Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Forget 'social care pot of gold'
Forget 'social care pot of gold': There will be no "pot of gold" to answer the prayers of councils struggling to look after the elderly, according to social care chiefs. BBC News
90% of GPs believe financial pressures will increase in next five years
90% of GPs believe financial pressures will increase in next five years: More than 90% of GPs believe financial pressures will increase in the next five years, a survey has revealed. GP Online
Mental health and homelessness: planning and delivering mental health services for homeless people
Mental health and homelessness: planning and delivering mental health services for homeless people: This Briefing sets out the policy context around tackling homelessness and addressing the mental health needs of homeless people. NHS Confederation
'Striking the Balance': practical guidance on the application of Caldicott Guardian Principles to domestic violence and MARACs (multi agency risk assessment conferences)
'Striking the Balance': practical guidance on the application of Caldicott Guardian Principles to domestic violence and MARACs (multi agency risk assessment conferences):
This guidance has been published jointly by the Department and the UK Council of Caldicott Guardians to assist those who need to share information about individuals involved in domestic violence. It sets out the underlying ethical considerations between confidentiality and information sharing and identifies the role of the Caldicott Guardian to ‘strike the balance’ between maintaining the individuals’ confidentiality and privacy and wider considerations such as protection from harm.
This guidance has been published jointly by the Department and the UK Council of Caldicott Guardians to assist those who need to share information about individuals involved in domestic violence. It sets out the underlying ethical considerations between confidentiality and information sharing and identifies the role of the Caldicott Guardian to ‘strike the balance’ between maintaining the individuals’ confidentiality and privacy and wider considerations such as protection from harm.
Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach
Improving care for lung cancer patients: a collaborative approach:
The Improving Lung Cancer Outcomes project aims to improve the quality of care and patient experience for lung cancer patients. The project paired hospitals and multi-disciplinary teams and encouraged them to visit each others’ services and review their processes. This publication outlines examples of best practice and practical examples of quality improvement projects.
The Improving Lung Cancer Outcomes project aims to improve the quality of care and patient experience for lung cancer patients. The project paired hospitals and multi-disciplinary teams and encouraged them to visit each others’ services and review their processes. This publication outlines examples of best practice and practical examples of quality improvement projects.
NHS 'must do more to respond to rising numbers of homeless'
NHS 'must do more to respond to rising numbers of homeless':
Many homeless people struggle to register with a GP and gain access to health services, NHS Confederation warns
Health services needs to "up their game" to respond to rising levels of homelessness and people sleeping rough as the recession lingers and benefit cuts begin to bite, according to a report by the providers of NHS services.
The NHS Confederation, representing all hospitals and providers who treat the homeless, warn that those on the streets often struggle to register with a GP and that many suffer from mental health problems that doctors refuse to treat unless they are "clean".
About 70% of people who use homelessness services have mental health problems, and many self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.
"For a range of NHS-funded services, we are not treating homeless patients for mental health who are intoxicated. People are not accepted because they use drink or drugs. Clearly they do need to be referred for therapy, so it's not good enough to say, 'Go away and clean yourself up,'," said the confederation's mental health network director, Steve Shrubb.
Shrubb said there was concern in the NHS that homeless numbers were increasing at a time when the health regulator Monitor warned of cuts of 7% a year for three years. He said the government's own estimate that 2,200 people were sleeping rough on any one night in England – a jump of 23% on the previous year – was too low. "We probably have that in London alone," he said.
Shrubb pointed out that a study by the University of York revealed that 23,000 people were already in emergency accommodation, slipping in and out of homelessness. "A lot of our members tell us that this is the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of particularly young people moving from couch to couch, staying on friends' floors. It only takes a small crisis for them to be on the streets. We need to get an idea of how big this problem is."
Charities backed the report and warned that the government's programme on mental health might be too narrow. Peter Cockersell, the director of health and recovery at St Mungo's, a homeless charity, said the government's focus on improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT), centred around cognitive behavioural therapy, was in some cases obscuring those with the greatest needs.
"We are seeing counselling and therapy services [for the homeless] closed down. IAPT is getting bigger but it is working with a much narrower group of clients," Cockersell said. One of St Mungo's clients, Len, a former alcoholic who spent eight years on the streets, told the Guardian that he had only "got clean because of the therapy provided by the charity. That's all been cut now." The Guardian
Health services needs to "up their game" to respond to rising levels of homelessness and people sleeping rough as the recession lingers and benefit cuts begin to bite, according to a report by the providers of NHS services.
The NHS Confederation, representing all hospitals and providers who treat the homeless, warn that those on the streets often struggle to register with a GP and that many suffer from mental health problems that doctors refuse to treat unless they are "clean".
About 70% of people who use homelessness services have mental health problems, and many self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.
"For a range of NHS-funded services, we are not treating homeless patients for mental health who are intoxicated. People are not accepted because they use drink or drugs. Clearly they do need to be referred for therapy, so it's not good enough to say, 'Go away and clean yourself up,'," said the confederation's mental health network director, Steve Shrubb.
Shrubb said there was concern in the NHS that homeless numbers were increasing at a time when the health regulator Monitor warned of cuts of 7% a year for three years. He said the government's own estimate that 2,200 people were sleeping rough on any one night in England – a jump of 23% on the previous year – was too low. "We probably have that in London alone," he said.
Shrubb pointed out that a study by the University of York revealed that 23,000 people were already in emergency accommodation, slipping in and out of homelessness. "A lot of our members tell us that this is the tip of the iceberg. There are a lot of particularly young people moving from couch to couch, staying on friends' floors. It only takes a small crisis for them to be on the streets. We need to get an idea of how big this problem is."
Charities backed the report and warned that the government's programme on mental health might be too narrow. Peter Cockersell, the director of health and recovery at St Mungo's, a homeless charity, said the government's focus on improving access to psychological therapies (IAPT), centred around cognitive behavioural therapy, was in some cases obscuring those with the greatest needs.
"We are seeing counselling and therapy services [for the homeless] closed down. IAPT is getting bigger but it is working with a much narrower group of clients," Cockersell said. One of St Mungo's clients, Len, a former alcoholic who spent eight years on the streets, told the Guardian that he had only "got clean because of the therapy provided by the charity. That's all been cut now." The Guardian
One in four women buy wrong medication after misdiagnosing themselves on the internet
One in four women buy wrong medication after misdiagnosing themselves on the internet: Women with embarrassing medical problems are misdiagnosing themselves after consulting 'Dr Google', research suggests.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
Exclusive: Crisis in care of elderly as £1bn cuts bite
Exclusive: Crisis in care of elderly as £1bn cuts bite:
Hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled people face cuts to their support and assistance this year as councils struggle to find new savings of £1bn from social-care budgets, an investigation by The Independent has established.
Hundreds of thousands of elderly and disabled people face cuts to their support and assistance this year as councils struggle to find new savings of £1bn from social-care budgets, an investigation by The Independent has established.
Government to unveil plan to improve NHS language skills
Government to unveil plan to improve NHS language skills:
Doctors whose English is not up to scratch could be struck off amid fears that patients are being put at risk. The Independent
Doctors whose English is not up to scratch could be struck off amid fears that patients are being put at risk. The Independent
Independent advocacy for people with mental disorder
Independent advocacy for people with mental disorder
This report sets out the principles of advocacy and provides recommendations and guidance. Independent advocacy is an excellent way to ensure that an individual’s rights are upheld and that the individual receives the care and treatment that they are entitled to. It also has benefits for psychiatrists and can improve the quality of the relationships between people with mental health problems and professionals.
This report replaces CR74: Patient Advocacy, 1999.
This report replaces CR74: Patient Advocacy, 1999.
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Politician’s fears for Corby health services
Politician’s fears for Corby health services:
NHS reorganisation costs are hitting Corby health services, a prospective MP has claimed. Evening Telegraph
NHS reorganisation costs are hitting Corby health services, a prospective MP has claimed. Evening Telegraph
Guidance on direct access to diagnostic tests for cancer
Guidance on direct access to diagnostic tests for cancer:
The guidance aims to help GPs in determining which patients would be suitable for direct referral to local services providing the diagnostic tests.
It deals specifically with the circumstances and symptoms that may warrant such referrals and is aimed at health care professionals across primary and secondary care and those who both provide and commission services. NHS Networks
The guidance aims to help GPs in determining which patients would be suitable for direct referral to local services providing the diagnostic tests.
It deals specifically with the circumstances and symptoms that may warrant such referrals and is aimed at health care professionals across primary and secondary care and those who both provide and commission services. NHS Networks
Dementia: a public health priority
Dementia: a public health priority:
This report, produced jointly by WHO and Alzheimer's Disease International, aims to raise awareness of dementia as a public health priority; to articulate a public health approach; and to advocate for action at international and national levels. NHS Networks
This report, produced jointly by WHO and Alzheimer's Disease International, aims to raise awareness of dementia as a public health priority; to articulate a public health approach; and to advocate for action at international and national levels. NHS Networks
‘Striking the Balance’ Guidance on information sharing
‘Striking the Balance’ Guidance on information sharing:
This guidance has been published jointly by the Department and the UK Council of Caldicott Guardians to assist those who need to share information about individuals involved in domestic violence, for example at a MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference) – a local, multi agency victim-focused meeting where information is shared on the highest risk cases of domestic abuse between different agencies.
It sets out the underlying ethical considerations between confidentiality and information sharing and identifies the role of the Caldicott Guardian to ‘strike the balance’ between maintaining the individuals’ confidentiality and privacy and wider considerations such as protection from harm.
Read the report: ‘Striking the Balance’: Practical Guidance on the application of Caldicott Guardian Principles to Domestic Violence and MARACs (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences) Department of Health
This guidance has been published jointly by the Department and the UK Council of Caldicott Guardians to assist those who need to share information about individuals involved in domestic violence, for example at a MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference) – a local, multi agency victim-focused meeting where information is shared on the highest risk cases of domestic abuse between different agencies.
It sets out the underlying ethical considerations between confidentiality and information sharing and identifies the role of the Caldicott Guardian to ‘strike the balance’ between maintaining the individuals’ confidentiality and privacy and wider considerations such as protection from harm.
Read the report: ‘Striking the Balance’: Practical Guidance on the application of Caldicott Guardian Principles to Domestic Violence and MARACs (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences) Department of Health
NHS warning over night discharges
NHS warning over night discharges: The medical director of the NHS in England tells hospitals to stop discharging patients overnight to free up beds. BBC News
RCGP in talks about UK-wide NHS plan
RCGP in talks about UK-wide NHS plan: RCGP wants all four UK governments to adopt 10 core values for the NHS. GP Online
A crisis in nursing?
A crisis in nursing? Complaints against nurses and midwives rise by 57 per cent NMC
Walking a useful tool to treat depression
Walking a useful tool to treat depression:
Researchers at the University of Stirling have said taking a walk could play a part in beating depression.The results of a study published in the Mental Health and Physical Activity journal revealed that walking had a "large effect" on depression.The research team looked at eight studies involving 341 people to determine the effect of walking on depression.The report's authors said &qu... Healthcare Today
Government response after swine flu may have led to more deaths: Liam Donaldson
Government response after swine flu may have led to more deaths: Liam Donaldson: The Coalition's decision to scrap the flu awareness campaign after coming into power may have contributed to hundreds of preventable deaths, the government's former chief medical officer has said.
Daily Telegraph
Daily Telegraph
David Cameron to announce nursing overhaul
David Cameron to announce nursing overhaul: David Cameron will say that 'nothing counts more than a friendly face and a calming word' as he announces an overhaul of nursing.
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
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