Friday, 15 May 2015
Do patients choose hospitals that improve their health?
Do patients choose hospitals that improve their health? Patients in the English NHS can choose which hospital to attend for planned surgery. Among other things, their choice depends on the quality of care that each hospital provides. But the existing information on hospital quality is often limited and focuses only on the negative experience of patients, for example how many patients died after surgery or were readmitted for unplanned care. Patients increasingly have access to better information on hospital quality. The NHS has recently begun to publish information on improvements in health as reported by patients themselves. This paper tests whether hip replacement patients in England are more likely to attend a hospital that achieves larger improvements in their patients’ health. It finds that health improvements are more important for the choice of hospital than readmission or mortality rates. However, patients’ reaction to quality information is generally limited: even for large changes in quality patients would only be willing to travel few kilometres more. Centre for Health Economics
Could testing grip strength predict heart disease risk?
Could testing grip strength predict heart disease risk? "Poor grip can signal chances of major illness or premature death," the Mail Online reports. An international study has provided evidence that assessing grip strength could help identify people who were at higher risk of cardiovascular incidents such as a heart attack.
The study authors wanted to see whether muscle strength, measured by grip, can predict the chances of getting a range of illnesses, and of dying, in high-, medium- and low-income countries. To find out, they tested 142,861 people across 17 countries and tracked what happened to them over the course of four years. The study found that the chances of dying during this period were higher for people with weaker grips, as were the chances of having a heart attack or stroke.
The grip test predicted death from any cause better than systolic blood pressure did, but the blood pressure test was better at predicting whether someone would have a heart attack or stroke.
Grip tests may be a quick way of assessing someone's chances of having cardiovascular disease, or dying from it, but the study doesn't tell us whether muscle weakness causes illness, or the other way around.
The study authors wanted to see whether muscle strength, measured by grip, can predict the chances of getting a range of illnesses, and of dying, in high-, medium- and low-income countries. To find out, they tested 142,861 people across 17 countries and tracked what happened to them over the course of four years. The study found that the chances of dying during this period were higher for people with weaker grips, as were the chances of having a heart attack or stroke.
The grip test predicted death from any cause better than systolic blood pressure did, but the blood pressure test was better at predicting whether someone would have a heart attack or stroke.
Grip tests may be a quick way of assessing someone's chances of having cardiovascular disease, or dying from it, but the study doesn't tell us whether muscle weakness causes illness, or the other way around.
VIDEO: 'Simple shaving cut could kill you'
VIDEO: 'Simple shaving cut could kill you' Economist Jim O'Neill, the head of a UK government-appointed team looking at the impact of superbugs, tells Victoria Derbyshire the antibiotics crisis could cost millions of lives. BBC News
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More cities to control health budgets
More cities to control health budgets Chancellor George Osborne has opened the way for more big cities to take control of local healthcare budgets. E-Health Insider
GPs service put into special measures over patient safety concerns
GPs service put into special measures over patient safety concerns The Leicester City, Leicestershire and Rutland out-of-hours service was rated 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission. Inspectors raised concers over patient safety, waiting times and inadequate equipment. The Daily Mail
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'The tools to cope': Pioneering treatment at South London and Maudsley NHS trust turns lives around
'The tools to cope': Pioneering treatment at South London and Maudsley NHS trust turns lives around
The trust is one of two areas offering talking therapy to people with severe mental illness; it has seen waiting times cut while access to treatment has increased dramatically
Rosemary first started suffering from severe depression after the birth of her daughter and was experiencing several panic attacks a day.
It was the start of a mental illness that lasted more than 20 years. Despite attempting to get professional help, she felt nobody was really listening and couldn't escape from a destructive cycle of mood swings, paranoia and hallucinations. Continue reading... The Guardian
The trust is one of two areas offering talking therapy to people with severe mental illness; it has seen waiting times cut while access to treatment has increased dramatically
Rosemary first started suffering from severe depression after the birth of her daughter and was experiencing several panic attacks a day.
It was the start of a mental illness that lasted more than 20 years. Despite attempting to get professional help, she felt nobody was really listening and couldn't escape from a destructive cycle of mood swings, paranoia and hallucinations. Continue reading... The Guardian
Boy who suffered brain damage due to Harrogate hospital failings to get £10m
Boy who suffered brain damage due to Harrogate hospital failings to get £10m Kit van Berckel suffered significant brain injury at his birth in 2008 after medical staff failed to recognise that he was in distress
A six-year-old boy with cerebral palsy is to receive a £10m care and rehabilitation package from Harrogate hospital NHS trust after it admitted failing to provide proper care during his birth that resulted in devastating neurological injuries.
Kit van Berckel, from Harrogate, north Yorkshire, was born without a heartbeat and needed resuscitating after medical staff failed to recognise that he was in distress for a prolonged period of time when his mother, Joanna, was admitted to hospital on 31 May 2008, 10 days over her due date. Continue reading... The Guardian
A six-year-old boy with cerebral palsy is to receive a £10m care and rehabilitation package from Harrogate hospital NHS trust after it admitted failing to provide proper care during his birth that resulted in devastating neurological injuries.
Kit van Berckel, from Harrogate, north Yorkshire, was born without a heartbeat and needed resuscitating after medical staff failed to recognise that he was in distress for a prolonged period of time when his mother, Joanna, was admitted to hospital on 31 May 2008, 10 days over her due date. Continue reading... The Guardian
Private healthcare companies accused of using tax relief to undercut the NHS
Private healthcare companies accused of using tax relief to undercut the NHS Private healthcare companies have been accused of getting unfair tax relief when competing with the NHS to provide treatments such as chemotherapy for patients at home. The Independent
Single mothers more likely to suffer ill health, research finds
Single mothers more likely to suffer ill health, research finds Single mothers in England were found to be more likely to suffer poor health later on in life in an international study of women over 50. The Independent
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Thursday, 14 May 2015
Corby Council leader vows to improve people’s health
Corby Council leader vows to improve people’s health Tom Beattie, who has retained his role as leader of Corby Council, has said he is keen to continue supporting regeneration and improving healthcare in the town. Northamptonshire Telegraph
Number of dementia sufferers in Northamptonshire expected to nearly double
Number of dementia sufferers in Northamptonshire expected to nearly double The number of people in Northamptonshire with dementia is expected to almost double in the next 15 years. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Survey to ask Northamptonshire people about their wellbeing services
Survey to ask Northamptonshire people about their wellbeing services An online survey has been launched to find out about the wellbeing services that Northamptonshire residents want.
The survey is being carried out by Northamptonshire County Council, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Northampton, who are all working together to form a new Wellbeing Community Interest Company. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
The survey is being carried out by Northamptonshire County Council, Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Northampton, who are all working together to form a new Wellbeing Community Interest Company. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
You can find the survey here:
Thousands of women confront mental health issues in thriving community perinatal scheme
Thousands of women confront mental health issues in thriving community perinatal scheme Thousands of pregnant women have confronted mental health issues before they become more serious thanks to a thriving perinatal mental health service in Devon.
Since it began five years ago the ten-strong Devon and Torbay Perinatal Health Team has identified, supported or signposted thousands of women who needed mental health support.
Now, all of the women who give birth every year in the three acute hospitals in Devon and Torbay are asked by midwives about their mental health and those who report concerns or are at risk are referred to the team.
In the last three years, 5,698 of the 22,715 women who gave birth needed the service. All of those women received evidence based advice, either in a letter, following a telephone conversation or in response to a face to face assessment. NHS England
Since it began five years ago the ten-strong Devon and Torbay Perinatal Health Team has identified, supported or signposted thousands of women who needed mental health support.
Now, all of the women who give birth every year in the three acute hospitals in Devon and Torbay are asked by midwives about their mental health and those who report concerns or are at risk are referred to the team.
In the last three years, 5,698 of the 22,715 women who gave birth needed the service. All of those women received evidence based advice, either in a letter, following a telephone conversation or in response to a face to face assessment. NHS England
Children's clinical research 'urged'
Children's clinical research 'urged' There must be a culture shift in medical research to make sure more children can take part, an expert panel at the Nuffield Council of Bioethics says. BBC News
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See also:
- Children’s views should shape how research is conducted (press release) Nuffield Council of Bioethics
- Children and clinical research Nuffield Council of Bioethics
$2bn antibiotic research fund urged
$2bn antibiotic research fund urged The global pharmaceutical industry is being called on to pay for a $2bn innovation fund to revitalise research into antibiotics. BBC News
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See also:
- Securing New Drugs for Future Generations – the Pipeline of Antibiotics Review on Antimicrobial Resistance
- RCGP response to Review on Antimicrobial Resistance Royal College of General Practitioners
- Governments must club together to combat global threat of 'superbugs', says report The Independent
How professional are medical students?
How professional are medical students? At the end of last year, we ran a survey to find out more about the professional values of the UK’s medical students. Over 2,500 students took part to tell us what they thought. General Medical Council
Hunt says his mission is ‘step-change’ in GP services
Hunt says his mission is ‘step-change’ in GP services General practice needs fair share of NHS budget and 8000 more GPs to meet demands. OnMedica
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Mindfulness: an effective mental health treatment but not a panacea
Mindfulness: an effective mental health treatment but not a panacea It’s cheap with a wide range of health benefits – but there’s a shortage of teachers and NHS provision is patchy
It may be an ancient Buddhist practice, co-opted and misrepresented by celebrity practitioners, but scientists and health practitioners have found that mindfulness has specific benefits for mental health patients. The medical profession, too, is beginning to take it seriously.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Florian Ruths explains why: “MBCT [mindfulness based cognitive therapy] is a powerful intervention –it isn’t fluffy or alternative. The MBCT course is based on solid scientific research, and Nice [the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence] has recommended it since 2005 for keeping patients with recurrent depressive vulnerability depression-free.” Continue reading... The Guardian
It may be an ancient Buddhist practice, co-opted and misrepresented by celebrity practitioners, but scientists and health practitioners have found that mindfulness has specific benefits for mental health patients. The medical profession, too, is beginning to take it seriously.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Florian Ruths explains why: “MBCT [mindfulness based cognitive therapy] is a powerful intervention –it isn’t fluffy or alternative. The MBCT course is based on solid scientific research, and Nice [the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence] has recommended it since 2005 for keeping patients with recurrent depressive vulnerability depression-free.” Continue reading... The Guardian
Physiotherapists can relieve pressure on overstretched A&E departments
Physiotherapists can relieve pressure on overstretched A&E departments As well as seeing patients with musculoskeletal injuries, physiotherapists can treat elderly people who have had falls
When physiotherapist Annalisa Newson started working in Salford Royal hospital’s A&E department, little did she know she would leave a lasting legacy.
We free up doctors by allowing patients to see the right person at the right time Continue reading... The Guardian
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When physiotherapist Annalisa Newson started working in Salford Royal hospital’s A&E department, little did she know she would leave a lasting legacy.
We free up doctors by allowing patients to see the right person at the right time Continue reading... The Guardian
See also:
- Physiotherapists call for bigger role in delivering healthcare changes The Guardian
- Physiotherapy can transform the NHS and lives of older adults The Guardian
- Rehab at home aids patient recovery and saves money The Guardian
- Devon and Nottingham health services see waiting times for physiotherapy cut The Guardian
- Wanted: newly qualified physiotherapists The Guardian
Mental health cuts are ‘driving people to the edge’
Mental health cuts are ‘driving people to the edge’ Mark Winstanley, head of the Rethink Mental Illness charity, urges the Conservative government to act on its funding promises and prioritise mental health
The day before last week’s election, leaked minutes from the meeting of a key mental health steering group, the Crisis Care Concordat, warned of an NHS “system failure” that was leading to large numbers of people in mental distress turning to A&E for help, due to inadequate community-based mental health services. Concerns were also raised about how many patients, especially young people, were being admitted to hospitals miles away from home because of mental health bed shortages. Continue reading... The Guardian
The day before last week’s election, leaked minutes from the meeting of a key mental health steering group, the Crisis Care Concordat, warned of an NHS “system failure” that was leading to large numbers of people in mental distress turning to A&E for help, due to inadequate community-based mental health services. Concerns were also raised about how many patients, especially young people, were being admitted to hospitals miles away from home because of mental health bed shortages. Continue reading... The Guardian
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