Industrial action ballot thresholds in important public services

Industrial action ballot thresholds in important public services Find out about the government's introduction of new rules for industrial action and the implications for the NHS. NHS Employers

Higher quality dementia care

Higher quality dementia care This policy briefing paper outlines the fact that one in three people over the age of 65 will develop dementia and the annual societal costs to the UK exceed £26 billion. Centre for health Economics

Rules of engagement: lessons from PANORAMA

Rules of engagement: lessons from PANORAMA The PANORAMA Panel was a patient engagement project where, over the course of two years, 31 panelists from across Ontario met to share their lived experiences and insights as patients and family caregivers on a range of issues related to improving people’s healthcare experience. This report outlines key moments in the engagement process that require extra thought and preparation. These recommendations aim to ensure that patient engagement initiatives deliver results for organizations, and also make participants feel valued and respected in the process. The Change Foundation

New report sheds light on A&E attendances in England

New report sheds light on A&E attendances in England New analysis of more than 19 million Accident and Emergency (A&E) attendances (2) in England has been published today by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

See also:

• Accident and Emergency Attendances in England - 2014-15 Health and Social Care Information Centre
• Soaring numbers of pensioners rushed to hospital by ambulance The Daily Telegraph
• Care cuts criticised after sharp rise in ambulance calls to over-90s The Guardian

Short home care visits 'plague system'

Short home care visits 'plague system' Unacceptably short 15-minute home care visits to elderly and disabled people are still plaguing the care system in England, a report suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Suffering at home alone: a report on the lack of time in our home care system Unison
• Councils still insisting on 15 minute homecare visits (press release) Unison

NHS trust remains in special measures

NHS trust remains in special measures The first NHS hospital to be privately run will remain in special measures after the Care Quality Commission said it "requires improvement". BBC News

Loneliness blamed for increasing visits to GPs and referrals for social care

Loneliness blamed for increasing visits to GPs and referrals for social care More than three quarters of GPs see between one and five lonely people a day. OnMedica

Care homes face crisis as CQC inspectors threaten mass walkout over pay cuts

Care homes face crisis as CQC inspectors threaten mass walkout over pay cuts Hundreds of staff are on the brink of quitting the care home inspectorate after their roles were outsourced to a private firm – which is making them reapply for the jobs on less than half their pay.

The mass exodus of staff from the CQC threatens to undermine the health and social care regulator’s ability to ensure elderly people are being properly looked after. The Independent

How Zika virus spread around the world

How Zika virus spread around the world With new cases emerging every day, the virus with links to alarming birth defects and neurological syndromes has now completely circumnavigated the world, mostly in a matter of months. That's pandemic behaviour, a leading virologist says. The Independent

See also:

• Zika 'emergency team' set up - WHO BBC News
• 'Growing Zika crisis' in Brazilian city BBC News
• Zika outbreak: The mosquito menace BBC News
• Zika: Vaccine trials for disease linked to 'shrunken heads' could start this year, officials say The Independent

NHS caesarean death: landmark corporate manslaughter trial collapses

NHS caesarean death: landmark corporate manslaughter trial collapses Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust and anaesthetist Errol Cornish acquitted of manslaughter charges over death of Frances Cappuccini

A landmark manslaughter case against an anaesthetist and an NHS trust over the death of a woman hours after she gave birth to her second child has collapsed after a judge ruled there was no case to answer.

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS trust was accused of corporate manslaughter in connection with the death of schoolteacher Frances Cappuccini, 30, the first prosecution of a health service body since the offence was introduced in 2008. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Caesarean mother death trial halted BBC News
• Judge orders jury to find NHS hospital and doctor NOT GUILTY over Frances Cappuccini’s death The Daily Mail
• Frances Cappuccini: NHS trust and anaesthetist cleared over death of mother after postnatal surgery The Independent

NHS to fund hand transplants in a world first

NHS to fund hand transplants in a world first NHS to offer hand transplants for the first time, as surgeons prepare to offer the first 'double transplant'. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS to carry out hand transplants BBC News
• NHS to begin offering hand transplants in April The Guardian
• NHS patients to receive first hand and arm transplants The Independent

Pressures continues at A&E Departments at Northamptonshire’s Hospitals

Pressures continues at A&E Departments at Northamptonshire’s Hospitals Health leaders in Northamptonshire are urging members of the public to only come to hospital Accident and & Emergency departments if it is absolutely necessary.

They are also urging relatives of patients who have been discharged from the hospital and are ready to go home to collect them in a timely manner to help speed up the admission of patients waiting in A&E.

Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital are continuing to experience extremely high numbers of attendees at their Accident and Emergency departments. Northants Herald and Post

A dozen pupils taken ill after reaction to meningitis jab at Northampton School for Boys

A dozen pupils taken ill after reaction to meningitis jab at Northampton School for Boys A schoolboy was taken to hospital after suffering a reaction to vaccinations at his Northampton school. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Paramedics called to school as pupils collapse after vaccinations The Mirror
• Were jabs which caused students to faint at Northampton school a 'duff batch'? Northants Herald and Post
• Warning as up to 15 kids COLLAPSE and one rushed to A&E after 'duff jabs' at school The Sun

Growing old together: Sharing new ways to support older people

Growing old together: Sharing new ways to support older people The Commission on Improving Urgent Care for Older People was launched in March 2015.

The aim of the Commission was to produce guidance for people involved in designing care for older people.

The background to the Commission is a concern that the care system is increasingly ill adapted to the needs of older people and particularly those with long-term conditions and/or frailty. This can lead to a lower quality of care for older people and also impact on the ability of the system to care for all patients. Issues include a lack of out-of-hospital services as an alternative to A&E, not enough focus on prevention and early intervention, delayed transfers of care, and the need to take a holistic view of people’s health and wellbeing and provide solutions which meet their needs. NHS Confederation

See also:

• Older people in need 'let down by NHS' BBC News
• Put senior doctors on the door of A&E to reduce needless elderly admissions, say experts The Daily Telegraph

Mentoring support for young apprentices

Mentoring support for young apprentices Find out why Leeds Teaching Hospitals introduced two levels of mentoring for young apprentices in this ThinkFuture case study. NHS Employers

High Street pharmacies 'face closure'

High Street pharmacies 'face closure' Thousands of High Street pharmacies in England face closure following Department of Health plans to cut NHS funding by £170m, a government minister says. BBC News

Zika 'could become explosive pandemic'

Zika 'could become explosive pandemic' Researchers in the US urge the World Health Organisation to take urgent action over the zika virus, linked to shrunken brains in unborn children. BBC News

See also:

• Zika virus: travel advice for pregnant women Public Health England
• Zika vaccine 'could be 10 years away' BBC News
• VIDEO: Inside high-security Zika lab BBC News
• Obama calls for urgent action on Zika BBC News
• Zika vaccine won't be ready for a DECADE because the outbreak took hold so quickly, leading expert warns The Daily Mail
• Zika virus: President Obama calls for rapid development of tests, vaccines and treatments to combat outbreak The Independent

Mass GP resignations 'likely' as union urges LMCs to back crisis conference vote

Mass GP resignations 'likely' as union urges LMCs to back crisis conference vote GPs are ready to back calls for the profession to resign en masse from practice contracts at this weekend's special LMCs conference, union leaders say. GP Online

Children given antidepressants are twice as likely to become suicidal, claims new study

Children given antidepressants are twice as likely to become suicidal, claims new study Children and adolescents are twice as likely to exhibit suicidal or aggressive behaviour if they take commonly prescribed antidepressants, according to a new study.

Researchers also found that reports on clinical trials by drug companies frequently downplayed the most serious side-effects, which they only discovered by looking at the raw patient data. The Independent

See also:

• Suicidality and aggression during antidepressant treatment: systematic review and meta-analyses based on clinical study reports The BMJ

NHS failing to provide diabetics with vital checks, audit finds

NHS failing to provide diabetics with vital checks, audit finds Fewer of those with type 1 and 2 diabetes getting recommended eight checks a year, leaving them at greater risk of a heart attack or stroke

Fewer and fewer diabetics are receiving vital regular health checks designed to reduce the risk of them ending up seriously ill or dying, an NHS audit has concluded.

The NHS’s failure to ensure every diabetic has all eight recommended checks every year means that many of the rising number of people with the disease are at risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke or having a limb amputated, campaigners warned. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Three quarters of diabetes patients now meeting blood pressure targets Health and Social Care Information Centre

I am a patient with a learning disability – the NHS is letting us down

I am a patient with a learning disability – the NHS is letting us down Three people with a learning disability die unnecessarily every day. If staff had the right training, this could be stopped

I know we’re lucky to have healthcare available to everyone in this country, but people with learning disabilities are not getting the quality of care they should. I have a learning disability and I know how difficult it can be to access the NHS. There are 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK and research shows that 1,200 are dying avoidably in NHS care every year.

Attitudes of healthcare professionals need to improve when it comes to learning disability. I have been seen by doctors who don’t take my concerns seriously, or do not take the time to listen to what I have to say. These bad experiences put me off going to see a doctor when I need to. I know which doctors I have had a good experience with in the past, and if they aren’t available, I tend to delay my appointment until they are free. I shouldn't have to wait longer just because certain GPs don’t have a good understanding of learning disabilities and the support I need. Continue reading... The Guardian

Rubella screening in pregnancy to end as disease 'eliminated' in Britain

Rubella screening in pregnancy to end as disease 'eliminated' in Britain Pregnant women will no longer be screened for rubella susceptibility after Public Health England said the disease was now considered to be eliminated in Britain. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Rubella susceptibility screening in pregnancy to end in England Public Health England

Thirty fit patients a month had to be readmitted to Northampton General Hospital because private ambulances failed to take them home

Thirty fit patients a month had to be readmitted to Northampton General Hospital because private ambulances failed to take them home Patients have had to be re-admitted into NGH because of delays by a non-emergency ambulance service. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Two thirds of ‘gobbledegook’ Northamptonshire County Council cuts labelled a ‘red risk’

Two thirds of ‘gobbledegook’ Northamptonshire County Council cuts labelled a ‘red risk’ More than £50 million of Northamptonshire County Council’s drastic £83 million cuts bundle might not be achieved according to a stinging cross-party committee report. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Schoolgirl from Northampton denied NHS wheelchair despite struggling to walk

Schoolgirl from Northampton denied NHS wheelchair despite struggling to walk A thirteen-year-old girl needs a new wheelchair to help her cope with her rare bone condition. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The proposed cross-party NHS and social care commission should report quickly and engage with staff and the public

The proposed cross-party NHS and social care commission should report quickly and engage with staff and the public Following the government’s Spending Review, the NHS has just over two years at best to stabilise rapidly deteriorating finances and declining standards of patient care. At that point the harsh reality of planned real growth in funding of only 0.2 per cent in 2018/19 (and even less the following year) will have to be confronted.

It is inconceivable that the NHS will be able to balance its books and maintain current standards, let alone implement new commitments like seven-day working, with such a small increase in its budget. And even if councils take advantage of new powers to increase council tax, social care faces a funding shortfall of approaching £3 billion by the end of the parliament. Something will have to give. The King's Fund

News story: New NHS apprenticeships

News story: New NHS apprenticeships The NHS will create 100,000 apprenticeships – almost 7 times the current number – across the country by 2020, offering opportunities to thousands of young people who want a career in the health sector.

This commitment follows the launch of the government consultation to make 2.3% of workers in large public sector bodies apprentices. The roles will be created in a range of areas within the NHS, including:

• nursing and healthcare assistants
• IT, estates and facilities
• domestic and housekeeping services
• business administration and accounting

Ministers expect to boost the NHS apprenticeships programme with an estimated 17,000 new roles in 2015 to 2016. Department of Health

The ageing workforce: what is the existing practice in NHS organisations?

The ageing workforce: what is the existing practice in NHS organisations? Read about the deep dives blog and some of the findings which will now inform future work of the WLG. NHS Employers

Trust uses community workshops to improve BME employee representation

Trust uses community workshops to improve BME employee representation Read the new case study from the Diversity and Inclusion team, and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership Trust, to find out how the trust improved black and minority ethnic employee representation. NHS Employers

Child abuse victims 'need more help'

Child abuse victims 'need more help' Most health professionals believe there are not enough mental health services for children who have suffered sexual abuse, an NSPCC survey suggests. BBC News

See also:

• 96% say support for children after abuse "inadequate" NSPCC

NHS stroke care getting better

NHS stroke care getting better But there still remain "unacceptable variations across the country" experts warn. OnMedica

NHS 111 phone line will undergo 'fundamental' reform, Jeremy Hunt promises

NHS 111 phone line will undergo 'fundamental' reform, Jeremy Hunt promises The NHS 111 phone line service will undergo “fundamental” reform in the wake of a report into an unnecessary death of a child, Jeremy Hunt has said.

William Mead, from Cornwall, died of Sepsis after NHS 111 failed to diagnose his condition. The Independent

See also:

• Hunt sorry for baby death failings BBC News
• VIDEO: 'I touched him but he didn't move' BBC News
• Sepsis: Why can it be so hard to spot? BBC News
• Jeremy Hunt apologises to Mead family over NHS sepsis failings The Daily Mail
• Report condemns NHS out-of-hours service as not safe for sick children The Daily Mail
• How many more lives will be lost because of the NHS 111 service? The Daily Mail
• What's the point of the NHS if it can't spot a dying child? The Daily Mail
• NHS 111 will be "fundamentally" overhauled in wake of a string of scandals, Jeremy Hunt says The Daily Telegraph
• NHS 111 helpline 'broken', says mother of baby who died of sepsis The Guardian
• Mother tells how NHS 111 helpline failed to save son – video The Guardian
• What is sepsis? The Guardian
• William Mead's 'fate was sealed' after NHS 111 call handlers failed to identify his deadly illness, says mother The Independent
• NHS 111 failed baby who died of sepsis, concludes report OnMedica

Going to hospital? Don't shave your legs or have a manicure! It's not just what happens AFTER surgery that counts - the mistakes before an an op that can affect your recovery

Going to hospital? Don't shave your legs or have a manicure! It's not just what happens AFTER surgery that counts - the mistakes before an an op that can affect your recovery One NHS operation is cancelled every ten minutes in England - around 60,000 a year - because patients fail to follow doctors' instructions beforehand. The Daily Mail

200,000 patents left without a doctor by GP surgery closures

200,000 patents left without a doctor by GP surgery closures Patients across the UK have been faced with their local doctor's surgery shutting down - and some have even been told to register with a new practice an hour’s drive away. The Daily Mail

The mental health crisis centres keeping people out of A&E

The mental health crisis centres keeping people out of A&E Regulars at the Bristol Sanctuary say the drop-in centre has saved their lives, yet many like it across the country rely on donations – and some face closure

In the dim but brightly painted room, Zara Johansson is chatting softly to her support worker about the mental health care she has received recently. Nearby, several colouring books are open on a table next to a shelf of self-help books. In the main room, a volunteer is making tea.

Johansson, 31, is among the more than 100 people with severe emotional distress who have turned to the Bristol Sanctuary for help since it opened in April 2015. Continue reading... The Guardian

Anger as government blocks TTIP legal documents relating to health service

Anger as government blocks TTIP legal documents relating to health service Business secretary refuses to disclose advice that could show how private health firms might sue government under US-Europe trade deal.

The controversial trade deal between Europe and the US came under further fire on Tuesday after campaigners accused the government of blocking access to legal advice that shows its impact on the health service.

Campaigners warned that the legal documents could reveal the extent to which private health companies can sue the government using a secret tribunal system if a Whitehall policy change were to hit their profits. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS watchdog signed off doomed £750m contract despite doubts

NHS watchdog signed off doomed £750m contract despite doubts MPs demand full inquiry after Monitor gave go-ahead for Addenbrooke’s deal that collapsed just eight months later.

An NHS contract worth £750m that collapsed in December after just eight months was effectively signed off by the regulator and NHS England, despite questions about its viability.

The contract – the biggest in NHS history – was the first designed to bring together hospital, mental health services and community care for adults and older people in Cambridgeshire, introducing a single point of contact for patients. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS comes 14th in Europe-wide survey on health systems

NHS comes 14th in Europe-wide survey on health systems Poor accessibility, a top-down management culture and mediocre treatment results cited as main flaws by Health Consumer Powerhouse

The NHS is only the 14th best health system in Europe and is delivering mediocre results in too many areas of care, including patient survival, a new continent-wide survey has claimed.

The findings conflict with those of the influential Commonwealth Fund thinktank, which two years ago said the UK offered the best overall health provision out of 11 western nations it studied. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• The 2015 Euro Health Consumer Index Health Consumer Powerhouse

Parents who don't vaccinate their children are irresponsible

Parents who don't vaccinate their children are irresponsible Fifteen years after the MMR vaccination was declared safe, some are still refusing it. This is madness and has to stop. The Daily Telegraph

Developers finally submit plans to convert fire-ravaged hospital near Duston into homes

Developers finally submit plans to convert fire-ravaged hospital near Duston into homes Long-awaited plans to demolish a fire-gutted former psychiatric hospital near Duston and replace the site with flats and houses have been submitted. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Mental-health 'serious incidents' rise

Mental-health 'serious incidents' rise More than 8,000 serious incidents were reported by mental health trusts in England last year - an increase of more than a third over a three-year period. BBC News

See also:

• Spike in mental health patient deaths shows NHS 'struggling to cope' The Guardian

NHS England to ask military veterans how to improve mental health services

NHS England to ask military veterans how to improve mental health services NHS England is asking armed forces veterans to share their experience of mental health services and help improve future care across the country.

The launch of a national survey will help improve the care available for veterans as they move from military to civilian life.

NHS 111 'missed chances to save baby'

NHS 111 'missed chances to save baby' The NHS out-of-hours helpline missed an opportunity to save the life of a baby who died from blood poisoning following a chest infection, says a damning report. BBC News

See also:

• NHS helpline 'not sensitive enough' to detect deadly child illnesses The Daily Telegraph
• NHS non-emergency helpline 'unable to identify children's deadly diseases' The Guardian

First wave of technological innovation pilots for NHS announced

First wave of technological innovation pilots for NHS announced ‘Test Bed’ projects to target elderly and those with long-term conditions and mental ill health. OnMedica

Spending on agency midwives in England

Spending on agency midwives in England This report is a result of freedom of information (FOI) requests that the RCM sent to 136 NHS trusts in England last year about spending on agency nurses. The FOI had a response rate of over 95 per cent with 130 trusts responding and it found that over 73 per cent of trusts in London with maternity services rely on agency midwives to staff their services. As a result, the spend on agency midwives has increased from £10,159,099 in 2012 to £17,849,767 in 2014 - representing an increase of almost 76 per cent. Royal College of Midwives

General practice faces nurse exodus as two thirds say they are underpaid

General practice faces nurse exodus as two thirds say they are underpaid Two thirds of practice nurses believe they are underpaid and a third plan to retire in the next five years, according to a poll that sheds new light on the deepening GP crisis. GP Online

Number of mental health nurses falls 10%

Number of mental health nurses falls 10% Labour attacks government over ‘shocking’ English figures, which show workforce shrank as demand for services surged

The number of specialist mental health nurses has fallen more than 10% over the past five years, the Guardian has learned, putting the care of rising numbers of patients at risk.

The loss of one in 10 of the entire mental health nursing workforce in England has occurred mainly in hospitals and mental health units treating some of the sickest patients, official NHS figures show.
Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• I wish I could do more to protect your loved ones in mental health crisis The Guardian
• 'I didn't matter': the long wait for mental health treatment The Guardian

Tackling mental illness early: the people being taught to spot warning signs

Tackling mental illness early: the people being taught to spot warning signs Thousands are being trained to offer timely help to those at risk, including teenagers, corporate lawyers and firefighters

Prevention is better than cure and that goes for mental health too, perhaps even more than other illnesses.

So, up and down the country, more is being done to make people aware of the risks and of what they can do to develop the psychological flexibility that can help avert mental illness. Continue reading... The Guardian

George Osborne and Bill Gates announce £3 billion pledge to fight malaria

George Osborne and Bill Gates announce £3 billion pledge to fight malaria The pledge supports the World Health Organisation's mission to reduce malaria deaths by 90% by 2030. The Independent

See also:

• The Ross Fund - Combatting the world's most serious diseases Department of Health
• Osborne pledges cash to beat malaria BBC News

Harvard and MIT close to 'cure' for Type 1 diabetes which will end daily injections

Harvard and MIT close to 'cure' for Type 1 diabetes which will end daily injections Scientists at MIT and Harvard have proven that planting insulin-producing cells into mice can completely restore insulin function for a long time. The Daily Telegraph

Hospital to turn away drunk patients so staff can focus on those who are critically ill

Hospital to turn away drunk patients so staff can focus on those who are critically ill Kent and Canterbury Hospital will send intoxicated patients elsewhere to relieve pressure on its emergency care centre. The Trust will ask ambulances not to take drunk patients there. The Daily Mail

Ambulance staff complain to inspectors about bullying by managers

Ambulance staff complain to inspectors about bullying by managers Whistleblowers at the ambulance service that covers Northamptonshire say they feel discouraged from raising concerns. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Nurses may not have believed Northampton woman’s fear she had broken her back inquest hears

Nurses may not have believed Northampton woman’s fear she had broken her back inquest hears An inquest into the death of a Northampton woman who died after breaking her back at Berrywood Hospital has heard how some nurses did not believe her injuries were real - even though she may have endured a fracture for 16 days. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

How are we going to keep well and healthy in Northamptonshire?

How are we going to keep well and healthy in Northamptonshire? A draft strategy on wellbeing issues affecting everyone from the very young to the elderly in Northamptonshire is being drawn up and there is still time to have a say on it. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Northamptonshire Joint Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy 2016-2020 (Draft) - Supporting Northamptonshire to Flourish Consultation Northamptonshire Joint Health and Wellbeing Board

Could changes in pension tax relief potentially release funding for health and social care?

Could changes in pension tax relief potentially release funding for health and social care? Last week the Financial Times reported that the Chancellor is actively considering a radical reform of pension tax relief – an idea he trailed in last summer’s Budget. This week, Chief Executive of NHS England Simon Stevens called for a new ‘national consensus’ on a ‘properly resourced and functioning social care system’ – that would ideally be agreed in time to be a 70th birthday present for the NHS in 2018.

Meanwhile Norman Lamb, Alan Milburn and Stephen Dorrell – all respected former health ministers, and between them representing the Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Conservatives – are agitating for some form of cross-party commission on future health and social care funding. A window of opportunity may be opening. The King's Fund

Guidance: Changes to midwife supervision in the UK

Guidance: Changes to midwife supervision in the UK These proposals have been developed by the UK Chief Nursing Officers, their midwifery advisors, the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Royal College of Midwives and a representative of the Local Supervising Authority Midwifery Officers.

The new non-statutory supervision will separate midwifery supervision and regulation. The regulation will be controlled by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Employers and providers of midwifery services will be responsible for improving the quality of services and support for women through pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. Department of Health

Agency price caps update

Agency price caps update Further reductions to the amount that can be paid to agency staff working in the NHS will apply from 1 February 2016 as the next steps to reduce agency spend are implemented. NHS Employers

UK is 'vulnerable' to next epidemic

UK is 'vulnerable' to next epidemic The UK is vulnerable to epidemics such as Ebola due to a gaping hole in the country's ability to manufacture vaccines, a group of MPs warns. BBC News

See also:

• Science in emergencies: UK lessons from Ebola Science and Technology Select Committee
• UK is 'vulnerable' to an Ebola outbreak thanks to inadequate vaccine manufacture, MPs warn The Independent

Agency midwives cost 'wasteful' NHS trusts £18m

Agency midwives cost 'wasteful' NHS trusts £18m More than 11 trusts spent in excess of £1m on agency staff over three years. The Independent

See also:

• NHS spends £17m on agency midwives in one year, figures reveal The Guardian

GE Healthcare: US healthcare giant makes fortune from NHS but pays hardly a penny in tax

GE Healthcare: US healthcare giant makes fortune from NHS but pays hardly a penny in tax One of the biggest suppliers of equipment and testing services to the NHS pays barely any corporate tax in the UK, despite receiving hundreds of millions of pounds a year from medical sales to British clinics and hospitals. The Independent

Junior doctors: Government retreats on some of its cuts to out-of-hours pay, says leaked letter

Junior doctors: Government retreats on some of its cuts to out-of-hours pay, says leaked letter The Government has retreated on some of its cuts to junior doctors’ out-of-hours pay, according to a leaked confidential letter from their chief negotiator. The Independent

See also:

• Poll shows growing support for striking junior doctors The Guardian

A&E: sharp rise in number of patients turned away

A&E: sharp rise in number of patients turned away NHS figures show there were 52 ‘diverts’ in the first two weeks of 2016, up from 35 in the same period last year

The number of hospitals that have to turn patients away from A&E rose sharply at the start of the year, compared with the same period in 2015.

Referred to as diverts, such incidents reflect the enormous pressure the health service faces,especially in winter. In the first two weeks of 2016, there were 52 diverts, compared with 35 in the same period last year, according to NHS data. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• How do I ... know when to go to A&E? The Guardian
• The future of A&E: new model hospital saving lives 'in the nick of time' The Guardian

The impact of alcohol on the NHS: 'we get the drunks in 24/7'

The impact of alcohol on the NHS: 'we get the drunks in 24/7' Healthcare professionals share their experiences of funding constraints, violent behaviour and drink-related disease and death.

I have met many people from all walks of life in my career. Alcohol is often an emotional prop, a way of coping with pain, harm, sexual assault, traumatic events, inability to find the words to talk about stress, coping with financial pressure, family life, parenting pressure, death. Individuals who hear voices use alcohol to self-medicate. So next time you look at the person getting drunk, should you be so smug as to judge them as wasting NHS resources? Or should you think differently? Our culture promotes drinking for fun and we need to work on that. But let’s look a little bit deeper and consider this more. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Problem drinkers who account for 70% of alcohol sales worth £23.7bn The Daily Mail
• Problem drinkers 'make up 60 percent of alcohol sales in England' The Daily Telegraph
• Alcohol and the NHS - five key questions The Guardian
• The great British booze problem: how a few glasses a day has led to an epidemic for the NHS – video The Guardian
• Problem drinkers account for most of alcohol industry's sales, figures reveal The Guardian
• The making of a hangover: the true impact of one night out The Guardian
• The secret alcohol liaison nurse's diary: 'Cuts are having a devastating impact' The Guardian
• How the NHS saved my life: I spent my 20s playing Russian roulette with alcohol The Guardian
• Problem drinkers account for almost 70 per cent of alcohol sales The Independent

Patients given hip implants made the wrong size

Patients given hip implants made the wrong size Investigation: Manufacturer DePuy admits "an error in the measuring techniques" when making metal-on-metal implants. The Daily Telegraph

New 'son of Saatchi Bill' will let seriously ill patients volunteer for untested life saving drugs

New 'son of Saatchi Bill' will let seriously ill patients volunteer for untested life saving drugs Chris Heaton-Harris's Access to Medical Treatments (Innovation) Bill could help cut the amount of time it takes to develop drugs by a third. The Daily Telegraph

Three Britons infected with dangerous Zika virus

Three Britons infected with dangerous Zika virus British travellers who picked up the disease while travelling Columbia, Suriname and Guyana have returned to the UK. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Three Britons 'contract Zika virus' BBC News
• Zika virus triggers pregnancy warnings BBC News
• 'Don't get pregnant until 2018' in El Salvador amid Zika virus fears The Daily Mail
• Zika virus: women in Colombia, Ecuador and El Salvador advised to postpone pregnancy The Daily Telegraph
• Zika virus diagnosed in UK as women face more warnings to delay pregnancy The Independent
• Zika virus: The symptoms and what travellers and pregnant women need to know The Independent

Can call centre therapy solve the NHS mental health crisis?

Can call centre therapy solve the NHS mental health crisis? Fast-track treatment aims to ease growing problem in the UK, but critics say it is the clinical equivalent to online dating

An NHS counsellor lets out a deep sigh as she puts the phone down. Her latest caller has revealed a further bout of self-harming. She fans her face to cool down after another tough counselling session on the frontline of Britain’s mental health crisis.

This cramped call centre in an industrial park in west Oxford is one of dozens of locations where the NHS is finally starting to grapple on a mass scale with illnesses such as depression and anxiety. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Mental illness treatment needs massive investment. The case is overwhelming The Guardian
• Why CBT is falling out of favour The Guardian

My mum could be ‘pushed from pillar to post’ fears Northampton man as care home closures loom

My mum could be ‘pushed from pillar to post’ fears Northampton man as care home closures loom With little more than a week to go before Northamptonshire County Council launches a major consultation on plans to close two Olympus elderly care homes relatives of residents in care say it is an anxious time. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NICE releases safe staffing evidence reviews

NICE releases safe staffing evidence reviews Four evidence reviews written to support work NICE carried out on staffing levels in the NHS have been released. Under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, the documents had been withheld to give NHS Improvement time to study them in their new remit to consider service improvement. The release of the documents follows an internal review of the FOI decision. NICE

• Inpatient mental health settings
• Adult nursing care in community settings
• Accident & emergency
• Management & organisational approaches which support safe staffing in nursing & midwifery.

International Profiles of Health Care Systems, 2015

International Profiles of Health Care Systems, 2015 This publication presents overviews of the health care systems of Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, England, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. The Commonwealth Fund

Government 'too slow' on diabetes

Government 'too slow' on diabetes MPs criticise the Department of Health and the NHS in England for being too slow to act in preventing and treating diabetes. BBC News

See also:

• Management of adult diabetes services in the NHS: progress review Seventeenth Report of Session 2015–16 House of Commons Public Accounts Committee
• Diabetes sufferers face 'postcode lottery' with patients in parts of the country six times more at risk of dying The Daily Telegraph

Hunt set to reveal plans on easing of general practice pressures next month

Hunt set to reveal plans on easing of general practice pressures next month Plans include bolstering workforce numbers and incentives to keep doctors in profession. OnMedica

Zika virus: Hundreds of thousands may be infected by dangerous 'shrunken brain' disease

Zika virus: Hundreds of thousands may be infected by dangerous 'shrunken brain' disease The disease is sweeping through South America, causing problems for pregnant women, who have been advised to delay their pregnancies. The Independent

See also:

• The alarming threat of Zika virus BBC News
• Mothers' fears amid Zika outbreak BBC News

The secret A&E nurse's diary: 'He stands 1cm from my face, saying he will kill me'

The secret A&E nurse's diary: 'He stands 1cm from my face, saying he will kill me' A casualty nurse describes a week of stark contrasts, from helping a 79-year-old man whose lips have turned blue to being confronted by a violent drunk

Sundays are notoriously busy in A&E. GPs are closed, and there has been no movement out from the wards so there are no free beds in the hospital. At the start of my shift there are already 83 patients in the department. People are waiting to be treated in the corridors and it’s like sardines. My heart sinks. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Knocked down, spat at and trampled on: another day in A&E - video The Guardian
• The secret sexual health doctor's diary: 'The waiting room is bursting at the seams' The Guardian
• A day in the UK's busiest maternity unit: 'We never cease to be moved by birth' The Guardian

NHS remote monitoring will allow dementia patients to stay at home

NHS remote monitoring will allow dementia patients to stay at home The NHS has teamed up with Google, IBM and Phillips to launch ground breaking projects across Britain which will see patients monitored remotely using new technology. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Can tech save the National Health Service? – Tech Weekly podcast The Guardian

Training of staff at NHS 111 call centre 'not fit for purpose', official report finds

Training of staff at NHS 111 call centre 'not fit for purpose', official report finds Review finds that under-qualified recruits were treated as 'stop-gaps' to cover shifts due to staff shortages at a call centre exposed in a Daily Telegraph investigation.

Children twice as likely to be short-sighted than 50 years ago

Children twice as likely to be short-sighted than 50 years ago Report reveals short-sightedness twice as prevalent now than in the 1960s. The Daily Telegraph

Pressures mount on A&E departments at Northamptonshire hospitals during this cold weather

Pressures mount on A&E departments at Northamptonshire hospitals during this cold weather Health leaders issue a warning urging people to take care in the cold conditions as the county's A&E departments continue to experience extremely high numbers of attendees.

Both Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital continue to see large numbers of people who are acutely ill and need high priority hospital care.

In addition, residents continue to report to A&E for minor injuries and ailments that could have been treated more appropriately by other NHS services such as NHS 111, pharmacies or their GP. Northants Herald and Post

Berrywood doctors missed Northampton mental health patient’s broken back

Berrywood doctors missed Northampton mental health patient’s broken back A jury inquest into the death of a Northampton woman whose broken back went unnoticed at Berrywood Hospital heard numerous doctors missed signs that her pain was the result of a fracture. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

How does NHS spending compare with health spending internationally?

How does NHS spending compare with health spending internationally? In 2000, current spending on health care in the United Kingdom was 6.3 per cent of GDP, and the then Prime Minister Tony Blair committed his government to matching the average for health spending as a percentage of GDP in the 14 other countries of the European Union in 2000 (8.5 per cent) through increases in NHS spending.

Over the next few years spending on the NHS increased substantially, pushing total (public plus private) spending to 8.8 per cent of GDP by 2009. By then, however, the EU-14 spend (weighted for size of GDP and health spend, and minus the UK) had moved on to 10.1 per cent of GDP. Still, the gap between the UK and its European neighbours was closing.

Since then, however, the gap has started to widen (particularly against countries that weathered the global financial crisis better than the UK) and looks set to grow further. UK GDP is forecast to grow in real terms by around 15.2 per cent between 2014/15 and 2020/21. But on current plans, UK public spending on the NHS will grow by much less: 5.2 per cent. This is equivalent to around £7 billion in real terms – increasing from £135 billion in 2014/15 to £142 billion in 2020/21. As a proportion of GDP it will fall to 6.6 per cent compared to 7.3 per cent in 2014/15. But, if spending kept pace with growth in the economy, by 2020/21 the UK NHS would be spending around £158 billion at today's prices – £16 billion more than planned.The King's Fund

See also:

• Health care spending compared to other countries The King's Fund
• NHS funding is falling behind European neighbours' average, research finds The Guardian
• UK set to spend £43bn a year less on health than European neighbours The Independent

If it’s about NHS culture, it’s about leadership

If it’s about NHS culture, it’s about leadership There are plenty of issues to keep NHS leaders awake at night: financial concerns, the winter crisis, the junior doctors’ strikes and experiences of poor-quality care are all in the news. But what about some of the underlying issues behind the headlines?

NHS leaders are concerned about staff reporting high levels of bullying and harassment and are considering strategies to deal with this. They are also concerned with high levels of discrimination reported by some groups of staff and are considering strategies to deal with this. The King's Fund

Developing values with staff – case study

Developing values with staff – case study By developing its values and engaging staff in the process, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust has had great success embedding its values and improving its culture.

It’s recent Staff Friends and Family Test revealed that:

• 98 per cent of staff were aware of the values
• 84 per cent of staff of staff thought colleagues were successfully demonstrating the values.

The trust’s engagement plan to communicate and embed the values used a variety of different methods such as:

• focus groups
• messages from the chief executive
• booklets
• awards schemes

Download this case study to learn more about the approaches the trust took to engage staff in this process, the results and what’s next. NHS Employers

Social media and Skype keep young people with diabetes attending, says new advice

Social media and Skype keep young people with diabetes attending, says new advice Advice on using social media, texts and Skype to keep young people engaged in treatment for their diabetes has been published as part of wider information to help commissioners improve care transition. NHS England

Pharma 'cash call' for new antibiotics

Pharma 'cash call' for new antibiotics More than 80 pharmaceutical companies call on governments to develop new ways of paying them to develop antibiotics. BBC News

See also:

• World Economic Forum: More than 80 firms issue joint declaration in bid to combat 'superbugs' The Independent

Patient deaths trust 'had been warned'

Patient deaths trust 'had been warned' An under-fire NHS trust that failed to investigate hundreds of deaths knew about health and safety failings four years ago, the BBC can reveal. BBC News

Sisters launch 'end of chemo' study

Sisters launch 'end of chemo' study The first patients have had their DNA analysed in a massive study that aims to replace chemotherapy. BBC News

Calls to publish 111 report rejected

Calls to publish 111 report rejected An NHS call provider rejects demands to publish a leaked report that revealed staff had altered records and "significant" safety risks.

Integrated Care 24 (IC24), which handles non-emergency 111 and out-of-hours GP calls in Norfolk and Wisbech, was criticised in an interim report.

Former health minister Norman Lamb has said it was "outrageous" the findings had not been formally published. BBC News

A&E departments are 'significantly understaffed half of the time,' reveal leaked documents the Government didn't want published

A&E departments are 'significantly understaffed half of the time,' reveal leaked documents the Government didn't want published The report into safe staffing levels, from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, was never published following intervention by Government officials. The Daily Mail

See also:

• A&E departments may be too short-staffed 'almost half the time', says report The Independent

The new breed of paramedics charged with keeping people out of hospital

The new breed of paramedics charged with keeping people out of hospital As a community paramedic practitioner in Kent, Steve Hulks’ job is about advising, reassuring – and easing pressure on A&E

“You do get a rush of adrenaline,” says Steve Hulks as he activates the blue lights and siren and speeds to the first 999 call of his shift – an elderly man has fallen in his bedroom and is unable to get back on to his feet.

“But you have to be careful that the rush doesn’t distract you. You need to drive safely and think of what you need to do when you get there – how to get in, where the key may be hidden, what you may need, what may have happened to the patient. You have to stay calm.”

It’s often as much about mental health as physical health. We try to provide more of a holistic service Continue reading... The Guardian

Ambulance workers let suicidal patient steal vehicle after leaving keys in ignition, inquest hears

Ambulance workers let suicidal patient steal vehicle after leaving keys in ignition, inquest hears An ambulance crew allowed a suicidal mental health patient to steal their vehicle and drive to his death after leaving the keys in the ignition, an inquest heard. The Daily Telegraph

Ambulance crews to be relieved from Northamptonshire hospitals to save on overtime

Ambulance crews to be relieved from Northamptonshire hospitals to save on overtime Paramedics who face extended shifts while waiting with A&E patients could be allowed to hand over to another crew at Northamptonshire hospitals. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

New dementia report: Alzheimer's drugs prescriptions six times higher than a decade ago

New dementia report: Alzheimer's drugs prescriptions six times higher than a decade ago The number of prescriptions dispensed in England for approved medicines to treat Alzheimer's increased from 502,000 in 2004 to 3.0 million in 2014. The cost to the NHS of prescriptions for Alzheimer's disease medicines dispensed in primary care stood at £45.7m in 2014. This was up from £42.8m in 2004, but down from the high point it reached in 2011 of £110.8m. Health and Social Care Information Centre

Medical register gets a revamp to include more information.

Medical register gets a revamp to include more information. New information about doctors has been added to the General Medical Council’s (GMC) register, making it more useful for its millions of users.

Junior doctors' strike suspended

Junior doctors' strike suspended A junior doctors' strike in England set for 26-28 January is suspended by the BMA, as talks with the government continue. BBC News

See also:

• BMA suspends next week's planned industrial action British Medical Association
• Junior doctors strike action suspended NHS Employers
• Next week's junior doctors' strike is SUSPENDED as talks continue over new contracts The Daily Mail
• Junior doctors strike suspended, BMA leaders announce GP Online
• Junior doctors' strike suspended as talks to end contract row continue The Guardian
• Second junior doctors strike called off after talks between the BMA and the Government The Independent
• Next week’s junior doctors’ strike suspended OnMedica

Air pollution is now a global 'public health emergency', according to the World Health Organisation

Air pollution is now a global 'public health emergency', according to the World Health Organisation The head of public health at the WHO believes air pollution could have untold effects on future generations. The Independent

Cancer Drugs Fund puts thousands at risk claim rationing body NICE

Cancer Drugs Fund puts thousands at risk claim rationing body NICE From April, the medicines rationing body NICE will have the final say over which cancer treatments can be offered and doctors and campaigners warn this will restrict access to life-saving drugs. The Daily Mail

Online communities can help the NHS, so why does it ignore them?

Online communities can help the NHS, so why does it ignore them? People with conditions such as diabetes increasingly seek support on forums and social media, but the NHS overlooks them

Social media has changed most aspects of life – including how people gather information about their health. While online forums for those with particular conditions, such as diabetes, are rapidly growing in popularity, the NHS is continuing to ignore them, even though they have the potential to save large sums of money. It is a frustrating blind spot.

My own experience of co-founding and running Diabetes.co.uk – the largest online community for people living with the condition – suggests these kind of forums have almost no contact with the NHS, despite our estimation that we could be saving it more than £7m a year by educating people about their condition and helping them manage it so they can avoid costly ambulance call-outs and hospital admissions. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• In 2016, the NHS must harness the power of staff and patients The Guardian

NHS has the west's most stressed GPs, survey reveals

NHS has the west's most stressed GPs, survey reveals UK’s family doctors have the highest stress levels and shortest consultation times out of 11 industrialised countries – and almost 30% are planning to quit

The NHS has the most stressed GPs by western standards, as a result of relentless workloads, endless bureaucracy and the shortest amount of time spent with patients, new research by the world’s most influential health thinktank reveals. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• RCGP response to Commonwealth Fund GP survey Royal College of General Practitioners

The NHS needs to stop repeating the same mistakes - here’s how

The NHS needs to stop repeating the same mistakes - here’s how Centralised control is back in fashion despite not having achieving the desired results before. A new website will help policymakers avoid the pitfalls of the past.

Health policy goes round in circles. In the words of ex-health secretary Stephen Dorrell, “there is nothing new under the sun in terms of the issues which health secretaries have to deal with.”That we are on such a policy hamster wheel may seem futile and depressing. But the silver lining is that such circularity provides a rich tapestry for politicians and policymakers to learn from when seeking to solve current NHS problems.

With this in mind, the Health Foundation, an independent charity working to improve the quality of healthcare in the UK, has created the Policy Navigator website as a tool to be used by policymakers and enthusiasts to see how our current policy landscape has developed and to provide insight from the past. The Navigator website seeks to build an accessible repository of health policy developments grouped by theme, including provider landscape, adult social care and integration, choice and competition and commissioning. Continue reading... The Guardian

School nurse text service 'ChatHealth' rolled out in Northants

School nurse text service 'ChatHealth' rolled out in Northants A new text-based school nurse service that is designed to make it easier for Northants youngsters to access medical advice has been launched this week by Northamptonshire Healthcare. Northants Herald and Post

See also:

• New School Nurse text based health service Northamptonshire Healthcare