National 'Uber-style' private GP service sparks backlash

National 'Uber-style' private GP service sparks backlash Anew ‘Uber-style' system of private GP appointments using NHS doctors is to be rolled out nationally, sparking a backlash from some medics.

The new service will match patients who are prepared to pay between £40 and £70 for an appointment, with family doctors prepared to work privately from their own practice in their spare time.

Critics said it was not fair to encourage patients to jump the queue if they could afford to avoid long waiting lists on the NHS.

But the company behind it said it would “drive down queues in surgeries” and reduce pressure on Accident & Emergency departments. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Uber-style service which allows patients to skip queues and pay to see NHS doctors is 'a slippery slope towards privatisation' The Daily Mail

Research and analysis: Northamptonshire: abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme

Research and analysis: Northamptonshire: abdominal aortic aneurysm screening programme This document sets out observations and recommendations from the quality assurance (QA) visit to Northamptonshire General Hospital. Public Health England

Engaging local people: a guide for local areas developing Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs)

Engaging local people: a guide for local areas developing Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) This document is for teams developing STPs in each of the 44 footprint areas, and the statutory organisations which form part of them. It is intended to clarify the expectations on stakeholder involvement, in particular patient and public participation. It also covers legal duties around engagement and consultation and will be of particular interest to communication and engagement leads for STPs and footprint leaders.

Sweden’s Esther Model for Improving Care of Elderly Patients with Complex Needs

Sweden’s Esther Model for Improving Care of Elderly Patients with Complex Needs The Esther model in Jönköping County, Sweden, seeks to improve care for elderly patients with complex care needs—symbolically known as “Esthers”—by persistently focusing on what is best for them. The Commonwealth Fund

See also:

• How an Information System Can Reduce Health Risks Among the Elderly: Sweden’s Senior Alert Program The Commonwealth Fund

Number of written complaints about NHS falls by 4 per cent

Number of written complaints about NHS falls by 4 per cent  New figures show there were 198,739 written complaints received over the last financial year(2) - the equivalent of around 544 per day - which was 8,668 (4.2 per cent) fewer than in 2014-15. NHS Digital

Emergency contraceptive affected by other medicines - regulator issues new guidance

Emergency contraceptive affected by other medicines - regulator issues new guidance Women needing the emergency contraceptive pill containing levonorgestrel should tell their healthcare professional if they are currently taking medicines for epilepsy and certain serious infections, or herbal remedies such as St John’s Wort as these may reduce how well the emergency contraceptive works. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

Sharp rise in care delays 'piles pressure on hospitals'

Sharp rise in care delays 'piles pressure on hospitals' A sharp rise in waits for care services is piling the pressure on the NHS in England, hospital bosses are warning. BBC News

See also:

• The daily struggle to discharge patients BBC News

PrEP HIV drugs: court hears NHS England appeal

PrEP HIV drugs: court hears NHS England appeal NHS England is challenging high court ruling that it has power to commission ‘game-changing’ prevention strategy

A legal battle is being fought out in the court of appeal over who pays the bill for a service to block HIV infection.

The high court ruled that NHS England has the power to commission PrEP, which has been described as a “game-changer” in the fight against HIV/Aids. Continue reading... The Guardian

Doctors urge inquiry into Jeremy Hunt's NHS 'weekend effect' claims

Doctors urge inquiry into Jeremy Hunt's NHS 'weekend effect' claims Letter signed by doctors and scientists including Stephen Hawking accuses health secretary of misrepresenting evidence

Stephen Hawking, Robert Winston and a number of senior doctors are urging Theresa May to hold an inquiry into Jeremy Hunt’s claim that 11,000 patient deaths a year are caused by a lack of medics on duty in hospitals at weekends.

In a letter to the Guardian they claim the health secretary has caused a “devastating breakdown of trust between government and the medical profession” by misrepresenting the evidence on the “weekend effect”. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• The evidence of an NHS weekend effect is shaky | Letter from Neena Modi, David Owen, Robert Winston, Stephen Hawking and others The Guardian

Jeremy Hunt faces High Court battle over junior doctors' contracts

Jeremy Hunt faces High Court battle over junior doctors' contracts Unprecedented walkouts by thousands of junior doctors over a new contract could be averted by a High Court case next week, medics say.

Up to 50,000 doctors have been asked by unions to take part in week-long strikes, starting next month, despite concerns that the actions could cost lives.

On Monday, the Health Secretary will face a judicial review application over the way the contract is being introduced. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Jeremy Hunt 'abused power' over junior doctor contract, court will hear OnMedica

Hospital hid cancer operation error from dead woman's family

Hospital hid cancer operation error from dead woman's family The family of a mother-of-three who died two days after she had an operation to remove a kidney was not told about a surgical error.

Cancer patient Deborah O'Hara had undergone surgery to remove a kidney at University Hospital Coventry during which the blood supply from two arteries was cut off.

The hospital failed to report the error to her family or to the coroner's office when it reported her death last June. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Family not told of cancer op error at Coventry hospital BBC News

Older people are paying the price for cuts to social care

Older people are paying the price for cuts to social care The care and support older people receive increasingly depends on where they live and how much money they have rather than their needs, according to a new report by The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust.

Six consecutive years of cuts to local authority budgets, rising demand for services and shortages of staff have left the social care system increasingly unable to meet the needs of the older people who depend on it. The report finds that this is placing an unacceptable burden on unpaid carers and is leaving rising numbers of older people who have difficulty with the basic activities of daily living – such as washing, dressing and getting out of bed – without any support at all. The King's Fund

See also:

• Social care for older people: Home truths (report) The King's Fund
• Home truths: are older people paying the price for social care cuts? The King's Fund
• When social care is cut the NHS bleeds NHS Providers
• Care for elderly 'increasingly rationed' in England BBC News
• How the care system works across the UK BBC News
• Care costs BBC News
• The alternatives to traditional care BBC News
• Elderly care shortages now the ‘burning injustice’ facing Theresa May’s Britain The Daily Telegraph 
• Elderly Britons bearing brunt of cuts to social care, report warns The Guardian

Exclusive: Survey finds doctors 'rationing care' as cash crisis hits NHS

Exclusive: Survey finds doctors 'rationing care' as cash crisis hits NHS More than two thirds of doctors admit they have been left with no choice but to ration care as the NHS cash crisis intensifies.

Services and treatments including mental health care for children, hip and knee replacements and cancer drugs are being restricted in order to save money.

A survey of 1,000 doctors conducted exclusively for ITV News reveals patients are being denied treatments including varicose vein removal and cataract surgery, and forced to pay for care privately or wait for their condition to worsen.

Some patients ended up in A&E because they were refused treatment, the research concluded. ITV News

UK Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey cleared of misconduct

UK Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey cleared of misconduct UK nurse Pauline Cafferkey, who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone, cleared of misconduct by disciplinary panel. BBC News

New care models promised in Five Year Forward View may be 15 years away

New care models promised in Five Year Forward View may be 15 years away New models of care outlined in the NHS Five Year Forward View to provide care at scale could take a decade longer to set up than planned and may fail to deliver efficiency savings, NHS Providers has warned. GP Online

BMA accuses Capita of multiple failures

BMA accuses Capita of multiple failures GP leaders in England have warned that patient safety is being compromised by multiple failures in back office support services currently run by Capita.

It comes after a qualitative survey by the BMA of Local Medical Committees (LMCs), revealed serious failures in a range of areas Capita is now responsible for as part of its contract with NHS England to run Primary Care Support (PCS) services. OnMedica

See also:

• Support services failure threatens patient safety British Medical Association
• Capita failing on managing patient records, says BMA BBC News
• Patient safety at risk due to Capita failings, BMA warns GP Online

DH rejects priority mental health assessments for children in care

DH rejects priority mental health assessments for children in care Recommendations for children in care to automatically receive an assessment of their mental health have been rejected by the Department of Health.

A recent report by the Education Select Committee found that children in care frequently struggle to access mental health services because of factors such as frequent relocations, as reported in NHE’s sister title, Public Sector Executive.

It therefore recommended that children in care should have priority access to specialist mental health assessments.

However, in its response to the report, the Department of Health said: “We do not accept the committee’s recommendation as it stands.” National Health Executive

See also:

• Mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children: response Department of Health

MPs slam 'national scandal' of FGM- Britain's hidden crime

MPs slam 'national scandal' of FGM- Britain's hidden crime Britain’s failure to protect girls from female genital mutilation (FGM) has been described as a “national scandal” by a committee of MPs, who said it was “beyond belief” that, 30 years since it became illegal, not a single person has been convicted of the crime. They described it as a “hidden crime” and “preventable” child abuse.

The committee warned: “FGM is not a religious or cultural rite of passage that deserves protection. When it is inflicted on a woman, it is a horrific crime. When it is inflicted on a girl, it is violent child abuse. It involves young girls’ genitalia being cut with scissors, a razor, a knife or even glass, usually with no anaesthetic or antiseptic. The Independent

See also:

• Ongoing failure to tackle "national scandal" of female genital mutilation Home Affairs Select Committee
• Female genital mutilation: abuse unchecked (report) Home Affairs Select 
• FGM: Lack of convictions 'a national scandal' BBC News
• MPs report reveal nearly 500 girls are having FGM procedure every month The Daily Mail
• MPs demand hard line against clinicians who do not report FGM The Guardian

NHS boss warns of four hard years ahead after health service gets less cash than requested

NHS boss warns of four hard years ahead after health service gets less cash than requested The head of the NHS has warned of four hard years ahead for the health service – dismissing ministers’ claims that it has been given all the money it needs.

Simon Stevens warned that much of a promised extra £10bn each year has been “back-ended to 2020”, which means promised improvements would be delayed and tough choices inevitable in the interim.

Speaking to an inquiry by MPs – days after hospital bosses broke cover to argue the NHS will reach breaking point without more money – Mr Stevens admitted to the looming funding shortfall. The Independent

Rise in prisoners moved to mental health hospitals

Rise in prisoners moved to mental health hospitals Transfers increase by 20% in England and Wales, amid concerns over increase in prison suicides and self-harm

More prisoners are being diagnosed with mental health problems requiring hospital treatment, official figures obtained by the Guardian show.

The number of male prisoners being transferred to hospital under the 1983 Mental Health Act grew by more than 20% between 2011 and 2014 in England and Wales, said the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in response to a freedom of information request. Continue reading... The Guardian

More than 15,000 GPs earning more than £100,000, official figures show

More than 15,000 GPs earning more than £100,000, official figures show More than 15,000 family doctors are earning more than £100,000 a year, official figures show, with soaring numbers receiving more than £250,000 annually.

New data shows that average pay for a GP partner is now £101,500 – a rise of 1.7 per cent during 2014/15, as the NHS plunged into deficit.

The figures for England include 15,190 GPs earning more than £100,000, of whom 660 received at least £200,000, with 180 paid more than £250,000 in total. The previous year, 14,910 family doctors received six-figure earnings, with 560 passing the £200,000 mark, and 150 on at least £250,000. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Latest figures released on the earnings and expenses of GPs and dentists NHS Digital
• GP expenses hit all-time high as pay flatlines GP Online

Sugar tax loophole will still allow cut-price fattening drinks, warns obesity expert

Sugar tax loophole will still allow cut-price fattening drinks, warns obesity expert Retailers will still be able to sell cut-price fattening drinks because of a loophole in the new sugar levy, the Government’s obesity adviser has warned.

The flagship new measure could fail to encourage healthier shopping habits by making sugary drinks more expensive than low-sugar options, said Susan Jebb, professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford.

Under Soft Drinks Industry Levy, manufacturers will pay a charge for the amount of sugar they introduce into the drinks market, but the policy does not stipulate how the cost should be passed onto consumers. The Daily Telegraph

Nurse bank campaign shortlisted for national award

Nurse bank campaign shortlisted for national award

A successful campaign to recruit nurses to its staff bank has seen Northampton General Hospital shortlisted in the most sought-after awards in the British health sector. The hospital's nurse bank campaign, entitled "Join our bank and we'll invest in you" has been shortlisted in the staff engagement category of the HSJ Awards.
NGH News

News story: New £816 million investment in health research

News story: New £816 million investment in health research

Leading NHS clinicians and universities will benefit from new world class facilities and support services built by the 5-year funding package totalling £816 million – the largest ever investment into health research.

Mental health research will see funding increase to nearly £70 million, dementia to over £45 million, deafness and hearing problems will receive over £15 million and antimicrobial resistance research rises to around £45 million.
Department of Health

Promotional material: Health and work: infographics

Promotional material: Health and work: infographics

Public Health England (PHE) and The Work Foundation have collaborated to produce the following 12 infographics:
Spotlight on mental health
Cost of ill health
Health of the working age population
Health of UK employees
Spotlight on musculoskeletal conditions (MSK)
Managing health at work for employers
Spotlight on small medium enterprises (SME)
Unemployment and economic inactivity
Welfare
The local picture
Supporting older workers with health problems
Young people and health at work

These infographics are intended to help public health practitioners, local authorities and policy makers to make the case and inform planning on embedding health, work and worklessness within and across these issues.
Download the infographic files and references.

Guidance: Flu vaccination: easy read invitation letter template

Guidance: Flu vaccination: easy read invitation letter template

This letter is for health professionals to give to people with learning difficulties and their parents and carers/guardians, either by hand or by post, preferably with an accompanying information leaflet.

Staff can adapt the template format for GP surgeries and health professionals for patients to have their annual flu vaccination.

Download the file to add the name of the practice and other details as appropriate, or print as-is, add notes by hand and then photocopy to share.
Public Health England

Supporting self-management: a guide to enabling behaviour change for health and wellbeing using person- and community-centred approaches

Supporting self-management: a guide to enabling behaviour change for health and wellbeing using person- and community-centred approaches

This guide outlines how the science of behaviour can help people to self-manage their health and wellbeing. It is written for people who support those living with long-term conditions, or those who help people avoid these conditions using person- and community-centred approaches.

NESTA 

Guide

NESTA publications

E-cigarettes 'help more smokers quit'

E-cigarettes 'help more smokers quit'

The rise in popularity of e-cigarettes in the UK appears to be helping more smokers successfully quit smoking, say researchers.
BBC News

NHS England to make existing care models 'progressively less attractive'

NHS England to make existing care models 'progressively less attractive'

NHS England will make it 'progressively less attractive' to continue working in traditional health systems - such as standalone GP practices - in a bid to extend new care models across 50% of England's population by 2020/21.
GP Online

Integrated care for the physical health of people with severe mental illness: no easy answers

Integrated care for the physical health of people with severe mental illness: no easy answers

Liz Hughes summarises a recent rapid review on integrated care to address the physical health needs of people with severe mental illness.
Mental Elf

Commissioning early intervention services for mental ill health

Commissioning early intervention services for mental ill health

This report showcases projects that promote early intervention in mental health and draws out tips from commissioners and practitioners involved in their development and delivery.
NHS Networks

New video on end-of-life care training

New video on end-of-life care training

In this short video, we learn how Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and private care home, Broughton House, brought significant benefits to staff and patients by adopting a joined-up approach to training in end-of-life care.
NHS Networks

STP leaders face major challenges in transforming care and balancing budgets

STP leaders face major challenges in transforming care and balancing budgets The NHS in England is in the final stages of developing five-year sustainability and transformation plans (STPs). These plans are the product of work by providers and commissioners in the 44 areas identified as the ‘footprints’ for planning purposes. Local authorities have contributed to the STPs to varying degrees but involvement of other stakeholders has been limited, and as yet there has been no public consultation. The King's Fund

Understanding and preventing drug-related deaths: the report of a national expert working group to investigate drug-related deaths in England

Understanding and preventing drug-related deaths: the report of a national expert working group to investigate drug-related deaths in England This report makes recommendations towards addressing the rising number of people dying from drug misuse in England and highlights a number of principles for action by local authorities, drug treatment providers and partner organisations. The national expert working group advocate a whole-system approach to substance abuse treatment and a personalised approach which is tailored to patient needs. Public Health England

Lightning Review: Children's access to school nurses to improve wellbeing and protect them from harm

Lightning Review: Children's access to school nurses to improve wellbeing and protect them from harm Results from a survey of nearly 800 school nurses by the Children's Commissioners

See also:

• Red tape 'stops school nurses doing job' BBC News
• Role of school nurses threatened by endless paperwork OnMedica

Support from the start: commissioning early intervention services for mental ill health

Support from the start: commissioning early intervention services for mental ill health This report showcases projects that promote early intervention in mental health and draws out tips from commissioners and practitioners involved in their development and delivery. The report highlights four projects where CCGs and their partners are tackling the challenge of early intervention and it aims to share the learning and good practice from these projects. NHS Clinical Commissioners 

MPs call for medical cannabis to be made legal

MPs call for medical cannabis to be made legal Cannabis for medical use should be made legal, says a cross-party group of UK politicians. BBC News

Girls face huge quality of life difference across England

Girls face huge quality of life difference across England Girls growing up in parts of England have a much lower quality of life than others, according to analysis of official statistics. BBC News

Hospitals still wasting 15m appointments a year by dumping work on GPs, warns GPC

Hospitals still wasting 15m appointments a year by dumping work on GPs, warns GPC NHS hospitals across England are wasting around 15m GP appointments a year by dumping work unnecessarily on practices and are ignoring a clause written into their contracts to prevent this, the BMA has warned. GP Online

Diabetes increase putting NHS future 'at stake'

Diabetes increase putting NHS future 'at stake' Treating diabetes and the complications arising from it costs the NHS around £10 billion annually.

Tackling diabetes is “fundamental” to the future of NHS as the number of adults with the condition nears four million, Public Health England has warned.

Around 3.8 million adults in England now have diabetes, with at least 940,000 of those undiagnosed, new figures have revealed.

About 90 per cent of the cases are Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to being overweight and obese and therefore largely preventable, PHE, who released the data, said. The Independent

NHS facing 'pockets of meltdown' this winter

NHS facing 'pockets of meltdown' this winter Mark Holland, an expert in acute medicine, warns of a national emergency as bed-blocking reaches record levels

The NHS will experience “pockets of meltdown” this winter as the service comes under increasing pressure, a leading doctor has warned.

Dr Mark Holland, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said the resilience of medical units was being “put to the test like never before”. Continue reading... The Guardian

The secret life of an anaesthetist: if surgeons are the blood, we are the brains

The secret life of an anaesthetist: if surgeons are the blood, we are the brains During an operation, your life is in our hands. But despite the highly sensitive role we play, we are all but invisible to our patients

You have to get used to being invisible as an anaesthetist. A large percentage of the public has no idea that we’re medically qualified. I’ve been asked how many GCSEs you need to be an anaesthetist. In fact our training is as long as that of a surgeon. It takes seven years of specialist studies after you’ve already completed two years of basic general training; and that’s after five or six years at medical school.

Patients always remember the name of their surgeon, never that of their anaesthetist. But it’s still a hugely rewarding job. We’re everywhere in the hospital. In theatre obviously, but also in intensive care, on the wards, in the emergency department, and in the pain clinic, with those who are really suffering. We assess people’s fitness for surgery, how likely they are to suffer complications, and support them through the operation itself and into the postoperative period.

If there’s an emergency during an operation the team looks to the anaesthetist for leadership. If you panic, it spreads Continue reading... The Guardian

'Health Service doesn't need more money' says Minister.

'Health Service doesn't need more money' says Minister. A bitter row broke out last night after hospital bosses claimed the NHS will no longer be able to provide the services patients expect without more cash. But ministers said what they've agreed is enough. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Strapped for cash? Poppycock! As the NHS wails that it's broke, the woman who fought to account for every penny of public spending says it's pouring millions down the drain The Daily Mail

Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey faces disciplinary hearing

Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey faces disciplinary hearing Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey is facing a disciplinary hearing linked to her return to the UK with the virus.

The case of the Scottish medical worker, who was infected with the virus while working in Sierra Leone in December 2014, will be heard at a fitness to practise hearing in Edinburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It is not known whether Ms Cafferkey will attend the hearing and details of the finalised charges to be considered by the panel have not yet been released by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Misconduct hearing for Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey BBC News

Wachter watch: where next for the NHS’s digital strategy?

Wachter watch: where next for the NHS’s digital strategy? Back to school and back to another round of new NHS initiatives and announcements. At the NHS Health and Care Innovation Expo on Wednesday, the focus was very much on digital technology and what it can do for the NHS. The King's Fund

Seven-day NHS 'impossible under current funding levels'

Seven-day NHS 'impossible under current funding levels'A seven-day NHS is "impossible" to achieve with the current funding and staffing levels, the chief executive of NHS Providers says.

Chris Hopson told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that "something has to give" and there should be a debate about which services to sacrifice "rather than pretend the gap doesn't exist".

Figures show waiting times and delayed hospital discharges at record levels.

The government says it is giving NHS England the £10bn it asked for.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called for a "seven-day NHS" since 2015 after his department concluded that there was a "clear link between poorer outcomes for patients and uneven service provision at the weekend". BBC News

See also:

• NHS heading for a winter of discontent NHS Providers
• NHS 'under greatest pressure in a generation', says CEO (video) BBC News
• Seven-day NHS 'impossible' with current levels of funding The Daily Telegraph
• Hospitals in England are on the brink of collapse, warn NHS chiefs The Guardian
• The gap between funds and delivery is a chasm in the NHS: something has to give The Guardian
• NHS chief Chris Hopson: Hospitals need to close departments, let’s talk about what has to give i News

Too many hospitals deliver 'outdated' hip fracture care

Too many hospitals deliver 'outdated' hip fracture care Not all patients who have fractured their hip are receiving properly planned care and rehabilitation after leaving hospital. The National Hip Fracture Database's (NHFD) 2016 annual report for England, Wales and Northern Ireland on hip fracture surgery has found that better collaboration between orthopaedic surgeons and geriatricians in coordinated hip fracture programmes has led to improved patient care in many areas, with two thirds of all hip fracture patients receiving "best practice" care in hospital. OnMedica

Chief nurse calls for gender equality on NHS boards

Chief nurse calls for gender equality on NHS boards The Chief Nursing Officer for England, Professor Jane Cummings, says she wants to see a balance of genders on NHS boards with more nurses and midwives in senior positions within the next five years.

“I am determined to ensure our professions have a seat at the table as we tackle the challenges ahead. The nursing and midwifery professions have a vital role to help shape an NHS and care system for the future and their voices must be heard," Professor Cummings said in a speech at the Health and Care Innovation Expo 2016 conference in Manchester yesterday. OnMedica

Junior doctors dispute: Five go to war with the Government

Junior doctors dispute: Five go to war with the Government On 19 and 20 September, a group of five junior doctors called Justice for Health will be taking on the Government in the High Court. Youssef El-Gingihy hears their stories and how they are coping in a world in which ‘nobody tells the truth’ The Independent

Super-gonorrhoea outbreak could be out of control as attempts to stop spread fail

Super-gonorrhoea outbreak could be out of control as attempts to stop spread fail An outbreak of super-gonorrhoea in the UK is out of control and efforts to stop it have been unsuccessful, health officials have warned.

It is feared the sexually transmitted disease may be becoming increasingly resistant to treatment, prompting concerns further rapid spread could occur.

In April, it emerged an outbreak of so-called ‘super-gonorrhoea’ had occurred in Leeds, with cases also noted in the West Midlands, London and southern-England. It began among heterosexual couples but has since been spread among men who have sex with men (MSM). The Independent

See also:

• Research and analysis: High level azithromycin resistant gonorrhoea in England Public Health England

A lethal combination of secrecy and jargon has overshadowed NHS plans

A lethal combination of secrecy and jargon has overshadowed NHS plans There has been a lack of communication over sustainability and transformation plans so they are now seen through the lens of cuts

The NHS is in danger of losing control of public debate around the sustainability and transformation plans (STPs). Days after the unnecessary secrecy around STP blueprints for change predictably backfired, with lurid headlines about closures and cuts, both NHS England and the government have been trying to get a grip on public understanding of what all this frantic management work is trying to achieve.

At this week’s Health and Care Innovation Expo in Manchester, NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said that in the next few days his organisation will be spelling out expectations on how the public will be involved in discussions. Continue reading... The Guardian

Children are still guzzling nearly THREE times their daily sugar limit despite warnings over fizzy drinks

Children are still guzzling nearly THREE times their daily sugar limit despite warnings over fizzy drinks The National Diet and Nutrition Survey also found that people in the UK are not eating enough fruit and veg, while consumption of red meat and saturated fat is still too high. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Young children still exceeding sugar recommendation Public Health England
• The National Diet and Nutrition Survey Public Health England
• Sugar intake in children 'double recommended level' BBC News
• Sugar warnings have not reduced consumption in England, figures show The Guardian

District nurses are the real heroes of the NHS, but they are under total siege

District nurses are the real heroes of the NHS, but they are under total siege  Anyone who thinks the front line of our healthcare lies in hospital wards or GP’s surgeries should spend a day with a district nurse. Looking after people in their own homes, they are the Cinderellas of the system. And yet many people do not even know they exist and new reports show that their work is at breaking point due to unmanageable caseloads, a growing gap between capacity and demand. The Daily Telegraph

Drug deaths reach record levels as purity of heroin and cocaine rises

Drug deaths reach record levels as purity of heroin and cocaine rises Drug deaths have reached record levels as cocaine and heroin becomes more pure and ageing addicts succumb to years of abuse.

A total of 3,674 people died of drugs poisoning in 2015, the highest number since records began.

Deaths from heroin and morphine have doubled to 1,200 since 2012, while deaths from cocaine have jumped from 112 to 320, according to new figures released by the Office for National Statistics The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• New recommendations to address deaths from drug misuse published Public Health England
• Drug-related deaths reach record levels in England and Wales BBC News

NSPCC ‘concerned’ about rise in number of FGM cases in Northamptonshire

NSPCC ‘concerned’ about rise in number of FGM cases in Northamptonshire The NSPCC has highlighted a “concerning” rise in the number of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) cases in Northamptonshire. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

The value of community pharmacy

The value of community pharmacy This report commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee, found that community pharmacies contributed a net value of £3 billion to the NHS, public sector, patients and wider society in England in 2015 through just twelve services. PricewaterhouseCoopers

New NHS cyber security services to be rolled out to health and care

New NHS cyber security services to be rolled out to health and care  NHS Digital is set to start expanding the NHS cyber security service, Innovation minister Nicola Blackwood announced today at the Health and Care Innovation Expo.

CareCERT (Care Computer Emergency Response Team), launched in November last year, and is a national service that helps health and care organisations to improve their cyber security defences by providing proactive advice and guidance about digital threats and cyber security best practice.

The service currently sends out broadcasts about known cyber threats and resolutions, and will now be expanded to include three new services, which will start being tested from September.

Obesity link to cancer 'not well known by public'

Obesity link to cancer 'not well known by public' Three-quarters of people are unaware being overweight increases the risk of developing 10 different types of cancer, Cancer Research UK says. BBC News

See also:

• Three in four don’t know obesity causes cancer Cancer Research UK
• 670,000 more people will get cancer in the next 20 years because of obesity claims study The Daily Mail
• Three-quarters of people don't know about the link between obesity and cancer The Daily Telegraph

Statins review says benefits 'underestimated'

Statins review says benefits 'underestimated' The benefits of the cholesterol-reducing drug statins are underestimated and the harms exaggerated, a major review suggests.

Published in the Lancet and backed by a number of major health organisations, it says statins lower heart attack and stroke risk.

The review also suggests side effects such as muscle pain do occur, although in relatively few people.

But critics say healthy people are unnecessarily taking medication. BBC News

Still working nurse, 83: 'I love my job'

Still working nurse, 83: 'I love my job' An 83-year-old nurse who still works 15 to 20 hours a week says she has "no plans" to retire.

Monica Bulman, who works at Torbay Hospital, began her career in the NHS aged 19 in 1952.

When she's not working, the grandmother, who turned 83 on 1 September, is a gym-bunny and attends regular spinning classes.

Mrs Bulman said she still loves her job but misses the 1950s uniform because it was "much more glamorous". BBC News

GP trainee recruitment improving but parts of England continue to struggle

GP trainee recruitment improving but parts of England continue to struggle Nationally, the number of GP trainee posts filled after the first recruitment round for 2016 surpassed the total number filled in 2015, according to data published earlier this year.

But with one recruitment round now remaining for 2016, wide variations in uptake of GP training posts between English regions have continued.

Many areas have already recruited numbers of GP trainees close to or greater than their total for 2016, interim data suggest.

In London, 99% of GP trainee posts have been filled and in Thames Valley no vacancies remain - matching their uptake for 2015. The East Midlands, which was left with nearly a third of its available GP training posts vacant after recruitment finished last year, has seen a sharp turnaround in 2016 with 87% of posts now filled. GP Online

Tell women IUD more effective for emergency contraception

Tell women IUD more effective for emergency contraception GPs and other health professionals should tell women who need emergency contraception that a copper intrauterine device (IUD or ‘coil’) is more effective than oral pills in preventing pregnancy after sex, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said. NICE also said doctors and nurses should inform women requesting ongoing contraception about long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARC), including the coil, as well oral contraceptives and other methods. OnMedica

See also:

• Contraception NICE quality standard [QS129] NICE
• Coil 'better than morning-after pill' BBC News

CCGs facing huge challenges in balancing books

CCGs facing huge challenges in balancing books Clinical commissioning groups are facing enormous and increasing challenges in balancing their books, The King’s Fund reported this morning. It warned in its latest Quarterly Monitoring Report that CCGs’ pessimism over meeting their savings targets has soared over the past year. OnMedica

See also:

• One in four CCGs predict 2016/17 deficit as NHS demand soars GP Online

NHS 'in perpetual winter of Narnia' as waiting list reaches record 3.9m

NHS 'in perpetual winter of Narnia' as waiting list reaches record 3.9m Waiting time targets missed, bed blocking at record levels, and medical leaders say system is close to breaking down

The NHS is missing so many of its key performance targets that it has entered “the perpetual winter of Narnia”, a medical leader has said, after figures revealed the highest ever number of patients on waiting lists.

Claire Marx, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, criticised the NHS’s failure to give patients planned care in hospital within the required 18 weeks, such as surgery for cataract removals, hernia repairs and hip and knee replacements. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• NHS bed blocking at monthly worst level on record The Daily Telegraph

Another reason why breast is best: Improving breastfeeding rates could save the NHS £40 million a year

Another reason why breast is best: Improving breastfeeding rates could save the NHS £40 million a year Swansea University professor Amy Brown said improving uptake by two thirds would save the NHS millions in excess appointments for babies fed on formula milk who are more prone to illness. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Breastfeeding drive 'could save NHS £40m a year' The Guardian

Cases of PTSD on the rise as more veterans seek help for mental health problems

Cases of PTSD on the rise as more veterans seek help for mental health problems The number of veterans needing help for mental health problems such as PTSD has jumped by 71 per cent in the past five years in the aftermath of the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, a major military charity has warned.

Combat Stress said it had received nearly 10,000 referrals in the past five years as it rejected as “unhelpful” recent suggestions that the toll of PTSD has been exaggerated by some charities.

The charity said it was currently treating more than 1,300 veterans of Afghanistan for illnesses including PTSD, depression and anxiety, up 34 per cent from a year earlier. The Daily Telegraph

Organ donors save 40 lives in Northamptonshire last year...but eight people die after failing to get vital organs

Organ donors save 40 lives in Northamptonshire last year...but eight people die after failing to get vital organs Forty people in Northamptonshire received a potentially lifesaving or transforming transplant last year, according to new figures released today. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Tributes paid to Northampton infertility expert who transformed the lives of thousands of people’

Tributes paid to Northampton infertility expert who transformed the lives of thousands of people’ The brother of “remarkable” doctor Roy Davies has, following his inquest, paid tribute to the Northampton General Hospital infertility expert without whom thousands of Northamptonshire families would not exist. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Demand for NHS services soars to record levels

Demand for NHS services soars to record levels Relentless demand for services is driving up waiting times and exacerbating financial pressures in the NHS according to the latest Quarterly Monitoring Report from The King's Fund.

The report found that more than one million patients were admitted to hospital from A&E in the first quarter of 2016/17, with the number of patients attending A&E departments also soaring to nearly six million. This means that for each month in the first quarter of the year, there were an additional 54,000 attendances at A&E departments and 14,200 emergency hospital admissions compared to the same time last year.

The report found that increased demand for services is placing the health system under huge strain with more than 90 per cent of beds occupied by patients, well above the threshold that is considered safe. This is fuelling deteriorating performance against a number of key measures. The King's Fund

See also:

• Hospitals on cusp of being 'fully overwhelmed', health experts warn The Daily Mail
• Demand for NHS care is dangerously high, says thinktank The Guardian

NHS finances: a game of two halves

NHS finances: a game of two halves Launching the long-awaited NHS 'reset' on finances in July, Simon Stevens said, 'because the pressures across the NHS are real and growing, we need to use this year both to stabilise finances and kick-start the wider changes everyone can see are needed'. With financial performance data for the first quarter now available, combined with the results of our latest quarterly monitoring report, we can take a temperature check on the first of these priorities: the need to stabilise NHS finances. How is the NHS doing?

It’s a game of two halves. First, the good news. The arrival of the £1.8 billion Sustainability and Transformation Fund – allocated to providers to reduce their deficits – alongside a suite of other financial control measures has led to the provider deficit being reduced from £930 million in the first quarter of last year to £461 million for the same period this year. As the NHS attempts to restore greater discipline over its finances it's perhaps even more impressive that this result is £5 million ahead of plan. £5 million may not sound like much in the context of NHS finances, but the tradition for quarter one has been for the NHS to be well behind plan, so this is a sharp turnaround.

So where is the bad news? There are some uncomfortable signals within both the provider and commissioner numbers that may suggest that the NHS will struggle to keep up this relatively good start. The King's Fund

New coalition of health and social care experts on mission to guarantee status of EU staff

New coalition of health and social care experts on mission to guarantee status of EU staff A coalition of 29 health and social care organisations has been created to ensure sustainable workforce supply and thereby standards of care are maintained as Britain withdraws from the EU.

The Cavendish Coalition is here to provide those leading Brexit negotiations with the expertise, evidence and knowledge required on issues affecting the health and social care sectors.

The newly formed group will be a shared voice which influences and lobbies on post-EU referendum issues that affect the social care and health workforce. It will in particular ensure that there is a robust evidence base to support workforce policy across social care and health. NHS Employers

NHS e-Referral Service saves £10million in first year

NHS e-Referral Service saves £10million in first year The NHS e-Referral Service has saved the NHS £10million in its first year of operation, following redevelopment by NHS Digital.

The achievement was paralleled by 10 million referrals also being made by the electronic booking system in the same time period.

The millions of pounds in savings have mostly been achieved as a result of the service being built in-house by NHS Digital, in collaboration with software specialists BJSS. This has led to a 60% reduction in running costs compared to the Choose and Book system, which the NHS e-Referral Service replaced in June 2015.

Record hospital delays discharging patients

Record hospital delays discharging patients Hospitals are facing record levels of delays discharging patients, latest figures from NHS England show.

There were nearly 185,000 days of delays in July, up a quarter on the same month last year.

The delays are caused by a lack of available care in the community, and mean vulnerable patients are left stuck on wards while arrangements are made for them to be safely discharged.

It comes as the NHS continues to miss its key waiting time goals.

Targets for A&E, cancer care, ambulance response times and routine operations are all being missed - continuing a trend that has been seen in recent months. BBC News

Record numbers call Childline over suicidal thoughts

Record numbers call Childline over suicidal thoughts Childline received an average of one call every 30 minutes from UK children with suicidal thoughts last year, the NSPCC has said.

Youngsters plagued by suicidal thoughts contacted Childline 19,481 times - more than double the number five years ago.

The charity said it referred many callers to the emergency services, adding a lack of support was leading children to reach crisis point.

The government insists it is investing in children's mental health services. BBC News

See also:

• Childline annual review 2015-16: It turned out someone did careWhat children are contacting Childline about Childline
• Girls six times more likely to feel suicidal with 20,000 teenagers contacted Childline The Daily Mail

NHS can’t afford not to transform end-of-life care

NHS can’t afford not to transform end-of-life care We can’t afford not to transform end-of-life care in the NHS as doing so would make economic sense as well as being the ethically right thing to do, according to a palliative care expert. She has called today for more focus on supporting patients to have a good death at all levels of the NHS – considering people’s last months and years rather than just their last few days. OnMedica

Tackling mental health is the policy challenge of our lifetime

Tackling mental health is the policy challenge of our lifetime Tackling poor mental health in our communities is perhaps the single most important issue for my generation of Members of Parliament.

I’m an MP because I believe that Plymouth, and by extension the wider UK society, must be judged on how we look after our most vulnerable. I care deeply about, and work hard every day, in order to improve the opportunities of those in my City for whom life’s lottery has not been kind. And the truth is, the single biggest factor in doing so in these hardest to reach communities, is getting mental healthcare right. New Statesman

'Postcode lottery' revealed in NHS care

'Postcode lottery' revealed in NHS care Differences in quality of treatment for patients with dementia, diabetes and learning disabilities revealed in NHS England figures

Patients with dementia, diabetes and learning disabilities are being let down by their local health services in many parts of England, new figures show.

A postcode lottery of care across the country has been highlighted as new performance data shows that while some health bodies are performing well, neighbouring organisations are falling short. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• NHS fails over half of dementia patients reveals scathing report The Daily Mail

BMA in a 'total mess' over junior doctors dispute, says insider

BMA in a 'total mess' over junior doctors dispute, says insider Senior figure says leaders going ahead with week-long strikes to avoid members going it alone and forming new union

The British Medical Association is in a “total mess” over the junior doctors dispute and is pushing ahead with plans for a series of week-long strikes despite having “lost the battle” with Jeremy Hunt, a senior figure in the union has said.

BMA leaders are backing the walkouts partly because they want to avoid junior doctors breaking away and forming their own union, the well-placed source told the Guardian. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Why are junior doctors striking? BBC News

Teen pregnancy rates plummet as more young people use 'effective' contraception like the coil and the Pill, study reveals

Teen pregnancy rates plummet as more young people use 'effective' contraception like the coil and the Pill, study reveals The number of 15- to 19-year-olds giving birth dropped 5.6 per cent between 2007 and 2012. In that same period, sexual activity among teens rose. And so did teen use of 'effective' contraception. The Daily Mail

Two Rushden care homes praised by inspectors

Two Rushden care homes praised by inspectors Two Rushden care homes which help adults with learning difficulties have been praised by inspectors. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Begin with culture; the rest will follow

Begin with culture; the rest will follow What drives high performance in the NHS? Is it the promise of reward and recognition? Or is it the fear of impending punishment and blame? The answer is neither.

It’s said that motivation is all about rewarding good behaviour and punishing bad behaviour. Simple. Except that humans are not so simple. And research shows that while this formulaic approach might work with rats and dogs, it doesn’t bring about lasting changes in attitudes, values or mindsets in humans. When incentives and threats are taken away or made less explicit, their influence diminishes and, over time, their effects can disappear completely. So this quick and dirty approach to employee motivation can only go so far in bringing about and sustaining the highest quality of patient care that we all want to see throughout the NHS. The King's Fund

Action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in the WHO European Region

Action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases in the WHO European Region This plan outlines a vision for the prevention and control of long-term conditions and chronic disease in the WHO European Region. It outlines actions which can help to considerably reduce the burden of long-term conditions, improve quality of life and make healthy life expectancy more equitable. In addition to early diagnosis, the plan advocates the use of fiscal policies and marketing restrictions to promote healthy eating and reducing sedentary behaviour through the health system and environmental modifications. World Health Organization

Understanding safe caseloads in the district nursing service

Understanding safe caseloads in the district nursing service This discussion paper summarises the challenges in managing safe caseloads in district nursing and points to specific actions needed to improve and safeguard the future quality of services. The report provides a thematic overview of the issues that should be taken into account when determining a safe caseload including: skill mix, capacity of other health and care services, use of technology and housing. The Queen's Nursing Institute

Southern Health: New job for ex-boss Katrina Percy 'did not exist'

Southern Health: New job for ex-boss Katrina Percy 'did not exist' The chief executive who resigned as the head of a troubled mental health trust had a new job created for her worth £240,000 a year. BBC News

See also:

• Under-fire Southern NHS health trust created new £240k job for ex-chief executive who resigned The Daily Telegraph

WHO strengthens Zika safe sex guidance

WHO strengthens Zika safe sex guidance Men and women returning from any area where the Zika is circulating should practice safe sex for at least six months to avoid the risk of spreading the disease, says the World Health Organization. BBC News

See also:

• Prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus World Health Organization
• Scientists discover zika virus could linger in your eyes for more than a week The Daily Mail
• People returning from Zika-hit regions urged to practise safe sex or abstain for at least six months The Daily Telegraph

Seven-day GP services not cost-effective, UK study suggests

Seven-day GP services not cost-effective, UK study suggests NHS chiefs set out plans to spend £500m on seven-day GP services and extended access schemes by 2020/21 as part of the GP Forward View published earlier this year.

But findings from research on an extended access scheme in Manchester shows that funding of £3.1m across 56 GP practices generated savings in hospital worth just £767,976.

The study, published in PLOS Medicine, compared GP and A&E attendances in 2014 at the 56 practices funded to extend their opening hours into evenings and weekends with 469 practices across the area that did not receive this funding. GP Online

See also:

• Associations between Extending Access to Primary Care and Emergency Department Visits: A Difference-In-Differences Analysis (open access) PLOS Medicine

More help to reduce diabetes amputations

More help to reduce diabetes amputations With diabetes-related amputations continuing to rise the campaigning charity Diabetes UK has developed a new guide designed to encourage healthcare professionals to use root cause analysis to tackle the underlying problems that could result in the loss of a limb. OnMedica

NHS to have one website for appointments, prescriptions and advice

NHS to have one website for appointments, prescriptions and advice The NHS.uk website is intended to be ready by the end of next year and will allow patients to compare their NHS trust’s performance with that of others

A one-stop NHS website where patients book appointments, order prescriptions and access medical advice is being developed, health officials have announced. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• New plans to expand the use of digital technology across the NHS Department of Health
• Independent report: Using information technology to improve the NHS Department of Health
• NHS: Jeremy Hunt to announce new online 111 services BBC News
• Patients using 111 will diagnose themselves by iPhone The Daily Mail
• Diagnosis by smartphone for NHS patients to reduce pressure on health services The Daily Telegraph

STPs: Radical local modernisation plans or the end of the NHS as we know it?

STPs: Radical local modernisation plans or the end of the NHS as we know it? Controversial Sustainability and Transformation Plans are set to determine the future of England’s health service over the next four years

To some, they are bold, painful, inevitably controversial but nevertheless necessary local blueprints designed to save the NHS in England, area by area, by making it fit for the clinical, financial and organisational challenges it is facing. To others, though, they are sinister schemes that will see parts of, or even entire hospitals shut, fewer beds, the number of GP surgeries drastically reduced, NHS land sold to profiteers and private healthcare firms treating more NHS patients. What an NHS boss calls modernisation is an NHS campaigner’s road to destruction. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS dentistry is in a state of serious decay | Owen Jones

NHS dentistry is in a state of serious decay | Owen Jones The British Dental Association has revealed that many people postpone treatment because of its price, at great cost both to their teeth and to the NHS

Finally, some outrage about the national scandal that is dentistry. The health of our teeth matters, but dentistry has long been a neglected arm of the NHS. The British Dental Association has just revealed that 600,000 people have made futile appointments with GPs over dental problems in a year, at a cost to the NHS of £26m. It’s a statistic that has provoked mockery – one person tweeted: “I wonder if the 600,000 people a year who go to the GP for dental care ask electricians to fix their roofs as well?” But it is not the patients who should be shamed – it is the government.

One in seven children haven’t visited a dentist by their eighth birthday Continue reading... The Guardian

Junior doctors urged to hold fresh ballot before striking

Junior doctors urged to hold fresh ballot before striking Junior doctors should not go ahead with crippling week-long strikes without a fresh ballot by their union, the head of the Commons health select committee has said.

Dr Sarah Wollaston, a former GP, urged the British Medical Association (BMA) to call off planned strikes - saying such actions were "grossly disproportionate and completely unjustified".

The legal basis for the strikes is a ballot last November on a new contract for junior doctors. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• GMC statement and advice to doctors on industrial action General Medical Council
• Jeremy Hunt claims junior doctor strikes will delay 1m hospital visits and 100,000 operations GP Online
• GP trainees who take strike action 'could face competency review' GP Online
• Hunt attacks junior doctors’ leader OnMedica

Plans launched for seven day hospital pharmacy services

Plans launched for seven day hospital pharmacy services “Transformation of Seven Day Clinical Pharmacy Services in Acute Hospitals” sets out a vision where hospital pharmacy services could operate more efficiently and safely, and 13 key recommendations of how clinical pharmacy services in hospitals can be strengthened – particularly at weekends – to benefit patients. NHS England

Doctors' strike in September called off

Doctors' strike in September called off The British Medical Association has called off the junior doctors' strike due to take place in England next week amid concerns about patient safety.

The BMA said it was not backing down in the fight over a new contract and further strikes would go ahead unless the government negotiates a new deal.

Medical leaders had warned the short notice meant care would be put at risk. BBC News

See also:

• Junior doctor contracts (statement) British Medical Association 
• NHS Employers response to industrial action being cancelled in September NHS Employers
• Junior doctors' strikes suspended The Daily Telegraph
• Five-day junior doctor strike suspended after NHS England talks GP Online
• Junior doctors suspend planned five-day strike in September The Guardian
• BMA call off junior doctors strike action planned for next week Northampton Chronicle and Echo
• Next week’s industrial action cancelled due to safety concerns OnMedica

Doctors urged to offer 'exercise outdoors' prescriptions

Doctors urged to offer 'exercise outdoors' prescriptions Doctors in England and Wales should offer overweight patients "green space" prescriptions to get them exercising outdoors, says the Local Government Association.

The prescriptions could provide free visits to national parks or gardening sessions at National Trust properties, for example.

A small number of GPs already do this.

The LGA says it needs to become universal policy to tackle the nation's obesity crisis. BBC News

See also:

• Prescribing exercise outdoors could reduce obesity, say councils Local Government Association
• Social prescribing can benefit patients but extra workload must not fall to GPs, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners

Three people die every day due to organ donor shortage

Three people die every day due to organ donor shortage Three people die every day in the UK due to the shortage of people willing to donate an organ. With over 6,500 people currently on the transplant waiting list to mark to the start of Organ Donation Week, NHS Blood and Transplant is encouraging the public to start a conversation with family and friends about signing up to the organ donor register. OnMedica

I'm a better doctor for accepting that I have a mental health problem

I'm a better doctor for accepting that I have a mental health problem I denied I was struggling with my workload as a GP until depression hit and I resigned.

I didn’t realise I had a mental health problem. I’m a GP and it’s a common misconception that we don’t get them. We get stressed, of course. We get burnout – yes. But we don’t get mental health problems.

When I found myself working in a practice hit, like so many others, by the lack of GPs and nurses of course it was difficult. Spending days as the only doctor for 8,500 patients was horrific. On-call days started early with visits that were left over from earlier in the week because we hadn’t had enough doctors to go out. There was a list of patients to call back before the phone lines even opened, booked in by the receptionists because they had nowhere else to put them. Blood results to look at. Medication queries to answer. Letters to read and file. Repeat prescriptions to sign. Complaints letters to respond to. Care Quality Commission boxes to tick. Continue reading... The Guardian

How toothache is costing GPs £26m a year

How toothache is costing GPs £26m a year Doctors have warned that such visits have led to increased waiting times for those who need genuine medical treatment, saying that they are in ‘no position’ to treat dental problems. The Daily Mail

3,000 NHS bosses receive £100,000 redundancy deals since 2010 health reforms

3,000 NHS bosses receive £100,000 redundancy deals since 2010 health reforms More than 3,000 NHS bosses have been paid more than £100,000 in redundancy payments, with a further 500 receiving more than twice that amount, Department of Health figures reveal. The Daily Mail

Thousands of rural chemists saved from closure next month after government U-turn

Thousands of rural chemists saved from closure next month after government U-turn Thousands of local chemists threatened by closure have been given a temporary reprieve after the Government said it would not axe a vital subsidy next month after an outcry from rural and elderly campaign groups.

One in four local pharmacies had been threatened with closure after ministers said they wanted to withdraw a £170million subsidy for community chemists.

This meant that up to 3,000 out of the 12,000 pharmacies in the UK – many of which are in rural areas - faced closure. The Daily Telegraph

Men B vaccine has halved number of cases in babies, lab tests show

Men B vaccine has halved number of cases in babies, lab tests show The number of babies suffering from meningitis B and related infections has almost halved since a new vaccine was introduced, research shows.

Since last autumn, all newborn babies have been offered the jab.Those aged under one are at greatest risk of the infection, which can prove deadly. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Vaccine cuts cases of meningitis and septicaemia in UK infants Public Health England