Kettering General Hospital withholds death findings

Kettering General Hospital withholds death findings A hospital where a girl bled to death withholds the findings of an inquiry from the BBC for fear of "endangering the mental health" of its staff. BBC Northamptonshire

Work of Northampton General Hospital surgeon must be overseen during investigation

Work of Northampton General Hospital surgeon must be overseen during investigation A specialist spinal surgeon at Northampton General Hospital must be supervised during operations while an investigation is carried out into some of his work. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Clegg attacks NHS mental health care

Clegg attacks NHS mental health care Nick Clegg has launched a strong attack on how the NHS treats mental health patients. BBC News

See also:

• Mental therapy waiting times spark concern The Independent
• Closing the Gap: Priorities for essential change in mental health Department of Health

Policy paper: Suicide prevention report

Policy paper: Suicide prevention report The annual report summarises the developments on the suicide prevention strategy for England at national level. It identifies key research studies and their findings, and is accompanied by a report of statistical information on suicides. The report sets out the key actions that local areas can take to prevent suicides. It also highlights the importance of responsive and high quality care for people who self-harm.

The annual report has been prepared with the input of leading experts in the field of suicide prevention, including the members of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group.

There is also a joint statement on sharing information appropriately, within the legal framework, to help prevent suicide. This was prepared with the Royal Colleges and professional organisations. Department of Health

New TUPE guidance published

New TUPE guidance published A new guide to the amended TUPE Regulations, which are due to come into effect on 31 January 2014, has been published by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). NHS Employers

Claims of a universal cure for cancer 'misleading'

Claims of a universal cure for cancer 'misleading' "A cure for all cancers is on the way" was the frankly bizarre claim on the front page of the Daily Express, not least because the study it was "reporting" on involved blind mole rats, not humans.

Productivity of the English National Health Service from 2004/5: updated to 2011/12

Productivity of the English National Health Service from 2004/5: updated to 2011/12 This report finds that productivity growth in 2010/11 – 2011/12 was around 2.13% to 2.38% depending on the choice of mixed or indirect input index used. Over the whole time series we find that quality adjusted output has increased by 40%. Inputs have increased by 28% using the mixed input measure and by 26% using the indirect measure, leading to a total factor productivity growth over the entire period of 10% and 11% respectively. Centre for Health Economics

NHS patient data to be made available for sale to drug and insurance firms

NHS patient data to be made available for sale to drug and insurance firms Privacy experts warn there will be no way for public to work out who has their medical records or how they are using it.

Hospitals with fewer nurses on wards than Mid Staffs

Hospitals with fewer nurses on wards than Mid Staffs Some hospitals have fewer nurses to care for patients than Stafford Hospital at the height of its crisis, according to research by the Royal College of Nursing. The Daily Telegraph

Mental health risk to children trapped in ‘toxic climate’ of dieting, pornography and school stress

Mental health risk to children trapped in ‘toxic climate’ of dieting, pornography and school stress Children are living in an “unprecedented toxic climate” in which they skip meals to stay thin, are bombarded by pornographic images and fear they will be failures amid a “continuous onslaught of stress at school”, according to research published today. The Independent

Multinational Comparisons of Health Systems Data, 2013

Multinational Comparisons of Health Systems Data, 2013 In this chartbook, we use data collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to compare health care systems and performance on a range of topics, including spending, hospitals, physicians, pharmaceuticals, prevention, mortality, quality and safety, and prices. The Commonwealth Fund

Meeting to guide Northampton General Hospital inspectors hears good and bad stories

Meeting to guide Northampton General Hospital inspectors hears good and bad stories More than 70 people turned out to a meeting to give their impressions of Northampton General Hospital to inspectors ahead of an audit inspection that starts today. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Two million 'may need weight op'

Two million 'may need weight op' Up to two million people in England could be eligible for weight loss surgery, such as the fitting of gastric bands, experts believe. BBC News

CCGs - saving lives or forcing cuts?

CCGs - saving lives or forcing cuts? Are new NHS groups saving lives or forcing cuts? BBC News

VIDEO: What do we think of the NHS?

VIDEO: What do we think of the NHS? The NHS is almost a national religion to some and the government has committed to ring fencing health spending in England. BBC News

Gene therapy offers hope for sight loss

Gene therapy offers hope for sight loss Gene therapy "could be used to treat blindness," BBC News reports. This is just one of the many headlines reporting on the exciting application of gene therapy in visual impairment.

The news come from a small study involving just six male patients with a rare genetic condition called choroideremia. This condition causes progressive damage to the retina (the light-sensitive film of tissue at the back of the eye). There is currently no effective treatment for choroideremia and most people affected are legally blind by the time they are 50.

Tackling health inequalities: Reformers must check evidence

Tackling health inequalities: Reformers must check evidence Practitioners and policymakers have a moral obligation to do their research and ensure policy changes don't waste society's precious resources.
"The poor are always with us", and in recent decades the gap between the haves and the have-nots in Britain has widened.
Some argue that more equal societies have higher levels of wellbeing. Others see the unexploited talent of the disadvantaged as a morally repugnant waste.
Whatever your perspective, the principal challenge is how to identify interventions that are effective in improving the lot of the poor and reducing inequality at least cost.

Jeremy Hunt trying to undermine trust in us, say four in five GPs

Jeremy Hunt trying to undermine trust in us, say four in five GPs Poll of family doctors finds 94% agree that profession is being unfairly criticised for political purposes.
GPs have responded to Jeremy Hunt's criticisms of how they care for patients by accusing the health secretary of trying to damage the public's trust in them.
In a poll for the Guardian, four in five family doctors say they believe Hunt is deliberately seeking to undermine trust through a series of sometimes trenchant attacks on them, and some complain that they are being used as "political scapegoats".
The poll found that 83% of respondents agreed with the statement that "Jeremy Hunt is seeking to undermine public trust in GPs", and 3% disagreed.

Thousands of doctors accused of malpractice never fully checked

Thousands of doctors accused of malpractice never fully checked One in five allegations about rogue doctors are never properly investigated. The Daily Telegraph

Thousands more elderly care home residents subject to restraints

Thousands more elderly care home residents subject to restraints Steep rise in attempts by care homes to restrain and lock up the elderly, figures show. The Daily Telegraph