Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Streamlining the organisation of the NHS without a top-down reorganisation
Streamlining the organisation of the NHS without a top-down reorganisation Two facts about today’s NHS are incontrovertible. The first is that providers in England are in the fifth year of running an aggregate deficit with financial balance or surplus an unlikely prospect. The second is that the organisation of the NHS is complex and fragmented and consumes a substantial amount of management time and cost. The King's Fund
The future of the mental health workforce
The future of the mental health workforce This report calls for reform of mental health services in order to develop a workforce that is able to meet people's needs in the future. The report describes commissioning of mental health services as in crisis with a diminishing workforce, growing expectations and increasing demand putting pressure on staff across the country. It recommends that all GPs should have significant and wide-ranging mental health training, and that mental health professionals should be given the time and training to consult with GPs and other public service staff to help them to respond to more people’s mental health needs. Centre for Mental Health
Quarter of 14-year-old girls 'have signs of depression'
Quarter of 14-year-old girls 'have signs of depression' A quarter of girls and nearly one in 10 boys show signs of depression at the age of 14, say UK researchers.
The findings come from more than 10,000 young people who shared their worries and emotions.
Surveys with their parents, however, suggested many were not attuned to the true anxieties of their teenage sons and daughters.
Parents often underestimated daughters' stress and had concerns about sons that the boys themselves did not voice.
Lead investigator Dr Praveetha Patalay, from Liverpool University, said teenagers, and particularly girls, were facing more mental health difficulties than previous generations. BBC News
The findings come from more than 10,000 young people who shared their worries and emotions.
Surveys with their parents, however, suggested many were not attuned to the true anxieties of their teenage sons and daughters.
Parents often underestimated daughters' stress and had concerns about sons that the boys themselves did not voice.
Lead investigator Dr Praveetha Patalay, from Liverpool University, said teenagers, and particularly girls, were facing more mental health difficulties than previous generations. BBC News
Life-extending lung cancer drug approved
Life-extending lung cancer drug approved A life-extending lung cancer drug will be made immediately available to NHS patients in England, say advisers.
Campaigners, including the late Sunday Times restaurant critic AA Gill, have repeatedly called for access to the pioneering immunotherapy, which can add months to life.
Scotland already offers nivolumab to people with advanced disease who have also tried chemotherapy.
England's drugs watchdog had originally said nivolumab was too expensive. BBC News
Campaigners, including the late Sunday Times restaurant critic AA Gill, have repeatedly called for access to the pioneering immunotherapy, which can add months to life.
Scotland already offers nivolumab to people with advanced disease who have also tried chemotherapy.
England's drugs watchdog had originally said nivolumab was too expensive. BBC News
Patients' illnesses could soon be diagnosed by AI, NHS leaders say
Patients' illnesses could soon be diagnosed by AI, NHS leaders say Doctors could be replaced by computers in analysing X-rays and samples of diseased tissue amid plans for further investment
Computers could start diagnosing patients’ illnesses within the next few years as artificial intelligence increasingly ousts doctors from their traditional roles, NHS leaders believe.
Machines may soon be able to read X-rays and analyse samples of diseased tissue, such as lumps that can indicate the presence of breast cancer, the NHS’s top doctor said. Continue reading... The Guardian
Computers could start diagnosing patients’ illnesses within the next few years as artificial intelligence increasingly ousts doctors from their traditional roles, NHS leaders believe.
Machines may soon be able to read X-rays and analyse samples of diseased tissue, such as lumps that can indicate the presence of breast cancer, the NHS’s top doctor said. Continue reading... The Guardian
NHS boss puts service on high alert in case of heavy winter flu burden
NHS boss puts service on high alert in case of heavy winter flu burden Simon Stevens says major winter outbreaks in Australia and New Zealand suggests NHS could struggle to cope with cases
Britain could face a significant increase in flu cases this winter, which would make it hard for hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes to cope, the chief executive of NHS England said on Tuesday.
Simon Stevens said Australia and New Zealand had just experienced a heavy burden of winter flu cases, raising concerns that Britain may experience the same in the next few months. Continue reading... The Guardian
Britain could face a significant increase in flu cases this winter, which would make it hard for hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes to cope, the chief executive of NHS England said on Tuesday.
Simon Stevens said Australia and New Zealand had just experienced a heavy burden of winter flu cases, raising concerns that Britain may experience the same in the next few months. Continue reading... The Guardian
Adult social care is in crisis mode. We need a clear long-term plan
Adult social care is in crisis mode. We need a clear long-term plan Every family is affected by the challenges of our ageing society. The government must act now to build health and care provision fit for all
This party conference season, all political parties will use their platforms to set out a post-election vision. Adult social care was one of the big general election issues, and the government has indicated that an adult social care green paper is likely next year. The next few months are critical for capturing the views of the public, the health and care sectors and charities working to support older people.
At Future Care Capital, we have launched a new policy report about the challenges facing our ageing society and the implications for every generation. Addressing three key themes – intergenerational fairness and the economics of ageing, health and care futures, and planning ahead – we invited leaders from the public, private and third sectors to contribute. They considered how policies and spending decisions that impact health and care outcomes could better reflect the challenges and opportunities we can expect in the next five, 10 and 15 years. Continue reading... The Guardian
This party conference season, all political parties will use their platforms to set out a post-election vision. Adult social care was one of the big general election issues, and the government has indicated that an adult social care green paper is likely next year. The next few months are critical for capturing the views of the public, the health and care sectors and charities working to support older people.
At Future Care Capital, we have launched a new policy report about the challenges facing our ageing society and the implications for every generation. Addressing three key themes – intergenerational fairness and the economics of ageing, health and care futures, and planning ahead – we invited leaders from the public, private and third sectors to contribute. They considered how policies and spending decisions that impact health and care outcomes could better reflect the challenges and opportunities we can expect in the next five, 10 and 15 years. Continue reading... The Guardian
Record NHS negligence payouts, fuelled by maternity blunders
Record NHS negligence payouts, fuelled by maternity blunders The NHS is facing record negligence bills for brain-damaged babies because midwives fail to carry out the right checks in two in three such cases, a major report shows.
The review of compensation claims shows the costs of catastrophic birth injury have almost doubled in the last five years, reaching almost £2bn.
The study by NHS litigation authorities examined 50 cases which between in depth.
It found that in 64 per cent of cases, devastating harm - leaving children in need of life-long, round-the-clock care - followed failures to monitor babies’ hearts, or to interpret the results of checks. The Daily Telegraph
The review of compensation claims shows the costs of catastrophic birth injury have almost doubled in the last five years, reaching almost £2bn.
The study by NHS litigation authorities examined 50 cases which between in depth.
It found that in 64 per cent of cases, devastating harm - leaving children in need of life-long, round-the-clock care - followed failures to monitor babies’ hearts, or to interpret the results of checks. The Daily Telegraph
Mass NHS data sharing plan will not allow 'simple opt out' despite ministers' pledges
Mass NHS data sharing plan will not allow 'simple opt out' despite ministers' pledges A controversial NHS data-sharing plan will not allow patients a “simple opt-out” despite ministers’ pledges, leaked documents suggest.
Last year the Government axed proposals for a national care.data scheme after it was critcised by privacy campaigners for failing to give the public a clear route to opt.
The plans had become mired in scandal after it was found that existing NHS data was already being sold to the insurance industry.
Last year ministers said the scheme would be scrapped. They promised that new plans would allow every patient a “single and simple” way to opt out if they did not want their medical information shared beyond their "direct care".
This had been recommended by a review, led by the NHS national data guardian. The Daily Telegraph
Last year the Government axed proposals for a national care.data scheme after it was critcised by privacy campaigners for failing to give the public a clear route to opt.
The plans had become mired in scandal after it was found that existing NHS data was already being sold to the insurance industry.
Last year ministers said the scheme would be scrapped. They promised that new plans would allow every patient a “single and simple” way to opt out if they did not want their medical information shared beyond their "direct care".
This had been recommended by a review, led by the NHS national data guardian. The Daily Telegraph
Obese patients and smokers are refused NHS operations
Obese patients and smokers are refused NHS operations Patients who are obese or smoke are being refused NHS operations and sent on a six month boot camp.
They will be referred onto a six month ‘health optimisation programme’ and taught to improve their behaviours before having surgery.
The scheme will be rolled out next month in the East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, a health trust in East Yorkshire serving 313,400 patients.
Managers are trying to save £11.5 million this year and claim patients will get more benefit from operations if they are in better health.
Patients awaiting surgery for cancer, the frail elderly or anyone with severe mental health problems will all be exempt from the policy.
But it will apply to all other non-urgent operations including hip and knee replacements or hernia procedures. The Daily Mail
They will be referred onto a six month ‘health optimisation programme’ and taught to improve their behaviours before having surgery.
The scheme will be rolled out next month in the East Riding of Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, a health trust in East Yorkshire serving 313,400 patients.
Managers are trying to save £11.5 million this year and claim patients will get more benefit from operations if they are in better health.
Patients awaiting surgery for cancer, the frail elderly or anyone with severe mental health problems will all be exempt from the policy.
But it will apply to all other non-urgent operations including hip and knee replacements or hernia procedures. The Daily Mail
Tuesday, 19 September 2017
The future of NHS commissioning: no map or clear destination
The future of NHS commissioning: no map or clear destination After more than 20 years of repeated reorganisations (culminating in one so big you can see it from outer space), policy-makers have finally navigated the purchaser–provider divide to focus their attention on the structure of health care providers. When the NHS five year forward view (Forward View) was published in 2014 (with its focus on developing new, locally designed integrated models for providing health and care) the broad thrust of English health policy shifted from commissioners and competition to providers and collaboration.
Although any pause in the cycle of top-down reorganisation is welcome, there is now a clear (and perhaps conscious?) gap in the policy landscape. How will clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) be affected as new integrated provider models such as accountable care organisations (ACOs) emerge and sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) and accountable care systems (ACSs) (that involve both commissioners and providers) are layered on top of an already complex NHS landscape? The King's Fund
Although any pause in the cycle of top-down reorganisation is welcome, there is now a clear (and perhaps conscious?) gap in the policy landscape. How will clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) be affected as new integrated provider models such as accountable care organisations (ACOs) emerge and sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs) and accountable care systems (ACSs) (that involve both commissioners and providers) are layered on top of an already complex NHS landscape? The King's Fund
A map for better care: making effective care pathways for people with interstitial lung disease
A map for better care: making effective care pathways for people with interstitial lung disease A new report finds that many people living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) still aren’t getting the diagnosis, support or care they need.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is currently an incurable lung condition with no known cause. The average life expectancy in the UK after diagnosis is 3 years.
Yet access to services, treatment and support for patients with IPF is fragmented. This urgently needs to change. We need to make health systems work for everyone living with IPF.
Patients can’t afford to waste the precious time they have left going from service to service for help. They need speedy, seamless access to the care they need, when they need it. British Lung Foundaton
See also:
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is currently an incurable lung condition with no known cause. The average life expectancy in the UK after diagnosis is 3 years.
Yet access to services, treatment and support for patients with IPF is fragmented. This urgently needs to change. We need to make health systems work for everyone living with IPF.
Patients can’t afford to waste the precious time they have left going from service to service for help. They need speedy, seamless access to the care they need, when they need it. British Lung Foundaton
See also:
- NHS urged to end 'inhuman' treatment of IPF sufferers The Daily Mail
- Lung disease patients failed by system OnMedica
Getting flu jab is best way to protect everyone, says Public Health England
Getting flu jab is best way to protect everyone, says Public Health England Public Health England has stressed the importance of being vaccinated against flu, as NHS leaders are warned to brace themselves for a ‘pressurised’ flu season this winter. NHS Employers
See also:
See also:
- Weekly national flu reports Public Health England
Southern Health NHS Trust admits guilt over Connor Sparrowhawk's death
Southern Health NHS Trust admits guilt over Connor Sparrowhawk's death An NHS trust has admitted guilt over the death of a teenaged patient who drowned in the bath while in its care.
Southern Health Trust pleaded guilty at Banbury Magistrates' Court earlier to breaching health and safety law in the case of Connor Sparrowhawk, 18, who died at Slade House in Oxford in 2013.
His death led to the discovery the trust only properly investigated 272 unexplained deaths of 722 in its care.
Sentencing is due to take place on 12 October at Oxford Crown Court.
The trust was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 following its investigation into the death of a patient under its care. BBC News
Southern Health Trust pleaded guilty at Banbury Magistrates' Court earlier to breaching health and safety law in the case of Connor Sparrowhawk, 18, who died at Slade House in Oxford in 2013.
His death led to the discovery the trust only properly investigated 272 unexplained deaths of 722 in its care.
Sentencing is due to take place on 12 October at Oxford Crown Court.
The trust was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 following its investigation into the death of a patient under its care. BBC News
Record numbers of joint replacements carried out
Record numbers of joint replacements carried out A record number of joint replacement procedures have been carried out, new figures show.
In its report, published today, the orthopaedic joint replacement register for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man highlights a record number of procedures were carried out in the financial year 2016/17, with just fewer than 243,000 cases submitted to the National Joint Registry (NJR). This sees a significant increase of more than 20,000 joint replacement operations recorded in the registry on the previous period.
Today's National Joint Registry 14th Annual Report presents outcome data in relation to hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle replacements. OnMedica
In its report, published today, the orthopaedic joint replacement register for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man highlights a record number of procedures were carried out in the financial year 2016/17, with just fewer than 243,000 cases submitted to the National Joint Registry (NJR). This sees a significant increase of more than 20,000 joint replacement operations recorded in the registry on the previous period.
Today's National Joint Registry 14th Annual Report presents outcome data in relation to hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle replacements. OnMedica
NHS spends £80m on private ambulances a year, data shows
NHS spends £80m on private ambulances a year, data shows Staff shortages and rising demand have forced NHS trusts to hire non-NHS ambulances, leading to fears of lower care standards
The NHS is spending almost £80m a year hiring private ambulances to answer 999 calls and take patients to hospital for appointments, new figures show.
Widespread shortages of paramedics and rising demand forced England’s 10 NHS ambulance trusts to spend £78.4m in 2016-17 on help from non-NHS providers to supplement their own services. That was down on the £79.7m trusts spent in 2015-16, but 22% more than their £64.2m outlay in 2014-15, according to data obtained by the Press Association under freedom of information laws. Continue reading... The Guardian
The NHS is spending almost £80m a year hiring private ambulances to answer 999 calls and take patients to hospital for appointments, new figures show.
Widespread shortages of paramedics and rising demand forced England’s 10 NHS ambulance trusts to spend £78.4m in 2016-17 on help from non-NHS providers to supplement their own services. That was down on the £79.7m trusts spent in 2015-16, but 22% more than their £64.2m outlay in 2014-15, according to data obtained by the Press Association under freedom of information laws. Continue reading... The Guardian
The NHS should see care homes as partners, not problems
The NHS should see care homes as partners, not problems Care homes provide the majority of long-term healthcare to older people but provision is uneven. Our study shows how services can work together better
Care homes provide the majority of long-term healthcare to older people. They rely on primary care for access to medical support and referral to specialist services, yet studies consistently show that healthcare provision for care home residents across England is unpredictable and uneven.
For the NHS, care homes are a conundrum; they provide care that used to be supplied by the health service, but are often perceived as a poor alternative that generates avoidable demand on hospitals. Continue reading... The Guardian
Care homes provide the majority of long-term healthcare to older people. They rely on primary care for access to medical support and referral to specialist services, yet studies consistently show that healthcare provision for care home residents across England is unpredictable and uneven.
For the NHS, care homes are a conundrum; they provide care that used to be supplied by the health service, but are often perceived as a poor alternative that generates avoidable demand on hospitals. Continue reading... The Guardian
Sepsis: the truth about this hidden killer
Sepsis: the truth about this hidden killer Sepsis is responsible for more deaths in the UK than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined. So why is so little known about it?
At the end of May, the World Health Organization adopted a new resolution mandating all of its member states to have national action plans in place to tackle sepsis, a disease being called the “deadliest killer you’ve never heard of”. Even conservative estimates place the annual death toll at 6 million worldwide, a health burden equivalent to that of tobacco. In the UK alone, sepsis is responsible for 44,000 deaths every year, more than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined. Despite this, a recent survey found that 44% of people in the UK have never heard of sepsis and have little idea that it is a life-threatening emergency.
So, what exactly is sepsis and why does it continue to slip through the net of our collective consciousness? The new international definition of sepsis describes it as a condition that arises when the body’s response to infection causes organ dysfunction. “There’s a range of ways in which this can happen,” says Prof Anthony Gordon, chair in anaesthesia and critical care at Imperial College London, and an National Institute for Health Research professor investigating sepsis. “The body’s immune response can be simply overwhelmed by the infection, or there’s a dysfunctional response producing too much inflammation. The body may already be immunosuppressed due to a trauma or fighting an initial infection, so the immune response is too weak.” Continue reading... The Guardian
At the end of May, the World Health Organization adopted a new resolution mandating all of its member states to have national action plans in place to tackle sepsis, a disease being called the “deadliest killer you’ve never heard of”. Even conservative estimates place the annual death toll at 6 million worldwide, a health burden equivalent to that of tobacco. In the UK alone, sepsis is responsible for 44,000 deaths every year, more than bowel, breast and prostate cancer combined. Despite this, a recent survey found that 44% of people in the UK have never heard of sepsis and have little idea that it is a life-threatening emergency.
So, what exactly is sepsis and why does it continue to slip through the net of our collective consciousness? The new international definition of sepsis describes it as a condition that arises when the body’s response to infection causes organ dysfunction. “There’s a range of ways in which this can happen,” says Prof Anthony Gordon, chair in anaesthesia and critical care at Imperial College London, and an National Institute for Health Research professor investigating sepsis. “The body’s immune response can be simply overwhelmed by the infection, or there’s a dysfunctional response producing too much inflammation. The body may already be immunosuppressed due to a trauma or fighting an initial infection, so the immune response is too weak.” Continue reading... The Guardian
NHS chiefs read the riot act over poor A&E performance
NHS chiefs read the riot act over poor A&E performance NHS hospital chiefs have been hauled in by Jeremy Hunt over poor performance, in a desperate bid to head off an Accident & Emergency crisis.
It follows warnings that the NHS could be facing the worst flu season in its history, and orders to all NHS trusts to empty thousands of beds.
Ministers and health officials fear that one in three hospitals are struggling so badly that safety could be compromised as pressures mount.
Two chief executives have just been forced out, with around 60 more ordered to a mandatory all-day meeting yesterday, where they were warned to make urgent improvements. The Daily Telegraph
It follows warnings that the NHS could be facing the worst flu season in its history, and orders to all NHS trusts to empty thousands of beds.
Ministers and health officials fear that one in three hospitals are struggling so badly that safety could be compromised as pressures mount.
Two chief executives have just been forced out, with around 60 more ordered to a mandatory all-day meeting yesterday, where they were warned to make urgent improvements. The Daily Telegraph
Monday, 18 September 2017
What does the public think about the NHS?
What does the public think about the NHS? This report, based on polling data carried out by Ipsos MORI, explores public attitudes towards the health service. It finds that despite the significant challenges it faces, the NHS still holds strong support amongst the majority of the general public with 66 per cent of respondents stating that they would be willing to pay more taxes in order to fund the NHS. The King's Fund
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