KGH suffers from cost of bed blockers

KGH suffers from cost of bed blockers Bed blockers at Kettering General Hospital are causing “vast” expense, according to a report to a health body. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Knowledge strategy: harnessing the power of information to improve the public’s health

Knowledge strategy: harnessing the power of information to improve the public’s health This document describes the strategic approach to information and knowledge that the public health system needs to take in order to improve and protect public health and reduce inequalities. The knowledge strategy was developed following an extended and open consultation process and incorporates responses from local government, national organisations and key partners. Public Health England

Dementia progress 'achingly slow'

Dementia progress 'achingly slow' Progress on new research and treatments for dementia has been "achingly slow", the man appointed as global envoy for the disease says. BBC News

See also:

• Press release: UK commits to new action to find breakthrough on dementia Department of Health
• David Cameron pledges new drive on Alzheimer’s research The Independent
• Dementia patients should be given the best drugs, says David Cameron The Daily Telegraph

England NHS 'faces funding gap'

England NHS 'faces funding gap' The NHS in England faces a funding gap of up to £2bn for the next financial year, with growing costs set to outstrip income, the BBC understands. BBC News

See also:

• RCGP response to NHS facing £2 billion funding gap story Royal College of General Practitioners 

Viewpoint: International study backs NHS as GP role under threat

Viewpoint: International study backs NHS as GP role under threat With the NHS under siege from overwhelming pressures and short-term policy gimmicks from politicians from all sides, the latest report from the Commonwealth Fund is a welcome relief, writes BMA deputy chairman Dr Kailash Chand. GP Online

Jeremy Hunt calls for end to cosmetic surgery on NHS

Jeremy Hunt calls for end to cosmetic surgery on NHS Health secretary says public money should not be spent to improve someone's looks

Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, has expressed his strong opposition to the NHS funding cosmetic surgery at a time when it is under heavy financial pressure.

Hunt said all decisions must be taken on "clinical need", and public money must not be used to pay for surgery just to improve someone's looks. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Plastic surgery is not only about looks people's wellbeing is at stake The Guardian
• Cosmetic surgery on the NHS: No more breast enlargements, tummy tucks and nose jobs, says Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt The Daily Telegraph

Nearly half of patients do not understand medical language

Nearly half of patients do not understand medical language The Royal College of GPs found that nearly one half of patients struggle to understand the advice given to them by their doctor or know how to properly take their medication. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Doctors told to dispense with confusing medical jargon The Guardian

Nurses reject plans to make patients pay £10 for a GP appointment

Nurses reject plans to make patients pay £10 for a GP appointment The UK’s largest nursing union has overwhelmingly voted against plans to introduce £10 charges every time someone goes to see their GP, in what bosses described as an affirmation of the belief the NHS should be free at point of delivery. The Independent

See also:

• RCN members reaffirm their belief that NHS should be free at the point of delivery Royal College of Nursing 
• Nurses vote against fee for GP services The Guardian

Hospital wrong to put ‘do not resuscitate’ note in patient’s file

Hospital wrong to put ‘do not resuscitate’ note in patient’s file Doctors have a legal duty to tell patients if a “do not resuscitate” order has been placed in their medical records, the Court of Appeal in England has ruled. The Independent

Waiting list of 148 people for life-saving organs in Northamptonshire

Waiting list of 148 people for life-saving organs in Northamptonshire There are 148 people in Northamptonshire waiting for a life-saving organ. However, only 11 people in the county received a transplant in the whole of last year. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Nene Clinical Commissioning Group issue its first annual report

Nene Clinical Commissioning Group issue its first annual report The first annual report for Nene Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has now been published. Northampton Herald and Post

Prioritising person-centred care: the evidence

Prioritising person-centred care: the evidence These resources have been designed to make it easy for commissioners and providers to access, understand and make use of the best evidence for various approaches to involving people in their health and healthcare. The booklets draw on information from 779 systematic reviews worldwide. They offer practical ways forward based on accurate evidence so commissioners, health professionals and service-user groups can see what works best and how to invest resources. National Voices

• Supporting self-management
• Shared decision making
• Enhancing experience
• Improving information
• Promoting prevention

Facing the future: smaller acute providers

Facing the future: smaller acute providers This report finds that small district general hospitals can thrive but the way services are provided to local patients must change to guarantee quality care. The research found that no clear evidence that smaller acute hospitals performed any worse clinically than larger counterparts. However, the analysis showed that there is evidence that smaller providers may be starting to face greater financial challenges, with performance worsening more than the sector as a whole in the last 2 years. Monitor

Hospital wards 'too noisy at night'

Hospital wards 'too noisy at night' Hospitals need to do more to ensure patients get a good night's sleep, nurses say. BBC News

'10,000' NHS patients in data breach

'10,000' NHS patients in data breach As many as 10,000 NHS patients may have been affected by data protection breaches by a private firm, a BBC investigation reveals. BBC News

Avon calling

Avon calling Getting an NHS trust to share data with a local authority is a challenge. Getting 13 health and social care organisations to share data, with the appropriate governance arrangements in place might, to some, seem almost impossible. E-Health Insider

Warning issued over washing raw chicken

Warning issued over washing raw chicken "Don't wash chicken before cooking it, warns Food Standards Agency," The Guardian reports. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued the advice as many people do not realise that washing raw poultry can spread bacteria, leading to an increased risk of food poisoning.

The bacteria in question, campylobacter, is the most common cause of food poisoning in the world and affects about 280,000 people in the UK each year.

New guidance is intended to remind people that washing raw chicken before cooking increases the likelihood of infection through splashing the bacteria on to work surfaces, clothing and cooking equipment. This is known as cross-contamination.

Washing is therefore not recommended – it is also unnecessary as thorough cooking will kill any bacteria.

The NHS must learn from its mistakes

The NHS must learn from its mistakes Sharing knowledge and spreading expertise will improve patient safety

Maurice Murphy died after a nasogastric tube was passed through his nose into his lung instead of into his stomach. Murphy, the principal trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra for 30 years, was being treated in an NHS hospital in London for a liver complaint. A junior nurse who queried whether the tube was in the right place was told by the doctor in charge: "You don't have the brain to remember that I told you to start the feed. The tube is in the right position."

Murphy, who died in 2011, was a victim of a "never event" errors so called because they should never happen. His case was recalled by Prof Sir Liam Donaldson, former chief medical officer, who told a group of NHS experts this month that never events do still happen at the rate of 300 a year in England. They include (from last year) a woman who had her fallopian tube removed instead of her appendix and 123 cases in which swabs, instruments or other items were left inside patients after surgery. Continue reading... The Guardian

How NHS hospitals spent £5 million on obese patients

How NHS hospitals spent £5 million on obese patients Hospitals are spending thousands widening corridors, buying fridges to store bodies of overweight patients and strengthening operating tables as Britain's obesity crisis continues. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Hospital costs are small part of debt of obesity crisis The Daily Telegraph
• Rising obesity levels force NHS to spend extra £5.5m on adapting hospitals The Daily Mail

District nurses could be a thing of the past in 10 years without urgent action, warns Royal College of Nurses

District nurses could be a thing of the past in 10 years without urgent action, warns Royal College of Nurses

There could be no more district nurses in the England within a decade, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said, in an unprecedented warning over the future of the profession. The Independent

See also:

• RCN warns that district nurses face 'extinction' in 2025 Royal College of Nursing
• Survey of district and community nurses in 2013 Royal College of Nursing
• District nurses will disappear by 2025, says union The Guardian