Medical spending and hospital inpatient care in England: an analysis over time

Medical spending and hospital inpatient care in England: an analysis over time This paper presents a summary of the trends in medical expenditure in England and then using detailed administrative data presents analysis of the growth over 15 years of expenditure and activity in hospital inpatient health care, which represents around 20-25 per cent of all NHS expenditure. Centre for Health Economics

Report highlights variation in maternity care across England

Report highlights variation in maternity care across England Differences in the care received by women giving birth in hospitals across England are highlighted in a state of the nation report published by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

The report, carried out in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, gives a national perspective on patterns of care during labour and delivery, enabling NHS trusts to examine their own practice in context and ensure their services meet the needs of women and their families.

See also:

• Patterns of maternity care in English NHS trusts 2013/14 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• 'Concerning' variation in birth care BBC News
• Too many mothers having early caesareans, report warns The Guardian

NHS England announces new action to cut stillbirths

NHS England announces new action to cut stillbirths There are currently around 665,000 babies born in England each year, but there are over 3,000 stillbirths. Despite falling to its lowest rate in 20 years, one in every 200 babies is stillborn in the UK, more than double the rate of nations with the lowest rates.

The new guidance – called Saving Babies’ Lives Care Bundle – is part of a drive to halve the rate of stillbirths from 4.7 per thousand to 2.3 per thousand by 2030, potentially avoiding the tragedy of stillbirth for more than 1500 families every year. While the majority of women receive high quality care, there is around a 25 per cent variation in stillbirth rates across England. NHS England

Healthy weight, healthy futures: local government action to tackle childhood obesity

Healthy weight, healthy futures: local government action to tackle childhood obesity This report uses a series of case studies to outline how the transfer of responsibility for public health in 2013 to councils has sparked a surge in innovative programmes for tackling childhood obesity. From working with children who are obese and overweight to encouraging children to cut their consumption of sugary drinks, local authorities are showing how child obesity can be tackled. Local Government Association

Putting Doctors and Patients on the Same Page

Putting Doctors and Patients on the Same Page More than 6 million Americans have unrestricted online access to their medical records, thanks to "OpenNotes," an initiative launched in 2010. Early research suggests that letting patients read their doctors' clinical notes holds promise for engaging patients in their care, strengthening patient-provider relationships, and even improving adherence to care regimens. The Commonwealth Fund

Junior doctors will realise contract imposition was right, says Jeremy Hunt

Junior doctors will realise contract imposition was right, says Jeremy Hunt Junior doctors will realise the government 'was right' to impose a new contract after the collapse of negotiations with the BMA, health secretary Jeremy Hunt has told MPs. GP Online

Multi-million pound GP compensation claims rising

Multi-million pound GP compensation claims rising 12 compensation claims worth more than £1m paid last year. OnMedica

Liverpool Community Heath NHS trust 'had oppressive culture'

Liverpool Community Heath NHS trust 'had oppressive culture' An "oppressive" culture at an NHS trust led to poor services, bullying of staff and may even have contributed to some deaths, a report has found.

The review highlighted "failures at multiple levels" at Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust since 2011. BBC News

Tens of thousands of care workers still paid below minimum wage despite new regulations

Tens of thousands of care workers still paid below minimum wage despite new regulations; Tens of thousands of care workers are still being paid below the national minimum wage despite new regulation designed to ensure they are paid fairly, a new study says.

Despite a change in the law and a major HMRC investigation, care firms are still failing to pay staff for travel between clients according to the research from Unison, based on Freedom of Information responses from more than 150 councils in England and Wales. The Independent

Dementia sufferers test-drive revolutionary rehabilitation system which puts patients at the helm of interactive games and activities

Dementia sufferers test-drive revolutionary rehabilitation system which puts patients at the helm of interactive games and activities First developed to rehabilitate wounded Israeli soldiers, the virtual reality CAREN machine has also helped hundreds of injured Chinese earthquake victims to take their first steps to recovery.

Now those with dementia in northern England have begun test-driving the same revolutionary rehabilitation system to help with their condition – throwing them into a futuristic world where they can fight sharks, drive high-speed cars and try downhill skiing. The Independent

Meningitis B vaccine cost analysis 'underestimates' impact on families

Meningitis B vaccine cost analysis 'underestimates' impact on families Campaigners and experts calling for older children to receive MenB vaccine say current cost-benefit analysis does not take into account the true impacts of the illness. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Meningitis B vaccine IS worth the cost: Jab gives parents peace of mind, experts tell health committee The Daily Mail

Gynaecologist who worked at Northamptonshire hospital demonstrated sex act to female colleague

Gynaecologist who worked at Northamptonshire hospital demonstrated sex act to female colleague A doctor has been suspended for 12 months after working at Kettering General Hospital without telling them he was suspected of sexual misconduct. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Health matters promotes midlife approaches to reduce dementia risk

Health matters promotes midlife approaches to reduce dementia risk Following the recent launch of Public Health England’s One You, a ground-breaking campaign to help adults across the country make simple changes to improve their health today and in the future, PHE has launched the fourth edition of Health matters: midlife approaches to reduce dementia risk. Public Health England

Diabetes at-risk offered lifestyle help

Diabetes at-risk offered lifestyle help People in England at risk of type-2 diabetes are to be offered healthy-lifestyle support by the NHS to help them prevent the condition developing. BBC News

See also:

• Thousands to benefit as first wave of NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme national rollout is announced NHS England
• RCGP response to NHS England diabetes prevention programme rollout Royal College of General Practitioners
• Personal trainers on the NHS in war on diabetes The Daily Telegraph
• GPs to refer patients to large-scale diabetes prevention scheme OnMedica

U-turn over prostate cancer drug

U-turn over prostate cancer drug Patients with prostate cancer in England will now have early access to a drug that can delay the need for chemotherapy. BBC News

See also:

• Prostate cancer patients WILL get life-extending drug on the NHS, health watchdog declares  The Daily Mail
• U-turn on NICE approval of prostate cancer drug OnMedica

World Down Syndrome Day: 'How Do You See Me?' video highlights prejudice surrounding condition

World Down Syndrome Day: 'How Do You See Me?' video highlights prejudice surrounding condition "I see myself as an ordinary person with an important, meaningful, and beautiful life. How do you see me?" The Independent

The NHS is in the midst of a financial hurricane

The NHS is in the midst of a financial hurricane The forecast from the budget shows no let-up in the weather for the struggling health service, but a plan for the future must be put in place this year

A hurricane is characterised by severe storms, surrounding an area of relative calm known as the eye of the storm. The NHS is in the midst of a financial hurricane. Costs are rising faster than funding, creating a perfect storm for NHS providers. Next year will be one of relative calm, similar to the eye of a hurricane, with the largest planned funding increase for 2016-17. This is followed by flat or falling real-terms funding per head until 2020-21.

The forecast from the budget shows no let-up in the weather; in fact the forecast looks worse for three reasons. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS England stalls plans for HIV prevention drug

NHS England stalls plans for HIV prevention drug Consultation on Truvada will now be shelved, in move sexual health charities have described as ‘shameful’ and ‘failing those at risk’ of HIV.

Charities and campaigners have reacted with anger and disbelief that plans to roll out a widely anticipated HIV prevention drug have been stalled by NHS England.

The sector had been waiting for the announcement of the first ever public consultation on the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in the UK, now overdue by a month. Instead today NHS England announced it was not their responsibility to commission the drug. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Update on commissioning and provision of Pre Exposure Prophylaxsis (PREP) for HIV prevention NHS England
• Could a monthly injection prevent HIV? Single shot of PrEP drugs is 'as effective as taking pills twice a day' The Daily Mail
• Daily pill Truvada cuts spread of HIV by 86%, study shows The Guardian 
• NHS England slammed for 'u-turn' on new HIV treatment ITV News

Zika outbreak: Where is the virus spreading?

Zika outbreak: Where is the virus spreading? The World Health Organisation has declared a global emergency in response to the spread of Zika - but which countries are currently affected by the virus? The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• South Korea confirms first Zika case BBC News

George Osborne must U-turn on his ludicrous sugar tax

George Osborne must U-turn on his ludicrous sugar tax After climbing down on so much, like disability cuts, the Chancellor must do it again over his buzzkilling fizzy drinks tax. The Daily Telegraph