Tuesday, 20 December 2016
Send heavy drinkers for liver scan, GPs told
Send heavy drinkers for liver scan, GPs told Women who drink more than three-and-a-half bottles of wine a week should get their livers checked, say guidelines. BBC News
Brexit could make NHS shortage of nurses worse, says report
Brexit could make NHS shortage of nurses worse, says report Institute for Employment Studies says however UK leaves, uncertainty around status of workers could deter hospital staff
Brexit is set to cause a severe shortage of nurses in the NHS, which is already facing a chronic lack of them in many hospitals, research suggests.
Britain’s decision to leave the EU could deprive the health service of nurses from countries such as Spain, Portugal and Ireland, from which it has recruited heavily in recent years, analysis by the Institute for Employment Studies found. Continue reading... The Guardian
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Brexit is set to cause a severe shortage of nurses in the NHS, which is already facing a chronic lack of them in many hospitals, research suggests.
Britain’s decision to leave the EU could deprive the health service of nurses from countries such as Spain, Portugal and Ireland, from which it has recruited heavily in recent years, analysis by the Institute for Employment Studies found. Continue reading... The Guardian
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- Brexit and population growth to leave the NHS short of nurses Institute for Employment Studies
- Beyond Brexit: Assessing key risks to the nursing workforce in England Institute for Employment Studies
- Could Brexit prove terminal for the NHS? The Guardian
- NHS nurses are being cast into a perfect Brexit storm | Polly Toynbee The Guardian
Distressed patients left on doorsteps in the early hours to free-up hospital beds
Distressed patients left on doorsteps in the early hours to free-up hospital beds Ambulances are increasingly being used at the dead of night to decant sick and distressed people, not into the care of doctors and nurses but out of hospital and back to their homes. The Daily Mail
NHS left with unpaid bill of £30m from overseas patients in just one year, figures reveal
NHS left with unpaid bill of £30m from overseas patients in just one year, figures reveal Overseas patients have left the NHS with unpaid bill of almost £30 million in just one year, an investigation has found.
Patients who were not entitled to free treatment on the health service owed £29,530,378 in 2015/16, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
More than 120 NHS trusts were asked to provide details on overseas patients who were billed for NHS care and who were exempt from reciprocal arrangements with the UK. The Daily Telegraph
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Patients who were not entitled to free treatment on the health service owed £29,530,378 in 2015/16, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
More than 120 NHS trusts were asked to provide details on overseas patients who were billed for NHS care and who were exempt from reciprocal arrangements with the UK. The Daily Telegraph
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- Overseas patients are continuing to rack up debts for the NHS The Daily Mail
- Overseas patients leave NHS bill of almost £30 million in one year The Independent
Three quarters to survive cancer within 20 years - Cancer Research UK
Three quarters to survive cancer within 20 years - Cancer Research UK Within 20 years three quarters of people will survive a diagnosis of cancer if clinical improvements continue at their current rate, Cancer Research UK has said.
The next two decades will see a 15% drop in the overall death rate from the disease, equating to 400,000 fewer deaths, the charity predicts.
For every 100,000 people in the UK, 331 died from cancer in 2014. The Daily Telegraph
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The next two decades will see a 15% drop in the overall death rate from the disease, equating to 400,000 fewer deaths, the charity predicts.
For every 100,000 people in the UK, 331 died from cancer in 2014. The Daily Telegraph
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Monday, 19 December 2016
Scale of avoidable loss of life by suicide is unacceptable
Scale of avoidable loss of life by suicide is unacceptable The Government must prioritise a clear implementation strategy and increase support for public mental health and early intervention services if it is to bring down the unacceptable suicide rate, says the Health Select Committee in its interim report into suicide prevention.
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Doing justice to mental health in STPs
Doing justice to mental health in STPs Claire Murdoch, the national director for mental health in England, recently argued that some sustainability and transformation plans (STPs) are failing to do ‘justice’ to mental health. Following on from this, we might ask what justice would look like if we had it. For me, the answer would have to include making mental health central to work on new models of care and also part of the approach taken in STPs towards improving population health.
Ignoring the psychological aspects of health and wellbeing leads to some of the grossest inefficiencies in the health and care system. For example, we have estimated that in England, poor mental health drives up the annual cost of long-term physical health conditions by between £8 billion and £13 billion. The fact is – and it should hardly surprise us – that when people are struggling to deal with the social and emotional pressures in their lives, their physical health often deteriorates – and the impact of that is felt strongly in general practice, A&E and elsewhere. And yet all too often we act as if these issues should be of concern only to mental health professionals. The King's Fund
Ignoring the psychological aspects of health and wellbeing leads to some of the grossest inefficiencies in the health and care system. For example, we have estimated that in England, poor mental health drives up the annual cost of long-term physical health conditions by between £8 billion and £13 billion. The fact is – and it should hardly surprise us – that when people are struggling to deal with the social and emotional pressures in their lives, their physical health often deteriorates – and the impact of that is felt strongly in general practice, A&E and elsewhere. And yet all too often we act as if these issues should be of concern only to mental health professionals. The King's Fund
Policy paper: Impact of the spending review on health and social care: government response
Policy paper: Impact of the spending review on health and social care: government response This document sets out the government’s response to the 29 conclusions and recommendations made in the House of Commons Health Select Committee report. Department of Health
Policy paper: Public health post-2013 report: government response
Policy paper: Public health post-2013 report: government response The government’s response to the House of Commons Health Committee Report on public health post-2013 responds to each of its recommendations on subjects such as funding, improving public health, politics and evidence, boundary issues and fragmentation and leadership.
This response was prepared by the Department of Health in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England.
This response was prepared by the Department of Health in consultation with Public Health England (PHE) and NHS England.
Improving care for people with long-term conditions
Improving care for people with long-term conditions This report, published by the RPS in Scotland, argues that pharmacist led care of people with long term conditions could deliver better results and be more cost effective. It focuses on the role of the pharmacist as part of a multidisciplinary approach to tackling the challenges facing the NHS in providing the highest quality care and support for people with long term conditions. Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Is air pollution really a public health crisis?
Is air pollution really a public health crisis? It could lead to a ban on diesel cars, prevent the building of a third runway at Heathrow and will certainly make it more expensive to drive in towns and cities.
Air pollution has been called the "public health crisis of a generation" - but just how serious is the problem? BBC News
Air pollution has been called the "public health crisis of a generation" - but just how serious is the problem? BBC News
Locums claim up to £155 an hour to fill NHS gaps
Locums claim up to £155 an hour to fill NHS gaps Staff shortages leave cash-strapped hospitals reliant on costly cover
Locum doctors are holding the NHS to ransom by demanding “excessive” rates of pay from cash-strapped hospitals, the service’s financial regulator has warned.
Some stand-in doctors are earning as much as £155 an hour for covering shifts in hospitals that are facing serious staff shortages, or in medical specialties in which rota gaps are common, such as A&E and radiology. The soaring pay rates have emerged through an analysis undertaken by NHS Improvement (NHSI), the health service’s financial regulator. Continue reading... The Guardian
Locum doctors are holding the NHS to ransom by demanding “excessive” rates of pay from cash-strapped hospitals, the service’s financial regulator has warned.
Some stand-in doctors are earning as much as £155 an hour for covering shifts in hospitals that are facing serious staff shortages, or in medical specialties in which rota gaps are common, such as A&E and radiology. The soaring pay rates have emerged through an analysis undertaken by NHS Improvement (NHSI), the health service’s financial regulator. Continue reading... The Guardian
NHS cashes in on private payers as waiting lists soar
NHS cashes in on private payers as waiting lists soar Hospitals’ income from ‘queue jumpers’ rises while 360,000 non-payers face delays beyond 18 weeks
Income received by NHS hospital trusts from private patients has risen by 23% in the last four years, as waiting lists for non-paying patients have soared.
Under the government’s reforms, hospitals have been given the right to raise 49% of their funds through non-NHS work, often from patients seeking to avoid waiting for surgery. Prior to this, there had been a 2% cap on income that could be raised from private patients. Continue reading... The Guardian
Income received by NHS hospital trusts from private patients has risen by 23% in the last four years, as waiting lists for non-paying patients have soared.
Under the government’s reforms, hospitals have been given the right to raise 49% of their funds through non-NHS work, often from patients seeking to avoid waiting for surgery. Prior to this, there had been a 2% cap on income that could be raised from private patients. Continue reading... The Guardian
The social care crisis is pulling NHS trusts further underwater
The social care crisis is pulling NHS trusts further underwater Managers tell of the equivalent of several wards of patients stuck in hospitals for want of social services
The government’s refusal to find any new money for social care will inflict significant and lasting damage on the NHS and the lives of its patients.
The local government finance settlement announced by the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, this week did virtually nothing to alleviate the growing social care crisis. He simply allowed local authorities to bring forward council tax increases and shifted £240m from housing.
Safe occupancy levels are now breached routinely, increasing the risk of hospital-acquired infections Continue reading... The Guardian
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The government’s refusal to find any new money for social care will inflict significant and lasting damage on the NHS and the lives of its patients.
The local government finance settlement announced by the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, this week did virtually nothing to alleviate the growing social care crisis. He simply allowed local authorities to bring forward council tax increases and shifted £240m from housing.
Safe occupancy levels are now breached routinely, increasing the risk of hospital-acquired infections Continue reading... The Guardian
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Out of puff: UK becomes of the most successful nationals in Europe for cutting down on smoking
Out of puff: UK becomes of the most successful nationals in Europe for cutting down on smoking Men and women in the UK are both down overall in smoking with Sweden being the only country in Europe to have a lower proportion of smokers, according to a recent survey bu Eurostat. The Daily Mail
Social care needs force 50,000 pensioners to sell their homes
Social care needs force 50,000 pensioners to sell their homes Fifty thousand pensioners have been forced to sell their homes to pay for social care in the last year, despite a Government pledge that nobody would have to use their house to pay.
House of Commons library figures show that tens of thousands of older people have put their properties on the market to cover care costs, amid fears that the trend may continue because councils do not have enough money for social care. The Daily Telegraph
House of Commons library figures show that tens of thousands of older people have put their properties on the market to cover care costs, amid fears that the trend may continue because councils do not have enough money for social care. The Daily Telegraph
Hospitals ordered to stop vast majority of operations in crisis move
Hospitals ordered to stop vast majority of operations in crisis move Hospitals have been ordered to stop carrying out the vast majority of operations in a desperate bid to attempt to fend off a growing NHS crisis.
Health regulators have stepped in to order the extreme measures amid rising panic about how services will cope with mounting strain.
In an average month, the health service carries out about 600,000 planned operations, as well as urgent procedures.
Now hospitals have been told to stop carrying out most planned surgery, to focus on treating emergency cases. The Daily Telegraph
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Health regulators have stepped in to order the extreme measures amid rising panic about how services will cope with mounting strain.
In an average month, the health service carries out about 600,000 planned operations, as well as urgent procedures.
Now hospitals have been told to stop carrying out most planned surgery, to focus on treating emergency cases. The Daily Telegraph
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Friday, 16 December 2016
'We just don't know how we will cope' says relative of patient at Northampton day care centre after council axes its contract
'We just don't know how we will cope' says relative of patient at Northampton day care centre after council axes its contract Northamptonshire County Council is to press ahead with plans to end its contract with a popular day care centre in Northampton, despite "hundreds" signing a petition against it and heartfelt pleas from the relatives of patients. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
The Winter Insight: beds pressures
The Winter Insight: beds pressures Chief Economist Prof John Appleby presents the findings of a new analysis of bed occupancy levels from NHS England situation reports for last winter. The analysis suggests that the NHS could be on track for a very difficult winter this year.
The 25th of January this year – a Monday – was a particularly difficult day for the NHS in England. One in seven trusts reported that all their acute beds were full, and for nearly four out of 10, 98 per cent of their beds were occupied. And this was after opening nearly 4,200 more beds to accommodate extra patients.
On the following day, the number of extra beds trusts had to make available reached its highest level for the whole of last winter, when 4,390 extra beds were opened. That’s equivalent to opening up at least seven entire extra hospitals that day.
There was no respite during the rest of the week. University Hospitals Birmingham, Bolton, Northampton General, the North Middlesex, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, the Great Western in Swindon, Basildon & Thurrock, Epsom & St Helier and Kettering were all full every day that week with 100 per cent of their acute beds – including extra beds brought in temporarily – occupied. Nuffield Trust
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The 25th of January this year – a Monday – was a particularly difficult day for the NHS in England. One in seven trusts reported that all their acute beds were full, and for nearly four out of 10, 98 per cent of their beds were occupied. And this was after opening nearly 4,200 more beds to accommodate extra patients.
On the following day, the number of extra beds trusts had to make available reached its highest level for the whole of last winter, when 4,390 extra beds were opened. That’s equivalent to opening up at least seven entire extra hospitals that day.
There was no respite during the rest of the week. University Hospitals Birmingham, Bolton, Northampton General, the North Middlesex, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust, the Great Western in Swindon, Basildon & Thurrock, Epsom & St Helier and Kettering were all full every day that week with 100 per cent of their acute beds – including extra beds brought in temporarily – occupied. Nuffield Trust
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Policy paper: NHS bursary reform
Policy paper: NHS bursary reform From 1 August 2017, new nursing, midwifery and allied health students will no longer receive NHS bursaries. Instead, they will have access to the same student loans system as other students. This guidance explains the reforms. The Department of Health
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