Is the quality of care in England getting better? QualityWatch Annual Statement 2013

Is the quality of care in England getting better? QualityWatch Annual Statement 2013 This report, in partnership with the Health Foundation, provides an overview of initial research into the quality of health and social care services in England. The assessment draws on analysis of nearly 150 quality indicators spanning primary care and community services, hospital care, mental health services and social care. These have been evaluated in relation to six domains of care quality: access; safety; effectiveness; person-centred care and experience; capacity; and equity. A longer version of this report will be published later this autumn.

• Summary report
• Nuffield Trust - publications

Government response to the House of Commons Health Select Committee report into urgent and emergency services (second report of session 2013...

Government response to the House of Commons Health Select Committee report into urgent and emergency services (second report of session 2013... The government agrees with many of the Committee’s recommendations. The response outlines how the health system is responding to the pressures on urgent and emergency care by such measures as an additional £500 million for this winter and the next, the forthcoming vulnerable older people’s plan work and NHS England’s review of urgent and emergency care.

• Report
• Department of Health - publications

How one website is helping mental health service users lead active lives

How one website is helping mental health service users lead active lives Connect and Do, delivered in Lambeth, brings people together through shared interests and a desire to meet new people.

Numbers readmitted to hospital after being sent home soars, new figures show

Numbers readmitted to hospital after being sent home soars, new figures show Thousands of elderly people are being discharged from hospital too early and left to fend for themselves, experts have warned, as new figures disclose a 70 per cent rise in readmissions after major surgery in the past decade.The Daily Telegraph

Ministers order independent inquiry into limits on doctors hours

Ministers order independent inquiry into limits on doctors hours Ministers have ordered an independent inquiry into the impact of the European Working Time Directive on the NHS, after fears that restrictions on doctors hours are putting patients at risk.The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Doctors' hours: Jeremy Hunt orders inquiry into 48-hour 'straitjacket' The Guardian

'Serious failures' in death of baby

'Serious failures' in death of baby A four-week-old baby who died was failed by professionals who should have been protecting her, a serious case review finds. BBC News

See also

• Four-week-old Northamptonshire girl who died was neglected report says Northampton Chronilce and Echo

New unit opening for young people with mental health problems

New unit opening for young people with mental health problems A new national unit for young people with mental health problems is to be opened in Northamptonshire. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• NHFT chosen to provide new mental health unit for young people NHFT News

Fighting the stigma of mental illness

Fighting the stigma of mental illness I never felt there was anywhere to go, I did not think doctors could help me. I went on honeymoon with my new wife, we went to the Maldives and it was on the plane that I had my first massive panic attack. I thought I was going to die.” Northamptonshire Telegraph

Doctor apologises to family of man who died after hernia surgery at Northampton hospital

Doctor apologises to family of man who died after hernia surgery at Northampton hospital A doctor has apologised to the family of a 67-year-old man who died after his bowel was accidentally damaged during routine hernia surgery. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Why aren’t care homes higher on the agenda in the health debate?

Why aren’t care homes higher on the agenda in the health debate? Much has been said in recent weeks about the role of the GP. The political mantra seems to be that GPs are not accessible and are not providing continuity of care, and that this causes unnecessary and unscheduled hospital admissions for some of the most vulnerable adults in our society – the elderly.

But why has there been little mention of the quality of services in care homes?

Quality, affordability and scale in healthcare: learning from Narayana

Quality, affordability and scale in healthcare: learning from Narayana Jo Bibby describes what she learnt at a visit to the Narayana Health system in India, one of the world's most economical healthcare providers with a reputation for its ability to reconcile quality, affordability and scale. The Health Foundation

Madagascar bubonic plague warning

Madagascar bubonic plague warning Madagascar faces a bubonic plague epidemic unless it slows the spread of the disease, aid groups warn. BBC News

Statistics on smoking, England - 2013

Statistics on smoking, England - 2013 The report aims to present a broad picture of health issues relating to smoking in England and covers topics such as smoking prevalence, habits, behaviours and attitudes among adults and school children, smoking-related ill health and mortality and smoking-related costs. Health & Social Care Information Centre

NHS England rules out one-size-fits-all GP model

NHS England rules out one-size-fits-all GP model NHS England will not impose a one-size-fits-all model on general practice in response to a wide-ranging consultation on the future of primary care, a senior health service executive has said. GP Online

Peer support networks and dementia advisers: evaluation

Peer support networks and dementia advisers: evaluation This report, commissioned by the Department of Health, provides evidence on the importance of post diagnostic support for people with dementia and their carers, and the role that dementia advisers and peer support networks can provide in this.

• Report
• Summary report
• Department of Health - publications

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation recreate Reservoir Dogs 'ear-cutting' scene to promote flu jabs

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation recreate Reservoir Dogs 'ear-cutting' scene to promote flu jabs Senior medics from Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust dressed up as characters from the film to persuade staff to get vaccinated against the virus. The Daily Mail

You can see the video here: http://youtu.be/_yXNXLa3at4 

See also:

• Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch hospitals create music video for flu campaign NHS Confederation

You can see the video here: http://bit.ly/GHDEh9

Buy services from abroad to cut costs, regulator urges NHS

Buy services from abroad to cut costs, regulator urges NHS Monitor says evidence from other health systems around the world shows patients could be treated at a far lower cost.

Tobacco firms fuelling black market, MPs say

Tobacco firms fuelling black market, MPs say British tobacco companies are fuelling the black market by deliberately over-supplying their products to European countries, MPs have warned. The Daily Telegraph

Scandal-plagued Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust admits death of diabetic patient Gillian Astbury

Scandal-plagued Mid Staffordshire NHS Trust admits death of diabetic patient Gillian Astbury

A scandal-plagued hospital trust has admitted breaching health and safety law over the death of a diabetic in-patient who was not given insulin. The Independent

See also:

• Mid Staffs NHS trust admits breaching law over death of diabetic patient The Guardian

Improving medicine prescribing in care homes

Improving medicine prescribing in care homes Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust are working to develop a medication review process that allows patients in care homes, and their family or carers, to be fully involved in decisions about their medicines. Read more about their project. The Health Foundation

Fight for your rights, patients told

Fight for your rights, patients told NHS and care services patients should be "savvy consumers", a new watchdog body says. BBC News

Euro MPs tighten anti-tobacco laws

Euro MPs tighten anti-tobacco laws The European Parliament votes to tighten tobacco rules to curb smoking among young people, but avoids restricting e-cigarettes. BBC News 

See also:

• What's behind the idea of banning 10-packs of cigarettes? BBC News

AUDIO: GP inspector finds 'shocking' care

AUDIO: GP inspector finds 'shocking' care The new Chief Inspector of GPs for England says he has uncovered "shocking" levels of care in some GP practices. BBC News

Does mental illness make you more likely to kill?

Does mental illness make you more likely to kill? The Sun has run with the front page headline, “1,200 killed by mental health patients,” featuring a story inside entitled “Broken People..Broken System”.

Since publishing its story, the newspaper has been widely criticized for being inaccurate and for stigmatising mentally ill people.

But is there any truth behind the Sun’s headline?

Health on the high street: rethinking the role of community pharmacy

Health on the high street: rethinking the role of community pharmacy The NHS has historically undervalued the role that community pharmacy can play in improving and maintaining the public’s health. This paper discusses how best public health services might be commissioned from community pharmacy within the new system architecture.

• Report
• NHS Confederation - publications

Opening doctors' surgeries at weekends won't solve A&E crisis| Zara Aziz

Opening doctors' surgeries at weekends won't solve A&E crisis| Zara Aziz Extended GP hours will not take the pressure off A&E units when existing out-of-hours care has unable to.

Council cost-cutting on care a threat to human rights of elderly - watchdog

Council cost-cutting on care a threat to human rights of elderly - watchdog Councils are abusing elderly people's human rights by forcing down the price they pay agencies to provide care in their homes, the UK's official equalities watchdog has warned.The Daily Telegraph

'Worried well' just feel worse if they catch cyberchondria

'Worried well' just feel worse if they catch cyberchondria Hypochondria among worried well has reached new levels, psychologists warn, due to growing use of the internet diagnoses. The Daily Telegraph

A&E pressures 'put patients at risk'

A&E pressures 'put patients at risk' Excessive pressure on A&E consultants has the potential to put patients at risk, doctors are warning. BBC News

See also:

• VIDEO: A&E jobs 'unsustainable', say doctors BBC News
• A&E departments face crisis as staff burn out and consultants move abroad The Guardian
• Nine in ten emergency doctors 'working overtime' The Daily Telegraph

E-cigarettes face EU restrictions

E-cigarettes face EU restrictions Electronic cigarettes would become a medicinal product under new proposals from the EU Commission being considered by MEPs. BBC News

New EU law on mobility of health professionals across Europe

New EU law on mobility of health professionals across Europe An EU agreement on the revised text was reached in summer 2013. NHS Confederation

For service reconfiguration read safety reconfiguration, says Dr Darren Kilroy

For service reconfiguration read safety reconfiguration, says Dr Darren Kilroy Healthcare has legion analogies. Aviation and supermarkets are two which come to mind. And, although there are parallels to be drawn and examples to be shared, you can only take the comparisons so far. Patients aren’t passengers; neither can we predict and control clinical demand in the way that one might approach the issue of … Continue reading » NHS Voices

Surgeon creates 'Dr Foster rival'

Surgeon creates 'Dr Foster rival' A surgeon has created an online tool which allows people to view the performance of hospitals measured against five quality domains. E-Health Insider

Walking ‘could save 37,000 lives a year’ report claims

Walking ‘could save 37,000 lives a year’ report claims The benefits of walking have been reported across the UK media. The BBC reports that “walking more 'would save thousands' of lives in the UK”.

These stories have been prompted by the "Walking Works” report (PDF, 3.4MB). It provides an overview of current evidence on physical inactivity, and makes the case for encouraging more people to take up walking as a form of physical activity.

Ending 15 minute care

Ending 15 minute care This research from Leonard Cheshire Disability reveals that the public overwhelming oppose 15-minute care visits, while some local authorities are delivering more than three-quarters of their care in 15 minutes. The research is based on a ComRes poll of of 2,025 British adults and also Freedom of Information requests to find out how local authorities are using 15-minute care visits.

• Report
• Leonard Cheshire Disability - news

Bridging the gap: the financial case for a reasonable rebalancing of health and care resources

Bridging the gap: the financial case for a reasonable rebalancing of health and care resources This report argues that the resourcing of mental health care must increase if the NHS is to improve the nation’s health while meeting its productivity challenge. It says that under-investment in mental health services and a lack of integration with physical health services have created a bottleneck in health care improvement, constrained physical health outcomes and has impaired broader economic performance. Aside from the significant human cost, the financial cost of untreated mental ill health among people treated for physical illness is some £13 billion - almost as much again as the NHS spends on mental health care.

• Report
• Centre for Mental Health - news

Jeremy Hunt retracts cover-up claims against Labour's Andy Burnham

Jeremy Hunt retracts cover-up claims against Labour's Andy Burnham Labour threatened legal action against health secretary for remarks about Care Quality Commission report

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has retreated from accusations that his predecessor Andy Burnham was involved in an NHS cover-up, following a threat of legal action from Labour.

Fifteen-minute care 'appropriate in some circumstances', says care minister

Fifteen-minute care 'appropriate in some circumstances', says care minister Norman Lamb has defended 'flying' visits from carers that can last just 15 minutes, saying that short stays can be 'appropriate' in some circumstances.The Daily Telegraph

Older doctors are six times more likely to ‘pose a risk to patients’

Older doctors are six times more likely to ‘pose a risk to patients’

Doctors over the age of 55 are six times more likely to prompt major concerns about their performance than their younger colleagues, a study by a former chief medical officer has found. The Independent

Ambulance service to feature in Channel 4 documentary

Ambulance service to feature in Channel 4 documentary East Midlands Ambulance Service, which serves the county, is to feature in a Channel 4 documentary series which starts on Monday, October 7. Northamptonshire Telegraph

'Flying' care visits 'disgraceful'

'Flying' care visits 'disgraceful' Short care visits mean disabled people must choose between staying thirsty or using the toilet, a charity warns, amid claims the practice is rising in England. BBC News

See also:

• Make a drink or visit the toilet? 'Flying' 15-minute care visits are a disgrace, says charity The Independent

Burham acts on "cover-up slurs"

Burham acts on "cover-up slurs" Shadow health secretary Andy Burnham will not accept "slurs on his character" from his Conservative counterpart Jeremy Hunt, a Labour spokesman has said. BBC News

See also:

• Labour accused of 'bullying' behaviour after threatening to sue health secretary The Daily Telegraph
• Labour threatens Jeremy Hunt with legal action over NHS cover-up claim The Guardian

Union anger at health pay proposal

Union anger at health pay proposal Unions criticise government moves to halt a 1% pay rise for all NHS staff in England, arguing they deserve to be rewarded for holding the health service together. BBC News

See also:

• Ministers want to stop NHS pay rises Channel 4 News
• Jeremy Hunt on collision course as he says no to NHS pay rises The Guardian

Decision expected on NPfIT exit costs

Decision expected on NPfIT exit costs Trusts are hoping for an announcement soon on whether they or central government will bear the cost of exiting National Programme for IT contracts. E-Health Insider

Walking an hour a day may help cut breast cancer risk

Walking an hour a day may help cut breast cancer risk “Women who walk for an hour a day can cut their chance of breast cancer by 14%,” The Guardian reports. A new study has found that even moderate regular exercise is associated with lower risk of cancer.

This US cancer prevention study involved over 73,000 postmenopausal women who were tracked for 17 years.

Plans for next year’s national tariff are set out

Plans for next year’s national tariff are set out Providers asked to make 4% annual efficiency savings. OnMedica

How to improve the way medical research is applied in frontline care

How to improve the way medical research is applied in frontline care Collaborations for leadership in applied health research aim to encourage staff in the NHS to adopt research-informed practices.

Surge in elderly abuse and neglect claims

Surge in elderly abuse and neglect claims The number of elderly and disabled people and their loved-ones raising the alarm about their treatment has jumped by more than a quarter in a year, according to official figures.The Daily Telegraph

Children who report abuse are often ignored, says NSPCC

Children who report abuse are often ignored, says NSPCC When children tell adults they are being abused, their confidants only take action in just over half of cases, according to a study by the NSPCC. Eight out of 10 abused under-18s tried to tell an adult, according to research based on interviews with 60 young adults. But adults acted in only 58 per cent of cases. The Independent

Number of A&E units missing Government targets trebles

Number of A&E units missing Government targets trebles

The number of A&E units missing targets has trebled in a year, as the Government was accused of presiding over an unprecedented “summer A&E crisis”. The Independent

See also:

• NHS A&E units failing to meet targets triple in a year The Guardian

Unbranded cigarette packaging ‘is a deterrent’ - but the Government has no plans to introduce it

Unbranded cigarette packaging ‘is a deterrent’ - but the Government has no plans to introduce it

The Government has insisted it has no plans to introduce plain cigarette packaging, despite a major new study suggesting that the strategy is likely to deter young smokers. The Independent

See also:

• 80% of teens in favour of standardised cigarette packaging, survey shows The Guardian

Women with severe mental illness face high risk of attack

Women with severe mental illness face high risk of attack Women with severe mental health problems are 10 times more likely to be attacked than the rest of the population, research published today has revealed. The Independent

See also:

• Mentally ill crime victims 'ignored'  BBC News

Health: People need to change their lifestyles

Health: People need to change their lifestyles A ticking time bomb of diseases linked to obesity lays in wait for people unless significant lifestyle changes are made, according to reports about the health profiles of our towns. Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph

Ten more child deaths under review in Northamptonshire

Ten more child deaths under review in Northamptonshire An independent board is looking into the unexpected deaths of 10 children in Northamptonshire, including cases of drowning, homicide and suicide. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• New work to prevent infant deaths Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph

Coroner criticises “unacceptable” delays in care of Northampton grandfather

Coroner criticises “unacceptable” delays in care of Northampton grandfather A coroner has criticised Northampton General Hospital for delays in the care of a grandfather who died while waiting for an operation. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Hospital delay death 'unacceptable' BBC News

Glasgow health board IT system fixed

Glasgow health board IT system fixed Scotland's largest health board says its IT system is working again after a two-day crash saw hundreds of appointments and procedures cancelled. BBC News

See also:

• NHS IT crash cost not fully assessed BBC News
• Microsoft blamed for Scottish NHS IT woes after prolonged outage V3

CQC official cleared over 'cover-up'

CQC official cleared over 'cover-up' One of the officials at England's health regulator accused of a cover-up has been cleared of wrong-doing in an internal inquiry. BBC News

New report on NHS culture

New report on NHS culture This report from Lancester University looked at the prevailing culture and behaviours in the NHS, and makes recommendations for improvements in care. Lancaster University

NHS Direct faces uncertain future

NHS Direct faces uncertain future Ambulance trusts and GP out-of-hours providers will take over NHS 111 services from NHS Direct by the end of November. NHS Direct is now in discussions with government agencies about its future. E-Health Insider

Child protection: improving partnership working between hospitals and local authorities

Child protection: improving partnership working between hospitals and local authorities This report looks at how acute paediatric and local authority statutory child protection services in England work together in cases of suspected child maltreatment. In particular, the study looks at what is viewed locally as good practice in staffing, identifying cases where child maltreatment should be considered, referring cases to social care and information-sharing, and to explore what supports interface arrangements that professionals deem most effective. It focuses on emergency departments and maternity services and their links with local authority social care.

• Report
• SCIE - publications
• SCIE - press release

The 2014/15 National Tariff Payment System: a consultation notice

The 2014/15 National Tariff Payment System: a consultation notice New rules will come into force next year allowing local experiments in ways of paying for NHS-funded services in order to develop innovative new models of care for patients. The national tariff for 2014/15 will encourage providers and commissioners to develop local payment approaches that enable better integration of care so services are less fragmented and easier for patients to access. Monitor is now consulting on the new payment system. The consultation closes on 31st October 2013.

• Consultation
• Monitor - press release

Payment by results dropped for mental health

Payment by results dropped for mental health An article in the Health Service Journal  has revealed that the mandatory rollout of a national payment by results (PBR) tariff for mental health care providers has been dropped.The PBR tariff was designed to cluster patients into 21 categories of various severity of condition ranging from relatively mild depression to psychotic crisis and severe dementia. The idea was that funding would then be attached to the cost of treatment. Healthcare Today

GPs used as 'soft target' for NHS problems

GPs used as 'soft target' for NHS problems Chair of Royal College of GPs hits out at politicians including health secretary Jeremy Hunt for unfairly blaming GPs for NHS failures.

NHS faces unexpected £500m cuts, say hospitals

NHS faces unexpected £500m cuts, say hospitals Hospital trusts say frontline services are threatened by cuts on top of anticipated £1bn fall in funding.

GP services 'face cuts catastrophe'

GP services 'face cuts catastrophe' The GP system in England is facing a "catastrophe" because of cuts in funding that represent a £400m drop in real terms, doctors' leaders warn. BBC News

See also:

• Patients bear the brunt as GPs reveal a shocking £400m "black hole" RCGP
• Doctors accuse coalition of huge cut in spending on surgeries The Guardian

Tight belts are unlikely to give you throat cancer

Tight belts are unlikely to give you throat cancer "Wearing your belt too tight can raise your risk of getting throat cancer…as it increases your chance of suffering acid reflux," is the unnecessarily alarmist headline in The Daily Telegraph.

Could exercise be as effective as medication?

Could exercise be as effective as medication? “Exercise can be as good a medicine as pills for people with conditions such as heart disease,” BBC News reports, while The Times urges doctors “to prescribe exercise rather than drugs”.

Both headlines are prompted by research comparing the relative benefits of exercise and drugs for people who have serious conditions such as heart failure. But while exercise can certainly help prevent many diseases, some of the headlines have overstated the evidence.

Delivering better services for people with long-term conditions

Delivering better services for people with long-term conditions This paper describes a co-ordinated service delivery model – the ‘house of care’ – that aims to deliver proactive, holistic and patient-centred care for people with long-term conditions. It incorporates learning from a number of sites in England that are working to achieve these goals, and makes recommendations on how key stakeholders can work together to improve care for people with long-term conditions.

• Paper
• The King's Fund - blogs
• The King's Fund - publications

See also:

• Change GP contract for long-term care planning, says report GP Online

Care Bill: Carers UK analysis of main provisions for carers

Care Bill: Carers UK analysis of main provisions for carers This policy briefing finds that the Care Bill currently going through Parliament represents the biggest change to social care in the last 60 years by consolidating over 30 pieces of statute and numerous pieces of guidance, regulations and directions. It outlines measures to improve carers’ rights in some areas and finds that new rights to assessment mean that adults caring for adults should find it easier to have their needs for support considered.

• Policy briefing
• Carers UK - publications

Rise in bystander CPR linked to fall in deaths

Rise in bystander CPR linked to fall in deaths Denmark sees tripling of cardiac arrest survival as rate of CPR attempts doubles OnMedica

Who will get the top job at the NHS?

Who will get the top job at the NHS? Tories say the health service is 'safe in their hands', but finding the right person to run it is fraught with difficulty.

The job spec is probably the most daunting in the public sector for years. Wanted: "an inspirational and transformational leader" who is "an incredibly skilled communicator, [and] can operate across a wide and complex set of stakeholders and draw others into our vision".

Tests to predict violent crime by psychopaths are 'useless', according to new report

Tests to predict violent crime by psychopaths are 'useless', according to new report Parole boards may be releasing violent psychopathic criminals from prison too early because tests which try to predict whether they will reoffend are less accurate than flipping a coin, new research has shown.The Daily Telegraph

Ministers wage war on 'antiquated and unfair' NHS pay rise system

Ministers wage war on 'antiquated and unfair' NHS pay rise system Ministers are waging war on an NHS pay system which allowed thousands of doctors to enjoy pay rises of up to nine per cent last year, despite public pledges to constrain spending.The Daily Telegraph

Interim ambulance chief appointed

Interim ambulance chief appointed A new head is appointed to run the East Midlands Ambulance Service after its former boss stepped down. BBC News

Inquest told Northampton General Hospital’s A&E unit had ‘massive capacity shortage’ on day of tragic death

Inquest told Northampton General Hospital’s A&E unit had ‘massive capacity shortage’ on day of tragic death Accident and emergency at Northampton General Hospital had a ‘massive capacity shortage’ when a grandfather who later died was admitted, an inquest has heard. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Inquest to find out how Northampton man died in hospital Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Man died after 13-hour hospital wait BBC News

Creating cultures that put patients first

Creating cultures that put patients first Recently, at a post-Francis conference, I heard a senior non-clinician tell a story about his experiences on an unscheduled ward walkabout at an acute trust. A ward staff nurse was writing intently at the front station while at least two bells were ringing from nearby patient beds. He noticed the nurse was alone and asked if he could help. She refused politely. He asked what she was doing. ‘Care plans,’ she replied. The trust, she believed, regarded care plans as one of the most important aspects of her job.

The return of the D-word

The return of the D-word Signs money worries are here to stay for the NHS BBC News

Health board fails to fix IT problem

Health board fails to fix IT problem Technical staff at Scotland's largest health board fail to resolve a major IT problem which is affecting hundreds of patients. BBC News

New Medicine Service extended

New Medicine Service extended The service provides extra support, advice and guidance through community pharmacies for patients that are newly prescribed a medicine for specific long-term conditions.

The NMS was implemented as a time-limited service commissioned until March 2013 to improve medicine adherence and outcomes for patients. It was previously extended to 30 September 2013.

At the request of NHS England, Department of Health ministers have agreed to make the necessary amendment to the Pharmaceutical Services (Advanced and Enhanced Services) (England) Directions 2013, which are expected to be published in the October drug tariff, to extend the service to 31 December. NHS England

There are many things of which we never speak, says Yvonne Coghill

There are many things of which we never speak, says Yvonne Coghill I recall being appointed programme lead for the National Breaking Through Programme in 2007. I was so enthusiastic about the role and the positive changes I could make for black and minority ethnic (BME) staff, and through them, for patients. I was convinced that I would be able to (almost) singlehandedly help change the culture … Continue reading » NHS Voices

Midlife stress may raise women's dementia risk

Midlife stress may raise women's dementia risk "People who suffer excess stress in middle age are more likely to suffer dementia in later life," The Daily Telegraph reports.

The claim is prompted by a Swedish study that found a link between reported stressful events and dementia in later life.

Summer report for the period 1 April to 31 July 2013

Summer report for the period 1 April to 31 July 2013 This report sets out how trusts have performed in the four months to July 2013. It looks at how NHS trusts have performed against all standards, including A&E performance, 18 week waits and harm-free care, as well as how trusts are doing financially.

• Report 
• NHS Trust Development Authority - news

Good practice in joint health and wellbeing strategies: a self-evaluation tool for health and wellbeing boards

Good practice in joint health and wellbeing strategies: a self-evaluation tool for health and wellbeing boards This practical self-evaluation tool is designed to provide guidance on good practice in planning, developing and delivering joint health and wellbeing strategies, based around key questions to consider and tips on approaches that might be taken.

• Guidance
• NHS Confederation - publications

How to relieve pressure on the NHS

How to relieve pressure on the NHS New model, the house of care, places the patient at the heart of the delivery system and encourages personalised care planning.

NHS regulator to act as 'chief whistleblower' on health

NHS regulator to act as 'chief whistleblower' on health NHS regulator is to be given greater independence to act as "nation's chief health whistleblower," the Health Secretary says.The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Press release: Government strengthens health regulator’s independence Department of Health
• NHS care regulator to be made independent of ministers, says Hunt The Guardian 

Regulator cautions nurse who voiced concerns on Facebook about his hospital

Regulator cautions nurse who voiced concerns on Facebook about his hospital

A nurse who took to Facebook to raise concerns about standards at his hospital has been cautioned by the nursing regulator. The Independent

See also:

• Nurse who used Facebook to blow the whistle about poor care escapes being struck off The Guardian

Thirty per cent of staff on one Northampton General Hospital ward are temps

Thirty per cent of staff on one Northampton General Hospital ward are temps Temporary workers make up almost a third of the staff on one Northampton General Hospital ward, figures show. Hospital board papers revealed that in August, three out of 10 staff on Allebone ward were either bank or agency workers. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Breast cancer 'research gap' warning

Breast cancer 'research gap' warning Ten "critical" gaps in knowledge about how breast cancer spreads and evades therapy must be addressed, say leading experts. BBC News

See also:

• Breast cancer research ‘can save 180,000 lives’ by 2030 - if researchers follow our recommendations - says charity The Independent

Global war on drugs failing - report

Global war on drugs failing - report Illegal drugs are now cheaper and purer than at any time over the last 20 years, suggesting the global "war on drugs" has failed, researchers warn. BBC News

PM promises more flexible GP hours

PM promises more flexible GP hours David Cameron says he wants more patients in England to have the chance to visit a GP outside work hours, with a £50m pilot to run in nine areas. BBC News

See also:

• Press release: Seven day, 8am – 8pm, GP access for hard-working people Department of Health
• Jeremy Hunt pledges £50m for GP Skype sessions and telephone consultations The Independent
• Plan for GP surgeries to open seven days a week The Daily Telegraph

Investment in general practice 2008/9 - 2012/13

Investment in general practice The report draws on information obtained from country level financial monitoring reports from UK health departments and other information from NHS England, NHS Employers and the British Medical Association. Health and Social Care Information Centre

Mental health professionals’ competency tool

Mental health professionals’ competency tool The tool is designed to enable social worker AMHPs to map their continuing professional development targets to the standards of proficiency of the Health and Care Professions Council. The College of Social Work

Info standards site launched

Info standards site launched A new website dedicated to information standards in health and social care has been launched today. E-Health Insider

More data on survival with new skin cancer drug

More data on survival with new skin cancer drug “A cure for skin cancer,” trumpets The Mail on Sunday’s front page, with the announcement of a “historic breakthrough as 'spectacular' drugs bring hope to thousands”.

The Mail’s story was prompted by results discussed at the European Cancer Congress. The news is based on a “pooling” of longer-term data from trials in which people with advanced melanoma (where the cancer has spread to other parts of the body) received the new drug ipilimumab.

General Medical Council to investigate ‘culture of fear’ after doctor suicides

General Medical Council to investigate ‘culture of fear’ after doctor suicides The General Medical Council (GMC) is to re-examine the cases of a number of doctors who committed suicide while being investigated for their fitness to practise. The Independent