Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Students working for free at Northampton General Hospital face court action after refusing to pay £10 a day for parking
Students working for free at Northampton General Hospital face court action after refusing to pay £10 a day for parking Students who work in Northampton General Hospital (NGH) without pay are facing court action after failing to pay parking charges which were raised from £1 to £10 per day. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
NHS increases budget for cancer drugs fund from £280 million in 2015/15 to an expected £340 million in 2015/16
NHS increases budget for cancer drugs fund from £280 million in 2015/15 to an expected £340 million in 2015/16 The NHS Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF) published the outcome of its review of drugs included in the Fund.
The budget for the CDF will grow from £200 million in 2013/14, to £280 million in 2014/15, and an estimated £340 million from April 2015. This represents a total increase of 70 per cent since August 2014.
The CDF review announced today also will create projected savings of approximately £80 million through a combination of negotiated price reductions and improved clinical effectiveness. If action had not been taken to review the CDF drugs list, the Fund is projected to have grown to around £420 million next year, necessitating offsetting cuts in other aspects of cancer treatment such as radiotherapy, cancer diagnoses, cancer surgery, and other important NHS services for other patient groups.
The budget for the CDF will grow from £200 million in 2013/14, to £280 million in 2014/15, and an estimated £340 million from April 2015. This represents a total increase of 70 per cent since August 2014.
The CDF review announced today also will create projected savings of approximately £80 million through a combination of negotiated price reductions and improved clinical effectiveness. If action had not been taken to review the CDF drugs list, the Fund is projected to have grown to around £420 million next year, necessitating offsetting cuts in other aspects of cancer treatment such as radiotherapy, cancer diagnoses, cancer surgery, and other important NHS services for other patient groups.
Dozens died during 999 downgrade
Dozens died during 999 downgrade Dozens of patients whose 999 calls were downgraded by an ambulance emergency centre later died, a report reveals. BBC News
Ebola nurse no longer critically ill
Ebola nurse no longer critically ill UK nurse Pauline Cafferkey is no longer critically ill with Ebola, London's Royal Free Hospital says. BBC News
Circle's withdrawal from Hinchingbrooke hospital is no cause for celebration
Circle's withdrawal from Hinchingbrooke hospital is no cause for celebration The failing privately-run NHS hospital is back in public hands, but those celebrating another outsourcing fiasco are missing a larger problem
The announcement that Circle has withdrawn from its contract to run Hinchingbrooke hospital after the Care Quality Commission put it into “special measures” has predictably delighted those who are against outsourcing NHS services to the private sector.
But patients and the public should not rejoice at Circle’s decision. The hospital was in a financial mess and faced with closure when Circle took it over three years ago. Its debts were £39m on a turnover of £73m and Circle agreed to eliminate the debt and leave the NHS with several million pounds to spare. It planned to achieve this by reducing running costs by 5% a year, a total saving of £311m over the 10-year contract. Continue reading... The Guardian
The announcement that Circle has withdrawn from its contract to run Hinchingbrooke hospital after the Care Quality Commission put it into “special measures” has predictably delighted those who are against outsourcing NHS services to the private sector.
But patients and the public should not rejoice at Circle’s decision. The hospital was in a financial mess and faced with closure when Circle took it over three years ago. Its debts were £39m on a turnover of £73m and Circle agreed to eliminate the debt and leave the NHS with several million pounds to spare. It planned to achieve this by reducing running costs by 5% a year, a total saving of £311m over the 10-year contract. Continue reading... The Guardian
Charities offer to help out in A&E to relieve pressure on staff
Charities offer to help out in A&E to relieve pressure on staff Some of Britain’s leading charities will urge the Government to let them make a “radical intervention” at accident and emergency (A&E) departments in a bid to relieve crippling pressure on medical staff. The Independent
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Fall in life expectancy raises alarm amid fears that cuts and pressure on NHS may be to blame for earlier deaths
Fall in life expectancy raises alarm amid fears that cuts and pressure on NHS may be to blame for earlier deaths Health officials are investigating a “statistically significant, sustained” decline in life expectancy among elderly people in some parts of England, amid warnings that cuts to social care and pressures on the NHS may be contributing to earlier deaths. The Independent
Monday, 12 January 2015
Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital will share services
Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital will share services Health bosses have named four hospital departments which currently exist at both NGH and KGH, that may in future be provided from only one county hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
NHS launches new bid to beat cancer and save thousands of lives
NHS launches new bid to beat cancer and save thousands of lives NHS England has announced a new independent taskforce to develop a five-year action plan for cancer services that will improve survival rates and save thousands of lives.
It also launched a major new programme to test innovative ways of diagnosing cancer more quickly at more than 60 sites across the country, and committed a further £15m over three years to evaluate and treat patients with a type of modern radiotherapy.
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It also launched a major new programme to test innovative ways of diagnosing cancer more quickly at more than 60 sites across the country, and committed a further £15m over three years to evaluate and treat patients with a type of modern radiotherapy.
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- NHS aims for earlier cancer diagnosis BBC News
- VIDEO: 'We must plan ahead on cancer' BBC News
- VIDEO: Cancer task force looks at diagnosis BBC News
- VIDEO: Chemotherapy on your doorstep BBC News
- Cancer worries? Forget the GP, go straight to the specialist The Independent
Case study on recruiting band 5 nurses from overseas
Case study on recruiting band 5 nurses from overseas In this case study read about Kent Community Health NHS Trust’s overseas recruitment campaign for band 5 nurses. NHS Employers
A&E waits in England 'getting worse'
A&E waits in England 'getting worse' Waiting times in A&E units in England have got even worse in the New Year, figures show. BBC News
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E-Referrals set for 'extended testing'
E-Referrals set for 'extended testing' The Health and Social Care Information Centre will start extended testing of the new NHS e-Referral Service at the end of the month, after its go-live was delayed due to technical defects. E-Health Insider
Cancer Drugs Fund faces renewed barrage of criticism
Cancer Drugs Fund faces renewed barrage of criticism Comments come ahead of next week’s NHS England review of the Fund’s assessment priorities. OnMedica
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- How do we pay for innovative drugs? BBC News
- 'Last hope' drug for prostate cancer patients is axed from the NHS, in a move doctors call a 'travesty' The Daily Mail
- The cancer drugs patients are to be denied on NHS The Daily Telegraph
- David Cameron’s flagship Cancer Drugs Fund ‘is a waste of NHS cash’ The Guardian
- Cancer drugs fund 'has done more harm than good' The Independent
Government says health workers should not be paid extra for weekend shifts
Government says health workers should not be paid extra for weekend shifts Hospital consultants and other NHS staff must no longer be paid overtime payments for working at weekends, ministers have warned, putting the Government on a collision course with medical unions. The Independent
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- NHS staff ‘unsocial hours’ payments under threat The Guardian
Circle Holdings pulls out of NHS contract hours before hospital it ran was rated 'inadequate'
Circle Holdings pulls out of NHS contract hours before hospital it ran was rated 'inadequate' The first private company to be put in charge of an NHS hospital has announced plans to withdraw from its contract, hours before inspectors recommended the hospital be placed in special measures because of “inadequate” care. The Independent
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- First ever private firm to run NHS hospital pulls out ahead of inspection report - blaming soaring costs, funding cuts and A&E chaos The Daily Mail
- Battle with GPs led to Circle’s retreat from Hinchingbrooke hospital The Guardian
- Our health system has too little market; but while Circle walks away the NHS can’t The Guardian
- Private healthcare provider bows out of running Hinchingbrooke Hospital OnMedica
Friday, 9 January 2015
Corby healthcare is ‘most under-funded in England’
Corby healthcare is ‘most under-funded in England’ Corby has the worst-funded health group in the country, an influential House of Commons committee has said. Northamptonshire Telegraph
We shouldn’t just blame sheer weight of traffic for NHS queues this winter
We shouldn’t just blame sheer weight of traffic for NHS queues this winter Conference calls and escalation meetings don't solve flow problems across hospitals, including A&E - we need to look ahead to solve the problems downstream, says Glen Burley. The Health Foundation
Funding healthcare: making allocations to local areas report
Funding healthcare: making allocations to local areas report The slow progress towards target funding allocations means the Government has not fulfilled its policy objective of equal access for equal need.
In 2014-15, nearly two-fifths of clinical commissioning groups and over three-quarters of local authorities remain more than 5 percentage points above or below their target funding allocations. Funding for clinical commissioning groups varies from £137 per person below target to £361 per person above target. This has important implications for the financial sustainability of the health service as underfunded clinical commissioning groups are more likely to be in financial deficit: 19 of the 20 groups with the tightest financial positions at 31 March 2014 had received less than their target funding allocation.
The Department and NHS England explained that there are trade-offs between moving commissioners more quickly towards their target funding allocations and safeguarding the stability of local health economies, and that making quicker progress would involve real-terms reductions in funding for some areas. However, the National Audit Office calculated that, if the slow pace of change were to continue, it would take around 80 years for all local commissioners to get close to their target funding allocations. NHS England said that it wanted to make faster progress and that it aimed to move all clinical commissioning groups to within 5 percentage points of their target allocations within around two years. For public health allocations to local authorities, the Department said that decisions, including the pace of change, were a matter for the government of the day. Public Accounts Select Committee
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In 2014-15, nearly two-fifths of clinical commissioning groups and over three-quarters of local authorities remain more than 5 percentage points above or below their target funding allocations. Funding for clinical commissioning groups varies from £137 per person below target to £361 per person above target. This has important implications for the financial sustainability of the health service as underfunded clinical commissioning groups are more likely to be in financial deficit: 19 of the 20 groups with the tightest financial positions at 31 March 2014 had received less than their target funding allocation.
The Department and NHS England explained that there are trade-offs between moving commissioners more quickly towards their target funding allocations and safeguarding the stability of local health economies, and that making quicker progress would involve real-terms reductions in funding for some areas. However, the National Audit Office calculated that, if the slow pace of change were to continue, it would take around 80 years for all local commissioners to get close to their target funding allocations. NHS England said that it wanted to make faster progress and that it aimed to move all clinical commissioning groups to within 5 percentage points of their target allocations within around two years. For public health allocations to local authorities, the Department said that decisions, including the pace of change, were a matter for the government of the day. Public Accounts Select Committee
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Research and analysis: Winter health watch summary: 8 January 2015
Research and analysis: Winter health watch summary: 8 January 2015 Syndromic surveillance indicators for respiratory infections, including influenza-like illness, decreased in children during week 1, however there were further increases in adults, particularly in the elderly.
GP consultations for severe asthma and lower respiratory tract infection continued to increase in adults, and are currently at levels higher than compared to recent years.
In week 1 2015 (ending 4 January), influenza levels are now higher than the peak of flu activity observed in the last 3 seasons, but have not reached the levels seen in the last notable seasons of 2010 to 2011 and 2008 to 2009. The Department of Health has issued an alert on the prescription of antiviral medicines by GPs.
The number of laboratory reports of norovirus in the season to date is similar to the five year seasonal average (from season 2009 and 2010 to season 2013 and 2014). Public Health England
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GP consultations for severe asthma and lower respiratory tract infection continued to increase in adults, and are currently at levels higher than compared to recent years.
In week 1 2015 (ending 4 January), influenza levels are now higher than the peak of flu activity observed in the last 3 seasons, but have not reached the levels seen in the last notable seasons of 2010 to 2011 and 2008 to 2009. The Department of Health has issued an alert on the prescription of antiviral medicines by GPs.
The number of laboratory reports of norovirus in the season to date is similar to the five year seasonal average (from season 2009 and 2010 to season 2013 and 2014). Public Health England
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- Flu cases 'highest for three years' BBC News
- The mutant strain of flu that's making the winter jab useless: Doctors fear type is contributing to significant rise in admissions to A&E The Daily Mail
- NHS crisis: Mutating flu virus means more cases will join queues at already stretched A&Es The Independent
A rapid synthesis of the evidence on interventions supporting self-management for people with long-term conditions
A rapid synthesis of the evidence on interventions supporting self-management for people with long-term conditions The aim of this research was to undertake a rapid, systematic overview of the evidence on self-management support for long-term conditions to inform health-care commissioners and providers about what works, for whom, and in what contexts. NHS National Institute for Health Research
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- Reducing Care Utilisation through Self-management Interventions (RECURSIVE): a systematic review and meta-analysis NHS National Institute for Health Research
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