New report sheds light on top hospital complaints investigated by the PHSO

New report sheds light on top hospital complaints investigated by the PHSO A new report has revealed that, similar to last year, the top three reasons for hospital complaints investigated by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in the last financial year (2014-15) were poor communication, errors in diagnosis and poor treatment.

Non-medical aspects of patient care are cited as a factor in almost half of all complaints investigated by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

Poor communication, including quality and accuracy of information, was a factor in one third of all complaints.

Other reasons for complaints in this period included staff attitude and behaviour, which were factors in two out of 10 complaints.

See also:

• Complaints about acute trusts 2014-15 Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
• 'No apology' tops patient complaints BBC News

Addenbrooke's put in special measures

Addenbrooke's put in special measures One of the biggest NHS trusts is put in special measures after inspectors found concerns over staffing, treatment delays and governance failings. BBC News

NHS maximum waiting times and patient choice policies

NHS maximum waiting times and patient choice policies A parliamentary briefing sets out policy on maximum waiting time standards and patient choice in the English NHS. House of Commons Library

Investigating the impact of out-of-hours GP services on A&E attendance rates: multilevel regression analysis

Investigating the impact of out-of-hours GP services on A&E attendance rates: multilevel regression analysis  This paper uses multilevel regression modelling to investigate the factors affecting levels of attendance at accident and emergency (A&E) departments by patients registered at a GP practice. National Audit Office

See also:

• Larger GP practices reduce emergency admissions, says spending watchdog GP Online

Diabetes spending varies almost two-fold across CCG areas

Diabetes spending varies almost two-fold across CCG areas Spending on diabetes treatment varies almost two-fold across different CCG areas due to 'inefficient spending', according to an NHS report. GP Online

How 'midlife MOT' health checks waste £450m a year: Report finds tests are 'costly and ineffective', saving just 1,000 lives annually

How 'midlife MOT' health checks waste £450m a year: Report finds tests are 'costly and ineffective', saving just 1,000 lives annually Forcing health workers to promote health checks when they known to be 'ineffective' saps their morale, London School of Economics and the University of Liverpool experts said. The Daily Mail

New junior doctors' contract changes everything I signed up for

New junior doctors' contract changes everything I signed up for The NHS I knew when I started out as a medical student has been chipped away and patient safety is under threat

This August I moved from being a medical student to become a doctor. After five years of endless exams, coursework and presentations, medical school was finally over. I had often wondered what life would be like. I knew the hours would be long, the on calls arduous and the night shifts terrifying. What I never imagined was that within eight weeks of starting there would be calls to strike, friends from the years above quitting medicine, others leaving for New Zealand (and never coming back) and a new contract being imposed by the government that altered everything I had signed up for. I find myself a junior doctor at one of the most turbulent times the NHS has ever witnessed.

The lines were drawn between the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government last week. The BMA branded the government’s newest junior doctor contract as unsafe and unfair, while the government responded by saying it would enforce the contract from August 2016 anyway. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Given the state of the NHS, it's no wonder doctors are burnt out The Guardian
• What really happens the day junior doctors start work in the NHS The Guardian

Step inside Britain's first men-only mental health centre

Step inside Britain's first men-only mental health centre Last week, The Eaton Foundation in Burton upon Trent opened its doors. The staff explain how a pioneering holistic approach is helping their all-male clientele get back on their feet. The Daily Telegraph

Corby health group up for prestigious award

Corby health group up for prestigious award A Corby organisation responsible for spending the majority of the local health budget on services in the area has been shortlisted for a prestigious award. Northamptonshire Telegraph

University that linked up with Northamptonshire healthcare trust celebrates top accolade in national guide

University that linked up with Northamptonshire healthcare trust celebrates top accolade in national guide The University of Buckingham, which this year joined forced with Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to launch the UK’s first independent Medical School, has been awarded the ultimate accolade - University of the Year for Teaching Quality - by the Times and Sunday Times University Guide. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

We need to talk about social care providers

We need to talk about social care providers Amid growing concern that most NHS providers are sliding into deficit, arguably we should be even more worried about social care providers.

This is a complex and sprawling sector – more than 12,000 independent organisations, ranging from big corporate chains to small family-run businesses, charities and social enterprises, which makes the NHS provider landscape look like a sea of organisational tranquillity. Less than 10 per cent of social care is actually provided by councils or the NHS – their retreat from long term care provision is virtually complete. But unlike the NHS, when a social care provider hits the financial rocks, bankruptcy not bail-out is the more likely scenario. The King's Fund

Creating a sustainable 21st century healthcare system

Creating a sustainable 21st century healthcare system This report highlights how a ‘perfect storm’ of demographic and wider economic and social trends are converging to push up the cost of healthcare across the globe. It showcases examples of innovation from across the world which could save lives and money if introduced more widely. It suggests that a concerted focus on innovation and prevention - developing more empowered health consumers, whilst also maximising the potential of big data - would help to deliver significant savings in the long-term. International Longevity Centre

NHS whistleblowing procedure in England

NHS whistleblowing procedure in England This briefing sets out the current rights and procedures for NHS staff in England to raise concerns about safety, malpractice or wrongdoing at work. It also refers to guidance on where wider disclosure of concerns may be appropriate, including raising concerns with the Care Quality Commission. House of Commons Library

Smoking linked to raised diabetes risk – including passive smoking

Smoking linked to raised diabetes risk – including passive smoking "Passive smoking raises risk of type 2 diabetes," The Guardian reports. A major new analysis of previous studies found a significant association between exposure to tobacco smoke – includingsecondhand smoke – and type 2 diabetes.

People who had never smoked, but were exposed to secondhand smoke, were at a 22% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than people who had never smoked, but had been exposed to secondhand smoke. NHS Choices

Care of vulnerable people 'in danger'

Care of vulnerable people 'in danger' The dignity, heath and wellbeing of older people and those with disabilities in England are in danger, health and care groups warn. BBC News

Fewer than 50% attend bowel cancer test

Fewer than 50% attend bowel cancer test Fewer than half of a group of 21,000 people took the chance to attend a bowel cancer screening test, a Cancer Research UK report says. BBC News

Viewpoint: How the government will fund a seven-day NHS remains a mystery, says Dr Kailash Chand

Viewpoint: How the government will fund a seven-day NHS remains a mystery, says Dr Kailash Chand Chasing the politically-driven pipe dream of a seven-day NHS is impossible when existing services are under unbearable strain, warns BMA deputy chairman Dr Kailash Chand. The government needs to set out how it will pay for an expanded healthcare system. GP Online

Wide variations in health services across England

Wide variations in health services across England The wide variations in health services offered across England are exposed in the third NHS Atlas of Variation in Healthcare published by Public Health England (PHE), NHS England and NHS Right Care today. OnMedica

The unlikely saviour of the NHS: drug-resistant gonorrhoea | Zoe Williams

The unlikely saviour of the NHS: drug-resistant gonorrhoea | Zoe Williams The epic challenges of the post-antibiotic age will take the debate beyond the well-worn issues of obesity and old age. The Guardian

Third of people born in 2015 'will develop dementia'

Third of people born in 2015 'will develop dementia' Charity warns of a "looming national health crisis", as increasing life expectancy and an ageing population mean more will get dementia. The Daily Telegraph