Child 'sugar scourge': thousands having teeth removed in hospital

Child 'sugar scourge': thousands having teeth removed in hospital Experts say annual figures for England obtained by LGA show need for tougher curbs on sugar in children’s diets

More than 40,000 children and young people a year are having rotten teeth removed in hospital in further evidence of what doctors call the “costly scourge of sugar”.

New NHS figures obtained by the Local Government Association (LGA) show that 40,800 under-18s in England had at least one tooth taken out last year under general anaesthetic because of decay. Performing the procedures cost £35.6m. Continue reading... The Guardian

British heart attack patients are abandoned without receiving life-saving aftercare

British heart attack patients are abandoned without receiving life-saving aftercare Tens of thousands of British cardiac patients are abandoned to cope without the essential care they need after a heart attack, a major audit reveals.

An astonishing 69 per cent of NHS cardiac rehabilitation services across England, Wales and Northern Ireland are failing to hit minimum standards, a damning report revealed.

All heart patients should be offered rehabilitation care in the aftermath of an attack, which has been shown to reduce the risk of death by 18 per cent in the next year, and cut readmissions by 31 per cent.

Yet 66,000 of 132,000 eligible patients are missing out on cardiac rehabilitation each year, the National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation revealed. The Daily Mail

See also:

• National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation Annual Statistical Report 2016 British Heart Foundation

Saline bags tampered with at hospital as police called in to investigate

Saline bags tampered with at hospital as police called in to investigate Police have launched an urgent investigation at a hospital in Cumbria after a member of staff discovered that saline bags – used for IV drips and other medical procedures had been tampered with.

North Cumbria University Hospitals Trust said security measures had been increased across Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle after the tampering was discovered last Wednesday.

Following the discovery, senior clinicians were alerted and the hospital immediately launched its serious incident procedure protocol to ensure the safety of patients. The Daily Telegraph

CCTV released of man over theft from Northampton General Hospital

CCTV released of man over theft from Northampton General Hospital Police would like to speak to the man in the attached images who may have information about the theft of a handbag from NGH. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Taking the right approach to community-based health services

Taking the right approach to community-based health services On Boxing Day, Professor Jane Cummings, Chief Nursing Officer at NHS England, wrote a letter to The Telegraph reflecting on what – on the surface – seemed to be a fairly standard NHS policy position, that the NHS should shift care closer to home and invest in community-based health care rather than hospital buildings.

Nothing new there, it's been a key component of much health policy for the past decade or more. But I started looking at readers’ comments on articles where her letter was discussed, and was taken aback by the strength of feeling from those commenters that the policy was wrong. The King's Fund

Support after a suicide: a guide to providing local services

Support after a suicide: a guide to providing local services This practical guidance helps commissioners understand why and how they can deliver support after suicide (also known as postvention support) in their local areas. Public Health England

Policy paper: Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: government response

Policy paper: Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: government response This report sets out the government’s response to the work of the Mental Health Taskforce. The taskforce report to NHS England, the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, is an independent and far-reaching overview of what modern mental health services should be.

The government will accept the taskforce report’s recommendations in full. This report provides full responses to each of the 58 recommendations made to government.

All of the recommendations, whether for NHS England or for government, will be taken forward. NHS England’s response to their recommendations can be found in Implementing the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health. Department of Health

Theresa May promises mental health care overhaul

Theresa May promises mental health care overhaul Plans to "transform" attitudes to mental health, with a focus on children and young people, have been announced by Theresa May.

Additional training for teachers, an extra £15m for community care, and improved support in the workplace were among measures announced by the PM.

Mental health experts said more funding was needed to improve services.

Mrs May's speech comes as she outlined her plans to use the state to create a "shared society".

The government says one in four people has a mental disorder at some point in their life, with an annual cost of £105bn.

Figures show young people are affected disproportionately with over half of mental health problems starting by the age of 14 and 75% by 18.

The prime minister said mental health had been "dangerously disregarded" as secondary to physical health and changing that would go "right to the heart of our humanity". BBC News

See also:

• Press release: Prime Minister unveils plans to transform mental health support Department of Health
• Mental health problems are everyone’s problem: article by Theresa May Department of Health
• Statement to Parliament: Mental health and NHS performance Department of Health
• Funds for mental health must reach the front line if Prime Minister’s vision is to be realised The King's Fund
• Prime Minister unveils plans to 'transform' mental health support Mind
• Professor Sir Simon Wessley, President of the RCPsych responds to the PM's speech Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Urgent action needed to make aspirations for mental health care a reality, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• 'Nobody is immune' to mental health problems BBC News
• Theresa May vows to tackle the 'huge stigma' around poor mental health as part of her 'shared society' vision - and No 10 says it's NOT the same as David Cameron's 'big society' The Daily Mail
• Theresa May vows to make her Government a 'force for good' in new plan to tackle mental health The Daily Telegraph
• Theresa May is right to talk about mental health, both morally and economically The Daily Telegraph
• Every secondary school in Britain offered mental health training in bid to end 'stigma' and help children The Daily Telegraph
• Using children's mental health funding to plug NHS gaps is 'like theft', says former health minister The Independent
• 2 charts that show what has happened to mental health under the Conservatives The Independent
• Theresa May pledges to tackle 'stigma' of mental health but dismisses call for extra funding The Independent
• Theresa May's mental health pledge should start with fair funding The New Statesman

Jeremy Hunt sets out the measures to relieve 'distressed' A&Es

Jeremy Hunt sets out the measures to relieve 'distressed' A&Es The Health Secretary has told the Commons how hospital trusts can relieve their 'distressed' emergency departments on a temporary basis.

Jeremy Hunt was also responding to claims from the Red Cross that the NHS was facing a 'humanitarian crisis'. BBC News

See also:

• Statement to Parliament: Mental health and NHS performance Department of Health
• Hunt casts doubt over A&E target BBC News
• Jeremy Hunt says one in three of us shouldn't be in casualty as ops are axed The Daily Mail
• Jeremy Hunt makes emergency statement on NHS The Daily Telegraph
• GP referrals blocked as Hunt says seven-day service can end NHS 'humanitarian crisis' GP Online
• GPs could be drafted in to support struggling urgent care services, says Hunt GP Online
• This isn’t a freak day – this is winter in the NHS The Guardian
• The Guardian view on the NHS crisis: Theresa May is in denial | Editorial The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt accused of watering down four-hour A&E waiting target The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt: up to 30% of people using A&E departments do not need emergency care – video The Guardian
• Jeremy Hunt rejects Red Cross claim of NHS 'humanitarian crisis' – video The Guardian
• Red Cross NHS remark touches nerve with Conservatives The Guardian
• Chart highlights NHS hospital bed shortage crisis in comparison to other European countries The Independent
• NHS crisis: Intensive care bed shortages are forcing doctors to choose who lives and dies The Independent
• Senior A&E doctor declares working in NHS emergency medicine 'sucks you in and spits you out' The Independent
• When to go to A&E: Patients urged to consider other options amid NHS hospital crisis The Independent
• Hunt: 'Unprecedented demand' on NHS after A&E visits surge ITV News

Two die in NHS every day of thirst and starvation

Two die in NHS every day of thirst and starvation Hunger or thirst were responsible for 1,022 registered deaths in 2015, the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics show. Experts believe it may be due to increasing demands on the NHS. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Deaths registered in England and Wales: 2015 Office of National Statistics
• Starving patients BBC News
• Two patients die from starvation or thirst each day in UK hospitals and care homes, say statistics The Independent

'Doctors are too busy for more than one problem per appointment'

'Doctors are too busy for more than one problem per appointment' Those with multiple illnesses are being banned from booking 20-minute consultations – instead being told to book a standard ten-minute appointment for each condition. The Daily Mail

Around 16,000 people still receiving 'flying visits' by carers, despite Government's minimum standard

Around 16,000 people still receiving 'flying visits' by carers, despite Government's minimum standard More than a fifth of councils in England are still commissioning 15-minute social care visits, despite the Government agreeing half an hour should be the minimum standard, it was reported.

Around 16,000 people are still receiving "flying visits" by carers for needs such as washing, dressing and eating, an investigation by ITV News and the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability found.

Ninety-five of the 152 councils in England responded to a Freedom of Information request, of whom 34 admitted they were still commissioning 15-minute visits for personal care, ITV News said. The Daily Telegraph

Largest mental health facility for young people in Europe opens its doors in Northampton

Largest mental health facility for young people in Europe opens its doors in Northampton One of the world's largest adolescent mental health facilities has opened its doors in Northampton, supporting 110 young people with complex conditions. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease aged just 36

Northampton woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease aged just 36 It is a condition associated with the elderly. But Carla Brammall has become one of the UK's youngest Alzheimer's patients - after being diagnosed with a rare mutation of the disease aged 36. The Daily Mail

Research and analysis: Sexually transmitted infections: East Midlands 2015 data

Research and analysis: Sexually transmitted infections: East Midlands 2015 data This report provides a summary of the 2015 data for STIs in the East of England area, along with charts, tables and map. It also explains the data sources used. Public Health England

News story: Children given sports prostheses to help them get active

News story: Children given sports prostheses to help them get active Children across England are being given specialised sports prostheses from the NHS to help them run, swim and play sport, and even become the next Paralympians.

This follows the creation of a £1.5 million fund by the Department of Health, announced by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt during last summer’s Paralympic Games in Rio.

The money has been split between funding for NHS limb centres to fund requests for prostheses and investment in a Child Prostheses Research Collaboration, bringing the latest technology into the NHS. It will also help more children to benefit from sports prostheses that are tailored to their needs and the sports they want to play. Department of Health

No one should have no one: working to end loneliness amongst older people

No one should have no one: working to end loneliness amongst older people This report warns that loneliness leads to an increased demand on health services, partly because isolated people are more likely to develop health conditions, such as heart problems, depression and dementia. The report also outlines the early findings of a pilot programme that takes a community-based approach to tackling loneliness. Age UK

NHS rejects claims of 'humanitarian crisis' in England's hospitals

NHS rejects claims of 'humanitarian crisis' in England's hospitals Theresa May has rejected claims from the Red Cross that there is a "humanitarian crisis" in the NHS.

The prime minister acknowledged there were "huge pressures" on the health service and said No 10 had provided the funding requested.

Mrs May told Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme that funding was "now at record levels for the NHS".

Labour has called on the PM to appear at the Commons on Monday to discuss the "crisis" in social care and hospitals. BBC News

See also:

• NHS England rejects claims of a 'humanitarian crisis' BBC News
• 'Winter from hell' has arrived - doctor's NHS crisis warning BBC News
• Hospital 'in meltdown' as two patients found dead in over-crowded corridors - one who waited 35 HOURS for a bed The Daily Mail
• Woman dies after 35 hours on hospital trolley amid warnings of NHS 'meltdown  The Daily Telegraph
• 'Humanitarian crisis' in NHS warns British Red Cross as A&Es are overwhelmed by demand The Daily Telegraph
• Theresa May denies 'humanitarian crisis' in Britain's NHS The Guardian
• NHS faces 'humanitarian crisis' as demand rises, British Red Cross warns The Guardian
• Theresa May cannot ignore NHS crisis or brush off critics The Guardian
• 'The worst conditions in memory': NHS doctors describe their week in A&E The Guardian
• Three patients die at Worcestershire hospital amid NHS winter crisis The Guardian
• I'm a junior doctor in the NHS, and I'm terrified for this winter The Guardian
• 'It was manic': patients describe meltdown at Worcestershire hospital The Guardian
• Doctors accuse Theresa May of being ‘in denial’ over NHS hospital crisis The Independent

NHS director Peter Lewis jailed over corrupt hospital contract

NHS director Peter Lewis jailed over corrupt hospital contract An NHS director and a software supplier are jailed over a corrupt hospital IT contract. BBC News

Revealed: How dangerous fake health news conquered Facebook

Revealed: How dangerous fake health news conquered Facebook The widespread circulation of fake health news on social networks is misleading and potentially dangerous, health officials have warned.

Misinformation published by conspiracy sites about serious health conditions is often shared more widely than evidence-based reports from reputable news organisations, according to analysis by The Independent. Of the 20 most-shared articles on Facebook in 2016 with the word “cancer” in the headline, more than half purport claims discredited by doctors and health authorities or – in the case of the year’s top story – directly by the source cited in the article. The Independent