Millions see GP for stuffy noses and dandruff in waste of appointments: survey

Millions see GP for stuffy noses and dandruff in waste of appointments: survey: One in five GP appointments is unnecessary as patients complain of ailments such as blocked noses and dandruff, a study has found. The Daily Telegraph

Hospital 'failed dehydration patient'

Hospital 'failed dehydration patient':
Neglect by medical staff led to a man dying of dehydration in a hospital bed, a coroner has ruled. The Independent

Exclusive: Doctors' basic errors are killing 1,000 patients a month

Exclusive: Doctors' basic errors are killing 1,000 patients a month:
Almost 12,000 patients are dying needlessly in NHS hospitals every year because of basic errors by medical staff, according to the largest and most detailed study into hospital deaths ever performed in the UK. The Independent

Caring for our future: reforming care and support

Caring for our future: reforming care and support:
This white paper sets out the vision for a reformed care and support system. The progress report on funding reform sets out the government’s position on social care funding. The draft Care and Support Bill creates a single modern piece of law for adult care and support, replacing complex and outdated legislation. The Department of Health are inviting comments on the draft text of the Care and Support Bill until 19th October 2012.

• White paper
• Progress report on funding reform
• Draft Care and Support Bill

White paper supporting documentation

• Care and Support Bill factsheets
• Frequently asked questions
• Impact assessment summary
• Impact assessment annex a: reform of adult social care legislation
• Impact assessment annex b: independence, choice and control
• Impact assessment annex c: assessment and eligibility
• Impact assessment annex d: quality providers and workforce
• Equality analysis
• Bringing clarity to quality in care and support
• Government response to the House of Commons Health Committee report on social care
• Reforming the law for adult care and support: the Government's repsonse to Law Commission report 326 on adult social care

Bill supporting documentation

• Q&A on the health-related clauses in the Bill
• Impact assessment - Health Education England
• Impact assessment - Health Research Authority
• Equality analysis - establishing the Health Research Authority as a non-departmental public body
• Equality analysis - establishing Health Education England as a non-departmental public body

Consultations

• Draft Care and Support Bill consultation
• Consultation on new safeguarding powers
• Caring for the future: summary of engagement responses
• Caring for the future: analysis of engagement responses

Responses and reactions

• Age UK
• Alzheimer's Society
• Association of British Insurers
• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
• Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
• British Association of Social Workers
• Care and Support Alliance
• The Carers Trust
• Carers UK
• Foundation Trust Network
• Help the Hospices
• Institute of Economic Affairs
• Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• The King's Fund
• Labour Party
• Law Commission
• Law Society
• Local Government Association
• Macmillan Cancer Support
• Marie Curie Cancer Care
• Mencap
• NHS Confederation
• The Nuffield Trust
• The Patients Association
• PricewaterhouseCooper
• Royal College of Nursing
• Royal National Institute of Blind People
• Social Care Institute for Excellence
• Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers
• Think Local Act Personal
• TUC
• UNISON
• Which?

It's time to demonstrate the value of care co-ordination

It's time to demonstrate the value of care co-ordination: Unless we are ready and prepared to invest in this approach, and to examine the outcomes of the many innovations in care co-ordination that exist in the UK and other countries, it will continue to be on the fringes of activity rather than being the main event. (Blog, 11 Jul 2012) Kings Fund

The engagement cycle – online resource for commissioners

The engagement cycle – online resource for commissioners:
Refreshed for the new NHS landscape, this resource offers a structured framework based around the commissioning stages and includes first-hand experiences, comprehensive information on all aspects of engagement in commissioning and links to additional resources. NHS Networks

Care plans 'paper over cracks'

Care plans 'paper over cracks': The elderly and disabled face years of misery because the government has failed in its overhaul of social care, council leaders and campaigners say. BBC News

Government won't commit to Dilnot plans

Government won't commit to Dilnot plans: Department of Health says it cannot commit to introducing a new funding system for social care Public Service

The old and the vulnerable prepare to pay a high price

The old and the vulnerable prepare to pay a high price:
Bold policies can provoke stark reactions. That certainly has proved to be the case with social care. Yesterday, Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, described his proposals as the most radical reform of care costs in 64 years. And so the response he met was equally forceful: councils, charities and unions immediately hit out at the notion of "death tax" loans. The Independent

Adults should have risk assessment for diabetes, watchdog warns

Adults should have risk assessment for diabetes, watchdog warns:
All adults aged 40 and above should have a risk assessment for type 2 diabetes, according to the healthcare watchdog. The Independent

Unavailability of intravesical BCG for treatment of bladder cancer

Unavailability of intravesical BCG for treatment of bladder cancer:
Provides information and sources of further guidance relating to the current shortage of products used in the treatment of some bladder cancers. NHS Networks

Social care funding clarity urged

Social care funding clarity urged: The government is setting out its White Paper on social care later, amid calls for greater clarity on how it plans to fund the system in England. BBC News

What are health and wellbeing boards and what do they mean for CCGs?

What are health and wellbeing boards and what do they mean for CCGs?: Health and wellbeing boards will be working closely with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) from April 2013 but what are they and how will they work? Neil Durham reports GP Online

CIPD launches stress management tool

CIPD launches stress management tool: Developed with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the tool is designed to equip managers with the skills to manage positively and prevent stress in their staff. NHS Employers

Social care funding crisis impacting on NHS patients now, says head of the NHS Confederation

Social care funding crisis impacting on NHS patients now, says head of the NHS Confederation: The NHS Confederation today (Wednesday) said it welcomed the Government’s commitment improving social care for older people but issued a strong warning about the urgency of a sustainable funding settlement. NHS Confederation

PCTs restricting access to sexual health services - report

PCTs restricting access to sexual health services - report: MPs have warned the government that some trusts are actively restricting women from accessing contraceptive services, in a new report published today. The report of the APPG Inquiry into restrictions in access to contraception services is published today (10 July).
Healthy Women, Healthy Lives? The Cost of Curbing Access to Contraception Services (PDF) found that restrictions in access to contraception included:

• restricting access to contraception for over 25s
  
• restricting access to contraception services to residents-only
  
• restrictions on access to long-acting reversible methods of contraception (LARC) through GP referral only.
  

Steroid users 'doubling'

Steroid users 'doubling':

Health charities have warned that the number of people using steroids "is doubling year-on-year".Charities have suggested that approximately 100,000 people in the UK are using the drugs, even though side-effects can include hair loss, shrunken testicles and heart and liver problems.Jonathan, a 22-year-old user from Middlesbrough, told BBC Newsbeat: "Although it's not an addictive dr... Healthcare Today

Bed blockers 'put NHS in danger of collapse'

Bed blockers 'put NHS in danger of collapse': The NHS is at risk of "collapse" as cuts to social care budgets have triggered a rise in bed blocking and emergency admissions, a poll of health managers has found. The Daily Telegraph

Mad rush to save the NHS from disaster

Mad rush to save the NHS from disaster:
On 31 March last year, just as the Health and Social Care Bill was completing its committee stage in the Commons, David Cameron and Nick Clegg called Andrew Lansley to a meeting in No 10. The Independent

Sharp rise in women over 40 having babies

Sharp rise in women over 40 having babies:
Women are embracing motherhood later in life than ever. Births to women over 40 rose to almost 30,000 last year, three times higher than in 1991. The Independent