Friday, 6 March 2015
Nearly 500 men in Northamptonshire diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, says charity
Nearly 500 men in Northamptonshire diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, says charity More than 450 men in Northamptonshire are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, according to new figures published by Macmillan Cancer Support. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Ruling on Northampton woman’s ‘exaggerated’ care fees could benefit ‘large numbers of people’ in the county
Ruling on Northampton woman’s ‘exaggerated’ care fees could benefit ‘large numbers of people’ in the county Care fees paid by a Northampton woman were illegally high, a High Court judge has ruled, in a judgement that could affect many fee payers in the county. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Northampton woman, 39, committed suicide after ‘constant battle’ to receive disability benefit
Northampton woman, 39, committed suicide after ‘constant battle’ to receive disability benefit A 39-year-old Northampton woman who was unable to work due to chronic back pain killed herself after the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) threatened to cut off her disability benefits, an inquest heard. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
What's behind the A&E 'crisis'?
What's behind the A&E 'crisis'? The third policy briefing in the run up to the General Election 2015 examines the real reasons behind England’s A&E ‘crisis’, and warns that the emphasis on the four-hour waiting time target has become disproportionate. It also makes some recommendations to policy makers on how performance management should be approached in the future. Nuffield Trust
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Guidance: Health services that should be commissioned as specialised services
Guidance: Health services that should be commissioned as specialised services PSSAG provides recommendations to ministers on which health services should be considered to be specialised and be nationally commissioned by NHS England, rather than locally commissioned by clinical commissioning groups.
This report sets out the proposals considered by PSSAG at its May and September 2014 meetings, and outlines the Group’s recommendations for each of these proposals. Department of Health
This report sets out the proposals considered by PSSAG at its May and September 2014 meetings, and outlines the Group’s recommendations for each of these proposals. Department of Health
Pivotal new report highlights circumstances where bullying and undermining of doctors in training most likely
Pivotal new report highlights circumstances where bullying and undermining of doctors in training most likely Doctors in training have highlighted circumstances where they believe bullying and undermining is more likely to occur in a pivotal new report published today by the General Medical Council (GMC).
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New mental health and learning disabilities rights proposed
New mental health and learning disabilities rights proposed Proposals to give more rights to people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health conditions are unveiled by the government. BBC News
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- More rights for learning disabled The Daily Mail
- Winterbourne view scandal: legal shake-up planned The Daily Telegraph
Prisoner wins smoking ban ruling
Prisoner wins smoking ban ruling Communal areas of state prisons in England and Wales are subject to smoking ban laws, a judge rules. BBC News
BSI to publish apps standards
BSI to publish apps standards The British Standards Institution is set to publish guidelines on the development of healthcare apps in April this year. E-Health Insider
People with gout have lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease
People with gout have lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease "Gout could help prevent Alzheimer's, research shows," The Independent reports. Researchers think that uric acid, which causes gout, may have a protective effect against Alzheimer's disease.
Uric acid is a waste product that is normally passed out of the body. In cases of gout, the acid builds up around one or more joints, forming tiny crystals. This can then trigger the symptoms of gout, which are typically a sudden severe pain and swelling around the affected joint(s).
Previous research has found that uric acid is also an antioxidant (which helps to protect against cell damage), so researchers wanted to see if uric acid protected against Alzheimer’s.
The researchers used information from a UK database of more than 3.7 million patients. They matched people aged over 40 who developed gout with controls who did not, and followed them, on average, for five years to see how many were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. They took multiple factors into account when analysing the results, such as medication use and age.
They found that 309 out of the 59,224 people with gout (0.5%) developed Alzheimer’s disease, compared to 1,942 out of 238,805 people without gout (0.8%), which translates into a 24% reduction in risk.
The study does not prove that gout is protective against Alzheimer’s, as there could be unmeasured factors that affected the results.
Uric acid is a waste product that is normally passed out of the body. In cases of gout, the acid builds up around one or more joints, forming tiny crystals. This can then trigger the symptoms of gout, which are typically a sudden severe pain and swelling around the affected joint(s).
Previous research has found that uric acid is also an antioxidant (which helps to protect against cell damage), so researchers wanted to see if uric acid protected against Alzheimer’s.
The researchers used information from a UK database of more than 3.7 million patients. They matched people aged over 40 who developed gout with controls who did not, and followed them, on average, for five years to see how many were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. They took multiple factors into account when analysing the results, such as medication use and age.
They found that 309 out of the 59,224 people with gout (0.5%) developed Alzheimer’s disease, compared to 1,942 out of 238,805 people without gout (0.8%), which translates into a 24% reduction in risk.
The study does not prove that gout is protective against Alzheimer’s, as there could be unmeasured factors that affected the results.
Lancet condemns NHS for creating 'culture of fear' in wake of scandals
Lancet condemns NHS for creating 'culture of fear' in wake of scandals The highly respected Lancet journal has written a highly critical editorial condemning the NHS' response to recent scandals including the disclosures at the mid Staffordshire trust and the crimes of Dr Harold Shipman. The Daily Telegraph
Thursday, 5 March 2015
Passing the people test: improving integration of care
Passing the people test: improving integration of care With lots of talk about integration of care on the political agenda, whether care actually becomes more integrated – like whether any aspect of quality improves – rests on those people delivering it, says Richard Taunt. The Health Foundation
Working longer further reading library launched
Working longer further reading library launched The Working Longer Group has launched a library of research, publications and websites to help employers and employees further understand the implications of working to a raised retirement age. NHS Employers
New Health Education England strategies for development of the NHS support workforce
New Health Education England strategies for development of the NHS support workforce HEE has launched its new strategies, Talent for Care and Widening Participation, which recognise Employers as being key to their delivery. Find out more about the frameworks, and how you can support them by further investing in your bands one to four support workforce. Health Education England
Is another NHS scandal brewing?
Is another NHS scandal brewing? Lethal. Shocking. Unacceptable. Dysfunctional. Failures at every level. So said the report into maternity care at Cumbria's Furness General Hospital.
But as was pointed out repeatedly as the inquiry published its findingson Tuesday, the parallels with Stafford Hospital are chillingly similar. In fact, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt went as far as calling it a "second" Stafford Hospital - albeit it on a smaller scale. BBC News
But as was pointed out repeatedly as the inquiry published its findingson Tuesday, the parallels with Stafford Hospital are chillingly similar. In fact, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt went as far as calling it a "second" Stafford Hospital - albeit it on a smaller scale. BBC News
The number of old people in the UK killing themselves has fallen. Why?
The number of old people in the UK killing themselves has fallen. Why? Once elderly people in the UK were the most likely group to take their own lives, but now they are at lower risk than the middle-aged. Why? BBC News
Tech fund 2 money may return - Hunt
Tech fund 2 money may return - Hunt Nearly £200 million slashed from NHS England's technology fund may be reinstated in future as part of a "staged roll-out", health secretary Jeremy Hunt says. E-Health Insider
QOF does not save lives, researchers claim
QOF does not save lives, researchers claim QOF targets should be 'reconsidered and better aligned with evidence', according to UK research that found there was no link between practice scores and patient mortality. GP Online
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Poor diabetes education leading to health complications
Poor diabetes education leading to health complications Diabetes education a ‘postcode lottery’ claim MPs. OnMedica
Getting lost in hospitals costs the NHS and patients
Getting lost in hospitals costs the NHS and patients Doctors attribute a significant fraction of the 6.9m missed hospital appointments to navigation problems in hospitals.
Hospitals are difficult to find your way around, with kilometres of near-identical corridors leading to door after door of similarly-named wards and treatment rooms. Strict hygiene requirements mean decor must be kept to a minimum, and evolving needs mean rooms often change purpose at short notice. All of this leads to a navigation nightmare, making hospitals intimidating places for many patients. As hospitals grow and change, it will only get worse.
This is a major problem for both visitors and the patients – data from 2013 suggests that around 6.9m outpatient hospital appointments, each costing an average of £108, are missed each year in the UK. Doctors we've spoken to attribute a significant fraction of these to navigation problems, especially at large hospitals. Continue reading... The Guardian
Hospitals are difficult to find your way around, with kilometres of near-identical corridors leading to door after door of similarly-named wards and treatment rooms. Strict hygiene requirements mean decor must be kept to a minimum, and evolving needs mean rooms often change purpose at short notice. All of this leads to a navigation nightmare, making hospitals intimidating places for many patients. As hospitals grow and change, it will only get worse.
This is a major problem for both visitors and the patients – data from 2013 suggests that around 6.9m outpatient hospital appointments, each costing an average of £108, are missed each year in the UK. Doctors we've spoken to attribute a significant fraction of these to navigation problems, especially at large hospitals. Continue reading... The Guardian
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