New mothers hassled in hospitals by babycare firms, warns Mumsnet

New mothers hassled in hospitals by babycare firms, warns Mumsnet: The online forum Mumsnet has criticsed the “intrusive” sales tactics of a childcare company endorsed by the NHS. Bounty gives out 2.6 million free “baby bags” a year, containing samples of babycare products, money-off coupons and catalogues. They are available in most hospitals. The Independent

See also:

• New mothers duped into talking to salesmen The Daily Telegraph
• NHS criticised for allowing sales people access to postnatal wards The Guardian

Illustrating Potential Efficiency Gains from Using Cost-Effectiveness Evidence to Reallocate Medicare Expenses

Illustrating Potential Efficiency Gains from Using Cost-Effectiveness Evidence to Reallocate Medicare Expenses: Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers illustrate the potential gains in health and efficiency if decision-makers at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were to take into account cost-effectiveness when making Medicare coverage decisions. The Commonwealth Fund

Understanding competition and choice in the NHS

Understanding competition and choice in the NHS: "This report examines the changes in the roles of the NHS and the private sector in the funding and provision of two elective in-patient procedures: hip and knee replacements." Nuffield Trust, Institute for Fiscal Studies

'Lack of support' after intensive care

'Lack of support' after intensive care: A study of former intensive care patients suggests many still suffer pain up to a year after leaving hospital. BBC News

Big rise in medical trial volunteers

Big rise in medical trial volunteers: The number of people volunteering for clinical trials - including one into typhoid - has trebled over the last five years. BBC News

Nursing goes 'back to the future'

Nursing goes 'back to the future': How a Dutch district nursing firm is reshaping care. BBC News

How NICE plans to reshape general practice

How NICE plans to reshape general practice: Professor David Haslam, the new chairman of NICE, believes technology is the key to integration. Stephen Robinson reports. GP Online

Many of the system-wide issues we face won’t be solved by management processes, says Jan Sobieraj

Many of the system-wide issues we face won’t be solved by management processes, says Jan Sobieraj: If the future sustainability of the NHS means its leaders will need to make tough decisions, how can leaders make sure they are making the right ones? In my chief executive roles in the NHS, I’ve made some difficult decisions – some clinical, some financial, many staff related. All had patient and service impact. You … Continue reading » NHS Voices

GPs reject call to take over out-of-hours care

GPs reject call to take over out-of-hours care: Doctors at BMA conference vote almost unanimously against proposal to place them back on call at evenings and weekends
GPs yesterday overwhelmingly reiterated their opposition to taking back responsibility for providing out-of-hours care, with some predicting that many older family doctors would quit if that was imposed on them.

Protect NHS whistleblowers urges consultant who lost job and home after raising concerns

Protect NHS whistleblowers urges consultant who lost job and home after raising concerns: An eminent hospital consultant has called for more protection for NHS whistleblowers after telling how he lost his job and home, and considered taking his life after being unfairly sacked when he raised his concerns about patient safety. The Daily Telegraph

Cap on number of GP visits being considered by Tories

Cap on number of GP visits being considered by Tories:
A cap on the number of times patients can visit their GP in a year is being considered by the Conservative Party, it emerged yesterday. The Independent

See also:

• Conservatives consider limit on GP visits The Daily Telegraph

Wellbeing boards are 'missing a chance' to tackle diabetes

Wellbeing boards are 'missing a chance' to tackle diabetes: NHS organisations are "missing an opportunity" to tackle the tide of diabetes, a charity has warned. The Independent

See also:

• Diabetes care risks being overlooked by new NHS organisations Diabetes UK

• Review of JSNAs and Health and Wellbeing Strategies Diabetes UK

Jeremy Hunt to outline plans for more GPs

Jeremy Hunt to outline plans for more GPs:
Thousands more medical students will be trained as family doctors under plans to be announced today by Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary. The Independent

See also:

• NHS needs thousands more doctors to prevent another Mid Staffs The Daily Telegraph
• VIDEO: NHS 'needs more community doctors' BBC News
• Policy paper: Health Education England mandate Department of Health

Inquiry call over NHS 111 'debacle'

Inquiry call over NHS 111 'debacle': An independent inquiry is needed into the NHS non-emergency 111 phone line "debacle" in England, GPs say. BBC News

See also:

• GPs call for independent inquiry into NHS 111 fiasco GP Online

Is the NHS going to blow a gasket?

Is the NHS going to blow a gasket?: But is the NHS going to blow a gasket? BBC News

WHO urges sharing over coronavirus

WHO urges sharing over coronavirus: The WHO urges countries with possible cases of novel coronavirus to share information amid concern over patent rights held by commercial labs. BBC News

Section 251ed

Section 251ed: NHS England's director of data and information management, Ming Tang, likens the commissioning board's efforts to sort through the information governance facing the new NHS to "working through treacle." E-Health Insider

Money allocated to general practice will fall by 2016

Money allocated to general practice will fall by 2016:

RCGP predicts a £200m fall in allocations in three years Related items from OnMedica GPs under pressure to put costs before patients Traditional GP role widens from ‘helping’ to ‘business’ model GP contract will mean ‘more work and less funding’ Contract changes will cut GP income The destabilisation of primary care contracts

Transforming care: a national response to Winterbourne View hospital

Transforming care: a national response to Winterbourne View hospital: This final report into the events at Winterbourne View hospital sets out a programme of action to transform services so that vulnerable people no longer live inappropriately in hospitals and are cared for in line with best practice. The actions highlighted include: strengthening accountability of boards of directors and senior managers for safety and quality of care; transferring patients to community-based support where appropriate; and the establishment of a new NHS and local government-led joint improvement team.

• Report
• Concordat
• Good practice examples
• Summary of responses
• Summary of government response
• Impact assessment
• Department of Health - news

Moving care to the community: an international perspective

Moving care to the community: an international perspective: Moving care out of hospitals and into the community has been a UK wide priority for over a decade; however despite the government’s commitment to invest in the community, there is a mismatch between reality and rhetoric. This report sets out the current policies and initiative in the above-mentioned countries to move care closer to home; outlines the impact of these reforms on the nursing workforce; and offers recommendations for key stakeholders in the UK.

• Report
• RCN - publications