56% of trusts (not including foundation trusts and primary care trusts) said none at all.
Paul Hughes, public sector governance lead at Grant Thornton, said: "More than half are not saying anything about how they are evaluating their own effectiveness. That can't be right. These are public bodies spending public money. There's a duty for them to take more care and ensure proper, good-quality descriptions in their annual reports."
With trusts having to make tough and sometimes unpopular decisions, they should be using the annual report to give explanations and to outline the challenges they are facing, said Hughes.
They need to give a "much more rounded articulation" of where they are and where they are going, he said.
The review surveyed 60 NHS leaders, including chief executives, finance directors and audit committee chairs, and looked at the reports of 100 NHS trusts from 2011-12. It did find that there had been a slight improvement in NHS governance reporting from 2010-11, with foundation trusts making particular progress.
However, Hughes said: "What hasn't necessarily improved is the quality of the disclosure."
The review also revealed concern about the readiness and effectiveness of clinical commissioning group boards, with just 20% of respondents thinking they are fit to launch.
Just over a third of NHS leaders said there was room for improvement in their trust's corporate structures in ensuring clear lines of accountability. And 67% of respondents felt it was the chief executive, rather than the chair, who set the tone of governance.
"Trust and confidence in public bodies is high on the public agenda at the moment and transparent, effective governance is particularly important for the NHS over the next few years," said Bill Upton, head of healthcare at Grant Thornton. "Good governance has an impact on the quality of care given to patients; it inspires confidence that public money is being wisely invested and supports and protects clinicians in their decisions.
Upton adds: "There are positive signs that NHS trusts are strengthening annual reporting, benefiting from non-executive expertise and championing gender diversity. However, there is a real need to prepare for new commissioning models." Guardian

Free pair of NHS ‘Valentine’s Day’ pants for people who get tested for chlamydia

Free pair of NHS ‘Valentine’s Day’ pants for people who get tested for chlamydia:
Young people in Northamptonshire are being offered a free pair of special edition ‘Valentine’s pants’ by the NHS if they have a chlamydia test before February 14. Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Northampton General Hospital praised for sharing information to help cut violent crime

Northampton General Hospital praised for sharing information to help cut violent crime:
Northampton General Hospital has been praised in a national report looking at how health organisations can help reduce violent crime. Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Complaints up on private NHS transport firm

Complaints up on private NHS transport firm:
A private company that won an NHS contract to carry Northamptonshire patients to hospital appointments has seen a rise in complaints. Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Carer suspended while ‘neglect’ investigated

Carer suspended while ‘neglect’ investigated:
A care company in Northampton has suspended an employee after a mentally ill man was left in a car in freezing temperatures. Northampton Chronicle & Echo

MPs call for criminal inquiry into toxic hip implants

MPs call for criminal inquiry into toxic hip implants:
 MPs have called for an inquiry after it emerged that a company sold toxic hip implants used in thousands of operations in Britain despite knowing for at least three years that they were potentially dangerous. Telegraph Health News

Call for universal HPV jab:
A British charity has called for schoolboys to be given the HPV vaccine in an effort to cut cases of throat cancer.
The Throat Cancer Foundation wants the decision to immunise girls – introduced in 2008 to protect against the virus that causes cervical cancer – to be extended to all 12-year-olds as protection against other cancers.
Australia is currently the only country to routinely offer universal...Healthcare Today

Department of Health launches 12 week consultation to establish a full set of NICE quality standards and guidance for social care

Department of Health launches 12 week consultation to establish a full set of NICE quality standards and guidance for social care: Source: Department of Health

The Department of Health is looking for ideas from care users, their families and carers, service commissioners, care providers, and front line staff to help decide on future topics for NICE guidance and standards for social care.
Some of the potential NICE standards for discussion in the consultation include:
. Falls
. Deprivation of liberty safeguards
. Medicines management in home-based settings.
The role of NICE in driving up the quality of social care is outlined in The Caring for our Future White Paper. The 12 week consultation ends on 26 April 2013.
Responses to the consultation can be made online or by downloading a full copy of the NICE consultation document.

GMC issues new prescribing guidance

GMC issues new prescribing guidance:
Good Practice in Prescribing and Managing Medicines and Devices strengthens and broadens the current advice on prescribing medicines to include medical devices and gives key updates on using unlicensed medicines.
While doctors should usually prescribe medicine within the terms on their licence, unlicensed medicines are commonly used in some areas such as paediatrics, psychiatry and palliative care. NHS Networks

Making health services adolescent friendly: developing national quality standards for adolescent friendly health services.

Making health services adolescent friendly: developing national quality standards for adolescent friendly health services.:
This guidebook describes methods to promote accessibility for adolescents to the health services necessary to improve their health and wellbeing (including sexual and reproductive health services). The guidebook provides advice for the development of quality standards of health provision for young people. CASH Full News Feed

NHS patient confidentiality 'at risk' from central database

NHS patient confidentiality 'at risk' from central database:

BMA and privacy groups warn transfer of patients' records without consent could breach rights and damage trust in doctors
The confidentiality of millions of NHS patients will be put at risk by a new central database of medical records, privacy campaigners and doctors' leaders have warned.
The British Medical Association and privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch said the transfer of patients' records without their consent could breach patient confidentiality and damage trust in doctors. The information to be stored on the database includes drinking habits, NHS numbers, illnesses and reasons for treatment.
The files, which will not state the patient's name, can be accessed by researchers to assess the nation's health, analyse demand for services and improve treatment.
The details, referred to by the NHS as "patient identifiable components", will include information including diagnosis of cancer or mental illness, date of birth, postcodes and a patient's date of death.
GPs will be required to send the information as part of Everyone Counts: Planning for Patients 2013/14, a programme designed to extend the availability of patient data across the health service. The central database will be run by the NHS's Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch, said: "We may be witnessing the beginning of the end for patient privacy in the NHS. Forget putting patients in charge of their medical records, this new giant database will put NHS managers in charge of our most confidential information. Not only have the public not been told what is going on, none of us have been asked to give our permission for this to happen.
"To claim a database that includes your NHS number, date of birth and postcode is anonymous is simply not true. The risks of re-identification on a mass scale are very real and do not seem to have been taken into account at all."
A BMA spokesman said that the proposals were too broad: "Sharing patient data to help inform commissioning decisions is an important process that can help to improve NHS services, but it must only be done with strict safeguards in place. Patients must be given the option to opt out of any scheme that seeks to transfer identifiable information about them from their records to another source."
Tim Kelsey, national director for patients and information at the NHS Commissioning Board, said that data sharing was vital for improving the NHS: "This does not put patient confidentiality at any risk. Data quality in the NHS needs to improve: it is no longer acceptable that at a given moment no one can be sure exactly how many patients are currently receiving chemotherapy, for example." Guardian

People with schizophrenia are significantly more likely to die from heart disease and cancer

People with schizophrenia are significantly more likely to die from heart disease and cancer:
Since starting this blog two years ago, I have written about a number of studies that highlight the health inequalities faced by people with severe mental illness. The evidence keeps piling up and it’s really quite shocking that we are not doing more to diagnose and treat physical health problems in people with conditions such [read the full story...] The Mental Elf

Web site of the month: Health Knowledge

Web site of the month: Health Knowledge:

Health Knowledge was created for people working in public health, but contains high quality learning resources that are of use to the wider health care audience.

The site hosts a Public Health Textbook which covers all relevant public health skills and competencies and is free to access (as are all the things on Health Knowledge).

You will also find a number of e-learning resources covering epidemiology, health information and statistical methods. Each comes with a pre-course assessment, learning materials and ends with a final assessment which is graded and can be printed off for recording against CPD.

As well as the e-learning content there is a section of interactive learning material which includes presentations with an audio element and other material such as videos and workbooks that walks users through each subject. Areas covered in this section include:

• Learning from Stakeholders
• Obesity Care pathway Support Package
• Screening

A highlight is the material on critical appraisal called Finding and Appraising the Evidence. These six modules provide a general introduction to critical appraisal before taking you through the process of how to find evidence, and then going on to look at different types of research, such as randomised control trials and finishing with how to make sense of the evidence, which looks at statistics and outcome measures.

Each section also ends with a quiz to test your learning and there are links to further resources. This is an excellent introduction to a complex topic and is highly recommended. NHfT Library Services

Response to consultation on front of pack nutrition labelling

Response to consultation on front of pack nutrition labelling:
The response to a joint consultation held on behalf of health ministers in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on front of pack  nutrition labelling has been published.
UK health ministers wish to move towards a more consistent form of  front of pack nutrition labelling that either shows just the amount of energy (in kilocalories and kilojoules), or shows the amount of energy plus fat, saturates, sugars and salt.
Research shows that having this information consistently on as many food products as possible is the best way to help consumers make better informed, healthier, food choices.
The consultation on front of pack nutrition labelling was held from 14 May to 6 August 2012. The consultation asked 16 questions to help determine how best to achieve more consistent labelling.

• Read the response to the consultation on front of pack nutrition labelling
• Read the written ministerial statement on the response to the consultation

Department of Health

CQC report: Monitoring the Mental Health Act in 2011/12

CQC report: Monitoring the Mental Health Act in 2011/12:

This is the third annual report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on its monitoring of the use of the Mental Health Act 1983, which is the law under which a person with a mental disorder may be detained and treated in hospital against their wishes or treated in their community under a community treatment order.
This report focused on dignity, involvement, care and the recovery of people who are subject to the Act and found that 15% of people receiving care under the Act are not being involved in the decisions made about their care. Care Quality Commission (CQC)

New GMC guidance for investigating assisted suicide complaints

New GMC guidance for investigating assisted suicide complaints:
New guidance on how the General Medical Council (GMC) deals with complaints against doctors who may have helped patients commit suicide has been published today.

South London Healthcare NHS Trust: notice of decision by Secretary of State

South London Healthcare NHS Trust: notice of decision by Secretary of State:
This notice of the Secretary of State's decision in relation to South London Healthcare NHS Trust aims to secure sustainable provision of health services to those patients served by the trust and in the south east London health economy. It states that the trust will be dissolved, with each of its hospitals taken over by a neighbouring hospital trust. These mergers are subject to approval from the relevant regulators. All
3 hospitals within the trust will be required to make the full £74.9 million of efficiencies identified by the Trust Special Administrator.
All vacant or poorly utilised premises will be vacated, and sold where possible. The Department of Health will pay for the excess costs of the PFI buildings and write off accumulated debt so that the new organisations are not saddled with historic debts.  It will also negotiate an appropriate level of transitional funding to cover
implementation.

• Notice
• King's Fund response
• Department of Health - news

Kings Fund Blogs

Thousands of women with advanced ovarian cancer left 'frustrated' after Nice denies them drug: Thousands of women will be denied a drug for ovarian cancer - the first advance in almost 20 years - because it is too expensive, the NHS spending watchdog has said. Telegraph

The medicinal power of literature: Books on prescription to be introduced

The medicinal power of literature: Books on prescription to be introduced:
People consulting their local GP over mental health issues may find they are written a surprising prescription, one redeemed at the local library rather than a pharmacy. Independent

New drug and alcohol service to be launched

New drug and alcohol service to be launched:
A new drug and alcohol service will be launched on Friday (February 1), to be run by health and social care charity CRI. Evening Telegraph

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county Northampton Chronicle & Echo Under the NHS's new 'any qualified provder' (AQP) policy, NHS Northamptonshire has selected parts of podiatry and musculoskeletal services to be the first AQP services. It means patients with particular ailments will be asked by their GP ... Unions ...

Complaint handing in NHS Trusts

Complaint handing in NHS Trusts:
This report shows substantial variations in the way in which hospitals display information about how to make a complaint. It also suggests that support to patients is incomplete and unclear, that 35% of staff cite insufficient training in complaints handling as an issue. Key recommendations from the report include: accessible information on how to make a complaint on trusts' websites, as well as on leaflets and posters throughout NHS hospital ward. Complaints should be regarded as a learning opportunity in order to avoid creating a culture of blame.
CASH News 

Advance decisions to refuse treatment: a guide for health and social care professionals

Advance decisions to refuse treatment: a guide for health and social care professionals:
This guide is designed to help health and social care professionals understand and implement the law relating to advance decisions to refuse treatment (ADRT) contained in the Mental Capacity Act (2005). This
version replaces that published in September 2008 and covers: how to make an advance decision to refuse treatment; who can make an advance decision; when a decision should be reviewed; and how it can changed or
withdrawn.    Report    Kings Fund

E-mental health report

E-mental health report: Source: NHS Confederation

This report evaluates how the mental health sector might make the most of opportunities offered by e-mental health, that is the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to support and improve mental health, including the use of online resources, social media and smartphone applications.
 
The report gives examples of how service users, mental health providers and other organisations are already embracing e-mental health to bring about change.

Epilepsy drug linked to tenfold increase in autism: researchers: Children born to mothers who took an epilepsy drug while pregnant are up to ten times more likely to suffer autism or similar conditions, a study has found. Telegraph

Health and social care could consume half of government spending by 2060

Health and social care could consume half of government spending by 2060:

31 Jan 2013

Health and social care could account for half of all government spending in 50 years' time, according to a new report published today by The King's Fund.
The report, Spending on health and social care over the next 50 years, shows how changes to the population, increases in wealth and medical advances will increase pressures to spend more on health and social care in the future. The ageing population will also be a factor although – contrary to popular perception – this is likely to drive only a small proportion of the increase.
The UK currently spends around 9 per cent of its national income on health and social care, more than twice as much as 50 years ago. This could more than double again to nearly 20 per cent by 2061, according to forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility. Based on projections for economic growth and current levels of taxation and government expenditure, the report estimates that this would translate to around 50 per cent of public spending.
The King's Fund will look at these issues in more detail in the months ahead as part of its Time to Think Differently programme which aims to stimulate debate about how to address the future challenges facing health and social care.

• Read the full report: Spending on health and social care over the next 50 years: why think long term?
• Find out more about our Time to Think Differently programme

New manual published for Expert Patients Programme tutors

New manual published for Expert Patients Programme tutors:
A new version of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Course (CDSMC) Tutor Manual has been published. It replaces the current manual, which will be withdrawn in October 2013.
This affects organisations that deliver or commission Expert Patients Programme (EPP) self management courses. All lead trainers and tutors will need to have update training.
The Department of Health has an agreement with Stanford University that enables NHS organisations to delivery EPP courses using their own staff/tutors. Non-NHS organisations delivering courses need to have their own licence.
Commissioners should make sure that organisations delivering self management courses are licensed and tutors are appropriately trained.
Find out more about the updated manual and training dates. Department of Health

Northampton General and Kettering General could merge

Northampton General and Kettering General could merge: Health bosses have revealed they are discussing a possible merger between NGH and KGH into a single trust. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• County’s two hospitals could consider merging Evening Telegraph
• NGH and Kettering General to explore partnership working Northampton General Hospital Statement

Northampton General Hospital chief executive resigns

Northampton General Hospital chief executive resigns: Northampton General Hospital has confirmed its chief executive has resigned, just hours after news emerged of talks between NGH and KGH over a possible merger. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Dr Gerry McSorley announces decision to leave post as CEO Northampton General Hospital Statement

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county: Some NHS back, neck and foot patients in Northamptonshire will have the choice of free private care instead from this week. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Model agreement for collaborative commissioning

Model agreement for collaborative commissioning: Following that the NHS Commissioning Board shared a draft model agreement for collaborative commissioning between CCGs, asking for feedback. The final document has now been published. It is editable for your use as the basis for collaborative agreements and contains a number of guidance notes to help you through the process.
An updated data table has also been published which shows the relationship between each CCG and its providers based on acute, maternity and ambulance data.

Antidepressant heart risk confirmed

Antidepressant heart risk confirmed: Some antidepressant drugs known as SSRIs pose a very small but serious heart risk, say researchers. BBC News

You can find the related BMJ article here (requires Athens password).

NHS Employers launches first app

NHS Employers launches first app: Have all the latest NHS workforce news at your fingertips by downloading our new app.

Complaint handling in NHS Trusts

Complaint handling in NHS Trusts: This report outlines the results of an analysis which shows substantial variations in the way in which hospitals display information about how to make a complaint. It also suggests that support to patients is incomplete and unclear, with 35% of staff citing insufficient training in complaints handling as an issue. Key recommendations from the report include:  accessible information on how to make a complaint on Trusts’ websites, as well as on leaflets and posters throughout NHS hospital ward; complaints being regarded as a learning opportunity to avoid creating a culture of blame; and specific provisions for complaint-related staff training and support.

• Report
• The Patient's Association - publications

Mental health patients are being 'detained in all but name'

Mental health patients are being 'detained in all but name': The Care Quality Commission finds mental health patients denied information, and staff inadequately trained.
More people are being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and too many of those detained are subjected to unnecessary restrictions and get too little help to recover, the NHS watchdog reports today.

'We need to change the culture in the NHS'

'We need to change the culture in the NHS': Ahead of next week's Mid Staffs report, three people explain how patient safety and care could be improved.

Quality of care is an issue we all need to face up to

Quality of care is an issue we all need to face up to:  In an open letter to all NHS practitioners, the chief executive of the Foundation Trust Network outlines the challenges the NHS must tackle following the imminent Francis report.

Contraceptive cuts 'will result in 126,000 more abortions by 2020'

Contraceptive cuts 'will result in 126,000 more abortions by 2020': Cuts to contraceptive services will result in 126,000 more abortions between now and 2020, say family planning groups who argue the "short-sighted restrictions" will cost billions in the long run. The Daily Telegraph

Stiff upper lip 'ups cancer risk'

Stiff upper lip 'ups cancer risk': It might have helped the Victorians build an empire, but having a stiff upper lip could be putting Britons in mortal danger from cancer, researchers claim. The Independent

See also:

• British 'stiff upper lip' stopping patients discussing possible cancer symptoms The Daily Telegraph

EMAS make deal with unions to help staff learning

EMAS make deal with unions to help staff learning: Ambulance bosses and unions have signed a joint learning agreement designed to support staff in developing their skills. Evening Telgraph

Departmental Overview: A summary of the NAO's work on the Department of Health 2011-12

Departmental Overview: A summary of the NAO's work on the Department of Health 2011-12: This Departmental Overview is one of 17 we are producing covering our work on each major government department. It summarises our work on the Department of Health during 2011-12. National Audit Office

Mobile app connects GPs with specialist services

Mobile app connects GPs with specialist services: A foundation trust has developed an iPhone app to connect GPs to clinics, consultants and specialist services. GP Online

Report on hospice care in the UK

Report on hospice care in the UK: Current and Future Needs for Hospice Care is part of a series commissioned to give strategic direction to providers of hospice care in the UK for the next 10 to 15 years.
The report presents the current evidence on preferences for place of care and place of death in the UK. It shows that most people would prefer to die at home, but also that there is a substantial proportion who would prefer to die in hospices or palliative care units, particularly among older people. National End of Life Care Programme

Window restrictors alert published

Window restrictors alert published: This alert is regarding window restrictors that may be inadequate in preventing a determined effort to force a window open beyond the 100mm restriction. An incident has occurred in which a patient died following a fall from a second floor hospital window.

• all healthcare organisations should review the guidance on window restrictors contained in Heath Technical Memorandum HTM 55 Windows, NHS Estates, Mar 98 (2nd edition) available at http://www.spaceforhealth.nhs.uk. (Note: This HTM has been archived)
• where problems are identified, a programme to repair or replace damaged restrictors should be put in place.

Read the estates and facilities alert EFA/2013/002 issued on 23 January 2013. Department of Health

Mass cancer mapping centre opens

Mass cancer mapping centre opens: The devastating changes that turn healthy tissue into cancer are to be investigated in the biggest centre of its kind in the NHS. BBC News

VIDEO: Surgeons urge new guidelines on botox

VIDEO: Surgeons urge new guidelines on botox: Only trained doctors, nurses and dentists should provide non-surgical cosmetic treatments such as Botox, according to the Royal College of Surgeons. BBC News

GPSoC delayed

GPSoC delayed: The new national contract for GP clinical systems has been delayed until the end of the year. E-Health Insider

Is Hunt's dream possible?

Is Hunt's dream possible?: Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has just announced he wants the NHS to become the "most digital health service in the world." E-Health Insider

The Newest Edition of Psychiatry?s ?Bible,? the DSM-5, Is Complete - Scientific American

The Newest Edition of Psychiatry?s ?Bible,? the DSM-5, Is Complete - Scientific American:

Scientific American

The Newest Edition of Psychiatry?s ?Bible,? the DSM-5, Is Complete Scientific American For more than 11 years, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has been laboring to revise the current version of its best-selling guidebook, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (see "Psychiatry's Bible Gets an Overhaul ...

How CCGs can commission to support those in poor housing

How CCGs can commission to support those in poor housing: The statutory duty of CCGs to consider integration of health related services may impact the provision of housing.
From 1 April 2013, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts will be abolished and replaced by the NHS commissioning board and about 200 clinical commissioning groups.
What do these reforms mean for registered providers who currently provide or have an interest in providing housing to those with significant care needs or in poor health?

Royal College of Surgeons calls for end to 'casual' cosmetic treatments

Royal College of Surgeons calls for end to 'casual' cosmetic treatments: New guidelines say only fully qualified doctors with surgical training should carry out procedures on medical premises.

Tax sugary drinks to improve health: leading organisations

Tax sugary drinks to improve health: leading organisations: Campaigners are calling for sugary drinks to be taxed, adding up to 20p a litre to their price, in order to improve children's health. The Daily Telegraph