Immunisation and screening: local government's new public role

Immunisation and screening: local government's new public role This briefing explains the challenges facing councils and the opportunities they have to help deliver efficient and good quality vaccination and screening programmes.

• Briefing
• LGA - publications

NHS recorded £2.1 billion surplus last year

NHS recorded £2.1 billion surplus last year NHS performance was slightly stronger in 2012-13 than in 2011-12  OnMedica

See also:

• 2012-13 update on indicators of financial sustainability in the NHS National Audit Office

CCG membership forces half of GPs to change clinical practice

CCG membership forces half of GPs to change clinical practice More than half of practices say that being a CCG member had changed their clinical practice in terms of prescribing patterns, referral pathways and volume of referrals, according to research. GP Online

Tory strategist Lynton Crosby in new lobbying row

Tory strategist Lynton Crosby in new lobbying row Exclusive: Firm he founded, Crosby Textor, advised private healthcare providers how to exploit NHS 'failings'

The lobbying firm founded by the Tories' chief election strategist, Lynton Crosby, advised private healthcare providers on how to exploit perceived "failings" in the NHS, according to a leaked document obtained by the Guardian.

Lonely lives of the rural elderly

Lonely lives of the rural elderly Shop closures and bus service cuts causing social isolation says report which found half of over 75s living alone. The Daily Telegraph

Four in five sufferers of skin cancer now survive

Four in five sufferers of skin cancer now survive

More than 80 per cent of people diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, will now survive the disease, scientists have said. Yet British sunbathing habits mean the number of cases continues to rise. The Independent

NHS Nene CCG Shaping your local healthcare prospectus published

NHS Nene CCG Shaping your local healthcare prospectus published NHS Nene Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has published its prospectus for 2013/14, ‘Shaping your local healthcare'. 

MPs meet minister over 'unfit' A&E

MPs meet minister over 'unfit' A&E A health minister agrees to look at a bid to expand an A&E department deemed "unfit for purpose" at Kettering General Hospital. BBC Northamptonshire

Warning over cancer health issues

Warning over cancer health issues Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK face poor health or disability after being treated for cancer, says a report from Macmillan Cancer Support. BBC News

See also:

• Cured, but at what cost? MacMillan Cancer Support

Five ways the NHS landscape is changing

Five ways the NHS landscape is changing What has the last week taught us about the NHS? BBC News

Alcohol deaths 'up' in young women

Alcohol deaths 'up' in young women Deaths from alcohol-related disease in women born in the 1970s are rising, contrary to the overall trend, a study suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Numbers of young women dying due to alcohol increasing The Daily Telegraph

Survey on female leaders in healthcare

Survey on female leaders in healthcare This survey, conducted in conjunction with the HSJ, suggests that women are still facing barriers to becoming senior leaders in the NHS. Just under half of the respondants thought having children put their career at a disadvantage, and two thirds felt a greater pressure to prove themselves than their male counterparts. Other respondents said that they struggled with a culture of an old boys’ network and attitudes to women leaders. Over a third said they had encountered sexual discrimination and over half said they had been bullied in the workplace.

Please note: in order to view the results of this survey, free registration with the HSJ is required.

• Survey results
• Related blog
• Pinterest board of inspiring women in healthcare
• The King's Fund - press release

NHS 111 inquiry slams providers, commissioners and NHS England

NHS 111 inquiry slams providers, commissioners and NHS England A damning report into failings with NHS 111 found local commissioners lacked necessary skills and tried to cut costs, providers lacked capacity and capability, and NHS England failed to provide proper central oversight and support. GP Online

See also:

• Full 111 rollout put back to 2014 BBC News

'Jaw-dropping' rise in NHS claims after scandals

'Jaw-dropping' rise in NHS claims after scandals Claims against the NHS for medical negligence have risen by more than 20 per cent in just one year after a succession of hospital scandals, official figures show. The Daily Telegraph

While dubious mortality rates grab headlines, NHS privatisation gallops on | Polly Toynbee

While dubious mortality rates grab headlines, NHS privatisation gallops on | Polly Toynbee The ferocity of the battle over 'dangerous' hospitals was not synthetic. The future of the NHS itself is under attack.

How the NHS can build external partnerships

How the NHS can build external partnerships Successful partnerships can offer benefits to both the public and private sectors.

Bain buys £230m stake in UK blood plasma supplier

Bain buys £230m stake in UK blood plasma supplier The government has sold a majority stake in Plasma Resources UK, the Department of Health's blood plasma supplier, to private equity firms Bain Capital for £230m.The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Bain Capital buys majority stake in Plasma Resources UK The Guardian

Elderly patients wait up to a year for dementia tests

Elderly patients wait up to a year for dementia tests

Elderly patients are waiting up to a year for a dementia diagnosis and face delays getting the help they need, even after diagnosis, an investigation has revealed. The Independent

See also:

• Dementia patients wait a year for diagnosis The Daily Telegraph
• National Audit for Dementia Care in General Hospitals 2012-13 Second report Royal College of Psychiatrists

Health warning as temperature soars

Health warning as temperature soars As the hot weather continues, NHS Corby and NHS Nene clinical commissioning groups are reminding people to take simple steps to stay safe and well. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Two perfect babies. But you've just paid Bernice £44,000 compensation for having them

Two perfect babies. But you've just paid Bernice £44,000 compensation for having them Bernice met the directors of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust last March, after she had her dummy implant removed at four months pregnant. She had been promised an investigation and an explanation as to why the contraception... The Daily Mail