Tears, tantrums and no pay – my life on a zero-hours contract in the NHS

Tears, tantrums and no pay – my life on a zero-hours contract in the NHS I endured personal attacks, felt invisible and undervalued working in administration. Our beleaguered health service is in need of urgent care Continue reading... The Guardian

Ovarian cancer patients denied innovative drug amid cost concerns

Ovarian cancer patients denied innovative drug amid cost concerns Cancer charities criticise NHS watchdog’s decision to reject olaparib, which is available elsewhere in Europe

Cancer charities have criticised the decision by the NHS treatment watchdog to reject an innovative new drug to treat ovarian cancer on the grounds of cost.

NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, said in draft guidance it was disappointed that it must turn down olaparib (Lynparza), but the price tag of more than £49,000 a year was considerably higher than its ceiling of £20,000 to £30,000. When tests to assess patient suitability for the drug are included, the price rises higher still. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Ovarian cancer drug row: 'Breakthrough' treatment won't be available on the NHS because it's deemed too expensive The Daily Mail

NHS must stop making excuses and improve patient care, Jeremy Hunt says

NHS must stop making excuses and improve patient care, Jeremy Hunt says The Health secretary says the NHS needs to deliver "its side of the bargain" and the "time for debate" about funding is over. The Daily Telegraph

Spending half the day on your feet reduces risk of heart attacks and cancer, study says

Spending half the day on your feet reduces risk of heart attacks and cancer, study says Office workers should abandon their chairs for half their working day to reduce their risk of heart attacks, cancer, or diabetes, according to new guidance recommending people spend at least two hours – and preferably four – a day on their feet. The Independent

See also:

• The sedentary office: a growing case for change towards better health and productivity. Expert statement commissioned by Public Health England and the Active Working Community Interest Company British Journal of Sports Medicine 
• Office workers 'should stand for two hours a day', say doctors The Daily Mail
• Stand up for at least two hours a day in office, workers warned The Daily Telegraph

New director of commissioning for Corby health group

New director of commissioning for Corby health group Corby Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), the clinically led organisation responsible for commissioning local health services, has recently appointed Chris Pallot as director of commissioning and planning. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• New Director at Corby Clinical Commissioning Group Corby CCG

Simon Stevens confirms 'collective' NHS action on agency spend

Simon Stevens confirms 'collective' NHS action on agency spend NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has said the NHS will take collective action to tackle the high cost of agency spending in the NHS. Health Service Journal

See also:

• NHS to target 'rip-off' temp agencies BBC News
• VIDEO: 'Rip-off' temp agencies to be tackled BBC News
• How nursing agencies making billions are bleeding the NHS dry The Daily Telegraph
• NHS will clamp down on 'rip off' agency fees The Daily Telegraph

Large staff shortages predicted for NHS and social care

Large staff shortages predicted for NHS and social care The NHS and social care are facing serious staffing shortages in the next few years with demand for staff not meeting availability, warns a report OnMedica

See also:

• Sector insights: skills and performance challenges in the health and social care sector UK Commission for Employment and Skills

More than a third of UK adults would be willing to volunteer for the NHS

More than a third of UK adults would be willing to volunteer for the NHS A survey has found that 40% of people would be prepared to give up their time to support the NHS, be it in a shop or cafe, carrying out visits or helping on wards

More than a third of British adults would be willing to volunteer to support the NHS, a survey has found.

The study, for the Royal Volunteer Service (RVS), found the role of most interest to people was volunteering in shops or cafes, with 40% saying they would consider such work. Continue reading... The Guardian

Open data could save the NHS hundreds of millions, says top UK scientist

Open data could save the NHS hundreds of millions, says top UK scientist Nigel Shadbolt says swathes of data integral to our national health infrastructure are missing or underused

The UK government must open up and highlight the power of more basic data sets to improve patient care in the NHS and save hundreds of millions of pounds a year, Nigel Shadbolt, chairman of the Open Data Institute (ODI) has urged.

The UK government topped the first league table for open data (paywall) produced by the ODI last year but Shadbolt warns that ministers’ open data responsibilities have not yet been satisfied. Continue reading... The Guardian

Government U-turn on NHS access for expats

Government U-turn on NHS access for expats A promise made less than two years ago to enhance rights to NHS care for Britons overseas has vanished and been replaced by a punitive surcharge. The Daily Telegraph

Thousands forced to hunt for a new GP as staffing shortages accelerate practice closures

Thousands forced to hunt for a new GP as staffing shortages accelerate practice closures Thousands of patients have had to find a new GP because their local practice has closed, as staffing shortages and workload pressures take their toll on surgeries, new figures show. The Independent

See also:

• GP appointments are hard to get, say third of NHS patients in England The Guardian
• More than 160,000 patients displaced by practice closures Pulse
• Revealed: Practice closures displace 160,000 patients Pulse

Extreme summer temperatures will soon cause deaths of up to 1,700 more Britons a year, says government report

Extreme summer temperatures will soon cause deaths of up to 1,700 more Britons a year, says government report Extreme summer temperatures will, in five years’ time, cause the deaths of up to 1,700 more Britons a year, according to a new government report. And that is on top of the 2,000 people a year who currently die from heat-related illness in Britain. The Independent

Home Care by Self-Governing Nursing Teams: The Netherlands' Buurtzorg Model

Home Care by Self-Governing Nursing Teams: The Netherlands' Buurtzorg Model The Dutch home-care provider Buurtzorg Nederland has attracted widespread interest for its innovative use of self-governing nurse teams, has earned high patient and employee ratings, and appears to provide high-quality home care at lower cost than other organizations. This case study reviews Buurtzorg’s approach and performance thus far and considers how this model of care might be adapted. The Commonwealth Fund

Fund totalling £100k to help homeless and vulnerable people scrapped by Northamptonshire County Council

Fund totalling £100k to help homeless and vulnerable people scrapped by Northamptonshire County Council Grants to help hospital patients or homeless people live independently have been scrapped by Northamptonshire County Council. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Evolution of care: where will the vanguards be in five years’ time?

Evolution of care: where will the vanguards be in five years’ time? Among all the buzz and excitement of the vanguards, we must take care to not overlook the fundamental reason for them in the first place – to develop new care models which will act as the blue prints for the NHS moving forward and inspire the rest of the health and care system, says Isobelle Anderson. The Health Foundation

Hospital admissions due to dogs and other mammals: new figures released

Hospital admissions due to dogs and other mammals: new figures released New figures on NHS hospital admissions for injuries caused by dogs, rats and other mammals (including horses, foxes and cats) have been released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre

See also:

• Rise in 'dog bite' hospital admissions BBC News

Smoking ban 'improves child health'

Smoking ban 'improves child health' The ban on smoking in public places - which came into force in 2007 in England - has cut child hospital admissions by some 11,000 a year, research suggests. BBC News

See also:

• Almost 90,000 children spared illness by smoking ban: 11,000 fewer a year admitted to hospital with lung infections since law was changed The Daily Mail
• Smoking not only kills, it plunges children into POVERTY because parents 'prioritise cigarettes over food' The Daily Mail
• Smoking parents plunging nearly half a million children into poverty, says new research The Independent

NHS 111 goes online

NHS 111 goes online NHS England is testing an online version of non-emergency phone service NHS 111 that uses a simplified version of the algorithm used by call handlers. E-Health Insider

Eight in ten patients always trust their doctor

Eight in ten patients always trust their doctor But only half feel involved in decision making and many say communication needs to be improved. OnMedica

Mental health groups call for fair funding

Mental health groups call for fair funding Six mental health organisations are urging the government to adopt an action plan for its first 100 days in office, including a commitment to agree to fair funding for services in July’s post-election Budget. Public Finance