Campaigners brand police plan to fit dementia patients with GPS tracking devices to reduce costly call-outs as 'inhumane'

Campaigners brand police plan to fit dementia patients with GPS tracking devices to reduce costly call-outs as 'inhumane': A police force plans to fit dementia patients with GPS tracking devices in a bid to reduce the number of costly call-outs to search for patients who regularly go missing. The Independent

See also:

• Concern over GPS tracking of dementia sufferers The Daily Telegraph
• Tagging dementia patients is putting a 'plaster' over social care problems The Daily Telegraph

Maternity units shamed but not named in first-time study

Maternity units shamed but not named in first-time study:
The best and worst maternity units in England are revealed today with the publication of the first figures comparing their performance. The Independent

See also

• Maternity care varies across England BBC News
• Patterns of Maternity Care in English NHS Hospitals Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

'Countering the biggest risk of all: attempting to govern uncertainty in healthcare management'

GGI launches an important new report for healthcare boards. The Good Governance Institute have just published a report, on using risk management to govern complex organisations such as hospitals and other healthcare bodies.

Health chiefs in bank holiday warning over A&E

Health chiefs in bank holiday warning over A&E: Health chiefs are warning people not to visit the accident and emergency department at Kettering General Hospital during the bank holiday weekend unless they really need to be there. Evening Telegraph

CCG with £17m 'deficit legacy' says allocation could be wrong - Health Service Journal

CCG with £17m 'deficit legacy' says allocation could be wrong - Health Service Journal:

CCG with £17m 'deficit legacy' says allocation could be wrong Health Service Journal Nene CCG's April finance board paper state it was expecting to have overspent on its 2012-13 shadow budget by between £16m and £18m at the end of the year, mostly due to unexpectedly high demand for hospital care. The overspend was due to be offset ... Contact the Library is you would like a copy of this article

NHS Launches Online Video Consultations Service Using Saypage Telehealth ... - PR Web (press release)

NHS Launches Online Video Consultations Service Using Saypage Telehealth ... - PR Web (press release):

NHS Launches Online Video Consultations Service Using Saypage Telehealth ... PR Web (press release) Towards the end of 2012, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) identified Saypage as the most suitable provider able to meet the security and quality needs of the NHFT. The Saypage Telehealth Platform provides a solution compatible ...

GPs to vaccinate two-year-olds against flu from September

GPs to vaccinate two-year-olds against flu from September: The government has brought forward plans to begin routine vaccination of children against flu, as it confirmed its shingles, rotavirus and meningitis C programmes. GP Online

See also:

• Improved vaccination programme announced NHS England

Measles epidemic tops 1,000 cases

Measles epidemic tops 1,000 cases: The number of cases in the Swansea measles epidemic tops the 1,000 mark, but about 5,000 youngsters still need vaccinations, health officials say. BBC News

See also:

• MMR catch-up campaign in England NHS Employers

Smoking 'poses bigger risk to women'

Smoking 'poses bigger risk to women': Women may be more vulnerable to smoking-related diseases than men, studies suggest. BBC News

Rapid expansion of GP role 'risks undermining patient care'

Rapid expansion of GP role 'risks undermining patient care': GPs' role is widening significantly and could force a major overhaul of selection criteria and training programmes for the profession, a study has found. GP Online

NHS iPhone app to help troops with mental illnesses

NHS iPhone app to help troops with mental illnesses: An iPhone app that has been developed by a network of NHS trusts is being offered free of charge to members of the armed forces suffering from mental health issues Public Service

Increasing protection for staff who raise concerns in the public interest

Increasing protection for staff who raise concerns in the public interest: This page outlines pending changes under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act which received Royal Assent on 26 April 2013. NHS Employers

The hospital complaints system: a case for urgent treatment?

The hospital complaints system: a case for urgent treatment?: This report highlights systemic problems leading to missed opportunities to learn from mistakes and make NHS hospitals better. A 2012-13 analysis of the main reasons why patients, their families and carers brought their complaint to the ombudsman after their hospital has
failed to deal with it include poor explanations, no acknowledgement of mistakes, inadequate financial remedy and unnecessary delays.

• Report
• Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman - publications

See also:

• Grumbles, gripes & grievances: the role of complaints in transforming public services NESTA

Advocacy: models and effectiveness (IRISS)

Advocacy: models and effectiveness (IRISS): This briefing draws on evidence in relation to advocacy with both
children and adults and on literature from the fields of health and social care.  It outlines the key elements of the most prevalent models of advocacy and identifies good practice, as well as the limitations of advocacy models.  It aims to provide an overview of the evidence base of what works in relation to advocacy provision.

• Briefing
• IRISS - publications

Jeremy Hunt insists health budget is safe

Jeremy Hunt insists health budget is safe: Health secretary claims top-level support against budget raids as ministers submit offers of departmental cuts to Treasury.
Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, is confidently claiming the support of David Cameron and Nick Clegg in his attempts to prevent other government departments raiding his protected budget in the spending review on 26 June.

Sussex Police plan to fit dementia patients with GPS tracking devices to reduce costly call-outs

Sussex Police plan to fit dementia patients with GPS tracking devices to reduce costly call-outs: A police force plans to fit dementia patients with GPS tracking devices in a bid to reduce the number of costly call-outs to search for patients who regularly go missing. The Independent

See also:

• GPS tags for dementia patients The Daily Telegraph
• VIDEO: GPS devices for people with dementia BBC News

Stroke survivors and their families left to deal with the emotional impact alone, says report

Stroke survivors and their families left to deal with the emotional impact alone, says report: Stroke survivors and their families feel abandoned by health and social services after being left to deal with the emotional impact of stroke alone, a report reveals today. The Independent

See also:

• Feeling Overwhelmed: The emotional impact of Stroke: The Stroke Association
• Stroke 'emotional support needed' BBC News

In-depth case study: Improving patient flow

Improving patient flow This learning report uses two case studies to illustrate the problems caused by poor flow through and between services by patients, and provides practical examples of how focusing on flow can improve quality, use available capacity effectively and save money The Health Foundation

Are accident and emergency attendances increasing?

Are accident and emergency attendances increasing?: Pressures on accident and emergency (A&E) departments hit the headlines last week, with the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition trading statistics across the despatch box at Prime Minister’s Question Time. But what are the facts about A&E attendances?

Shingles jab for people in their 70s

Shingles jab for people in their 70s: People in their 70s across the UK will be routinely vaccinated against shingles from September 2013. BBC News

See also:

• OAPs to get shingles vaccinations in bid to end almost half of cases The Independent

Are we there yet? Models of medical leadership and their effectiveness: an exploratory study. Final report.

Are we there yet? Models of medical leadership and their effectiveness: an exploratory study. Final report.: This

report from the Health Services Management Centre at the University of Birmingham and The King’s Fund, and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), provides a comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the state of medical leadership in NHS trusts today.

• Full report
• Executive summary
• Slideset (by Chris Ham, one of the report authors, summarises the key findings)
• The King's Fund - blogs
• NIHR Service Delivery and Organisation programme - funded projects

A lottery of treatment and care: MS services across the UK

A lottery of treatment and care: MS services across the UK: This report highlights disparities across the UK in access to MS medicines, social care support, employment support and health professionals for people with MS. The findings are based on a survey last year asking people with MS what services they needed and to what extent those needs had been met over the previous 12 months. More than 10,500 adults responded – the largest ever survey of people with MS in the UK.

• Report
• Multiple Sclerosis Society - news

NHS errors 'deliberately hidden'

NHS errors 'deliberately hidden': The NHS has "failed" to hold anyone to account for a large scale financial mismanagement at a local trust, a damning report has concluded. The Daily Telegraph

Every child to get flu vaccine in bid to prevent epidemic

Every child to get flu vaccine in bid to prevent epidemic:
Every child in England and Wales will be vaccinated against flu each year to limit the spread of outbreaks, the Government will announce today. The Independent

New Anonymisation Standard for the publication of health and social care data becomes effective on 30 April 2013

New Anonymisation Standard for the publication of health and social care data becomes effective on 30 April 2013 The last day of April is the first day of a new Anonymisation Standard that applies to all organisations who publish information about publicly-commissioned health and social care activity and outcomes. Health & Social Care Information Centre

Parasite 'resistant to malaria drug'

Parasite 'resistant to malaria drug': New strains of the parasite that causes malaria are developing a resistance to the drug most widely used against the disease. BBC News

MS patients missing out on drugs

MS patients missing out on drugs: Drug treatments designed to help those with multiple sclerosis are being taken by only 40% of people eligible to take them, says an MS charity. BBC News

See also:

• Multiple sclerosis sufferers in ‘wrong’ areas denied drugs The Independent
• Most multiple sclerosis patients in UK 'receiving inadequate care' The Guardian

GPs face £200m funding loss

GPs face £200m funding loss: GP leaders fear more than £200m could be stripped from general practice in England next year under plans to equalise funding across GMS and PMS contracts. GP Online

NHS Hack Day presses for free wi-fi

NHS Hack Day presses for free wi-fi: Two thirds of clinicians believe that having access to wi-fi would improve patient care, the first results of an ongoing nationwide survey on wi-fi in hospitals have suggested. E-Health Insider

Scientists confirm transmission of influenza A H7N9 from birds to people

Scientists confirm transmission of influenza A H7N9 from birds to people:

Virus showing signs of mammal adaptation, raising possibility of person to person infection Related items from OnMedica Experts issue warning over bird flu resurgence Coronavirus can spread between people Controversial avian flu studies can be published UK population took fewest steps to prevent spread of swine flu Climate change may increase flu severity

Caldicott review: information governance in the health and care system

Caldicott review: information governance in the health and care system: Following a request from the Secretary of State for Health, Dame Fiona Caldicott carried out this independent review of information sharing to ensure
that there is an appropriate balance between the protection of patient information and the use and sharing of information to improve patient care.

• Review
• Department of Health - press release

Lack of communication across NHS is "completely shocking", says Health Secretary

Lack of communication across NHS is "completely shocking", says Health Secretary: The lack of communication across the NHS is "completely shocking", the Health Secretary said yesterday as he disclosed that 11 people died last year after being given the wrong medication. The Daily Telegraph

NHS counts £900 million cost of treating EU visitors

NHS counts £900 million cost of treating EU visitors: Britain has paid out more than £900 million to EU countries to cover the costs of ­ British patients who fell ill abroad - and received just £49 million back for NHS treatment of overseas visitors, according to new figures. The Daily Telegraph

Health and schools cash for defence

Health and schools cash for defence: Hundreds of millions of pounds will be taken from the ring-fenced budgets for health and education and used to protect the Armed Forces from a fresh round of spending cuts, under plans being drawn up in Whitehall. The Daily Telegraph

NHS 'ring fence' threatened by plan to help social care

NHS 'ring fence' threatened by plan to help social care:
Ministers are to effectively abandon their pledge to ring-fence NHS spending by diverting more than £1bn to cover the spiralling cost of social care, The Independent can disclose.

The real cancer killer: rip-off prices for drugs

The real cancer killer: rip-off prices for drugs:
An influential group of cancer experts has warned that the high prices charged by pharmaceutical companies for cancer drugs are effectively condemning patients to death. The Independent

KGH nurse suspended after man’s death

KGH nurse suspended after man’s death: A former Kettering General Hospital nurse who failed to summon a doctor when a 97-year-old man’s breathing raised concerns has been given a six-month suspension order. Evening Telegraph

Watchdog reprimands hospital for failure to meet performance targets

Watchdog reprimands hospital for failure to meet performance targets: Kettering General Hospital has been reprimanded by the watchdog for NHS trusts because of its failure to meet performance targets in accident and emergency waiting times and the hospital’s dealing of its finances. Evening Telegraph

Stand-in boss to leave Northampton General Hospital

Stand-in boss to leave Northampton General Hospital: The interim chief executive at NGH will leave the hospital in June. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Special measures after MRSA detected at Northampton General Hospital - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Special measures after MRSA detected at Northampton General Hospital - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Special measures after MRSA detected at Northampton General Hospital Northampton Chronicle & Echo A ward at Northampton General Hospital was put on special measures after MRSA was detected twice in one month. Board papers reveal action was taken on Creaton ward during March after the superbug was found on the skin of one patient in February and ... and more »

Heart surgery review 'cost over £8m'

Heart surgery review 'cost over £8m': A review of specialist heart surgery units for children has cost more than £8m, a Leeds MP has been told. BBC News

Doctors challenge A&E criticisms

Doctors challenge A&E criticisms: Doctors' leaders have said the government is promoting an "overly simplistic and inaccurate" picture of the current pressures facing hospital A&E departments. BBC News

See also:

• AUDIO: Hunt: A&E departments under pressure BBC News
• Trust 'worst for A&E 12-hour waits': BBC News
• A&E pressures are biggest challenge facing NHS, says Hunt The Guardian
• Crisis in A&E as soaring numbers of patients wait on trolleys The Daily Telegraph

Closed windows 'increase infection'

Closed windows 'increase infection': Keeping the windows open on traditional NHS wards can dramatically reduce the risk of infection, say researchers. BBC News

Commissioning: Can other laws protect GPs against section 75?

Commissioning: Can other laws protect GPs against section 75?: GPs fear the impact of competition rules, but might find lower-profile legislation can provide a counterbalance. Neil Roberts investigates GP Online

Privacy watchdogs back biting NHS

Privacy watchdogs back biting NHS: Well-known privacy campaigners have launched a new initiative to try and stop NHS England's GP Extraction Service in its tracks. E-Health Insider

Lords refuse to annul ‘competition’ clause in Health and Social Care Act

Lords refuse to annul ‘competition’ clause in Health and Social Care Act:

Fears of Monitor chasing CCGs over tendering are a ‘paranoid fantasy’ Related items from OnMedica GPs still left unsure over competition rules BMA demands withdrawal of competition rules Keep politics out of competition debate says Farrar DH stresses importance of localism in commissioning Act will force CCGs into expensive tendering See also: Bid to scrap NHS competition rules defeated in Lords vote GP Online

The measurement and monitoring of safety

The measurement and monitoring of safety: This framework highlights the following five dimensions, which the authors believe should be included in any safety and monitoring approach in order to give a comprehensive and rounded picture of an organisation’s safety: past harm; reliability; sensitivity to operations; anticipation and preparedness; integration and learning. The Health Foundation is seeking the thoughts and insights of a wide range of stakeholders – from those with a specialist role in patient safety, those involved in direct care delivery, patients and carers and the public in general. Deadline for responses is 1 July 2013.

• Report
• Summary
• The Health Foundation - publications

Rights, risks and responsibilities in service redesign for vulnerable groups

Rights, risks and responsibilities in service redesign for vulnerable groups: This publication from the RCN looks at the implications of service redesign – the potential loss and fragmentation of specialist knowledge, expertise and staff, and the consequent effect on delivery of high quality services for vulnerable groups such as children, older people and those with learning disabilities or mental health conditions. While aimed primarily at nurses working with vulnerable groups, the core principles identified may be helpful for any member going through a process of service redesign.

• Guidance
• RCN - publications

MMR catch-up campaign targets a million children

MMR catch-up campaign targets a million children: The MMR vaccine should be given to all unvaccinated schoolchildren aged from 10 to 16 as part of a national catch-up campaign, the government has announced.

This MMR vaccination catch-up campaign aims to prevent further measles outbreaks, following recent outbreaks in Wales.

Private data fears 'hindering progress' in NHS

Private data fears 'hindering progress' in NHS: Fears about whether the NHS can keep patients' records safe are preventing doctors and nurses from providing better care, a former health minister has claimed. The Daily Telegraph

Swansea measles case expected to hit 1,000 at weekend as 50 new cases emerge in last two days

Swansea measles case expected to hit 1,000 at weekend as 50 new cases emerge in last two days:
More than 50 new cases of measles have been identified in the last two days in the Swansea area with the total expected to reach 1,000 by the weekend. The Independent

See also:

• Graphic: everything you need to know about the measles outbreak The Daily Telegraph

Measles jab plan targets 1m children

Measles jab plan targets 1m children: One million schoolchildren in England are to be targeted by a measles vaccination plan aimed at curbing the growing threat of outbreaks.  BBC News

See also:

• NHS England urges parents to get their children vaccinated against measles NHS England
• Measles outbreak: In graphics BBC News
• VIDEO: Overcoming MMR vaccine fears BBC News
• Record measles outbreak triggers national jab campaign GP Online
• Measles outbreak: race to give a million children MMR jabs The Independent
• MMR vaccine 'only way to protect your child', says immunisation expert The Daily Telegraph
• The fight against measles The Daily Telegraph

Can we keep up with the demand for urgent and emergency care?

Can we keep up with the demand for urgent and emergency care?: The urgent and emergency care system is under severe pressure. Performance on a number of important indicators, including the four-hour wait and ambulance handover targets, is heading in the wrong direction. Demand is growing and calls for work to be shifted out of hospital look oddly out of line with a system that cannot even constrain, let alone reduce, the rate of increase in many places. Our recent study for NHS South of England raises some questions about the management of urgent and emergency care and identifies some important lessons.

Guidance: Managing Healthcare Fire Safety

Guidance: Managing Healthcare Fire Safety: Updated: This second edition of HTM 05-01updates the previous edition from 2006 and places more emphasis on the importance of training.

This guidance (HTM 05-01) sets out the Department of Health’s policy on fire safety in the NHS in England. It includes best practice guidance on management arrangements for fire safety.

Living a conjoined life

Living a conjoined life: How do two people inhabit one body and live life to the full? BBC News

GPs face funding cuts as PMS reviews continue

GPs face funding cuts as PMS reviews continue: Practices in parts of England could face funding cuts this year under PMS reviews, despite a commitment from NHS England to 'pause' changes ahead of a wider contract overhaul from 2014. GP Online

The Big EPR Debate: the first 100 comments

The Big EPR Debate: the first 100 comments: The NHS is once again being urged to adopt electronic patient records on an unfeasibly tight timescale. E-Health Insider

Frontline first: nursing on red alert

Frontline first: nursing on red alert: This report from the RCN has found that the number of district nurses in England fell by 39 per cent between 2002 and 2012, while preventable emergency admissions rose by 40 per cent over the same period. It identifies areas for improvement in order to avoid a nursing crisis in the future, including boards regularly monitoring up-to-date information on their workforce and greater investment in community and specialist nurses, who manage long-term conditions and reduce consultant appointments and hospital visits

• Report
• RCN - publications

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 and associated secondary legislation and guidance

The Health and Social Care Act 2012 and associated secondary legislation and guidance: This document is a summary of changes to secondary legislation as a consequence of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and is intended to highlight the relevant provisions.

• Summary
• Department of Health - publications

Commissioning health and social care for people with dementia

Commissioning health and social care for people with dementia: NICE has produced a guide for commissioners on dementia, which aims to help improve the commissioning of health and social care support for people with the condition, and for their carers.

How are hospital managers responding to the Francis report?

How are hospital managers responding to the Francis report?: NHS hospital managers have the most urgent need to change their ways, but are they taking the Francis report seriously?

Bird flu strain in China is ‘lethal’

Bird flu strain in China is ‘lethal’:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that a new strain of bird flu that has killed 22 people in China is “one of the most lethal” flu viruses so far, and that it is more easily transmittable from poultry to humans than an earlier strain that has killed hundreds around the world since 2003. The Independent

See also:

• Taiwan reports first bird flu case BBC News

Hospital hotels: patients to be cared for by family members under NHS cost-cutting plans

Hospital hotels: patients to be cared for by family members under NHS cost-cutting plans: Family members could be put in charge of caring for sick relatives in hospital if plans to roll out "patient hotels" get the green light. The Daily Telegraph

GPs blamed for crisis in out-of-hours health care

GPs blamed for crisis in out-of-hours health care: Failure of GPs to provide proper out-of-hours care has forced millions of extra patients to attend hospital A&E departments, where they do not get the medicines, checks or support they need, the Health Secretary will warn. The Daily Telegraph

Thousands of hospital patients may have died needlessly, says inquiry

Thousands of hospital patients may have died needlessly, says inquiry: Almost 3,000 people may have died unnecessarily in just one year at the 14 NHS trusts whose excessive mortality rates were reviewed in the wake of the Mid Staffordshire scandal, it emerged today. The Daily Telegraph

Martin Kemp opens Northampton brain injury unit

Martin Kemp opens Northampton brain injury unit: Popstar and former Eastender Martin Kemp has opened a new brain injury service in Northampton. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Peers to debate NHS 'privatisation'

Peers to debate NHS 'privatisation': The House of Lords is set to vote later on competition within the NHS in England, after Labour accused the government of bringing in "privatisation" at an "alarming pace". BBC News

Struggling hospitals 'lose patients'

Struggling hospitals 'lose patients': Patients are getting lost in UK hospitals because they are constantly being moved from ward to ward amid pressures on A&E units, nurses say. BBC News

See also:

• A&E patients sleeping in cupboards The Daily Telegraph
• A&E patients 'being left on trolleys in corridors' The Guardian

One in five GP practices non-compliant with CQC rules

One in five GP practices non-compliant with CQC rules: One in five GP practices in England are not fully compliant with CQC regulations, the watchdog has revealed. GP Online

Hunt reviews Payment By Results after CCGs call for abolition

Hunt reviews Payment By Results after CCGs call for abolition: Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has promised to review Payment by Results after commissioners called for it to be abolished and complained it rewarded activity rather than outcomes. GP Online

NHS 111 must be scrapped, say hundreds of doctors

NHS 111 must be scrapped, say hundreds of doctors: NHS 111, the government's controversial replacement for NHS Direct, must be permanently withdrawn, demand doctors Public Service

Another CSU collapses

Another CSU collapses: The Surrey and Sussex Commissioning Support Unit will close down and look for options to merge with other organisations. E-Health Insider

Health competition debate must focus on benefit to patients not entrenched political positions

Health competition debate must focus on benefit to patients not entrenched political positions: Mike Farrar, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, says it is crucial that parliamentarians focus on what's right for patients in the debate on Section 75 regulations. NHS Confederation

Quality governance: how does a board know that its organisation is working effectively to improve patient care?

Quality governance: how does a board know that its organisation is working effectively to improve patient care?: This guidance is aimed at members of boards of NHS organisations to enable them to perform their role in improving health services for patients. It is designed for use across all types of NHS providers, including existing and aspirant NHS foundation trusts in the acute, specialist, ambulance, community and mental health sectors. It may also be of use to other staff in NHS bodies, such as senior management, operational, clinical and nursing staff and those working on internal, external and clinical audits.

• Guidance
• Monitor - publications

Who will hold NHS contractors like Serco to account? | Felicity Lawrence

Who will hold NHS contractors like Serco to account? | Felicity Lawrence: MPs have given Serco a roasting for 'lying and cheating', but the company is yet to suffer a penalty.

It's time to talk about mental health

It's time to talk about mental health: One in four people suffer mental health illness, making Norman Lamb's pledge to put this on par with physical health welcome.
In government, as in society, attitudes tend to change gradually, so health minister Norman Lamb's commitment to "prioritising mental health like never before, making sure that it sits on par with physical health" has come as a welcome step change to mental health professionals.

'Explosive growth' of Botox treatments putting public at risk, NHS review warns

'Explosive growth' of Botox treatments putting public at risk, NHS review warns:
Most people who undergo cosmetic procedures have no more protection than someone buying a toothbrush, according to an independent review which has proposed a range of new curbs on the industry. The Independent

See also:

• Calls for crackdown on cosmetic surgery The Daily Telegraph
• Anti-wrinkle treatments are a "crisis waiting to happen", review finds The Daily Telegraph
• Cosmetic surgery crackdown is needed, says NHS medical director The Guardian
• 'Cosmetic crisis' waiting to happen BBC News
• VIDEO: 'I get Botox on my lunch break BBC News

You can find the full Review of Regulations of Cosmetic Interventions and supporting research documents on the Inside Government site. 

Leeds General - a good or bad decision?

Leeds General - a good or bad decision?: Surgery at Leeds General Infirmary was recently suspended because data suggested there were safety problems. Martin Bromiley asks whether this was the right thing to do, and what we can learn from it. The Health Foundation

Is nurse training plan a stupid idea?

Is nurse training plan a stupid idea?: Why plans to shake up nursing training are proving controversial BBC News

Nurses 'warned off' whistle-blowing

Nurses 'warned off' whistle-blowing: Many nurses face bullying and being belittled when they try to whistle-blow, a survey suggests. BBC News

See also

• NHS 'culture of fear' stops nurses raising patient safety concerns The Guardian

Lessons from a decade of NHS commissioning

Lessons from a decade of NHS commissioning: A new NHS Confederation report distils learning from a decade of PCT commissioning for commissioners in the post-April 2013 NHS. NHS Confederation

There’s nothing more urgent than addressing demand for urgent care, argues Sue Harriman

There’s nothing more urgent than addressing demand for urgent care, argues Sue Harriman: The statistics surrounding our urgent care system are well known to us, but are nonetheless shocking. Emergency hospital admissions have increased by 37 per cent in the last 10 years. Nearly two thirds of people admitted to hospital are over 65 years old, and those over 85 account for one quarter of bed days. There … Continue reading » NHS Voices

GMC publishes first guide for patients on what to expect from their doctor

GMC publishes first guide for patients on what to expect from their doctor: A new guide for patients setting out what they should expect from their doctor has been published by the General Medical Council (GMC).

NHS leaders come together to pledge support for staff health and wellbeing

NHS leaders come together to pledge support for staff health and wellbeing:

New NHS chiefs will sign up to concerted action at dedicated summit Related items from OnMedica Several hundred GPs exit joint commercial ventures with Virgin Care BMA warns contract changes will damage care Commissioners and the voluntary sector Threat of prosecution could scupper transparency More than 500 GPs sign petition calling for NHS bill to be shelved

David Cameron hits back after nursing leaders raise major concerns over staffing levels and Government's plan to get trainee nurses working as healthcare assistants

David Cameron hits back after nursing leaders raise major concerns over staffing levels and Government's plan to get trainee nurses working as healthcare assistants: 
Three-quarters of hospital wards in England are operating with unsafe staffing levels at least once a month, a survey of nursing managers says today. The Independent

See also:

• Jeremy Hunt accuses Royal College of Nurses of putting its own interests above patient care as nursing leaders call Government reforms 'a really stupid idea The Independent
• David Cameron defends controversial nursing plans The Daily Telegraph
• Jeremy Hunt: Nursing union has questions to answer over Mid Staffs: The Daily Telegraph
• David Cameron defends nursing reforms – video The Guardian
• Cameron and Hunt hit back at RCN over nurse training reforms The Guardian

Ministers consider 'hospital hotels' for elderly patients to tackle bed-blocking on NHS wards

Ministers consider 'hospital hotels' for elderly patients to tackle bed-blocking on NHS wards:
The Government is considering the idea of “hospital hotels” where elderly patients can recover from illnesses or falls. The Independent

See also:

• 'Hospital hotels' for 30,000 elderly patients The Daily Telegraph
• NHS bosses examining plans to treat patients in 'health hotels' The Guardian

GP idea for hospital A&E department

GP idea for hospital A&E department: A family doctor could be appointed to work in a Northamptonshire accident and emergency department in a bid to free up resources. BBC Northamptonshire

NHS criticised for £500k ambulance fine threat - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS criticised for £500k ambulance fine threat - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS criticised for £500k ambulance fine threat Northampton Chronicle & Echo Papers published by NHS Northamptonshire warned that if the total fines reach £1 million “it will put EMAS in financial difficulty”. Moya McVicar, former chairman of the health group watchdog, LINk, said: “I find the situation crazy that an NHS body ... and more »

Nurses 'drowning in paperwork'

Nurses 'drowning in paperwork': Nurses are "drowning in a sea of paperwork" with more than a sixth of the working week taken up doing non-essential paperwork, a survey suggests. BBC News

See also

• Nursing staff facing paperwork overload The RCN
• NHS Confederation comments on RCN survey on bureaucracy
• Patients denied care as nurses fill in forms The Independent
• Nurses swamped by paperwork The Daily Telegraph
• Too busy for patients... nurses spend FIFTH of their time on paperwork The Daily Mail

Nurses brand reforms as 'stupid'

Nurses brand reforms as 'stupid': Nurses' leaders have branded parts of the government's plans to reform the profession as "stupid", at their annual conference. BBC News

See also:

• Nursing leaders raise major concerns over staffing levels and Government's plan to get trainee nurses working as healthcare assistants The Independent
• Hunt's nurse training plan is really stupid, says union leader The Daily Telegraph
• Nurses spare ministers from annual jeering The Guardian

Labour launching care commission

Labour launching care commission: Labour is to set up an independent commission to look at integrating health and social care, warning the health budget faces a £29bn shortfall by 2020. BBC News

Exclusive: Measles outbreak in London 'inevitable' as practices urged to prepare

Exclusive: Measles outbreak in London 'inevitable' as practices urged to prepare: LMCs have warned GPs in London to prepare for the 'inevitable' arrival of the measles outbreak in the capital and warned it could kill hundreds. GP Online

New guidance on the use of compromise agreements, confidentiality clauses, and the process for making severance payments

New guidance on the use of compromise agreements, confidentiality clauses, and the process for making severance payments: On 19 April 2013, the NHS Employers organisation published new guidance for employers to provide clarity around the use of compromise agreements and confidentiality clauses. NHS Employers

Cancer's hidden price tag: revealing the costs behind the illness

Cancer's hidden price tag: revealing the costs behind the illness: This research was commissioned in order to calculate the financial impacts of cancer, revealing just how hard the costs are hitting patients. It shows that  financial support is not always easy to access or good enough for cancer patients. The benefits system can be complex and difficult to understand. People are not always aware of the financial help available to them, such as free prescriptions.

• Report
• Macmillan - campaigns

The changing national role in health system governance: a case-based study of 11 European countries and Australia

The changing national role in health system governance: a case-based study of 11 European countries and Australia: This study of 12 countries, including England, provides an overview of recent changes in national governments’ role in the governance of health systems, focusing on efforts to reconfigure responsibilities for
health policy, regulation and management; the resultant policy priorities; and the initial impact. The shift in responsibilities shows little uniform direction: a number of countries have centralized certain areas of decision-making or regulation but decentralized others. The study reviews common trends, based on the country cases, and assesses potential future developments.

• Study
• WHO - publications

GlaxoSmithKline accused of paying rivals to delay generic medicine

GlaxoSmithKline accused of paying rivals to delay generic medicine: OFT launches investigation into allegations GSK abused market dominance to keep price of antidepressant drug Seroxat high.
GlaxoSmithKline could face a multimillion-pound fine over allegations it paid other drug companies to slow down production of cheaper versions of its most profitable antidepressant, burdening taxpayers with inflated costs for NHS medicines.

The 8,000 NHS staff on six figure salaries

The 8,000 NHS staff on six figure salaries: Almost 8,000 NHS hospital managers and consultants were paid six-figure salaries last year while nurses were "run ragged" because of dangerously low staffing levels. The Daily Telegraph

More women than men suffer heart disease

More women than men suffer heart disease: 
The stereotype of the overweight, unfit bloke as a heart attack in waiting masks a deadly fact. In fact, more young women suffer from cardiovascular problems than men, heart experts warn. Across the UK, there are 710,000 women, aged 16-44, living with heart disease compared to 570,000 men, according to British Heart Foundation (BHF) research. The Independent

Nurses concerned over staff levels

Nurses concerned over staff levels:
Three-quarters of hospital wards in England are operating with unsafe staffing levels at least once a month, a survey of nursing managers says today. The Independent

See also:

• Mandatory safe staffing levels urgently needed The RCN

Forging Community Partnerships to Improve Health Care: The Experience of Four Medicaid Managed Care Organizations

Forging Community Partnerships to Improve Health Care: The Experience of Four Medicaid Managed Care Organizations: This issue brief explores how four managed care organizations serving vulnerable populations are changing the way care is delivered by investing in a strong community presence. The Commonwealth Fund