Mental health and behavioural conditions account for nearly one-in-three known fit notes

Mental health and behavioural conditions account for nearly one-in-three known fit notes  Mental health and behavioural conditions have accounted for 31% of all fit notes, where the diagnosis was known, written in England between December 2014 and March 2017.

This was the most common known reason for issuing a fit note, new experimental figures from NHS Digital have revealed.

Anonymised information covering GP practices has been collected for the first time. These practices are responsible for around two-thirds of working age patients registered with a GP in England.

See also:

• Society-wide approach towards parity of esteem between mental and physical health needed, says College Royal College of General Practitioners 
• One in three sick notes are for mental health problems, 'alarming' report shows The Daily Telegraph
• One in three GP fit notes relate to mental health conditions GPonline

Flu vaccine 'very effective' in children

Flu vaccine 'very effective' in children Last winter's vaccine reduced the risk of flu by 66% in children, according to Public Health England, up 8% on last year.

It's the best result since 2013, when children first received flu vaccinations.

In adults aged 18-64 years, the vaccine reduced the risk of flu by about 40%.

The UK plans to offer the flu vaccine to all children aged two-11 years. This can have widespread benefits, as children "spread flu more than others".

The vaccine, however, did not work in those aged over 65. BBC News

See also:

• Research and analysis: Influenza vaccine effectiveness: 2016 to 2017 estimates Public Health England

Labour calls on Jeremy Hunt to take 'urgent' action over NHS cyber security after alarming leaked report

Labour calls on Jeremy Hunt to take 'urgent' action over NHS cyber security after alarming leaked report Jeremy Hunt, the Health Secretary, has been told to take “urgent” action to prevent another devastating cyber attack on the NHSafter a leaked internal report revealed a string of digital security failings in the health service.

The report, by NHS Digital’s head of security operations, Chris Flynn, said there was a “false sense of security” among staff over cyber threats and highlighted a range of security failings, including weak passwords and poorly protected patient data.

Mr Flynn said many NHS trusts, GP practices and clinical commissioning groups had good security policies but that they were not being properly implemented. The Independent

As a GP, I’ve seen how vetting hospital referrals can help patients

As a GP, I’ve seen how vetting hospital referrals can help patients The NHS is rolling out a scheme that makes non-urgent hospital referrals subject to approval. With safeguards, it can make for a fairer, more efficient system

The latest scare story about the NHS suggests that GP referrals to hospital will be increasingly vetted by a panel of other doctors who will have the power to refuse or allow patients access to specialist services. The NHS is rolling out a scheme that requires all family doctors in England to seek approval from a medical panel for all non-urgent hospital referrals, including hip and knee surgery, cataract removals, X-rays and scans. The “peer review” scheme is being expanded nationwide from next week following a pilot in two regions in the north-east.

The referral management system represents an excellent way to ensure efficient and equitable use of specialist resources Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Secret NHS cost-cutting drive to reduce hospital referrals revealed The Guardian

NHS to spend £100m bringing in up to 3,000 GPs from abroad

NHS to spend £100m bringing in up to 3,000 GPs from abroad Recruiters will earn about £20,000 for each new GP as part of the NHS England initiative to alleviate cripping shortages

The NHS plans to spend £100m bringing in up to 3,000 GPs from abroad to help alleviate serious shortages that have left surgeries struggling to run properly.

Recruitment agencies will earn about £20,000 for each GP they succeed in placing in a family doctor practice in England as part of the NHS England initiative. Continue reading... Recruiters will earn about £20,000 for each new GP as part of the NHS England initiative to alleviate cripping shortages

The NHS plans to spend £100m bringing in up to 3,000 GPs from abroad to help alleviate serious shortages that have left surgeries struggling to run properly.

Recruitment agencies will earn about £20,000 for each GP they succeed in placing in a family doctor practice in England as part of the NHS England initiative. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• International recruitment could make a real difference to GP workforce shortage Royal College of General Practitioners 
• NHS launches £100m drive to recruit foreign GPs BBC News
• NHS will pay £100 million to agencies to recruit GPs The Daily Mail
• NHS England offers £100m to firms to recruit 3,000 overseas GPs GPonline

UN panel criticises UK failure to uphold disabled people's rights

UN panel criticises UK failure to uphold disabled people's rights Charities say report is grim reality check and Labour says it highlights how disabled people are bearing brunt of austerity

The UK government is failing to uphold disabled people’s rights across a range of areas from education, work and housing to health, transport and social security, a UN inquiry has found.

The UN committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities examined the government’s progress in fulfilling its commitments to the UN convention on disabled people’s rights, to which the UK has been a signatory since 2007. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS rationing bodies refuse to fund treatment which stalls breast cancer

NHS rationing bodies refuse to fund treatment which stalls breast cancer A breast cancer drug which stalls disease by three months has been rejected by NHS rationing bodies.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence said there was a lack of evidence to prove that the drug called fulvestrant extended lives.

Some trials have suggested it could extend survival by more than five months, for women whose cancer has spread.

But Nice said there were weaknesses in such research. While trials showed the drug stalls the cancer’s growth by around three months, there was a lack of good evidence that this extended survival, they said.

The drug costs £500 a month, compared to costs of just pennies for anastrozole, and letrozole, which are currently prescribed for such cases. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Jab to halt breast cancer rejected by NHS watchdog The Daily Mail

NHS no longer uses post-it notes for heart transplants

NHS no longer uses post-it notes for heart transplants The NHS no longer uses post-it notes and whiteboards to arrange life-saving heart transplants for patients, it has emerged.

Instead of relying on the traditional methods, it has adopted new digital technology which can match donors and recipients in just six seconds.

The pioneering system is 300 times faster, experts claim, and has removed around 40 lengthy steps from the matching process.

Experts have hailed the 'groundbreaking' technology used by the NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and said it will 'ultimately save more lives'.

The world first system has already helped at least one patient get a new heart. It is expected to be rolled out across the board in the coming years. The Daily Mail

NHS hospitals deeper in the red than reported, new analysis shows

NHS hospitals deeper in the red than reported, new analysis shows NHS trusts ended last year with an underlying overspend almost £3 billion more than was reported in their official accounts, according to new analysis by the Nuffield Trust think tank. Without more funding for the NHS, hospitals are unlikely to recover any time soon from a mismatch between the money they receive and the cost of providing patient care, the research shows.

The briefing, is based on analysing the accounts and financial data published by NHS regulators. By stripping out temporary funding boosts and one-off savings, it finds that NHS trusts ended last year (2016/17) with an underlying overspend of £3.7 billion. This was far higher than the £791 million reported by NHS regulators.

See also:

• The bottom line: Understanding the NHS deficit and why it won’t go away Nuffield Trust
• The NHS deficit is here to stay Nuffield Trust
• Hospitals overspend by almost £4billion in 12 months The Daily Mail
• True scale of NHS overspending 'eye-watering', new report finds The Daily Telegraph
• NHS trusts' overspend is £3bn higher than reported, study claims The Guardian

Clinical artificial intelligence: on the brink of a digital revolution?

Clinical artificial intelligence: on the brink of a digital revolution? Ahead of The King’s Fund’s festival of ideas to inspire and challenge the future of health care, Hugh Harvey, Clinical Artificial Intelligence and Predictive Analysis Researcher at King's College London, imagines a world in which artificial intelligence has transformed frontline care.

Only 1 in 10 MPs in England believe the social care system is fit for purpose for the UK’s ageing population

Only 1 in 10 MPs in England believe the social care system is fit for purpose for the UK’s ageing population Only 1 in 10 MPs in England (10%) believe that the current social care system is suitable for the UK’s ageing population. And 86% of MPs in England believe a cross-party consensus is needed for a lasting settlement on health and social care. That’s according to a new poll of 101 MPs of all parties representing constituencies in England commissioned by Independent Age, the older people’s charity.

See also:

• Nine in ten MPs warn care system not fit for purpose The Daily Mail

Guidance: Prevention concordat for better mental health: planning resource

Guidance: Prevention concordat for better mental health: planning resource The Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health is underpinned by an understanding that taking a prevention-focused approach to improving the public’s mental health is shown to make a valuable contribution to achieving a fairer and more equitable society.

This resource has been developed to help local areas put in place effective arrangements to promote good mental health and prevent mental health problems. It does so by offering a 5-part framework of focus for effective planning for better mental health.

It also highlights a range of actions and interventions that local areas can take to improve mental health and tailor their approach. This includes illustration through practice examples and links to further supporting resources. Public Health England

See also:

• Research and analysis: Stocktake of local mental health prevention planning arrangements Public Health England
• Guidance: Psychosocial pathways and health outcomes Public Health England
• Guidance: Mental health services: cost-effective commissioning Public Health England
• Detailed guide: Mental health data and analysis: a guide for health professionals Public Health England

Acid attacks: NHS offers public advice on how to respond

Acid attacks: NHS offers public advice on how to respond The NHS and burns specialists are giving official advice to the public on how to provide first aid after an acid attack.

While still rare, the number of attacks using corrosive substances is rising.

The health service said the assaults were medical emergencies and people should call 999 immediately.

Contaminated clothing should be carefully removed and affected skin rinsed in running water until help arrives. BBC News

See also:

• NHS reveals rising toll of acid attacks and advises: report, remove, rinse The Guardian

Serious ambulance incidents include rape allegation and 'lost keys' death

Serious ambulance incidents include rape allegation and 'lost keys' death "Serious incidents" involving ambulances - including an alleged rape and a patient dying after vehicle keys were "lost" - have risen by 16% in five years.

The number of such events rose in seven of England's 10 ambulance areas.

Unison said the rise reflected "intolerable pressures" facing ambulance workers.

The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives said the incidents amounted to a "tiny" number of patient journeys.

"Serious incidents" (SIs) are defined by the NHS as "adverse events" needing a "heightened level of response". BBC News

US approves breakthrough leukaemia treatment that 'weaponises' blood cells to attack cancer

US approves breakthrough leukaemia treatment that 'weaponises' blood cells to attack cancer Opening a new era in cancer care, US health officials have approved a breakthrough treatment that genetically engineers patients' own blood cells into an army of assassins to seek and destroy childhood leukaemia.

The Food and Drug Administration called the approval historic, the first gene therapy to hit the US market. Made from scratch for every patient, it's one of a wave of “living drugs” under development to fight additional blood cancers and other tumours, too.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals set the price for its one-time infusion of so-called “CAR-T cells” at $475,000, but said there would be no charge for patients who didn't show a response within a month. The Independent

See also:

• Historic 'living drug' gets go-ahead BBC News
• US clears first gene therapy for childhood leukemia The Daily Mail
• First cancer gene therapy to treat leukaemia approved by US regulators The Daily Telegraph

We need action to address the mental health crisis, not more empty words

We need action to address the mental health crisis, not more empty words Theresa May and her ministers now talk the talk. But government policies helped to fuel a problem they can no longer ignore

Front page articles on mental health have become a regular occurrence. This week we learned that Britain’s biggest police force received a phone call relating to mental health every five minutes last year. And James Munby, head of the high court’s family division, hit the headlines this month referring to the case of girl X – a suicidal teenager for whom no secure bed was available. Munby wrote: “If this is the best we can do for X, and others in similar crisis, what right do we, what right do the system, our society and indeed the state itself, have to call ourselves civilised?”

We cannot afford to ignore the well-established link between social inequality and mental ill health Continue reading... The Guardian

UK needs to act urgently to secure NHS data for British public, report warns

UK needs to act urgently to secure NHS data for British public, report warns Algorithms based on NHS records could seed an ‘entirely new industry’ in AI-based diagnostics and mint billions for tech companies, strategic review reveals

The government must act urgently to ensure that patients and UK taxpayers – not tech companies – gain most from new commercial applications of NHS data, an independent review of the UK life sciences industry has said.

Sir John Bell, a professor of medicine at Oxford university who led the government-commissioned review, said that NHS patient records are uniquely suited for driving the development of powerful algorithms that could transform healthcare and seed an “entirely new industry” in AI-based diagnostics. Continue reading... The Guardian

Life-saving flu vaccines at heart of 160 million boost for life sciences

Life-saving flu vaccines at heart of 160 million boost for life sciences A new national centre to investigate cures for influenza will be at the heart of a £160 million Government boost for the UK’s research sector, ministers will announced.

The facility is also expected to manufacture large-scale vaccines to tackle polio and a host of other illnesses.

The announcement coincides with the publication of a review recommending the future strategy for Britain’s £64 billion life sciences industry as the UK prepares to leave the EU. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Life sciences: industrial strategy Office for Life Sciences

New national database for all child deaths planned

New national database for all child deaths planned A ll child deaths will be recorded onto a new national database in a bid to share information aimed at saving young lives, officials are reportedly planning.

The shake-up is being designed to overhaul the current system of local review panels which critics say squander the opportunity to learn lessons.

According to documents seen by the Health Service Journal, the Department for Education, which oversees the current system, will be stripped of its role and a new national database established by the Department of Health. The Daily Telegraph

Guidance: Health matters: making cervical screening more accessible

Guidance: Health matters: making cervical screening more accessible Attendance for cervical screening has been falling year on year. This professional resource aims to address this decline in attendance by presenting recommendations that can help increase access to screening and awareness of cervical cancer. Public Health England