Continuous improvement of patient safety

Continuous improvement of patient safety This report makes the case for changing the way patient safety is approached in the NHS. It argues that change is needed in: how safety is understood, because current approaches to measurement don’t provide the full picture; how safety is improved, because existing approaches alone will not address the most intractable problems; how risk is perceived, because comfort-seeking behaviours will not create a genuine culture of learning. The Health Foundation

NHS financial temperature check: November 2015

NHS financial temperature check: November 2015 This briefing summarises finance directors' views on financial challenges facing the NHS. Please note that you need to complete a registration form to view this document. Healthcare Financial Management Association

World on cusp of 'post-antibiotic era'

World on cusp of 'post-antibiotic era' Bacteria are now resistant to drugs of last resort meaning the world is on the cusp of a "post-antibiotic era", warn scientists. BBC News

See also:

• Emergence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance mechanism MCR-1 in animals and human beings in China: a microbiological and molecular biological study Lancet Infectious Diseases
• Analysis: Antibiotic apocalypse BBC News
• Q&A: Antibiotic resistance BBC News
• Superbugs 'are now resistant to ALL drugs and antibiotic defences' The Daily Mail
• E.coli has developed resistance to last-line of antibiotics, warn scientists The Daily Telegraph

Crisis talks with care homes 'on brink'

Crisis talks with care homes 'on brink' Crisis talks are taking place later between care home owners and council leaders amid mounting concern a large number of providers are preparing to pull out of the market. BBC News

HIV home-test kit launched in England

HIV home-test kit launched in England A free HIV home-testing kit has been launched across England as the latest figures show 18,100 people in the UK are unaware they have the infection. BBC News

See also:

• Press release: Free HIV home sampling launched to increase HIV testing Public Health England

Jeremy Hunt statement on weekend hospital care is misleading, experts warn

Jeremy Hunt statement on weekend hospital care is misleading, experts warn Health secretary’s claim that only 10% of patients are seen by a senior doctor within 14 hours at the weekend are refuted by statisticians and NHS England.

Leading statisticians have cast serious doubt on Jeremy Hunt’s claim that only 10% of patients are seen by a consultant within 14 hours of being admitted to hospital at a weekend, and described it as unfair, misleading and a gross underestimation.

NHS England has also distanced itself from the health secretary’s claim and said that the evidence it has collected on hospitals’ performance in this area does not bear out his interpretation of it. Continue reading... The Guardian

Give HPV vaccine to men who have sex with men, government told

Give HPV vaccine to men who have sex with men, government told Advisers say extending use of cervical cancer vaccine given to girls could help cut risk of anal, penile and throat cancers

Government advisers say the HPV vaccine that has been offered to girls aged 12 or 13 since 2008 to help protect them against cervical cancer should now also be available to men who have sex with men.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommends a targeted programme of three doses for those aged up to 45 attending clinics specialising in treating HIV and genito-urinary conditions. There should be no lower age limit. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Guidance: JCVI statement on HPV vaccination of men who have sex with men Department of Health

Half of stillbirths could be avoided through basic checks and listening to women

Half of stillbirths could be avoided through basic checks and listening to women More than half of stillbirths might be prevented if maternity units carried out basic checks and acted on the concerns raised by pregnant women, study finds. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Better care 'could reduce stillbirths' BBC News
• 600 stillbirths a year caused by NHS errors in monitoring and treatment  The Daily Mail

Troubled private ambulance transport service will not bid for new contract in Northamptonshire

Troubled private ambulance transport service will not bid for new contract in Northamptonshire A much-criticised private company that ferried Northamptonshire people to hospital appointments will not seek to extend its contract. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Living a long life? How mental health impacts life expectancy

Living a long life? How mental health impacts life expectancy People living with a serious mental health condition die 12-13 years younger than other people. Most of this is due to physical illness and unintentional harm. RSA open Public Services Network

See also:

• Mental health early deaths 'worrying' BBC News
• VIDEO: 'I don't feel like I was listened to' BBC News

Female GPs dominate the profession for the first time according to new GMC report

Female GPs dominate the profession for the first time according to new GMC report In a few years’ time women doctors will out number male colleagues – already there are more practising women GPs under 40 than men, according to the General Medical Council’s The state of medical education and practice in the UK report 2015.

Heat maps show 'antibiotic surge'

Heat maps show 'antibiotic surge' A huge and potentially inappropriate surge in antibiotic prescriptions in winter has been identified through the first detailed maps of seasonal prescribing in England. BBC News

Spending review - a big week ahead for the NHS

Spending review - a big week ahead for the NHS There's just a week to go until a policy announcement which could prove the most significant for the NHS in this Parliament.

Chancellor George Osborne will unveil the results of his spending review setting out, along with other departments, the path for the health budget. At a time of intense pressure on the health service, the Treasury's decision about future spending totals and the timing of increases will be critical. BBC News

High cost of unscheduled care for MS patients

High cost of unscheduled care for MS patients Emergency admissions for MS patients costs NHS £43m per year. OnMedica

Passport to practise could threaten patient safety

Passport to practise could threaten patient safety GMC urges government and European Commission to assess impact before introducing card. OnMedica

Pet owners blamed for increasing risk of MRSA and E.coli by not following animal medicine instructions

Pet owners blamed for increasing risk of MRSA and E.coli by not following animal medicine instructions Public Health England urges owners of sick pets to ensure antiobiotics are used strictly as directed. The Independent

See also:

• Call for curb on antibiotics for pets after owners catch infections The Daily Mail

Children are waiting six months to even be assessed for a mental health condition

Children are waiting six months to even be assessed for a mental health condition Provision is uneven across the country after referral. The Independent

Mental health needs urgent extra funding to avert crisis, say trust chief executives | Claire Murdoch

Mental health needs urgent extra funding to avert crisis, say trust chief executives | Claire Murdoch Ahead of the spending review, 10 London mental health trusts warn against raiding their budgets to plug funding shortfalls in acute hospitals.

The NHS is facing the greatest financial challenge in its history. Figures for the first three months of the financial year reveal an accumulated NHS deficit of almost £1bn. The independent health thinktank, the Nuffield Trust, says deficits have now become the “new normal” in the NHS, with four out of five trusts now in the red. The figures for the second quarter of the financial year are feared to be significantly worse. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS cannot make £22bn cut sought by government, finance chiefs warn

NHS cannot make £22bn cut sought by government, finance chiefs warn Fears also raised that deficit will exceed forecast £2bn and all of England’s 156 acute hospital trusts will end 2015-16 in the red

The NHS needs much more than the £8bn ministers have promised and will not deliver the £22bn of savings it has pledged, according to NHS finance chiefs.

The service in England is heading for a deficit this year even bigger than the £2bn already widely forecast, according to research by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). Continue reading... The Guardian

'Everyone likes to be thanked': How patient feedback is improving NHS care

'Everyone likes to be thanked': How patient feedback is improving NHS care Listening to patients is vital to improve performance. Two hospital trusts whose feedback systems helped turn their services around reveal how they did it

Five years ago, Surrey and Sussex healthcare NHS trust was one of the worst performing hospitals in the country. Now, it is one of the best. In March, the healthcare regulator, the Quality Care Commission, awarded the trust a “good” rating in every category.

The trust’s approach to feedback has played a central part in this turnaround. Fiona Allsop, its chief nurse, says: “One of the reasons we’ve got there is by listening to our patients … We’re providing services for our local community. We want to give them opportunities to get involved in what we do.” Continue reading... The Guardian

Jeremy Hunt: 'very difficult' to avoid patient harm if doctors' strike goes ahead

Jeremy Hunt: 'very difficult' to avoid patient harm if doctors' strike goes ahead Jeremy Hunt warns of risks to patients from doctors' strikes, as he makes a last ditch plea to unions in a bid to head off industrial action. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• VIDEO: 'Strike would have profound impact' BBC News
• VIDEO: How do junior doctors feel about strike? BBC News
• Junior medics who don't want to strike abused by colleagues The Daily Mail

NHS sustainability: there aren’t always more fish in the sea

NHS sustainability: there aren’t always more fish in the sea With the Spending Review fast approaching, most things currently written about the NHS begin by saying that the system is running out of money (which it is). They go on to say that social care and other public services are in an even worse state (which they are), and call for a combination of more money and greater efficiency.

But more money and using existing resources better – while both needed – won’t be enough to meet the challenges facing the NHS: we also need to think differently about who governs NHS resources, and how. The King's Fund

New whistleblowing policy for the NHS - have your say

New whistleblowing policy for the NHS - have your say Monitor, the TDA and NHS England are out to consultation on their draft whistleblowing policy for the NHS. Help ensure it meets your local needs by having your say. NHS Employers

More than 400 pharmacists to be recruited to GP surgeries by next year

More than 400 pharmacists to be recruited to GP surgeries by next year NHS England has more than doubled funding from £15m to £31m for its clinical pharmacists in general practice pilot, due to an overwhelmingly positive response from GP surgeries. NHS England, Health Education England, the Royal College of General Practitioners and the BMA are today announcing the 73 applications that will receive a share of the funding, which will cover 698 GP practices and include 403 clinical pharmacists.

Recruitment of pharmacists for the three year initiative, which was announced in July, will begin immediately, giving patients the additional support of an expert pharmacist in their GP surgery from Spring 2016.

Examples of the benefits patients can expect include extra help to manage long-term conditions, specific advice for those with multiple medications and more access to clinical advice on treatments. Royal College of General Practitioners

See also:

• More than 400 pharmacists to be recruited to GP surgeries by next year NHS England

Breast cancer drug 'too costly' for NHS

Breast cancer drug 'too costly' for NHS A life-extending breast cancer drug will not be routinely offered on the NHS in England and Wales because it is still too expensive, says the watchdog NICE. BBC News

See also:

• Kadcyla price still too high NICE
• Breast cancer drug Kadcyla is axed by NHS because of its cost The Daily Mail
• Postcode lottery for cancer drug as Nice rules Kadcyla too expensive The Guardian
• Breast cancer drug too expensive to be routinely available on NHS, watchdog rules The Independent
• Roche breast cancer drug at centre of UK pricing row Reuters

Drugmakers urge new antibiotics funds

Drugmakers urge new antibiotics funds AstraZeneca and pharmaceutical bodies warn of a "terrible human cost" unless new ways of funding antibiotics are found. BBC News

Iain Duncan Smith's tougher fit-to-work tests coincide with 590 additional suicides

Iain Duncan Smith's tougher fit-to-work tests coincide with 590 additional suicides Academic researchers also find 279,000 cases of mental ill health and 725,000 more prescriptions for antidepressants. The Independent

See also:

• ‘First, do no harm’: are disability assessments associated with adverse trends in mental health? A longitudinal ecological study (open access) Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 

More babies born to women over 35 than under 25 for the first time

More babies born to women over 35 than under 25 for the first time Latest figures show not only are women having children later in life, but fewer women are having children at all. The Independent

Health watchdog blew £8.7 million on luxury hotels, dinners and travel expenses for hospital and care home inspectors in a year

Health watchdog blew £8.7 million on luxury hotels, dinners and travel expenses for hospital and care home inspectors in a year The Care Quality Commission spent it during routine checks of hospitals and care homes. It includes an £80,000 hotel bill racked up by 118 officials inspecting a single NHS trust in Dorset. The Daily Mail

GMC calls for tougher powers to check European doctors' skills

GMC calls for tougher powers to check European doctors' skills Regulator’s chief executive says EU rules still have major weaknesses and moves to introduce digital ‘passports to practise’ could make matters worse

EU rules governing the checks that UK authorities can make on doctors still have major weaknesses seven years after a patient safety scandal revealed catastrophic flaws in the system, according to Britain’s medical regulator.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the General Medical Council (GMC), said it must have the same powers to check the competence and medical skills of doctors from Europe as it already does for medics from the rest of the world.

We are worried that something will go wrong if we are not able to do what we need to do. Continue reading... The Guardian

Andrew Lansley takes post advising drugs firm involved in dispute with NHS

Andrew Lansley takes post advising drugs firm involved in dispute with NHS Former health secretary declares three more private sector jobs roles on House of Lords register of interests.

Andrew Lansley, the former health secretary, has taken on three more private sector jobs, including advising a pharmaceuticals firm at the centre of a row over the price it charges the NHS for cancer drugs.

Despite David Cameron’s promise in 2010 to end the “revolving door” between Whitehall and the private sector, the recently ennobled Tory peer has declared work as an adviser to Roche, the Swiss drugs company, and as an adviser to private equity firm Blackstone on investments in the health sector. Continue reading... The Guardian

Telling people they are at risk of disease makes the healthy sick, warns professor

Telling people they are at risk of disease makes the healthy sick, warns professor Doctors are treating people at risk of disease as if they have already developed the condition, an expert warns. The Daily Telegraph

New laser treatment for prostate patients treated at Kettering General Hospital

New laser treatment for prostate patients treated at Kettering General Hospital Kettering General Hospital has introduced a new laser operation to help patients who need treatment for benign enlargement of the prostate. Northamptonshire Telegraph

ESPAUR report reveals continued rise in antibiotic resistant infections

ESPAUR report reveals continued rise in antibiotic resistant infections A new report from Public Health England shows that overall antibiotic resistant infections increased through 2014. Rates of bloodstream infections caused by Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae increased by 15.6% and 20.8% respectively, from 2010 to 2014. However, Streptococcus pneumoniae bloodstream infections reduced by 23% between 2010 and 2014, which may be related to increased pneumococcal vaccination rates.

See also:

• English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) report Public Health England
• Shared decision making reduces antibiotic use OnMedica
• Dr Maureen Baker: GPs have made real progress on antibiotic prescribing, but there's still more to do GP Online
• 'Last resort' antibiotics pose growing threat to healthcare, report warns The Guardian
• Hospitals turning to last-resort antibiotics as drug-resistant infections continue to rise The Independent

Guidance for people with dementia and carers

Guidance for people with dementia and carers Guidance for carers and people with dementia to explain what good quality services should look like. London Dementia Strategic Clinical Network

See also:

• Dementia – Immediate Post Diagnosis Support Guidance London Dementia Strategic Clinical Network

Smart dressing 'cuts antibiotic use'

Smart dressing 'cuts antibiotic use' A medical dressing that changes colour when it detects infection could cut the unnecessary use of antibiotics, say scientists at Bath University. BBC News

FPLD disappointed with government response to consultation on ‘No voice unheard, no right ignored’

FPLD disappointed with government response to consultation on ‘No voice unheard, no right ignored’ Earlier this week, the government responded to the consultation on No voice unheard, no right ignored, which was commissioned under the previous coalition government.


Addressing similar issues to the recently unveiled NHS England national plan Building the Right Support, the consultation sought to explore ways people with learning disabilities could be supported to lead more independent lives and to have more control and choices over the services they receive. However, the government’s consultation response has come as a disappointment to the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities.

GP practices must deliver further efficiency savings, NHS England tells DDRB

GP practices must deliver further efficiency savings, NHS England tells DDRB NHS England has rejected BMA warnings that GP practices have delivered nearly all possible efficiency savings in evidence to the Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB). GP Online

Hundreds of consultants tell Jeremy Hunt they back junior doctors' strike

Hundreds of consultants tell Jeremy Hunt they back junior doctors' strike Royal Free London consultants write to health secretary saying junior doctors are integral to NHS and they will support any industrial action.

Hundreds of consultants from the Royal Free London NHS foundation trust have written to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, to express their support for junior doctors and to back possible industrial action.

In a letter to the Guardian, the 505 consultants, who will bear the brunt of any potential strike, say they recognise that junior doctors are an integral part of the health service. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Junior doctors contract row: an explainer The Guardian
• NHS junior doctor contracts: UK's leading expert on patient safety Sir Robert Francis urges doctors not to strike The Independent
• Junior doctors strike: 40,000 prepare to stage mass walk-out in December The Independent

Surge in number of UK adults with diabetes

Surge in number of UK adults with diabetes On World Diabetes Day, British Heart Foundation analysis finds nearly 3.5 million British people have condition.

The number of UK adults with diabetes has risen by more than 65% since 2005, figures show. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Diabetes cases in the UK rise by 65% in 10 years The Independent

2.5 million men 'have no close friends'

2.5 million men 'have no close friends' Stark new research shows chances of friendlessness trebles by late middle age. The Daily Telegraph

BMA announces industrial action dates

BMA announces industrial action dates British Medical Association has announced the dates they will take industrial action, over the ongoing contract reform dispute with the Government. NHS Employers

See also:

• Juniors' contract: industrial action dates set British Medical Association
• Response to BMA JDC announcing proposed industrial action schedule NHS Employers
• Junior doctors set to strike for three days in December, union announces  The Daily Mail
• The BMA's strike threats 'could be interpreted as a betrayal of the Hippocratic Oath' The Daily Telegraph
• Junior doctors to have first 'all-out' strike in history if ballot passes The Daily Telegraph
• The junior doctors' contract threatens research and medical progress The Daily Telegraph
• NHS strike: the junior doctors are lions led by donkeys The Daily Telegraph
• BMA confirms junior doctor strike dates for December GP Online
• Facing Jeremy Hunt's fear: an interview with a militant NHS doctor The Guardian
• Junior doctors to strike for three days in December if ballot is approved The Guardian
• Hunt condemns junior doctors' 'extreme' three-day strike proposal The Guardian
• Junior doctors strike: Action would harm vulnerable patients, says Jeremy Hunt The Independent
• Jeremy Hunt snubbed by trainee surgeons over inappropriate invitation to discuss junior doctor's strike The Independent

Devolution – silver bullet or Swiss cheese?

Devolution – silver bullet or Swiss cheese? In recent months, health has found itself caught up in government’s latest big idea – devolution. Adjectives such as ‘historic’ and ‘ground-breaking’ have been used by some to describe the deals signed so far, while others have suggested they herald the start of a ‘two-tier’ or ‘Swiss-cheese’ health service. But what does devolution really mean for the NHS? The King's Fund

Dementia: the R&D landscape

Dementia: the R&D landscape This research paper provides an overview of the current dementia R&D landscape. It begins with a brief overview of the current thinking on the reasons for successes and failures of dementia treatments, based on a selective literature review.Please note that you will need to register to access this report. Office of Health Economics

Agenda for later life 2015: a great place to grow older

Agenda for later life 2015: a great place to grow older This report assesses how public policy is meeting the needs of people in later life. It finds that while many areas of life for older people have improved – including digital inclusion and employment - progress in other areas has stalled or even gone backwards. This is most marked in health, care and wellbeing, continuing a trend found last year. Age UK

Homeopathy 'could be blacklisted'

Homeopathy 'could be blacklisted' Ministers are considering whether homeopathy should be put on an NHS blacklist of banned treatments, the BBC learns. BBC News

See also:

• Statement on Homeopathy and NHMRC Information Paper - Evidence on the effectiveness of homeopathy for treating health conditions Australian Government National Health & Medical Research Council
• Homeopathy NHS Choices
• Ban homeopathy on the NHS because there is 'no evidence it works' The Daily Mail

Benefit sanctions against people with mental health problems up by 600 per cent

Benefit sanctions against people with mental health problems up by 600 per cent Charities have warned that sanctions are making mental health problems worse. The Independent

See also:

• Huge rise in people with mental illness having benefits stopped as ‘punishment’ Metro

Jeremy Hunt aims to cut number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths

Jeremy Hunt aims to cut number of stillbirths and neonatal deaths UK ranked 33 out of 35 high-income countries in 2011 study on stillbirths, and has one of highest rates in Europe

A drive to halve the number of stillbirths and deaths among newborn babies and mothers has been launched by health secretary Jeremy Hunt.

NHS trusts with maternity services will have to show how they are performing, and new data on stillbirth and neonatal death will be published at trust level so results can be compared. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• New ambition to halve rate of stillbirths and infant deaths Department of Health

NHS misses key targets in run-up to busy winter period

NHS misses key targets in run-up to busy winter period Number of patients seen within four hours at lowest since targets were introduced as hospitals face surge of cases over winter

The NHS in England missed several key targets for A&E admissions, cancer referrals, ambulance response times and NHS 111 calls in September as it braces itself for a busy winter period.

Against a target of 95%, 93.4% of patients attending emergency departments were seen within four hours in September. The figure was 94.3% the previous month. The A&E data for September is often cited as an indicator of pressure on the NHS as it prepares for winter. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Winter NHS pressures 'bite early' BBC News
• NHS Hospitals forced to turn patients away as bedblocking hits record high The Daily Mail
• NHS figures reveal record number of patients kept in hospital too long The Independent

Hundreds of thousands could already be infected by new sexual disease

Hundreds of thousands could already be infected by new sexual disease A new sexually transmitted disease could already have infected hundred of thousands of people, senior doctors have warned. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Scientists identify new STD that could affect hundreds of thousands of adults - and it often has NO symptoms The Daily Mail
• Hundreds of thousands of British adults could have newly-identified sexually transmitted infection The Independent

Mental health services take a 'leap in the dark' on patient care

Mental health services take a 'leap in the dark' on patient care Large-scale changes to mental health services are a ‘leap in the dark’ and are having a negative impact on patient care, says a briefing published today by The King’s Fund.

See also:

• Mental health under pressure (briefing) The King’s Fund
• Mental health cuts 'hitting patients' BBC News
• Mental health patients 'at risk' due to budget cuts, leading think tank warns The Daily Telegraph
• Mental health budget cuts putting services under 'huge pressure' The Guardian

Place-based systems of care: A way forward for the NHS in England

Place-based systems of care: A way forward for the NHS in England The NHS in England is facing growing financial and service pressures at a time of rising demand. This paper proposes a new approach to tackling these challenges. It argues that NHS organisations need to move away from a ‘fortress mentality’ whereby they act to secure their own individual interests and future, and instead establish place-based ‘systems of care’ in which they collaborate with other NHS organisations and services to address the challenges and improve the health of the populations they serve. The King's Fund

See also:

Ten design principles for place-based systems of care The King's Fund

Staff engagement - necessity or luxury?

Staff engagement - necessity or luxury? Our latest blog addresses why staff engagement has never been so important and how it will help to address key NHS workforce challenges. NHS Employers

RCN members warned about contract changes

RCN members warned about contract changes The RCN is concerned about an increasing number of NHS trusts that are asking nurses to volunteer to work overtime at basic rates of pay. Royal College of Nursing

Muslim hospice care need 'to rise'

Muslim hospice care need 'to rise' UK hospices could see a significant increase in Muslim patients in the coming years, in part due to changes to the traditional family structure, a report suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Bridging the gap: strengthening relations between hospices and Muslims of Britain Woolf Institute

NHS v ministers: A case of deja vu?

NHS v ministers: A case of deja vu? Article looks at the current political situation of the NHS and Conservative party policy. BBC News

'Alarm' as patients shun flu jab

'Alarm' as patients shun flu jab Doctors have expressed alarm at a seemingly sharp fall in the number of people having the seasonal flu jab. BBC News

See also:

• Thousands of patients risking their health by ‘shunning’ flu jab, say family doctors Royal College of General Practitioners
• 1000s shunning flu jab as Doctors warn warm weather is delaying 'at risk' groups The Daily Mail
• Thousands risking health by shunning flu jab, warn GPs The Guardian

Failure to resolve juniors’ contract ‘will destabilise NHS’

Failure to resolve juniors’ contract ‘will destabilise NHS’ RCGP stays firm in wholehearted support for juniors and calls for fresh negotiations. OnMedica

Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey released from London hospital after full recovery

Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey released from London hospital after full recovery The 39-year-old Scot has been transferred to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to continue her recovery. The Independent

Twitter hashtags can identify outbreaks of norovirus and food poisoning

Twitter hashtags can identify outbreaks of norovirus and food poisoning Experts at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said a trial found they were able to identify outbreaks two weeks earlier than the normal reporting process through GPs. The Daily Mail

GPs given control of NHS budgets paid their OWN companies £2.4bn of taxpayers' money, major investigation reveals

GPs given control of NHS budgets paid their OWN companies £2.4bn of taxpayers' money, major investigation reveals Clinical Commissioning Groups, who 'buy' healthcare services for their local area, awarded 437 contracts to companies their board members owned or worked for, the BMJ has found. The Daily Mail

See also:

• General practice commissioning: in whose interests? The BMJ

​Jeremy Hunt has torn up social contract between junior doctors and the state

​Jeremy Hunt has torn up social contract between junior doctors and the state Doctors give a lifetime of work to the NHS in return for job security and fair terms and conditions – but the proposed new contract breaks bond of trust

As doctors, we embark on a 40-year-plus career in the NHS knowing full well that work life is going to be tough. Long hours, a low starting salary compared to other professions (earning £23,000 a year, compared with the national average salary of £27,000), high levels of stress, regularly doing extra work for no extra pay, and emotionally difficult experiences with sick and dying patients await us.

Although it is also extremely rewarding and a privilege to serve and be trusted by the public, amedical career takes its toll on work-life balance. Doctors have high rates of mental health problems and alcohol dependency. Family breakdown is common. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS unlikely to get large funding boost this year, says Jeremy Hunt

NHS unlikely to get large funding boost this year, says Jeremy Hunt Health secretary tells NHS managers to expect ‘most difficult spending review in a generation’ ahead of autumn statement

Jeremy Hunt has warned the NHS that it is unlikely to get a significant boost to its budget in George Osborne’s forthcoming spending review, but hinted that ministers have recognised that additional cuts to social care would only put further strain on frontline health services.

Speaking to an audience of 500 NHS bosses, the health secretary sought to lower expectations that the chancellor will be able to hand the NHS a sizeable down payment on the £8bn the government has sought to provide by 2020 in his autumn statement on 25 November. Continue reading... The Guardian

Costly care homes may not be the best, league tables reveal

Costly care homes may not be the best, league tables reveal The first national league tables comparing cost and quality of care homes shows that the places which charge the most do not always offer the best care. The Daily Telegraph

GP super-practice to run 'front door' at busiest A&E in England

GP super-practice to run 'front door' at busiest A&E in England A GP super-practice is set to take over the the busiest emergency department 'front door' in the NHS. University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust working with the three Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland CCGs appointed the Corby-based GP super-practice Lakeside Healthcare. GP Online

The Care Collapse: The imminent crisis in residential care and its impact on the NHS

The Care Collapse: The imminent crisis in residential care and its impact on the NHS Research assessing the state of the residential care industry, including an analysis of its future financial viability.

We do not believe it is an understatement to say that Britain’s residential care sector is in crisis. Providers are being faced with an unsustainable combination of declining real terms funding, rising demand for their services, and increasing financial liabilities. Our research projects a funding gap of over £1 billion for older people’s residential care alone by 2020/21, which could result in the loss of around 37,000 beds. This is greater in scale than the collapse of Southern Cross in 2011, which affected 31,000 older people.

Given the perilous state of the industry, there is no private sector provider with the capacity to take in the residents who would be affected by the loss of other providers’ beds. Consequently we believe the worst outcome is the most likely: that the vast majority of care home residents will end up on general hospital wards. We project that if all these care home lost beds were to flow through to hospitals in this way, the annual cost to the NHS would total £3 billion. ResPublica

See also:

• UK care home sector 'could lose 10% of beds in five years' The Guardian
• Care homes cash crisis could see collapse of residential care within five years, says study The Independent

Empower staff to improve staff engagement

Empower staff to improve staff engagement Learn how the George Eliot trust greatly improved its staff engagement scores by letting staff create the vision and values of the organisation. Case study from NHS Employers

‘Outdated stigma’ preventing parents from seeking life-saving mental health support

‘Outdated stigma’ preventing parents from seeking life-saving mental health support New survey reveals that new parents are experiencing depression or anxiety without professional support because they feel too afraid to seek help. Royal College of Nursing

NHS pay: 50,000 earn £100,000 or more

NHS pay: 50,000'earn £100,000 or more' There are more than 50,000 people in the NHS who earned more than £100,000 in 2013-14, an investigation by the Taxpayers' Alliance and Daily Mail shows. BBC News

See also:

• EXCLUSIVE: NHS boss made you pay for cancelled safari... and the hospital chief who put £2,000 Ibiza trip on expenses: Day two exposing the scandal of Britain's public sector fat cats The Daily Mail
• 50,137 NHS staff on £100,000 or more The TaxPayers' Alliance

Exclusive: GMC on track to hit three-year GP revalidation target

Exclusive: GMC on track to hit three-year GP revalidation target The GMC is on track to hit its target of revalidating all GPs who were on its register in December 2012 by the end of March 2016, official statistics suggest. GP Online

HCA International Limited could be forced to sell one of its hospitals due to market dominance, says watchdog

HCA International Limited could be forced to sell one of its hospitals due to market dominance, says watchdog Competition watchdog says its market dominance means insurance firms are being overcharged. The Independent

See also:

• Private healthcare market investigation: provisional findings and remedies Competition and Markets Authority

End the macho culture keeping women from the top of NHS

End the macho culture keeping women from the top of NHS It is not long hours or work-life balance fears that keep women from seeking senior roles but the behaviour of white men in grey suits

Women make up the majority of the healthcare workforce, and there are more women than men in junior positions in NHS finance, yet they are still underrepresented in the senior financial ranks, and especially on boards. While women are slowly smashing the glass ceiling across other industries why is it that women in the NHS sometimes struggle to reach the top? For a fluid organisation that prides itself on moving with the times, it is disappointing to see.

Balanced boards, whether that’s relative to experience, background, race or gender, mean better boards, and an organisation should always reflect the people it serves. Yet there seems to be a growing acceptance that women, while excelling in their professional careers and proving to be equally capable as their male counterparts, are still falling short of reaching the top echelons of the UK healthcare system. Continue reading... The Guardian

Gay men need clear information about ‘chemsex’, not messages about morality | Marco Scalvini

Gay men need clear information about ‘chemsex’, not messages about morality | Marco Scalvini When health professionals and the media talk about gay sex as an emergency health issue, they may actually encourage risky behaviour.

In the past week the public has been alerted to “risky behaviours” among gay men in London. Triggered by an editorial in the BMJ, the media has been warning of the “dangers of chemsex”, an activity labelled an “increasing risk to public health”. While there is undoubtedly an issue here, we need a strategy for dealing with the dangers of chemsex that works, rather than one that appears to favour transmitting a moral message instead of offering straightforward information.

Drug abuse and HIV continue to present profound challenges, but a climate of moral panic is counter-productive Continue reading... The Guardian

County Council Cabinet To Consider Wellbeing Company Business Case

County Council Cabinet To Consider Wellbeing Company Business Case The business case for the new Wellbeing Community Interest Company (CIC) is set to be discussed at Northamptonshire County Council’s cabinet meeting on the 10th November 2015.

Northamptonshire County Council, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Northampton are working together to form the new company, which will bring together services and expertise that enable people to feel healthier and better about themselves. About My Area

Delayed transfers of care: join the queue

Delayed transfers of care: join the queueDelayed transfers of care, where patients are ready to return home or transfer to another form of care but still occupy a hospital bed, are a hot topic of discussion right now – whether because ofmoney, impact on patient experience or hospital flow. The publication later this week of the findings of NHS Providers’ Right Place, Right Time Commission will generate further debate.

Before the Commission puts forward its views on what good practice around delayed transfers of care looks like, let’s consider the current situation. The King's Fund

Guidance: Giving adults voice, choice and control in social care

Guidance: Giving adults voice, choice and control in social care This document provides guidance on how registered nurses, care and support staff can enable relationship-centred care, and how they can work with others to achieve personalised care and support.

The guidance is for staff across a range of care settings, including care home staff and carers who look after people in their own homes. Department of Health

Junior doctors industrial action

Junior doctors industrial action The latest information and guidance to help employers plan for industrial action as a result of the government proposals to introduce new contracts for junior doctors. NHS Employers

Managing adult malnutrition in the community: a spotlight on information, help and support available for patients and carers in England

Managing adult malnutrition in the community: a spotlight on information, help and support available for patients and carers in England This report outlines the results of a survey looking into the growing issue of malnutrition. It found that there are currently more than three million people in the UK who are either malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. The report argues that substantial savings to the NHS could be made if malnutrition is prioritised, estimating that £13 billion is spent annually on treatment for malnutrition. The Patients Association

Dead on arrival? Evaluating the Public Health Responsibility Deal for alcohol

Dead on arrival? Evaluating the Public Health Responsibility Deal for alcohol The government's flagship public health programme was launched in 2011 and brought together commercial organisations, academics, public bodies and non-government organisations to commit to a set of non-binding pledges to reduce health harms. This report evaluates the success of this programme in reducing alcohol-related harm and highlights failures of the policy's effectiveness and implementation. Institute of Alcohol Studies

Do NHS healthcare commissioners produce the outcomes they hope to achieve?

Do NHS healthcare commissioners produce the outcomes they hope to achieve? Commissioners made marginal investments in specific health conditions and services with the aim of improving a wide range of outcomes. There was little evidence of impact on the limited number of outcomes measured. BMJ Open

No hard evidence champagne can prevent dementia

No hard evidence champagne can prevent dementia"Drinking three glasses of champagne per week could help stave off dementia and Alzheimer's disease," the Daily Mirror reports. But before you break out the Bolly, you should know the study that prompted this headline was on rats.

The study that forms the basis of these reports was actually published in 2013, but apparently recently went viral on social media. NHS Choices

How much money for health?

How much money for health? The head of NHS England Simon Stevens has warned that "the rubber will really hit the road" for the NHS in England in the next financial year 2016/17 and the year after.

Even by the standards of normal spending round rhetoric, Mr Stevens' comments will raise eyebrows in Whitehall. There is nothing new about high spending departments defending their territory in the face of pressure for economies from the Treasury. But it seems that even in negotiations over a protected budget like health, stress levels are rising. BBC News

Call for overhaul of child 'fat letters'

Call for overhaul of child 'fat letters' Public health experts say the "fat letters" posted to parents to tell them if their child is overweight are crude and unhelpful and need an overhaul. BBC News

See also:

• Reform or scrap the ‘fat letter’ to parents Royal Society for Public Health
• Tackling the UK's childhood obesity epidemic (position paper) Royal Society for Public Health
• Parents of obese children should get healthy food vouchers, experts say The Guardian

Exclusive: GPs face CQC fees proportionally five times higher than hospitals

Exclusive: GPs face CQC fees proportionally five times higher than hospitals GP practices will be forced to hand over a three to five times larger proportion of their annual funding than NHS trusts for CQC registration once a controversial fee hike takes effect, GP Online can reveal.

Royal College sets out standards for cosmetic surgeons

Royal College sets out standards for cosmetic surgeons From next year surgeons will be able to apply for certification to perform cosmetic procedures. OnMedica

See also:

• Cosmetic Surgery: Certification updates Royal College of Surgeons

Leading causes of death revealed: Cancer accounts for almost a third of deaths while heart disease and dementia were leading causes for men and dementia in women

Leading causes of death revealed: Cancer accounts for almost a third of deaths while heart disease and dementia were leading causes for men and dementia in women Figures released by the Office for National Statistics for England and Wales showed the proportion of dementia deaths in women rose from 12.2 per cent in 2013 to 13.4 per cent last year. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Deaths Registered in England and Wales 2014 Office for National Statistics

George Osborne skews spending towards health and elderly people

George Osborne skews spending towards health and elderly people Spending review on 23 November is expected to shift funding away from education and economic development, within overall cuts to state budget

George Osborne’s decade-long redesign of the British state will result in 44% of state spending going on health and elderly people, the highest proportion since comparable records began in the 1990s.

As the chancellor hailed the first decisions in the forthcoming spending review, new research from a thinktank reveals how these two areas increasingly dominate public finances, having risen by a quarter in the past decade. Continue reading... The Guardian

Lives must not be put at risk

Lives must not be put at risk With the Government's Spending Review due to in weeks, the Care Quality Commission's Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, Andrea Sutcliffe, sets out her four challenges for the care system. The Daily Telegraph

Social care: a future we don’t yet know

Social care: a future we don’t yet know Next month the government will set out its plans for public service spending through to 2020. As John Appleby explained in his recent blog, the likely outlook is likely to be the largest sustained fall in NHS spending as a share of GDP in any period since 1951. But what about social care?

Care services minister Alistair Burt recently told local authority chiefs that ‘funding is still unclear…I will find out what the funding is when you find out, when the Chancellor stands up in Westminster to deliver the Autumn Statement.’ While we are waiting, our analysis of past trends and future projections for social care makes disturbing reading.

In the 15 years to 2009, local authority net spending on adult social care for all age groups increased by an average of almost 6 per cent a year over and above inflation (figure 1). But because social care forms part of local government spending – which, unlike the NHS, was not ring-fenced in the 2010 Spending Review – this trend has reversed sharply over the past five years. Spending has dropped by an average of 2.2 per cent a year since 2009.

Money has been transferred from the NHS budget to social care (reaching £1 billion last year), which has helped a bit. Without this, the real-terms fall would have been 3.6 per cent. Most of this transferred money came from the NHS’s average annual real-terms increase of 0.84 per cent. Understandably, many are worried about further reliance on an increasingly cash-strapped NHS to prop up social care. The King's Fund

Does the NHS need more ratings?

Does the NHS need more ratings? Last week, Jeremy Hunt announced the government’s plans to introduce Ofsted-style ratings for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), to help fill what he called the ‘transparency gap’ in the NHS. He said the ratings would help the public to understand the quality of their local services and how this compares with other places. But are more ratings really what the NHS needs?

Drawing on the findings of our recent review for the Department of Health on measuring the performance of local health systems, we would suggest there are at least five important questions to be asked about these plans. The King's Fund

Employee factsheet on state pension changes now available

Employee factsheet on state pension changes now available The state pension is changing from 6 April 2016 which will have implications for NHS staff.

This short, informative factsheet will help staff understand the changes, including who will be affected and where they can find more information. NHS Employers

Gene editing breakthrough in treating baby's leukaemia

Gene editing breakthrough in treating baby's leukaemia"Baby girl is first in the world to be treated with 'designer immune cells'," The Guardian reports.

Pioneering work carried out at Great Ormond Street Hospital made use of a new technique known as genome editing.

The girl, one-year-old Layla Richards, developed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) when she was five months old.

ALL is cancer of the white blood cells and although it is generally rare, it is one of the most common childhood cancers, affecting around 1 in 2,000 children.

The outlook for ALL is usually good, with around 85% of children achieving a complete cure. However, this was not the case with Layla, as she failed to respond to conventional treatments. The staff treating Layla at Great Ormond Street Hospital sought permission to try a new technique, previously only used in mice, called genome editing.

Heads 'calling 999 over mental health'

Heads 'calling 999 over mental health' Schools are having to call the emergency services to get treatment for mentally ill pupils because of a lack of basic provision, head teachers say. BBC News

See also:

• Councils spending just 1% of health budgets on mental health The Guardian

Arriva may face SFO fraud inquiry over NHS deal

Arriva may face SFO fraud inquiry over NHS deal Ministers have hinted that the transport giant Arriva could be subjected to a Serious Fraud Office inquiry after it inflated figures on an NHS contract. The Independent

NHS mental health trust admits whistleblower who spoke out about bullying acted in good faith

NHS mental health trust admits whistleblower who spoke out about bullying acted in good faith Dr Hayley Dare was ridiculed after revealing culture of bullying and harassment at West London Mental Health NHS Trust. The Independent

A third of home-care providers fail to meet even basic standards

A third of home-care providers fail to meet even basic standards Failing home-care providers have been warned by a Government Minister they must 'shape up or shut down' after it was found nearly a third of agencies are failing to meet basic standards. The Daily Mail

See also:

• What happens to older people who can't afford good care? The Guardian

NHS facing financial collapse without more cash, warns London trust chief

NHS facing financial collapse without more cash, warns London trust chief Chair of south-west London trust says hospitals will be unable to pay staff next year unless Jeremy Hunt doubles annual funding rise to £4bn

The NHS is gripped by “an accelerating financial disaster” that could mean hospitals are unable to pay their staff next year, one of the service’s bosses has said.

Christopher Smallwood, chairman of St George’s University Hospitals NHS foundation trust, which serves 1.3 million people in south-west London, claims that years of underfunding have left hospitals short of staff and unable to meet waiting time targets for cancer and A&E care. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• As chair of a trust, I’m speaking out. The NHS is headed for financial ruin | Christopher Smallwood The Guardian
• NHS meltdown this winter The Daily Telegraph

Doctors who left NHS for Australia: ‘More cash, fewer hours, less pressure’

Doctors who left NHS for Australia: ‘More cash, fewer hours, less pressure’ As the row over junior doctors’ contracts intensifies, thousands of NHS staff are applying to work abroad. Here three who have moved explain why they went

Sarah Wollaston, chair of the Commons health committee, revealed last month that her daughter, a junior doctor, and eight of her friends had all quit the NHS to find work in Australia. It’s a disturbing trend: but as the dissatisfaction over hours and conditions in the NHS grows, it may be one we have to get used to.

Australia has long attracted doctors from Britain. Depending on their seniority, doctors can earn up to 50% more in Sydney or Melbourne, despite generally working less overtime. With the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, now threatening to impose a tough new contract on junior doctors – one that would see their working hours increased and pay cut – the lure of Australia is growing. Continue reading... The Guardian

Jeremy Hunt cannot escape responsibility for the NHS's mounting problems

Jeremy Hunt cannot escape responsibility for the NHS's mounting problems The health secretary is a skilled politician who has positioned himself as the patients’ champion, but his days in the post appear to be numbered.

Jeremy Hunt’s confrontation with junior doctors over seven-day working adds to a growing list of problems beginning to engulf the health secretary. Will he still be at the department’s Richmond House headquarters at the end of this parliament?

It is just over three years since Hunt replaced Andrew Lansley. It quickly became clear why David Cameron was so determined to keep Hunt in government despite the controversy surrounding his handling of News Corporation’s bid for BSkyB while he was culture secretary. Immediately burying any mention of the toxic health reforms, he shrewdly repositioned the role of health secretary from representing the NHS to government, to representing the interests of patients to the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian

Experts worried pre-natal blood test might lead to sex-selective abortions

Experts worried pre-natal blood test might lead to sex-selective abortions Government officials are concerned NIPT test might be used by people who may want to abort a foetus because of a baby's sex. The Daily Telegraph