Flying medics called to nearly 400 incidents in six months

Flying medics called to nearly 400 incidents in six months Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance attended 380 accidents and emergencies during the first six months of the year. Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph

Why do people find it so hard to speak out in the interests of patients?

Why do people find it so hard to speak out in the interests of patients? Health care staff are usually motivated to enter their professions by a desire to make a difference for patients and service users. Why then, do they find it so hard to speak up for patients when they see care that does not meet satisfactory standards? And when they do, why do they find it so hard to be heard? asks Bev Fitzsimons. The Health Foundation

Cigarette packaging plans on hold

Cigarette packaging plans on hold The government is to postpone plans for standardised plain cigarette packaging, to spend more time studying a similar scheme in Australia. BBC News

Dementia patients 'miss key tests'

Dementia patients 'miss key tests' Many dementia patients fail to have the proper checks when they are in hospital, an audit of care has found. BBC News

See also:

• Elderly dementia patients receive poor hospital care, audit finds The Guardian

Medicines watchdog recalls drugs

Medicines watchdog recalls drugs The UK's medicines watchdog is recalling 16 prescription medicines made at an Indian factory which failed a routine inspection. BBC News

See also:

• Precautionary recall MHRA

Abortions down in England and Wales

Abortions down in England and Wales Abortions in England and Wales fell slightly in 2012 and the abortion rate for under 18s was also down, show figures from the Department of Health. BBC News

See also:

• Record high number of abortions which are 'repeats' The Daily Telegraph
• Abortions show overall downward trend Public Service
• Statistics - national statistics: Report on abortion statistics in England and Wales for 2012 Department of Health

Junior doctors withdrawn at hospital

Junior doctors withdrawn at hospital Junior doctor training is stopped after concerns at a major hospital in Bedfordshire and an MP calls for an inquiry. BBC News

Flu fighter webinar: Improving ambulance service, mental health and community care trust vaccination uptake

Flu fighter webinar: Improving ambulance service, mental health and community care trust vaccination uptake Join us for our flu fighter webinar taking place on 7 August. NHS Employers

IT can fill £30 billion gap - Kelsey

IT can fill £30 billion gap - Kelsey Technology can fill a "large part" of the £30 billion funding gap facing the health service, NHS England's director of patients and information has claimed. E-Health Insider

RCN publishes guidance on uniforms and work wear

RCN publishes guidance on uniforms and work wear The RCN has published updated guidance for nursing staff and their employers on selecting, wearing and decontaminating uniforms or other clothing worn when caring for patients.

NHS buildings: obstacle or opportunity?

NHS buildings: obstacle or opportunity? There has been little real attention given to how the NHS estate could help to improve efficiency, move more care out of hospitals and exploit new technologies. This perspectives piece demonstates how models of care are still designed around buildings, and asks whether re-thinking the way that the NHS uses its estate could catalyse change.

• Discussion paper
• The King's Fund - publications

The NHS structure and mental health

The NHS structure and mental health This chart illustrates changes to mental health services in the new NHS structure.

• Chart
• Centre for Mental Health - publications

Why NHS 111 has to stay 'risk-averse' – and thus doesn't save money | Colin Leys

Why NHS 111 has to stay 'risk-averse' – and thus doesn't save money | Colin Leys The new telephone line has non-medical staff doing computerised triage. So it has to err on the side of caution, which just shifts the strain to other parts of the NHS.

The practical, spin-free guide to funding the NHS | Jacky Davis

The practical, spin-free guide to funding the NHS | Jacky Davis The NHS needs another 'significant shake-up' as it faces a £30bn shortfall. But we need to challenge the marketisers' myths.

Dying NHS patients not treated with dignity, relatives say

Dying NHS patients not treated with dignity, relatives say Almost half of bereaved relatives of NHS patients say their loved ones were shown a lack of dignity and respect by hospital staff before their death, while a fifth were given treatment they would not have wanted, a new survey has found. The Daily Telegraph

Obesity bankrupting the NHS, warns peer

Obesity bankrupting the NHS, warns peer Britain's "obesity epidemic" is bankrupting the NHS, a former consultant surgeon has warned in the House of Lords.The Daily Telegraph

Healthwatch Northamptonshire raises concerns about respite care - Northampton Herald and Post

Healthwatch Northamptonshire raises concerns about respite care HEALTHWATCH Northamptonshire, has made its first referral to Northamptonshire County Council’s Health & Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding provisions for people with neuro-degenerative conditions in the county – which includes conditions such as motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. Northampton Herald and Post

See also:

• Statement from Nene and Corby CCGs on the end of Podiatry and Neuro-degenerative consultations

NHS 'heading for £30bn funding gap'

NHS 'heading for £30bn funding gap' The NHS in England risks "sleepwalking" into poorer quality care unless hospital and GP services are reorganised, according to its leaders. BBC News

See also:

• Special report: ‘This can’t go on’ - NHS chiefs urge new debate on health reforms The Independent
• NHS will 'sleepwalk' into more Staffords without radical change The Daily Telegraph
• NHS chief executive: muddling along will result in more Staffords The Guardian
• NHS cannot rely on pay cuts to reduce costs, says BMA expert GP Online
• The NHS belongs to the people: a call to action NHS England
• The King's Fund's response to the publication of NHS England's national call to action

Organ donor wish 'must be honoured'

Organ donor wish 'must be honoured' The NHS is considering whether to stop families from overriding the consent of people who have signed the organ donor register. BBC News

See also:

• Registered organ donors could be given priority for transplants The Daily Telegraph
• NHS organ transplant service presses for big change of attitude over donation The Guardian

Air pollution linked to lung cancer and heart failure

Air pollution linked to lung cancer and heart failure Air pollution, chiefly from traffic exhaust fumes in cities, is having a serious and sometimes fatal effect on health, The Guardian reports.

This follows the publication of two studies in The Lancet that examined the effects of short- and long-term exposure to pollutants on the risk of developing lung cancer or heart failure.

These were both well conducted studies that collected a large body of evidence. Researchers looked at observational studies examining the impact of air pollution on long-term health outcomes.