Thursday, 9 July 2015
Northamptonshire hospital pays out £7m over medical negligence claim
Northamptonshire hospital pays out £7m over medical negligence claim Kettering General Hospital has agreed to pay out more than £7m to the family of a baby who was the victim of medical negligence. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Better value in the NHS: the role of changes in clinical practice
Better value in the NHS: the role of changes in clinical practice In a time of severe financial constraint, the NHS is being asked to make productivity savings of £22 billion by 2020/21. However, this report argues that, rather than looking at efficiency and costs, the NHS should be focusing on getting better value from its budget. The report looks at trends in NHS productivity in three areas – generic prescribing, length of stay and day case surgery – in which the NHS has made significant and sustained gains in productivity over a number of years, allowing more (and often better) care to be delivered within the same budget. It then outlines a number of areas where the NHS has opportunities to improve value in the future, focusing in particular on changes in clinical practice. The King's Fund
NHS Protect calls for consistent lone worker protection after survey highlights gaps
NHS Protect calls for consistent lone worker protection after survey highlights gaps As NHS workers become more mobile and provide more services out in the community, NHS Protect has completed a comprehensive survey of lone worker protection across the NHS in England, and found wide variance in provision by employers.
“We needed a comprehensive overview of the full range of lone worker protection systems and user groups out there in the NHS. This refreshes our understanding of the fast-changing lone worker services market and will inform important decisions in the years ahead,” said Sue Frith, managing director of NHS Protect.
“We needed a comprehensive overview of the full range of lone worker protection systems and user groups out there in the NHS. This refreshes our understanding of the fast-changing lone worker services market and will inform important decisions in the years ahead,” said Sue Frith, managing director of NHS Protect.
Heart attack, stroke and diabetes 'can shorten life by 23 years'
Heart attack, stroke and diabetes 'can shorten life by 23 years' "Suffering from heart disease, stroke and type two diabetes could knock 23 years off life," The Daily Telegraph reports, covering the stark conclusion of a major new UK study. The good news is many chronic diseases, such as stroke, are preventable.
As The Guardian reports, having a history of both heart attack and type 2 diabetes – increasingly common chronic conditions – can shorten life by around a decade.
Researchers looked at more than 130,000 deaths over 50 years. They then estimated the life-shortening effects of different diseases alone and in combination, and found these big three conditions significantly shortened lifespan.
The researchers used a large group and long timespan to make their estimates, giving us confidence in their main conclusions. But they are based on averages.
As The Guardian reports, having a history of both heart attack and type 2 diabetes – increasingly common chronic conditions – can shorten life by around a decade.
Researchers looked at more than 130,000 deaths over 50 years. They then estimated the life-shortening effects of different diseases alone and in combination, and found these big three conditions significantly shortened lifespan.
The researchers used a large group and long timespan to make their estimates, giving us confidence in their main conclusions. But they are based on averages.
BMA slams chancellor's 'disregard for NHS staff' after pay freeze extended
BMA slams chancellor's 'disregard for NHS staff' after pay freeze extended Doctors' leaders have accused the chancellor of having a 'cynical disregard' for NHS staff after he announced a 1% cap on pay rises for the next four years. GP Online
See also:
See also:
- The Budget: funding cuts and pay freeze British Medical Association
- NHS Employers responds to the Budget NHS Employers
- NHS nurses' pay increases capped at one per cent Royal College of Nursing
The danger of online diagnosis: Millions of emergencies are MISSED through symptom checker websites, study warns
The danger of online diagnosis: Millions of emergencies are MISSED through symptom checker websites, study warns Scientists at Harvard Medical School in the US have warned one in eight emergencies are missed by the NHS Choices symptom checker website, casting doubt on the safety of the internet to spot illnesses. The Daily Mail
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Can the NHS realise David Cameron's ambitions for seven-day services?
Can the NHS realise David Cameron's ambitions for seven-day services? A shortage of staff and money mean the prime minister’s dream of a seven-day NHS may remain in the pages of his election manifesto
It is an inconvenient truth that people get sick at the weekend. Yet the NHS has for too long tried to manage its workload like any other industry: by consigning the majority of its work to weekdays, allowing GPs to shut up shop and hospitals to switch to standby mode over the weekend. As a result, you are 16% more likely to die if admitted to a hospital in England over the weekend than on a weekday. That was the finding of a 2012 study of over 14 million hospital admissions; other, more restricted, studies have reinforced the point. Continue reading... The Guardian
It is an inconvenient truth that people get sick at the weekend. Yet the NHS has for too long tried to manage its workload like any other industry: by consigning the majority of its work to weekdays, allowing GPs to shut up shop and hospitals to switch to standby mode over the weekend. As a result, you are 16% more likely to die if admitted to a hospital in England over the weekend than on a weekday. That was the finding of a 2012 study of over 14 million hospital admissions; other, more restricted, studies have reinforced the point. Continue reading... The Guardian
Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Corby patients urged to dial 111 for out of hours GP help
Corby patients urged to dial 111 for out of hours GP help GPs in Corby are urging patients to dial 111 if they need to see a doctor during the night, at weekends and on bank holidays. Northamptonshire Telegraph
Band launches album after touring mental health wards
Band launches album after touring mental health wards A city band who took gigs and workshops on a "tour" across mental health wards have now recorded an EP.
Moving InWards is a collaboration between the acoustic band Refuge and the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, responsible for community and mental health services.
So far the band has performed on 10 wards in Leicestershire. Proceeds from the event and album sales will be ploughed back into the project. Leicester Mercury
Moving InWards is a collaboration between the acoustic band Refuge and the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, responsible for community and mental health services.
So far the band has performed on 10 wards in Leicestershire. Proceeds from the event and album sales will be ploughed back into the project. Leicester Mercury
Prescription items increase by over 50 per cent since 2004
Prescription items increase by over 50 per cent since 2004 Over 1.06 billion items were prescribed in 2014, an increase of 3.3 per cent (34.5 m items) on 2013,
The 2014 figure also represents an increase of 55.2 per cent on 2004 (378.5 million items).
The overall Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) of prescriptions in 2014 however stood at £8.85 billion, an increase of 2.6 per cent (£227.5 million) from 2013. Since 2004 this figure has increased by 9.6 per cent (£773.0 million).
The Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community 2004-2014 report looks at prescriptions dispensed in England by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions for items administered in GP practices. Health and Social Care Information Centre
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The 2014 figure also represents an increase of 55.2 per cent on 2004 (378.5 million items).
The overall Net Ingredient Cost (NIC) of prescriptions in 2014 however stood at £8.85 billion, an increase of 2.6 per cent (£227.5 million) from 2013. Since 2004 this figure has increased by 9.6 per cent (£773.0 million).
The Prescriptions Dispensed in the Community 2004-2014 report looks at prescriptions dispensed in England by community pharmacists, appliance contractors, dispensing doctors and prescriptions for items administered in GP practices. Health and Social Care Information Centre
See also:
- Drug prescriptions rise in England BBC News
- Pill prescriptions up 50% in the past decade as 1 billion handed out a year The Daily Mail
- Erectile dysfunction drug prescription soar by 25% in 12 months The Daily Mail
- Viagra: Number of prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs rises by more than a quarter The Independent
- 4 million more prescriptions for Atorvastatin since 2013, figures show OnMedica
Reports that 1 pregnant woman in 3 in UK binge drink unconfirmed
Reports that 1 pregnant woman in 3 in UK binge drink unconfirmed "A third of British women risk doing severe harm to their unborn babies by binge drinking during pregnancy," the Mail Online reports. While a concerning statistic, the evidence behind the headline is perhaps not as clear-cut as the Mail would lead its readers to believe.
This story has been prompted by the publication of a study comparing just over 17,000 women's alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It also looked at which groups of women were more likely to report drinking alcohol in pregnancy.
While the overall study population was large, an overlooked fact not made clear in the media was that the study only included data from 651 women from the UK. The study also collected this data over a relatively long time – between 2004 and 2011 – and drinking habits may have changed since then.
Out of these 651 women, a third reported binge drinking (defined as drinking six units or more in one sitting) in their first trimester. Reassuringly, in all countries surveyed, this figure dropped dramatically in the second trimester, to around just 1%.
This story has been prompted by the publication of a study comparing just over 17,000 women's alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It also looked at which groups of women were more likely to report drinking alcohol in pregnancy.
While the overall study population was large, an overlooked fact not made clear in the media was that the study only included data from 651 women from the UK. The study also collected this data over a relatively long time – between 2004 and 2011 – and drinking habits may have changed since then.
Out of these 651 women, a third reported binge drinking (defined as drinking six units or more in one sitting) in their first trimester. Reassuringly, in all countries surveyed, this figure dropped dramatically in the second trimester, to around just 1%.
The Treasury, the Budget and the NHS - BBC News
The Treasury, the Budget and the NHS The big decisions on financing the NHS over the next few years are likely to come in the autumn with the departmental spending review.
Beyond a restatement of the commitment to an extra £8 billion in 2020, the Chancellor's Budget is likely to focus on welfare spending rather than the protected departments like health.
But, for what will be one of the most important domestic policy decisions made by this Government, detailed analysis of the financial needs of the NHS in England is underway. BBC News
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Beyond a restatement of the commitment to an extra £8 billion in 2020, the Chancellor's Budget is likely to focus on welfare spending rather than the protected departments like health.
But, for what will be one of the most important domestic policy decisions made by this Government, detailed analysis of the financial needs of the NHS in England is underway. BBC News
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WHO 'unfit for health emergencies'
WHO 'unfit for health emergencies' The World Health Organization (WHO) lacks the "capacity and culture" to deal with global health emergencies, says the chair of a new independent report on Ebola. BBC News
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Jeremy Hunt accused of evasiveness over 5,000 GP pledge
Jeremy Hunt accused of evasiveness over 5,000 GP pledge Health secretary Jeremy Hunt has been accused of being evasive over plans to increase the GP workforce after promising 'around' 5,000 extra GPs by 2020 in an exchange in the House of Commons. GP Online
Weekend effect common in several developed countries’ hospitals
Weekend effect common in several developed countries’ hospitals Not just a problem for England; also evident in Australia, USA, and The Netherlands. OnMedica
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GPs offered £15m funding to recruit pharmacists in surgeries
GPs offered £15m funding to recruit pharmacists in surgeries NHS England says funds for pilot scheme, spread over three years, will be offered to practices under greatest pressure
GP practices are being urged to bid for a share of £15m in financial incentives from the NHS to bring pharmacists into their surgeries.
A pilot scheme designed to reduce the impact of continuing shortages of family doctors, improve the management of patients’ long-term conditions and reduce medication errors will start later this year. Continue reading... The Guardian
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GP practices are being urged to bid for a share of £15m in financial incentives from the NHS to bring pharmacists into their surgeries.
A pilot scheme designed to reduce the impact of continuing shortages of family doctors, improve the management of patients’ long-term conditions and reduce medication errors will start later this year. Continue reading... The Guardian
See also:
- New £15m scheme to give patients pharmacist support in GP surgeries NHS England
- NHS England unveils £15m fund to employ pharmacists in GP practices GP Online
- RCGP welcomes £15m pilot scheme for pharmacist support in GP surgeries Royal College of General Practitioners
NHS funding: what does the £8bn spending increase actually mean?
NHS funding: what does the £8bn spending increase actually mean? The government’s promise to increase NHS spending by £8bn sounds simple, but there are two possible interpretations of the proposal. So which is correct and what will it mean?
As a health economist, I am often asked the same question: what does the government actually mean by its manifesto commitment to increase “NHS spending in England in real terms by a minimum of £8bn over the next five years”?
It seems simple doesn’t it? But there are two ways this promise could be interpreted, which give very different results. Continue reading... The Guardian
As a health economist, I am often asked the same question: what does the government actually mean by its manifesto commitment to increase “NHS spending in England in real terms by a minimum of £8bn over the next five years”?
It seems simple doesn’t it? But there are two ways this promise could be interpreted, which give very different results. Continue reading... The Guardian
NHS should be more like Asda, minister says
NHS should be more like Asda, minister says The NHS should learn from companies which 'hit the panic button' over bullying, and learn from firms like Asda which try to help staff achieve 'pride and joy' in their work, health minister Lord Prior says. The Daily Telegraph
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Teenagers are increasing their chances of cancer with 'sunburn art' tattoos, doctors say
Teenagers are increasing their chances of cancer with 'sunburn art' tattoos, doctors say The internet trend of sunburn tatoos has been criticised by healthcare professionals who have called the practice 'dangerous' The Independent
Tuesday, 7 July 2015
KGH scores well in children’s services review
KGH scores well in children’s services review Kettering General Hospital has received a positive review of the services it provides for children in a new report. Northamptonshire Telegraph
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