A long and winding road: improving communication with patients in the NHS

A long and winding road: improving communication with patients in the NHS This report warns that poor communication in the NHS has a profound impact on patient care, staff burnout and public funds. It argues that inadequacies in communication are damaging medical care and wasting much-needed NHS resources and estimates that the total cost, in England alone, is likely to be in excess of £1 billion a year. It says that better communication between healthcare professionals and patients can save costs, improve health outcomes and enhance the quality of experience of patients and the professionals who support them. Marie Curie

Research and analysis: Interventions to prevent burnout in high risk individuals: evidence review

Research and analysis: Interventions to prevent burnout in high risk individuals: evidence review Although there is existing evidence on what works to treat burnout and work-related stress, there is less on what works to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

This report provides an overview of literature covering how to prevent burnout and work-related stress in individuals and within organisations. Public Health England

Healthcare public health in England: capacity and capability review

Healthcare public health in England: capacity and capability review This report summarises the responses of around 110 directors of public health, training programme directors and specialty registrars who responded to survey and focus-group work exploring their views on the state of the healthcare public health function - particularly that delivered back into the NHS. Responses from Scotland were very positive, but the situation in England was very mixed with some real challenges and concerns. Faculty of Public Health

What is the role of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in care and support planning?

What is the role of voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in care and support planning? This paper suggests that the knowledge, skills, experience and resources of VCSE organisations are crucial to the widespread implementation of care and support planning. It argues that charities have a vital role in supporting people to develop care and support plans, and in working with people with long-term conditions and their clinical teams to put the plans into practice. National Voices

Meningitis B petition rejected

Meningitis B petition rejected Offering the meningitis B vaccine to all children is "not cost effective" and would be a waste of NHS resources, the government says. BBC News

See also:

• Meningitis B vaccine: Hearts v heads BBC News
• Offering meningitis b vaccine to all children not cost effective for NHS, government says The Daily Mail
• Meningitis B: Government rejects call for vaccine for all children despite record petition The Daily Telegraph
• Government rejects calls for meningitis B vaccine for all children The Guardian

Health services watchdog gets powers to set fees to cover all its services

Health services watchdog gets powers to set fees to cover all its services CQC will be able to charge for full costs of assessments and inspections from April 1. OnMedica

Jeremy Hunt's confrontation with junior doctors 'derailed the NHS' own work to deliver seven-day service'

Jeremy Hunt's confrontation with junior doctors 'derailed the NHS' own work to deliver seven-day service' British Medical Journal editor Dr Fiona Godlee accused Mr Hunt of 'misusing' evidence of higher weekend mortality in hospitals to 'beat up' doctors. The Independent

See also:

• Seven-day services needs 'proper resourcing' British Medical Association

Best-selling blood pressure app is 'so inaccurate it gives false warnings 80% of the time - putting people's health at risk'

Best-selling blood pressure app is 'so inaccurate it gives false warnings 80% of the time - putting people's health at risk' Scientists from Johns Hopkins University revealed the app called Instant Blood Pressure - which has been downloaded more than 100,000 times - gives inaccurate readings. The Daily Mail

Brilliant clinicians need a brilliant support workforce

Brilliant clinicians need a brilliant support workforce Support workers have a vital role to play in the future of the NHS so how can they be given the time and support to develop?

In healthcare, the focus is often on brilliant surgeons, nurses or doctors (who, of course, we applaud). However, nurses and other medical professionals in the UK would not be able to do their job without the dedicated assistance of the support workforce.

The level of responsibility these health and care support workers have is increasing as the financial strain on the NHS makes the case for transferring more activities away from clinical staff. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Who makes up the support workforce in healthcare? – infographic The Guardian

Almost 300 GP surgeries in England could close due to finances – poll

Almost 300 GP surgeries in England could close due to finances – poll BMA survey of 2,830 GP surgeries – a third of practices in England – finds that 10% believe they are financially ‘unsustainable’

Almost 300 GP surgeries in England face closure because of financial pressures and nearly half have doctors planning to leave the NHS, according to a BMA survey.

The poll, which received responses from about a third of all surgeries, paints a bleak picture of the prospects for general practice with just one in 20 reporting that its finances were in a strong state. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• One in 10 GP practices in England are financially unsustainable, BMA poll suggests GP Online
• Second patient group considering legal action over GP practice cuts GP Online

The Guardian view on childhood obesity: fizz with indignation | Editorial

The Guardian view on childhood obesity: fizz with indignation | Editorial The official action plan has been delayed, again. With continuing resistance to a tax on sugary drinks, this is a case of drift, rather than deliberation.

The first thing to know about nutrition is that nobody is certain about very much. Data gets painstakingly collected in diaries which don’t give a full dietary picture: even if people don’t actually fib, they won’t always be sure of everything they've consumed, and may eat more thoughtfully when they know they’re going to be writing it down. The health consequences show up only slowly, which makes it necessary to keep tabs on the same patients for decades, which isn't easy to do. The chemical effect of a particular food may depend on how it is prepared, and even the mix of things it is served with. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Health & Social Care Information Centre say HALF of pregnant women are overweight The Daily Mail
• Half of pregnant women attending their first maternity appointment are overweight or obese The Daily Telegraph

Cash paid by European Union migrants to use British hospitals falls despite surge in EU nationals moving to the UK

Cash paid by European Union migrants to use British hospitals falls despite surge in EU nationals moving to the UK Cash clawed back from European Union migrants who use British hospitals has fallen over the past year despite a surge in EU nationals moving to the UK.

Britain paid out £647.4million to EU countries to cover their health costs last year – but received only £49.7million in return from EU countries treating Britons. The Daily Telegraph

Number of 'legal highs' soaring, warns United Nations body

Number of 'legal highs' soaring, warns United Nations body International Narcotics Control Board says more than 600 new psychoactive substances were reported around the world last year, a rise of 55 per cent. The Daily Telegraph

Appeal to raise £20,000 for ‘must-have’ equipment for intensive care patients at Kettering Hospital

Appeal to raise £20,000 for ‘must-have’ equipment for intensive care patients at Kettering Hospital An appeal has been launched to raise £20,000 to buy new equipment which could be a lifeline for patients in intensive care. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Recruitment day is being held at Northampton General Hospital

Recruitment day is being held at Northampton General Hospital A recruitment day is being held next Tuesday at Northampton General Hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Press release: Fewer adults dying from conditions directly caused by alcohol

Press release: Fewer adults dying from conditions directly caused by alcohol New figures show fewer adults are dying from alcohol-specific conditions, such as alcoholic liver disease and alcohol poisonings.

The latest update to the Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE) data tool shows that nationally, alcohol-specific deaths fell by 3% to 17,755 deaths. Alcohol-related deaths have seen a slight increase, year on year, from an estimated 22,330 in 2012 to 22,976 in 2014. Alcohol-related deaths include conditions that are partially related to alcohol, such as heart disease and certain cancers. Public Health England

Zika virus: updated travel advice for pregnant women

Zika virus: updated travel advice for pregnant women Public Health England and the National Travel Health Network and Centre have been carefully monitoring the evolving Zika virus outbreak in South and Central America and the Caribbean and are now issuing updated travel advice for pregnant women and advice on preventing sexual transmission.

See also:

• 'Strong evidence' of Zika virus and Guillain-Barr syndrome link NHS Choices
• Pregnant women warned against Zika travel BBC News
• VIDEO: Zika concerns grow in Puerto Rico BBC News
• Zika virus: pregnant women warned against travel to affected areas The Guardian
• Zika: What is Guillain-Barre syndrome linked to the virus? The Independent

Delivering for patients with rare diseases: Implementing a Strategy

Delivering for patients with rare diseases: Implementing a Strategy The UK Rare Disease Forum (the group charged with monitoring the implementation of the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases) has published its first progress report. The report recognises that there has been significant progress across the UK but much remains to be done to meet the needs of the millions of people affected by rare diseases.

New initiative aims to improve maternity services through patient feedback

New initiative aims to improve maternity services through patient feedback Maternity services have been invited to bid for money from a new Challenge Fund aimed at finding innovative ways to use patient feedback to improve services.

Emails with full details have gone out to chief executives of all trusts inviting them to put in their bids to be among the two to four projects that will get funding for their initiative from the £195,000 available. NHS England

Triple Aim strategies to improve behavioural health care

Triple Aim strategies to improve behavioural health care This guide describes strategies, action steps and examples for hospitals, health systems and community stakeholders working together to develop a well-coordinated, accessible, affordable and accountable system for delivering behavioural health care. The case studies in the guide provide examples of how hospitals and health systems, working with community partners, can improve the quality of and access to behavioural health care, while bending the cost curve and improving community health. Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence

Rise in hip replacements for under-60s

Rise in hip replacements for under-60s The number of hip replacement operations on people aged under 60 has risen 76% in the last decade, NHS figures for England reveal. BBC News

See also:

• Sporty baby-boomers spark surge in hip-replacements The Daily Telegraph

Ambulance chief in 111 row 'told to go'

Ambulance chief in 111 row 'told to go' The chairman of the scandal-hit South East Coast Ambulance Service, Tony Thorne, is told to leave his post, the BBC understands. BBC News

Exclusive: Patients consulted in less than half of PMS reviews that could cut services

Exclusive: Patients consulted in less than half of PMS reviews that could cut services Commissioners have consulted patients in less than half of completed PMS reviews that are expected to change GP services, GP Online has learned.

NHS failing to answer patients’ questions, warns Ombudsman

NHS failing to answer patients’ questions, warns Ombudsman The NHS too often fails to answer patients’ questions and forces them to contact the Ombudsman service for answers, according to a report* published today.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman's latest snapshot of cases report included many cases where questions about mistakes or oversights by the health service were unanswered by the NHS itself. OnMedica

See also:

• Report on selected summaries of investigations April to June 2015 Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Patients who do not use GP for five years 'may be barred from practice'

Patients who do not use GP for five years 'may be barred from practice' The plan being developed in the east of England is intended to find out if people no longer require services, have moved house or have died.

Patients who do not visit their GP for five years could be barred from their doctor’s surgery under plans being developed in the east of England.

Under the move, patients who have not seen their GP for five years will be sent two letters asking them to respond. If they do not get in touch to say they still wish to be registered with their GP, they will be removed from the GP practice list. Continue reading... The Guardian

The five principles behind the world’s most efficient health systems

The five principles behind the world’s most efficient health systems Some nations pay half what others do for healthcare and yet get the same or better outcomes. Here’s why.

One of the greatest conundrums in global health is why so many countries don’t get what they pay for. A relationship between health expenditure and health exists, but is far looser than you might think. Many nations spend a quarter or even a half of what others do for the same or better outcomes.

Lifestyle and cultural factors undoubtedly play a role in this, but after working in more than 60 countries, I have seen how patterns in the way that healthcare is managed, delivered and funded is also crucial. Here are five factors that are often at play: Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Which country has the world's best healthcare system? The Guardian

Life-changing Sickle Cell Disease treatment approved by NHS watchdog

Life-changing Sickle Cell Disease treatment approved by NHS watchdog A new automatic blood transfusion treatment will half the number of visits to hospital for people with Sickle Cell Disease. The Daily Telegraph

Ban contact rugby in schools, say health experts

Ban contact rugby in schools, say health experts Dozens of doctors and health experts have written to the Government calling for a ban on tackling in school rugby games to avoid needless injuries. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Schools urged to ban tackling in rugby BBC News
• Full-contact rugby 'too dangerous' for schools, health experts warn The Independent

NHS 'lost' 91-year-old woman due to 'data protection'

NHS 'lost' 91-year-old woman due to 'data protection' A frustrated son said the NHS "lost" his 91-year-old mother after she was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Harry Whitehouse said the East Midlands Ambulance Service could not tell him where his mother Margaret had been taken due to "data protection". BBC Nottingham

NICE: a terrible beauty

NICE: a terrible beauty NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) is one of the many arms-length bodies set up by the last Labour government – and one of the few to have survived. In the health sector it is almost the only one to have reached the present day with its original remit intact.

It has done so despite living much of its life in ferment. NICE has been accused of everything from being ‘a death panel’ – by denying people potentially life-saving treatment – to being one of Britain’s greatest cultural exports – countries around the world have sought to learn lessons from NICE as they seek to introduce health technology assessment and guidelines. The King's Fund

Care After Cure: Creating a fast track pathway from hospitals to homes

Care After Cure: Creating a fast track pathway from hospitals to homes This report examines how to reduce these pressures on the NHS by making better use of existing residential care facilities, and asks what is needed to allow residential care to step up and take on a more substantial role in the health and social care ecosystem through working more closely with providers of healthcare.

The report proposes a ‘Fast Track Discharge Fund’, worth more than £3 billion over the next five years, and funded out of existing NHS budgets, to both pay for residential care beds to accommodate patients with no medical need to be in hospital, and invest in skills, training and facilities within the residential care sector. Respublica

See also:

• Care homes 'could solve NHS bed-blocking' BBC News
• Bed Blocking crisis to cost NHS £3.3 billion in next five years The Daily Telegraph

What to expect from a good care service

What to expect from a good care service Guidance from the Care Quality Commission aimed at the public, which describes what constitutes good quality care in:

• Hospitals
• GPs
• Care homes
• Home care agencies
• Dentists

Working together we can improve gender identity services – Will Huxter

Working together we can improve gender identity services – Will Huxter In his latest blog the chair of the NHS England Gender Task & Finish Group looks at the work being done to help improve people’s experience of NHS gender identity services.

NHS to help create 'healthy new towns'

NHS to help create 'healthy new towns' Ten new housing developments in England are to be built with healthy living in mind, under an NHS scheme. BBC News

See also:

• Theme parks can inspire new towns to beat childhood obesity, says NHS boss Simon Stevens The Daily Telegraph
• Ten new 'healthy' towns to be built in England The Guardian

Matthew Garnett: Autistic teenager stuck inside psychiatric unit for six months 'is being kept like a prisoner'

Matthew Garnett: Autistic teenager stuck inside psychiatric unit for six months 'is being kept like a prisoner' Family of Matthew Garnett have started a petition calling for NHS bosses to find him a space at a specialist autistic unit. The Independent

Zika virus: Scientists find direct evidence of link with Guillain-Barré syndrome

Zika virus: Scientists find direct evidence of link with Guillain-Barré syndrome Study suggests Latin America can expect rise in number of people suffering from mysterious neurological disorder. The Independent

See also:

• Zika 'might cause' paralysis syndrome BBC News
• 1 in 5 Puerto Ricans will be infected with Zika Virus, warns expert The Daily Mail

Constipation costs the NHS £145m a year as many were 'too embarrassed'

Constipation costs the NHS £145m a year as many were 'too embarrassed' The NHS dealt with 48,409 unplanned emergency admissions to hospital where constipation was given as the primary diagnosis in 2014/15, official figures show. The Daily Mail

Mid-Staff hospital scandal will see no one prosecuted after three year probe

Mid-Staff hospital scandal will see no one prosecuted after three year probe Despite a three-year police investigation, insufficient evidence could be found to mount a single prosecution against managers or staff involved in the Mid-Staffordshire hospital scandal. The Daily Mail

NHS nurse shortages 'to last another four years'

NHS nurse shortages 'to last another four years' Figures show almost 24,000 nursing vacancies as trusts go overseas to recruit staff.

A senior health official has admitted there will be a shortage of nurses in the NHS for another four years after figures revealed that thousands of posts for doctors and nurses have not been filled.

The escalating NHS recruitment crisis is forcing more than two-thirds of trusts to look to migrants to fill vacancies, according to figures released after a freedom of information request by the BBC.

Impossible to ignore the staffing crisis in the NHS. The government attacking the staff isn't the solution Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Will scrapping nurse bursaries help or worsen NHS staffing crisis? The Guardian

NHS chief at centre of 111 scandal authorised secret policy which recorded 999 calls as receiving a 'swift response'

NHS chief at centre of 111 scandal authorised secret policy which recorded 999 calls as receiving a 'swift response' Exclusive: The rule was applied regardless of whether the medical emergency could have been helped by a defibrillator, or whether any attempt was made to use it, a leaked report reveals. The Daily Telegraph

Former nurses given guaranteed job offer in new recruitment drive at Northampton General Hospital

Former nurses given guaranteed job offer in new recruitment drive at Northampton General Hospital A new campaign to encourage former nurses to return to practice has been launched by Northampton General Hospital and the University of Northampton. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Nine new ambulances could be on the way for Northamptonshire

Nine new ambulances could be on the way for Northamptonshire A loan of £1.2m from the wider NHS could be set to pay for nine new ambulances to cover Northamptonshire. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Change is good for patients and Allied Health Professionals – Helen Marriott

Change is good for patients and Allied Health Professionals – Helen Marriott The Allied Health Professions Medicines Project Lead at NHS England gives her views on the impact new legislation relating to prescribing, supply and administration of medicines will bring to the quality of care patients receive from eligible Allied Health Professions (AHPs). NHS England

See also:

• Changes in medicines legislation for Dietitians, Orthoptists and Therapeutic Radiographers NHS England
• New legislation will increase independent prescribing OnMedica

Thousands of NHS posts lie vacant

Thousands of NHS posts lie vacant Tens of thousands of nursing and doctor posts are vacant and many NHS trusts are looking overseas to fill them, according to a BBC Freedom of Information request. BBC News

See also:

• Health trusts reveal thousands of doctor and nursing vacancies The Daily Mail
• Thousands of NHS doctor and nursing posts are vacant The Daily Telegraph

Tech could offer the NHS 'quick wins'

Tech could offer the NHS 'quick wins' The relationship between the NHS and information technology has not always been smooth.

But, in this week's Scrubbing Up Dr Rob Watson says we shouldn't give up hope - and there is potential for technology to improve the way the health service works, for doctors and patients. BBC News

Ebola nurse discharged from hospital

Ebola nurse discharged from hospital Scots nurse Pauline Cafferkey is discharged from a London hospital after being admitted for a third time since contracting Ebola. BBC News

More tooth decay among English children

More tooth decay among English children The number of children in England having their teeth removed because of decay has increased for the fourth year in a row, figures suggest. BBC News

See also:

• A nation of rotten teeth: Extractions in young children soar by 10% in four years - with sugar-laden diets to blame  The Daily Mail
• Decayed teeth removed from 128,000 children in England since 2011 The Guardian

Cold homes cost the NHS £1billion a year: Every health trust wastes £27,000 a day treating patients with preventable illnesses, says charity

Cold homes cost the NHS £1billion a year: Every health trust wastes £27,000 a day treating patients with preventable illnesses, says charity Every health trust wastes more than £27,000 a day treating patients with health problems caused by living in cold housing, a charity has said. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Cold homes claiming needless lives and costing every local Health and Wellbeing Board in England over £27,000 each day National Energy Action

Junior doctors will boycott review into poor morale

Junior doctors will boycott review into poor morale Medics’ representatives say they won’t discuss morale during dispute over pay and hours, which the review ignores

Junior doctors are preparing to boycott a review into falling morale among medics, the Guardian understands, casting doubt on the inquiry, which was announced on the same day the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, vowed to impose a controversial new contract.

The Department of Health may now be forced to overhaul the terms of the independent review of junior doctors’ poor morale, announced by Hunt earlier this month. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Junior doctor morale review ordered by Jeremy Hunt in disarray after medics threaten to withdraw cooperation The Independent
• Junior doctor calls Jeremy Hunt a 'liar' over claims strike will endanger patient safety The Independent

Childhood obesity strategy delayed further, government admits

Childhood obesity strategy delayed further, government admits Campaigners say delay in publication is ‘unforgivable’ and fear tax on sugary drinks will be rejected

The already delayed childhood obesity strategy will not be published until the summer, the government has said, and campaigners say it is unlikely to include a sugar tax.

“It is a very complex issue and there is a lot of work going on to get it right,” said a Department of Health spokesperson. “There are a lot of different issues that need considering and we want to make sure it is right when we put it out. David Cameron and Jeremy Hunt have said they want it to be a game-changing moment.” Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• How did Britain get so fat? The Daily Telegraph
• GP leaders condemn obesity strategy delay OnMedica

Ambulances referred by NHS 111 service deliberately delayed under secret trust policy, inquiry finds

Ambulances referred by NHS 111 service deliberately delayed under secret trust policy, inquiry finds Ambulances dispatched after people called the NHS 111 helpline were deliberately delayed under a secret policy authorised by a senior health service executive, a leaked report seen by The Daily Telegraph reveals.

Up to 20,000 patients were subject to deliberate delays under the covert operation, which forced high-risk cases in the South East to automatically wait up to twice as long if their call was referred from the helpline.

See also:

• Our response to Daily Mail story about 111 service Care Quality Commission 

Hospitals in East face £441m deficit

Hospitals in East face £441m deficit The deficit facing hospitals in the east of England has increased by 70% in a year to £441m, the BBC can reveal.

How does the public think we should fund social care?

How does the public think we should fund social care? There is general agreement that the success story of our ageing population comes at a price. We face the prospect of devoting a larger proportion of our national wealth to paying for good health and social care that more of us will need.

But agreement about how this should be done has been elusive despite the best efforts of numerous independent reviews, commissions, White Papers and Green Papers over the past two decades. England remains one of the few advanced western countries that has not grasped the nettle of reform, and recently there have been calls for another independent commission with all-party support. The King's Fund

Offer end-of-life choices, report says

On the brink The future of end of life care A report from The End of Life Care Coalition which says that 48,000 people experienced poor care at the end of life and details how people are being failed by the system.

See also:

• Offer end-of-life choices, report says BBC News

The vanguards summed up and explained

The vanguards summed up and explained With March marking a year since the first wave of vanguards were announced, a new animation and suite of factsheets shine a light on what the sites are up to and what's in store for patients and communities across the country. NHS Confederation

Guide for health professionals on special educational needs and disability

Guide for health professionals on special educational needs and disability The Departments for Health and Education have issued a guide for health professionals on the support system for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND).

Time to Change launch tools to support mental health professionals tackle stigma and discrimination

Time to Change launch tools to support mental health professionals tackle stigma and discrimination Time to Change has worked with mental health professionals, practitioners and people using services to develop new training materials and tools to specifically encourage open dialogue amongst mental health teams about the positive changes. NHS Employers

Maternity matters: what does a great service look like?

Maternity matters: what does a great service look like? Healthwatch Cumbria has worked in partnership to find out the views of women and their significant others regarding their maternity services. The survey took place in Cumbria and North Lancashire during November 2015. There were 1234 respondents. The survey found there were generally high levels of satisfaction with the care received at all steps of pregnancy and after the birth of the baby. However there were comments about how services could be improved.The themes of most significance were; the importance of continuity of care, consistency of information, postnatal support for breastfeeding, support to make informed choices and accessible, local services.

Neurological patient care 'lacking'

Neurological patient care 'lacking' An MPs' report says health services for people with neurological conditions in England are patchy and poorly co-ordinated. BBC News

See also:

• Services to people with neurological conditions: progress review Public Accounts Select Committee

New NHS cancer drugs fund approved

New NHS cancer drugs fund approved Cancer patients are promised faster access to innovative medicines by NHS England. BBC News

See also:

• Cancer drugs taken by more than 12,000 patients a year to be AXED in NHS funding crisis - 'setting treatment back a generation' The Daily Mail
• Patient groups alarmed by NHS plan to reassess value of cancer drugs The Guardian

GP rescue package could be two months away, admits NHS England chief

GP rescue package could be two months away, admits NHS England chief A promised package of support measures for general practice could be another two months away, NHS England's chief executive has said. GP Online

Junior doctors: New contract 'risks disrupting medics' sleep patterns'

Junior doctors: New contract 'risks disrupting medics' sleep patterns' Expert assessment submitted to MPs says excessive working hours could put the safety of patients at risk. The Independent

Cash-strapped hospitals ask for a £1.5bn rebate

Cash-strapped hospitals ask for a £1.5bn rebate 80 NHS trusts in England have written to local authorities claiming they are eligible for an 80% discount on business rates

Cash-strapped hospitals are trying to avoid paying taxes and win a £1.5bn rebate in a move that could have a major impact on the finances of local authorities.

At least 80 NHS trusts in England have written to local authorities claiming they are eligible for an 80% discount on business rates through a loophole in the tax system. The number of applications represents roughly half of the NHS acute trusts in the country. Continue reading... The Guardian

How much choice do NHS patients really have?

How much choice do NHS patients really have? Provider choice, personal health budgets and birth budgets mean patients increasingly have a say in their care, but there is still a long way to go

The days of “doctor knows best” when patients had to accept, unquestioningly, the decisions health professionals made for them are long gone. These days, the emphasis is on helping patients make informed decisions. But how much choice do patients really have?

The idea of patient choice has started to gain traction in the past two decades, with the gradual introduction of options relating to place and time of appointments: one notable milestone was the launch in 2006 of the Choose and Book electronic appointment system, which enabled patients to make outpatient appointments by phone or over the internet. This was replaced by the NHS e-referral service in 2015. Reorganisation of the NHS extended patient choice further(pdf), to the extent of giving patients the ability to choose a GP anywhere in the country. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS staff survey reveals pressures and positives of work on the frontline

NHS staff survey reveals pressures and positives of work on the frontline Latest findings from annual survey show engagement and cohesion among staff but highlight challenges facing system and areas most in need of improvement.

What’s it like to work in the NHS? Read any newspaper, watch any news programme, and any casual observer would likely form a singular impression: it’s rough out there. Coverage of the NHS of late has been dominated by two towering issues that are hugely important to staff and patients alike: pressures on the system, and junior doctors’ pay and conditions. We have already seen strikes and with the prospect of a new contract being imposed, there is now the unprecedented threat of a full walkout of junior doctors.

With workforce issues taking centre stage, this week’s publication of the 2015 NHS staff survey is particularly timely. The NHS staff survey is the foremost source of evidence about what it’s like to work in the health service in England. Covering 297 participating NHS organisations and collated from just under 300,000 responses, it is understood to be the biggest workforce survey anywhere in the world and offers unparalleled insight into staff experiences. Continue reading... The Guardian

Free breastfeeding support cafe in Northampton will close next month

Free breastfeeding support cafe in Northampton will close next month A cafe in Northampton set up to support breastfeeding mums is to close next month. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Ebola 'devastates long-term health'

Ebola 'devastates long-term health' Most people who survive infection with Ebola will have long-term health problems, according to doctors. BBC News

See also:

• Ebola survivors suffer long-term brain health problems, new study reveals The Independent

Breast cancer screening at 10-year low

Breast cancer screening at 10-year low The proportion of women in England taking up their initial invitation for breast cancer screening is at its lowest level in a decade, figures show. BBC News

See also:

• Breast cancer: proportion of women screened after their first invitation falls to decade low Health and Social Care Information Centre

Exclusive: One in three GPs say urgent cancer scans are being blocked

Exclusive: One in three GPs say urgent cancer scans are being blocked Nearly one in three GPs in England have had a referral on the two-week cancer pathway bounced back or downgraded to 'non-urgent' in the past 12 months, a GP Online poll reveals.

See also:

• Hospitals 'refusing vital cancer scans' because tests are rationed to cut costs The Daily Mail

Pharmaceutical companies cause doctors to receive biased information about drugs 'costing hundreds of thousands of lives'

Pharmaceutical companies cause doctors to receive biased information about drugs 'costing hundreds of thousands of lives' The number of elderly patients being admitted to hospital due to adverse drug reactions is 'one in three'. The Independent

Meningitis jabs for all under-11s to be debated by MPs as petition hits over 700k

Meningitis jabs for all under-11s to be debated by MPs as petition hits over 700k Public support for the campaign rocketed after parents shared heart-breaking photographs of two-year-old Faye Burdett, from Kent, who died of the infection on Valentine's Day. The Daily Mail

See also:

• For a cash-strapped NHS, extending the meningitis B vaccine isn’t cost-effective | Dr Helen Bedford and Dr David Elliman The Guardian

Smart care: how Google's DeepMind is working with NHS hospitals

Smart care: how Google's DeepMind is working with NHS hospitals A smartphone app piloted by the NHS could improve communication between hospital staff and help patients get vital care faster

Google DeepMind, the tech giant’s London-based company most famous for its groundbreaking use of artificial intelligence, is developing a software in partnership with NHS hospitals to alert staff to patients at risk of deterioration and death through kidney failure.

The technology, which is run through a smartphone app, has the support of Lord Darzi, the surgeon and former health minister in the Blair government who is director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College London.

Everybody has a smartphone ... but the people saving lives every day are hampered by using desktop computers Continue reading... The Guardian

‘Mental health is an easy target’ says head of one of largest UK trusts

‘Mental health is an easy target’ says head of one of largest UK trusts Claire Murdoch of Central and North West London NHS trust argues that adequately funded mental health services are an essential part of taking pressure off acute hospitals.

By any standard, last week was a big one for mental health. David Cameron was promising a “mental health revolution” and proclaiming a £1bn annual boost for services by 2020, and there was the long-anticipated report from an independent taskforce for NHS England that lays bare the chronically underfunded state of mental health services and detailed recommendations for improvements.

Claire Murdoch, the chief executive of Central and North West London NHS foundation trust was keenly following developments. Her trust, one of the largest in the UK, delivers 300 different health services for people with a range of physical and mental health needs across 150 sites. She says the report is “hugely significant”.

It makes economic sense to invest in people’s mental health Continue reading... The Guardian

What's next for the nursing profession?

What's next for the nursing profession? Shifting care in the NHS from hospitals to homes could bring major changes to the way nurses work.

As 2016 takes hold, what will the year bring for nurses? It’s going to be a time of fresh challenges – this spring sees the introduction of professional revalidation with nurses being required to prove they are fit to practise. The government’s consultation on its controversial decision, announced in last autumn’s spending review, to abolish student nurse bursaries and replace them with loans, is also due to get underway. Its starting point will be how the new system will work – there will be no debate on whether bursaries should have been scrapped in the first place.

But the next 12 months also heralds new opportunities for the profession. Nurses are already breaking ground and playing a pivotal role in the vanguard sites – those pilot projects set up across the NHS that are testing new ways of working to deliver the government’s vision for the NHS in England, as outlined in the Five Year Forward View. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• The role of nursing is changing – and demand is greater than ever The Guardian
• Why I love my nursing job: a personal look at the profession The Guardian
• Nurses will be key to the success of NHS seven-day healthcare The Guardian
• Mental health nurse: 'it's all about the relationship with our patients' The Guardian
• What it takes to pursue a career in mental health nursing The Guardian
• 'Pillars of the community': why the NHS needs more district nurses The Guardian
• The ward manager: 'You don't go into nursing for the money' The Guardian
• The NHS is desperately short of nurses. Could a new role hold the answer? The Guardian
• Acute nursing: 'You never know what's going to come through your door' The Guardian

Zika crisis to 'get worse before it gets better', warns WHO chief

Zika crisis to 'get worse before it gets better', warns WHO chief World Health chief Margaret Chan says virus is a "bigger menace" than any other recent major health scare in terms of its geographical spread. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• VIDEO: Getting to the heart of the Zika virus BBC News
• US investigates 14 new Zika sex cases BBC News
• Zika: 'Quick test' for virus linked to brain damage in babies developed in Texas The Independent

People in Northamptonshire urged to use right service as pressure mounts

People in Northamptonshire urged to use right service as pressure mounts People across Northamptonshire are being urged to use the right NHS service for their symptoms and to keep the hospital free for the seriously ill or injured.

Health leaders at NHS Nene Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) issue the public message following the sustained high number of attendances and admissions at the county's A&E departments during the busy winter period.

Both hospitals continue to see large numbers of people who are acutely ill and need high priority hospital care. As a result, teams across the counties hospitals are under significant pressure in meeting this demand.

Northampton General Hospital is asking anyone planning to visit the hospital to stay away if they or their family members have flu or flu-like symptoms. Northants Herald and Post

What steps can be taken towards quality improvement in the NHS?

What steps can be taken towards quality improvement in the NHS? The NHS in England faces the immense challenge of bringing about improvements in patient care at a time of growing financial and workload pressures.

In a new report, we argue that the NHS urgently needs to adopt a quality improvement strategy if it is to rise to this challenge. All NHS organisations need to build in-house capacity for quality improvement and to commit time and resources to acquiring the necessary capabilities. They should do so by learning from the experience in trusts such as Salford, Sheffield and Wigan where quality improvement is well established. The King's Fund

2015 NHS Staff Survey results show progress despite pressures

2015 NHS Staff Survey results show progress despite pressures Find out more about the 2015 NHS Staff Survey and access the results. NHS Employers

See also:

• NHS England publishes latest staff survey results NHS England
• NHS staff survey prompts call to tackle bullying and discrimination The Guardian

The right medicine: improving care in care homes

The right medicine: improving care in care homes This report reviews the current available evidence to investigate what the role of pharmacists should be in care homes. It argues that pharmacists could have a significant role in reducing the use of unnecessary and harmful medicines; improving end of life care; and providing more co-ordinated care. Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Hunt's 6,000 deaths 'were unverified'

Hunt's 6,000 deaths 'were unverified' Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt used unverified and unpublished study data to back his policy plans for a seven-day NHS, the BBC understands. BBC News

Junior doctors set to hold more strikes

Junior doctors set to hold more strikes BMA announces three 48-hour strikes and that it will seek judicial review over junior doctors' contracts. BBC News

See also:

• Junior doctors: fight against imposition begins British Medical Association
• Junior doctor contract negotiations Department of Health
• BMA announces further industrial action NHS Employers
• Government 'wrong' in junior doctors row BBC News
• Junior doctors announce THREE 48-hour strikes and to fight imposed contract with a judicial review  The Daily Mail
• Junior doctors' contracts: New wave of 48-hour strikes confirmed The Daily Telegraph
• Junior doctors plan three 48-hour strikes as BMA demands contract judicial review GP Online
• Junior doctors announce three 48-hour strikes The Guardian
• Junior doctors launch legal challenge to Jeremy Hunt's decision to impose new contract The Independent
• Junior doctors strikes: BMA announces three new 48-hour walkouts over contract The Independent

GP trainee recruitment target likely to be missed, NHS officials admit

GP trainee recruitment target likely to be missed, NHS officials admit Health Education England (HEE) is 'likely' to miss its GP trainee recruitment target, board papers reveal, despite assurances to MPs in December that the government's goal of adding 5,000 GPs to the workforce by 2020 would be met. GP Online

How Big Pharma greed is killing tens of thousands around the world: Patients are over-medicated and often given profitable drugs with 'little proven benefits,' leading doctors warn

How Big Pharma greed is killing tens of thousands around the world: Patients are over-medicated and often given profitable drugs with 'little proven benefits,' leading doctors warn The group of eminent UK experts - including the Queen's former doctor - have warned that many medicines - such as statins - are less effective than thought. The Daily Mail

Bursary reform is good for students, nurses and the NHS

Bursary reform is good for students, nurses and the NHS Extending student finance reforms will create up to 10,000 more health degree places, says Ben Gummer, under-secretary of state for health

Ordinarily, it is not possible to hear anything in the chamber of the House of Commons, other than the voices of those present. But back in 2010, the sound of the protest in Parliament Squarecould be heard several times during the debate on reform of student finance. The sound and fury made it all the more clear just how important it was that we got the decision right.

Most politicians want to widen opportunity, even if sometimes we disagree on how to do it. The arguments on either side back then were earnestly made. What we can now see, with the benefit of four years’ data, is that those who proposed reform have been proved comprehensively right. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• The future of nursing: bursaries versus loans The Guardian
• Nursing student: I owe my future career to the NHS bursary. Scrapping it is a mistake The Guardian

Involving the public is crucial for NHS success

Involving the public is crucial for NHS success Engaging with the people who pay for and use healthcare services is vital to improve quality and efficiency.

David Bennett, the outgoing chief executive of healthcare regulator Monitor said in a recent interview that he “would get rid of the idea of foundation trusts having [public] membership”. Instead, he argued that clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) should take on an accountability role. Continue reading... The Guardian

The NHS is our national religion – but there’s no miracle funding cure | Frank Field

The NHS is our national religion – but there’s no miracle funding cure | Frank Field It’s time for a Bevan-type reform of health finances – the public would make greater NI contributions into a ringfenced mutual organisation to secure the NHS’s future.

The NHS is the one postwar act to which the public are committed. It has become, in Nigel Lawson’s indicative phrase, Britain’s national religion. That is why politicians invariably play safe, knowing that the gods can most easily be assuaged with offerings of money. Yet the gods are getting more and more demanding and we live in an age of public austerity.

It must be doubted if the government believes its own rhetoric on safeguarding the NHS budget in real terms. NHS inflation is higher than the government calculates, the older we get as a nation the greater our health demands, and modern technology feeds that demand. So is the solution simply more money? The answer is an emphatic “yes”, but in assuaging the gods we need to change fundamentally the politics of health. Continue reading... The Guardian

Research and analysis: Northamptonshire: diabetic eye screening programme

Research and analysis: Northamptonshire: diabetic eye screening programme This document sets out observations and recommendations from the quality assurance (QA) visit to Northamptonshire. Public Health England

Making it safer to cross professional boundaries

Making it safer to cross professional boundaries The evidence is clear: NHS organisations that are enthusiastic about co-operation and team-working, both within and across boundaries, are more likely to deliver compassionate, high-quality care. Successful teams take the time to stop and ask themselves what they could change and do better. But few teams in the NHS – at all levels – take the time to reflect. With the pressure they are under, it’s simply seen as a luxury.

However we believe it’s not a luxury but an essential, basic requirement of high-performing teams – especially when team members come from very different professional backgrounds.

A new toolkit, commissioned by NHS Future-Focused Finance and developed by The King’s Fund, aims to help address this by supporting collaboration between finance and clinical staff.

Maternity review sets bold plan for safer, more personal services

Maternity review sets bold plan for safer, more personal services Maternity services in England must become safer, more personalised, kinder, professional and more family-friendly.

That’s the vision of the National Maternity Review, which  publishes its recommendations for how services should change over the next five years.

The NHS England commissioned review – led by independent experts and chaired by Baroness Julia Cumberlege – sets out wide-ranging proposals designed to make care safer and give women greater control and more choices. NHS England

See also:

• Women offered £3,000 'birth budgets' BBC News
• National maternity review calls for women's personal care budgets The Guardian
• Pregnant women should get £3,000 to allow them to appoint their own midwife, review says The Independent

Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution

Every breath we take: the lifelong impact of air pollution The report starkly sets out the dangerous impact air pollution is currently having on our nation’s health. Each year in the UK, around 40,000 deaths are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution which plays a role in many of the major health challenges of our day. It has been linked to cancer, asthma, stroke and heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and changes linked to dementia. The health problems resulting from exposure to air pollution have a high cost to people who suffer from illness and premature death, to our health services and to business. In the UK, these costs add up to more than £20 billion every year.

The report also highlights the often overlooked section of our environment - that of indoor space. Factors such as, kitchen products, faulty boilers, open fires, fly sprays and air fresheners, all of which can cause poor air quality in our homes, workspaces and schools. Royal College of Physicians

See also:

• Pollution link to 40,000 deaths a year BBC News

New Winterbourne View report reflects on progress made and challenges ahead

New Winterbourne View report reflects on progress made and challenges ahead Sir Stephen Bubb, tasked with leading the work into establishing stronger safeguards and support for adults with learning difficulties after the scandal of abuse at Winterbourne View, has published his latest and final report: Time for change: the challenge ahead.

In the report, commissioned by NHS England, Sir Stephen acknowledges the progress made in the last year by the transforming care programme, but speaks of significant challenges ahead and expresses views on how best to meet them. Department of Health

Tax rises 'will not cover' care costs

Tax rises 'will not cover' care costs Planned council tax rises will not bring in enough money to cover the rising cost of social care, local authorities in England warn. BBC News

Junior doctors are planning the first full walkout in the history of the NHS

Junior doctors are planning the first full walkout in the history of the NHS Junior doctors are preparing to stage the first full walkout in the history of the NHS.

According to leaked plans drawn up by the BMA, the medical union’s Junior Doctor Committee is planning a string of crippling strikes. Metro

See also:

• Junior doctor contract negotiations British Medical Association
• Junior doctors 'planning a full NHS strike': Staff could escalate action to force Government to 'put their money where their mouth is' over new contracts The Daily Mail
• BMA draws up plans for string of crippling NHS strikes The Daily Telegraph
• Doctors’ union cannot justify any more strikes The Express
• Further junior doctor strikes 'inevitable' as BMA considers escalation GP Online
• Junior Doctors Are Being Put Into The Firing Line Because of Short-Sighted Government Health Policy The Huffington Post
• Junior doctors: Escalating strike action may include 'first ever full walkout' The Independent

European advice launched on heart failure

European advice launched on heart failure Acute heart failure carries a higher risk of death than heart attack, but care lags 30 years behind.

This is the conclusion, of the first European advice on emergency care for patients with acute heart failure published this week. OnMedica

Homeopathy 'quackery' should be cut from NHS, campaigners urge after study finds it ineffective

Homeopathy 'quackery' should be cut from NHS, campaigners urge after study finds it ineffective Campaigners have welcomed the latest study to show that homeopathy "treatments" are no more effective than a placebo, and called for the technique to be cut from the NHS. The NHS spends £5 million a year on homeopathy. The Independent

North London hospital tells patients in A&E to 'go home unless their condition is life-threatening'

North London hospital tells patients in A&E to 'go home unless their condition is life-threatening' North Middlesex Hospital in Edmonton says it received 450 admissions in just one Friday night shift. The Independent

FGM is 'akin to male circumcision, breast implants and designer vagina ops': Gynecologists argue genital 'nicks' that don't harm girls should be legalized

FGM is 'akin to male circumcision, breast implants and designer vagina ops': Gynecologists argue genital 'nicks' that don't harm girls should be legalized Milder forms of female genital mutilation should be classified in the same way as male circumcision and breast implants to stop it being 'demonised,' a controversial new report has claimed.

Changes to the way female genital mutilation is defined and viewed are needed to protect young women from more serious forms of cutting, a team of experts argued.

The gynaecologists suggest a small surgical 'nick' - a minimal procedure they compare to male circumcision - that slightly changes the look of a young woman's external genitalia should be legally allowed.

In a paper published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, they say mild forms are no worse than cosmetic procedures such as breast implants or 'designer vaginas' western women pay for.

But the experts stress the procedure should not alter the function or the sensory capacity of a young woman's genitalia. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Female genital alteration: a compromise solution Journal of Medical Ethics
• Cutting slack and cutting corners: an ethical and pragmatic response to Arora and Jacobs’ Female genital alteration: a compromise solution’ Journal of Medical Ethics
• Not all cultural traditions deserve respect Journal of Medical Ethics
• Harm reduction and female genital alteration: a response to the commentaries Journal of Medical Ethics
• Female genital mutilation: multiple practices, multiple wrongs (editorial) Journal of Medical Ethics
• Legalise genital ‘nicks’ argue two US doctors OnMedica

Campaign to raise awareness of sepsis 'could save 14,000 lives a year'

Campaign to raise awareness of sepsis 'could save 14,000 lives a year' Thousands of lives could be saved each year if more was done to combat sepsis, a charity has said. The UK Sepsis Trust said 14,000 lives could be saved across the UK each year. The Daily Mail

The spirit of healthcare: the NHS's £25m brigade of chaplains

The spirit of healthcare: the NHS's £25m brigade of chaplains Nowadays they can come from any religion or none, but some say health service money is misspent on the 900-strong force.

The NHS spends millions each year on employing more than 900 hospital chaplains to provide religious and spiritual care to patients even though the proportion of the population defining itself as non-religious is growing.

There were 916 NHS chaplaincy posts in 2015, according to new data from the Health and Social Care Information Centre. The number has fallen almost 20% in the past five years, down from 1,107 in 2010. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• As hospital chaplains we support staff as well as patients The Guardian

MPs 'to debate meningitis B vaccine within weeks'

MPs 'to debate meningitis B vaccine within weeks' Members of Commons committee tasked with discussing record-breaking petition acknowledge that subject cannot be ignored. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Making the meningitis B vaccine available for all children makes sense The Guardian