NHS faces difficult winter as demand for care increases Big rises in demand for health care mean the NHS is heading into winter with its finances under pressure and performance against several key indicators at their worst level for more than a decade, according to the latest quarterly monitoring report (QMR)
The report, which covers the period July to September, shows that the NHS is now treating more patients than ever before. Increasing demand for services is reflected in the number of GP referrals, which increased by about 3 per cent over the past year, while emergency admissions via A&E are 4 per cent higher than in the same quarter last year. The King's Fund
Wednesday, 16 November 2016
Commensality – or bring back the lunch break
Commensality – or bring back the lunch break Mayo Clinic is widely acknowledged to be a high-performing academic medical centre delivering excellent care to patients. Established more than 150 years ago, it is a not-for-profit system led by doctors and based on multispecialty medical practice. At our annual conference, one of Mayo Clinic’s leaders, Steve Swensen, shared learning and found a receptive audience.
Steve explained that Mayo Clinic appeals to the intrinsic motivation of its 64,000 staff to provide the best possible care to patients. Decisions are made through consensus in a system he described as a democracy, not an autocracy. A key belief is that staff will perform to the best of their abilities if they are valued, supported and encouraged both to carry out their work and improve it. The King's Fund
Steve explained that Mayo Clinic appeals to the intrinsic motivation of its 64,000 staff to provide the best possible care to patients. Decisions are made through consensus in a system he described as a democracy, not an autocracy. A key belief is that staff will perform to the best of their abilities if they are valued, supported and encouraged both to carry out their work and improve it. The King's Fund
Community mental health survey 2016
Community mental health survey 2016 Around two thirds of respondents reported a positive experience of their overall care: when asked to evaluate their overall experience on a scale of 0 to 10, 65% rated this with a score of seven or above. The results for some questions asking about contact with staff were also positive.
However, substantial concerns remain about the quality of care some people using community mental health services receive. There has been no notable improvement in survey results in the last year.
The survey results suggest scope for further improvements in a number of areas including: involvement in care, crisis care, care planning and reviews. Care Quality Commission
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However, substantial concerns remain about the quality of care some people using community mental health services receive. There has been no notable improvement in survey results in the last year.
The survey results suggest scope for further improvements in a number of areas including: involvement in care, crisis care, care planning and reviews. Care Quality Commission
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NHS cuts: Why they terrify people in power
NHS cuts: Why they terrify people in power NHS England's handling of the hospital cuts programme seems a fairly ham-fisted way of going about a major review of local health services.
But there are understandable reasons why bosses fell into such a secretive and controlling approach. It is known as the Richard Taylor effect.
In the late 1990s, people in Kidderminster started rallying against plans to downgrade their local hospital. It prompted Richard Taylor, a retired local doctor, to put himself forward to become an MP.
He was successful, taking the Wyre Forest seat in the 2001 election from Labour, as an independent candidate promising to fight the cuts.
His majority was 18,000, in what was the shock result of a fairly routine second election win for Tony Blair.
Since then, those at the top of the NHS and politicians have tried to tread very carefully through the minefield of health service "reconfiguration" (as they like to call it in NHS circles). BBC News
But there are understandable reasons why bosses fell into such a secretive and controlling approach. It is known as the Richard Taylor effect.
In the late 1990s, people in Kidderminster started rallying against plans to downgrade their local hospital. It prompted Richard Taylor, a retired local doctor, to put himself forward to become an MP.
He was successful, taking the Wyre Forest seat in the 2001 election from Labour, as an independent candidate promising to fight the cuts.
His majority was 18,000, in what was the shock result of a fairly routine second election win for Tony Blair.
Since then, those at the top of the NHS and politicians have tried to tread very carefully through the minefield of health service "reconfiguration" (as they like to call it in NHS circles). BBC News
Call for assistant nurse role rethink
Call for assistant nurse role rethink The creation of new nursing assistant posts should be scrapped and money invested in "real nurses", experts say after research suggested the use of lower skilled posts was a risk.
Rollout of the new nursing associate roles starts in England in December.
Research in the BMJ Quality and Safety journal linked the use of junior care roles to higher death rates.
But ministers rejected the criticism, saying the new posts were on top of investment in fully qualified nurses. BBC News
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Rollout of the new nursing associate roles starts in England in December.
Research in the BMJ Quality and Safety journal linked the use of junior care roles to higher death rates.
But ministers rejected the criticism, saying the new posts were on top of investment in fully qualified nurses. BBC News
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- Nursing skill mix in European hospitals: cross-sectional study of the association with mortality, patient ratings, and quality of care BMJ Quallity and Safety
- Patients one fifth more likely to die in hospitals with fewer qualified nurses The Daily Telegraph
- NHS nursing assistants could raise risk of death for patients, says study The Guardian
- Government accused of putting patients' lives at risk with one of lowest rates of qualified hospital nurses in Europe The Independent
- Diluting nursing skill mix linked to higher patient mortality risk, finds major study Nursing Times
Breast cancer 'more often advanced' in black women
Breast cancer 'more often advanced' in black women Black women in England are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer than white women, figures show. BBC News
One in four women miss 'smear test'
One in four women miss 'smear test' At least one in every four women invited for cervical cancer screening in England last year failed to attend, latest figures show. BBC News
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NHS patients being put 'at risk' because of cybersecurity flaws
NHS patients being put 'at risk' because of cybersecurity flaws A Sky News investigation has discovered the NHS trusts putting patients at risk by not protecting their data online.
Seven NHS trusts, serving more than two million people, spent nothing on cybersecurity in 2015.
Sky News worked with security experts to find serious flaws in their cybersecurity, which could be easily exploited by relatively unskilled hackers.
Hacker House was able to find misconfigured email servers, outdated software and security certificates, along with NHS trusts' emails and passwords, through public searches.
Seven NHS trusts, serving more than two million people, spent nothing on cybersecurity in 2015.
Sky News worked with security experts to find serious flaws in their cybersecurity, which could be easily exploited by relatively unskilled hackers.
Hacker House was able to find misconfigured email servers, outdated software and security certificates, along with NHS trusts' emails and passwords, through public searches.
It’s time to pay attention to mental health IT
It’s time to pay attention to mental health IT Technology can play a significant role in mental health, but has been largely overlooked by both initiatives and funding. However, things are about to change. Computer Weekly
Testing sore throats at pharmacies won’t solve anything | Margaret McCartney
Testing sore throats at pharmacies won’t solve anything | Margaret McCartney Research has already shown this test does not help beyond normal care. The NHS must stop wasting money on inadequately tested but popular political policies
Are GPs to throw away the traditional box of wooden tongue depressors? People with sore throats are soon to be offered a new service – at the pharmacy. The NHS Innovation Accelerator, an organisation responsible for helping “with the adoption of promising new treatments and technologies”, has approved a new Sore Throat Test and Treat service that NHS England says is “evidence based and cost saving”.
My head is in my hands. This is neither evidence based nor shown to be cost effective, and may actually make pressure on the NHS worse.
Faced with a wait for to see a GP, it means effectively people will be able to access care faster if they pay for it Continue reading... The Guardian
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Are GPs to throw away the traditional box of wooden tongue depressors? People with sore throats are soon to be offered a new service – at the pharmacy. The NHS Innovation Accelerator, an organisation responsible for helping “with the adoption of promising new treatments and technologies”, has approved a new Sore Throat Test and Treat service that NHS England says is “evidence based and cost saving”.
My head is in my hands. This is neither evidence based nor shown to be cost effective, and may actually make pressure on the NHS worse.
Faced with a wait for to see a GP, it means effectively people will be able to access care faster if they pay for it Continue reading... The Guardian
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Biggest problem with NHS is that everyone thinks it's free
Biggest problem with NHS is that everyone thinks it's free What I am about to say is tantamount to heresy in this country — particularly for a doctor. But I’m going to be honest with you: I don’t care about the NHS.
Not in the slavish, dogmatic way most people claim to care about the NHS, anyway.
Let me explain. Nothing matters to me more than that we have the most efficient, equitable healthcare system that delivers the best possible care for everyone — for the lowest amount of money. The Daily Mail
Not in the slavish, dogmatic way most people claim to care about the NHS, anyway.
Let me explain. Nothing matters to me more than that we have the most efficient, equitable healthcare system that delivers the best possible care for everyone — for the lowest amount of money. The Daily Mail
Street protests could halt hospital closures - NHS boss
Street protests could halt hospital closures - NHS boss Hospital closures planned to shore up NHS finances could be derailed if enough people take to the streets in protest, a health service chief has said.
Chris Hopson, leader of England’s hospitals sector, said public unrest and opposition by local MPs could scupper so-called Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs), which are billed as crucial to the long-term viability of the health service.
On Monday the respected think tank The King’s Fund heavily criticised health bosses for trying to organise the sweeping closure of hospitals and NHS units in secret, moves which it said could put lives at risk. The Daily Telegraph
Chris Hopson, leader of England’s hospitals sector, said public unrest and opposition by local MPs could scupper so-called Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs), which are billed as crucial to the long-term viability of the health service.
On Monday the respected think tank The King’s Fund heavily criticised health bosses for trying to organise the sweeping closure of hospitals and NHS units in secret, moves which it said could put lives at risk. The Daily Telegraph
12,000 strokes could be prevented if patients eligible for statins and other drugs were prescribed pills
12,000 strokes could be prevented if patients eligible for statins and other drugs were prescribed pills Half of people who are eligible for statins are not prescribed the drug in a ‘missed opportunity’ which is contributing to 12,000 needless strokes a year, a study has shown.
Around one third of strokes could be prevented in Britain annually if cholesterol busting pills, anti-clotting drugs and medication to lower blood pressure were prescribed as intended.
Current recommendations by the health watchdog Nice suggest that anyone with a 20 per cent risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years should take statins. But research by the University of Birmingham found that just 49 per cent of those eligible were prescribed the drugs. The Daily Telegraph
Around one third of strokes could be prevented in Britain annually if cholesterol busting pills, anti-clotting drugs and medication to lower blood pressure were prescribed as intended.
Current recommendations by the health watchdog Nice suggest that anyone with a 20 per cent risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next 10 years should take statins. But research by the University of Birmingham found that just 49 per cent of those eligible were prescribed the drugs. The Daily Telegraph
Tuesday, 15 November 2016
Child mental health money not making frontline - report
Child mental health money not making frontline - report Money earmarked to boost mental health provision for children in England is failing to make it to front-line services, a new report suggests.
The government last year pledged £1.4bn for child mental health by 2020, but a report says millions of pounds is being used to offset NHS cuts elsewhere.
Specialist teams are also turning away up to a quarter of youngsters, it said.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government was "determined to address" mental health problems. BBC News
The government last year pledged £1.4bn for child mental health by 2020, but a report says millions of pounds is being used to offset NHS cuts elsewhere.
Specialist teams are also turning away up to a quarter of youngsters, it said.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government was "determined to address" mental health problems. BBC News
Step up efforts to communicate alcohol harms to public, government urged
Step up efforts to communicate alcohol harms to public, government urged The government must step up its efforts, and run mass media campaigns, to help the public understand just what damage alcohol can do to their health, the chair of the Alcohol Health Alliance, has insisted.
Public awareness of the links between alcohol consumption and serious disease is still low, insists Professor Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alliance and special advisor to the Royal College of Physicians, at the start of this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week. OnMedica
Public awareness of the links between alcohol consumption and serious disease is still low, insists Professor Ian Gilmore, chair of the Alliance and special advisor to the Royal College of Physicians, at the start of this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week. OnMedica
Infective conjunctivitis cases ‘clogging up’ GP appointments system
Infective conjunctivitis cases ‘clogging up’ GP appointments system The practice that many schools and nurseries have of refusing to admit children with infective conjunctivitis unless they have a prescription for antibiotics is unintentionally “clogging up” the GP appointments system, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has warned.
Around 160,000 GP appointments could be freed up, if schools and nurseries changed their policies, it says.
To mark the beginning of national Self Care Week, the College has written to the schools inspectorate, OFSTED, calling for nursery, pre-schools and childcare providers to re-think their policies. OnMedica
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Around 160,000 GP appointments could be freed up, if schools and nurseries changed their policies, it says.
To mark the beginning of national Self Care Week, the College has written to the schools inspectorate, OFSTED, calling for nursery, pre-schools and childcare providers to re-think their policies. OnMedica
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The fall-less city and other innovations for a healthier old age
The fall-less city and other innovations for a healthier old age Rapid urbanisation and ageing populations mean that cities must become better for older people to live in. We have the technology to make this happen
The city of Liverpool is aiming to become a “fall-less” city – so that all older adults with limited or reduced mobility can venture forth into the streets, parks and other public places knowing that their chances of falling have been significantly reduced. One-third of older people in the UK experience a fall each year, rising to half the over-80s. Working with the Universities of Liverpool and Cambridge, the city council is implementing falls prevention and mitigation as part of its Age-Friendly City (AFC) initiative.
Promoted by the World Health Organisation, the age-friendly city movement has spread across the globe. With projections that half Europe’s population will be over 50 within a couple of decades and that the world will have more people over 60 than under 16 by 2050, the age-proofing of our environments is high on the agenda. Continue reading... The Guardian
The city of Liverpool is aiming to become a “fall-less” city – so that all older adults with limited or reduced mobility can venture forth into the streets, parks and other public places knowing that their chances of falling have been significantly reduced. One-third of older people in the UK experience a fall each year, rising to half the over-80s. Working with the Universities of Liverpool and Cambridge, the city council is implementing falls prevention and mitigation as part of its Age-Friendly City (AFC) initiative.
Promoted by the World Health Organisation, the age-friendly city movement has spread across the globe. With projections that half Europe’s population will be over 50 within a couple of decades and that the world will have more people over 60 than under 16 by 2050, the age-proofing of our environments is high on the agenda. Continue reading... The Guardian
The secret life of an oncologist: witnessing the most painful and intimate moments of life | Anonymous
The secret life of an oncologist: witnessing the most painful and intimate moments of life | Anonymous It’s not all doom and gloom. The best part of the job is when cancer treatment works and patients return to good health. Occasionally there are miracles
People assume that oncology is all doom, gloom and death. To be honest it can be, but thankfully not all of the time, or else nobody could cope with doing it.
Cancer can be a disease of dreadful retrospectives – that lump that was looked at but not biopsied; that mole that was judged to be OK. These patients and their families are justifiably angry. Others have refused to see what was plainly staring them in the face.
Talking to patients and their relatives when there is bad news is definitely the worst part of the job Continue reading... The Guardian
People assume that oncology is all doom, gloom and death. To be honest it can be, but thankfully not all of the time, or else nobody could cope with doing it.
Cancer can be a disease of dreadful retrospectives – that lump that was looked at but not biopsied; that mole that was judged to be OK. These patients and their families are justifiably angry. Others have refused to see what was plainly staring them in the face.
Talking to patients and their relatives when there is bad news is definitely the worst part of the job Continue reading... The Guardian
In NHS management being fired means you continue working for more money
In NHS management being fired means you continue working for more money The health service is so short of experienced leaders, it ends up paying some £1,000 a day to plug management gaps
When I had to leave my role as a senior NHS manager, I discovered that the health service has a well-used but little-known system for easing people out of top jobs. And I learned that it doesn’t work well for anyone: trusts, our healthcare system, managers, patients or the taxpayer.
It’s quite common for senior leaders to have to step down, even when there are no performance issues and their actions haven’t risked patient safety. Sometimes, as in any sector, people simply end up in jobs that aren’t right for them. And just as often, managers, keen to support NHS bodies through difficult change projects, take on tasks that prove impossible to accomplish. Continue reading... The Guardian
When I had to leave my role as a senior NHS manager, I discovered that the health service has a well-used but little-known system for easing people out of top jobs. And I learned that it doesn’t work well for anyone: trusts, our healthcare system, managers, patients or the taxpayer.
It’s quite common for senior leaders to have to step down, even when there are no performance issues and their actions haven’t risked patient safety. Sometimes, as in any sector, people simply end up in jobs that aren’t right for them. And just as often, managers, keen to support NHS bodies through difficult change projects, take on tasks that prove impossible to accomplish. Continue reading... The Guardian
NHS IT blunder sees system clogged after email sent to 1.2 million employees
NHS IT blunder sees system clogged after email sent to 1.2 million employees Large sections of the NHS email system ground to snail's pace this morning after an IT worker sent a message to 840,000 employees due to a bug in the system
Some staff used the email function “reply to all”, flooding servers with extra traffic and making the system unusable for many.
Exasperated doctors and nurses took to social media to complain about the avalanche of emails in their inboxes and begging colleagues to stop replying.
Others complained that they had not been able to log in to their accounts at all.
One health service manager tweeted: “So essentially #nhsmail users have all just carried out a DDoS [distributed denial of service] attack on themselves”. The Daily Telegraph
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Some staff used the email function “reply to all”, flooding servers with extra traffic and making the system unusable for many.
Exasperated doctors and nurses took to social media to complain about the avalanche of emails in their inboxes and begging colleagues to stop replying.
Others complained that they had not been able to log in to their accounts at all.
One health service manager tweeted: “So essentially #nhsmail users have all just carried out a DDoS [distributed denial of service] attack on themselves”. The Daily Telegraph
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