Friday, 16 September 2016
Number of written complaints about NHS falls by 4 per cent
Number of written complaints about NHS falls by 4 per cent New figures show there were 198,739 written complaints received over the last financial year(2) - the equivalent of around 544 per day - which was 8,668 (4.2 per cent) fewer than in 2014-15. NHS Digital
Emergency contraceptive affected by other medicines - regulator issues new guidance
Emergency contraceptive affected by other medicines - regulator issues new guidance Women needing the emergency contraceptive pill containing levonorgestrel should tell their healthcare professional if they are currently taking medicines for epilepsy and certain serious infections, or herbal remedies such as St John’s Wort as these may reduce how well the emergency contraceptive works. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
Sharp rise in care delays 'piles pressure on hospitals'
Sharp rise in care delays 'piles pressure on hospitals' A sharp rise in waits for care services is piling the pressure on the NHS in England, hospital bosses are warning. BBC News
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PrEP HIV drugs: court hears NHS England appeal
PrEP HIV drugs: court hears NHS England appeal NHS England is challenging high court ruling that it has power to commission ‘game-changing’ prevention strategy
A legal battle is being fought out in the court of appeal over who pays the bill for a service to block HIV infection.
The high court ruled that NHS England has the power to commission PrEP, which has been described as a “game-changer” in the fight against HIV/Aids. Continue reading... The Guardian
A legal battle is being fought out in the court of appeal over who pays the bill for a service to block HIV infection.
The high court ruled that NHS England has the power to commission PrEP, which has been described as a “game-changer” in the fight against HIV/Aids. Continue reading... The Guardian
Doctors urge inquiry into Jeremy Hunt's NHS 'weekend effect' claims
Doctors urge inquiry into Jeremy Hunt's NHS 'weekend effect' claims Letter signed by doctors and scientists including Stephen Hawking accuses health secretary of misrepresenting evidence
Stephen Hawking, Robert Winston and a number of senior doctors are urging Theresa May to hold an inquiry into Jeremy Hunt’s claim that 11,000 patient deaths a year are caused by a lack of medics on duty in hospitals at weekends.
In a letter to the Guardian they claim the health secretary has caused a “devastating breakdown of trust between government and the medical profession” by misrepresenting the evidence on the “weekend effect”. Continue reading... The Guardian
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Stephen Hawking, Robert Winston and a number of senior doctors are urging Theresa May to hold an inquiry into Jeremy Hunt’s claim that 11,000 patient deaths a year are caused by a lack of medics on duty in hospitals at weekends.
In a letter to the Guardian they claim the health secretary has caused a “devastating breakdown of trust between government and the medical profession” by misrepresenting the evidence on the “weekend effect”. Continue reading... The Guardian
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Jeremy Hunt faces High Court battle over junior doctors' contracts
Jeremy Hunt faces High Court battle over junior doctors' contracts Unprecedented walkouts by thousands of junior doctors over a new contract could be averted by a High Court case next week, medics say.
Up to 50,000 doctors have been asked by unions to take part in week-long strikes, starting next month, despite concerns that the actions could cost lives.
On Monday, the Health Secretary will face a judicial review application over the way the contract is being introduced. The Daily Telegraph
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Up to 50,000 doctors have been asked by unions to take part in week-long strikes, starting next month, despite concerns that the actions could cost lives.
On Monday, the Health Secretary will face a judicial review application over the way the contract is being introduced. The Daily Telegraph
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Hospital hid cancer operation error from dead woman's family
Hospital hid cancer operation error from dead woman's family The family of a mother-of-three who died two days after she had an operation to remove a kidney was not told about a surgical error.
Cancer patient Deborah O'Hara had undergone surgery to remove a kidney at University Hospital Coventry during which the blood supply from two arteries was cut off.
The hospital failed to report the error to her family or to the coroner's office when it reported her death last June. The Daily Telegraph
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Cancer patient Deborah O'Hara had undergone surgery to remove a kidney at University Hospital Coventry during which the blood supply from two arteries was cut off.
The hospital failed to report the error to her family or to the coroner's office when it reported her death last June. The Daily Telegraph
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Thursday, 15 September 2016
Older people are paying the price for cuts to social care
Older people are paying the price for cuts to social care The care and support older people receive increasingly depends on where they live and how much money they have rather than their needs, according to a new report by The King’s Fund and the Nuffield Trust.
Six consecutive years of cuts to local authority budgets, rising demand for services and shortages of staff have left the social care system increasingly unable to meet the needs of the older people who depend on it. The report finds that this is placing an unacceptable burden on unpaid carers and is leaving rising numbers of older people who have difficulty with the basic activities of daily living – such as washing, dressing and getting out of bed – without any support at all. The King's Fund
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Six consecutive years of cuts to local authority budgets, rising demand for services and shortages of staff have left the social care system increasingly unable to meet the needs of the older people who depend on it. The report finds that this is placing an unacceptable burden on unpaid carers and is leaving rising numbers of older people who have difficulty with the basic activities of daily living – such as washing, dressing and getting out of bed – without any support at all. The King's Fund
See also:
- Social care for older people: Home truths (report) The King's Fund
- Home truths: are older people paying the price for social care cuts? The King's Fund
- When social care is cut the NHS bleeds NHS Providers
- Care for elderly 'increasingly rationed' in England BBC News
- How the care system works across the UK BBC News
- Care costs BBC News
- The alternatives to traditional care BBC News
- Elderly care shortages now the ‘burning injustice’ facing Theresa May’s Britain The Daily Telegraph
- Elderly Britons bearing brunt of cuts to social care, report warns The Guardian
Exclusive: Survey finds doctors 'rationing care' as cash crisis hits NHS
Exclusive: Survey finds doctors 'rationing care' as cash crisis hits NHS More than two thirds of doctors admit they have been left with no choice but to ration care as the NHS cash crisis intensifies.
Services and treatments including mental health care for children, hip and knee replacements and cancer drugs are being restricted in order to save money.
A survey of 1,000 doctors conducted exclusively for ITV News reveals patients are being denied treatments including varicose vein removal and cataract surgery, and forced to pay for care privately or wait for their condition to worsen.
Some patients ended up in A&E because they were refused treatment, the research concluded. ITV News
Services and treatments including mental health care for children, hip and knee replacements and cancer drugs are being restricted in order to save money.
A survey of 1,000 doctors conducted exclusively for ITV News reveals patients are being denied treatments including varicose vein removal and cataract surgery, and forced to pay for care privately or wait for their condition to worsen.
Some patients ended up in A&E because they were refused treatment, the research concluded. ITV News
UK Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey cleared of misconduct
UK Ebola nurse Pauline Cafferkey cleared of misconduct UK nurse Pauline Cafferkey, who contracted Ebola in Sierra Leone, cleared of misconduct by disciplinary panel. BBC News
New care models promised in Five Year Forward View may be 15 years away
New care models promised in Five Year Forward View may be 15 years away New models of care outlined in the NHS Five Year Forward View to provide care at scale could take a decade longer to set up than planned and may fail to deliver efficiency savings, NHS Providers has warned. GP Online
BMA accuses Capita of multiple failures
BMA accuses Capita of multiple failures GP leaders in England have warned that patient safety is being compromised by multiple failures in back office support services currently run by Capita.
It comes after a qualitative survey by the BMA of Local Medical Committees (LMCs), revealed serious failures in a range of areas Capita is now responsible for as part of its contract with NHS England to run Primary Care Support (PCS) services. OnMedica
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It comes after a qualitative survey by the BMA of Local Medical Committees (LMCs), revealed serious failures in a range of areas Capita is now responsible for as part of its contract with NHS England to run Primary Care Support (PCS) services. OnMedica
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- Support services failure threatens patient safety British Medical Association
- Capita failing on managing patient records, says BMA BBC News
- Patient safety at risk due to Capita failings, BMA warns GP Online
DH rejects priority mental health assessments for children in care
DH rejects priority mental health assessments for children in care Recommendations for children in care to automatically receive an assessment of their mental health have been rejected by the Department of Health.
A recent report by the Education Select Committee found that children in care frequently struggle to access mental health services because of factors such as frequent relocations, as reported in NHE’s sister title, Public Sector Executive.
It therefore recommended that children in care should have priority access to specialist mental health assessments.
However, in its response to the report, the Department of Health said: “We do not accept the committee’s recommendation as it stands.” National Health Executive
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A recent report by the Education Select Committee found that children in care frequently struggle to access mental health services because of factors such as frequent relocations, as reported in NHE’s sister title, Public Sector Executive.
It therefore recommended that children in care should have priority access to specialist mental health assessments.
However, in its response to the report, the Department of Health said: “We do not accept the committee’s recommendation as it stands.” National Health Executive
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- Mental health and wellbeing of looked-after children: response Department of Health
MPs slam 'national scandal' of FGM- Britain's hidden crime
MPs slam 'national scandal' of FGM- Britain's hidden crime Britain’s failure to protect girls from female genital mutilation (FGM) has been described as a “national scandal” by a committee of MPs, who said it was “beyond belief” that, 30 years since it became illegal, not a single person has been convicted of the crime. They described it as a “hidden crime” and “preventable” child abuse.
The committee warned: “FGM is not a religious or cultural rite of passage that deserves protection. When it is inflicted on a woman, it is a horrific crime. When it is inflicted on a girl, it is violent child abuse. It involves young girls’ genitalia being cut with scissors, a razor, a knife or even glass, usually with no anaesthetic or antiseptic. The Independent
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The committee warned: “FGM is not a religious or cultural rite of passage that deserves protection. When it is inflicted on a woman, it is a horrific crime. When it is inflicted on a girl, it is violent child abuse. It involves young girls’ genitalia being cut with scissors, a razor, a knife or even glass, usually with no anaesthetic or antiseptic. The Independent
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- Ongoing failure to tackle "national scandal" of female genital mutilation Home Affairs Select Committee
- Female genital mutilation: abuse unchecked (report) Home Affairs Select
- FGM: Lack of convictions 'a national scandal' BBC News
- MPs report reveal nearly 500 girls are having FGM procedure every month The Daily Mail
- MPs demand hard line against clinicians who do not report FGM The Guardian
NHS boss warns of four hard years ahead after health service gets less cash than requested
NHS boss warns of four hard years ahead after health service gets less cash than requested The head of the NHS has warned of four hard years ahead for the health service – dismissing ministers’ claims that it has been given all the money it needs.
Simon Stevens warned that much of a promised extra £10bn each year has been “back-ended to 2020”, which means promised improvements would be delayed and tough choices inevitable in the interim.
Speaking to an inquiry by MPs – days after hospital bosses broke cover to argue the NHS will reach breaking point without more money – Mr Stevens admitted to the looming funding shortfall. The Independent
Simon Stevens warned that much of a promised extra £10bn each year has been “back-ended to 2020”, which means promised improvements would be delayed and tough choices inevitable in the interim.
Speaking to an inquiry by MPs – days after hospital bosses broke cover to argue the NHS will reach breaking point without more money – Mr Stevens admitted to the looming funding shortfall. The Independent
Rise in prisoners moved to mental health hospitals
Rise in prisoners moved to mental health hospitals Transfers increase by 20% in England and Wales, amid concerns over increase in prison suicides and self-harm
More prisoners are being diagnosed with mental health problems requiring hospital treatment, official figures obtained by the Guardian show.
The number of male prisoners being transferred to hospital under the 1983 Mental Health Act grew by more than 20% between 2011 and 2014 in England and Wales, said the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in response to a freedom of information request. Continue reading... The Guardian
More prisoners are being diagnosed with mental health problems requiring hospital treatment, official figures obtained by the Guardian show.
The number of male prisoners being transferred to hospital under the 1983 Mental Health Act grew by more than 20% between 2011 and 2014 in England and Wales, said the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in response to a freedom of information request. Continue reading... The Guardian
More than 15,000 GPs earning more than £100,000, official figures show
More than 15,000 GPs earning more than £100,000, official figures show More than 15,000 family doctors are earning more than £100,000 a year, official figures show, with soaring numbers receiving more than £250,000 annually.
New data shows that average pay for a GP partner is now £101,500 – a rise of 1.7 per cent during 2014/15, as the NHS plunged into deficit.
The figures for England include 15,190 GPs earning more than £100,000, of whom 660 received at least £200,000, with 180 paid more than £250,000 in total. The previous year, 14,910 family doctors received six-figure earnings, with 560 passing the £200,000 mark, and 150 on at least £250,000. The Daily Telegraph
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New data shows that average pay for a GP partner is now £101,500 – a rise of 1.7 per cent during 2014/15, as the NHS plunged into deficit.
The figures for England include 15,190 GPs earning more than £100,000, of whom 660 received at least £200,000, with 180 paid more than £250,000 in total. The previous year, 14,910 family doctors received six-figure earnings, with 560 passing the £200,000 mark, and 150 on at least £250,000. The Daily Telegraph
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Sugar tax loophole will still allow cut-price fattening drinks, warns obesity expert
Sugar tax loophole will still allow cut-price fattening drinks, warns obesity expert Retailers will still be able to sell cut-price fattening drinks because of a loophole in the new sugar levy, the Government’s obesity adviser has warned.
The flagship new measure could fail to encourage healthier shopping habits by making sugary drinks more expensive than low-sugar options, said Susan Jebb, professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford.
Under Soft Drinks Industry Levy, manufacturers will pay a charge for the amount of sugar they introduce into the drinks market, but the policy does not stipulate how the cost should be passed onto consumers. The Daily Telegraph
The flagship new measure could fail to encourage healthier shopping habits by making sugary drinks more expensive than low-sugar options, said Susan Jebb, professor of diet and population health at the University of Oxford.
Under Soft Drinks Industry Levy, manufacturers will pay a charge for the amount of sugar they introduce into the drinks market, but the policy does not stipulate how the cost should be passed onto consumers. The Daily Telegraph
Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Nurse bank campaign shortlisted for national award
Nurse bank campaign shortlisted for national award
A successful campaign to recruit nurses to its staff bank has seen Northampton General Hospital shortlisted in the most sought-after awards in the British health sector. The hospital's nurse bank campaign, entitled "Join our bank and we'll invest in you" has been shortlisted in the staff engagement category of the HSJ Awards.
NGH News
A successful campaign to recruit nurses to its staff bank has seen Northampton General Hospital shortlisted in the most sought-after awards in the British health sector. The hospital's nurse bank campaign, entitled "Join our bank and we'll invest in you" has been shortlisted in the staff engagement category of the HSJ Awards.
NGH News
News story: New £816 million investment in health research
News story: New £816 million investment in health research
Leading NHS clinicians and universities will benefit from new world class facilities and support services built by the 5-year funding package totalling £816 million – the largest ever investment into health research.
Mental health research will see funding increase to nearly £70 million, dementia to over £45 million, deafness and hearing problems will receive over £15 million and antimicrobial resistance research rises to around £45 million.
Department of Health
Leading NHS clinicians and universities will benefit from new world class facilities and support services built by the 5-year funding package totalling £816 million – the largest ever investment into health research.
Mental health research will see funding increase to nearly £70 million, dementia to over £45 million, deafness and hearing problems will receive over £15 million and antimicrobial resistance research rises to around £45 million.
Department of Health
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