Low-cost robot hand wins Dyson prize

Low-cost robot hand wins Dyson prize A budget-priced 3D-printed robotic hand for amputees is the UK winner of 2015's James Dyson Award for engineering design. BBC News

Last Ebola patient discharged

Last Ebola patient discharged Sierra Leone has released its last known Ebola patient, according to the World Health Organization.BBC News

I wish patients would remember that doctors have lives too

I wish patients would remember that doctors have lives too I love my job but I and many of my medical colleagues made personal sacrifices to do it

What are patients thinking of me when I am running late? I often wonder. If our patients knew more about us and the personal sacrifices that we make as doctors, would it reassure them that we genuinely try our best for them?

Since qualifying, my husband, who is also a doctor, and I, have seen our non-medical friends accelerate past us with regards financial security and life stability. During the last 10 years, while working as a trainee surgeon and trainee GP, I have worked in 12 different hospitals and GP practices stretching from Edinburgh to Slough to Melbourne, Australia. The current structure means that junior doctors are constantly planning and applying for their next job. For a single, 24-year-old this is not too problematic, but as a 35-year-old mother, it becomes a logistical nightmare. Continue reading... The Guardian

Fire ambulances: Soaring demand prompts move for firefighters to support NHS crews

Fire ambulances: Soaring demand prompts move for firefighters to support NHS crews Bringing in firefighters to support ambulance crews could help the NHS cope with soaring demand for emergency services, medical and fire chiefs have said, following early signs of success in a pilot of “fire ambulances” in the east Midlands. The Independent

Care and treatment reviews to become ‘business as usual’

Care and treatment reviews to become ‘business as usual’ NHS England has today set out how it intends that reviews of care and treatment arrangements for people with learning disabilities are to be embedded across the health and care system.

Care and Treatment Reviews (CTRs) were developed as part of NHS England’s commitment to improving the care of people with learning disabilities or autism. They aim to reduce unnecessary admissions and lengthy stays in specialist hospitals, and have been rolling out since October 2014; over 1,400 people had their care reviewed up to March this year, with hundreds more since.

They bring those responsible for the care of those who are in, or at risk of being admitted to, specialist hospitals around the table with the individual themselves and their families, as well as independent clinicians and experts by experience, to ensure that the care needs of that individual are being met.

Care and Treatment Review: Policy and Guidance (also available in easy read) has been produced by building on the learning from the reviews which have taken place so far, including extensive engagement with people with learning disabilities, their representatives and their families.

The NHS: Busting the myths

The NHS: Busting the myths The NHS Confederation is publishing a series of myth busters, which challenge common misconceptions and enrich the debates on topical, sometimes controversial, issues regarding our health and care." These are the first three:

• Primary care in the NHS
• Competition in the NHS
• NHS Managers

School nurses essential to solve child health crisis

School nurses essential to solve child health crisis The RCN is warning of an escalating health crisis among children and young people because of insufficient investment in school nursing. Royal College of Nursing

Hospital shop prices 'exploitation'

Hospital shop prices 'exploitation' An MP says it is "fundamentally wrong" for shops in hospitals to charge higher prices than their high street branches for some items. BBC News

Ministers 'failing on mental health'

Ministers 'failing on mental health' A row over spending on mental health in England breaks out after Labour accuses the government of failing to honour promises to boost funding. BBC News

NHS constitution has barely achieved anything since it was introduced

NHS constitution has barely achieved anything since it was introduced The constitution is characterised by a lack of awareness among patients and staff, narrow vision and low enforcability that call into question its validity

While Britain celebrates the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, a much less heralded contract with the English people is about to assume its latest iteration – the NHS constitution. Introduced as part of the Health Act 2009, and commencing in 2010, it claimed to “set out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled” by bringing together “the principles, values, rights and responsibilities that underpin the NHS”.

What do we have to show after five years? The problems are mostly well known: Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS competition could waste millions says Labour, after Care UK complains

NHS competition could waste millions says Labour, after Care UK complains UK’s biggest private healthcare provider demands investigation into decision by GPs to remove elective care contract and award it to local NHS health trust

Labour has warned that the NHS could be forced to spend millions on competition lawyers after the UK’s biggest private healthcare provider demanded an immediate investigation into a decision to award an elective care contract to a local health trust.

Care UK has been branded a bad loser after lodging a complaint with the NHS watchdog Monitor over the management of a contract by commissioners in north London. Continue reading... The Guardian

Thousands of new doctors opting for a better life abroad

Thousands of new doctors opting for a better life abroad Disillusioned medics are quitting the NHS and heading for countries such as Australia

Doctors who are newly qualified form a growing proportion of the thousands of British medics seeking jobs abroad each year, triggering concerns that the NHS is heading for a staffing crisis.

Specialist recruitment agencies and GPs’ leaders say doctors, many of whom have just finished their training, are becoming disillusioned with the state of their profession and seeking fresh starts in countries such as Australia, where they can earn double what they are paid in Britain. Figures given to the Observer by the General Medical Council show that an average of 2,852 certificates enabling British doctors to work abroad were issued annually between 2008 and 2014 – a total of 19,522. Continue reading... The Guardian

'Britain's girls are at crisis point': The truth about teen mental health

'Britain's girls are at crisis point': The truth about teen mental health New research shows almost half of British girls aged 17 to 21 have suffered with mental health problems. Emma Gees explains why. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Parents 'miss pressures on girls' BBC News
• Almost half of British girls seek help for mental health problems The Daily Telegraph
• Teenage girls' mental health overlooked by parents, survey finds The Guardian
• Survey reveals 'fragile' state of girls wellbeing OnMedica

Jeremy Hunt: NHS bosses face jail over links to drug firms

Jeremy Hunt: NHS bosses face jail over links to drug firms Hospitals and GP groups will be required to keep a register of hospitality and gifts from pharmaceutical firms to health service staff in a major crackdown on corruption in the NHS. The Daily Telegraph

Northampton hospital paid out £500 compensation after wrongfully supervising visits by patient’s partner

Northampton hospital paid out £500 compensation after wrongfully supervising visits by patient’s partner

The partner of a man with brain injuries was paid £500 in compensation after Northampton hospital staff wrongfully supervised her visits. Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Dementia epidemic predictions in the UK may have been exaggerated, scientists say

Dementia epidemic predictions in the UK may have been exaggerated, scientists say

Predictions that Britain and other Western nations will experience a dementia epidemic as the population grows older may have been overblown, scientists have said. Independent

• Dementia levels 'are stabilising'  BBC News

10 million responses to the NHS Friends and Family Test

10 million responses to the NHS Friends and Family Test

The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) has reached a memorable milestone today by achieving its ten millionth piece of feedback from patients.

Launched in April 2013 and now fully rolled out across the NHS, the FFT has allowed millions of patients to give invaluable feedback on their experiences of care and treatment in services throughout the NHS.

It has quickly grown into the biggest ever collection of patient opinion in any health service anywhere in the world and gives staff the ability to react promptly and make swift and lasting improvements to care provided.

Fire service to check on older people

Fire service to check on older people

A new partnership has been established between NHS England and the fire and rescue services to carry out health checks on elderly people and patients with complex conditions. NHS Networks

Half of adults failing to go to the dentist

Half of adults failing to go to the dentist

New figures released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre reveal a drop in the number of people seen by an NHS dentist amid a rise in patient apathy. Telegraph

New report looks at NHS vacancies advertised online

New report looks at NHS vacancies advertised online

A new report released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) looks at NHS vacancies based on adverts placed through NHS Jobs. NHS Networks

CQC takes first steps towards closing practices in special measures

CQC takes first steps towards closing practices in special measures

GP practices placed in 'special measures' by the CQC could soon find themselves facing closure as the watchdog begins to re-inspect the first practices rated 'inadequate' under its four-point rating system. GP Online

Report on selected summaries of investigations by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: December 2014 and January 2015

Report on selected summaries of investigations by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman: December 2014 and January 2015

This report contains 121 summaries of complaints which are a snapshot of those investigated between December 2014 and January 2015 about the NHS in England and UK government departments and their agencies. It illustrates the impact public service failures and poor complaint handling in the NHS in England and UK government departments can have on the public. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Report

Press release

NHS nurse weighed over 17 stone before a patient shamed her into losing weight

NHS nurse weighed over 17 stone before a patient shamed her into losing weight

Nurse Carole Crocker, pictured, from the West Country, weighed 17 stone before a patient told her she needed to lose weight. She explains why NHS staff need to take their own advice about nutrition. Daily Mail

Shoppers are still forking out nearly TEN TIMES more for branded medicines and supplements that are identical to shop's own brands

Shoppers are still forking out nearly TEN TIMES more for branded medicines and supplements that are identical to shop's own brands

A packet of market-leading painkiller Nurofen costs £2.01 for 16 tablets, while generic alternatives can be bought in supermarkets for as little as 30p, a study by Voucherbox found. Daily Mail

Stroke 'more likely' with long hours

Stroke 'more likely' with long hours

People working more than 40 hours a week are more likely to have a stroke, a study suggests. BBC News

Probe pinpoints blood clot locations

Probe pinpoints blood clot locations

A new probe sticks to blood clots so they "light up" in a PET scan, and could eventually save time during treatment of stroke and related conditions. BBC News

Vaccine for Mers 'looks promising'

Vaccine for Mers 'looks promising'

A prototype vaccine against the lung infection MERS coronavirus shows promising results, scientists say. BBC News

4 Things to Know About Keeping Personal Health Information Safe

4 Things to Know About Keeping Personal Health Information Safe

Given the large number of breaches of personal health information in recent years, more steps need to be taken to ensure security. Commonwealth Fund

National cover for ‘fit for work’ GP referral process

National cover for ‘fit for work’ GP referral process

The rollout of the ‘fit for work’ scheme is progressing across Great Britain with GPs now being able to refer working patients to the scheme across the whole of England, Wales and Scotland. NHS Networks

Is the NHS delivering enough of the right things?

Is the NHS delivering enough of the right things?

Last week I wrote a blog about the problem of overuse in the NHS: where people get services they don’t want or need, which can lead to unnecessary harm and wasted resources. But this is only part of the story. The flipside is that the NHS faces the problem of underuse too.

Underuse happens when effective care isn’t delivered when it’s needed. It can lead to people needing more complex care as their conditions get worse – for example, if they end up in hospital because their condition isn’t managed properly at home. This means that tackling underuse can sometimes save money for the NHS, by keeping people well and reducing use of costly services. In other cases, reversing the problem of underuse is more likely to increase costs – particularly in the short term – as a result of investment in new services or improved access. In either case, tackling underuse is fundamentally about improving care for people who need it.

So, where might the NHS not be delivering enough of the right things?

Injection which could cure obesity developed at Harvard and MIT

Injection which could cure obesity developed at Harvard and MIT

A cure for obesity could be just an injection away after scientists at Harvard and MIT discovered that a tiny DNA tweak causes the metabolism to burn up excess fat. Telegraph

Changes in vision in older people: causes and impact

Changes in vision in older people: causes and impact

This publication summarises findings from research commissioned by Thomas Pocklington Trust that uses the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) to look at the links between development of visual impairment and older peoples’ social and economic position, and the impact of both deteriorating and improving sight on key aspects of their lives. Thomas Pocklington Trust 

Briefing

Press release

E-cigarettes around 95% less harmful than tobacco estimates landmark review

E-cigarettes around 95% less harmful than tobacco estimates landmark review An expert independent evidence review published by Public Health England concludes that e-cigarettes are significantly less harmful to health than tobacco and have the potential to help smokers quit smoking.

Key findings of the review include:

• the current best estimate is that e-cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than smoking
• nearly half the population (44.8%) don’t realise e-cigarettes are much less harmful than smoking
• there is no evidence so far that e-cigarettes are acting as a route into smoking for children or non-smokers

The review suggests that e-cigarettes may be contributing to falling smoking rates among adults and young people.

See also:

• Research and analysis: E-cigarettes: an evidence update Public Health England
• E-cigarettes 'should be prescribed' BBC News
• VIDEO: 'How E-cigarettes helped me quit' BBC News
• British smokers urged to start vaping by health officials The Daily Telegraph
• The NHS should not pay for vaping The Daily Telegraph
• Make e-cigarettes available on the NHS, say Government health officials The Independent

New report looks at NHS vacancies advertised online

New report looks at NHS vacancies advertised online The NHS Vacancies Statistics England - 2014/15 report from the Health and Social Care Information Centre looks at data from March 2014 through to February 20154. The report provides new information on adverts published and covers the number of hits, applicants, shortlisted candidates and appointments.

The data are also broken down by:

• Health Education England Region
• Staff Group
• Area of Work
• High-level Occupation Code Staff Groups

'Female Viagra' gets US approval

'Female Viagra' gets US approval The US Food and Drug Administration approves a libido-enhancing drug for women that has been dubbed "Female Viagra". BBC News

NHS to quintuple fines on patients for incorrect free prescription claims

NHS to quintuple fines on patients for incorrect free prescription claims NHS officials plan to hand out fines worth up to £150 to around 1.2m patients a year by 2016/17 in a severe crackdown on incorrect claims for free prescriptions, and have urged GPs to help patients understand the rules. GP Online

Syphilis - is that a heavy metal band? Study reveals shocking ignorance when it comes to STIs...with 10% of people thinking chlamydia is a flower

Syphilis - is that a heavy metal band? Study reveals shocking ignorance when it comes to STIs...with 10% of people thinking chlamydia is a flower The poll by online pharmacy MedExpress.co.uk revealed 36 per cent of people have never had an STI test - despite being sexually active. The Daily Mail

NHS sounds compensation alarm after £120,000 lawyer bill for £5,000 claim

NHS sounds compensation alarm after £120,000 lawyer bill for £5,000 claim NHS Litigation Authority says a third of £1.1bn paid out last year went to lawyers and that government legal aid reforms have led to rising costs

A third of the £1.1bn paid out by the NHS in compensation last year was handed to lawyers, with one firm submitting a £121,700 bill following a £5,000 claim.

The cost to the taxpayer is expected to rise to £1.4bn next year, with the NHS conceding that it faced an “increasingly difficult task” in managing the level of payouts. Continue reading... The Guardian

What NHS organisations are doing to improve staff health

What NHS organisations are doing to improve staff health One trust provides one-to-one support for traumatised staff while another has made a commitment to reducing reliance on agency staff

NHS organisations have a problem with sickness: that of their employees. Health and Social Care Information Centre figures for English NHS trusts show that 4.44% of working days were lost to staff illness between January and March this year, up from 4.2% for the same period a year ago. The Office of National Statistics said the sickness rate across public sector healthcare for 2013 was 3.4%, compared with 3% in central government, 2.7% in local government and 1.8% in the private sector.

Like most large employers, NHS trusts and boards provide occupational health services to help employees when they are ill, with mental health problems including anxiety, stress and depression vying with musculoskeletal complaints as the biggest problem. But some are also helping their staff to avoid sickness in the first place. Continue reading... The Guardian

The abuse of antibiotics is everyone's fault

The abuse of antibiotics is everyone's fault Overuse will render these wonder drugs useless. We need to demand - and prescribe - them less. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Patient safety alert: addressing antimicrobial resistance through implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship programme NHS England
• Antimicrobial stewardship: systems and processes for effective antimicrobial medicine use NICE
• Guidelines set to tackle over-prescribing of antibiotics NHS Choices
• Why antibiotics are precious BBC News
• Antibiotics: Why are we taking so many and why is that such a bad thing? The Independent
• Doctors warned to curb antibiotic prescribing OnMedica

Africa has recorded zero new cases of polio in the past year

Africa has recorded zero new cases of polio in the past year Africa has recorded zero cases of the crippling polio virus in the last year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed, but it will need another two clear years before the continent can be certified polio-free. The Independent

Bed-blocking at Northamptonshire hospitals costs £50,000 every day

Bed-blocking at Northamptonshire hospitals costs £50,000 every day Bed-blocking at the two main hospitals in Northamptonshire costs the tax payer £50,000 every day, according to a health watchdog. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Awards for occupational therapy departments in Northampton and Kettering

Awards for occupational therapy departments in Northampton and Kettering Two Northamptonshire  Healthcare NHS adult mental health occupational therapy departments have received a centre of excellence award for engaging in a new practice. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

What have we learnt in the government’s first 100 days?

What have we learnt in the government’s first 100 days? After 100 days in office, the outline of the government’s health policy is now clear. The main focus is on reinstating financial discipline through controlling the costs of agency staff and management consultants, and a request to providers to redouble efforts to bring spending back into line with budgets.

For the public, the government has emphasised its commitment to seven-day working and to continue work to improve the quality of care and patient safety begun before the election. For NHS insiders, there is particular interest in the devolution of public services in Manchester and other areas, Jeremy Hunt’s ambition to reduce reliance on targets and encourage self-directed improvement, and the drive to publish more data on performance to increase ‘intelligent transparency’ in the NHS. The King's Fund

Research and analysis: Employee productivity: topic overview

Research and analysis: Employee productivity: topic overview This topic overview is one of four commissioned by Public Health England. It explores priority issues around health, work and unemployment.

It includes information on:

• measuring productivity
• presenteeism (attending work whilst sick)
• productivity and wellbeing

Calls for NHS to curb inappropriate antibiotic prescribing

Calls for NHS to curb inappropriate antibiotic prescribing  Healthcare professionals should encourage sensible use of antibiotics and cut back on unnecessary prescribing of the drugs to help tackle the rise in antibiotic resistance, says NICE.

See also:

• RCGP response to new NICE guidelines on antibiotics prescribing Royal College of General Practitioners
• Call to punish GPs over antibiotics BBC News
• 'Soft touch' doctors should be disciplined for over-prescribing antibiotics The Daily Telegraph
• NICE tells GPs to get tough with patients in antibiotic prescribing crackdown GP Online
• 'Soft-touch' doctors write 10m needless prescriptions a year, says Nice The Guardian
• 'Soft touch' GPs told to stop giving antibiotics to pushy patients so as to curb rise of drug-resistant 'superbugs' The Independent

Young women too self-conscious to seek medical help

Young women too self-conscious to seek medical help Young women are avoiding seeking help for gynaecological issues out of embarrassment and fear of intimate examination - with more than half turning to google instead, according to a new study. Ovarian Cancer Action

See also:

• Women too shy to see their GP, Ovarian Cancer Action charity claim The Daily Mail
• Young women avoid discussing sex with GP over fears of saying 'vagina' and 'orgasm' The Daily Telegraph
• Ovarian cancer: Experts say women losing fear of saying 'vagina' could increase early diagnoses The Independent

Flu jab 'not a waste of time'

Flu jab 'not a waste of time' Ministers are urging people not to be put off by failures of the flu vaccine last year and get immunised this autumn. BBC News

NHS officials insist 5,000 GP target will be met despite low trainee recruitment

NHS officials insist 5,000 GP target will be met despite low trainee recruitment Senior NHS officials have insisted that plans to recruit 5,000 GPs in the next five years will be met, despite warnings from top GPs that the 'ludicrous promise' was undeliverable following low trainee uptake. GP Online

Paramedics will not replace GPs, says NHS

Paramedics will not replace GPs, says NHS Claims paramedics will do routine GP appointments refuted. OnMedica

Working as a mental health nurse in today's NHS drained me of compassion

Working as a mental health nurse in today's NHS drained me of compassion I found myself sighing when my patient rang me to say she was planning to kill herself. This is not the type of nurse I want to be.

Have you ever been spat at in a day’s work? I have. Have you ever been mooned at in a day’s work? No? Well, you’re obviously not a mental health nurse. In 1997 this was the best job in the world. As a newly qualified nurse I had time to develop therapeutic, trusting relationships with patients. The people I worked with in Hackney were very disturbed and had experienced the most severe deprivation throughout their lives. The very essence of my job as a nurse was to relate to the patients; to take time to listen, observe and be with them, no matter how sad or difficult this was.

For one patient, it took three months of sitting as near to her as I dared while she spat or pulled tongues at me. I patiently waited and at times talked calmly to her. One day she reached out and took hold of my name badge and read out my name. We both smiled. With time I had been able to go beyond the shouting, swearing and spitting to find a beautiful human being. There were days when she felt safe enough to take hold of my hand, or to sit next to me and cry. This made my job worthwhile. Continue reading... The Guardian

Is a fat tax the only way to combat our growing epidemic of obesity?

Is a fat tax the only way to combat our growing epidemic of obesity? Diabetes is growing and the NHS can't take the strain. Since we are no longer allowed to shame fat people, pressure will grow to tax them. The Daily Telegraph

Coeliac disease: Patient groups defend NHS spending on gluten-free food for sufferers

Coeliac disease: Patient groups defend NHS spending on gluten-free food for sufferers Patient groups have denied that sufferers of coeliac disease are receiving “junk food” on the NHS and said the millions spent on prescriptions for gluten-free foods are a cost-effective way of treating a debilitating autoimmune condition. The Independent

See also:

• VIDEO: Free gluten-free products being reviewed BBC News
• NHS handed out £116m of gluten-free junk food on prescription in the past year  The Daily Mail
• HSCIC Correction to Daily Mail article "Doughnuts and Pizzas on NHS" Health and Social Care Information Centre
• NHS spent £116m on gluten-free pizza, cakes and biscuits The Daily Telegraph

County’s growing dementia issue discussed at Kettering meeting

County’s growing dementia issue discussed at Kettering meeting An important meeting to discuss support for people with dementia in Northamptonshire has taken place in Kettering. Northamptonshire Telegraph

NHS Employers responds to BMA's 10 reasons for not re-entering negotiations

NHS Employers responds to BMA's 10 reasons for not re-entering negotiations Response to the news that the BMA will not be re-entering negotiations over the proposed contracts for junior doctors. NHS Employers

See also:

• 10 reasons why we are not re-entering negotiations British Medical Association
• Junior doctors reject government's heavy handed attempts to force through a new contract without meaningful negotiations (press release) British Medical Association

One chance to get it right: one year on report

One chance to get it right: one year on report This report shows the progress organisations have made on specific commitments in the One Chance to Get it Right report, which set out actions to improve care in the last days and hours of life. It sets out progress made on: the new Care Quality Commission inspection regime for end of life care; new NICE guidance; actions to improve education, training and research; professional regulation; and the implementation of the priorities for care. Department of Health

Number of people with diabetes up 60 per cent in last decade

Number of people with diabetes up 60 per cent in last decade The number of people living with diabetes in the UK has soared by 59.8 per cent in a decade, according to a new analysis by Diabetes UK.

See also:

• Diabetes cases soar 60% in a decade BBC News
• VIDEO: 'Dramatic' rise in diabetes cases BBC News
• VIDEO: Preventing diabetes 'a no-brainer' BBC News
• Diabetes 'threatens to bring down the NHS' The Daily Telegraph
• Huge rise in diabetes cases threatens to bankrupt the NHS, charity warns The Guardian
• Diabetes could 'bankrupt the NHS' after 60% rise in cases in a decade, charity warns The Independent

Call for Army to drop malaria drug

Call for Army to drop malaria drug A call is made for an immediate ban on a controversial anti-malaria drug given to British soldiers. BBC News

BMA attacks ministers over NHS record

BMA attacks ministers over NHS record In a review of the government's first 100 days in office, the doctors' union the BMA says ministers have been chasing headlines rather than tackling the real issues facing the NHS in England BBC News

See also:

• Government's first 100 days 'all rhetoric, no detail' The British Medical Association
• Government 'chasing headlines on NHS', says doctors' union BBC News
• The Guardian view on the NHS: 100 days of revision and retreat | Editorial The Guardian

Map: Regional variation in GP trainee vacancies revealed

Map: Regional variation in GP trainee vacancies revealed 'Deeply concerning' GP trainee recruitment figures for 2015 have revealed a startling dichotomy in trainee recruitment, with some parts of England filling just half of available posts while others hit 100%. GP Online

Low patient take-up of online GP services

Low patient take-up of online GP services But few patients know about them, and some surgeries don’t make it easy, says Citizens Advice Bureau. OnMedica

See also:

• Understanding patientaccess to online GPservices Citizens Advice Bureau
• RCGP response to Citizens Advice research into online appointment booking Royal College of General Practitioners

Hepatitis C patients in England denied lifesaving liver drug

Hepatitis C patients in England denied lifesaving liver drug Health experts concerned about decision not to extend Daklinza treatment to patients with genotype 3 strain of virus

Thousands of people in England with a chronic form of liver disease are being denied access to life-saving drugs that are available to patients in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Despite being recommended by European regulators and available in countries such as France and Germany, draft guidance recently issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the body that advises NHS England on whether to fund certain drugs, recommends restricting the use of Daklinza in England. The stance will affect the treatment of adult patients with a particular strain of hepatitis C. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS locum doctor paid £11,000 to work a weekend

NHS locum doctor paid £11,000 to work a weekend Record sum paid by an NHS hospital to a locum doctor to cover a bank holiday weekend revealed in new figures. The Daily Telegraph

Paramedics to be trained as GPs

Paramedics to be trained as GPs New proposals may see paramedics given four months training to become GPs. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• RCGP response to proposals for paramedics to work as part of GP teams Royal College of General Practitioners

Children under five are twice as likely to die in the UK than in Sweden

Children under five are twice as likely to die in the UK than in Sweden Why do so many young children die in the UK? Child mortality rates in the UK are higher than in many other European countries, and in a study published in Archives of Disease in Childhood we compared mortality rates for children younger than five in the UK and Sweden over a three-year period, from 2006 to 2008. We found that twice as many children under five died in the UK than in Sweden. The Independent

See also:

• UK pre-schoolers’ death rate almost double Sweden’s OnMedica

Trust lost £111k on theatre tickets

Trust lost £111k on theatre tickets The air ambulance trust which covers Northamptonshire is criticised by the Charity Commission after it lost £111,000 by booking tickets for a London musical premiere. BBC Northampton

12-hour shift working, is it for everyone? - new study released

12-hour shift working, is it for everyone? - new study released Read our summary of a major new study published around 12-hour shift working in the NHS. NHS Employers

A patient approach: putting the consumer at the heart of UK healthcare

A patient approach: putting the consumer at the heart of UK healthcare In a new report, Dr Kristian Niemietz argues that supporters of moving the NHS to a competitive system that incorporates a combination of public and private providers, should capitalise on the growing appetite for reform amongst the general public. Going ‘the whole hog’ would not require a revolution. Institute for Economic Affairs

Health outcomes from four common surgical procedures: annual patient survey results published

Health outcomes from four common surgical procedures: annual patient survey results published Patient views about the outcomes of four common surgical procedures are published today by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

More volunteers aid dementia studies

More volunteers aid dementia studies There has been a surge in the number of people volunteering for medical research into tackling dementia. BBC News

Demand soars across NHS in England

Demand soars across NHS in England The demand for hospital services is soaring, according to official data from NHS England. BBC News

See also:

• Combined Performance Summary June 15 NHS England
• NHS England publishes new monthly data NHS England
• VIDEO: Cancer waiting time target missed BBC News
• Cancer scans delayed as NHS misses targets and waiting could be costing patients' lives The Daily Mail

What really happens the day junior doctors start work in the NHS

What really happens the day junior doctors start work in the NHS Terror, pride, hierarchy and failing IT are some of the things that characterise doctors’ first days. We asked healthcare professionals to tell us their stories.

I was on call consultant on 6 August, which is actually the first day most of the team hit the shop floor. The Wednesday is still mostly filled with hospital inductions. There was almost no senior (consultant) cover available, as many were on annual leave with their families.

For me, every little setback in those first weeks made me feel like a failure

I had no idea what to do with this human being or how to solve the problem of her being on the floor

I had an unbelievable day – it really was everything that I had worked towards

I learned some of the most important lessons in my career – more to do with relationships than with physiology Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS funding: will patients be forced to pay for some care?

NHS funding: will patients be forced to pay for some care? With a predicted deficit of around £2bn, if we want to preserve a health service free at the point of need, we must accept radical thinking on funding

With NHS providers on track to run up deficits in the region of £2bn this year, the spectre of patients paying for more services again looms over the NHS.

Last year’s combined deficit of £822m across the provider sector hid an even more serious truth: add in the extra £250m from the Treasury and another £650m transferred from capital budgets and the underlying deficit was nearer £1.7bn. Continue reading... The Guardian

Seven-day services 'unattainable' under current crisis

Seven-day services 'unattainable' under current crisis Increased support for general practice is a positive step but opening practices seven days a week is not possible in the current crisis, the British Medical Association said.

See also:

• Fifth of total number of GP posts are unfulfilled as doctors look to specialise The Daily Mail
• Research and analysis: Higher risk of death associated with weekend hospitalisation Department of Health
• Plans for seven-day service and 5,000 GPs 'impossible' as fifth of trainee posts unfilled GP Online

Why We're Introducing Waiting Time Standards for Mental Health

Why We're Introducing Waiting Time Standards for Mental Health Blog from Alistair Burt, Minister for Community and Social Care. The Huffington Post

Hospital food in numbers - infographic

Hospital food in numbers - infographic Every day, hundreds of thousands of meals are served to patients. Here we look at some of the facts and figures behind those meals Continue reading... The Guardian

Hospitals act like 'conveyor belts' for dying patients

Hospitals act like 'conveyor belts' for dying patients Care watchdog announces major review into why patients are suffering from conditions like dementia and heart disease are receiving poor standards of care. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Hospitals found to be causing harm or unnecessary suffering to dying patients The Daily Mail

NHS trust sends confidential medical records to wrong address in Northamptonshire

NHS trust sends confidential medical records to wrong address in Northamptonshire A mental health patient from Northamptonshire has described her shock at an NHS blunder which saw her sent someone else’s medical details in the post. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Woman from Raunds fights for best drugs after being infected with Hepatitis C from contaminated blood

Woman from Raunds fights for best drugs after being infected with Hepatitis C from contaminated blood A 60-year-old woman has vowed to fight for the best available drugs after she contracted Hepatitis C from contaminated blood given to her by the NHS before 1991. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Is the NHS delivering too much of the wrong things?

Is the NHS delivering too much of the wrong things? More health care is not always better health care. Sometimes the NHS delivers services that people don’t want or need: the problem of overuse.

Overuse happens when health care is delivered even though the potential for harm outweighs the benefits. It’s bad for people receiving care because they get services which might make them worse – or at least waste their time and mean they are treated unnecessarily; it’s bad for the NHS because resources are used that could have been better spent elsewhere; and it’s bad for other people who need care because there’s less money around to pay for it. It’s also bad for other public services too, whose budgets are being cut while NHS spending is protected.

So, where might the NHS be delivering too much? The King's Fund

Childhood flu programme: information for healthcare practitioners

Childhood flu programme: information for healthcare practitioners Updated guidance on the flu vaccination programme for children, information on the vaccination and how to administer it. Public Health England

Diabetes uses 10% of NHS drugs bill

Diabetes uses 10% of NHS drugs bill Diabetes now accounts for 10% of the NHS drugs bill in England, according to official figures. BBC News

See also:

• Diabetes medicines account for one tenth of all prescribing in primary care Health and Social Care Information Centre
• Diabetes costs soar to 10% of total primary care prescribing budget GP Online

'Appalled' inspectors evacuate care home

'Appalled' inspectors evacuate care home Elderly and brain injured young people placed at risk due to poor care and lack of staffing at a care home in Bedfordshire. OnMedica

Video warning on car smoking ban

Video warning on car smoking ban From October it will be illegal to smoke in a car with anyone under 18 present. OnMedica

Female doctors are less likely to face being struck off or sued for negligence

Female doctors are less likely to face being struck off or sued for negligence  Regulator the General Medical Council has seen a 64 per cent increase in complaints between 2010 and 2013. Medico-legal action includes doctors facing disciplinary action and malpractice claims. The Daily Mail

Promote e-cigarettes over harmful tobacco smoking, say experts

Promote e-cigarettes over harmful tobacco smoking, say experts Royal Society for Public Health says health bosses should encourage people to quit tobacco for nicotine-only e-cigarettes and proposes licensing tobacco sellers

Health chiefs across the UK have been urged to take a less negative attitude towards e-cigarettes and embrace their use in the battle against more harmful tobacco smoking. The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) says a public education programme is needed to differentiate the problem ofaddiction to nicotine, which is an ingredient in both e-cigarettes and tobacco, from the inhaling of dangerous chemicals such as tar and arsenic in tobacco cigarettes.

NHS stop smoking services should offer more help to people seeking to end their habit by using e-cigarettes, the society says, calling also for new “exclusion zones” barring smoking, but not e-cigarettes, outside schools, bars and pubs and in public squares and parks. Continue reading... The Guardian

New programme aims to identify what matters most to patients

New programme aims to identify what matters most to patients Always Events pilot projects see healthcare staff working with patients and their families to improve the quality of care

For patients, details that might seem minor to health professionals can make a powerful difference – and shape how they view their care. Details such as ensuring the translator booked to help a patient communicate with a hospital consultant speaks the correct dialect; or checking that a patient with a learning disability has the name and a picture of the person in charge of their care when they transfer between one health setting and another.

This is latter example is one of the standards – or so-called Always Events – introduced by Lancashire Care NHS trust. It’s one of three pilot sites in NHS England’s Always Events programme– being run with the international patient-focused health charity Picker Institute and the Institute for Health Innovation (IHI) – aiming to put the patient firmly at the centre of care decisions. Continue reading... The Guardian

Abolish GP catchment areas and let patients choose any doctor, says Thatcherite thinktank

Abolish GP catchment areas and let patients choose any doctor, says Thatcherite thinktank The study from the IEA - which heavily infludenced the thinking of Margaret Thatcher in the 1970s and 1980s - also said hospitals should only be paid according to a fixed results tariff, which would determine whether hospitals survived or closed because of their poor service. The Daily Telegraph

Northamptonshire care home denies claims by union that staff were sacked for whistleblowing over alleged assault

Northamptonshire care home denies claims by union that staff were sacked for whistleblowing over alleged assault A major union has demanded three people sacked from a Northamptonshire care home are reinstated after claiming they were given the boot for blowing the whistle about an alleged attack. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Guidance: Complete list of NHS estates related guidance

Guidance: Complete list of NHS estates related guidance A spreadsheet containing a definitive list of all estates related guidance past and present.

It identifies the current status of each document, including whether it has been superseded and whether it is available for download.

The types of documents currently available include:

• health building notes (HBN)
• health technical memorandum (HTM)
• choice framework for local policies and procedures (CFPP)

The spreadsheet also identifies which documents are no longer published. Department of Health

DoOD app updated with Space to Think tool

DoOD app updated with Space to Think tool Our popular organisational development app now features a digital version of our Space to Think cards which can be used to encourage thinking around change. NHS Employers

Patient-led assessments of healthcare premises now consider non-clinical aspects of dementia care

Patient-led assessments of healthcare premises now consider non-clinical aspects of dementia care Results are published today of annual patient-led assessments of non-clinical services, such as catering services, changing and waiting facilities, signage, lighting and the condition and appearance of fixtures and fittings. Health & Social Care Information Centre

See also:

• Hospitals still not doing enough to safeguard dementia patients The Daily Mail

Junior doctor: The first week

Junior doctor: The first week What does it feel like to start your first week as a junior doctor? BBC News

Breaking: CQC to assess whole health systems

Breaking: CQC to assess whole health systems The Care Quality Commission is to pilot assessing whole health systems as part of a move towards a more place based approach to regulation. Health Service Journal

Not-for-profit company quits NHS deal

Not-for-profit company quits NHS deal Social enterprise pulls out of community hospital, district nursing and rehabilitation services in Cornwall. OnMedica

Rise in medical radiation incidents

Rise in medical radiation incidents But inspectors say the increase in reports ‘reflects a strong reporting culture’ OnMedica

Prejudice from the professionals: mental health anti-stigma initiative targets services

Prejudice from the professionals: mental health anti-stigma initiative targets services The Time to Change campaign has partnered with two NHS trusts to tackle stigma and discrimination within mental health services. Community Care

Are foreigners really gaming the NHS to pay for their medical treatment abroad?

Are foreigners really gaming the NHS to pay for their medical treatment abroad? The Daily Mail uses a handful of stories in a bid to construct a picture of systemic failure in the European health insurance card scheme. Is there any truth in it?

Monday’s Daily Mail splashed on the revelation that foreigners were charging the NHS for care in their own country. Is that true?

Each country’s healthcare system is slightly different. With your Ehic, you should be able to get the same treatment as a resident of the country you’re visiting.

In some countries you may have to pay a patient contribution, also known as a co-payment. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• NHS charged by foreigners for care in their OWN country thanks to loophole The Daily Mail
• Abusing the NHS 'is the easiest thing in the world' say watchdogs The Daily Mail
• The great health tourist cover up: NHS bosses ignored whistleblowers The Daily Mail
• Scourge costs us billions a year The Daily Mail
• Ministers promise changes to Euro health card OnMedica

We must not forget patients with rarer cancers

We must not forget patients with rarer cancers As cancer sufferer John Underwood takes the internet by storm with a blog documenting his extremely rare cancer, Judith Potts considers what help is out there for patients with less well-known diseases. The Daily Telegraph

MiHomecare: One of UK's biggest care agencies being sued for paying below minimum wage

MiHomecare: One of UK's biggest care agencies being sued for paying below minimum wage One of Britain’s biggest care agencies is being sued for allegedly paying below the minimum wage by refusing to reimburse staff for their travel time between home visits. The Independent