Cancer patient waiting times at NGH meet and exceed national targets

Cancer patient waiting times at NGH meet and exceed national targets Northampton General Hospital met all its nine cancer targets during December 2017, ensuring that all patients were seen and treated within the national waiting time standards.

A report to the hospital's public trust board states that nearly 100 per cent of new cancer patients cared for by the hospital received treatment for their disease within 31 days of being told they need medical or surgical intervention. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Pals raise huge £6k sum for Kettering hospital dementia garden appeal

Pals raise huge £6k sum for Kettering hospital dementia garden appeal Two friends have raised an amazing £6,126 for the Forget-Me-Not Appeal to establish a dementia garden at Kettering General Hospital. Northamptonshire Telegraph

County care home helping young men with autism to flourish

County care home helping young men with autism to flourish A Cransley home which caters for teenagers and young men has praised the efforts of its residents in learning new skills and contributing to the community while becoming more independent. Alderwood LLA (Living and Learning with Autism) has eight homes across the county, including one in Cransley which was recently awarded a CQC rating of ‘Outstanding’. Northamptonshire Telegraph

Brexit and mental health

Brexit and mental health  NHS Confederation - This briefing outlines the possible implications of Brexit for the mental health sector. It focusses on the analysis relating to future workforce supply and legislation, research, regulation, cross border healthcare and public health. King's Fund

Psychosis patients 'not getting best care'

Psychosis patients 'not getting best care' A key government target for caring for people with severe mental health conditions in England is being missed due to underfunding, research suggests.

People experiencing a first episode of psychosis should be seen within two weeks and get a quality care package.But Liberal Democrat research indicates that while more people are being seen on time, few get the right treatment. NHS England said "the analysis inevitably gives only a partial and dated picture of progress".

New care and treatment standards for psychosis were introduced by the Department of Health in April 2016. BBC News - Health

Nice approves life-extending drug for patients with incurable breast cancer

Nice approves life-extending drug for patients with incurable breast cancer A drug that can give women suffering from incurable advanced breast cancer an extra 16 months of life has been approved for general use in the NHS in England after a price cut was negotiated with the manufacturer.

The decision by Nice, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, to give the green light for NHS doctors to use pertuzumab, sold under the brand name of Perjeta by the Swiss drug company Roche, was enthusiastically welcomed by breast cancer charities. The Guardian

Press release: New figures show larger proportion of strokes in the middle aged

Press release: New figures show larger proportion of strokes in the middle aged  The Act FAST campaign has re-launched urging people to call 999 if they notice even one of the signs of a stroke in themselves, or in others. In England, one in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime, and new statistics released by PHE show that 57,000 people had their first-time stroke in 2016. It is estimated that around 30% of people who have a stroke will go on to experience another stroke. Gov.uk - Public Health England

• First stroke estimates in England: 2007 to 2016 Gov.uk - Public Health England
• Average age of first stroke in England falls, figures show BBC News - Health
• Four in ten strokes now happening in midlife, fuelled by obesity epidemic The Telegraph
• Obesity crisis means stroke victims are getting younger: Patients aged between 40 and 69 now make up nearly four in ten attacks Mail Online

From Margaret Thatcher to Theresa May: 30 years of the public’s views about the NHS and public spending

From Margaret Thatcher to Theresa May: 30 years of the public’s views about the NHS and public spending Every year since 1983 the British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey, carried out by NatCen Social research, has also been asking the public about its views on the NHS and other public services. How has Britain’s unofficial religion fared over this time and what does this tell us about the future? Our new briefing presents the key findings and I am going to add a set of messages here. The King's Fund

GP struck off

GP who 'stroked 16-year-old's nipples' struck off medical register. A GP who stroked a 16-year-old girl's nipples and squeezed her breasts during an unnecessary examination has been struck off the medical register.

Ex-England rugby player Jonathan Raphael, 65, pulled down the girl's bra without asking for her consent at his surgery in Northampton.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) rejected his claim he was attempting to diagnose pregnancy.  It found his actions were sexually motivated. BBC News Northamptonshire

Appointment-only plan for Corby’s Urgent Care Centre approved

Appointment-only plan for Corby’s Urgent Care Centre approved A plan to change access to Corby’s Urgent Care Centre to appointment-only was approved last night (Tuesday). Northamptonshire Telegraph

Cancer shame as UK survival rates lag behind rest of world

Cancer shame as UK survival rates lag behind rest of world Thousands of British cancer patients are dying early because NHS survival rates are trailing behind the rest of the world, a report has found.

The largest study of cancer survival ever conducted puts the UK towards the bottom of global league tables for several common cancers.

Health charities last night called for urgent action to close the 'appalling' and 'unacceptable' gulf with other nations, blaming slow diagnosis and poor treatment. The Mail Online

2017 survey of women's experiences of maternity care

2017 survey of women's experiences of maternity care This report finds that overall women reported positive experiences of maternity care over 2017 and there were small incremental improvements in results across almost every question. Whilst there have been general improvements overall, the results highlight the need for better communication and greater patient choice. King's Fund - Health Management and Policy Alert

• Maternity Services Survey 2017 - Care Quality Commission (CQC)
• NHS leaves one in four mothers alone during labour or childbirth - The Guardian
• A quarter of mothers are alone during labour: Women say they struggled to summon help and claim midwives do not take them seriously The Mail Online

'Overwhelming' evidence for adding folic acid to flour

'Overwhelming' evidence for adding folic acid to flour There are fresh calls for the government to fortify flour with folic acid in the UK to help protect babies from common birth defects.
A new study concludes higher doses of the B vitamin, which can prevent spina bifida in unborn babies, will not harm the general public.

Folic acid is added to flour in more than 80 countries worldwide, but the UK has previously held off. Pregnant women are advised to take folic acid tablets, but many don't.

Fortification would provide extra cover, say experts. The idea of mandatory fortification has already been backed by health ministers in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but not England. BBC News - Health

• Public health failure in the prevention of neural tube defects: time to abandon the tolerable upper intake level of folate Public Health Reviews
• Deaths or birth defects of thousands due to folic acid 'avoidable tragedy' - The Telegraph
• Put folic acid in bread to protect babies from devastating medical conditons, says study: Pressure grows on Jeremy Hunt to tackle 'avoidable tragedies' The Mail Online

Just promising NHS money 'not good enough'

Just promising NHS money 'not good enough' More reform - not just extra money - is needed to ensure the NHS stays relevant, says Lord Darzi. BBC News

NHS England sets out plans to be first in the world to eliminate hepatitis C

NHS England sets out plans to be first in the world to eliminate hepatitis C England could be the first country in the world to eliminate hepatitis C, under ambitious plans announced by the NHS. NHS Networks

Lack of physical activity among girls leading to poor mental health and low aspirations, warn experts - The Independent

Lack of physical activity among girls leading to poor mental health and low aspirations, warn experts There is a "direct correlation" between a lack of physical activity by young British girls and them having poorer mental health and lower aspirations than their male counterparts, experts have warned. Boys aged between eight and 15 spend almost twice as much time doing sport activities as girls of the same age, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

They also revealed that girls spend an average of 25 minutes a day on sports activities, compared with 40 minutes for boys. The Independent

Hunt urges NHS mental health units to prevent inpatient suicides - The Guardian

Hunt urges NHS mental health units to prevent inpatient suicides Jeremy Hunt is urging mental health units to prevent the scores of suicides by patients that occur on wards every year, which he says are due to failings of care by NHS providers.

The health and social care secretary wants to cut the number of inpatients taking their own life on NHS premises from more than 80 to none. The Guardian

The Government response to the Naylor review

The Government response to the Naylor review Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) - This document sets out the government’s response to Sir Robert Naylor’s review of NHS property and estates, published in March 2017. The actions outlined will drive transformation of the NHS estate and help the NHS to deliver the Five Year Forward View. King's Fund - Health Management and Policy Alert

A design diagnosis: reinvigorating the primary care estate

A design diagnosis: reinvigorating the primary care estate A report from Reform finds that private sector finance can be used to upgrade the primary care estate and deliver value for money for the taxpayer. NHS Networks

NHS continuing healthcare: effective commissioning approaches

NHS continuing healthcare: effective commissioning approaches A report from NHS Clinical Commissioners suggests ways in which the provision of NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) in local areas can be improved for the benefit of patients and commissioners. NHS Networks