Patients’ champion accuses ombudsman of poor service

Patients’ champion accuses ombudsman of poor service Some patients are receiving a poor service from the ombudsman in a complaints system that is overly complex, lacking in compassion and unresponsive, according to charity the Patients Association.

The Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO), however, has rejected the accusations saying that it handles the vast majority of cases thoroughly and fairly, but said it always wanted to improve its service.

In a report* published today by the Patients Association, it said a significant number of patients and family members who submitted complaints to the PHSO felt that they received a poor quality service. OnMedica

See also:

• Follow-up report to the March 2015 Patients Association publication on the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman The Patients Association

Frances Cappuccini: Hospital blamed for death of young mother just hours after having baby

Frances Cappuccini: Hospital blamed for death of young mother just hours after having baby The death of a young mother just hours after she gave birth to her second son was a result of “failures, inadequate diagnosis and treatment” at the hospital caring for her, a coroner has said.

Frances Cappuccini, 30, died at Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, Kent, shortly after giving birth to her son, Giacomo, by Caesarean section.

The school teacher suffered heavy bleeding and was anaesthetised, but went into cardiac arrest and died at 4.20pm on 9 October, 2012. The Independent

See also:

• Frances Cappuccini Caesarean death caused by hospital failures BBC News
• Hospital failures caused death of mother hours after caesarean birth, coroner rules The Daily Telegraph

NHS crisis: the one act of self-sacrifice that could rescue our health service

NHS crisis: the one act of self-sacrifice that could rescue our health service Major alerts, cancer operations cancelled, patients dying, yet Theresa May still won’t listen. But maybe there’s a tipping point that could force a response

From every previous NHS crisis, the tipping point should have come last week. Prime ministers crumple when people die – as they have in the Royal Worcester’s corridors. When opinion polls send concern about the NHS soaring above everything else at 61%, above immigration at 41% and Brexit at 36%, sirens should wail inside No 10. But no, not yet.

When the Royal College of Surgeons protests at cancer operations cancelled, is that a tipping point? When nearly half of all hospitals declare major alerts for lack of beds, that’s an emergency. There’s no winter flu, no Arctic weather, just pressure from underfunding, like an aneurysm about to burst. But the prime minister is not for turning, not yet. Continue reading... The Guardian

Private health insurance sales surge amid NHS crisis

Private health insurance sales surge amid NHS crisis Ongoing crisis in public healthcare and economic recovery may have triggered first rise in seven years, but impeding Brexit means future is uncertain

The number of people in Britain taking out private medical insurance has risen significantly for the first time since 2008, amid fears about the ongoing crisis gripping the NHS.

After falling steeply between 2008 and 2011 and then staying flat, demand for private medical insurance cover in Britain rose by 2.1% in 2015 with just over 4 million people insured. Continue reading... The Guardian

Sale of prescription drugs on eBay costing NHS thousands

Sale of prescription drugs on eBay costing NHS thousands The black market in prescription drugs is costing the NHS thousands of pounds - and one man was caught trying to flog an arthritis medication he no longer needed for £250 a box. The Daily Mail

NHS patients harmed as doctors prescribe WRONG meds

NHS patients harmed as doctors prescribe WRONG meds Philippa Gillespie from Haverfordwest and Robert Welch from Grimsby are just two of the victims of medication errors in NHS hospitals whose stories have emerged in the past 18 months alone. The Daily Mail

Show your passport and fuel bill to get NHS maternity care

Show your passport and fuel bill to get NHS maternity care Patients will be told to show a utility bill and passport before routine operations as part of a new crackdown on health tourism, with 20 British hospital trusts carrying out the ID checks. The Daily Mail

Half of women in labour experience 'red flag' maternity risks, report finds

Half of women in labour experience 'red flag' maternity risks, report finds Half of women in childbirth are being put in danger, with many saying they are made to feel like “cattle” in understaffed maternity wards, a major report warns.

New mothers said they had been left alone in labour, with long delays for pain relief, stitches and even to be washed after giving birth.

The study by the National Childbirth Trust and the National Federation of Women's Institutes (NFWI) found 50 per cent of new mothers had experienced “red flag” events during labour. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NCT launches new report on maternity services National Childbirth Trust
• Support Overdue: Women’s experiences of maternity services 2017 National Childbirth Trust
• Mothers-to-be 'treated like cattle' in hospitals The Daily Mail
• UK midwife shortage leaves women feeling like cattle, report finds The Guardian
• Midwife shortage makes women in labour feel like 'cattle', report warns The Independent

Don't blame the elderly: only one in five A&E patients are pensioners, says former Health Secretary

Don't blame the elderly: only one in five A&E patients are pensioners, says former Health Secretary Winter gridlock in NHS hospitals is not being caused by elderly patients, but by working-age people with “nowhere else to go”, a former Conservative health secretary has said.

Stephen Dorrell’s comments came as new figures revealed just one fifth of patients attending A&E last year were over 65.

He told the Telegraph the new data showed it was wrong to blame pensioners for the crisis.

Meanwhile Age UK said it was often the elderly who suffered worst in jam-packed emergency departments, where cases of older patients languishing on trolleys for more than 12 hours has tripled in the last two years. The Daily Telegraph

Husband died at Northampton General Hospital after delays in blood vessel surgery

Husband died at Northampton General Hospital after delays in blood vessel surgery A Northamptonshire woman wants to highlight the signs of her husband's fatal condition to stop others suffering the same fate. Bryan McKim, 65, underwent successful surgery on a swelling of the aorta in 2012, but was taken unwell again in February, 2013 after bringing up blood. Mr McKim was rushed to Kettering General Hospital on February 7, 2013 for diagnosis and but was referred immediately to vascular specialists at Northampton General Hospital (NGH) for urgent surgery. However, despite KGH's assessment, the operation never happened and Mr McKim died the following morning after a “catalogue of errors.” Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Majority support raising National Insurance to support struggling NHS

Majority support raising National Insurance to support struggling NHS Twice as many support raising National Insurance to boost NHS funding than oppose it. YouGov

See also:

• Majority support raising tax to support struggling NHS Northampton Chronicle and Echo

National guardian publishes her ‘first 100 days’ report

National guardian publishes her ‘first 100 days’ report Dr Henrietta Hughes, national guardian for speaking up freely and safely in the NHS has published a new report, which outlines the progress made since her appointment in October 2016.

Over the last 100 days, Dr Hughes has set up the national office and established a national network of Freedom to Speak Up guardians. NHS Employers

Transfer of care delays threaten to capsize the NHS

Transfer of care delays threaten to capsize the NHS Doctors face a struggle every day and everywhere in England: the fight to secure social care for patients well enough to leave hospital.

Even officially it worsens month by month, increasing harm to patients and financial strain on the NHS, at a time when it’s least needed.

The latest figures, aiming to size up the problem, broke records in October. Patients spent 200,000 days in beds they did not need that month, a rise of 25 per cent on the same month in 2015.

Known as ‘delayed transfers of care’, the NAO (National Audit Office) estimated that, in the case of older patients in England, the unnecessary days in hospital cost more than £800m last year.

As bad as it is, this official tally of costly and unnecessary hospital stays undercounts the problem ‘significantly’, the NAO admits in a study this year, by a factor of almost three. British Medical Association

Referral centres cause 'dangerous' NHS delays, BMA warns

Referral centres cause 'dangerous' NHS delays, BMA warns NHS patients face "dangerous" treatment delays due to a 10-fold increase in "crude, expensive" referral management centres, doctors have warned.

The centres, sometimes run by private firms, vet GP referrals and decide if patients should receive hospital care.

The British Medical Association (BMA) called them "inefficient" and a "block between the GP and patient treatment".

NHS Clinical Commissioners said "in many cases" the centres "provide a useful and effective role". BBC News

NHS patient caught selling his drugs in undercover film

NHS patient caught selling his drugs in undercover film A patient has been caught in an undercover BBC film illegally selling prescription drugs which cost the NHS £10,000 a year. BBC News

How the ‘humanitarian’ crisis in the NHS is paving the way for private healthcare

How the ‘humanitarian’ crisis in the NHS is paving the way for private healthcare It has been a calamitous winter inside the NHS. Last week, three people tragically died at Worcestershire Royal hospital with a women dying of a heart attack after waiting for 35 hours on a trolley. A similar picture has developed across the country with patients on trolleys due to lack of beds, many hospital trusts on red alert and ambulances missing targets for life-threatening emergencies. The British Red Cross declared a humanitarian crisis in the NHS. The Independent

Hospitals across UK cancelling 'urgent' cancer operations as NHS winter crisis worsens

Hospitals across UK cancelling 'urgent' cancer operations as NHS winter crisis worsens Hospitals across the UK are cancelling "urgent" cancer operations as the NHS winter crisis worsens.

Some patients have reportedly been told with just a day's notice that their surgery has been postponed, with a leading surgeon saying it was "extremely worrying" that hospitals had resorted to the decisions.

Cancer operations have previously held a protected status but the demand for beds and lack of social care capacity has encroached on that. The Independent

See also:

• Doctors warn over cancer op cancellations amid NHS "pressure" BBC News
• Cancer operations now being cancelled amid NHS crisis, surgeons' leader warns The Daily Telegraph
• 193,000 NHS patients a month waiting beyond target time for surgery The Guardian
• NHS in crisis as cancer operations cancelled due to lack of beds The Guardian

Number of NHS bureaucrats on MORE than PM's £150k salary doubles in three years

Number of NHS bureaucrats on MORE than PM's £150k salary doubles in three years The number of NHS bureaucrats earning more than the Prime Minister has doubled in three years.

Ninety-three officials took home more than Theresa May's £149,440 salary last year – up from 48 in 2013.

Seven of those on the list, which was published by the Cabinet Office, earned more than £200,000. The official figures came after Simon Stevens, the chief executive of NHS England, told MPs the Health Service was underfunded. The Daily Mail

A&E crisis: Four in 10 NHS hospitals declared a major alert in their A&E departments amid mounting pressure

A&E crisis: Four in 10 NHS hospitals declared a major alert in their A&E departments amid mounting pressure Overall, NHS hospitals issued 226 serious alerts in the first week of 2017, saying they were experiencing major pressures in their A&E departments. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Major alerts 'at half of hospitals' BBC News
• Turmoil inflames tensions at top of NHS BBC News
• A&E crisis deepens with 66 hospital trusts issuing emergency alerts The Daily Telegraph
• A&E needs total system overhaul if it's to cope, says hospital which revolutionised its emergency care The Daily Telegraph 
• Theresa May's choice: give the NHS more money, or tell voters to expect worse care The Daily Telegraph
• Crisis, what NHS crisis? Theresa May must stop this denial The Guardian
• It is clear to anyone in the NHS that we cannot carry on as we are The Guardian
• NHS crisis: more money must be linked to reform The Guardian
• Tory health committee chair defends NHS chief in funding row with PM The Guardian
• NHS crisis: 'My frail mum was forced to wait on the floor for eight hours' The Guardian
• Winter pressures were already hitting last autumn OnMedica
• Theresa May is wrong to suggest the NHS needs reform rather than money – it needs both The Independent

Theresa May to tell GP surgeries to give patients appointments when they want them or face funding cuts

Theresa May to tell GP surgeries to give patients appointments when they want them or face funding cuts GP surgeries will be forced to give patients appointments when they want or face funding cuts, Theresa May has announced as she attempts to relieve the pressure on crisis-hit Accident & Emergency units.

The Prime Minister will demand that GP surgeries meet the Government’s pledge to open from 8am to 8pm seven days a week unless they can prove that there is not demand in their area.

A major package of Government funding will be “contingent” on GPs being able to “demonstrate” that they are offering appointments “when patients want them”, ministers will say. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Don't blame GPs for NHS crisis - fund the health service properly, RCGP tells PM Royal College of General Practitioners
• GPs urged to commit to seven day service or lose funding BBC News
• GPs 'already work 24/7, 365 days a year' BBC News
• The NHS is making people sick, GP tells BBC BBC News
• GPs' leaders hit back at Theresa May in row over extended opening hours amid growing A&E crisis The Daily Telegraph
• Theresa May pushes for GPs to take the strain amid A&E crisis The Guardian
• May's scapegoat attempt could spark mass resignations, says top GP The Guardian
• GPs unable to cope with demand as leaders admit funding shortfall OnMedica

Largest NHS trust hit by cyber attack

Largest NHS trust hit by cyber attack The largest NHS hospital trust in England has been infected with a virus affecting thousands of sensitive files.

A message sent to staff at Barts Health Trust on Friday morning warns that the trust’s four hospitals are experiencing a “ransomware virus attack.”

The victims of blackmail ransomware usually receive phishing messages in an attempt to elicit money in order to restore access to the computer system.

The trust said it was making “every effort” to avoid disruption to patients treated at its four hospitals in east London: The Royal London, St Bartholomew’s, Whipps Cross and Newham. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• London NHS hospital trust hit by cyber-attack The Guardian

The other one in four – how financial difficulty is neglected in mental health services

The other one in four – how financial difficulty is neglected in mental health services This report assesses the extent to which mental health services systematically recognise and respond to this relationship between financial difficulty and mental health problems. They explore where there are gaps in existing provision and where better coordination could improve services for people with mental health problems who are experiencing financial difficulty. The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute

Immigration Removal Centres need to focus on detainees' mental health and wellbeing, says new report

Immigration Removal Centres need to focus on detainees' mental health and wellbeing, says new report People detained in Immigration Removal Centres in England face challenges to their mental health and need support for their wellbeing, according to a report published today by Centre for Mental Health.

Immigration Removal Centres in England: A mental health needs analysis was commissioned by NHS England. The Centre conducted interviews with staff and detainees and observations at ten IRCs which between them held 30,000 people in the year to March 2016.

The report finds that all immigration detainees experience significant distress and many had faced trauma prior to being detained. It finds that being in immigration detention adds to people’s distress and that mental health support varies from one centre to another. Centre for Mental Health

Fundamental Facts about mental health 2016

Fundamental Facts about mental health 2016 A comprehensive summary of mental health research, providing a unique handbook of key facts and figures, covering all key areas of mental health. Mental Health Foundation

Locums 'weak link' in doctors' performance checks

Locums 'weak link' in doctors' performance checks There are weaknesses in the way the performance of locum doctors is checked in the UK, a review suggests.

Doctors have had to take part in five-yearly "MOTs" since 2012 to ensure they are fit to continue working.

The General Medical Council said the system was working well, but highlighted problems with the way it was being applied to locums.

The review by the regulator found hospitals were "unwilling to provide frank feedback" on locums.

Sometimes hospitals just told agencies "please don't send this doctor again" rather than giving full reasons. BBC News

See also:

• Taking revalidation forward Sir Keith Pearson’s review of medical revalidation January 2017 Improving the process of relicensing for doctors Improving the process of relicensing for doctors General Medical Council
• GMC statement in response to the publication of Sir Keith Pearson's review of revalidation General Medical Council
• Pearson report into revalidation makes some encouraging recommendations Royal College of General Practitioners
• NHS hospitals failing to pass on concerns about incompetent doctors The Daily Mail
• Hospitals failing to raise alarm over sub-standard locum doctors The Daily Telegraph

Former head of doctors’ regulator to lead NHS Confederation

Former head of doctors’ regulator to lead NHS Confederation Niall Dickson to lead NHS organisations’ representative body. OnMedica

No new antidepressants likely in next decade, say scientists

No new antidepressants likely in next decade, say scientists NHS and healthcare providers don’t want to foot the bill for expensive drugs so pharmaceuticals unwilling to invest in research

No new drugs for depression are likely in the next decade, even though those like Prozac work for little more than half of those treated and there have been concerns over their side effects, say scientists.

Leading psychiatrists, some of whom have been involved in drug development, say criticism of the antidepressants of the Prozac class, called the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), is partly responsible for the pharmaceutical industry’s reluctance to invest in new drugs – even though demand is steadily rising. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Why 'big pharma' stopped searching for the next Prozac The Guardian
• Why have antidepressant prescriptions doubled in the last decade? The Guardian

The NHS dental service is broken – and its rotten payment system is to blame

The NHS dental service is broken – and its rotten payment system is to blame A rise in hospital tooth extractions for children in England and Wales is alarming. But this is just one symptom of the growing crisis in NHS dentistry

Almost as soon as I stepped into dental school in the mid-1980s, an enthusiastic and wild-eyed child dental health lecturer thrust a Venn diagram in my face. Few who are not professional mathematicians can say that a Venn diagram shaped and guided the whole of their working life, but this one did. The equation the three intersecting circles in this particular diagram represented was this:

Clinicians are having to be too focused on targets to spend adequate time on giving individual prevention advice Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS hospitals offload sick on to families and GPs are called in to clear wards

NHS hospitals offload sick on to families and GPs are called in to clear wards Tales of patients returning after operations to see people in their beds and a Leicester hospital asking relatives to administer injections to loved ones, has revealed the pressures facing the NHS. The Daily Mail

See also:

• GPs drafted in to send hospital patients home as patients asked to take on 'daunting' care duties The Daily Telegraph

Simon Stevens told to 'calm down' NHS furore or risk his future

Simon Stevens told to 'calm down' NHS furore or risk his future The head of the NHS could risk his job unless he “calms” things down following his row about healthcare funding with Theresa May, senior Government sources say.

The remarks will increase pressure on Simon Stevens, who technically does not have to report to ministers as chief executive of the NHS in England.

Mr Stevens is at loggerheads with the Prime Minister amid a mounting crisis in Accident & Emergency units. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• NHS chief Simon Stevens refuses to buckle under No 10 pressure The Guardian
• Ministers can’t silence NHS concerns because people can see it unravelling The Guardian
• The Guardian view on NHS politics: a truce is necessary but not inevitable | Editorial The Guardian
• Struggling hospitals brace for further spike in demand during cold snap The Guardian
• More than 20 NHS hospitals on 'black alert’ amid reports of patients left in ambulances The Independent

NHS bed-blocking rises 42% in a year, new figures show

NHS bed-blocking rises 42% in a year, new figures show Bed-blocking has risen more than 40 per cent in a year as hospitals continue to be overwhelmed with people needing care, figures showed on Thursday.

New data from November shows a health system under strain as it got ready to enter its busiest time ever over Christmas.

It follows warnings from the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Nursing that the NHS is now experiencing its worst ever winter crisis.

The research for England highlights acute problems with delayed discharges - where patients are medically fit to leave hospital but are stuck in beds due to problems arranging care in the community.

It follows calls from the head of the NHS for extra funding for social care. The Daily Telegraph

US woman killed by superbug resistant to every available antibiotic

US woman killed by superbug resistant to every available antibiotic A woman in Nevada has been killed by a superbug that proved resistant to every antibiotic available in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said.

The woman’s condition was deemed incurable, and 26 different antibiotics were tested in vain before she died in September.

She was in her 70s, and had recently returned to the US after an extended visit to India, according to the CDC’s Morbitity and Mortality Weekly Report. She had been hospitalised there multiple times before returning to the US and being admitted to an acute care hospital in Nevada in mid-August.

One week later local health authorities were notified that every possible medication had been tried without success. The CDC later determined that no drug currently on the market would have stopped the bacteria’s spread. The Daily Telegraph

Cover needed as KGH’s acting chief executive announces she’s leaving

Cover needed as KGH’s acting chief executive announces she’s leaving Hospital bosses are working on arrangements for when the acting chief executive leaves in March. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Tackling wasteful spending on health

Tackling wasteful spending on health This report finds that across OECD countries a significant share of health care system spending and activities are wasteful at best, and harm our health at worst and that one in ten patients in OECD countries is unnecessarily harmed at the point of care. It also finds that more than 10 per cent of hospital expenditure is spent on correcting preventable medical mistakes or infections that people catch in hospitals. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Swimming together or sinking alone: health, care and the art of systems leadership

Swimming together or sinking alone: health, care and the art of systems leadership This report is based on interviews with senior leaders in health and local government on what is happening as managers grapple with the Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) process. It aims to help leaders understand the values, culture and skills they need to survive and thrive as the NHS tries to change from organisations working in silos to local health and care networks focused on the needs of patients. Institute of Healthcare Management

NHS England chief contradicts May over spending

NHS England chief contradicts May over spending The chief executive of NHS England has contradicted government claims that the health service is getting more funding than it asked for.

Simon Stevens told MPs this was "stretching it" and there were "clearly substantial funding pressures".

And, in clashes with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, the PM called claims of a "humanitarian crisis" in the NHS "irresponsible" and "overblown".

But Mr Corbyn said Theresa May was "in denial" over the situation.

There have been several warnings in recent days about the pressure on the health service in England. BBC News

See also:

• Financial sustainability of the NHS examined Commons Public Accounts Committee
• Theresa May and NHS chief Simon Stevens clash overgrowing crisis in health service The Daily Mail
• Former Tory health minister defends Simon Stevens over NHS winter crisis The Daily Telegraph
• Doctors' leaders slam Theresa May's 'wilful ignorance' of NHS crisis GP Online
• NHS England chief hits back at Theresa May on health service funding The Guardian
• NHS's Simon Stevens defended by MPs in health funding row The Guardian
• Former Tory health minister defends Simon Stevens over NHS winter crisis The Guardian
• NHS chief clashes with Downing Street over funding ITV News

Retired British expats 'outstrip European pensioners using NHS'

Retired British expats 'outstrip European pensioners using NHS' Many more expat UK pensioners rely on European healthcare under reciprocal healthcare agreements than UK-based European pensioners rely on the NHS.

While 70,000 retired Brits use Spain's health system, 81 Spanish pensioners are registered as covered by the NHS.

Across the European Economic Area (EEA) there are 145,000 UK expat pensioners registered, compared with 4,000 EEA pensioners registered to use the NHS.

The figures were obtained after a BBC Freedom of Information request. BBC News

Mental health care: 'The system is broken'

Mental health care: 'The system is broken' Theresa May has unveiled plans to do more to help those, particularly young people, with mental health conditions.

In her speech at the Charity Commission, the prime minister announced a number of pledges including training at every secondary school, training for employers and organisations, and the appointment of a mental health campaigner.

Here, people have been sharing their experiences of mental health services. BBC News

Everyone the Conservative government has blamed for NHS crisis

Everyone the Conservative government has blamed for NHS crisis Theresa May has defended the Government’s handling of NHS pressures in response to doctors' warnings of a dangerous crisis in the health service.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) joined the British Medical Association and other medical authorities to demand an urgent boost to health and social care funding after the British Red Cross warned of a “humanitarian crisis” in NHS hospitals.

But the Prime Minister and Jeremy Hunt have said health funding is already at record levels and have instead suggested steps be taken to reform the NHS – blaming a number of different factors for the problems faced by the service. The Independent

More than 20 NHS hospitals on 'black alert’ amid reports of patients left in ambulances

More than 20 NHS hospitals on 'black alert’ amid reports of patients left in ambulances Overcrowding in NHS hospitals has become so severe that last week more than 20 trusts issued ‘black alerts’, meaning they are unable to guarantee life-saving emergency care.

The top-level alert, considered a “serious incident” by NHS England, can result in scheduled operations being cancelled and patients being diverted to other hospitals as overflowing A&E departments struggle to cope. The Independent

See also:

• Surgeon: Lethal NHS failings BBC News
• NHS crisis: 20 hospitals declare black alert as patient safety no longer assured The Guardian

NHS hospitals in England face £322m tax bill increase from April

NHS hospitals in England face £322m tax bill increase from April Changes to business rates system mean NHS trusts face 21% rise in property tax bill over next five years – but some are fighting for charitable exemption

Cash-strapped hospitals in England face a £322m tax rise from April which threatens to increase the strain on the under-pressure NHS.

Changes to the business rates system mean that the 1,249 NHS hospitals liable for the property tax will see their bill increase by 21% over the next five years, according to research conducted for the Guardian by property consultant CVS. Continue reading... The Guardian

Care home closures set to rise as funding crisis bites

Care home closures set to rise as funding crisis bites Insolvencies among care home operators are at a record high and likely to continue without government action

Care home operators, trade unions and charities have been telling Theresa May for months that the care home industry is in crisis and needs help.

Last week, May got her sternest warning yet – the chairs of three influential Commons committees urged the prime minister to deal with the “immense challenge” of paying for health and social care in the future. Continue reading... The Guardian

BBC doc shows NHS doctors forced to decide between saving cancer patient or pensioner

BBC doc shows NHS doctors forced to decide between saving cancer patient or pensioner A new BBC2 documentary revealing the true crisis the NHS is currently in has left viewers heartbroken.

Doctors were forced to decide between saving a cancer patient or a pensioner bleeding to death during the first episode of Hospital last night.

A woman, known only as Janice, was rushed to the A&E department at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington after suffering from a ruptured blood vessel.

But hospital staff had already prepared Simon, who suffers from cancer in his oesophagus, for life-saving surgery. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Hospital episode 1 BBC iPlayer
• Hospital review – shining a light on an NHS at breaking point The Guardian

If you want to kill yourself, the NHS won't stop you. A kinder system could save lives

If you want to kill yourself, the NHS won't stop you. A kinder system could save lives In Theresa May’s speech on Monday, she announced her intention to improve mental health provision and reduce the number of people who die by suicide. She said that there will be more focus on community care.

In the NHS, this is currently provided by crisis resolution and home treatment teams. But too many people are dying under its care: indeed, three times as many as in psychiatric hospitals, according to a national inquiry.

I run a charity which also provides crisis care. So far, no client has died under our care – so we know it is possible to achieve this in a non-residential setting. We have done this with very limited funds; I set up the Suicide Crisis Centre in Cheltenham after experiencing suicidal crisis myself in 2012, and finding that the NHS's approach and methods did not work for me. The Daily Telegraph

NHS to recruit hundreds of GPs from Poland, Lithuania and Greece

NHS to recruit hundreds of GPs from Poland, Lithuania and Greece The health service is to recruit hundreds of GPs from countries such as Poland, Lithuania, Greece with promises of £90,000 salaries and “generous relocation packages” in a bid to tackle a spiralling NHS crisis.

The new scheme run by NHS England will see doctors from across the EU undergoing 12 weeks training in Poland before they start work in Britain.

Health officials are trawling EU countries for medical staff in a bid to plug shortages of family doctors, amid warnings that long waits to see GPs are fuelling the Accident & Emergency (A&E) crisis.

Medics from Croatia, Lithuania, Greece, Spain and Poland have now been recruited, as part of plans which aim to bring 500 doctors in from the EU ahead of Brexit. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Why vanishing GPs are to blame for this NHS hospital crisis The Daily Mail
• Mail Online names and shames some of the thousands of GP surgeries shutting up The Daily Mail
• Exclusive: Demand soars for GP out-of-hours care as winter crisis bites GP Online

Improving patient access to general practice

Improving patient access to general practice The National Audit Office has found that the Department of Health and NHS England have a high-level vision for improving patient access to general practice and have increased the funding available, but are seeking to extend access despite failing to provide consistent value for money from existing services.

The Department has set objectives such as providing evening and weekend access for all patients and 5,000 extra doctors in general practice, both by 2020. However, they have not evaluated the cost-effectiveness and consequences of their objectives. The NAO’s analysis suggests the minimum additional capacity required by the new commitment equates to £230 per appointment hour per 1,000 registered patients. In core contract hours the cost is an estimated £154. NHS England intends that the additional funding will be used to also cover transformation costs and deliver wider improvements in access, but has not currently set out how it will take assurance that the additional funding provides good value for money.

See also:

• Improving patient access to general practice (full report) National Audit Office
• NAO fails to understand intense pressures GPs face everyday, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• Are part-time GPs fuelling the meltdown in casualty? Fifth shut their doors for at least one afternoon a week The Daily Mail
• GP opening hours are fuelling A&E pressures, NAO report suggests The Daily Telegraph
• GP access report shows plans for seven-day service 'in disarray' GP Online
• Plans for seven-day GPs not thought out, says spending watchdog The Guardian

NHS conditions worst ever, say leading nurses

NHS conditions worst ever, say leading nurses Nurses say conditions in the NHS are the worst they have experienced, the Royal College of Nursing has said.

In a separate move, 50 leading doctors have warned the prime minster in a letter that lives are being put at risk due to mounting pressures on the NHS.

Charities working with elderly people said long-term solutions were needed, with a similar call from a group of Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem MPs.

Health officials said they were investing more in care. BBC News

See also:

• 'Quality of patient care threatened' physicians tell PM Royal College of Physicians
• Letter to the Prime Minister Royal College of Physicians
• Annual A&E statistics published NHS Digital
• NHS trolley waits hit record high BBC News
• Long waiting time at A&E? There's an app to find that BBC News
• Top doctors tell Jeremy Hunt to tackle A&E crisis The Daily Mail
• NHS Digital data shows record number of over 70s are enduring 12 hour waits in A&E The Daily Mail
• 'Lives at risk' as hospitals become paralysed by spiralling demand The Daily Telegraph
• GPC rejects Jeremy Hunt's NHS crisis plan for GPs to support urgent care GP Online
• NHS 'will fail' this winter without cash injection, doctors tell Theresa May The Guardian
• Our NHS trust is close to a tipping point – and we are not alone The Guardian
• More than 2m people wait over four hours in A&E, figures show The Guardian
• Two million wait more than four hours in A&E amid huge increase in 12-hour waits for elderly The Independent
• NHS crisis 'putting lives at risk', warns Royal College of Physicians The Independent

Steep rise in A&E psychiatric patients

Steep rise in A&E psychiatric patients There has been a steep rise in the number of people arriving at A&E departments in England with mental health problems, figures show.

Experts say a lack of early support means patients are reaching crisis.

Data compiled for the BBC by NHS Digital showed that between 2011-12 and 2015-16 the number of patients attending A&E units with psychiatric problems rose by nearly 50% to 165,000.

For the under 18s alone the numbers almost doubled to nearly 22,000.

These figures represent a small minority of overall A&E attendances - just over 1% in total.

But the Royal College of Emergency Medicine said that was likely to be the "tip of the iceberg" as these figures just included cases where the primary diagnosis was a psychiatric condition. BBC News

GP practices begin processing backlog of over 100,000 patient letters

GP practices begin processing backlog of over 100,000 patient letters GP practices across England have begun to receive their share of a huge backlog of patient data that a former provider of primary care support services left by mistake in a warehouse. GP Online

Social care does need more funds, but there are also savings to be made

Social care does need more funds, but there are also savings to be made Social and health care should be integrated, but as that is unlikely to happen, care reforms already tested could make significant savings

Ministers last week stepped in with an extra cash boost for social care. On top of a funding increase announced three months ago, they unveiled a further rise to help meet payroll costs and to help professionalise the workforce. Council leaders “warmly welcomed” the move and the emphasis on preventive support for older and disabled people.

You may have guessed this wasn’t in England. It was in Wales, where, as the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) observes, the policy position is “very different”. True, the sums involved are not huge. After a £25m grant increase for social care in 2017-18 set out last October, the Welsh government last week found a further £10m and raised the individual cap on homecare costs – a feature of the system not replicated in England – from £60 a week to £70, which should give councils another £4m for the year from April. Continue reading... The Guardian

Child 'sugar scourge': thousands having teeth removed in hospital

Child 'sugar scourge': thousands having teeth removed in hospital Experts say annual figures for England obtained by LGA show need for tougher curbs on sugar in children’s diets

More than 40,000 children and young people a year are having rotten teeth removed in hospital in further evidence of what doctors call the “costly scourge of sugar”.

New NHS figures obtained by the Local Government Association (LGA) show that 40,800 under-18s in England had at least one tooth taken out last year under general anaesthetic because of decay. Performing the procedures cost £35.6m. Continue reading... The Guardian

British heart attack patients are abandoned without receiving life-saving aftercare

British heart attack patients are abandoned without receiving life-saving aftercare Tens of thousands of British cardiac patients are abandoned to cope without the essential care they need after a heart attack, a major audit reveals.

An astonishing 69 per cent of NHS cardiac rehabilitation services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are failing to hit minimum standards, a damning report revealed.

All heart patients should be offered rehabilitation care in the aftermath of an attack, which has been shown to reduce the risk of death by 18 per cent in the next year, and cut readmissions by 31 per cent.

Yet 66,000 of 132,000 eligible patients are missing out on cardiac rehabilitation each year, the National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation revealed. The Daily Mail

See also:

• National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation Annual Statistical Report 2016 British Heart Foundation

Saline bags tampered with at hospital as police called in to investigate

Saline bags tampered with at hospital as police called in to investigate Police have launched an urgent investigation at a hospital in Cumbria after a member of staff discovered that saline bags – used for IV drips and other medical procedures had been tampered with.

North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust said security measures had been increased across Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle after the tampering was discovered last Wednesday.

Following the discovery, senior clinicians were alerted and the hospital immediately launched its serious incident procedure protocol to ensure the safety of patients. The Daily Telegraph

CCTV released of man over theft from Northampton General Hospital

CCTV released of man over theft from Northampton General Hospital Police would like to speak to the man in the attached images who may have information about the theft of a handbag from NGH. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Taking the right approach to community-based health services

Taking the right approach to community-based health services On Boxing Day, Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer at NHS England, wrote a letter to The Telegraph reflecting on what – on the surface – seemed to be a fairly standard NHS policy position, that the NHS should shift care closer to home and invest in community-based health care rather than hospital buildings.

Nothing new there, it's been a key component of much health policy for the past decade or more. But I started looking at readers’ comments on articles where her letter was discussed, and was taken aback by the strength of feeling from those commenters that the policy was wrong. The King's Fund

Support after a suicide: a guide to providing local services

Support after a suicide: a guide to providing local services This practical guidance helps commissioners understand why and how they can deliver support after suicide (also known as postvention support) in their local areas. Public Health England

Policy paper: Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: government response

Policy paper: Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: government response This report sets out the government’s response to the work of the Mental Health Taskforce. The taskforce report to NHS England, the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, is an independent and far-reaching overview of what modern mental health services should be.

The government will accept the taskforce report’s recommendations in full. This report provides full responses to each of the 58 recommendations made to government.

All of the recommendations, whether for NHS England or for government, will be taken forward. NHS England’s response to their recommendations can be found in Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. Department of Health

Theresa May promises mental health care overhaul

Theresa May promises mental health care overhaul Plans to "transform" attitudes to mental health, with a focus on children and young people, have been announced by Theresa May.

Additional training for teachers, an extra £15m for community care, and improved support in the workplace were among measures announced by the PM.

Mental health experts said more funding was needed to improve services.

Mrs May's speech comes as she outlined her plans to use the state to create a "shared society".

The government says one in four people has a mental disorder at some point in their life, with an annual cost of £105bn.

Figures show young people are affected disproportionately with over half of mental health problems starting by the age of 14 and 75% by 18.

The prime minister said mental health had been "dangerously disregarded" as secondary to physical health and changing that would go "right to the heart of our humanity". BBC News

See also:

• Press release: Prime Minister unveils plans to transform mental health support Department of Health
• Mental health problems are everyone’s problem: article by Theresa May Department of Health
• Statement to Parliament: Mental health and NHS performance Department of Health
• Funds for mental health must reach the front line if Prime Minister’s vision is to be realised The King's Fund
• Prime Minister unveils plans to 'transform' mental health support Mind
• Professor Sir Simon Wessley, President of the RCPsych responds to the PM's speech Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Urgent action needed to make aspirations for mental health care a reality, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• 'Nobody is immune' to mental health problems BBC News
• Theresa May vows to tackle the 'huge stigma' around poor mental health as part of her 'shared society' vision - and No 10 says it's NOT the same as David Cameron's 'big society' The Daily Mail
• Theresa May vows to make her Government a 'force for good' in new plan to tackle mental health The Daily Telegraph
• Theresa May is right to talk about mental health, both morally and economically The Daily Telegraph
• Every secondary school in Britain offered mental health training in bid to end 'stigma' and help children The Daily Telegraph
• Using children's mental health funding to plug NHS gaps is 'like theft', says former health minister The Independent
• 2 charts that show what has happened to mental health under the Conservatives The Independent
• Theresa May pledges to tackle 'stigma' of mental health but dismisses call for extra funding The Independent
• Theresa May's mental health pledge should start with fair funding The New Statesman

Jeremy Hunt sets out the measures to relieve 'distressed' A&Es

Jeremy Hunt sets out the measures to relieve 'distressed' A&Es The Health Secretary has told the Commons how hospital trusts can relieve their 'distressed' emergency departments on a temporary basis.

Jeremy Hunt was also responding to claims from the Red Cross that the NHS was facing a 'humanitarian crisis'. BBC News

See also:

• Statement to Parliament: Mental health and NHS performance Department of Health
• Hunt casts doubt over A&E target BBC News
• Jeremy Hunt says one in three of us shouldn't be in casualty as ops are axed The Daily Mail
• Jeremy Hunt makes emergency statement on NHS The Daily Telegraph
• GP referrals blocked as Hunt says seven-day service can end NHS 'humanitarian crisis' GP Online
• GPs could be drafted in to support struggling urgent care services, says Hunt GP Online
• This isn’t a freak day – this is winter in the NHS The Guardian
• The Guardian view on the NHS crisis: Theresa May is in denial | Editorial The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt accused of watering down four-hour A&E waiting target The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt: up to 30% of people using A&E departments do not need emergency care – video The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt rejects Red Cross claim of NHS 'humanitarian crisis' – video The Guardian
• Red Cross NHS remark touches nerve with Conservatives The Guardian
• Chart highlights NHS hospital bed shortage crisis in comparison to other European countries The Independent
• NHS crisis: Intensive care bed shortages are forcing doctors to choose who lives and dies The Independent
• Senior A&E doctor declares working in NHS emergency medicine 'sucks you in and spits you out' The Independent
• When to go to A&E: Patients urged to consider other options amid NHS hospital crisis The Independent
• Hunt: 'Unprecedented demand' on NHS after A&E visits surge ITV News

Two die in NHS every day of thirst and starvation

Two die in NHS every day of thirst and starvation Hunger or thirst were responsible for 1,022 registered deaths in 2015, the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show. Experts believe it may be due to increasing demands on the NHS. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Deaths registered in England and Wales: 2015 Office of National Statistics
• Starving patients BBC News
• Two patients die from starvation or thirst each day in UK hospitals and care homes, say statistics The Independent

'Doctors are too busy for more than one problem per appointment'

'Doctors are too busy for more than one problem per appointment' Those with multiple illnesses are being banned from booking 20-minute consultations – instead being told to book a standard ten-minute appointment for each condition. The Daily Mail

Around 16,000 people still receiving 'flying visits' by carers, despite Government's minimum standard

Around 16,000 people still receiving 'flying visits' by carers, despite Government's minimum standard More than a fifth of councils in England are still commissioning 15-minute social care visits, despite the Government agreeing half an hour should be the minimum standard, it was reported.

Around 16,000 people are still receiving "flying visits" by carers for needs such as washing, dressing and eating, an investigation by ITV News and the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability found.

Ninety-five of the 152 councils in England responded to a Freedom of Information request, of whom 34 admitted they were still commissioning 15-minute visits for personal care, ITV News said. The Daily Telegraph

Largest mental health facility for young people in Europe opens its doors in Northampton

Largest mental health facility for young people in Europe opens its doors in Northampton One of the world's largest adolescent mental health facilities has opened its doors in Northampton, supporting 110 young people with complex conditions. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease aged just 36

Northampton woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease aged just 36 It is a condition associated with the elderly. But Carla Brammall has become one of the UK's youngest Alzheimer's patients - after being diagnosed with a rare mutation of the disease aged 36. The Daily Mail

Research and analysis: Sexually transmitted infections: East Midlands 2015 data

Research and analysis: Sexually transmitted infections: East Midlands 2015 data This report provides a summary of the 2015 data for STIs in the East of England area, along with charts, tables and map. It also explains the data sources used. Public Health England

News story: Children given sports prostheses to help them get active

News story: Children given sports prostheses to help them get active Children across England are being given specialised sports prostheses from the NHS to help them run, swim and play sport, and even become the next Paralympians.

This follows the creation of a £1.5 million fund by the Department of Health, announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt during last summer’s Paralympic Games in Rio.

The money has been split between funding for NHS limb centres to fund requests for prostheses and investment in a Child Prostheses Research Collaboration, bringing the latest technology into the NHS. It will also help more children to benefit from sports prostheses that are tailored to their needs and the sports they want to play. Department of Health

No one should have no one: working to end loneliness amongst older people

No one should have no one: working to end loneliness amongst older people This report warns that loneliness leads to an increased demand on health services, partly because isolated people are more likely to develop health conditions, such as heart problems, depression and dementia. The report also outlines the early findings of a pilot programme that takes a community-based approach to tackling loneliness. Age UK

NHS rejects claims of 'humanitarian crisis' in England's hospitals

NHS rejects claims of 'humanitarian crisis' in England's hospitals Theresa May has rejected claims from the Red Cross that there is a "humanitarian crisis" in the NHS.

The prime minister acknowledged there were "huge pressures" on the health service and said No 10 had provided the funding requested.

Mrs May told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme that funding was "now at record levels for the NHS".

Labour has called on the PM to appear at the Commons on Monday to discuss the "crisis" in social care and hospitals. BBC News

See also:

• NHS England rejects claims of a 'humanitarian crisis' BBC News
• 'Winter from hell' has arrived - doctor's NHS crisis warning BBC News
• Hospital 'in meltdown' as two patients found dead in over-crowded corridors - one who waited 35 HOURS for a bed The Daily Mail
• Woman dies after 35 hours on hospital trolley amid warnings of NHS 'meltdown  The Daily Telegraph
• 'Humanitarian crisis' in NHS warns British Red Cross as A&Es are overwhelmed by demand The Daily Telegraph
• Theresa May denies 'humanitarian crisis' in Britain's NHS The Guardian
• NHS faces 'humanitarian crisis' as demand rises, British Red Cross warns The Guardian
• Theresa May cannot ignore NHS crisis or brush off critics The Guardian
• 'The worst conditions in memory': NHS doctors describe their week in A&E The Guardian
• Three patients die at Worcestershire hospital amid NHS winter crisis The Guardian
• I'm a junior doctor in the NHS, and I'm terrified for this winter The Guardian
• 'It was manic': patients describe meltdown at Worcestershire hospital The Guardian
• Doctors accuse Theresa May of being ‘in denial’ over NHS hospital crisis The Independent

NHS director Peter Lewis jailed over corrupt hospital contract

NHS director Peter Lewis jailed over corrupt hospital contract An NHS director and a software supplier are jailed over a corrupt hospital IT contract. BBC News

Revealed: How dangerous fake health news conquered Facebook

Revealed: How dangerous fake health news conquered Facebook The widespread circulation of fake health news on social networks is misleading and potentially dangerous, health officials have warned.

Misinformation published by conspiracy sites about serious health conditions is often shared more widely than evidence-based reports from reputable news organisations, according to analysis by The Independent. Of the 20 most-shared articles on Facebook in 2016 with the word “cancer” in the headline, more than half purport claims discredited by doctors and health authorities or – in the case of the year’s top story – directly by the source cited in the article. The Independent

Operations cancelled as Northampton's emergency department remains on 'high alert'

Operations cancelled as Northampton's emergency department remains on 'high alert' Sick and seriously ill people are stranded in A&E as hospitals across Northamptonshire spend another day at critical capacity. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Youth service backs Northamptonshire County Council’s vision for young people’s mental health services

Youth service backs Northamptonshire County Council’s vision for young people’s mental health services A counselling service for children and young people has largely welcomed the goals set out in Northamptonshire County Council’s draft budget and plan. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Safe, sustainable and productive staffing: an improvement resource for adult inpatient wards in acute hospitals

Safe, sustainable and productive staffing: an improvement resource for adult inpatient wards in acute hospitals This guidance aims to help standardise staffing decisions in adult inpatient wards in acute hospitals. This resource is based on the National Quality Board’s expectationsopens in a new window that to ensure safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care, trusts will employ the right staff with the right skills in the right place and at the right time. The closing date for comments on the draft guidance is 3 February 2017. NHS Improvement

• Improvement resource
• Response survey
• NHS Improvement - consultations

Blocked beds blight mental health care

Blocked beds blight mental health care Delays in discharging people from hospital are rising more rapidly in mental health trusts than other parts of the NHS in England, a study shows.

NHS England data found a 56% rise in the number of bed days lost to delayed discharge in psychiatric trusts in October 2016 compared to November 2015.

There was a comparable rise in acute trusts of 30%.

A spokeswoman said the Department of Health was investing £400m over four years to support people in their homes.

"No-one should face unnecessary delays in being discharged," she said. "The Five Year Forward View for Mental Health will transform services by 2020/21 to make sure urgent improvements are made." BBC News

See also:

• Psychiatric patient Oliver Lang speaks about his delayed discharge BBC News

Hospitals warn over pressure of patient numbers

Hospitals warn over pressure of patient numbers A third of hospital trusts in England issued alerts warning they needed urgent action to cope with the pressure of patient numbers last month.

In the most serious cases - seven of the 50 trusts that issued alerts - the hospitals declared they were unable to give patients comprehensive care.

BBC Radio 4's Today programme has been told operations have been cancelled and patients left waiting on trolleys.

NHS England said tried-and-tested plans were managing the pressures.

Dr Taj Hassan, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said there was an "absolute and urgent need" to help emergency departments. BBC News

MPs urge Theresa May to agree cross-party NHS funding plan

MPs urge Theresa May to agree cross-party NHS funding plan The chairs of three influential House of Commons select committees have urged prime minister Theresa May to agree a cross-party deal to secure the future of health and social care funding. GP Online

See also:

• Letter to the Prime Minister regarding health and social care Health, Public Accounts and Community and Local Government Committee Chairs
• The King’s Fund responds to a letter from the chairs of three Select Committees to the Prime Minister The King's Fund
• Social care funding: MPs urge 'swift' cross-party review BBC News
• Social care crisis: MPs put May under pressure to act fast The Guardian
• Social care spending falling below £554 minimum in most areas The Guardian

General practice could be 'outsourced' to private corporations under MCP deal, warns BMA

General practice could be 'outsourced' to private corporations under MCP deal, warns BMA General practice could be outsourced to private corporations under multispecialty community provider (MCP) contracts set to be rolled out this year, GP leaders have warned. GP Online

Improving NHS services should not feel like a quest in a labyrinth

Improving NHS services should not feel like a quest in a labyrinth Resources are being squandered with teams of people battling an unwieldy health system

The surprise in the health service is not how little collaboration there is across professional and organisational boundaries, but how so many people achieve so much in the face of overwhelming odds.

Ministers and NHS leaders encourage and cajole staff to improve services, but even the most driven transformation zealots find themselves worn down by having to fight the system rather than be supported and encouraged by it.

Improving services should not feel like a quest in a labyrinth Continue reading... The Guardian

A receptionist saved my life and other love letters to healthcare staff

A receptionist saved my life and other love letters to healthcare staff Caring nurses, skilled surgeons and quick thinking midwives. Readers recall health workers who changed their lives

I’d gone to A&E in Derby, where I was staying for Christmas, with the most dreadful headache. I’d been a radiographer at St Thomas’ hospital in London for 18 years and knew something wasn’t right. It was the day after Boxing Day and there had been heavy snow so it was busy with people who had fallen over. Continue reading... The Guardian

Would YOU trust it? NHS to diagnose patients via new smartphone app after criticisms of 'inadequate' 111 helpline

Would YOU trust it? NHS to diagnose patients via new smartphone app after criticisms of 'inadequate' 111 helpline The NHS will roadtest new smartphone technology in a bid to diagnose patients. Starting at the end of January, more than a million residents of north London will trial the triage app. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS trials artificial intelligence app as alternative to 111 helpline The Daily Telegraph
• Babylon Health to power NHS 111 with AI triage bot Digital Health
• NHS to trial medical advice smartphone app The Guardian