Europe's framework for clinical trials is good news for UK scientists and patients

Europe's framework for clinical trials is good news for UK scientists and patients Ignore the propaganda of the leave campaigns: the real story of the clinical trials directive is one of UK scientists working with the EU to benefit UK patients.

As the EU referendum approaches, anyone looking to the leave campaigns for guidance on how EU membership affects UK science will find repeated references to the evils of the clinical trials directive. The message is that the EU “is hostile to the networks of scientists and entrepreneurs that the world needs to solve problems (e.g. the Single Market’s disastrous Clinical Trials Directive).”

Can the EU really be trying to prevent researchers from developing vital new medicines? If true, it would be shocking. But what do scientists themselves think? And what is the real story with clinical trials in Europe? Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS 111 service might be unfit to diagnose children, says Royal College of Paediatricians president

NHS 111 service might be unfit to diagnose children, says Royal College of Paediatricians president Professor Neena Modi says this is question mark over whether or 111 call handlers - who are not medically trained - should be carrying out assessments. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Top paediatrician queries 111 safety BBC News
• NHS 111 helpline 'may not be safe for diagnosing illness in young children' The Guardian

Swingeing £84m cuts to be scaled back to £65m at Northamptonshire County Council

Swingeing £84m cuts to be scaled back to £65m at Northamptonshire County Council Sweeping plans to cut £84 million from Northamptonshire County Council’s budget next year have been scaled back by about £20 million following a public outcry. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Where will my child go? ask parents after Northampton disability club is axed after county council cutbacks

Where will my child go? ask parents after Northampton disability club is axed after county council cutbacks A Saturday club that provides parents of disabled children in Northampton a few precious hours respite is to be axed as part of service cuts. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Delivering the benefits of digital health care

Delivering the benefits of digital health care This report sets out the possibilities to transform health care offered by digital technologies, with insight about how to grasp those possibilities and benefits from those furthest on in their digital journey. The Nuffield Trust

Developing a Framework for Evaluating the Patient Engagement, Quality, and Safety of Mobile Health Applications

Developing a Framework for Evaluating the Patient Engagement, Quality, and Safety of Mobile Health Applications This issue brief describes criteria for evaluating mobile apps for high-need, high-cost populations based on their potential to improve patient engagement and on their quality and safety. The authors then discuss results of their efforts to test and refine those criteria using a sample of apps available through the Apple iOS and Android app stores. The Commonwealth Fund

Person-centred care in Europe: a cross-country comparison of health system performance, strategies and structures

Person-centred care in Europe: a cross-country comparison of health system performance, strategies and structures The document provides an overview of the different approaches taken to providing quality healthcare across Europe. It looks specifically at the person-centred care interpretations and strategies taken in England, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. It aims to advance understanding of the ways in which different national services have chosen to focus on the needs of their users and have adapted to address financial pressures and efficiency challenges. The Picker Institute Europe

New blood test to spot heart conditions

New blood test to spot heart conditions A new blood test could help diagnose people with inherited heart conditions, the British Heart Foundation says. BBC News

See also:

• Development of a Comprehensive Sequencing Assay for Inherited Cardiac Condition Genes (open access) Journal of Cardiovascular Translational research

Sugar tax 'would cut future obesity'

Sugar tax 'would cut future obesity' A 20% tax on sugary drinks in the UK would prevent 3.7 million people becoming obese over the next decade, a report predicts. BBC News

See also:

• Sugar tax could prevent 3.7 million cases of obesity over next decade Cancer Research UK
• Pasta, pizza and frozen chips: the National Food Survey shows why we're fatter than the French The Daily Telegraph

VIDEO: 'Racism was rife in mental health system'

VIDEO: 'Racism was rife in mental health system' One of the most comprehensive studies of mental health care in England ever conducted has sharply criticised provision for men of African and Caribbean heritage. BBC News

Scotland sets out health and social care blueprint for next decade

Scotland sets out health and social care blueprint for next decade The Scottish government has set out a blueprint for the future of health and social care services over the next 10 to 15 years.

The National Clinical Strategy aims to deliver a range of improvements and reforms to modernise the way care is provided, taking account of the nation’s ageing population, the shift to more multidisciplinary working, and rapid advances in research and technology. OnMedica

Number Of Children Waiting In A&E With Mental Health Problems Soars, New Figures Show

Number Of Children Waiting In A&E With Mental Health Problems Soars, New Figures Show The number of children with mental health problems forced to spend long hours in A&E has soared under the Tory-led Government, new figures reveal.

The total number of cases of under-18s reporting to NHS Accident and Emergency units with 'psychiatric conditions' – and having to wait more than the Government’s target of four hours - has nearly trebled since David Cameron came to power in 2010.

The number was 769 in 2010/11, but has leapt to 2,197 in 2014/15- an increase of 185.7% - according to new Parliamentary answers by ministers. The Huffington Post

E-cig revolution? Only 1 in 6 smokers has converted

E-cig revolution? Only 1 in 6 smokers has converted 78% of current smokers have either used e-cigs and disliked them, or never want to try them. The Independent

Doctors warn new contract will lead to worse outcomes for cancer patients

Doctors warn new contract will lead to worse outcomes for cancer patients More than 470 doctors have written to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, about the negative effects new terms will have on cancer care in England.

More than 470 cancer doctors have written to Jeremy Hunt to say imposing a new contract will have “negative effects” on cancer care in England.

The letter, which has been signed by consultants and junior doctors working in oncology, said the health secretary’s decision to impose a contract would only damage the recruitment of cancer doctors and would do nothing to retain doctors already in the NHS. Continue reading... The Guardian

An NHS tax? Osborne won’t like it, but the public will

An NHS tax? Osborne won’t like it, but the public will Converting national insurance into a tax for health and social care – which cannot be treated separately – would be the best way of funding the NHS

The NHS is one of our most cherished institutions. The Commonwealth Fund, a private American foundation that supports independent research on health, judged it to be overall the best, and easily the best value for money, of any national system of healthcare. Yet today it faces an existential crisis. Continue reading... The Guardian

Leicester hospital in swine flu outbreak as 14 cancer patients diagnosed with illness

Leicester hospital in swine flu outbreak as 14 cancer patients diagnosed with illness Affected patients at Leicester Royal Infirmary put into isolation and given antiviral drugs as hospital wards they were in are closed. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Swine flu forces ward closures BBC News
• Swine flu outbreak leaves 17 people needing hospital treatment The Daily Mail
• 14 cancer patients in Leicester hospital come down with swine flu The Guardian

Northampton parents call for change in the law after being denied independent inquest as baby son was ruled stillborn

Northampton parents call for change in the law after being denied independent inquest as baby son was ruled stillborn A couple from Northampton were forced to sue a hospital for negligence over the death of their son so the tragedy could be investigated independently. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

NHS trusts' deficit estimated at £2.3 billion as NHS financial crisis deepens

NHS trusts' deficit estimated at £2.3 billion as NHS financial crisis deepens NHS trusts are forecasting an end-of-year net deficit of around £2.3 billion finds the latest quarterly monitoring report from The King’s Fund. The estimate, based on survey responses from 83 trusts, comes as NHS national bodies are imposing stringent financial controls in an effort to reduce the deficit to £1.8 billion by the end of the financial year. This underlines the risk that the Department of Health will breach parliamentary protocol by overspending its budget.

The regular survey of NHS finance directors carried out for the report also highlights increasing concerns about quality of care as the financial crisis deepens. For the first time since the survey began in 2011, more than half of trust finance directors (53 per cent) said that quality of care in their local area has worsened in the past year. Nearly as many (48 per cent) clinical commissioning group finance leads agreed. The King's Fund

See also:

• The story behind the figures: what NHS finance directors are telling us The King's Fund
• Health service finances 'getting worse' BBC News
• NHS finance directors warn care deteriorating as budgets are squeezed The Independent
• NHS: General practice also suffering from cash crisis, experts argue The Independent
• NHS providing poorer care as funding crisis deepens, says survey The Guardian
• General practice key to survival of NHS, say experts OnMedica

Will the Mental Health Taskforce report make it off the shelves?

Will the Mental Health Taskforce report make it off the shelves?  Dubbed ‘The five year forward view for mental health’, the much-awaited report from the independent Mental Health Taskforce chaired by Paul Farmer is an important document.

It gives an honest diagnosis of current shortcomings in mental health care in England, and a detailed analysis of how best to target available resources in the future. It follows hot on the heels of last week’s report from the Commission on Acute Adult Psychiatric Care, which gave a similarly frank assessment of the need for improvement. The King's Fund

At the heart of health: realising the value of people and communities

At the heart of health: realising the value of people and communities This report explores the value of people and communities at the heart of health, in support of the NHS Five Year Forward View vision to develop a new relationship with people and communities. It finds that person- and community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing have potential to improve outcomes for individuals, support the development of strong and resilient communities and, over time, help reduce demand on formal health and social care services. Nesta

NHS delivers ambitious IT project - believed to be the biggest of its kind

NHS delivers ambitious IT project - believed to be the biggest of its kind An NHS IT project has successfully completed the final phase of its plan to move the entire technological backbone of the NHS from a private company to in-house, public sector management. Health and Social Care Information Centre

NHS 'never events' total a 'disgrace'

NHS 'never events' total a 'disgrace' More than 1,000 NHS patients in the past four years have suffered from medical mistakes so serious they should never happen, according to analysis by the Press Association. BBC News

See also:

• Scalpels left inside bodies, wrong organs removed and patients falling out of windows: The 1,200 victims of serious NHS blunders in the past year The Daily Mail
• Testicle removal mistake among 1,100 NHS 'never events' The Daily Telegraph
• Serious errors such as operating on wrong patient still occurring in NHS The Guardian

Mum shares photo of dead girl's meningitis

Mum shares photo of dead girl's meningitis A mother shares an image of her two-year-old daughter before her death from meningitis to campaign for vaccines to be given to all children. BBC News

See also:

• Parents release heartbreaking image of girl, two, dying of meningitis as 250,000 sign vaccine petition The Daily Telegraph
• Parents share tragic image of two year old daughter dying of meningitis The Independent

GP two-week cancer referrals need 'root and branch' overhaul, say hospital doctors

GP two-week cancer referrals need 'root and branch' overhaul, say hospital doctors The two-week wait cancer pathway is overwhelming hospitals with inappropriate referrals and delaying access to vital treatments, say surgeons who have called for an overhaul of the process. GP Online

Drug trials not reported in line with ethical and legal demands, British Medical Journal says

Drug trials not reported in line with ethical and legal demands, British Medical Journal says Less than one in three of completed clinical trials led by investigators were published within two years of completion. The Independent

The number of doctors applying to work abroad surged by 1,000 per cent on the day Jeremy Hunt imposed new contract

The number of doctors applying to work abroad surged by 1,000 per cent on the day Jeremy Hunt imposed new contract The Health Secretary has been accused of acting as a recruiting agent for Australian hospitals. The Independent

Hospital trusts threatened with cuts if they refuse to impose new contracts

Hospital trusts threatened with cuts if they refuse to impose new contracts Health Education England says implementation of contract will be key criterion for making decisions on investment in training.

The government has told hospital foundation trusts that they could lose funding for training programmes if they refuse to impose the new contract for junior doctors.

The threat comes in a letter from Health Education England, the Department of Health body responsible for education and training, to chief executives of NHS trusts in England. It states that decisions on awarding funding for training posts will hinge in part on whether a trust decided to rebel against Jeremy Hunt over the new national contract. Continue reading... The Guardian

Unpaid carers can't keep on plugging gaps in the NHS and social care

Unpaid carers can't keep on plugging gaps in the NHS and social care More people need care than get it, and the gap is growing. Support for family carers is vital.

The Care Act, which came into force in April 2015, for the first time puts unpaid carers on an equal footing with those they care for. So what has the impact been on the lives of carers?

Over the next few months I will be working with the Carers Trust and a team of experts by experience and professionals to try and answer that question. The Care Act: One Year On Commission will be holding hearings, calling for evidence and listening to carers of all ages. We are keen to get the views of frontline practitioners, and ask carers to complete a quick online survey.

It is family and friends, who out of love, solidarity, circumstance or duty find themselves taking on a caring role Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Take the budget of Spectre, times by 660: that's what carers save the UK every year The Guardian

Teenage boy with no arms and legs told to 'prove' his disability by Department for Work and Pensions

Teenage boy with no arms and legs told to 'prove' his disability by Department for Work and Pensions Edward Bright lost his limbs to meningitis when he was seven. The Daily Telegraph

Third of panel overseeing NHS drugs procurement being paid by pharmaceutical firms

Third of panel overseeing NHS drugs procurement being paid by pharmaceutical firms Ten senior officials on the Department of Health's Pharmaceutical Market Support Group also act as consultants to drugs companies. The Daily Telegraph

What is happening to NHS waiting times?

What is happening to NHS waiting times? On 11 February NHS England published its Combined performance summary, which provided data on a number of key waiting times commitments. Here we take a closer look at the statistics on 18-weeks, diagnostics and A&E. What does the data tell us? The King's Fund

Information as Therapy

Information as Therapy This paper sets out sets out a 5 point plan for healthcare providers focusing on ensuring high quality health information is integrated into healthcare delivery. The paper positions good health information and the health care professional’s ability to support this as central to the two pillars of the House of Care. It highlights evidence showing that information and support improve outcomes and patient experience, and argues that not providing such ‘therapy’ must be considered sub-standard care. Captive Health

Press release: Be Clear on Cancer: ‘blood in pee’ campaign returns

Press release: Be Clear on Cancer: ‘blood in pee’ campaign returns Public Health England launches a nationwide ‘Be Clear on Cancer’ campaign with the aim of raising awareness of a key symptom for both bladder and kidney cancers – blood in pee.

Don’t feel alone in championing person-centred care – Dr David Paynton

Don’t feel alone in championing person-centred care – Dr David Paynton NHS England is working with the Royal College of GPs to build a Network of Champions to promote person-centred care and support local organisations to implement it.

Britain Imbalanced: Why now is the time to tackle obesity in Britain

Britain Imbalanced: Why now is the time to tackle obesity in Britain This report looks at the scale and cost of obesity (economic and human) and makes a number of recommendations for tackling the problem. Policy Exchange 

'Shocking' sugar levels in hot drinks

'Shocking' sugar levels in hot drinks There are "shocking" amounts of sugar in some hot drinks sold in High Street cafe chains, a campaign group warns. BBC News

WHO backs GM mosquito trials over Zika

WHO backs GM mosquito trials over Zika The World Health Organization backs trials of genetically-modified mosquitoes that could be used in the fight against the Zika virus. BBC News

Lack of co-ordination between services undermining patient care, GPs warn

Lack of co-ordination between services undermining patient care, GPs warn Four out of five UK GPs say care for one of their patients has been undermined in the past month because of a lack of co-ordination between health and care providers, a report has warned. GP Online

See also:

• Under Pressure: What the Commonwealth Fund’s 2015 international survey of general practitioners means for the UK  The Health Foundation
• RCGP response to Health Foundation report on pressures facing UK general practice Royal College of General Practitioners

New visa rules mean foreign doctors will leave the health service, says BMA

New visa rules mean foreign doctors will leave the health service, says BMA NHS already facing risk of a workforce crisis as junior doctors in England consider the new contract imposed on them. The Independent

NHS hospitals reject financial targets and set up clash with regulators

NHS hospitals reject financial targets and set up clash with regulators Hospitals were told they would have to eliminate soaring budget deficits by the end of the next financial year. The Independent

One GP covers out of hours for 900,000 patients in Cambridgeshire

One GP covers out of hours for 900,000 patients in Cambridgeshire Norman Lamb, MP for North Norfolk, called for an urgent investigation by the health watchdog after a whistleblower told him one care firm had no GPs on call at night in some areas. The Daily Mail

How do we pay for the NHS we want?

How do we pay for the NHS we want? The NHS is under pressure like never before with junior doctors united against the introduction of a new contract. At a Guardian Live event, the Guardian’s deputy editor Paul Johnson asked an expert panel how the NHS can continue to strive for and deliver quality care

NHS England boss Simon Stevens is expected to make £20 billion in efficiency savings by 2020 and the UK is falling behind Finland and Slovenia in terms of health care spend. John Appleby of the Kings Fund warned that Britain’s status as an increasingly “low spender” might mean the NHS cannot deliver improvements in quality of care patients want.

On top of this, the aging population and a creaking social care system reeling from local council cuts are putting even more pressure on NHS resources and frontline staff. Is it time for radical rethink of how we pay for the care we expect? At a Guardian Live event in London, a panel of experts debated their vision for the future. Continue reading... The Guardian

The NHS’s future is digital – but not if we simply replicate poor paper processes

The NHS’s future is digital – but not if we simply replicate poor paper processes Unlocking the potential of IT to transform healthcare requires using technology to reimagine how we work and designing it to make people’s job easier

Information technology often makes things worse, rather than better, is the view held by many senior doctors. If the previous government throwing £10bn at the problem under the National Programme for IT hasn’t solved it, they argue, what would?

Having completed a substantial piece of research on the subject, which is published today, I am convinced the future of healthcare is digital, but it requires sophisticated clinical, technical and change-management expertise to realise the potential benefits. Continue reading... The Guardian

Elderly hospital patients given eviction warnings

Elderly hospital patients given eviction warnings Amid soaring levels of 'bed blocking' in the NHS, elderly hospital patients are being warned that they could face eviction if relatives cannot find a care home within three weeks. The Daily Telegraph

Health watchdog launches inspection of scandal-hit NHS 111 helpline

Health watchdog launches inspection of scandal-hit NHS 111 helpline Teenagers without adequate medical training are said to have been drafted in to answer urgent calls. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS 111 probed over claims 'teenagers answered urgent calls' and 'exhausted medics pictured asleep on job' The Independent

Chief executive of ambulance service covering Northamptonshire to step down

Chief executive of ambulance service covering Northamptonshire to step down The chief executive of East Midlands Ambulance Service, which covers Northamptonshire, is leaving the service “for personal reasons”. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The foundation trust model: death by a thousand cuts

The foundation trust model: death by a thousand cuts For more than a decade, staff across the NHS toiled in the pursuit of foundation trust status. Monitor’s tests were unforgiving, but the prize was worth fighting for: freedom from the grasp of government and a brand that stood for quality and professionalism.

Those days seem long behind us. The foundation trust pipeline dried up as NHS funding was hit by the economic downturn. This, along with a series of changes to government policy, has eroded the freedoms that foundation trusts fought so hard for.

It is now increasingly difficult to describe a clear distinction between foundation trusts and NHS trusts, with foundation trusts subject to greater central control than at any time in their history. The new NHS planning guidance published in December 2015 and recent letters from national bodies to trust chief executives hammer the final nails into the coffin. The King's Fund

Evidence from NHS Improvement on clinical staff shortages

Evidence from NHS Improvement on clinical staff shortages NHS providers have reported shortages of qualified clinical staff. This report looks at the causes and extent of current clinical staff shortages in acute hospitals, focusing on adult nurses and consultants. It also sets out the actions NHS Improvement is taking to help support providers facing workforce shortages. Monitor

Sheltered housing 'hit by benefit cuts'

Sheltered housing 'hit by benefit cuts' Hundreds of planned sheltered accommodation units have been delayed or scrapped owing to proposed cuts to housing benefit, the BBC learns. BBC News

Doctors 3D-print 'living' body parts

Doctors 3D-print 'living' body parts Custom-made, living body parts have been 3D-printed in an important advance for regenerative medicine, say scientists. BBC News

See also:

• Fifth Element-style machine PRINTS human flesh: Ears 'grown' on the skin of mice contain cartilage and even blood vessels The Daily Mail
• 3D 'bioprinters' could soon make organs and human tissue good enough for transplant, researchers say The Independent

Bed-blocking up by 26% in England since 2011

Bed-blocking up by 26% in England since 2011 The number of days lost to bed-blocking rose by 26% in English hospitals between 2011 and 2015, finds an analysis of existing data, published by health sector union, the GMB. OnMedica

NHS hospitals pressured to 'cook the books' and underplay scale of their deficits, says whistleblower

NHS hospitals pressured to 'cook the books' and underplay scale of their deficits, says whistleblower The hospital sector is expecting to breach its target of a £1.8bn controlled deficit this financial year. The Independent

Vaccine-like treatment could one day be used to prevent cancer, study suggests

Vaccine-like treatment could one day be used to prevent cancer, study suggests Vaccine-like treatments could one day be used to prevent people from developing cancer, new research has found.

Scientists believe that rare white blood cells in the immune system known as T-cells could be programmed to stop cancers forming for many years.

The research is part of the development of the field of cancer immunotherapies, which harness the body’s immune system to attack tumours, and are hoped to be the future of combating the disease. The Independent

See also:

• T-cell immunotherapy destroys cancer cells and prevents them from returning The Daily Mail
• T-cell therapy: 'Extraordinary' results lead to paradigm shift in cancer treatment The Independent

Forget about a mental health revolution without new cash

Forget about a mental health revolution without new cash David Cameron’s promised £1bn is old money so can’t be ringfenced – and will be swallowed by existing NHS debts.

If it’s Monday, the prime minister is doing something good and kind, according to the Downing Street grid: last week it was prisons, this week it’s a mental health “revolution”. Announcing £1bn for threadbare mental health services, he launched a report detailing their dire state.

Written by the head of Mind, this hard-hitting report was widely welcomed, as was the £1bn. One in four people suffer mental health problems but three-quarters get no help at all. Suicide rates are rising, as is self-harming, with services so bad that lives are “put on hold or ruined” for lack of care, with mental health patients dying 15 to 20 years earlier than others. Beds are so scarce that 2,000 acutely ill patients a month end up sent far from home. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• New investment in mental health services Department of Health
• Press release: PM: Improve mental health treatment to get thousands more back to work Department of Health
• Five Year Mental Health plan will be our legacy – Jacqui Dyer NHS England
• RCGP response to Mental Health Taskforce report Royal College of General Practitioners
• VIDEO: 'We need to end mental health stigma' BBC News
• A worthwhile legacy (editorial) The Daily Telegraph
• Train 700 GP mental health specialists by 2020, government told GP Online
• The Guardian view on mental health: still underfunded after too many false promises (editorial) The Guardian

Seven-day NHS may not cut death rates, say Hunt's own officials

Seven-day NHS may not cut death rates, say Hunt's own officials Blow to health secretary’s case for ‘seven-day NHS’ as leaked report ‘cannot evidence’ link between consultant presence and mortality rates.

Jeremy Hunt’s key argument in his demands for a seven-day service in NHS hospitals has been called into question by his own department, in a leaked report which says it is not able to prove that fuller staffing would lower the numbers of weekend-admitted patients dying.

The report also admits it will be “challenging” to meet the government’s promise to recruit 5,000 more GPs by 2020, a Conservative pledge during the election campaign, and that 11,000 new staff will be needed to run a seven-day service in hospitals. Continue reading... The Guardian

Biggest annual rise in deaths for almost fifty years prompts warnings of crisis in elderly care

Biggest annual rise in deaths for almost fifty years prompts warnings of crisis in elderly care England and Wales show a five per cent increase in mortality rates in just one year. The Daily Telegraph

New approach for end of life care at Kettering hospital

New approach for end of life care at Kettering hospital A new approach to improve the way people are cared for in the last year of their lives is being developed at Kettering General Hospital. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Revealed: Number of people tested for Ebola at Northampton General Hospital

Revealed: Number of people tested for Ebola at Northampton General Hospital The Northants Herald and Post has discovered the number of people who were tested for Ebola at Northampton General Hospital, in the wake of the announcement that the outbreak has been 'declared over'.

The figure has been obtained in a Freedom of Information request, following the news that - after 30,000 cases and over 11,000 deaths - the Ebola epidemic which ravaged West Africa has been declared over by the World Health Organisation.

NHS commits to major transformation of mental health care with help for a million more people

NHS commits to major transformation of mental health care with help for a million more people The NHS in England today (Monday) commits to the biggest transformation of mental health care across the NHS in a generation, pledging to help more than a million extra people and investing more than a billion pounds a year by 2020/21.

It is making the move in response to the final report of an independent task force, chaired by the Chief Executive of Mind Paul Farmer, set up by the NHS as part of its Five Year Forward View to build consensus on how to improve services for people of all ages.

The task force gives a frank assessment of the state of current mental health care across the NHS, highlighting that one in four people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime and the cost of mental ill health to the economy, NHS and society is £105bn a year. NHS England

See also:

• The five year forward view for mental health  The Independent Mental Health Task-force
• NHS mental health task force report launched MIND
• This is the dawn of a new age for mental health care – Paul Farmer (MIND) NHS England
• Mental health care 'is ruining lives' BBC News
• NHS mental health funding 'falls' BBC News
• VIDEO: NHS mental health funding 'falls' BBC News
• VIDEO: 'I wanted to end my life when I was six' BBC News
• NHS chief declares war on post-natal depression and eating disorders The Daily Mail
• David Cameron makes personal commitment to helping mental health sufferers The Daily Telegraph
• Mental health services face long road to reform ITV News

Productivity in acute hospitals – are the recommendations of the Carter Review realistic?

Productivity in acute hospitals – are the recommendations of the Carter Review realistic? The final report of the Carter Review on operational productivity in acute hospitals is the culmination of an impressive work programme. Since its inception in June 2014, the review team has engaged with 136 acute hospitals in England, 40 per cent of which Lord Carter personally visited. In terms of engagement with local leaders in the acute sector, this must surely set the standard.

The report gives a detailed account of the extent of variation across acute hospitals. Though it is often difficult to prove that this variation is unwarranted, it is hard not to be persuaded that there is the potential for significant savings. While identifying exactly where the variation lies is a necessary first step in reducing it, it will not be sufficient on its own given the long history of efficiency reviews in the NHS, going back to the Rayner reviews of the early 1980s and beyond. Is the report as convincing in its approach to implementation? The King's Fund

Cross-national comparative mixed-methods case study of recovery-focused mental health care planning and co-ordination: Collaborative Care Planning Project (COCAPP)

Cross-national comparative mixed-methods case study of recovery-focused mental health care planning and co-ordination: Collaborative Care Planning Project (COCAPP) This study aimed to obtain the views and experiences of various stakeholders involved in community mental health care; to identify factors that facilitated, or acted as barriers to, personalised, collaborative and recovery-focused care planning and co-ordination; and to make suggestions for future research. National Institute for Health Research

OECD reviews of health care quality: United Kingdom 2016

OECD reviews of health care quality: United Kingdom 2016 This report reviews the quality of health care in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, seeking to highlight best practices, and provides a series of targeted assessments and recommendations for further quality gains in health care. It aims to understand why the NHS in the four nations of the UK do not consistently demonstrate strong performance on international benchmarks of quality despite being a global leader in quality monitoring and improvement. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development

Tomorrow’s world: the future of ageing in the UK

Tomorrow’s world: the future of ageing in the UK This report argues that our ageing society offers significant social and economic opportunities but only if policy makers plan better for the long term. It argues that society is currently not adequately responding to ageing and highlights the key issues within health and social care, housing and retirement funds in relation to this. The report proposes ten long-term indicators of progress including a greater focus on prevention in health care and that the government should deliver a long-term settlement for social care. International Longevity Centre - UK

GSK fined for deals with competitors

GSK fined for deals with competitors The pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and some generic drugs firms have been fined for being anti-competitive. BBC News

See also:

• GlaxoSmithKline fined £37.6m for cheating NHS and taxpayer The Independent

One in ten people dying from cancer 'given inadequate pain relief in final days'

One in ten people dying from cancer 'given inadequate pain relief in final days' Data from Macmillan Cancer Support equates to more than 12,500 people spending their last 48 hours in pain. The Independent

See also:

• National Survey of Bereaved People (VOICES), 2014 Office for National Statistics
• Thousands who die with cancer spend last days in pain, study finds The Guardian

Sarah Hayes on being the only 111 call handler for 400k people without any training

Sarah Hayes on being the only 111 call handler for 400k people without any training I’ll never forget a night I was left on my own – with no nurse or paramedic – in a 111 call centre covering the whole of Dorset, writes former senior call adviser Sarah Hayes. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Pictures of paramedic and call handler sleeping shame NHS' out-of-hours hotline The Daily Mail
• Call handler who failed William Mead now training hotline's new recruits The Daily Mail

Cancer Research UK find patients with 'unfashionable' cancers face longer waits

Cancer Research UK find patients with 'unfashionable' cancers face longer waits Over the past two years more than 11,000 cancer sufferers had to wait three-and-a-half months or longer to begin chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. The Daily Mail

Jeremy Hunt on the NHS: 'I think this decade needs to see the quality revolution'

Jeremy Hunt on the NHS: 'I think this decade needs to see the quality revolution' The health secretary explains why he is proud of the NHS, why he thinks junior doctors will come to appreciate their new imposed contract in time and why quality is now more important than waiting times

On the railings of Richmond House in Whitehall hangs a lopsided strip of cardboard that reads, in multicoloured letters, “You just failed the NHS, JH, not us.” In his spacious ministerial office, two floors above, Jeremy Hunt, currently a hate figure among junior doctors for imposing on them a contract he says they will come to appreciate in time, is explaining that vilification comes as no surprise to a health secretary.

“The NHS remains the single biggest reason why most people are proud to be British” Continue reading... The Guardian

Hospitals may refuse to impose Jeremy Hunt’s new contract on junior doctors

Hospitals may refuse to impose Jeremy Hunt’s new contract on junior doctors Tory unrest grows over health secretary’s gamble as opt-out could lead to a flood of local deals with trusts

Hospitals may go it alone and refuse to impose the new contract on junior doctors proposed by the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, on NHS trainee medics from August. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• News story: Independent review of junior doctors' morale, training and support Department of Health
• GMC statement in response to Health Secretary's statement on junior doctors' contract General Medical Council
• Doctors' dispute 'could become a war' BBC News
• Jeremy Hunt faces a backlash after he rules a new contract will be imposed on striking junior doctors as more than 42,000 sign a petition overnight The Daily Mail
• Junior doctors vow to fight on after Jeremy Hunt imposes new contracts The Guardian
• Andrew Mitchell's daughter calls for sacking of Jeremy Hunt The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt is dishonest or stupid. Either way, he must be sacked | Letter from Dr Hannah Mitchell The Guardian
• Tory activists prevent doctors from attending event with Jeremy Hunt The Guardian
• The Observer view on the junior doctors’ dispute | Observer editorial The Guardian
• Junior doctors: Hospitals could refuse to impose Jeremy Hunt's new contract The Independent
• Junior doctors: Jeremy Hunt vote-of-no-confidence petition reaches 250,000 signatures The Independent
• Junior doctors: Andrew Mitchell's daughter calls for Jeremy Hunt to go for 'alienating an entire generation' The Independent
• Hospital chief executives against junior doctor contract imposition OnMedica

Government set to axe plans to introduce sugar tax

Government set to axe plans to introduce sugar tax Campaigners react with fury to reports that the Government will reject the proposal for a sugar tax of up to 20 per cent. The Daily Telegraph

Eugenics is inevitable because parents will always want to 'enhance' their children, experts warn

Eugenics is inevitable because parents will always want to 'enhance' their children, experts warn There is a worry that doctors are performing unregulated and dangerous procedures if offered enough cash. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Rogue IVF clinics likely to be first to create GM babies, scientists warn The Independent

Policy paper: Implementing the Forward View: Supporting providers to deliver

Policy paper: Implementing the Forward View: Supporting providers to deliver This report from Monitor is for NHS provider organisations and is part of a series of planned roadmaps that draw on messages from the NHS shared planning guidance, and set out the key priorities for the organisations responsible for delivering high quality health and care this year and beyond.

Each roadmap reflects a shared vision for the health and care sector as set out in the Five Year Forward View about the challenges ahead, and the choices we face about the kind of health and care service we want and need in 2020.

The report:

• outlines the challenges and changes ahead
• describes a coherent set of activities for NHS providers in the coming years
• shows how providers across the country are beginning to deliver these
• outlines the support providers can expect from NHS Improvement

Mental health integration past, present and future: a report of national survey into mental health integration in England

Mental health integration past, present and future: a report of national survey into mental health integration in England This report examines the impact of change on the integration of health and social care in mental health services. This was done through the use of a comprehensive survey of a range of professionals, and interviews with local and national leaders across England involved in both mental health provision and social care along with a review of published literature. NHS Health Education North West

NHS bosses speak out on doctors letter

NHS bosses speak out on doctors letter Ten NHS chief executives whose names appeared on a letter recommending Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt impose contracts on junior doctors in England say they do not back the move. BBC News

See also:

• Health chief: letter backing 'whatever is necessary' on contracts was not agreed The Guardian

Jeremy Hunt unilaterally imposes new contract on junior doctors without their agreement

Jeremy Hunt unilaterally imposes new contract on junior doctors without their agreement NHS junior doctors will be forced to accept a controversial new contract without agreement or further negotiation, the Health Secretary has announced.

Jeremy Hunt said imposing the contract unilaterally would end “uncertainty” in the health service. The Independent

See also:

• Contract imposition 'a total failure' British Medical Association
• Junior doctors cannot and will not accept a contract that is bad for the future of patient care, the profession and the NHS as a whole British Medical Association
• Statement to Parliament: Jeremy Hunt updates Parliament on the junior doctors' contract Department of Health
• Junior doctors contract – statement Monitor
• Junior Doctors Contract – statement NHS England
• Junior doctors' contract introduced from August 2016 NHS Employers
• Response to announcement of new junior doctor contract NHS Employers
• RCGP response to Government decision to impose junior doctors' contract Royal College of General Practitioners
• As Jeremy Hunt imposes new contracts, 200 a week are applying for life abroad The Daily Mail
• Jeremy Hunt - how dare you turn patients against us': Junior doctor describes treating 100 cancer patients single-handedly as as new contract is imposed The Daily Mail
• Jeremy Hunt mocked for 'irony' of announcing review of junior doctors' morale as new contract is forced through The Daily Telegraph
• The junior doctors' strike is run by media-savvy militants in white coats The Daily Telegraph
• BMA 'will not accept' imposed contract GP Online
• Junior doctors vow to fight on after Jeremy Hunt imposes new contracts The Guardian
• Junior doctors' contract dispute: has Jeremy Hunt won? The Guardian
• Junior doctors say they may leave the NHS after contracts imposed The Guardian
• 'We can't be stretched thinner': junior doctors respond to Jeremy Hunt The Guardian
• The Guardian view on the junior doctors’ dispute: diktats and discord in the National Hunt Service | Editorial The Guardian
• Junior doctors: BMA 'considering all options' for opposing new contract The Independent
• Junior doctors Q&A: What's in the new contract? What can they do about it? The Independent
• Royal College of GPs warns Jeremy Hunt's new contract will starve the NHS of doctors The Independent 
• Jeremy Hunt co-authored book calling for NHS to be replaced with private insurance The Independent 

Gender identity issues among children increase tenfold in six years

Gender identity issues among children increase tenfold in six years Latest Gender Identity Development Service figures show children as young as three being referred to the NHS. The Independent

See also:

• Rise in child 'gender issue' referrals BBC News
• What should I do if I think I might be transgender? The Guardian

Pfizer boss slams NHS watchdog for denying patients life-changing treatments

Pfizer boss slams NHS watchdog for denying patients life-changing treatments Erik Nordkamp, managing director of Pfizer UK, says England is also one of the worst countries in the world - if not the worst - for getting breakthrough drugs to those who need them. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Pharma's woes: profits, policies and patients The Guardian

Four in five NHS staff thought about leaving

Four in five NHS staff thought about leaving Exclusive Healthcare staff in Guardian survey say increasing workloads, unreasonable expectations, cuts and long hours are damaging their lives

Four out of five healthcare workers have considered leaving their job in the NHS, and an overwhelming majority (84%) of those have thought about it more in the past year, a Guardian survey has found.

Increasing workloads, cuts to the health service, unreasonable expectations and long working hours are some of the factors they say are damaging the lives of NHS professionals at a time of escalated pressure. Continue reading... The Guardian

Are locum doctors and nurses really bankrupting the NHS?

Are locum doctors and nurses really bankrupting the NHS? Temporary staff are often blamed for the budget crisis, but healthcare agencies say new maximum rates of pay are too low and will force them to walk away

It was the hours, rather than the money, that prompted Wol Sibanda to leave the National Health Service for a healthcare agency.

Sibanda worked for the NHS as a nurse for eight years. But it became impossible to juggle her two children, her hospital work and heart problems. So in January she made the switch: same work, more flexible shifts – and better pay. Continue reading... The Guardian

The postcode lottery of new mothers' mental health services

The postcode lottery of new mothers' mental health services With one in 10 women developing a mental illness during or after pregnancy, including postpartum psychosis, not all are lucky enough to be cared for in a specialist mother and baby unit

The arrival of a baby is supposed to be one of the happiest times of a woman’s life. But for a sizeable minority, it takes a heavy toll on their mental health, posing a risk to the welfare of mother and baby alike.

More than one in 10 women develop a mental illness while expecting a child or in the first year after giving birth. For about 40,000 women it is severe and in extreme cases necessitates admitting mother and baby to a specialist unit. Continue reading... The Guardian

Women under 65 in 2016 will spend a third of their lives in retirement, life expectancy figures show

Women under 65 in 2016 will spend a third of their lives in retirement, life expectancy figures show The length of time pensioners can expect to live once they reach milestones in old age has reached a record high. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Life expectancy at older ages is the highest it’s ever been Public Health England
• Life expectancy high at older ages BBC News
• Pensioners are living longer according to new figures The Independent

NHS risks winter performance becoming norm in summer, experts warn

NHS risks winter performance becoming norm in summer, experts warn The NHS in England risks its traditionally poorer levels of performance in winter becoming the norm in summer, reveals an extensive analysis of the last five years of data by leading health charities the Nuffield Trust and the Health Foundation. The report shows that problems that are usually observed only during the winter months are increasingly being seen at other times of year – which meant that the NHS entered winter 2015/16 from a historically poor starting point. The authors argue that this could lead to a ‘downward spiral’ in performance. Quality Watch

See also:

• Winter pressures: what's going on behind the scenes? Quality Watch
• NHS winter pressure 'at risk of becoming the norm all year round' The Independent

The future of child health services: new models of care

The future of child health services: new models of care This report highlights what the problems are in current health care services for children and young people, and investigates how emerging new models of care could provide an opportunity to address these. The Nuffield Trust

Adult social services: number of adult social care staff employed by councils shrinks by a quarter since 2011

Adult social services: number of adult social care staff employed by councils shrinks by a quarter since 2011 The total number of council-based adult social services staff has decreased by 25 per cent over the last five years, according to new figures published today by the Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Exclusive: Thousands of GP partners ready for mass resignation this summer, poll suggests

Exclusive: Thousands of GP partners ready for mass resignation this summer, poll suggests Three out of five GP partners in England are ready to resign en masse if the BMA cannot secure an emergency funding package for general practice in the next six months, a GP Online survey suggests.

Doctors reject 'final' contract offer

Doctors reject 'final' contract offer Junior doctors' leaders have rejected a "final take-it-or-leave-it" offer made by government in the contract dispute in England. BBC News

See also:

• Junior doctor and consultant contract negotiations British Medical Association
• Junior doctor contract negotiations Department of Health
• NHS Employers responds to industrial action NHS Employers
• NHS Providers response as junior doctors begin second 24-hour strike over pay and conditions NHS Providers
• 34 operations cancelled at Northampton General Hospital due to 24-hour strike Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• VIDEO: What options are open to junior doctors? BBC News
• Junior doctors' row: Time for the nuclear option? BBC News
• Junior doctors walk out for a second time as last ditch talks fail AGAIN and 90 per cent of medics warn they might quit if the new contract... The Daily Mail
• 'I am the doctor who...': Junior doctors stage an online protest promoting their work in the NHS on the second strike day The Daily Mail
• #IAmTheDoctorWho: Junior doctors tweet explaining how vital their work is The Daily Telegraph
• Attack on juniors is an attack all doctors, warn BMA leaders backing strike action GP Online
• Doctors' strike turnout much lower than last time, says Jeremy Hunt The Guardian
• Junior doctors face forced contract after rejecting Jeremy Hunt's 'final offer' The Guardian
• NHS employers call on Hunt to impose new junior doctor contracts The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt: I want to do the right thing for patients – video The Guardian
• Junior doctors offer free CPR lessons during strike The Guardian
• As a doctor, I pledged to ‘do no harm’ – so I must strike against unsafe care The Guardian
• Why are junior doctors striking? - video explainer The Guardian
• Our adoration is killing the NHS. It needs tough love The Guardian
• Junior doctors' strike: BMA offered last-minute improved deal hours before action commenced The Independent
• GPs, consultants and public back striking juniors OnMedica

Interventions cut inappropriate antibiotic prescribing

Interventions cut inappropriate antibiotic prescribing US primary care doctors responded more to ‘socially motivated’ behavioural interventions than suggested alternatives. OnMedica

Woman dies after life support power supply runs out of batteries

Woman dies after life support power supply runs out of batteries Jacqueline Scott died after her ventilator stopped working and the nurses didn't recognise the sound of the alarms, an inquest has heard. The Independent

Many NHS scanners and machines 'out of date'

Many NHS scanners and machines 'out of date' 63% of 111 English hospital trusts have at least one scanner that is at least a decade old, with oldest MRI scanner aged 23, figures reveal

Out-of-date scanners are commonplace across England’s hospitals, new figures suggest. Many machines that are used day in, day out for diagnostic tests and to deliver cancer treatment to patients are years past their “best before” dates, the statistics show.

Experts recommend that radiotherapy machines, as well as MRI and CT scanners, should be scrapped after 10 years, but English hospitals are using some that are as much as 23 years old, officials have admitted. Continue reading... The Guardian

Department of Health receives £205m emergency bailout

Department of Health receives £205m emergency bailout Treasury forced to top up £116.3bn budget when it became clear Jeremy Hunt’s department would not balance its books.

George Osborne has been forced to give the Department of Health an emergency bailout to stop it busting its budget for this year, in a further sign of the intense pressures on NHS finances.

The Treasury has given the DH an extra £205m on top of the £116.3bn it was originally allocated in its 2015-16 budget. It handed over the money when it became clear that, in a serious breach of Whitehall protocol, health secretary Jeremy Hunt’s department would be unable to balance its books by the end of March. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• How does money flow through the health service in England? The Guardian

Zika virus in UK: Four cases of bug that could harm unborn babies in Britain, health watchdog reveals

Zika virus in UK: Four cases of bug that could harm unborn babies in Britain, health watchdog reveals A Public Health England official told a committee of MPs that four 'travel-associated' cases of the virus have been detected in this country in the last six weeks. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Clinical advice on Zika: assessing pregnant women following travel; symptoms, transmission (includes sexual transmission), epidemiology Public Health England
• Guidance: Mosquito bite avoidance for travellers Public Health England
• Zika virus confirmed in the UK: Four cases of pandemic that affects pregnant women found in the last six weeks, health watchdog reveals  The Daily Mail
• U.S. to study Zika link to Guillain-Barre in Puerto Rico The Daily Mail
• Four UK cases of Zika virus reported since January The Guardian
• Zika virus in the UK: Four cases of pandemic linked to birth defects confirmed in Britain The Independent

Ecton Brook care home closure edges nearer despite opposition fears

Ecton Brook care home closure edges nearer despite opposition fears Moves to close Ecton Brook care home in Northampton took another step forward yesterday as county council cabinet members approved the launch of a consultation into axing the facility. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Designing more affordable and effective health care

Designing more affordable and effective health care This case study is part of ongoing research by The Commonwealth Fund to track how health systems are transforming care delivery, particularly to meet the needs of high-need, high-cost patients and other vulnerable populations. The Commonwealth Fund

NHS braced for 24-hour doctor strike

NHS braced for 24-hour doctor strike Hospitals in England are braced for another day of disruption as junior doctors take part in a second 24-hour strike over pay and conditions. BBC News

See also:

• Junior doctors take industrial action for second time British Medical Association
• Junior doctor contract negotiations Department of Health
• Industrial action day for junior doctors NHS Employers
• Junior doctors' row: The dispute explained BBC News
• Junior doctors' row: How close did they come to a deal? BBC News
• Junior doctors strike: What services will be hit? (Video) BBC News
• Last-minute talks over doctor strike BBC News
• What exactly do junior doctors do? BBC News
• Junior doctors strike: unions and Government locked in last ditch talks The Daily Telegraph
• BMA and government hold last-ditch talks to avert doctors' strike The Guardian
• Almost 3,000 operations cancelled as junior doctors prepare to strike The Guardian
• Junior doctors strike: second 24-hour walkout over new contracts – live updates The Guardian
• GP trainees join second day of strike action over juniors contract GP Online
• Junior doctor strike key to future of general practice, says top GP trainee GP Online
• Ninety per cent of junior doctors would resign over new contract, poll finds The Independent
• Junior doctors' strike: Just how much is Jeremy Hunt to blame? The Independent
• Jeremy Hunt dodges question about whether he personally vetoed a deal to end the junior doctors' strike The Independent
• Junior doctors' strike: How their pay compares to other graduate professions The Independent
• Junior doctors' strike cancels over 2,800 operations, Government says The Independent
• Hunt accuses BMA of being ‘irresponsible’ and ‘spreading misinformation’ OnMedica

Surge in number of children admitted to A&E for self-harm and mental illnesses

Surge in number of children admitted to A&E for self-harm and mental illnesses The number of children diagnosed with mental illnesses has more than doubled in five years and cases of intentional self-harm have also surged.

Recently published figures show the figure of patients under 18 who went to A&E and were diagnosed with having a mental disorder has grown each year from just under 7,000 in 2010/11 to almost 15,000 in 2014/15. The Independent

Doctors training as specialists at all-time low, leaked figures show

Doctors training as specialists at all-time low, leaked figures show Number of junior doctors applying to start training for key hospital-based specialities has dropped 8% in three years.

The number of young medics applying to continue their career in the health service by becoming specialists has plunged to a new low, according to leaked NHS figures that seem to bear out fears that the junior doctors’ dispute will hit recruitment.

Doctors’ leaders have described the figures as “very bad for the NHS”, especially as it is already struggling with shortages of key medical personnel in a number of areas, such as general practice and A&E. Continue reading... The Guardian

Yes, it’s tough at the top of the NHS. But leaders at all levels need support | Karen Lynas

Yes, it’s tough at the top of the NHS. But leaders at all levels need support | Karen Lynas Instead of spending £420m a year on management consultants, the NHS could more efficiently train and develop our own staff to improve care.

We know it’s lonely at the top of the NHS. Top jobs are highly pressured in any environment but try overlaying that with the imperative to provide safe and high-quality services for patients with complex needs in a climate of severe financial constraint, enormous public scrutiny and a feverish media, and the leadership pressure gauge has just rocketed off the scale.

But does it need to be? Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• 'Some chief executives are surprised by the loneliness' – Dame Mary Marsh The Guardian
• We must not take NHS workers for granted The Guardian