Bodies of Evidence: How professional organisations in health, education and policing champion the use of research

Bodies of Evidence: How professional organisations in health, education and policing champion the use of research This report outlines the pioneering evidence work of UK and Irish professional bodies in health, teaching and policing. They have been championing research and evaluation in the daily work of more than one million professionals – to improve the lives of patients, pupils and the wider public. Alliance for useful Evidence

Universities 'in dark' over student mental health needs

Universities 'in dark' over student mental health needs Universities should be bound by law to meet the mental-health needs of their students, an ex-health minister says.

Information gathered by Sir Norman Lamb's office reveals a "complex and fragmented" picture of mental-health provision across UK universities.

Many of the 110 universities which responded said they did not record all relevant key statistics, such as their budgets or waiting times.

Universities said they could not deal with the issue of mental health alone. BBC News

Meningitis: 'I'm no longer Miss Independent'

Meningitis: 'I'm no longer Miss Independent' Life is very different for Lesley Hart since she had meningitis nearly 10 years ago.

"I'm no longer Miss Independent. It's impacting more and more as time goes on. But I live each day as I want to."

Lesley is one of nearly 2,500 people who develop bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease each year in the UK.

The Meningitis Research Foundation says the right support is key for people like her. BBC News

See also:

• Public knowledge of meningitis and septicaemia impairments and after-effects (report) Meningitis Research Foundation
• Public unaware of meningitis after effects Meningitis Research Foundation

Rugby's Gareth Thomas on HIV: 'I want to break the stigma'

Rugby's Gareth Thomas on HIV: 'I want to break the stigma' Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas has revealed he is HIV positive, saying he wants to "break the stigma" around the condition.

He made the announcement as he prepared to compete in the Ironman Wales triathlon in Tenby, Pembrokeshire.

Thomas said he is taking part to show how people with HIV are misrepresented as "walking around with walking sticks who are close to dying". BBC News

NHS trusts handing over £205m a year to Government in interest payments as debts mount - iNews

NHS trusts handing over £205m a year to Government in interest payments as debts mount NHS trusts are handing over more than £205m a year to the Government in interest payments after being forced to take out loans, i can reveal.

Critics accused the Conservatives of “starving the NHS” by charging unreasonable interest rates on the loans they make to hospitals and other organisations which are struggling to afford their running costs.

Trusts across England have paid more than £607m to Whitehall in interest over the past five years. The amount paid out is rising every year as NHS debts continue to mount; last year it could have paid the salaries of 7,500 nurses. iNews

Dishing out more drugs won’t stop the pain. Doctors need new tools

Dishing out more drugs won’t stop the pain. Doctors need new tools | Ann Robinson As a GP, I know opioids have their place. But we shouldn’t be complacent about a US-style crisis happening in Britain

Growing concern about the prescription of drugs that cause dependence has been backed up by a recent report from Public Health England (PHE). The agency discovered that in 2017-18, 13% of adults in England received at least one prescription for opioids such as morphine or oxycodone (although this represented a slight downturn in prescribing after a long upward trend). Other drug classes were implicated too, with 25% of adults prescribed one or more of the following drugs: benzodiazepines (such as Valium), z-drugs (sleeping pills such as Zopiclone), gabapentinoids (gabapentin or pregabalin, prescribed for neuropathic pain) or antidepressants.

The fear is that the UK is following in the footsteps of the US, where overprescribing is said to have led to a full-blown “opioid crisis”. The Guardian

See also:

• Dependence and withdrawal associated with some prescribed medicines: an evidence review Public Health England
• One in four adults in England prescribed potentially addictive drugs last year The independent

UK cancer survival rates are too low – our priorities are all wrong

UK cancer survival rates are too low – our priorities are all wrong | Mark Dayan Short-termism has hampered investment in equipment and staffing that could help the NHS keep people alive

Cancer survival rates in the UK have long lagged behind those in other countries of comparable wealth and income levels. And an international study published this week shows that while the UK is making rapid progress, there’s still a big gap in the survival rates cancer patients can expect in Britain compared with countries such as Australia, Canada and Norway.

The good news is that the outlook for patients suffering from major forms of cancer has got much better. On an age standardised basis, fewer than half of patients with rectal cancer in the UK lived more than five years in 1995. By 2014, more than 60% did. The Guardian

See also:

• Progress in cancer survival, mortality, and incidence in seven high-income countries 1995–2014 (ICBP SURVMARK-2): a population-based study (open access) Lancet Oncology
• Britain sits at bottom of global league table for cancer survival rates The Independent

NHS bosses tried to 'gag' father of boy whose life was ruined in botched operation

NHS bosses tried to 'gag' father of boy whose life was ruined in botched operation An NHS hospital effectively paralysed a young boy for life and then tried to “gag” his family from speaking out.

Bosses at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust threatened legal action unless the child's father watered down his account of the event on the grounds it was “too emotional and too critical”.

This came after a botched operation to deal with intestinal problems left his two-month-old son, who cannot be named, with catastrophic brain injuries, causing quadriplegic cerebral palsy, blindness and double incontinence. The Daily Telegraph

Vaping could be a 'ticking time bomb', Chief Medical Officer warns amid growing concerns of e-cigarette risk

Vaping could be a 'ticking time bomb', Chief Medical Officer warns amid growing concerns of e-cigarette risk England's chief medical officer has raised fears that vaping is “a ticking time bomb” which could do long-term harm, amid growing concern about the safety of e-cigarettes.

Prof Dame Sally Davies, who will stand down later this month, made the comments just before Donald Trump announced plans to ban flavoured vaping products, in a bid to discourage children from taking up the habit. The Daily Telegraph

From eye cancer to HIV and Parkinson's – meet the companies developing smartphone apps set to improve medical diagnostics

From eye cancer to HIV and Parkinson's – meet the companies developing smartphone apps set to improve medical diagnostics Smartphones have already transformed the way we socialise, work, organise our lives and exercise. Now they are changing the way doctors diagnose and treat disease.
Around the world, a string of start-ups are harnessing the computing power of the smartphone to put expert medical diagnostic tools and advice in people’s pockets – and relieve the burden on health services. The combination of specialist apps and the computing power packed into a smartphone can deliver a powerful punch.
As technology is set to make up a greater share of global healthcare spending, which is set to rocket to $10.1tn by 2022 according to a report from Deloitte last year, the potential to transform treatment is greater than ever. Consultants are using a hand-held device called Butterfly iQ, that turns a smartphone into an ultrasound machine, helping slash costs and waiting times. The Telegraph

Health profile for England: 2019

Health profile for England: 2019  This report combines data and knowledge with information from other sources to give a broad picture of the health of people in England in 2019. It includes life expectancy, trends in mortality, trends in morbidity and inequalities in health. King's Fund

Public Health England - publications

Signs of a slowdown in new type 2 diabetes cases

Signs of a slowdown in new type 2 diabetes cases The number of new cases of type 2 diabetes could be stabilising, or even falling, a study suggests. The analysis looked at 47 studies from the mid-1960s up to 2014, mainly from the US and Canada and countries across Europe including the UK.
A third of populations studied between 2006 and 2014 saw a fall in new cases and another third were stable. But Diabetes UK said the challenges of obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, both linked to the condition, remained. BBC News

NHS facing year-round crisis and cannot cope, warns BMA

NHS facing year-round crisis and cannot cope, warns BMA  The latest NHS performance figures reinforce the difficult truth that frontline health services are buckling under the strain of relentless demand and NHS staff are coming under unremitting pressure, the NHS Confederation has warned. The British Medical Association said the figures provide the “clearest evidence yet that the NHS cannot cope with the year-round crisis it is now facing”, and called on the government to take urgent action to resolve the crises of doctors’ pensions and tax as these add to the problem by forcing doctors to reduce their working hours.
The performance figures, published yesterday, reveal that August had the highest-ever recorded figures for A&E attendance, although slightly lower than those for July, as well as the lowest ever proportion of patients treated within 18 weeks of referral. However, the 31-day cancer standard was met. OnMedica

Cheap booze and fags: the last gasp of government health policy

Cheap booze and fags: the last gasp of government health policy  In a government gearing up for an election, where every statement is supposed to be choreographed as part of a finely tuned grid of speeches and events, it takes a particular stupidity for the chancellor, Sajid Javid, to extol the virtues of cheap cigarettes and booze just as the health and social care secretary, Matt Hancock, was heading for Public Health England’s annual conference.
Having alighted upon what he regards as unequivocally good news about leaving the EU without a deal, Javid announced on Tuesday that people travelling to Europe will be able to buy alcohol and cigarettes without paying UK excise duty. The Guardian

Nearly 100,000 Britons thought to be risking death from hepatitis C

Nearly 100,000 Britons thought to be risking death from hepatitis C  Almost 100,000 Britons are at risk of dying because they do not know that they have the deadly liver disease hepatitis C, health officials are warning.
An estimated 95,600 people in the UK, mainly drug users, are believed to be suffering from the disease but are unaware of the condition because they have not been diagnosed, said Public Health England (PHE) on Friday. The Guardian

Scotland agrees deal for 'unaffordable' cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi

Scotland agrees deal for 'unaffordable' cystic fibrosis drug Orkambi  The Scottish government has agreed a deal with the manufacturer of Orkambi, the cystic fibrosis drug that NHS England has said is unaffordable for its patients.
Scotland has not disclosed the price it has agreed to pay to treat 350 patients who are eligible for the drug. In England, there are more than 10,000 children and adults with the disease, nearly half of whom could benefit, making the potential bill south of the border very high. NHS England offered £500m over five years for Orkambi and other upcoming cystic fibrosis drugs, but the manufacturer, Vertex, turned that down. The Guardian

Cancer patients left in the dark because nurses are 'insanely overloaded'

Cancer patients left in the dark because nurses are 'insanely overloaded'  Cancer patients are being left in the dark over results because nurses are "insanely overloaded", a new report warns. Polling by Macmillan Cancer Support found almost half of specialist nurses said their high workload was negatively affecting patient care.
Cancer patients said they had been left with “no idea” when they would get the results of scans to monitor for a relapse, because staff were too busy to attend to them. The charity's study found the cancer workforce is stretched, with around one in 10 specialist nurse posts vacant in some regions. The Telegraph

One in ten A&E patients is back in casualty within a week

One in ten A&E patients is back in casualty within a week Almost one in ten Accident & Emergency patients are returning to hospital within a week, amid growing difficulties getting to see a GP. The new figures from NHS Digital show that last year, almost 2 million patients who went to A&E were back again within seven days - a 72 per cent rise from 1.1 million in a decade.
In total, there were 24.8 million A&E attendances in 2018/19, the figures show - a rise of more than a fifth in a decade. The Telegraph

Body cameras “significantly reduce” aggression on NHS mental health wards

Body cameras “significantly reduce” aggression on NHS mental health wards All mental health workers for the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) claim to experience incidents of verbal or physical aggression at least once a week, and NHS staff surveys show that these incidents are increasing – a recent survey found that 15% of NHS workers have experienced violence in the past 12 months, which was the highest recorded figure in the past five years.
However, recent trials of body-worn cameras have shown that the technology can “significantly reduce” the severity of these incidents occurring, helping NHS workers to feel safer while on the job. The latest study, conducted independently by the West London Trust (WLT), saw nursing staff across seven mental health wards in West London provided with 50 cameras to wear during working hours over a four month period.
The study concluded that while the use of body worn cameras didn’t lead to a significant reduction in the number of incidents, it did help to reduce their seriousness when they did occur. Verdict

See also:

• Nurse body cameras ‘reduce serious incidents’ at London trust

Food binned at Northampton General Hospital costs NHS £70,000 over five years

Food binned at Northampton General Hospital costs NHS £70,000 over five years Almost 80,000 meals at Northampton General Hospital have been binned in five years but staff say tonnes of food waste has since been made into renewable energy.A Freedom of Information request submitted to Northampton General Hospital has revealed that 78,365 meals have been thrown away since 2014, which has cost the NHS £72,767.

The gross cost to provide each inpatient with three meals a day is £2.91 per patient, which NGH says, is below the national NHS benchmark value. Between August 2014 and August 2015 data showed Northampton General Hospital was throwing away the most food at 20,137 meals per year.
But a spokeswoman for NGH said the hospital has since made improvements to reduce waste by turning it into renewable energy. Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Revealed: The trusts testing latest round of emergency targets

Revealed: The trusts testing latest round of emergency targets  New mental health emergency care targets will be trialled across 11 NHS organisations and one social enterprise, NHS England has confirmed.
The 12 organisations will pilot new clinical standards for urgent and emergency mental healthcare, which include:

• A one-hour response by liaison psychiatry teams for patients with emergency mental health needs;
• Assessments for emergency mental health referrals to be carried out “within hours”; and
• Patients accessing emergency mental health services in the community to be seen within 24 hours.

The organisations testing the standards include Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Health Service Journal

Public Health England launches new infectious disease strategy

Public Health England launches new infectious disease strategy  The new strategy addresses current and future threats to health, including antibiotic resistance and health inequalities. Public Health England

NICE wants tailored support for those affected by suicide

NICE wants tailored support for those affected by suicide People bereaved or affected by a suspected suicide should be given information and offered tailored support, NICE has said. On World Suicide Prevention Day 2019, NICE has published its quality standard on suicide prevention – covering five key ways to reduce suicide and help people bereaved or affected by suicide.
The Office for National Statistics published data which showed the suicide rate in the UK has risen for the first time since 2013, with 11.2 deaths recorded as suicide per 100,000 people in 2018 - up from 10.1 in 2017. Those who are bereaved or affected by a suspected suicide are themselves at increased risk of suicide.
Providing support after a suspected suicide can reduce this risk, especially when tailored to the person’s needs. It is important to identify people who may need support as soon as possible so that they can be given practical information and access support if, and when, they need to. NICE

NHS to open specialist FGM support clinics across England

NHS to open specialist FGM support clinics across England  The NHS is opening female genital mutilation support clinics across England that will allow survivors to access expert care and treatment earlier. More than 1,300 women are expected to benefit from the highly specialised FGM support being rolled out in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and five boroughs in London, according to NHS England.
Women who have had FGM often first come into contact with NHS services after they become pregnant. The eight new centres aim to reach a broader group of women, particularly those who are younger and not pregnant, to provide swift support and treatment.
The clinics will be led by specialist doctors, midwives and nurses, and provide access to specially trained counsellors for emotional support, as well as FGM health advocates for advice on accessing other services locally. The Guardian

Britain to use millions of NHS patients' histories to seek cures

Britain to use millions of NHS patients' histories to seek cures Britain is about to start using information about millions of NHS patients’ medical histories to boost the search for cures for ailments such as cancer, asthma and mental illness. Seven new “data hubs” are set to revolutionise medical research by giving doctors, scientists and academics access to unprecedented data about who gets ill in the first place and who responds best to treatment.
However, the move is likely to raise anxiety about possible breaches of patients’ privacy and also the commercialisation of patient records because drug companies are among those with whom the data will be shared. The Guardian

NHS hospital trusts to pay out further £55bn under PFI scheme

NHS hospital trusts to pay out further £55bn under PFI scheme Some spending one-sixth of entire budget on repaying debts from Blair-era policy. NHS hospital trusts are being crippled by the private finance initiative and will have to make another £55bn in payments by the time the last contract ends in 2050, a report reveals.
An initial £13bn of private sector-funded investment in new hospitals will end up costing the NHS in England a staggering £80bn by the time all contracts come to an end, the IPPR thinktank has found. The Guardian

See also:

• Hospitals need way out of 'toxic' NHS mortgages

Britain slumps to bottom of cancer survival league tables – and is two decades behind some countries

Britain slumps to bottom of cancer survival league tables – and is two decades behind some countries
Britain is bottom of international league tables for cancer survival – and is lagging two decades behind some countries for some types of disease – a global study shows. The research on almost four million patients by the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows improvements have failed to keep pace with those in other comparable countries.
The 20 year study shows that patients in Britain have the lowest survival rates for five out of seven common cancers. Despite improvements across all countries, the UK’s relative position now is significantly worse than when the study started in the 90s, when it fared worst for three out of seven cancers. Britain is now bottom of the table for bowel, lung, stomach pancreatic and rectal cancer, second worst for oesophageal disease and in third worst position for ovarian cancer. The Telegraph

See also:

• Cancer survival in the UK improving, but lagging behind - study

Social media linked to increased risk of mental health problems

Social media linked to increased risk of mental health problems  Teenagers who spend more than three hours a day on social media may have double the risk of mental health problems as those who shun it, research suggests. The study of more than 6,000 children aged 12 to 15 found those who used social media more heavily were more likely to report issues such as depression, anxiety and loneliness, as well as aggression and anti-social behaviour, than teenagers who did not use social media.
The findings held true even when researchers took into account mental health problems experienced by any young person in the year before they were asked about social media use. The research, from a team at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland, was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. The Telegraph

NHS agrees to fund drug for children with incurable disease, after High Court threat

NHS agrees to fund drug for children with incurable disease, after High Court threat   The NHS has agreed to fund a drug for children with a rare degenerative disease – weeks before families were due to go to court. Two sets of parents of children with Batten disease had been prepared to take their fight for the drug cerliponase alfa (Brineura) to the High Court.
NHS England announced on Wednesday that an agreement on price had been struck with the drug's manufacturer Biomarin. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) had previously said it could not be certain the drug was value for money.The Telegraph

New parents need space to talk about their mental health

New parents need space to talk about their mental health A report by Healthwatch says new parents need more support to deal with mental health problems during and after pregancy. Healthwatch

'Football saved my life' after breakdown

'Football saved my life' after breakdown In the UK, suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50, according to the Office for National Statistics.

After losing two male friends to suicide, Rob Moss set up RammyMen in the former mill town of Ramsbottom, Lancashire, to engage local men in activities that would help with depression. BBC News - Health

Many hospital patients get no visitors

Many hospital patients get no visitors Two-fifths (40%) of patients on UK hospital wards get no visitors, say the NHS nurses who care for them.

The Royal Voluntary Service charity commissioned a poll of 200 nurses working in acute hospitals in Britain. As well as being socially isolating, having no visitor to help with the "small" things, such as cutting up food or refilling a water glass, can delay a patient's recovery, the nurses say.  They want more people to become volunteer visitors and helpers. BBC News - Health

See Also:

• Two in five hospital patients never have any visitors – and it could affect their recovery

Guidance: Healthier weight conversations: support for professionals

Guidance: Healthier weight conversations: support for professionals It describes the intent of professional organisations to work together, support and enable the public health workforce to have healthier weight conversations and maximise population behaviour change, helping individuals and communities significantly reduce their risk of obesity, in order to support the national ambition to
halve childhood obesity rates by 2030. Gov.UK

NHS pension shake-up unveiled to tackle 'tax trap' staffing crisis

NHS pension shake-up unveiled to tackle 'tax trap' staffing crisis Operations being cancelled as medics turn down work to avoid risk of massive bills

Ministers have unveiled a major overhaul of the NHS pension scheme to try to stop doctors cutting their hours in order to avoid falling into a “tax trap” that means they face bills for as much as £100,000.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said the changes meant “every senior clinician will be able to carry out life-saving work for patients, safe in the knowledge they have more control over their pension, their future and their retirement than at any point in NHS history.” The Guardian

See Also:

• Open consultation: NHS Pension Scheme: increased flexibility Gov.UK

New strain of toxin-producing strep A emerges in UK

New strain of toxin-producing strep A emerges in UK A new strain of group A streptococcus, which is able to produce significantly more toxin, is spreading in England and Wales, scientists say.

Strep A causes a range of infections, from a sore throat to scarlet fever. The new strain's emergence, reported in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, coincides with a rise in rare but potentially deadly invasive infections.

However, it does not explain the mysterious surge in scarlet fever cases during the past five years. And there is no direct evidence the new strain causes more serious infection than other strains, experts say. BBC News - Health

See Also:

• Emergence of dominant toxigenic M1T1 Streptococcus pyogenes clone during increased scarlet fever activity in England: a population-based molecular epidemiological study The Lancet Infectious Diseases
• New strain of bacteria responsible for scarlet fever reaching record high   The Telegraph
• 'Toxigenic' strain of Strep A is 'behind the surge in scarlet fever cases in England since 2014'  Mail Online

NHS regulation and oversight: a time of transition

NHS regulation and oversight: a time of transition NHS Providers - This report outlines the findings from a survey on regulation and explores trusts' experiences of regulation over the last twelve months. It reveals that only 39 per cent of NHS trust leaders think the overall regulatory approach adopted by NHS England, NHS Improvement and the Care Quality Commission is working well. It also highlights the growing tension between the current system of regulation which focuses on organisations and ambition to move towards an approach which takes system working into account. King's Fund: Health Management and Policy Alert

Corporate report: PHE Strategy 2020 to 2025

Corporate report: PHE Strategy 2020 to 2025 The PHE Strategy 2020 to 2025 sets out how Public Health England will work to protect and improve the public’s health and reduce health inequalities over the next 5 years.

It outlines PHE’s role within the public health system, 10 priorities where PHE will focus particular effort and the areas where PHE will build capability within the organisation to support delivery of its strategic objectives and wider activities. Gov.UK

Bacteria developing new ways to resist antibiotics, doctors warn

Bacteria developing new ways to resist antibiotics, doctors warn Scientists in UK identify growing trend that threatens to leave patients untreatable

Bacteria are increasingly developing ways of resisting antibiotics, threatening a future in which patients could become untreatable, doctors have warned.

Over the last decade scientists in the UK studying samples from patients have identified 19 new mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. The Guardian

See Also:

• Life-saving drugs may soon become useless, experts warn as 19 untreatable superbugs are discovered in the last decade The Telegraph
• Fears of infections pandemic grow after NINETEEN new superbugs are discovered in UK Mail Online

Beauty salon to start make-up classes for cancer patients in Kettering

Beauty salon to start make-up classes for cancer patients in Kettering
Bellissimo Beauty and Training Academy is planning to start brow classes for chemotheraphy patients who have lost their hair but cannot get semi-permanent make-up.

Owner of The Yards-based salon, Jade, is planning to offer the classes to people undergoing chemotherapy after her friend and her aunt lost their hair during cancer treatment. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Prescription drug dependency worrying - health chiefs

Prescription drug dependency worrying - health chiefs
Hundreds of thousands of people in England are getting hooked on prescription drugs, health chiefs fear.

A Public Health England review looked at the use of strong painkillers, antidepressants and sleeping tablets - used by a quarter of adults every year.

It found that at the end of March 2018 half of people using these drugs had been on them for at least 12 months. BBC News

See also:

• Britain risks US-style opioid crisis as FIVE million adults get prescriptions Mail Online
• One in four British adults being prescribed potentially addictive drugs, 'disturbing' review finds Telegraph
• Press release: Dependence on prescription medicines linked to deprivation Public Health England
• Better access to alternative therapies needed to reverse prescribing trends, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners

Midwives urge the Government to scrap NHS charges for foreign pregnant women

Midwives urge the Government to scrap NHS charges for foreign pregnant women Midwives are urging the Government to scrap NHS charges for foreign pregnant women on the grounds that they are potentially harmful to mothers and babies.

The Royal College of Midwives says its members are being forced to carry out 'racial profiling' when establishing who is eligible for free care.

The organisation - which represents 47,000 midwives - is expected to formally adopt a policy calling for the suspension of charges at their conference later today. Mail Online

See also:

• Charging migrant women for maternity care puts us all to shame  The Guardian
• End NHS maternity charges for vulnerable migrants, say midwives The Guardian
• Scrap NHS charges for pregnant illegal immigrants, says Royal College of Midwives The Telegraph
• Duty of care? The impact on midwives of NHS charging for maternity care King's Fund

NHS Appoints England’s First Chief Midwife

NHS Appoints England’s First Chief Midwife To help improve maternity care and promote safer births, the National Health Service (NHS) has appointed Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent as England’s first chief midwife. Dunkley-Bent, a visiting professor at Kings College London and London South Bank University, previously served as head of maternity, children, and young children for NHS England and has had a long career in the NHS as a midwife and nurse. The Commonwealth Fund

No-deal Brexit could send NHS 'toppling over the edge' - Personnel Today

No-deal Brexit could send NHS 'toppling over the edge' A no-deal Brexit would send the NHS – “our nation’s greatest institution” – into a state of chaos, health service union Unison has warned.

Severe shortages of drugs and medical equipment, coupled with increased waiting times and cancelled operations, would push services “over the edge”, said Unison general secretary David Prentis, who yesterday joined NHS staff pulling a mock-up of a hospital away from the sea front in Brighton, where the TUC annual conference began yesterday. Personnel Today

See also:

• No-Deal Brexit Will Bring Chaos To NHS And Push It Over The Edge Warns Union HuffPost UK

Messaging app could save NHS £44 million annually, says study - pharmaphorum

Messaging app could save NHS £44 million annually, says study An app-based clinical messaging tool created by NHS doctors could save the NHS £44 million a year, according to a new study.

The Kent Surrey Sussex Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) conducted an in-depth investigation into the impact of Forward, a smartphone app which helps NHS workers exchange patient information, make clinical decisions and manage their workload.

Created by junior doctors, the app was designed as an alternative to the cumbersome use of pagers and landlines on hospital wards, replacing them with a safe bespoke app for clinical staff. Pharmaphorum

New blood test trialled on 12,000 Scots catches lung cancer early

New blood test trialled on 12,000 Scots catches lung cancer early A new blood test can detect if a person has lung cancer before symptoms ever develop, research has shown.

Experts carried out a random controlled trial on more than 12,000 people in Scotland who were at high risk of developing the disease.

They found people who took the test were more likely to be diagnosed with cancer at an early stage.

Chief investigator, Prof Frank Sullivan, said the findings could have "globally significant implications".

Experts hope the test will now be rolled out across Scotland and beyond. BBC News

Hospital expressing room for Northampton mums with premature babies given £7,000 face lift

Hospital expressing room for Northampton mums with premature babies given £7,000 face lift Northampton General Hospital's expressing room has been given a revamp to make new mums feel more comfortable.

In September last year Gosset ward staff circulated a questionnaire to new mums at NGH to get their feedback on changes they wanted to see made to the expressing room. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northamptonshire schoolboys to be offered vaccine that could 'eliminate cervical cancer'

Northamptonshire schoolboys to be offered vaccine that could 'eliminate cervical cancer' Boys returning to secondary school in Year 8 will be offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) injections for the first time, 11 years after the vaccination scheme was introduced for girls.
Girls have been offered the HPV vaccine in schools since 2008 to help protect against a common group of viruses that can cause cancers including cervical cancer, mouth and throat cancers, and cancer of the anal and genital areas.

The vaccine is given in the form of two injections. The first one is administered when girls and boys are aged 12 and 13, followed by a second injection between six to 12 months later. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Heartbreaking loss of twins drives couple to raise funds for KGH

Heartbreaking loss of twins drives couple to raise funds for KGH A couple who lost their twin girls in the space of three devastating weeks are raising funds for a new bereavement suite at KGH.

Chloe and Chris Turner's daughters Alice and Amelia were prematurely born at 24 weeks at the Rothwell Road hospital on June 3 last year. Northamptonshire Telegraph

£1 million to help NHS reclaim debts from overseas visitors

£1 million to help NHS reclaim debts from overseas visitors Plans to expand the team of cost-recovery experts will help recover millions of pounds in costs for treating overseas visitors in the NHS. Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has announced plans to expand the NHS’s existing team of cost-recovery experts, backed by £1 million.

Since 2018, a dedicated team of cost-recovery experts has been established to work with trusts. The expansion of this team will help the NHS to reclaim outstanding debts from overseas visitors who are required to pay for their care. Gov.UK

Dental statistics broken down by practice for the first time

Dental statistics broken down by practice for the first time The latest statistics about patients treated by NHS dentists are broken down to dental practice level for the first time. The report from NHS Digital shows that half of all adults in England saw an NHS dentist in the two years to June 2019, a slight decrease on the same period to June 2018. NHS Networks

Strengthen muscles as well as heart to stay fit and healthy, say top doctors

Strengthen muscles as well as heart to stay fit and healthy, say top doctors Adults are advised to do muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week, as well as aerobic exercise, to help them stay active for longer, under new guidance from the UK's top doctors.

For the first time, it includes advice on safe activity levels for pregnant women and new mums. Dance, bowls or Tai Chi are advised for over-65s to reduce falls in old age. Physical activity protects against obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and depression, the advice says.

The new guidelines on physical activity have been produced by the UK's chief medical officers and updated to reflect the latest scientific evidence. BBC News - Health

See Also:

• New physical activity guidelines issued by UK Chief Medical Officers Gov.UK
• Even a few minutes' exercise is good for you, new guidelines state The Guardian
• No such thing as too little exercise, says Chief Medical Officer, as ten minute minimum is scrapped The Telegraph
• Carry your heavy shopping to keep fit: Official guidelines urge all adults to do muscle strengthening exercises twice a week Mail Online

Press release: Government to invest over £130 million in new tech to tackle cancer and debilitating illnesses

Press release: Government to invest over £130 million in new tech to tackle cancer and debilitating illnesses Thousands of NHS patients could receive faster diagnosis and better treatment for life-changing diseases like cancer, dementia and Parkinson’s. The government has today (9 September) unveiled details of how it will help thousands of people across the country living with debilitating, painful and/or sometimes life-threatening diseases by investing £133 million in life-changing treatments for arthritis and cancer and for pioneering gene-based therapies for diseases including dementia and Parkinson’s. Gov.UK

See Also:

• Officials give a £133million funding boost to AI and gene therapies Mail Online

YouTube trend for extreme food challenges encourages binge eating, warn psychologists

YouTube trend for extreme food challenges encourages binge eating, warn psychologists An internet craze which sees participants devour massive quantities of food on film is “glorifying” binge eating, health experts have warned.

The trend, named "Mukbang", originated in Korea but has become popular around the world with British YouTubers among those taking part.
The name translates to ‘eating broadcast’ and it is understood to have grown in popularity because Koreans living alone wanted to share meal times with family over webcam.

Mukbangs have divided public opinion and psychologists believe those who view the videos are encouraged to behave in the same way. The Telegraph

NHS gender identity clinic discloses email contacts of 2,000 patients

NHS gender identity clinic discloses email contacts of 2,000 patients One of the people affected describes incident as a ‘horrendous breach of privacy’

Almost 2,000 patients of an NHS gender identity clinic have had their email addresses disclosed in a “horrendous” breach of patient confidentiality.

Those involved are patients of the Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust in London who are transitioning gender or considering doing so. The Guardian

See Also:

• Gender identity clinic leaks patient email addresses BBC News

Seven in 10 hospital trusts failing to meet safety standards

Seven in 10 hospital trusts failing to meet safety standards Patient safety is frequently at risk in NHS hospital trusts in England, with 70% of them failing to meet national safety standards, according to an Observer analysis of inspection reports, with staff shortages the biggest problem.

Reports by the regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reveal that managers at one trust failed to act on staff reports of abuse and violence, while a shortage of critical beds at another trust led to three serious incidents resulting in patient harm. The Guardian

What should be done to fix the crisis in social care?

What should be done to fix the crisis in social care? This briefing lists five priorities for the government following an assessment of the evidence and analysis of the costs of reform of social care. The Health Foundation

England’s top nurse to recruit NHS ‘social media influencers’ to extend the reach of NHS App

England’s top nurse to recruit NHS ‘social media influencers’ to extend the reach of NHS App The search is on for nurses and other health professionals across England to become the face of the NHS App on social media and in their communities, helping people to take back control of their own health. NHS England

Government confirms immigration arrangements if we exit the EU without a deal

Government confirms immigration arrangements if we exit the EU without a deal The government has confirmed EU immigration arrangements once free movement ends, if leave the EU without a deal. NHS Employers

See also:

• Clarification needed over no-deal immigration arrangements, says Cavendish Coalition NHS Employers

The NHS needs more senior women in leadership

The NHS needs more senior women in leadership The gender pay gap in the NHS remains a hotly debated topic, especially as the final report from the Gender Pay Gap in Medicine Review approaches. Andrea Hester, deputy director of employment relations and reward at NHS Employers, reports. National Health Executive

Stress in pregnancy 'makes child personality disorder more likely'

Stress in pregnancy 'makes child personality disorder more likely' The children of women who experience severe stress when pregnant are nearly 10 times more likely to develop a personality disorder by the age of 30, a study suggests.

Even moderate prolonged stress may have an impact on child development and continue after a baby's birth, it said.

More than 3,600 pregnant women in Finland were asked about their stress levels, and their children followed up. BBC News

See also:

• The role of prenatal stress as a pathway to personality disorder: longitudinal birth cohort study British Journal of Psychiatry
• Women stressed in pregnancy 'are more likely to have children with a personality disorder' The Daily Mail

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals: Maternity deaths probe

Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals: Maternity deaths probe A report into the deaths of five women whose maternity care was overseen by the same hospital trust has found "best practice" was not always followed.

The patients at the centre of the probe into Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals Trust were deemed high-risk. BBC News

Senior doctor threatens to sue Rees-Mogg after anti-vaxxer remarks

Senior doctor threatens to sue Rees-Mogg after anti-vaxxer remarks David Nicholl accuses Commons leader of abusing parliamentary privilege

A senior doctor who helped draw up government medical plans for a no-deal Brexit has threatened to sue Jacob Rees-Mogg after the Commons leader compared him to the disgraced anti-vaxxer Andrew Wakefield.

Rees-Mogg told MPs that in warning about the possible effects of a no-deal Brexit on medical supplies, David Nicholl was being as irresponsible as Wakefield, who was struck off the medical register in 2010 after suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The Guardian

See also:

• Rees-Mogg apologises after comparing no-deal medical expert to anti-vaxxer The Guardian
• Jacob Rees-Mogg apologises for likening doctor who warned of no-deal Brexit deaths to disgraced anti-vaxxer amid widespread condemnation The Independent
• Jacob Rees-Mogg compares NHS consultant to doctor blamed for MMR vaccine scare Sky News
• Jacob Rees-Mogg apologises for comparing doctor to disgraced anti-vaxxer Sky News

Court rejects NHS trust bid to stop Muslim family representing sick girl

Court rejects NHS trust bid to stop Muslim family representing sick girl Barts NHS trust criticised for bringing Islamic religious beliefs into life support case

An NHS trust has been criticised for arguing that the family of a seriously ill five-year-old girl are incapable of acting in her best interests because of their Islamic religious beliefs.

The parents of Tafida Raqeeb, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in February and is on a life-support machine, want to fly her to Italy for treatment against the judgment of doctors at the Royal London hospital. The Guardian

Shocking true stories told to PRUE LEITH since she was tasked to tackle the horrors of hospital food

Shocking true stories told to PRUE LEITH since she was tasked to tackle the horrors of hospital food Ever since I sat in the sunny garden of No 10 with our ebullient Prime Minister in June, I have been inundated with emails, posts and letters about the state of hospital food.

The complaints I have received since becoming an adviser to the government review into hospital food last month follow a familiar pattern. The Daily Mail

Colorectal cancer rates are rising among young people worldwide

Colorectal cancer rates are rising among young people worldwide Cases of colorectal cancer among young people are rising across the globe, a new study warns.

Research across 36 countries and six continents revealed the disease was becoming more common in people younger than 50 years old.

In the US and the UK, where trends among older adults have stabilized or declined, early on-set rates were rising in younger patients. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Global patterns and trends in colorectal cancer incidence in young adults (abstract) Gut

The Spending Round: what does it mean for health and care?

The Spending Round: what does it mean for health and care? Among all the constitutional excitement happening in Whitehall, the Chancellor has published the Spending Round for 2020/21. But what does the announcement mean for health and care? The King’s Fund has repeatedly talked about three main priorities for health and care for the new Prime Minister – workforce, public health and adult social care, so let’s look at each in turn. (A fourth, capital, is outside of the Spending Round remit this time because these budgets have already been set for 2020/21). The King's Fund

See also:

• Sadly missed opportunity to reverse cuts - Nuffield Trust response to Spending Round Nuffield Trust
• Spending Round 2019: document HM Treasury
• Spending Round 2019: what you need to know HM Treasury
• Spending plan: What it means for health and care BBC News
• Javid unveils short-term social care funding boost in spending review Community Care
• Sajid Javid promises largest spending rise in more than 15 years The Guardian

‘NHS Passports’ to help staff work flexibly and cut admin costs

‘NHS Passports’ to help staff work flexibly and cut admin costs Health service staff in England will be able to move seamlessly between sites in a bid to make it easier to take on new roles, plug gaps in staffing and improve patients’ care.

Following successful pilot projects, all hospitals in England are being urged to sign-up to passporting agreements, which will cut the need for up to two-day inductions and other admin when staff move between organisations.

All clinicians working in hospitals that have these agreements will be able to move across different NHS sites to offer care to patients before returning to their main trust. NHS England

See also:

• All NHS staff could get 'passports' to allow them to work in ANY hospital at short notice The Daily Mail

No deal Brexit: issues, impacts and implications

No deal Brexit: issues, impacts and implications This report shows that once the UK is outside the Article 50 framework it will be far harder, and take far longer, to get a deal with the EU. It includes a discussion on how health care will be affected. This includes how co-ordination of social security will immediately cease. Cross-border health care rests on this which means planned treatment in other member states will be disrupted. In addition to this, the European Health Insurance Card for emergency treatment will no longer function. The UK in a Changing Europe

GPs are ignoring new mothers' mental health, says parenting charity

GPs are ignoring new mothers' mental health, says parenting charity Many are given little or no time to discuss feelings at postnatal checkup, NCT survey finds

Mental health problems among new mothers are going undetected because many get as little as three minutes to discuss their feelings at the six-week postnatal checkup, research claims.

A sixth of mothers were given no time at all to talk about their health at the appointments, while 31% had less than three minutes, according to the survey by the parenting charity NCT. A quarter of the 1,025 women polled, who all gave birth in the last two years, were not asked anything about their emotional or mental wellbeing. The Guardian

See also:

• The half hidden: bringing postnatal mental illness out of hiding (report) NCT
• Hidden Half campaign NCT
• Six-week check for new mothers must be funded, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners 
• GPs are 'neglecting' almost HALF of new mothers by failing to discuss their health after childbirth The Daily Mail

The Big Hospital Experiment review – can a volunteer army save the NHS?

The Big Hospital Experiment review – can a volunteer army save the NHS? Although this documentary is warm and heartfelt, the central premise – using an unpaid workforce to paper over cracks in the health service – may leave you queasy

The Big Hospital Experiment (BBC Two) is a lovely and heartfelt documentary about community, volunteering and the power of shared humanity, and within a few moments of it starting, I was furious. The cameras follow 14 young men and women who have signed up to work in the Royal Derby hospital for six weeks. The Guardian

Statins to be made available over the counter by pharmacists, NHS chief executive announces

Statins to be made available over the counter by pharmacists, NHS chief executive announces Statins are to be made available over the counter by pharmacists, in a bid to prevent thousands of heart attacks and strokes, the chief executive of the NHS has announced.

It is estimated nearly 8 million adults in the UK currently take the statins, but millions more are still at risk because they do not take the drug.

The decision could help those millions of patients get easier access to the lifesaving medicine. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Plans to make statins available over-the-counter should be approached with caution, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• Pharmacies could start selling high-strength statins without prescription The Daily Mail
• GPs alarmed over NHS plans to allow chemists to dispense statins The Guardian

THIRD of cancer patients still have to go to their GP at least TWICE before hospital tests

THIRD of cancer patients still have to go to their GP at least TWICE before hospital tests The National Cancer Patient Experience Survey, completed by 70,000 cancer sufferers, found a small number of patients were still visiting the doctor five or more times before being referred to hospital. The Daily Mail

See also:

• National Cancer Patient Experience Survey 2018 - National and Local data NHS England

Healthy New Towns: how the NHS can help create healthy places

Healthy New Towns: how the NHS can help create healthy places We have been working with NHS England over the past 18 months, along with colleagues at the Town and Country Planning Association and The Young Foundation, to draw out the learning from NHS England’s Healthy New Towns programme. This has resulted in the publication of Putting health into place, which presents learning from the programme as practical guidance for local areas, and we will continue to play a role in supporting its implementation. The King's Fund

Nursing students are still dropping out in worrying numbers

Nursing students are still dropping out in worrying numbers Analysis by Nursing Standard and the Health Foundation shows a quarter of all nursing students are leaving or suspending their degrees before graduation.

See also:

• How many nursing students are leaving or suspending their degrees before graduation? The Health Foundation

New HIV diagnoses fall by a third in the UK since 2015

New HIV diagnoses fall by a third in the UK since 2015 Data by Public Health England (PHE) reveal that new HIV diagnoses in the UK have fallen to their lowest level since 2000. New diagnoses fell by almost a third (28%) from 6,271 in 2015 to 4,484 in 2018.

RCGP calls for 5,000 GPs to be trained a year to meet workforce targets and safeguard patient care

RCGP calls for 5,000 GPs to be trained a year to meet workforce targets and safeguard patient care Currently, there are 3,500 placements for GP training a year - and this year, more junior doctors have chosen to specialise in general practice than ever before - but the College says these numbers must increase to at least 5,000 a year as soon as possible, and for this to be funded appropriately. Royal College of General Practitioners

See also:

• NHS needs 5,000 trainee doctors a year, says GPs' leader The Guardian

Unrelieved pain in palliative care in England

Unrelieved pain in palliative care in England This study estimates that currently there are approximately 125,971 end-of-life patients receiving, or in need of, palliative care suffering from unrelieved pain. Of these, an estimated 16,130 patients experience no relief from their pain at all in the last three months of life. Some of these patients suffer unnecessarily because of variations in the quality of care across care settings, for example, hospice versus at home services). Office of Health Economics

Suicide rate rises for first time since 2013

Suicide rate rises for first time since 2013 The suicide rate in the UK has risen for the first time since 2013, official figures show.

Office for National Statistics data for 2018 showed 11.2 deaths from suicide per 100,000 people - up from 10.1 in 2017.

Changes to the way suicides are recorded were brought in midway through last year and may account for some of the rise, the ONS says.

However, the suicide rate is still lower than its 1980s peak. BBC News

See also:

• Quarterly suicide death registrations in England: 2001 to 2018 registrations and 2019 provisional data Office for National Statistics
• Suicides in the UK: 2018 registrations Office for National Statistics
• Suicide prevention profile: September 2019 update Public Health England
• Amount of young people committing suicide in Britain is at a record high The Daily Mail
• Male suicides in record spike amid concern deaths were being wrongly recorded The Daily Telegraph

Cancer 'biggest middle-age killer in rich nations'

Cancer 'biggest middle-age killer in rich nations' Cancer now causes more deaths among the middle-aged in higher-income countries than cardiovascular disease, a study suggests.

Globally, heart problems and stroke is the leading cause of death at this age.

But the researchers say people in rich nations are 2.5 times more likely to die of cancer than cardiovascular disease in their middle years.

In poorer nations, the reverse is true - with cardiovascular disease three times more likely to claim the lives. BBC News

See also:

• Cancer's global epidemiological transition and growth (open access) The Lancet

Violence in the NHS: staff face routine assault and intimidation

Violence in the NHS: staff face routine assault and intimidation Lack of training and prosecutions, and workforce shortages, are placing staff in greater danger, say health unions

When Dr Miranda Roland, an A&E registrar, was held hostage by a patient brandishing a pair of steel surgical scissors in a cubicle, she didn’t panic. Moments earlier, she had gone in to check on the young patient, who was having a mental health episode after taking drugs, and had closed the door behind her. Although she was alone, Roland thought she was safe – all sharp and dangerous objects had been removed. Unfortunately, the patient had managed to hide a pair of scissors, which she pulled out before backing the doctor into a corner. “I was able to keep calm and talk her out of stabbing me,” Roland recalls. “I was lucky. It was that tense, it could have gone either way.” The Guardian

Violence in mental health can't be ignored, but nor can the pain of punitive policies

Violence in mental health can't be ignored, but nor can the pain of punitive policies | Peter Beresford Modern understanding of disability takes account of the barriers people face. Let’s do the same for mental health policy

When Anna became physically unwell as a student, her GP referred her to a psychiatrist and she agreed to voluntary treatment. After interviewing her for less than an hour, the psychiatrist diagnosed her with schizophrenia and told her there was a risk she would kill her mother.

“I have never been violent in my life, ever,” she says. But for 35 years Anna has had to live with this information, knowing it is written in her medical records and has limited her life opportunities for two decades. The Guardian

'Miracle' jab which cures rare form of child blindness to be offered by the NHS, Simon Stevens to announce

'Miracle' jab which cures rare form of child blindness to be offered by the NHS, Simon Stevens to announce A “miracle” jab which cures a rare form of child blindness will now be offered by the NHS, Simon Stevens will announce today.

Previously no treatment has been available for infants born with inherited retinal dystrophies disorders, which cause poor vision and often result in complete blindness by childhood.

Mr Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, is expected to announce the revolutionary gene therapy treatment, which costs over £600,000 per patient, at the Health Innovation Expo conference in Manchester. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS to fund revolutionary treatment for blindness in children NHS England
• Gene therapy for rare eye disease set to be offered on NHS BBC News
• Blind children battling rare condition to have their sight restored on the NHS The Daily Mail
• One-off injection will save children from inherited blindness The Guardian

NHS could save thousands of pounds by cutting back on expensive air mattresses

NHS could save thousands of pounds by cutting back on expensive air mattresses High-tech mattresses used by the NHS are no better than cheaper alternatives at protecting against pressure sores, according to a study.

The devices, built into one in ten hospital beds, are allocated to patients at risk of pressure sores - mostly the elderly.

Whether they work compared to cheaper special foam mattresses had not been studied in depth until now. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Pressure Relieving Support Surfaces for Pressure Ulcer Prevention (PRESSURE 2): Clinical and Health Economic Results of a Randomised Controlled Trial eClinicalMedicine

Questions invited for health group's annual general meeting

Questions invited for health group's annual general meeting Anyone interested in the planning of the local health service can watch the live-stream of an annual general meeting being held by a public health body this week.

NHS Corby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Nene Clinical Commissioning Group are holding their annual general meeting on Thursday, September 5 at Kettering Conference Centre, with members of the public invited to attend in person or watch it online. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Joint letter to Members of Parliament on no deal Brexit

Joint letter to Members of Parliament on no deal Brexit As major decisions about Brexit are taken, we have written to MPs with the King’s Fund and Health Foundation to lay out the impact of leaving without a deal for health and social care. Nuffield Trust

Diagnosis of late-stage prostate cancer reaches all-time high

Diagnosis of late-stage prostate cancer reaches all-time high As the latest figures show that 42.5% of diagnoses of prostate cancer are made in the late stages (stages iii or iv), men’s cancer charity Orchid is calling for men and healthcare professionals to FACE up to the disease.

The latest figures follow a 5-year trend and are coupled with statistics from a survey, commissioned by Orchid, which are being released for Male Cancer Awareness Week (2nd – 8th September) and highlight that awareness of prostate cancer risk factors amongst GPs is worryingly low, particularly in relation to ethnicity and family history

See also:

• Thousands of men die from prostate cancer every year because of late diagnosis, charity warns The Daily Mail

Life-saving organ transplant opportunities being missed

Life-saving organ transplant opportunities being missed As many as 2,500 more organs could be made available for transplant in the UK if families spoke more openly about donating after death, says the NHS Blood and Transplant organisation.

It is hoped the more that people talk about their wishes, the easier it will be for relatives to agree to donations. BBC News

Could fitness trackers be causing people to develop eating disorders?

Could fitness trackers be causing people to develop eating disorders? Fitness and health tracking devices are becoming increasingly popular and a huge variety of wearable tech and apps now exist. Indeed, many smartphones and smart watches now come primed and ready to track our activity, sleep and nutrition.

Research has for a long time highlighted how monitoring behaviours can help to lead to positive changes in our lifestyles. Tracking fitness can be an effective way to help increase physical activity, and to achieve weight loss.

But monitoring physical activity and food intake may not be useful for everyone. The Independent

UK training record number of mental health first aiders

UK training record number of mental health first aiders Britain is training record numbers of workplace “mental health first aiders” to confront a sharp rise in people expressing mental distress, though evidence of success is mixed, according to a Guardian study.

Requests sent to every FTSE 100 company show that they alone have trained more than 10,000 staffers, while mid-tier and even tiny businesses are appointing first responders who can be approached confidentially by those with depression, anxiety, stress and other conditions. The Guardian

Teenager 'first in UK' to go deaf and blind due to junk food diet, report reveals

Teenager 'first in UK' to go deaf and blind due to junk food diet, report reveals A teenager is believed to be the first in the UK to go deaf and blind due to his junk food diet, a report has warned.

The 17-year-old lived off a daily portion of chips, crisps, white bread and processed meat for around a decade.

His poor diet, which resulted in a number of vitamin deficiencies, led to the boy developing a condition called nutritional optic neuropathy (NON). The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Blindness Caused by a Junk Food Diet (abstract) Annals of Internal Medicine
• Teenager 'blind' from living off crisps and chips BBC News
• Boy, 17, goes blind because of a vitamin deficiency caused by his diet of French fries and Pringles The Daily Mail
• Teenager left blind and deaf by decade-long diet of sausages, crisps and processed food The Independent

Nurses will be handed £1,000 each to spend on career development to stop them quitting

Nurses will be handed £1,000 each to spend on career development to stop them quitting Nurses are being given £1,000 each to spend on their career development to stop them quitting the NHS.

The Government is promising the funding in an additional £210million for frontline health staff in what could be seen as another pre-election bribe.

The money is specifically aimed at improving the training of nurses and midwives to enhance patient care and keep staff motivated. The Daily Mail

See also:

• NHS Nurses to be given £1,000 each to spend on training in bid to stop staff leaving iNews

Making new technologies work for everyone

Making new technologies work for everyone The Office for National Statistics estimates around 1.5 million jobs in England are at high risk of having some of their duties automated in the future, while the World Economic Forum says nearly half of companiesexpect automation to lead to a reduction in their full-time workforce by 2022.

Reports like this understandably generate anxiety about what technological progress means for people’s livelihoods. And while automation – where a machine executes a task with minimal human input – has been with us since the Industrial Revolution, recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are pushing the boundaries of what can be automated, not just in relation to manual work but complex cognitive tasks too, including in health care services. The Health Foundation

See also:

• Which health care jobs are the most likely to be affected by automation? The Health Foundation

Drivers of health care expenditure: final report

Drivers of health care expenditure: final report Since the NHS was established growth in health care expenditure (HCE) has outpaced the rise in both GDP and in total public expenditure. Known drivers of HCE growth include demographic factors, income and wealth effects, technology and cost pressures. To identify the challenges and opportunities for developing a model of health care demand, this report looks at drivers of past trends in health care expenditure and how much each of the drivers has contributed to past increases in expenditure. It also investigates how much each type of service contributed to past trends in health care expenditure and why there have been different trends for different types of care. Centre for Health Economics

Call for HPV jab to be offered to older boys

Call for HPV jab to be offered to older boys The Teenage Cancer Trust wants the HPV vaccine programme to be extended to older boys and young men.

Strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) are linked to the majority of cervical cancer cases as well as oral, throat and anal cancers.

Teenage girls have been able to get the HPV jab in the UK since 2008 but now boys aged 11-13 will be offered it too.

The government said that vaccinating older boys would only have "limited benefit". BBC News

See also:

• More than a million teenage boys to miss out on life-saving cancer vaccinations Teenage Cancer Trust
• One million teenage boys are denied HPV vaccine that can prevent cancer The Daily Mail
• Cancer charity fears for boys and men who miss out on HPV vaccination The Guardian
• More than a million teenage boys could miss out on cancer-preventing HPV vaccines, charity warns The Independent

Police 'dealing with more mental health incidents'

Police 'dealing with more mental health incidents' The number of mental health incidents dealt with by police has risen by more than a quarter in four years, figures obtained by BBC Radio 5 Live show.

While there were 385,206 incidents flagged as mental health-related in 2014, in 2018 that figure was 494,159, a rise of 28%.

Police chiefs have said the issue is affecting the amount of time officers can focus on fighting crime. BBC News

More than 120,000 NHS patients kept on ‘hidden waiting lists’ for mental health appointments

More than 120,000 NHS patients kept on ‘hidden waiting lists’ for mental health appointments People seeking help with their mental health are being kept on “hidden waiting lists”, with more than 122,000 patients waiting more than eight weeks to see a doctor again after their first appointment, The Independent can reveal.

Patients who received an initial talking therapy session were then told to wait longer for a follow-up appointment in 90 per cent of NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in 2018-19, according to the Labour Party. CCGs are responsible for the planning of health services in local areas; there are currently 191 across England.

More than 100,000 patients missed out on early cancer diagnosis because of NHS staff shortages, charity claims

More than 100,000 patients missed out on early cancer diagnosis because of NHS staff shortages, charity claims About half of all cancer patients in England failed to be diagnosed with cancer in its early stages in one year, a charity has said, sounding the alarm that NHS staff shortages are contributing to a loss of life.

Some 115,000 people in England were diagnosed with late-stage cancer in 2017, significantly hurting their chances of survival and leaving them with fewer treatment options, according to figures released by Public Health England and analysed by Cancer Research UK. The Independent

See also:

• Lack of government action on NHS staffing undermines ambition to diagnose cancer early Cancer Research UK
• NHS medics fail to spot nearly half of cancers in time because of a crippling staff shortage The Daily Mail
• Cancer patients in England 'diagnosed too late' due to staff shortages The Guardian

NHS reports protester to Prevent for joining Extinction Rebellion

NHS reports protester to Prevent for joining Extinction Rebellion A retired doctor who took part in non-violent environmental protests was visited by police at his home after his local NHS trust reported him to the government’s counter-terrorism programme.

Lyn Jenkins, 69, joined the Extinction Rebellion environmental campaign after he became convinced that urgent action was needed to avert climate breakdown.

His local NHS trust referred him to Prevent, the government’s flagship programme designed to stop people from becoming terrorists. The Guardian