Cardiovascular disease profiles

Cardiovascular disease profiles The profiles highlight important facts about these conditions and include information on the leading risk factors such as smoking and obesity.

Following the recommendations of the cardiovascular disease outcomes strategy to treat coronary heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and stroke as a single family of conditions, the profiles bring together information about each of these. Public Health England

Four hour strike proposed as the start of potential industrial action in the NHS

Four hour strike proposed as the start of potential industrial action in the NHS UNISON have revealed more detail about their ballot process for the proposed industrial action in the NHS over the pay dispute and provided a description of the action they are likely to ask members to take. NHS Employers

Survey reveals more needs to be done on choice for patients

Survey reveals more needs to be done on choice for patients More than half of patients (51 per cent) were aware of their legal right to choose a hospital or clinic for an outpatient appointment, and a similar proportion (53 per cent) referred for an outpatient appointment first had a discussion with their GP about where to receive treatment.

Fewer than two fifths of patients, however, said they were offered a choice of hospital by their GP when being referred for an outpatient appointment.

These are some of the findings of a survey being published today of over 2,700 patients conducted for NHS England and the health regulator Monitor, which looked at the number of patients being offered a choice by their GPs.

Liberia declares Ebola emergency

Liberia declares Ebola emergency Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf declares a state of emergency as the country grapples with an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. BBC News

See also:

• 'Ebola victim' dies in Saudi Arabia BBC News
• VIDEO: Ebola drug 'poses ethics questions' BBC News
• WHO starts emergency talks on Ebola BBC News
• Ebola virus: British experts urge US and WHO to ‘give Africans experimental cure’ The Independent
• Experimental drug given to two US aid workers infected with Ebola virus OnMedica

Daily aspirin 'reduces cancer risk,' study finds

Daily aspirin 'reduces cancer risk,' study finds Taking aspirin every day could cut your risk of developing cancer, report BBC News and The Daily Telegraph among other news outlets, after the publication of a large-scale review of the evidence.

People aged between 50 and 65 who take aspirin every day for 10 years could cut their risk of bowel cancer by 30% and cancers of the throat and stomach by 25%, according to the study published in the Annals of Oncology.

Over 20 years, an aspirin a day would reduce people's risk of heart attacks by 7%, stroke by 9%, and dying prematurely by about 4%.

Aspirin is an antiplatelet, which means it reduces the risk of clots forming in your blood. Platelets may also protect cancer cells in the body, and it has been suggested aspirin's effect on them may hinder this process. However, the exact mechanism is not well understood and more research is needed.

Taking aspirin every day comes with a serious health warning as it can cause serious side effects such as ulcers and bleeding from the stomach, particularly in elderly people.

However, the researchers argue the benefits of taking the drug need to be balanced against the harms.

While the findings of this study show promise, it is not clear whether the methods used in compiling it were systematic, so the results may not be entirely reliable.

Anyone thinking of taking aspirin for prevention should talk to their GP first.

Save Our Surgeries campaigners hand 20,000-name petition to Downing Street

Save Our Surgeries campaigners hand 20,000-name petition to Downing Street GPs, patients and supporters from one of the most deprived parts of England took their grassroots campaign against practice funding cuts to the heart of government today. GP Online

See also:

• Patients in peril due to threat of GP practice closures says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• GPs take campaign to Downing Street BBC News
• It's not safe for you here, GP surgery tells patients The Daily Telegraph
• It's not safe for you here, overwhelmed GP surgery tells patients: Letter sent to 10,000 people tells them they will be turned away unless illness is deemed an emergency... Daily Mail

Junior doctors worry about quality of care and long working hours

Junior doctors worry about quality of care and long working hours Many still afraid to voice concerns and concerned by too little time to care for patients properly. OnMedica

See also:

• Junior doctors 'under pressure' BBC News

Privatisation is ripping the NHS from our hands

Privatisation is ripping the NHS from our hands The notion that competition promotes excellence and market forces breed efficiency is a myth

Last year, a majority of new contracts to provide NHS services went to private companies. Most of these private companies hide behind the NHS logo but siphon off a profit. Collectively, such providers received more than £10bn from the public coffers in 2013. And according to the Financial Times, around £5.8bn of NHS work is currently being advertised to the private sector, a 14% increase on a year earlier.

Clinical commissioning group (CCG) leaders do not consider that privatisation is their main agenda. They do admit, however, that they face difficult decisions regarding the need to tender which, in a nutshell, is a tool for commissioners to facilitate competition. Promoters of the concept of Any Qualified Provider who indulge in marketisation do so under the false belief that this achieves better health outcomes, which flies in the face of both the theory as well as overwhelming evidence that equity, efficiency and equilibrium of the NHS are adversely affected. Continue reading... The Guardian

Rise in care home fees outstrips earnings by 54 per cent

Rise in care home fees outstrips earnings by 54 per cent Figures disclose 'cavernous' gap between care home costs and pensioners' incomes. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Councils raise care funding concerns BBC News

Prostate cancer screening could save 20 per cent of sufferers

Prostate cancer screening could save 20 per cent of sufferers A national screening programme for prostate cancer could eventually save one in five sufferers – but would also lead to over-diagnosis and a huge rise in dangerous side-effects to treatment, a major study has concluded. The Independent

Caring for High-Need, High-Cost Patients: What Makes for a Successful Care Management Program?

Caring for High-Need, High-Cost Patients: What Makes for a Successful Care Management Program? In this study the authors compare the operational approaches of 18 successful complex care management programs in order to offer guidance to providers, payers, and policymakers on best practices for complex care management. The Commonwealth Fund

Aspirin should be taken by all over 50s to cut thousands of cancer deaths: study

Aspirin should be taken by all over 50s to cut thousands of cancer deaths: study

Every middle aged person should take aspirin daily for ten years, experts have said, as a comprehensive study has found it could save 6,000 lives a year by preventing cancer and heart disease. Telegraph

• Daily aspirin 'cuts cancer deaths'  BBC News
• An aspirin a day can keep cancer at bay, study suggests  Independent

Blood app 'can detect diseases'

Blood app 'can detect diseases'

A team has developed an app and small lens add-on that allows blood-cell analysis via your smartphone, which it says can detect diseases such as malaria in seconds. BBC News

Guidance: Adult social care efficiency tool

Guidance: Adult social care efficiency tool

The adult social care efficiency tool identifies similar areas (or ‘statistical neighbours’) for adult social care delivery for older people and working age adults with learning disabilities. These are the two largest groups who receive adult social care. The comparable indicators include spending per head, quality of services and access to services.

The tool provides a basis for comparing spending and outcomes between councils and helps directors of adult social services and local authority financial leads to find new opportunities for improving adult social care efficiency.

It is for use by councils to assess their own performance, and to identify where different approaches in comparable local authorities may provide examples to learn from. It cannot be used to make judgements about the relative performance of councils in delivering adult social care services, nor can it provide answers as to what the ‘correct’ price is for care.

This tool is designed to work best with Excel version 2010 or later. If you need a version optimised for Excel 97-2003 please email panos.zerdevas@dh.gsi.gov.uk Department of Health

Special measures: one year on

Special measures: one year on

This document gives an update on progress made at 11 NHS trusts and foundation trusts that were put into special measures in July 2013. Practical measures that have led to significant changes at some of the trusts include: recruiting extra staff, using better systems to manage the way patients are moved throughout their stay from admission to discharge (known as ‘patient flow’), better managing patients with life threatening conditions and placing renewed emphasis on the quality of care provided. Monitor
Report
Monitor news

Centralised stroke care saves more lives, says study

Centralised stroke care saves more lives, says study

Radical reorganisation of stroke care in London compares favourably with compromise arrangement in Manchester

The centralisation of stroke services in London, which involved the controversial closure of five hospital units, saves nearly 100 lives a year, according to research.

A study published in the British Medical Journal contrasts the radical reorganisation of stroke care which took place in London with a compromise arrangement in Manchester, where there were no unpopular hospital closures. There was also no reduction in mortality. Guardian

Continue reading...

• Super units 'needed for stroke care'  BBC News

Focus on historical sexual abuse ignores today's harsh mental health cuts | Clare Allan

Focus on historical sexual abuse ignores today's harsh mental health cuts | Clare Allan

Survivors of abuse need good mental health services now, otherwise they are simply being failed all over again

There is a sense of national outrage at the seemingly endless stream of revelations concerning thesexual abuse of children by people in the public eye. While such outrage is understandable, I can't help being struck by the simultaneous lack of concern about the cuts to the services and support many survivors of sexual abuse depend on.

Mental health problems are a very common consequence of sexual abuse. An overview of research in this area, conducted by Anne Lazenbatt for the NSPCC suggests that as many as 80% of young adults who have been sexually or physically abused, or both, are found to meet the diagnostic criteria for at least one psychiatric disorder by the time they are 21. By the time they reach their late 20s, they are twice as likely to have attempted suicide as someone who has never been abused. Guardian

Continue reading...

Black men face inequalities in cancer care

Black men face inequalities in cancer care

Report highlights that black men are more likely to get cancer at a younger age and calls for action to improve screening and detection
What 12 Years a Slave tells us about 21st century black mental health

I recently had a PSA test, a blood test that can detect the early signs of prostate cancer. It came back negative and I felt relieved. It led me, however, to discuss with my GP the merits and validity of the test, especially for African and Caribbean men.

The report Hear Me Now launched by David Lammy in parliament earlier this year highlights the issue of prostate cancer and black men. It provides analysis along with case studies and a number of key recommendations for GPs, primary care professionals and commissioners. There is now a growing body of evidence of inequality and disparity between black men and the rest of the population that shows they are more likely to get cancer at a younger age. Guardian

Continue reading...

Supporting NHS providers considering transactions and mergers

Supporting NHS providers considering transactions and mergers

NHS providers considering a merger are urged to contact Monitor early in their planning to ensure proposals work well for patients. These guidance documents will help NHS providers navigate their way through a transaction such as a merger or acquisition. Monitor
Guidance
Monitor news

Could HIV drugs help treat multiple sclerosis?

Could HIV drugs help treat multiple sclerosis?

"Could MS patients be treated with HIV drugs?" ask the Mail Online and The Independent, after a new study discovered people with HIV were almost two-thirds less likely (62%) to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) than those who did not have the virus.
The study was prompted by the case of a patient who had HIV and MS, but stayed clear of any MS symptoms for more than 12 years.
Data from the medical records of about 21,000 people with HIV in the UK was analysed to see how many developed the condition, which affects the brain and spinal cord.
Researchers suggest the HIV infection itself and the antiretroviral drugs used to treat it may protect the body's immune system from developing MS.
Their two theories are:
immunodeficiency caused by HIV may stop the body attacking itself
antiretroviral therapy may suppress other viruses in the body, such as those suggested as being responsible for causing MS
This is a well-conducted study, with a large sample size and very large number of controls. But as it is a cohort study, it can only show an association and cannot prove cause and effect.
The authors acknowledge their findings "should be regarded as speculative rather than definitive".
Overall, this interesting study paves the way for clinical trials to be conducted on the use of antiretroviral medication for people with MS.

The no fault compensation model needs a radical overhaul

The no fault compensation model needs a radical overhaul

The model used for clinical negligence may not deliver the cost savings anticipated by the NHS. Fundamental changes to how costs are calculated will ensure they are effectively shouldered by society. HSJ

Sir Anthony Hooper to undertake GMC whistleblowers review

Sir Anthony Hooper to undertake GMC whistleblowers review

The General Medical Council has commissioned the Right Honourable Sir Anthony Hooper to undertake a review of how it deals with doctors who raise concerns in the public interest. GMC

Say cheese: saturated fat in dairy may protect against diabetes

Say cheese: saturated fat in dairy may protect against diabetes

Scientists at Cambridge University and the Medical Research Council found that saturated fat in cheese, yoghurt and other dairy products may protect against type 2 diabetes.  Telegraph

Bid to get more mothers breastfeeding launched by NHS Northamptonshire

Bid to get more mothers breastfeeding launched by NHS Northamptonshire A campaign to encourage more mums to breastfeed has been launched by NHS Northamptonshire to mark World Breastfeeding Week. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• News: Local NHS goes Baby Friendly Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Update on new 2015 NHS Pension Scheme published

Update on new 2015 NHS Pension Scheme published Read about the new information published relating to the 2015 NHS Pension Scheme. NHS Employers

See also:

• The NHS pension scheme for England & Wales 2015: update on scheme reforms and contribution rates Department of Health

Antibiotics use for colds 'rising'

Antibiotics use for colds 'rising' There has been a 40% rise in the proportion of patients given antibiotics for coughs and colds since the turn of the century, a study suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Significant scope to improve antibiotic prescribing Public Health England
• Trends in antibiotic prescribing in primary care for clinical syndromes subject to national recommendations to reduce antibiotic resistance, UK 1995–2011: analysis of a large database of primary care consultations Hawker et al, Journal of Antimicrobal Chemotherapy (free full text)
• RCGP comment on Public Health England report on antibiotics prescribing Royal College of General Practitioners
• GPs dishing out MORE antibiotics just to treat colds: Number given treatment by doctors rose by 40 per cent between 1999 and 2011  Daily Mail
• More must be done to cut unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, say experts The Guardian
• The figures behind our antibiotics crisis The Daily Telegraph
• New figures reveal soaring use of antibiotics despite warnings The Daily Telegraph

VIDEO: How Sweden cares for its elderly

VIDEO: How Sweden cares for its elderly The system for looking after older people in England is "horribly fragmented", Care Minister Norman Lamb has said during a visit Sweden to see how the elderly are cared for there. BBC News

Nigeria records second Ebola case

Nigeria records second Ebola case Nigeria records its second confirmed Ebola case as new UN figures show that 887 people have died of the virus in West Africa since February. BBC News

See also:

• VIDEO: World Bank launches Ebola fund BBC News
• Ebola outbreak: end of epidemic could be in sight, says scientist The Daily Telegraph
• If Ebola was in the UK we'd cure it, says leading doctor The Daily Telegraph

Video games 'beneficial' for children

Video games 'beneficial' for children Children who play video games for up to an hour a day are more sociable, happy and less hyperactive, The Telegraph and Daily Mail report after the publication of a study on the links between gaming and behaviour.

The study involved around 5,000 young people aged 10 to 15 who were asked to report their use of computer games, as well as complete a questionnaire assessing sociability, life satisfaction, and emotional and behavioural problems.

About 75% of the participants reported playing computer games every day. Compared with adolescents who didn't play computer games, those who played for less than one hour a day reported higher levels of social behaviour and life satisfaction, and lower levels of emotional and behavioural problems. There was no difference between non-players and those who played one to three hours a day.

Meanwhile, adolescents who played more than three hours a day were found to be less social, have lower life satisfaction, and more emotional and behavioural problems than non-players.

But the study has several limitations that the media reports failed to acknowledge. The contribution of game playing in explaining the differences in behaviour between non-players and light or heavy players was tiny – less than 1.5% – suggesting that other factors (including hereditary, environmental and lifestyle factors) are likely to be having a much greater influence.

Also, because the study examined both levels of game playing and behaviour at the same time, even if there is a link between the two, it's not able to tell us the direction of the relationship – whether gaming for less than an hour a day makes adolescents happy and sociable, or whether happy, sociable adolescents are more likely to engage in low levels of play rather than none or more.

Other limitations of this cross-sectional study include only using self-report questionnaires, which may be open to the possibility of inaccuracies and biased reporting.

Pay rise for doctors and nurses blocked

Pay rise for doctors and nurses blocked Danny Alexander, chief secretary to treasury, says there is a 'strong need' for restraint on public sector pay. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Correspondence: Chief Secretary of the Treasury letter to DDRB 31 July 2014 Department of Health
• Government confirms approach to 2015 NHS pay NHS Employers
• NHS pay freeze pouring fuel on fire in GP crisis, warns GPC GP Online

Waiting times in the NHS will get worse, Health Secretary admits

Waiting times in the NHS will get worse, Health Secretary admits Waiting times for NHS operations will get worse, the Health Secretary has admitted, as targets have been missed and £250m is to be pumped in to clear the backlog. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Speech: NHS waiting times: job not done Department of Health
• BMA says NHS 'buckling' under strain OnMedica
• NHS waits: Getting the excuses in early? BBC News
• NHS to target long waits for ops BBC News
• Doctors to be paid to work weekends to clear backlog of operations, it has emerged The Daily Telegraph
• Jeremy Hunt announces drive to eliminate 12-month NHS waiting lists The Guardian

Seven-month wait for pain clinic check in Northamptonshire

Seven-month wait for pain clinic check in Northamptonshire NHS staff who treat patients with muscle and joint disorders have said Northamptonshire GPs are often wrongly referring patients to them. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS takes action to tackle race inequality across the workforce

NHS takes action to tackle race inequality across the workforce The NHS Equality and Diversity Council today announced action to ensure employees from black and ethnic minority (BME) backgrounds have equal access to career opportunities and fair treatment in the workplace.

The move follows recent reports which have highlighted disparities in the number of BME people in senior leadership positions across the NHS, as well as lower levels of wellbeing amongst the BME population. NHS England

See also:

• Inequality rife among black and minority ethnic staff in the NHS The Guardian

Competition review of NHS mergers: a short guide for managers of NHS providers

Competition review of NHS mergers: a short guide for managers of NHS providers This short guide seeks to answer the questions merging providers often ask us about the UK merger review process. It is designed to highlight important aspects of the process of merger review and provide an overview of the substantive test. It is therefore not intended to be comprehensive. Monitor

Phone calls 'do not cut GP pressure'

Phone calls 'do not cut GP pressure' GP consultations by telephone, rather than face-to-face, do not reduce the pressures on busy surgeries, a study shows. BBC News

See also:

• Telephone triage for management of same-day consultation requests in general practice (the ESTEEM trial): a cluster-randomised controlled trial and cost-consequence analysis The Lancet
Primary care telephone triage does not save money or reduce practice workload University of Exeter Medical School
• Telephone appointments ‘no benefit’ to busy GPs, claims study The Independent
• GP phone consultations 50% more likely to need follow up The Daily Telegraph

Sperm bank to meet UK donor demand

Sperm bank to meet UK donor demand A national sperm bank, which can be used by same-sex couples and single women, is to be opened to combat a UK-wide shortage. BBC News

See also:

• NHS to fund sperm bank for lesbians paid for by YOU Daily Mail

BMJ 'right' in statins claims row

BMJ 'right' in statins claims row An investigation backs the British Medical Journal's response after it published two inaccurate articles on the harms of cholesterol-reducing statins. BBC News

See also:

• British Medical Journal 'acted correctly' over statins controversy The Daily Telegraph

Combined Pill may raise breast cancer risk

Combined Pill may raise breast cancer risk "Some contraceptive pills double risk of breast cancer," The Daily Telegraph reports, as a new US study found an increased risk of 50% with use of the combined oral contraceptive pill, commonly called "the pill".

The combined pill contains oestrogen and, as it is known oestrogen can stimulate breast cancer cells to grow, the potential for extra oestrogen to increase the risk of breast cancer has been recognised for some time.

However, any increase in risk needs to be seen in context. The baseline risk of women of a fertile age developing breast cancer is small, so a 50% increase in this risk doesn't amount to a "high" risk.

Also, this risk needs to be measured against the potential benefits of the pill protecting against other types of cancer, such as ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, there are often no easy answers when weighing up the benefits and risk.

What we can say is this was a robust study that included more than 1,000 US women aged 20 to 49 who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and an age-matched control group. The researchers checked if the women used combined oral contraceptive pills in the year before their cancer diagnosis.

Overall use of any combined pill in the past year was associated with a 50% increased risk of developing breast cancer, compared with never using the combined pill or using it more than one year ago. High-strength pills more than doubled risk, but these are no longer prescribed in the UK.

GPs to foot the bill for texts to patients

GPs to foot the bill for texts to patients Practices could be forced to spend thousands of pounds on replacement SMS texting services under DH plans to phase out central funding for services used by NHS bodies. GP Online

Rise in prison suicides linked to mental health problems

Rise in prison suicides linked to mental health problems Suicide and murder rates in prisons rise to highest level in six years. OnMedica

Jeremy Hunt announces drive to eliminate 12-month NHS waiting lists

Jeremy Hunt announces drive to eliminate 12-month NHS waiting lists NHS to get £250m as health secretary says no patient should wait more than a year unless there is strong clinical justification.

No one should have to wait more than a year for NHS treatment in England unless it is clinically necessary, the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, has said.

Hunt announced a £250m drive to eliminate "unacceptable" 12-month waits, with more than 100,000 additional treatments to take place in the NHS over the summer. Continue reading... The Guardian

Nurses need to be fitter, to fight for the future of the NHS | Christina Patterson

Nurses need to be fitter, to fight for the future of the NHS | Christina Patterson Big bodies may hold big hearts, but obese health workers are in no shape to tackle the problems of the health service.

If you go anywhere near the NHS, you cant fail to see it. The woman who marches you over to the scales and carefully records your weight, the man who asks you to roll up your sleeve and tells you to expect a sharp scratch: what they often have in common apart from a desire to help is that theyre pretty damn big.

Sometimes, when Ive been weighed by a nurse who looks twice my size, Ive been tempted to ask whether shes ever been asked to step on a set of scales herself. Sometimes, when Ive been quizzed about my lifestyle and seen letters to my GP saying Im a heavy social drinker Ive wondered whether the person who quizzed me has ever been asked to tot up their weekly tally of chips. I dont know if NHS workers are ever grilled about their lifestyle, but if theyre not theyll soon find out what its like. Theyll find out because their new boss has looked at his staff and decided far too many of them are fat. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS hospital cafés 'are helping to fuel the obesity crisis'

NHS hospital cafés 'are helping to fuel the obesity crisis' NHS chief urges hospitals to act after Telegraph investigation exposes the unhealthy offerings promoted in scores of hospitals. The Daily Telegraph

Independent review urges NHS whistleblowers to speak

Independent review urges NHS whistleblowers to speak Sir Robert Francis, head of the Mid Staffs public inquiry, calls for an end to a culture of 'denial and fear' as he launches first ever independent review of whistleblowing. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Whistleblowing: Ninth Report of Session 2014–15 House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts
• 'I reported my concerns but was just given the brush off' - NHS whistleblowers tell of being ignored and marginalised The Daily Telegraph
• NHS whistleblowers suffer bullying and harassment OnMedica

No rise in numbers in care homes despite surge in elderly population

No rise in numbers in care homes despite surge in elderly population New figures show little change in the number of elderly people living in care homes over the past decade, even though the number of pensioners has soared. The Daily Telegraph

‘Herstory’: the barriers facing women in health and care

‘Herstory’: the barriers facing women in health and care In 1929, Virginia Woolf created a tragic fictional character – Judith Shakespeare, the twin of William Shakespeare. In her essay ‘A room of one's own’, Woolf concluded that even had Judith had the same talent as William, she wouldn’t have been able to succeed as he had. She believed that the treatment of women by society prevented many female writers from achieving their potential.

Fast forward to 2014 and the announcement of the HSJ's ‘Inspirational women in health’ list. Two colleagues from The King’s Fund and I were included in this list, and at least one third of the women named have been coached by, or attended development programmes run by, me or my colleagues. This prompted me to revisit in my head the tale of Judith Shakespeare and to relate it to my 16 years’ experience of working with women in health.

UK to lead the world in the fight against cancer and rare diseases

UK to lead the world in the fight against cancer and rare diseases The UK is set to become the world leader in ground-breaking genetic research into cancer and rare diseases, which will transform how diseases are diagnosed and treated, thanks to£300 million of investment, the Prime Minister announced today (1 August).

The four year project will allow scientists to do pioneering new research to decode 100,000 human genomes – a patient’s personal DNA code. NHS England

See also:

• DNA project 'to make UK world leader' BBC News
• David Cameron hails gene revolution 'that will make chemotherapy obsolete in 20 years' Daily Mail
• End of chemotherapy within 20 years as pioneering DNA project launched The Daily Telegraph
• Genomics are not overhyped: they really can change medicine The Daily Telegraph
• PM: genome project will transform cancer care The Guardian
• English patients set for genetic revolution: Government backs massive new £300m gene sequencing project The Independent

WHO sounds alarm over W Africa Ebola

WHO sounds alarm over W Africa Ebola The World Health Organization and presidents of West African nations affected by the Ebola outbreak are to announce a joint $100m response plan. BBC News

See also:

• Ebola virus threat to the UK is 'very low' NHS Choices
• Ebola risk low in England Public Health England
• Ebola victim heads to US hospital BBC News
• S Leone declares Ebola emergency BBC News
• Ebola outbreak: suspected case at British immigration centre The Daily Telegraph
• GPs warned to 'remain vigilant' for Ebola symptoms GP Online

Evaluating the Care Quality Commission's acute hospital regulatory model: final report

Evaluating the Care Quality Commission's acute hospital regulatory model: final report This report, by researchers from Manchester Business School and The King's Fund, evaluates the first two waves of new style hospital inspections, covering inspections carried out in 18 hospital trusts between September 2013 and April 2014. The authors found that the new approach commands strong credibility, in particular through the use of specialists to inform assessments, and the granular detail of ratings within services rather than at provider level.

• Report
• The King's Fund - blogs

The very public NHS privatisation debate

The very public NHS privatisation debate The debate over the NHS's use of the private sector. BBC News

Telecare "not magic bullet" - WSD study

Telecare "not magic bullet" - WSD study Policy makers have been warned to avoid describing telecare as a "magic bullet" in the latest study to cast serious doubt on the cost effectiveness of remote monitoring and intervention. E-Health Insider

The husky that came back to bite

The husky that came back to bite The architects of the NHS National Programme for IT were fond of boasting that they had negotiated eye-wateringly tough contracts with suppliers that would punish failure and reward success. E-Health Insider

Warning over waistline link to type 2 diabetes

Warning over waistline link to type 2 diabetes “Belly fat clearest sign of type 2 diabetes risk,” The Guardian reports. This comes as Public Health England publishes a report highlighting the links between bulging waistlines, obesity and type 2 diabetes risk.

According to a new report, men whose waist size is over 102cm (40.2 inches) are five times more likely to develop diabetes than those with a smaller waist size. Women with a waist over 88cm (34.7 inches) are three times more likely to develop the condition.

The report says that being overweight or obese is the main avoidable risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

The condition is now a major public health issue, with all types of diabetes projected to rise to 4.6 million – nearly 10% of the adult population – by 2030.

Some people may have the misconception that type 2 diabetes is an inconvenience, like back pain or arthritis, but not especially serious. This is not the case.

Type 2 diabetes can lead to blindness (diabetic retinopathy), heart problems and even reduce blood supply to the limbs, which can lead to the affected limb being amputated. People with type 2 diabetes are 15 times more likely to require an amputation than the population at large.

Can health checks be revived?

Can health checks be revived? The validity of NHS health checks has long been viewed as doubtful, but Public Health England is now determined to revive the scheme. David Millett reports. GP Online

See also:

• The impact of NHS Health Checks on the prevalence of disease in general practices: a controlled study British Journal of General Practice
• Are NHS Health Check MOTs for the over-40s useless? Daily Mail

40 million people now have a summary care record

40 million people now have a summary care record Plans to roll out records to GP out-of-hours services and A&E OnMedica

See also:

• Summary care record hits 40m milestone GP Online

General practice is not the only alternative to hospital care

General practice is not the only alternative to hospital care Community pharmacies and other providers should work together to identify where collaboration can deliver better care.

From a public health perspective, primary care providers, working together with social care, community and voluntary groups, have far greater potential for preventing ill health and improving health and wellbeing, than working apart.The World Health Organisation states that around 80% of deaths from major diseases, such as cancer or heart disease, are attributable to lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, excess alcohol and inappropriate diet, and are often linked to health and social inequalities. Continue reading... The Guardian

Medicines shortages force family doctors to prescribe second-choice alternatives putting patients at risk, GPs warn

Medicines shortages force family doctors to prescribe second-choice alternatives putting patients at risk, GPs warn Medicines shortages are putting patient safety at risk and piling “almost daily” pressures on family doctors to find second-choice alternatives to commonly-prescribed drugs, GPs have warned. The Independent

See also:

• Exclusive: GP anger over drug shortages GP Online
• Patients receiving 'second choice' drugs because of supply shortages The Guardian

An invitation to Quality Improvement

An invitation to Quality Improvement Following a visit to see the Improving Quality Together programme being run in NHS Wales, Adam Roberts blogs about the approach they're taking to instil improvement in the health service there. The Health Foundation

Number of patients with recorded diagnosis of dementia increases by 62 per cent over seven years

Number of patients with recorded diagnosis of dementia increases by 62 per cent over seven years Provisional figures from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) show 344,000 patients had a recorded diagnosis of dementia in 2013-14.

See also:

• Recorded dementia cases rise 62% in seven years GP Online
• England records rise in dementia BBC News
• Dementia diagnosis rises by 60 per cent in 7 years The Independent
• Soaring numbers diagnosed with dementia The Daily Telegraph

Ebola outbreak in West Africa – latest information

Ebola outbreak in West Africa – latest information The Government has today issued latest information on the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. There are no reports of British citizens being infected and there are no cases of the virus in the UK. Department of Health

See also:

• NHS 'can deal with' UK Ebola threat BBC News
• VIDEO: Ebola outbreak 'presents challenges' BBC News
• UK on high alert amid fears of Ebola virus spread OnMedica
• Ebola outbreak 'could reach UK' The Daily Telegraph
• Ebola virus outbreak: the impact so far in 60 seconds The Daily Telegraph
• What is Ebola? The signs, symptoms and source of the deadly virus - and what people should be looking out for The Independent

Engaging in global health: the framework for voluntary engagement in global health by the UK health sector

Engaging in global health: the framework for voluntary engagement in global health by the UK health sector This report provides information and advice to those working in the health sector about the opportunities and benefits of international volunteering. The information is aimed at health employees, employers and health organisations. Department of Health

'E-cigs less harm than cigarettes'

'E-cigs less harm than cigarettes' An analysis of the current evidence available on e-cigarettes suggests they are safer than conventional cigarettes. BBC News

Inspection notice periods could treble

Inspection notice periods could treble Hospitals, GP practices and care homes could see pre-inspection notice periods trebled under a new Care Quality Commission approach. Health Service Journal

Eating more than 5 a day 'brings no extra benefit'

Eating more than 5 a day 'brings no extra benefit' "Eating more than five a day has 'no extra health benefit'," reports The Independent. The paper reports on a review that combined the results of previous research looking at the effect of increasing the amount of fruit and vegetables people eat.

One of the things they specifically wanted to look at was whether there is a dose-dependent effect. The study did find there was a 5% reduction in risk of death on average from any cause for each additional serving of fruit or vegetables a day.

However, a threshold was observed at around five servings a day, after which the risk of death did not reduce further.

This result would appear to contradict a UK study covered by Behind the Headlines in April, which suggested we should be eating seven a day to achieve the maximum benefit.

This earlier study was not included in the new review, so it is unknown what effect its findings may have had on the results.

Many of us struggle to eat at least five a day, let alone seven a day, so the results of both studies reinforce the importance of including lots of fruit and vegetables in our diet.

Viewpoint: NHS profits must remain within the NHS - not go to any qualified provider

Viewpoint: NHS profits must remain within the NHS - not go to any qualified provider Writing exclusively for GPonline.com, RCGP clinical lead on immunisation Dr George Kassianos argues the NHS been heading in the wrong direction for the last two decades.

More than 1 billion generics dispensed in 2013, saving NHS £12 billion

More than 1 billion generics dispensed in 2013, saving NHS £12 billion Patent expiry on large volume brands, such as Lipitor, behind figures, say generics manufacturers. OnMedica

We bean counters need to speak out about NHS cuts

We bean counters need to speak out about NHS cuts Finance staff could make a stand without any direct impact on patient care, so why don't we?

Pen pushers, bean counters, faceless bureaucrats, stuffed shirts, spreadsheet monkeys, grey suits are all terms that I have heard applied to the national health service's finance staff. I am one of the "bean counters" and until recently it was largely a case of sticks and stones for me. We are an easy target for vote-hungry politicians keen to show how they can save a few bob for the public purse. But peer beyond the lazy rhetoric and it is possible to appreciate that, although we might not be the ones caring for patients, we have a crucial part to play in ensuring that a vast organisation faced with rising demand and a finite level of funding uses its resources wisely. It can be the difference between whether some patients get the care they need or not.

The NHS is in the final year of a four-year challenge to save £20bn. This is dressed up as "efficiency savings" and "cost improvement programmes" but in reality it means cuts to services, staff pay freezes and pensions "reform". That's not enough for NHS England, though, which estimates that the NHS needs to find a further £30bn of savings by 2020-21. In the meantime, the government has the cheek to pretend that NHS funding has somehow been ringfenced. Continue reading... The Guardian

Hospitals spending 'extraordinary' amounts of money on locum staff, says report

Hospitals spending 'extraordinary' amounts of money on locum staff, says report NHS hospitals are spending “extraordinary” amounts of public money on temporary staff, health experts have said, after an investigation revealed that rates of almost £150 per hour were paid for locum nurses to work over the May bank holiday. The Independent

See also:

• NHS hospital paid £1800 a day for a nurse Sky News
• Nurses paid rates of £150 an hour to work bank holidays The Daily Telegraph

Sharp cuts leave NHS mental health services unable to cope, GPs say

Sharp cuts leave NHS mental health services unable to cope, GPs say Family doctors have warned of the deteriorating state of mental healthcare in England, after a survey revealed that one in five had seen a patient come to harm because they could not get specialist help. The Independent

See also:

• One in five GPs report patient harm from lack of mental health services Pulse

Complying with Monitor’s integrated care requirements

Complying with Monitor’s integrated care requirements This document assists providers and commissioners of healthcare services, and health and wellbeing boards to comply with their integrated care obligations. It also explains the relationship between these obligations and the other rules that Monitor enforces. Monitor

Ebola virus 'threatens' UK - Hammond

Ebola virus 'threatens' UK - Hammond The Ebola virus, which has killed more than 670 people in West Africa, is a "threat" to the UK, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond warns. BBC News

See also:

• Risk assessment of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa Public Health England
• Risk assessment: Human infections with Zaire Ebola virus in West Africa World Health Organisation
• Saving lives on the Ebola front line BBC News
• Is Ebola, the world's deadliest disease on its way to Britain? Daily Mail
• Is Ebola coming to Britain? UK health officials issue warning to doctors as outbreak fears grow The Independent
• Ebola outbreak: deadly foreign diseases are 'potential major threat' says Chief Scientist The Daily Telegraph

Hunt warned over A&E wait statistics

Hunt warned over A&E wait statistics Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is warned by the statistics watchdog over claims about A&E waiting times in England. BBC News

Running 7 minutes a day 'halves heart death risk'

Running 7 minutes a day 'halves heart death risk' "Running for just a few minutes each day can reduce the risk of dying from heart disease," The Guardian reports.

Ultimately, you can't outrun the Grim Reaper. But this news accurately reflects the results of a large long-term US study on health outcomes.

And unlike yesterday's superficially similar brief exercise story, this study seems to have legs.

The research reported on today found people who ran had a reduced risk of death from heart disease, as well as death from any cause, compared with non-runners.

Interestingly, a protective effect was seen regardless of running time, amount, duration, frequency or speed. People who ran just a modest amount – less than 51 minutes a week – also had a reduction in risk.

This equates to roughly seven minutes a day, although it should be noted this study did not specifically look at the effect of seven minutes of running a day.

These "modest" runners were found to have a 55% reduction in cardiovascular-associated death risk and a 30% reduction in any type of death compared with non-runners.

Mental Health Minimum Data Set (MHMDS) includes currencies and payment information for the first time

Mental Health Minimum Data Set (MHMDS) includes currencies and payment information for the first time Information about patients eligible to be cared for under a new commissioning system for mental health has been released for the first time. Health & Social Care Information Centre

Call to make primary care and A&E co-location easier

Call to make primary care and A&E co-location easier Leaders seek changes to allow better primary/secondary care coordination. OnMedica

Doctors and nurses told to slim down for sake of patients

Doctors and nurses told to slim down for sake of patients NHS England staff would be expected to set healthy example under plans being considered by chief executive.

Overweight doctors and nurses would be told to slim down to set a good example to patients under plans being considered by the NHS.

Burgers and chips in hospital canteens would be swapped for healthier options and staff would take part in weight loss competitions, the NHS England chief executive, Simon Stevens, told the Sun. Continue reading. The Guardian

Telephone triage is helping to ease pressure on ambulance services

Telephone triage is helping to ease pressure on ambulance services About a quarter of people who dial 999 will now be given the 'hear and treat' service, rather than sent an ambulance.

From the headlines that followed publication of the National Ambulance Survey results this month, you might have thought the service was in serious danger. Critics were quick to criticise ambulance trusts for the growing number of people who only receive triage and treatment over the phone. Headlines claimed many people do not receive an ambulance when they dial 999. What the headlines failed to mention, however, were the actual survey results.

Results demonstrate that telephone triage and advice is working for patients, and this is a cause for celebration rather than concern. Continue reading... The Guardian

New NHS redundancy merry-go-round looms

New NHS redundancy merry-go-round looms NHS England is to axe hundreds of jobs of managers who were only recruited last year, raising fears that taxpayers will pay out twice in redundancy payments. The Daily Telegraph

Care home residents 'at burns risk'

Care home residents 'at burns risk' Care home residents were placed at "significant risk of scalding" and of having a bathroom door fall on them, inspectors find. BBC Northamptonshire

See also:

• Foxhill Manor Nursing Home Inspection Report Care Quality Commission 
• Northamptonshire nursing home’s baths ‘were scalding’ Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Death of a woman at Northampton General Hospital could have been avoided if more checks were made

Death of a woman at Northampton General Hospital could have been avoided if more checks were made The death of a woman in hospital could have been avoided if “more timely and appropriate treatment was given,” an inquest was told. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Visitor & Migrant NHS Cost Recovery Programme: Implementation Plan 2014–16

Visitor & Migrant NHS Cost Recovery Programme: Implementation Plan 2014–16 Sets out timelines for the NHS to improve systems that recover the cost of healthcare for migrants and visitors who use the NHS. Department of Health

Pause NHS privatisation - Labour

Pause NHS privatisation - Labour NHS privatisation is "being forced through at pace and scale", and should be halted until the general election, says Labour's shadow health secretary. BBC News

See also:

• Improving the NHS: response to Unite’s campaign Department of Health 
• Stop NHS privatisation until after the election, says shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham The Independent
Independent sector is integral part of modern health service NHS Confederation
• Department of Health denies NHS 'privatisation' claims Pulse

'Poor care for hepatitis C virus'

'Poor care for hepatitis C virus' Most people with chronic hepatitis C are not getting treatment which could help clear the virus, an official report says. BBC News

See also:

• Hepatitis C in the UK: 2014 report Public Health England
• World Hepatitis Day 2014: Study reveals UK blood donors ‘passing on Hepatitis E’ The Independent

Removing the NHS ringfence: the next stage for healthcare rationing

Removing the NHS ringfence: the next stage for healthcare rationing The legality of provider policies is under scrutiny. Health Service Journal

NHS worker facing jail for scamming top cancer hospital out of £642,000

NHS worker facing jail for scamming top cancer hospital out of £642,000 Mother-of-two Stacey Tipler, 32, of Carshalton, Surrey, worked in the accounts department for London's Royal Marsden Hospital Trust. Daily Mail

Is it time to revive community health services?

Is it time to revive community health services? Professionals, patients and politicians may be weary of further reorganisation, but community health services could lead the move to providing more out-of-hospital care

The answer, everyone agrees, is some model of out-of-hospital care, yet the report completely fails to mention a crucial component of any such model community health services (CHS), which undertake around 100m community contacts per annum. Why is this? And just what is going on with CHS?Another worthy report from the Commons health select committee was published last month, this one on managing the care of people with long-term conditions. The usual frightening statistics are rolled out the projected increase in numbers, complexity and impact, with 70% of total expenditure on health and social care in England now associated with the 30% of the population with long-term conditions. Giving evidence to the committee, the new chief executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, posed the question "what is it going to take to make significant inroads?" Continue reading... The Guardian

Hand hospitals over to their staff, says Francis Maude

Hand hospitals over to their staff, says Francis Maude Cabinet office minister believes NHS services should increasingly be run as mutuals and taken out of public hands

More NHS hospitals and youth services should be taken out of public hands and owned by the people who run them as mutuals, Francis Maude, the cabinet office minister, has said.

The senior Conservative MP told the Guardian that he was "more and more convinced" this was "the way of the future" for a greater proportion of public services suggesting the only exceptions from possible spin-offs should be front-line police and the armed forces. Continue reading... The Guardian

Warnings over lengthening waits for prostate cancer patients

Warnings over lengthening waits for prostate cancer patients Steep rise in NHS delays for prostate and bladder cancer patients. The Daily Telegraph

NHS chief spends £50,000 on luxury hotels and dining

NHS chief spends £50,000 on luxury hotels and dining Hospital trust orders clampdown after disclosures that former chief executive spent NHS funds on five-star hotels, Waitrose shopping and even a trip to Greggs. The Daily Telegraph

The Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT) Quality Improvement Program: An Overview for Medical Directors and Primary Care...

The Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT) Quality Improvement Program: An Overview for Medical Directors and Primary Care... With support from The Commonwealth Fund, researchers and experts developed Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT), a publicly available quality improvement program that helps nurse aides and other direct-care staff at long-term care facilities identify, evaluate, and manage acute changes in residents’ medical conditions.

NHS funding expands Kettering General Hospital’s cardiac care service

NHS funding expands Kettering General Hospital’s cardiac care service Kettering General Hospital has won £305,000 in NHS funding to enable it to care for hundreds of extra cardiac patients every year. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Seeing the same GP will reduce emergency department attendance

Seeing the same GP will reduce emergency department attendance This is just one of several recommendations made in a report published by researchers at the University of Bristol.

Research report considers staff experience and patient outcomes

Research report considers staff experience and patient outcomes NHS Employers have commissioned a report on behalf of NHS England looking at the international research evidence on the links between staff and patient experience.

Lack of NHS engineers is putting lives at risk

Lack of NHS engineers is putting lives at risk A new report is calling for urgent action to prioritise the role of engineers in the NHS, and introduce a Chief Biomedical Engineer in every NHS acute trust which would help cut the number of incidents caused by faulty medical equipment. Institution of Mechanical Engineers

See also:

• Biomedical engineering: advancing UK healthcare Institution of Mechanical Engineers
• Hundreds die each year in NHS due to faulty machines: report The Daily Telegraph
• Faulty NHS equipment kills 300 people a year, shocking figures reveal Daily Mail

The secret to transforming a failing hospital

The secret to transforming a failing hospital How a failing hospital transformed itself. BBC News

Study links shift work to increased risk of diabetes

Study links shift work to increased risk of diabetes “Type 2 diabetes is more common in people who work shifts, a large international study suggests,” BBC News reports.

The BBC reports on a review that searched the literature and found 12 studies including more than 225,000 people which looked at the link between shift work and diabetes.

When pooling the results the researchers found that overall, shift work was associated with a 9% increased risk of diabetes. The association was found to be stronger in men (37%) and for those working rotating shifts – such as two weeks on nights, two weeks on days (42%).

However, there are problems with concluding from these studies that there really is a link between shift work and developing diabetes. For example, it is difficult to establish cause and effect, because it’s not completely clear that people hadn’t already got diabetes at the time their shift work pattern was being assessed. It’s further unclear whether the apparent relationship may not just be caused because of other factors that are associated with both shift work and diabetes (such as diet and activity).

Also, none of the 12 studies were conducted in the UK, and half were from Japan. While the results may be applicable here, different cultures may have different a work ethic, environmental and health differences, meaning that they cannot so easily be generalised to all populations.

The identified relationship is undoubtedly worthy of further study, to see whether shift work could have direct biological effects on the body that lead to the development of diabetes.

NHS manager redundancy payouts total £1.6bn since 2010

NHS manager redundancy payouts total £1.6bn since 2010 Latest accounts reveal more than 38,000 'exit packages' agreed since reforms began, with some 4,000 later rehired

The cost of redundancy payments for NHS managers has hit almost £1.6bn since the coalition came to power and embarked on its sweeping reorganisation, according to the latest Department of Health accounts.

The total includes payouts to some 4,000 "revolving door" managers, who left after May 2010 with large payouts but have since returned either on full-time or part-time contracts. Continue reading... The Guardian

Managers barred if they cover up NHS failings

Managers barred if they cover up NHS failings NHS managers told that being "privy to" serious misconduct could see them refused board positions for life The Daily Telegraph

As Ebola, Mers and HIV/Aids make headlines, what are the biggest risks to the world's health? And what is being done about them?

As Ebola, Mers and HIV/Aids make headlines, what are the biggest risks to the world's health? And what is being done about them? Infectious diseases can break out suddenly, almost anywhere in the world, and with devastating impact. The Independent

See also:

• Nigeria 'on red alert' over Ebola BBC News

NHS medics are being lured away to Australia by more money, status and sunshine, survey suggests

NHS medics are being lured away to Australia by more money, status and sunshine, survey suggests

It is the dream of many an NHS nurse, driving home late at night, after another 12 hour shift: golden beaches stretching into the horizon, a big house in a nice neighbourhood, a higher salary, fewer hours and, of course, lots of sunshine. The Independent