NHS needs funding rise to make it envy of world again, says healthcare expert Damage caused by PFI, pay rows and the 2012 reorganisation needs reversing, says Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The NHS has been the envy of the world for its fairness, good outcomes and value for money, but it needs more funds and the dismantling of recent changes if it is to be so again, according to a leading expert on international health systems.
Healthcare in the UK still takes first place in the rankings of 11 wealthy nations put together by the Commonwealth Fund in the US. But Martin McKee, professor of European public health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says the real glory days of the NHS were in the 1980s. Other countries, such as Spain, Italy and Portugal, modelled their own systems on it.
Our child health outcomes are not as good as they should be Continue reading... The Guardian
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Patients far more likely to die if nurses care for more than six, major study finds
Patients far more likely to die if nurses care for more than six, major study finds New research finds patients looked after by nurses coping with more than 10 patients have death rates 20 per cent higher than those with a case load of six. The Daily Telegraph
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Tuesday, 9 February 2016
Old Problems, New Solutions: Improving Acute Psychiatric Care for Adults in England
Old Problems, New Solutions: Improving Acute Psychiatric Care for Adults in England The report highlights system-wide problems in mental healthcare in England including variable quality of care on inpatient units, inadequate availability of inpatient care or alternatives to inpatient admission, and patients remaining in hospital for longer than necessary due to inadequate residential provision.
The Commission’s report consequently recommends significant changes to how services are commissioned, organised and monitored across the whole mental health system. It also calls for faster access to acute care and an end to sending severely-ill mental health patients long distances for treatment. The Commission on Acute Adult Psychiatric Care
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The Commission’s report consequently recommends significant changes to how services are commissioned, organised and monitored across the whole mental health system. It also calls for faster access to acute care and an end to sending severely-ill mental health patients long distances for treatment. The Commission on Acute Adult Psychiatric Care
See also:
- The Way Ahead for Adult Acute Mental Healthcare Provision Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Adult acute psychiatric care in England Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Long trips for mental care 'must end' BBC News
- Mental health patients 'should not have to travel across UK for beds' The Guardian
Review of information technology in NHS
Review of information technology in NHS IT expert Professor Bob Wachter has launched a review of computer systems across the NHS. The review, ‘Making IT work: harnessing the power of health IT to improve care in England’, will look at places where IT has worked well and those areas that need improving. It will also look at different ways to implement IT in healthcare as the NHS works towards being paperless by 2020. Department of Health
Precautionary recall - six batches of St John’s Wort Tablets
Precautionary recall - six batches of St John’s Wort Tablets Six batches of St John’s Wort Tablets containing 91,800 packs are being recalled today as a precaution because of product contamination.
These tablets have levels of a toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) above the threshold recommended by the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), a European expert body. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency#
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These tablets have levels of a toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) above the threshold recommended by the Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC), a European expert body. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency#
See also:
- Safety recall of St John's Wort tablets BBC News
- St John's Wort tablets recalled by MHRA over liver damage concerns The Daily Telegraph
Heads warn over pupils' mental health
Heads warn over pupils' mental health Head teachers issue a warning over their struggle to deal with children's mental health problems at primary schools in England. BBC News
Record rise in 'NHS dissatisfaction'
Record rise in 'NHS dissatisfaction' The biggest-ever rise in public dissatisfaction with the NHS was recorded last year, according to a long-running survey. BBC News
See also:
See also:
- British public's satisfaction with the NHS falls by five percentage points The King's Fund
- Reasons for being (dis)satisfied with the NHS The King's Fund
- RCGP response to British Social Attitudes survey results Royal College of General Practitioners
- 12-hour A&E waits on rise in England BBC News
- General practice tops NHS patient satisfaction rankings GP Online
- Public satisfaction with NHS drops 5% in last year The Guardian
'No safe way to suntan', experts warn
'No safe way to suntan', experts warn There is no safe or healthy way to get a tan from sunlight, new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) warns. BBC News
See also:
See also:
- Sunlight exposure: risks and benefits (Guideline NG 34) NICE
- Telling people to avoid all sunshine is very dim The Daily Telegraph
- There is no safe way to get a natural sun tan The Independent
'Jeremy Hunt personally vetoed deal that would have ended junior doctors strike'
'Jeremy Hunt personally vetoed deal that would have ended junior doctors strike' Officials from both NHS Employers and the Department of Health 'saw the offer as an opportunity to resolve the dispute' The Independent
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Cosmetic surgery operations on the rise, with breast enlargement most popular procedure
Cosmetic surgery operations on the rise, with breast enlargement most popular procedure A record number of adults in the UK underwent cosmetic surgery last year, new figures have shown. The Independent
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'Greedy' doctors and nurses are abandoning the NHS to work for 'rip-off agencies', health regulators claim
'Greedy' doctors and nurses are abandoning the NHS to work for 'rip-off agencies', health regulators claim Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS Improvement, accused some doctors and nurses of 'really bad' behaviour for abandoning shifts at the last minute for a better offer elsewhere. The Daily Mail
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See also:
- Locum doctors and nurses rip off NHS, says health service's regulator The Daily Telegraph
This NHS crisis is not economic. It's political
This NHS crisis is not economic. It's political As the health services endures its biggest squeeze, talk of it being unviable is wide of the mark. We cannot afford to do without it.
How many times have you read that the NHS is bust? No need for answers on a postcard: I can tell you.
Over 2015, the number of national newspaper headlines featuring “NHS” alongside the words bust, deficit, meltdown or financial crisis came to a grand total of 80. Call this the NHS panic index – a measure of public anxiety over the viability of our health service. Using a database of all national newspapers, our librarians added up the number of such headlines for each year. The index shows that panic over the sustainability of our healthcare isn’t just on the rise – it has begun to soar.
Demoralised staff can resign, go on an agency book, pick their shifts and earn more Continue reading... The Guardian
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How many times have you read that the NHS is bust? No need for answers on a postcard: I can tell you.
Over 2015, the number of national newspaper headlines featuring “NHS” alongside the words bust, deficit, meltdown or financial crisis came to a grand total of 80. Call this the NHS panic index – a measure of public anxiety over the viability of our health service. Using a database of all national newspapers, our librarians added up the number of such headlines for each year. The index shows that panic over the sustainability of our healthcare isn’t just on the rise – it has begun to soar.
Demoralised staff can resign, go on an agency book, pick their shifts and earn more Continue reading... The Guardian
See also:
- Surge in privatisation threatening free NHS treatment, unions say The Guardian
- US firms look to capitalise as NHS becomes increasingly privatised The Guardian
- Don’t believe the myth that the NHS is unaffordable | Neena Modi The Guardian
- How paying for your treatment would help save the NHS | Christopher Smallwood The Guardian
- NHS: Rules preventing tax-avoiding companies from securing health care contracts scrapped The Independent
Psychiatrist brother of George Osborne admits sleeping with vulnerable patient
Psychiatrist brother of George Osborne admits sleeping with vulnerable patient Dr Adam Osborne admitted engaging in an 'inappropriate' emotional and sexual relationship with one of his patients. The Daily Telegraph
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See also:
Monday, 8 February 2016
‘I’ve got a moth in my ear’: East Midlands Ambulance Service reveals time-wasting 999 calls
‘I’ve got a moth in my ear’: East Midlands Ambulance Service reveals time-wasting 999 calls The East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) has revealed details of time-wasting 999 calls it received in 2015. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
NHS campaigners put up ‘not for sale’ boards in Northamptonshire
NHS campaigners put up ‘not for sale’ boards in Northamptonshire NHS campaigners erected dozens of ‘not for sale’ boards across Kettering. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
GPs told by CCGs to find alternatives for co-proxamol prescriptions
GPs told by CCGs to find alternatives for co-proxamol prescriptions CCGs are sending letters to GPs telling them to switch prescriptions for co-proxamol to paracetamol because of escalating costs for the drug since it was removed from the Drug Tariff in October.
NHS Nene Valley CCG and NHS Basildon and Brentwood CCGs have told their members to switch patients to alternative medication after fears that the annual spend will far outreach the £3.2 million spent in 2014 on co-proxamol. Pulse
NHS Nene Valley CCG and NHS Basildon and Brentwood CCGs have told their members to switch patients to alternative medication after fears that the annual spend will far outreach the £3.2 million spent in 2014 on co-proxamol. Pulse
Planning for 2016/17 and beyond: from survival to sustainability
Planning for 2016/17 and beyond: from survival to sustainability Since the 2015 Spending Review last November, a flurry of letters, guidance and other documentation has been unleashed on NHS leaders. Key among these is the NHS planning guidance 2016/17–2020/21 and a series of letters sent to trust chief executives in mid-January, outlining new measures that aim to curb spending and ensure the provider sector breaks even by the end of next year.
Our latest briefing summarises some of the fundamental changes that this will bring, and offers a commentary on what it might mean for the NHS over the next five years. The King's Fund
Our latest briefing summarises some of the fundamental changes that this will bring, and offers a commentary on what it might mean for the NHS over the next five years. The King's Fund
Review shows how NHS hospitals can save money and improve care
Review shows how NHS hospitals can save money and improve care Implementing the recommendations will help end variations in quality of care and finances that cost the NHS billions, Lord Carter has advised Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt in his final report.
His review found unwarranted variation in running costs, sickness absence, infection rates and prices paid for supplies and services.
As part of the review, a ‘model hospital’ has been developed which will advise NHS trusts on the most efficient allocation of resources and allows hospitals to measure performance against other trusts.
Following the model hospital examples could save hospitals £5 billion a year by 2020 to 2021 and put an end to the variations the review uncovered across the NHS, including:
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His review found unwarranted variation in running costs, sickness absence, infection rates and prices paid for supplies and services.
As part of the review, a ‘model hospital’ has been developed which will advise NHS trusts on the most efficient allocation of resources and allows hospitals to measure performance against other trusts.
Following the model hospital examples could save hospitals £5 billion a year by 2020 to 2021 and put an end to the variations the review uncovered across the NHS, including:
- average running costs for a hospital (£ per square metre) vary from £105 at one trust to as high as £970 for another
- infection rates for hip and knee replacements vary from 0.5 to 4%
- prices paid by different hospitals for hip replacements range from £788 to £1,590
- the use of floor space - one trust uses 12% for non-clinical purposes and another uses as much as 69%
- sickness absence rates differ from 3.1% to 5%
See also:
- Carter Review - final report and recommendations NHS Employers
Doctors' union irresponsible, says Hunt
Doctors' union irresponsible, says Hunt Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt accuses the British Medical Association of "totally irresponsible" behaviour over a lengthy industrial dispute. BBC News
See also:
See also:
- VIDEO: Hunt blamed for doctors' low morale BBC News
- Junior doctors' strike: BMA 'totally irresponsible', says Jeremy Hunt The Guardian
- Jeremy Hunt accuses BMA of 'total irresponsibility' over doctors dispute - video The Guardian
- Junior doctors rally in central London – video The Guardian
- Vanessa Redgrave pays tribute to NHS staff at junior doctors rally The Guardian
- My placards: ‘I’m fed up with the spin around the junior doctor strike’ The Guardian
- Jeremy Hunt squirms as Andrew Marr reads out letters from junior doctors The Independent
New drive for 'paperless' NHS
New drive for 'paperless' NHS The latest government attempt to improve the use of technology in the NHS in England is launched, with the aim of making services faster and more convenient. BBC News
Zika 'linked to nerve disorder deaths'
Zika 'linked to nerve disorder deaths' Colombia says three people have died after contracting the Zika virus and developing a rare nerve disorder. BBC News
See also:
See also:
- RCGP statement on the Zika virus Royal College of General Practitioners
- Active Zika found in saliva and urine BBC News
- Panama may release genetically modified mosquitoes to stop Zika virus spread The Daily Mail
- Releasing millions of GM mosquitoes 'could solve zika crisis' The Daily Telegraph
- Zika virus: women told to "think twice" before kissing The Daily Telegraph
- Guillain-Barré syndrome: The other deadly disease lurking in Zika mosquitoes
- Zika: Pregnant British holidaymakers with bookings to Caribbean and US face uncertainty amid risk of virus spreading The Independent
- Zika virus: Colombia confirms over 3,100 cases in pregnant women The Independent
- Zika: Virus passed on during blood transfusions in Brazil The Independent
- Zika: British team say they have a remedy for the virus The Independent
MPs slam government for its poor management of Cancer Drugs Fund
MPs slam government for its poor management of Cancer Drugs Fund An influential panel of MPs has taken the government to task for its poor management of the Cancer Drugs Fund, including its failure to properly assess the value of the Fund to patients and taxpayers. OnMedica
See also
See also
- Cancer Drugs Fund Twentieth Report of Session 2015–16 Public Accounts Select Committee
- Cancer drugs fund poorly managed and over budget, MPs say GP Online
Care Quality Commission begs for help from charities it has just replaced
Care Quality Commission begs for help from charities it has just replaced Experts who made 500 inspections a month for the care home watchdog refused to reapply for their jobs. The Independent
One chart that shows the horrifying scale of FGM around the world
One chart that shows the horrifying scale of FGM around the world UNICEF estimates there are over 200 million global victims of female genital mutilation. The Independent
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See also:
NHS cost-cutting plans 'could prompt staff reductions and rationing of care'
NHS cost-cutting plans 'could prompt staff reductions and rationing of care' Nursing experts and former health minister warn new measures could lead to managers cutting staff to 'unsafe levels'. The Independent
Hospedia doubles cost of NHS hospital TV service
Hospedia doubles cost of NHS hospital TV service NHS patients are paying up to £40 a week to access TV and internet services in their beds using technology provided by a US company. The Daily Mail
Cutting ever deeper: councils left no choice but to hollow out elderly care
Cutting ever deeper: councils left no choice but to hollow out elderly care Cambridgeshire is just one of many authorities forced to cut social care, leaving increasing numbers of elderly people stuck in hospital wards or waiting in A&E
The debating chamber of Cambridgeshire council belongs to a distant age. When it was built, local councils ran local services.
Once the site of the university city’s medieval castle, it must have seemed a fitting successor to a fortification intended to ensure mastery of the surrounding area. There is throne-like seating for council leaders, and a hemisphere of benches of sturdy wood and leather for the councillors. Continue reading... The Guardian
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The debating chamber of Cambridgeshire council belongs to a distant age. When it was built, local councils ran local services.
Once the site of the university city’s medieval castle, it must have seemed a fitting successor to a fortification intended to ensure mastery of the surrounding area. There is throne-like seating for council leaders, and a hemisphere of benches of sturdy wood and leather for the councillors. Continue reading... The Guardian
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London hospital trust heading for biggest overspend in NHS history
London hospital trust heading for biggest overspend in NHS history Health minister reveals Barts set to run up £134.9m deficit, as NHS sources say trusts cannot balance books due to poor funding
The biggest hospital trust in the country is set to run up a £134.9m deficit this year – by far the largest ever overspend in the history of the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian
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The biggest hospital trust in the country is set to run up a £134.9m deficit this year – by far the largest ever overspend in the history of the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian
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Childhood obesity is a national emergency, says Jeremy Hunt
Childhood obesity is a national emergency, says Jeremy Hunt Health secretary promises robust action to tackle obesity, as Jamie Oliver says campaigners will ‘get more ninja’ if sugar tax is not adopted
Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has described the rise in childhood obesity as a “national emergency” and promised a “gamechanging” response from the government.
In an interview on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, he said the government would introduce either a sugar tax or something “equally robust” when it publishes its childhood obesity strategy. Continue reading... The Guardian
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Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has described the rise in childhood obesity as a “national emergency” and promised a “gamechanging” response from the government.
In an interview on the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, he said the government would introduce either a sugar tax or something “equally robust” when it publishes its childhood obesity strategy. Continue reading... The Guardian
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One hundred babies locked up in prison
One hundred babies locked up in prison One hundred babies were locked up in prisons last year, David Cameron will warn this week as he makes a passionate plea for radical reforms to the justice system. The Daily Telegraph
Friday, 5 February 2016
KGH: Only use emergency services if you absolutely have to during junior doctors’ strike
KGH: Only use emergency services if you absolutely have to during junior doctors’ strike
Kettering General Hospital says it expects disruption to be minimal during the proposed strike by junior doctors next week, but emergency services should still only be used “if they absolutely have to”.
Kettering General Hospital says it expects disruption to be minimal during the proposed strike by junior doctors next week, but emergency services should still only be used “if they absolutely have to”.
Evening Telegraph
Change management part of new line-up of e-learning
Change management part of new line-up of e-learning
PCC has added six new courses to its e-learning programme, which has been expanded to aid the development of leadership and strategic skills in addition to the range of practical courses offered already.
PCC has added six new courses to its e-learning programme, which has been expanded to aid the development of leadership and strategic skills in addition to the range of practical courses offered already.
NHS Networks
Change agents for a value-based culture
Change agents for a value-based culture
The value-based approach is a driver of change in behaviours and culture needed to develop systems of care. But those developing value-based systems also have a role in leading change.
The value-based approach is a driver of change in behaviours and culture needed to develop systems of care. But those developing value-based systems also have a role in leading change.
NHS Networks
'Suicide prevention app' trial
'Suicide prevention app' trial
An NHS mental health trust is working with US researchers to develop an app that may stop people from killing themselves.
An NHS mental health trust is working with US researchers to develop an app that may stop people from killing themselves.
BBC News
Hospitals' bed-blocking 'costing NHS £900m a year'
Hospitals' bed-blocking 'costing NHS £900m a year'
In a new report, Lord Carter of Coles sets out how NHS hospitals can cut costs to save £5bn a year by 2020.
In a new report, Lord Carter of Coles sets out how NHS hospitals can cut costs to save £5bn a year by 2020.
Independent
Zika: Spanish officials confirm pregnant woman in Catalonia infected with virus
Zika: Spanish officials confirm pregnant woman in Catalonia infected with virus
Health Ministry says woman infected during a trip to Colombia and the wider population is not at risk.
Health Ministry says woman infected during a trip to Colombia and the wider population is not at risk.
Independent
UK cancer death rates after diagnosis drop 10% in ten years
UK cancer death rates after diagnosis drop 10% in ten years
A greater number of people, however, are being diagnosed with and dying from cancer due to age and lifestyle factors
Death rates from cancer in the UK have dropped by 10% over the last decade, thanks to progress in diagnosing and treating the disease, but the number of deaths keeps rising because more people are falling ill.
The figures, released by Cancer Research UK, show the four major killers – breast, bowel, lung and prostate cancer – have become less deadly relatively speaking. In 2013, the latest year for which full figures are available, 284 out of every 100,000 people in the UK died from the disease – around 162,000 people. A decade ago the death rate was 312 in every 100,000.
A greater number of people, however, are being diagnosed with and dying from cancer due to age and lifestyle factors
Death rates from cancer in the UK have dropped by 10% over the last decade, thanks to progress in diagnosing and treating the disease, but the number of deaths keeps rising because more people are falling ill.
The figures, released by Cancer Research UK, show the four major killers – breast, bowel, lung and prostate cancer – have become less deadly relatively speaking. In 2013, the latest year for which full figures are available, 284 out of every 100,000 people in the UK died from the disease – around 162,000 people. A decade ago the death rate was 312 in every 100,000.
Guardian
NHSwhereIstarted campaign calls on NHS workforce to inspire next generation
NHSwhereIstarted campaign calls on NHS workforce to inspire next generation
NHS Employers is calling on staff in the NHS to share images of their first jobs in the NHS on Twitter as part of #NHSwhereIstarted, a new social media campaign. Latest NHS Employers News
NHS Employers is calling on staff in the NHS to share images of their first jobs in the NHS on Twitter as part of #NHSwhereIstarted, a new social media campaign. Latest NHS Employers News
Early years of the NHS - in pictures
Early years of the NHS - in pictures
To coincide with the Guardian’s This is the NHS campaign, our new gallery features vintage Guardian and Observer images which offer an insight into the changing face of the NHS in its formative years. The series has been selected from original picture library files now housed in theGNM Archive.
To coincide with the Guardian’s This is the NHS campaign, our new gallery features vintage Guardian and Observer images which offer an insight into the changing face of the NHS in its formative years. The series has been selected from original picture library files now housed in theGNM Archive.
Guardian
Confidentiality guidance consultation
Confidentiality guidance consultation
The GMC have restructured their guidance with the aim of making it easier to apply in practice, and have expanded advice in a range of areas, including on sharing information about adults at risk of harm, and doctors’ data protection responsibilities. They have also reviewed several other pieces of explanatory guidance which tackle particular themes of confidentiality doctors commonly encounter. They are seeking views on these changes. Comments must be submitted by 19 February 2016.
The GMC have restructured their guidance with the aim of making it easier to apply in practice, and have expanded advice in a range of areas, including on sharing information about adults at risk of harm, and doctors’ data protection responsibilities. They have also reviewed several other pieces of explanatory guidance which tackle particular themes of confidentiality doctors commonly encounter. They are seeking views on these changes. Comments must be submitted by 19 February 2016.
Member briefing: NHS planning guidance
Member briefing: NHS planning guidance
This guidance suggested that local organisations involved in planning and providing health and care services in England must prepare a five year plan which sets out how they will improve quality of services, address funding challenges, and improve the health and wellbeing of people living in their area. It also says that local organisations should engage patients, service users, carers and the public in developing these plans and also engage voluntary and community groups.
This guidance suggested that local organisations involved in planning and providing health and care services in England must prepare a five year plan which sets out how they will improve quality of services, address funding challenges, and improve the health and wellbeing of people living in their area. It also says that local organisations should engage patients, service users, carers and the public in developing these plans and also engage voluntary and community groups.
Managing the supply of NHS clinical staff in England
Managing the supply of NHS clinical staff in England
Ensuring there are enough clinical staff with the right skills to meet the demand for high-quality, safe healthcare is essential to the operation of the NHS. However, the current arrangements for managing the supply of clinical staff are fragmented and do not represent value for money, according to the National Audit Office.
The arrangements for managing the supply of clinical staff involve the Department of Health, various arm’s-length bodies and healthcare commissioners and providers. Available data on vacancies are poor but, in 2014, there was a reported overall staffing shortfall of around 5.9%. This equated to a gap of around 50,000 clinical staff. The extent of the shortfall varied between different staff groups and regions.
The creation of Health Education England means that, for the first time, there is a national body specifically tasked with making strategic decisions about planning the future workforce, working collaboratively with local healthcare providers. The national workforce plan is developed from plans prepared by local providers, which means it should be based on a detailed understanding of local circumstances. According to the NAO, however, the process for developing the national long-term workforce plan could be made more robust and Health Education England should be more proactive in addressing the variations in workforce pressures in different parts of the country.
Healthcare providers are responsible for employing clinical staff to deliver healthcare. Hospital trusts’ use of temporary staff has increased significantly, putting pressure on their financial position, and the NAO concluded that there is room for trusts to reduce spending on temporary staff. Temporary staffing gives trusts the flexibility to address short-term workforce pressures, but high levels of temporary staff are an inefficient use of resources. Spending on agency staff increased from £2.2 billion in 2009-10 to £3.3 billion in 2014-15. The Secretary of State for Health announced a cap in October 2015 on how much trusts can pay per shift to help control spending on agency staff; however, the NAO notes that these measures are unlikely to address fully the underlying causes of the increased demand for temporary staff.
At the same time as the use of temporary staff has increased, the NHS has made much less use of overseas recruitment and return-to-practice initiatives to address staffing shortfalls. The number of overseas nurses has fallen, particularly from outside the EEA, where the number of entrants decreased from 11,359 in 2004-05 to just 699 in 2014-15. Some of the decline may have been due to tighter immigration rules for nurses between 2009 and 2015. The decrease was partly offset by a large rise in recruits from within the EEA. The NAO found that a more coordinated and proactive approach to managing the supply of staff could result in efficiencies for the NHS as a whole.
Ensuring there are enough clinical staff with the right skills to meet the demand for high-quality, safe healthcare is essential to the operation of the NHS. However, the current arrangements for managing the supply of clinical staff are fragmented and do not represent value for money, according to the National Audit Office.
The arrangements for managing the supply of clinical staff involve the Department of Health, various arm’s-length bodies and healthcare commissioners and providers. Available data on vacancies are poor but, in 2014, there was a reported overall staffing shortfall of around 5.9%. This equated to a gap of around 50,000 clinical staff. The extent of the shortfall varied between different staff groups and regions.
The creation of Health Education England means that, for the first time, there is a national body specifically tasked with making strategic decisions about planning the future workforce, working collaboratively with local healthcare providers. The national workforce plan is developed from plans prepared by local providers, which means it should be based on a detailed understanding of local circumstances. According to the NAO, however, the process for developing the national long-term workforce plan could be made more robust and Health Education England should be more proactive in addressing the variations in workforce pressures in different parts of the country.
Healthcare providers are responsible for employing clinical staff to deliver healthcare. Hospital trusts’ use of temporary staff has increased significantly, putting pressure on their financial position, and the NAO concluded that there is room for trusts to reduce spending on temporary staff. Temporary staffing gives trusts the flexibility to address short-term workforce pressures, but high levels of temporary staff are an inefficient use of resources. Spending on agency staff increased from £2.2 billion in 2009-10 to £3.3 billion in 2014-15. The Secretary of State for Health announced a cap in October 2015 on how much trusts can pay per shift to help control spending on agency staff; however, the NAO notes that these measures are unlikely to address fully the underlying causes of the increased demand for temporary staff.
At the same time as the use of temporary staff has increased, the NHS has made much less use of overseas recruitment and return-to-practice initiatives to address staffing shortfalls. The number of overseas nurses has fallen, particularly from outside the EEA, where the number of entrants decreased from 11,359 in 2004-05 to just 699 in 2014-15. Some of the decline may have been due to tighter immigration rules for nurses between 2009 and 2015. The decrease was partly offset by a large rise in recruits from within the EEA. The NAO found that a more coordinated and proactive approach to managing the supply of staff could result in efficiencies for the NHS as a whole.
National Audit Office
National smoking bans are good for your health
National smoking bans are good for your health
New evidence of the befits of smoking bans, especially for non-smokers.
New evidence of the befits of smoking bans, especially for non-smokers.
Evidently Cochrane
Sacked NHS whistleblower handed £1.22m damages
Sacked NHS whistleblower handed £1.22m damages
NHS whistleblower unfairly sacked after exposing concerns about patient safety awarded £1.22 million damages. Telegraph
NHS whistleblower unfairly sacked after exposing concerns about patient safety awarded £1.22 million damages. Telegraph
Thursday, 4 February 2016
Important message: British National Formulary (BNF70) and the Children’s British National Formulary (BNFC 2015)
Important message: British National Formulary (BNF70) and the Children’s British National Formulary (BNFC 2015)
British National Formulary, February 2016
Please be advised that due to errors contained within the previously distributed hard copy version of the British National Formulary (BNF70) and the BNFC (2015) that serious patient safety incidents have been reported through the national reporting and learning system (NRLS).
An adhesive addendum will be produced at the end of February to be placed on the front of all hard copies and where Trusts have distributed copies in house, they should consider re-calling all copies.
All Practitioners are reminded that the most current up to date accurate version of the BNF and BNFC can be accessed via the electronic site here.
You can also access this via the following links
· Via Medicines complete – please click here for further details
· Via NICE evidence summaries – please click here
· Via NICE BNF app – please click here for further details
Lancashire Care Libraries
British National Formulary, February 2016
Please be advised that due to errors contained within the previously distributed hard copy version of the British National Formulary (BNF70) and the BNFC (2015) that serious patient safety incidents have been reported through the national reporting and learning system (NRLS).
An adhesive addendum will be produced at the end of February to be placed on the front of all hard copies and where Trusts have distributed copies in house, they should consider re-calling all copies.
All Practitioners are reminded that the most current up to date accurate version of the BNF and BNFC can be accessed via the electronic site here.
You can also access this via the following links
· Via Medicines complete – please click here for further details
· Via NICE evidence summaries – please click here
· Via NICE BNF app – please click here for further details
Lancashire Care Libraries
NHS stops people who have visited areas hit by Zika virus giving blood
NHS stops people who have visited areas hit by Zika virus giving blood
Health service bars those who have been to countries widely affected by the virus from donating blood for four weeks
People who have travelled to countries affected by the Zika virus will not be allowed to donate blood for four weeks after returning home, the NHS has said.
Zika, which the World Health Organisation has declared a public health emergency of international concern, is spread through mosquitoes but there have been a handful of cases of the virus believed to have been sexually transmitted, the most recent in Texas.
Health service bars those who have been to countries widely affected by the virus from donating blood for four weeks
People who have travelled to countries affected by the Zika virus will not be allowed to donate blood for four weeks after returning home, the NHS has said.
Zika, which the World Health Organisation has declared a public health emergency of international concern, is spread through mosquitoes but there have been a handful of cases of the virus believed to have been sexually transmitted, the most recent in Texas.
Guardian
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
Confidential inquiry into premature deaths of people with a learning disability
Confidential inquiry into premature deaths of people with a learning disability
This research found that 1,238 children and adults die across England every year because they are not getting the right health care.
This research found that 1,238 children and adults die across England every year because they are not getting the right health care.
NHS Networks
HEE seeks views on new nursing support role
HEE seeks views on new nursing support role
Health Education England (HEE) is keen to hear views on a new nursing support role, which will work alongside health care support workers and fully-qualified registered nurses to deliver hands on care, focusing on ensuring patients continue to get the compassionate care they deserve.
Health Education England (HEE) is keen to hear views on a new nursing support role, which will work alongside health care support workers and fully-qualified registered nurses to deliver hands on care, focusing on ensuring patients continue to get the compassionate care they deserve.
NHS Networks
Four in 10 hospitals told to improve care for the dying
Four in 10 hospitals told to improve care for the dying
Watchdog’s data reveals end-of-life care falls below expected standards at 74 NHS hospitals in England, including seven rated as inadequate
More than 40% of hospitals offer indifferent or poor care for the dying, according to the latest data seen by the Guardian, which highlights huge variability between the way NHS facilities deal with the inevitability of death.
Data from the Care Quality Commission supplied to the Guardian reveals the differences across England. Eight hospitals have been rated as outstanding for their end-of-life care – three of them are children’s hospitals (Alder Hey, Great Ormond Street and Sheffield) – and 94 have been classified as good. But 67 hospitals require improvement and seven are inadequate.
Watchdog’s data reveals end-of-life care falls below expected standards at 74 NHS hospitals in England, including seven rated as inadequate
More than 40% of hospitals offer indifferent or poor care for the dying, according to the latest data seen by the Guardian, which highlights huge variability between the way NHS facilities deal with the inevitability of death.
Data from the Care Quality Commission supplied to the Guardian reveals the differences across England. Eight hospitals have been rated as outstanding for their end-of-life care – three of them are children’s hospitals (Alder Hey, Great Ormond Street and Sheffield) – and 94 have been classified as good. But 67 hospitals require improvement and seven are inadequate.
Guardian
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
Faith at end of life: public health resource for professionals
Faith at end of life: public health resource for professionals
Public Health England published guidance for professionals, providers and commissioners on the importance of faith at the end of life.
Public Health England published guidance for professionals, providers and commissioners on the importance of faith at the end of life.
NHS Networks
Devolution could undermine existing health and social care integration, MPs warn
Devolution could undermine existing health and social care integration, MPs warn
Devolution of healthcare powers to local authorities must not be allowed to undermine existing NHS efforts to integrate health and social care, MPs have warned.
Devolution of healthcare powers to local authorities must not be allowed to undermine existing NHS efforts to integrate health and social care, MPs have warned.
GP online
Wednesday, 3 February 2016
Stark alcohol warning by medical chief
Stark alcohol warning by medical chief
England's chief medical officer has urged people to take personal responsibility for their drinking and to consider cancer risks carefully with each glass.
England's chief medical officer has urged people to take personal responsibility for their drinking and to consider cancer risks carefully with each glass.
UK regulators give go-ahead for 'embryo editing'
UK regulators give go-ahead for 'embryo editing'
"UK scientists have been given the go-ahead by the fertility regulator to genetically modify human embryos," BBC News reports.
The UK body that regulates research into embryos – the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) – has given a licence to Dr Kathy Niakan for her research on stem cells at The Francis Crick Institute in London.
The licence provides permission for genome editing techniques to be used on donated embryos for up to 14 days.
The UK is the first country in the world to make this type of research legal. It remains illegal to implant modified embryos in women.
Health News from NHS Choices
"UK scientists have been given the go-ahead by the fertility regulator to genetically modify human embryos," BBC News reports.
The UK body that regulates research into embryos – the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) – has given a licence to Dr Kathy Niakan for her research on stem cells at The Francis Crick Institute in London.
The licence provides permission for genome editing techniques to be used on donated embryos for up to 14 days.
The UK is the first country in the world to make this type of research legal. It remains illegal to implant modified embryos in women.
Health News from NHS Choices
Official Statistics: Local tobacco control profiles for England: February 2016 data update
Official Statistics: Local tobacco control profiles for England: February 2016 data update
The Local Tobacco Control Profiles data update for February 2016 has been published by Public Health England (PHE).
The data are presented in an interactive tool that allows users to view them in a user-friendly format. The profiles provide a snapshot of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco related harm, and measures being taken to reduce this harm at a local level. These profiles have been designed to help local government and health services to assess the effect of tobacco use on their local populations.
View the Local Tobacco Control Profiles.
This update contains:
2 new indicators
more recent data for 5 indicators
View previous Local Tobacco Control Profiles updates.
The Local Tobacco Control Profiles data update for February 2016 has been published by Public Health England (PHE).
The data are presented in an interactive tool that allows users to view them in a user-friendly format. The profiles provide a snapshot of the extent of tobacco use, tobacco related harm, and measures being taken to reduce this harm at a local level. These profiles have been designed to help local government and health services to assess the effect of tobacco use on their local populations.
View the Local Tobacco Control Profiles.
This update contains:
2 new indicators
more recent data for 5 indicators
View previous Local Tobacco Control Profiles updates.
Official Statistics: Health Profiles: February 2016 data update
Official Statistics: Health Profiles: February 2016 data update
The online Health Profiles data has been updated for February 2016.
The online Health Profiles are now being updated quarterly at the same time as the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF). The 4-page PDF Health Profiles reports are still updated annually in the summer, as usual.
The data are presented in an interactive tool that allows users to view them in a user-friendly format. The profiles provide a snapshot overview of health for each local authority in England. These profiles are intended to help local government and health services make plans to improve local people’s health and reduce health inequalities.
This quarterly update contains more recent data for 11 indicators.
The online Health Profiles data has been updated for February 2016.
The online Health Profiles are now being updated quarterly at the same time as the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF). The 4-page PDF Health Profiles reports are still updated annually in the summer, as usual.
The data are presented in an interactive tool that allows users to view them in a user-friendly format. The profiles provide a snapshot overview of health for each local authority in England. These profiles are intended to help local government and health services make plans to improve local people’s health and reduce health inequalities.
This quarterly update contains more recent data for 11 indicators.
The NHS and a social care commission
The NHS and a social care commission
This debate pack was prepared for the backbench business debate on a motion put forward for the establishment of an independent, non-partisan commission on the future of the NHS and social care with the aim of establishing a long-term settlement for health and social care.
NHS Networks
This debate pack was prepared for the backbench business debate on a motion put forward for the establishment of an independent, non-partisan commission on the future of the NHS and social care with the aim of establishing a long-term settlement for health and social care.
NHS Networks
How can frontline expertise and new models of care best contribute to safely reducing avoidable acute admissions? A mixed-methods study of...
How can frontline expertise and new models of care best contribute to safely reducing avoidable acute admissions? A mixed-methods study of...
This study aims to investigate the interplay of service factors that influence decision-making about emergency patient admissions and to understand how the medical assessment process is experienced by patients, carers and medical staff.
This study aims to investigate the interplay of service factors that influence decision-making about emergency patient admissions and to understand how the medical assessment process is experienced by patients, carers and medical staff.
Could ketamine be prescribed to treat depression? Party drug hailed as the 'next big thing in psychiatry'
Could ketamine be prescribed to treat depression? Party drug hailed as the 'next big thing in psychiatry'
A San Francisco-based psychiatrist, and member of the American Psychiatry Association's ketamine task force, claims the body are set to support use of the drug to treat severe depression early this year.
A San Francisco-based psychiatrist, and member of the American Psychiatry Association's ketamine task force, claims the body are set to support use of the drug to treat severe depression early this year.
Daily Mail
CBT plus medication for treatment-resistant depression: the CoBalT RCT long-term follow-up
CBT plus medication for treatment-resistant depression: the CoBalT RCT long-term follow-up
Sarah McDonald considers the findings of the CoBalT RCT long-term follow-up, which finds that CBT plus antidepressants are clinically and cost effective for treatment-resistant depression in primary care. The Mental Elf
Sarah McDonald considers the findings of the CoBalT RCT long-term follow-up, which finds that CBT plus antidepressants are clinically and cost effective for treatment-resistant depression in primary care. The Mental Elf
Tuesday, 2 February 2016
Northampton psychiatric hospital care was ‘medieval’ says sister of woman who died from undiagnosed broken back
Northampton psychiatric hospital care was ‘medieval’ says sister of woman who died from undiagnosed broken back
The family of a woman whose broken back went unnoticed at Berrywood Hospital in Northampton say the treatment she received was “medieval.”
The family of a woman whose broken back went unnoticed at Berrywood Hospital in Northampton say the treatment she received was “medieval.”
Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Creating a workplace where NHS staff can flourish
Creating a workplace where NHS staff can flourish
Work-related stress is widespread among staff in the NHS; last year, according to the NHS Staff Survey, nearly 40 per cent of staff reported feeling unwell as a result of stress.
Chronic stress can have significant impacts on physical and mental health, being implicated in heart disease, early mortality, depression and a wide variety of psychosocial disorders. In effect, NHS staff are more likely than the rest of the working population to become patients, increasing demands on the system they work in.
Moreover, the Care Quality Commission says poor staff health and wellbeing in NHS provider organisations is associated with poorer-quality patient care, lower levels of patient satisfaction and high levels of absenteeism. The ability of staff to pay close attention to patients, to have empathic responses and take intelligent action to help is detrimentally affected by high and chronic levels of stress.
What are we to do? One solution is to introduce health and wellbeing strategies for stressed staff, offering massage, yoga, mindfulness, exercise and dietary advice. But although these are worthy interventions, they do not address the root causes of the problem.
Research has shown that the most important factor contributing to stress is workload, with staff simply being asked to manage too much work. Another is a lack of clear roles – knowing what the objectives, requirements and limits of their responsibilities are. Other factors include bullying and harassment (particularly by managers and other staff), discrimination, lack of resources, conflict, and dealing with pain and suffering. These core problems are to do with organisational culture and processes, so the solutions need to address organisational causes. We cannot just rely on health and wellbeing strategies as ‘fig leaves’ for inaction around management, structures and culture.
If we are to address the causes of stress at work then we need to nurture cultures that ensure a focus on providing the high-quality, compassionate care that NHS staff wish to provide. This means that leaders must have an unwavering focus on ensuring commitment to quality of care. As I have said before, absolutely key to this is developing, selecting, promoting and empowering leaders to nurture such cultures. But we also need to move swiftly away from unhealthy command-and-control cultures and this requires a comprehensive and wholesale change in the way in which leadership is developed and understood in the NHS.
It is not enough simply to aim to reduce staff stress levels. We should be promoting the idea that humans can flourish in the workplace, by ensuring that staff have opportunities for growth and development, the experience of supportive relationships at work, work environments that promote their physical health, and leaders who provide the resources that enable them to cope effectively with the demands of their work.
There are some organisations in the NHS that are making progress towards understanding how to reduce stress levels and promote staff wellbeing, and others should be striving to do the same. But NHS organisations must also look beyond the sector for outstanding examples of organisations – both nationally and internationally – that have shown how to create positive work environments and promote human health and wellbeing, rather than damage their staff. It is right that the NHS should aspire to be a model in this regard, rather than the bad example it currently is.
Kings Fund
See the presentations from our recent event 'Encouraging staff wellbeing in health and care'
Work-related stress is widespread among staff in the NHS; last year, according to the NHS Staff Survey, nearly 40 per cent of staff reported feeling unwell as a result of stress.
Chronic stress can have significant impacts on physical and mental health, being implicated in heart disease, early mortality, depression and a wide variety of psychosocial disorders. In effect, NHS staff are more likely than the rest of the working population to become patients, increasing demands on the system they work in.
Moreover, the Care Quality Commission says poor staff health and wellbeing in NHS provider organisations is associated with poorer-quality patient care, lower levels of patient satisfaction and high levels of absenteeism. The ability of staff to pay close attention to patients, to have empathic responses and take intelligent action to help is detrimentally affected by high and chronic levels of stress.
What are we to do? One solution is to introduce health and wellbeing strategies for stressed staff, offering massage, yoga, mindfulness, exercise and dietary advice. But although these are worthy interventions, they do not address the root causes of the problem.
Research has shown that the most important factor contributing to stress is workload, with staff simply being asked to manage too much work. Another is a lack of clear roles – knowing what the objectives, requirements and limits of their responsibilities are. Other factors include bullying and harassment (particularly by managers and other staff), discrimination, lack of resources, conflict, and dealing with pain and suffering. These core problems are to do with organisational culture and processes, so the solutions need to address organisational causes. We cannot just rely on health and wellbeing strategies as ‘fig leaves’ for inaction around management, structures and culture.
If we are to address the causes of stress at work then we need to nurture cultures that ensure a focus on providing the high-quality, compassionate care that NHS staff wish to provide. This means that leaders must have an unwavering focus on ensuring commitment to quality of care. As I have said before, absolutely key to this is developing, selecting, promoting and empowering leaders to nurture such cultures. But we also need to move swiftly away from unhealthy command-and-control cultures and this requires a comprehensive and wholesale change in the way in which leadership is developed and understood in the NHS.
It is not enough simply to aim to reduce staff stress levels. We should be promoting the idea that humans can flourish in the workplace, by ensuring that staff have opportunities for growth and development, the experience of supportive relationships at work, work environments that promote their physical health, and leaders who provide the resources that enable them to cope effectively with the demands of their work.
There are some organisations in the NHS that are making progress towards understanding how to reduce stress levels and promote staff wellbeing, and others should be striving to do the same. But NHS organisations must also look beyond the sector for outstanding examples of organisations – both nationally and internationally – that have shown how to create positive work environments and promote human health and wellbeing, rather than damage their staff. It is right that the NHS should aspire to be a model in this regard, rather than the bad example it currently is.
Kings Fund
See the presentations from our recent event 'Encouraging staff wellbeing in health and care'
NHS and health and care sector hit first target on climate change – but more testing goals are to come
NHS and health and care sector hit first target on climate change – but more testing goals are to come
The NHS and wider health and care sector is over the first hurdle in the race to reach carbon reduction targets and help limit the effects of climate change.
The NHS and wider health and care sector is over the first hurdle in the race to reach carbon reduction targets and help limit the effects of climate change.
NHS Networks
Making every contact count
Making every contact count
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an approach to behaviour change that uses day to day interactions that organisations and individuals have with other people to support them in making positive changes to their physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Making Every Contact Count (MECC) is an approach to behaviour change that uses day to day interactions that organisations and individuals have with other people to support them in making positive changes to their physical and mental health and wellbeing.
NHS Networks
Equality information and equality analysis 2016
Equality information and equality analysis 2016
This report contains a breakdown of the Department of Health's workforce on all equality strands. It includes data on ethnicity, gender, disability, age group, working patterns, sexual orientation and religion or belief of the department's workforce. Department of Health (DH)
Report
Associated data
This report contains a breakdown of the Department of Health's workforce on all equality strands. It includes data on ethnicity, gender, disability, age group, working patterns, sexual orientation and religion or belief of the department's workforce. Department of Health (DH)
Report
Associated data
Next week's junior doctor strike on
Next week's junior doctor strike on
Next week's strike by junior doctors in England will go ahead as talks with the government have failed to reach a solution - but union leaders say medics will provide emergency cover.
BBC News
Next week's strike by junior doctors in England will go ahead as talks with the government have failed to reach a solution - but union leaders say medics will provide emergency cover.
BBC News
Care homes and the NHS: The silent scandal?
Care homes and the NHS: The silent scandal?
The problems care home residents experience getting health care.
BBC News
The problems care home residents experience getting health care.
BBC News
Autism waits 'should be monitored'
Autism waits 'should be monitored'
The amount of time it takes for autism to be diagnosed should be monitored by NHS England and targets set, the National Autistic Society (NAS) says.
BBC News
The amount of time it takes for autism to be diagnosed should be monitored by NHS England and targets set, the National Autistic Society (NAS) says.
BBC News
Zika declared global emergency by WHO
Zika declared global emergency by WHO
Zika poses a global public health emergency requiring a united response, says the World Health Organization.
BBC News
Zika poses a global public health emergency requiring a united response, says the World Health Organization.
BBC News
How and why do psychotherapies improve social support?
How and why do psychotherapies improve social support?
Mark Smith summarises a meta-analysis that explores the effects of psychotherapy for adult depression on social support.
Mental Elf
Mark Smith summarises a meta-analysis that explores the effects of psychotherapy for adult depression on social support.
Mental Elf
Simple test could predict Alzheimer's 'two years before symptoms show'
Simple test could predict Alzheimer's 'two years before symptoms show'
A simple memory test could be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease two years before symptoms start to show, according to a new study.
By helping to catch the disease early the test would enable doctors treat Alzheimer’s and delay its debilitating effects, scientists at the University of Cambridge believe.
In the UK over 850,000 have dementia – the umbrella term for cognitive disorders which Alzheimer’s falls under.
The research conducted by scientists at Cambridge University comes after the Alzheimer’s Society predicted that 1million people will have dementia by 2025.
The new “Four Mountains” test, which early data shows is 93 per cent accurate, assesses a person’s spatial memory, The Times reported.
Independent
A simple memory test could be used to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease two years before symptoms start to show, according to a new study.
By helping to catch the disease early the test would enable doctors treat Alzheimer’s and delay its debilitating effects, scientists at the University of Cambridge believe.
In the UK over 850,000 have dementia – the umbrella term for cognitive disorders which Alzheimer’s falls under.
The research conducted by scientists at Cambridge University comes after the Alzheimer’s Society predicted that 1million people will have dementia by 2025.
The new “Four Mountains” test, which early data shows is 93 per cent accurate, assesses a person’s spatial memory, The Times reported.
Independent
Ageing Britain: two-fifths of NHS budget is spent on over-65s
Ageing Britain: two-fifths of NHS budget is spent on over-65s
Data produced for the Guardian shows how health spending is split across age groups, with costs set to rise as people live longer
More than two-fifths of national health spending in the UK is devoted to people over 65, according to estimates produced for the Guardian by the Nuffield Trust – a figure that is only likely to increase with the nation’s ageing demographic.
The data shows that an 85-year-old man costs the NHS about seven times more on average than a man in his late 30s. Health spending per person steeply increases after the age of 50, with people aged 85 and over costing the NHS an average of £7,000 a year. Spending on health services across all age groups is £2,069, according to Treasury analysis.
Guardian
Continue reading...
Data produced for the Guardian shows how health spending is split across age groups, with costs set to rise as people live longer
More than two-fifths of national health spending in the UK is devoted to people over 65, according to estimates produced for the Guardian by the Nuffield Trust – a figure that is only likely to increase with the nation’s ageing demographic.
The data shows that an 85-year-old man costs the NHS about seven times more on average than a man in his late 30s. Health spending per person steeply increases after the age of 50, with people aged 85 and over costing the NHS an average of £7,000 a year. Spending on health services across all age groups is £2,069, according to Treasury analysis.
Guardian
Continue reading...
Monday, 1 February 2016
News: Media Statement re: Commentary on the inquest into the death of Claire Masters
News: Media Statement re: Commentary on the inquest into the death of Claire Masters
Ms Masters had received support for her mental health needs over a significant number of years from a number of different healthcare providers, including our trust. Regretfully, the treatment she received while in our care in 2014, fell below our usual standards.
The inquest determined that the cause of her death was a respiratory tract infection, secondary to a spinal fracture. It also identified there were some failures in the care provided by our trust and provided by others caring for Claire that unfortunately contributed to her suffering.
As a result, we have taken significant steps to meet all of the concerns arising from this inquest, whether raised by the family, the Clinical Commissioning Groups, by ourselves, or by the Coroner. Our investigation into the matter was reassuringly described as robust and thorough, by the independent expert consultant psychiatrist instructed by the Coroner to assist the inquest. Following a careful review of the changes we have put in place since, the Coroner was reassured by the measures the trust has taken to remedy all shortcomings identified.
Richard McKendrick, Chief Operating Officer, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We have undertaken an unprecedented amount of work since 2014 to improve standards of care, and we will continue to work with our partners in acute care to make further improvements where needed. While our senior management have been in regular contact with the family since 2014, as a Trust, we would like to take this opportunity to again offer our deepest condolences to Ms Masters’ family.”
Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Ms Masters had received support for her mental health needs over a significant number of years from a number of different healthcare providers, including our trust. Regretfully, the treatment she received while in our care in 2014, fell below our usual standards.
The inquest determined that the cause of her death was a respiratory tract infection, secondary to a spinal fracture. It also identified there were some failures in the care provided by our trust and provided by others caring for Claire that unfortunately contributed to her suffering.
As a result, we have taken significant steps to meet all of the concerns arising from this inquest, whether raised by the family, the Clinical Commissioning Groups, by ourselves, or by the Coroner. Our investigation into the matter was reassuringly described as robust and thorough, by the independent expert consultant psychiatrist instructed by the Coroner to assist the inquest. Following a careful review of the changes we have put in place since, the Coroner was reassured by the measures the trust has taken to remedy all shortcomings identified.
Richard McKendrick, Chief Operating Officer, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“We have undertaken an unprecedented amount of work since 2014 to improve standards of care, and we will continue to work with our partners in acute care to make further improvements where needed. While our senior management have been in regular contact with the family since 2014, as a Trust, we would like to take this opportunity to again offer our deepest condolences to Ms Masters’ family.”
Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Inquest into the death of Northampton patient whose fractured spine went undiagnosed finds care failings Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Quality of care at GP practice in Thrapston ‘inadequate’
Quality of care at GP practice in Thrapston ‘inadequate’
A GP practice in Thrapston has been placed in special measures by inspectors after the quality of care was found to be inadequate.
Evening Telegraph
A GP practice in Thrapston has been placed in special measures by inspectors after the quality of care was found to be inadequate.
Evening Telegraph
Swine flu alert prompts vaccination call
Swine flu alert prompts vaccination call
Medical experts are encouraging people to get a seasonal flu vaccine, following cases of swine flu being reported across the country.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Medical experts are encouraging people to get a seasonal flu vaccine, following cases of swine flu being reported across the country.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Influencing skills
Influencing skills
As NHS and other organisations increasingly have to work together to solve common problems, influencing skills are more important than ever. Influencing is a combination of persuasion and negotiation - being able to persuade others and negotiate to reach an agreement.
NHS Networks
As NHS and other organisations increasingly have to work together to solve common problems, influencing skills are more important than ever. Influencing is a combination of persuasion and negotiation - being able to persuade others and negotiate to reach an agreement.
NHS Networks
Social work: improving adult mental health
Social work: improving adult mental health
Resources to improve, develop and sustain social work across the mental health sector.
NHS Networks
Resources to improve, develop and sustain social work across the mental health sector.
NHS Networks
Alcohol infographic updated to new alcohol guidelines
Alcohol infographic updated to new alcohol guidelines
New recommended alcohol guidelines have been published by the Department of Health so we have updated our alcohol infographic.
Latest NHS Employers News
New recommended alcohol guidelines have been published by the Department of Health so we have updated our alcohol infographic.
Latest NHS Employers News
New nursing associate role consultation
New nursing associate role consultation
Health Education England has launched a consultation on the introduction of the proposed Nursing Associate role.
Latest NHS Employers News
Health Education England has launched a consultation on the introduction of the proposed Nursing Associate role.
Latest NHS Employers News
Suffering alone at home: a UNISON report on the lack of time
Suffering alone at home: a UNISON report on the lack of time
This report is based on an online survey of 1,100 homecare workers and data obtained from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to 152 local authorities in England that commission social care visits. It reveals that 74 per cent of councils in England are commissioning 15 minute home care visits, in contravention of NICE guidance which states that visits shorter than half an hour should only be made of visits are part of a wider package of support and allows enough time to complete tasks and check on patient wellbeing.
This report is based on an online survey of 1,100 homecare workers and data obtained from a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to 152 local authorities in England that commission social care visits. It reveals that 74 per cent of councils in England are commissioning 15 minute home care visits, in contravention of NICE guidance which states that visits shorter than half an hour should only be made of visits are part of a wider package of support and allows enough time to complete tasks and check on patient wellbeing.
Government backs reforms allowing patients access to cheaper life-saving drugs
Government backs reforms allowing patients access to cheaper life-saving drugs
Ministers have committed to finding new ways to ensure off-patent drugs could be prescribed to patients on the NHS.
Independent
Ministers have committed to finding new ways to ensure off-patent drugs could be prescribed to patients on the NHS.
Independent
Alzheimer's can be transmitted from one person to another, new evidence suggests
Alzheimer's can be transmitted from one person to another, new evidence suggests
Study supports hypothesis that 'seeds' of brain disease can be passed on during surgery.
Independent
Study supports hypothesis that 'seeds' of brain disease can be passed on during surgery.
Independent
Sharing is caring: how one hospital is leading the way on transparency
Sharing is caring: how one hospital is leading the way on transparency
Screens all around Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank reveal ‘brutally transparent’ stats on everything from hand hygiene to superbug rates
The dials on the dashboard screen flicker between red and green, to indicate targets missed or met, outside the orthopaedic ward of the Golden Jubilee national hospital in Clydebank.
The information displayed here is free of medical jargon and simple to understand, led by what relatives themselves said they wanted to know about the place where their loved ones were being cared for. And it is also brutally transparent – a single patient fall or pressure sore is a missed target, making angry red blots appear at the bottom of the screen. There has been one of each in this particular ward over the past month.
Screens all around Golden Jubilee hospital in Clydebank reveal ‘brutally transparent’ stats on everything from hand hygiene to superbug rates
The dials on the dashboard screen flicker between red and green, to indicate targets missed or met, outside the orthopaedic ward of the Golden Jubilee national hospital in Clydebank.
The information displayed here is free of medical jargon and simple to understand, led by what relatives themselves said they wanted to know about the place where their loved ones were being cared for. And it is also brutally transparent – a single patient fall or pressure sore is a missed target, making angry red blots appear at the bottom of the screen. There has been one of each in this particular ward over the past month.
Guardian
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Continue reading...
How electronic records can transform community care
How electronic records can transform community care
A growing number of areas are setting up shared systems, ensuring professionals have the right information at their fingertips
GPs hold overviews of their patients’ healthcare, while hospitals and mental health providers have detailed information on specific treatment. But community healthcare, which helps to join up primary and secondary care, often suffers from lacking access to information from other parts of the NHS.
Health boards in Wales and Scotland provide all NHS services in their areas, and Cardiff and Vale NHS health board has issued its community healthcare staff with laptops, allowing them to access patient records. But in England, care is split between clinical commissioning groups for primary care, trusts for acute care and a range of trusts and social enterprises for community care, all with separate records.
A growing number of areas are setting up shared systems, ensuring professionals have the right information at their fingertips
GPs hold overviews of their patients’ healthcare, while hospitals and mental health providers have detailed information on specific treatment. But community healthcare, which helps to join up primary and secondary care, often suffers from lacking access to information from other parts of the NHS.
Health boards in Wales and Scotland provide all NHS services in their areas, and Cardiff and Vale NHS health board has issued its community healthcare staff with laptops, allowing them to access patient records. But in England, care is split between clinical commissioning groups for primary care, trusts for acute care and a range of trusts and social enterprises for community care, all with separate records.
Guardian
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
NHS 111 service under increasing pressure, figures show
NHS 111 service under increasing pressure, figures show
Out-of-hours service in England receives big rise in calls compared with last year and misses target for answering calls with 60 seconds
The NHS 111 non-emergency helpline, which was criticised this week following the death of a baby from sepsis, is under increasing pressure, figures suggest.
NHS England said 111 had seen a huge rise in calls last weekend, up between 24% and 30% on the same weekend last year.
Out-of-hours service in England receives big rise in calls compared with last year and misses target for answering calls with 60 seconds
The NHS 111 non-emergency helpline, which was criticised this week following the death of a baby from sepsis, is under increasing pressure, figures suggest.
NHS England said 111 had seen a huge rise in calls last weekend, up between 24% and 30% on the same weekend last year.
Hospitals told to cut staff amid spiralling NHS cash crisis
Hospitals told to cut staff amid spiralling NHS cash crisis
Exclusive: Nurses’ jobs threatened as regulators ditch policy brought in after Mid Staffs scandal of prioritising staff numbers
Hospitals are being told to shed staff to rescue the NHS from an acute funding crisis, leaving nurses and other frontline medical workers at risk of the sack.
NHS regulators have taken the controversial decision despite intense concern among hospital bosses and health unions that reducing staff will hit quality of care, patient safety and staff morale, while increasing waiting times.
Exclusive: Nurses’ jobs threatened as regulators ditch policy brought in after Mid Staffs scandal of prioritising staff numbers
Hospitals are being told to shed staff to rescue the NHS from an acute funding crisis, leaving nurses and other frontline medical workers at risk of the sack.
NHS regulators have taken the controversial decision despite intense concern among hospital bosses and health unions that reducing staff will hit quality of care, patient safety and staff morale, while increasing waiting times.
Friday, 29 January 2016
Corby women urged to attend cervical cancer screenings
Corby women urged to attend cervical cancer screenings Health leaders in Corby are urging women aged between 25 and 49 to attend regular cervical cancer screenings after figures revealed that only 70 per cent of those eligible were screened in 2014. Northamptonshire Telegraph
See also:
See also:
- A third of Northamptonshire women don’t go for their cervical cancer screening test Northamptonshire Telegraph
NHS test beds and information-sharing: supporting the integration of new health care technology
NHS test beds and information-sharing: supporting the integration of new health care technology To kick off 2016, we published ‘The digital revolution’co-authored with Dr Cosima Gretton, looking at new and developing digital technologies that will change health and social care. These technologies could potentially be put to use in the NHS, but the main challenge lies in persuading health care providers to take up new models and methods of care. The King's Fund
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
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- 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
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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
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
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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
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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
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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
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- 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
Thursday, 28 January 2016
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
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
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