REVEALED: The best and worst GP surgeries in Corby as rated by you

REVEALED: The best and worst GP surgeries in Corby as rated by you Studfall Medical Centre is the best GP surgery in Corby, according to the results of a patient survey.

The surgery in Studfall Court came out on top with 96 per cent of patients who go there under the care of Dr Kumar saying they had a ‘good’ experience. Dr Sumira, who runs services out of Studfall Medical Centre as well as Weldon Surgery, came second with 94 per cent.

All the town’s providers scored higher than the national average of 85 per cent, apart from Lakeside Healthcare. Northamptonshire Telegraph

When it comes to public sector pay, caveat emptor

When it comes to public sector pay, caveat emptor Since the general election, there has been a chorus of calls for the cap on public sector pay to be lifted, including voices from within the Cabinet. But so far, the Chancellor has been singing from a different hymn sheet. It’s not hard to see why – the NHS pay bill is more than £50 billion each year (by far the largest item in the Department of Health’s £117 billion revenue budget), and holding down the pay of public sector staff is one of the few levers a government can pull to control public sector finances. The King's Fund

A playbook for fostering hospital-community partnerships to build a culture of health

A playbook for fostering hospital-community partnerships to build a culture of health This guidance outlines a range of methods, tools and strategies to help create and sustain partnerships between hospitals and communities in order to create a culture of health. The guidance also uses insights from cohorts of a pilot programme on how to manage, strengthen and accelerate collaborations effectively. American Hospital Association

Improving the working environment for safe surgical care

Improving the working environment for safe surgical care This discussion paper outlines a number of critical recommendations to government to greatly improve safety in the delivery of surgical treatment and patient care. The report notes factors adversely affecting morale, including a lack of team structure, poor communication, high stress levels, and limited training opportunities.

The report also records how staff, at times, feel diverted away from the patient-centred care they strive to deliver because of administrative and IT issues, and believe that being more innovative and efficient with existing resources could make a positive difference. Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Financial problems caused by caring linked to increased feelings of social isolation

Financial problems caused by caring linked to increased feelings of social isolation Almost 40 per cent of carers who reported the most serious financial difficulties also felt socially isolated, according to a survey of 55,700 carers.

The Personal Social Services Survey of Adult Carers in England 2016-17, published by NHS Digital, reports on the views of 55,700 carers who are caring for a person aged 18 or over.

Disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson has sentence increased

Disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson has sentence increased A breast surgeon who intentionally wounded his patients has had his 15-year jail term increased to 20 years.

Ian Paterson, 59, who appeared at the Court of Appeal via video link, was told his current sentence was "not sufficient" to reflect the seriousness and the totality of his offending.

Paterson was found guilty in April at Nottingham Crown Court of 17 counts of wounding with intent.

Jurors also convicted him of three further wounding charges. BBC News

A&E GP streaming provider urges caution over rapid national roll-out

A&E GP streaming provider urges caution over rapid national roll-out Commissioners of new A&E GP streaming systems could risk patient safety if they impose excessive pressure to redirect patients to cheaper services, a leading urgent care provider has warned. GPonline

Transformative HIV prevention pill to be offered on the NHS from September

Transformative HIV prevention pill to be offered on the NHS from September A “transformative” HIV prevention drug will be made available on the NHS from September after a High Court battle.

NHS England said the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) treatment will be provided to an initial 10,000 people via a three-year trial.

It comes in the form of a pill, called Truvada, that is taken before sex and has been shown to reduce the chance of contracting HIV in high-risk individuals by around 86 per cent. The Independent

See also:

• NHS England announces world’s largest single PrEP implementation trial to prevent HIV infection NHS England
• Prep: HIV 'game-changer' to reach NHS in England from September BBC News
• NHS finally agrees to fund HIV prevention treatment after losing legal battle The Daily Telegraph
• HIV prevention drug PrEP to be offered at sexual health clinics The Guardian

People can live with mental illness. I am living proof of this

People can live with mental illness. I am living proof of this Art allowed me to express myself in a way I had never done before. I’ve come so far since my desperate suicide attempt

When I was growing up in the 1970s, mental health issues were not widely understood or discussed.

One morning when I was eight-years-old, I woke up in bed and felt funny, I was shaking. It had come out of the blue. I was terrified and didn’t know what was going on. I was diagnosed with a case of “bad nerves” and prescribed a few days off school. I now know this was my first panic attack, but I would not get a proper diagnosis of my mental health problems for more than 20 years. Continue reading... The Guardian

Judge warns of 'blood on our hands' if suicidal girl is forced out of secure care

Judge warns of 'blood on our hands' if suicidal girl is forced out of secure care Sir James Munby, head of high court’s family division, says he is ‘ashamed and embarrassed’ that no hospital place has been found for 17-year-old

The nation will have “blood on its hands” if an NHS hospital bed cannot be found within days for a teenage girl believed to be at acute risk of taking her own life, according to the UK’s most senior family judge.

Sir James Munby said he felt “ashamed and embarrassed” that no hospital place had been found that could take proper care of the unnamed 17-year-old when she is due to be released from youth custody in 11 days’ time. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Urgent search for NHS hospital bed for suicidal teenager The Daily Mail
• X’s case is only latest in shocking saga of children’s mental health care The Guardian

NHS must put its house in order before seeking more cash, says internal audit

NHS must put its house in order before seeking more cash, says internal audit Prof Tim Briggs says he does not think the service deserves more money and too much is wasted on poor care

The NHS needs to put its “house in order” and improve standards before it can justify asking central government for more cash, the man leading a review of efficiency within healthcare has said. Continue reading... The Guardian

Victory for the Mail as NHS bans fat cats' pension ruse

Victory for the Mail as NHS bans fat cats' pension ruse A revolving-door scandal that allows NHS executives to ‘retire’ for just 24 hours before being rehired for exactly the same role is to be banned in a victory for the Mail.

Thousands of bosses have exploited a loophole that lets them stand down temporarily and start withdrawing their generous pensions – before returning to their old jobs and six-figure salaries in days. The Daily Mail

Patient in hospital for 16 MONTHS has cost 100 patients

Patient in hospital for 16 MONTHS has cost 100 patients An elderly woman has been in a Dudley hospital for nearly 500 days in what is believed to be the worst case of bed blocking in the UK. The hold up is due to a problem finding her a social care place. The Daily Mail

Northampton's nursing teams in the running for two national awards for work with disabled patients in surgery

Northampton's nursing teams in the running for two national awards for work with disabled patients in surgery A Northampton General Hospital project to support adults with complex needs when they have surgery has been shortlisted for a national award.

It is one of two entries from the hospital in the running for the Nursing Times Awards 2017, hosted by The Times newspaper.

Northampton's nursing teams have been listed for the "learning disabilities" award, as well as the "theatres" award for another scheme that trains nurses to work in an operating theatre.

It comes after NGH was rated as "good" in a CQC inspection published in May, up from a "requires improvement" rating in 2014. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

HEE asks for help to get junior doctors back into training

HEE asks for help to get junior doctors back into training We are committed to developing a supportive, high quality learning environment for all doctors in training, regardless of their personal circumstances. We have launched a call for ideas to help us develop a programme of activities to better support junior doctors returning to training after time out. Health Education England

Improving new starter turnover: case study

Improving new starter turnover: case study This case study outlines how East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust worked to improve experiences of staff in their first year of employment at the trust. The trust improved the overall on-boarding experience including starting induction before day one in the role and introducing an online portal for new starters, along with the benefits and the challenges of doing so. This work has resulted in an improvement in new starter turnover of nearly 20 per cent. NHS Employers

Are cardboard baby boxes safe for a sleeping baby?

Are cardboard baby boxes safe for a sleeping baby? Baby boxes are a range of products, usually made from cardboard with a mattress inside, intended for use as a baby’s sleeping place.

It is not possible for baby boxes to fully comply with safety standards, as current British and EU safety standards for nursery furniture only exist for traditional cots cribs and bassinets and there is currently no specific standard for the use of a cardboard box as a sleeping place for an infant.

We are concerned about claims that the cardboard boxes, inspired by those distributed by the Government in Finland, are being promoted as a product parents can use to help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The Lullaby Trust

See also:

• Cot death charity raises concerns over baby boxes BBC News
• Cot death charity raises concerns over Finnish-style 'baby boxes' The Guardian

Mental health patients stranded in units for years

Mental health patients stranded in units for years Mental health patients across the UK are spending years stranded in acute units awaiting discharge, figures show.

Over the past two years, at least 91 patients have waited more than a year to be discharged, with at least seven patients waiting more than two years.

At least 320 patients had to wait at least 100 days to be discharged, BBC Freedom of Information requests show.

Experts say a lack of suitable accommodation and wrangling over budgets are to blame for the delays. BBC News

See also:

• Mental health patients wait more than three years to be discharged from units The Daily Telegraph

Sexual health services 'at tipping point' in England

Sexual health services 'at tipping point' in England Sexual health services in England are "at a tipping point", according to local councils in England, who say visits to clinics have increased while funding has been cut.

The Local Government Association warns that patients could face longer waiting times.

But the latest data shows diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have fallen in the past year.

The government said more than £16bn was being invested in public health. BBC News

See also:

• Sexual health services at tipping point warn councils Local Government Association
• Government cuts 'leave sexual health services at tipping point' The Guardian

Human embryos edited to stop disease

Human embryos edited to stop disease Scientists have, for the first time, successfully freed embryos of a piece of faulty DNA that causes deadly heart disease to run in families.

It potentially opens the door to preventing 10,000 disorders that are passed down the generations.

The US and South Korean team allowed the embryos to develop for five days before stopping the experiment.

The study hints at the future of medicine, but also provokes deep questions about what is morally right. BBC News