Thursday, 22 February 2018
Social care needs political support and better workforce planning
Social care needs political support and better workforce planning The workforce is sometimes cited as the biggest area of risk to the sustainability of the NHS in England. It is also a major area of concern for social care, where vacancy rates and turnover have been steadily increasingand are now double the national averages for the UK workforce as a whole. The King's Fund
Case study on staff wellbeing at mental health service
Case study on staff wellbeing at mental health service A case study looking at how Back on Track IAPT service, based in Hammersmith and Fulham, formed a wellbeing team to examine employees’ perceptions of their workplace and the challenges they face. NHS England
Mapping of specialist primary health care services in England for people who are homeless
Mapping of specialist primary health care services in England for people who are homeless This study finds significant variation in the type of service available, with some areas poorly covered. It also finds that homelessness projects in smaller towns and rural areas, and those working with young people who are homeless, were much less likely to be served by a specialist primary health care service. King's College London
Anti-depressants: Major study finds they work
Anti-depressants: Major study finds they work Scientists say they have settled one of medicine's biggest debates after a huge study found that anti-depressants work.
The study, which analysed data from 522 trials involving 116,477 people, found 21 common anti-depressants were all more effective at reducing symptoms of acute depression than dummy pills.
But it also showed big differences in how effective each drug is. BBC News
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The study, which analysed data from 522 trials involving 116,477 people, found 21 common anti-depressants were all more effective at reducing symptoms of acute depression than dummy pills.
But it also showed big differences in how effective each drug is. BBC News
See also:
- Comparative efficacy and acceptability of 21 antidepressant drugs for the acute treatment of adults with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis (open access) The Lancet
- Antidepressants can help adults with major depression (review of the evidence) The Mental Elf
- Research should reassure patients, and GPs, that antidepressants are effective, says College Royal College of General Practitioners
- 'Anti-depressants help me function' BBC News
- Millions more of us should be taking antidepressants The Daily Mail
- Doctors should prescribe more antidepressants for people with mental health problems, study finds The Independent
Tool 'names and shames' hidden drug trials
Tool 'names and shames' hidden drug trials Institutions that fail to report the results of their drug and medical trials will be named on a new website.
Trials Tracker logs which clinical trials have missed deadlines for reporting their results in the US.
Some pharmaceutical organisations have been accused of burying unfavourable drug and medical test results.
Dr Ben Goldacre, who devised the website, told the BBC he hoped it would "nudge" institutions into properly disclosing data.
"For many years, trials transparency has been neglected," he said. BBC News
Trials Tracker logs which clinical trials have missed deadlines for reporting their results in the US.
Some pharmaceutical organisations have been accused of burying unfavourable drug and medical test results.
Dr Ben Goldacre, who devised the website, told the BBC he hoped it would "nudge" institutions into properly disclosing data.
"For many years, trials transparency has been neglected," he said. BBC News
Thousands of faulty inhalers recalled over risk to asthma patients' lives
Thousands of faulty inhalers recalled over risk to asthma patients' lives Thousands of asthma inhalers have been recalled over a potential flaw that posed a risk to patient's lives.
Around 6,000 inhalers used by asthma patients are affected, health officials say.
Asthma UK said that "faulty inhalers could put people's lives at risk" as it called on patients to check whether their inhaler needed to be returned.
The call comes after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) urged asthma patients to replace specific batches of their Ventolin Accuhaler inhalers, used for the emergency relief of asthmatic symptoms, after it was discovered that a manufacturing issue resulted in some devices not delivering the full dose required. The Independent
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Around 6,000 inhalers used by asthma patients are affected, health officials say.
Asthma UK said that "faulty inhalers could put people's lives at risk" as it called on patients to check whether their inhaler needed to be returned.
The call comes after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) urged asthma patients to replace specific batches of their Ventolin Accuhaler inhalers, used for the emergency relief of asthmatic symptoms, after it was discovered that a manufacturing issue resulted in some devices not delivering the full dose required. The Independent
See also:
- Batches of Ventolin Accuhaler and Seretide Accuhaler asthma inhalers recalled Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency
- Asthma inhalers recalled in device alert BBC News
NHS deficit and staff shortage data ‘held up’ by government
NHS deficit and staff shortage data ‘held up’ by government Report showing NHS facing £900m deficit delayed after health department intervened
The NHS’s financial regulator has delayed publishing new information about the health service’s serious shortages of both money and staff after lobbying by the government, the Guardian can reveal.
The figures show that the NHS’s finances are even worse than previously thought – and include new official figures that reveal for the first time the full extent of the health service’s widespread lack of doctors and nurses. Continue reading... The Guardian
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The NHS’s financial regulator has delayed publishing new information about the health service’s serious shortages of both money and staff after lobbying by the government, the Guardian can reveal.
The figures show that the NHS’s finances are even worse than previously thought – and include new official figures that reveal for the first time the full extent of the health service’s widespread lack of doctors and nurses. Continue reading... The Guardian
See also:
- Quarterly performance of the NHS provider sector: quarter 3 2017/18 NHS Improvement
- The King's Fund response to NHS Improvement's quarterly performance report The King's Fund
- NHS 'dangerously' short of 100,000 staff BBC News
- NHS in crisis as trusts plunge £1.2billion into the red The Daily Mail
- NHS faces £1bn deficit and widespread shortages of staff The Daily Telegraph
- NHS England has one in 11 posts unfilled The Guardian
Jeremy Hunt launches review into handling of vaginal mesh scandal
Jeremy Hunt launches review into handling of vaginal mesh scandal Health secretary admits official failings over a number of medical treatment issues
Jeremy Hunt, the health and social care secretary, has launched a nine-month review into how the NHS addresses concerns about medical treatments, including vaginal mesh devices.
Speaking in the House of Commons, he admitted the government had failed to respond adequately to a series of public health scandals caused by the side-effects of medical treatments, citing the surgical mesh scandal as a key example. Continue reading... The Guardian
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Jeremy Hunt, the health and social care secretary, has launched a nine-month review into how the NHS addresses concerns about medical treatments, including vaginal mesh devices.
Speaking in the House of Commons, he admitted the government had failed to respond adequately to a series of public health scandals caused by the side-effects of medical treatments, citing the surgical mesh scandal as a key example. Continue reading... The Guardian
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Nurses say dying patients are being failed in their final days because the NHS is under too much pressure to care for them properly
Nurses say dying patients are being failed in their final days because the NHS is under too much pressure to care for them properly Dying patients are being failed in their final days because the NHS is under too much pressure to care for them properly, nurses have warned.
Patients are being left stranded in hospitals rather than being allowed to die at home or in hospices, a survey of NHS nurses claims.
Others are dying alone because staff are too stretched to spend time with them, the report found. The Daily Mail
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Patients are being left stranded in hospitals rather than being allowed to die at home or in hospices, a survey of NHS nurses claims.
Others are dying alone because staff are too stretched to spend time with them, the report found. The Daily Mail
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Wednesday, 21 February 2018
Walk-in service scrapped as GPs are asked to refer to 'overflow hub'
Walk-in service scrapped as GPs are asked to refer to 'overflow hub' An urgent care centre in Corby is replacing their walk-in service with an appointment-only GP hub service from March 2019, allowing GPs to refer there when they have no free appointments, Pulse can reveal.
NHS Corby CCG has approved plans to set up a new system, which will see patients ring their GP practice and speak to a ‘trained navigator’ who will book them into same-day appointments at their GP practice or a ‘same day access hub’ run via an APMS contract if no appointments are available elsewhere. Pulse
NHS Corby CCG has approved plans to set up a new system, which will see patients ring their GP practice and speak to a ‘trained navigator’ who will book them into same-day appointments at their GP practice or a ‘same day access hub’ run via an APMS contract if no appointments are available elsewhere. Pulse
KGH nurses help fight deadly disease among refugees in Bangladesh
KGH nurses help fight deadly disease among refugees in Bangladesh Four nurses from Kettering General Hospital have helped fight a potentially deadly outbreak of diphtheria among refugees in Bangladesh.
Head of nursing for urgent and emergency care David Anderson, advanced clinical practitioner Mandy Blackman, A&E matron Melanie Donelan and staff nurse Pippa Coe have all spent up to three weeks as part of a UK Emergency Medical Team deployed to Cox’s Bazar. Northamptonshire Telegraph
Head of nursing for urgent and emergency care David Anderson, advanced clinical practitioner Mandy Blackman, A&E matron Melanie Donelan and staff nurse Pippa Coe have all spent up to three weeks as part of a UK Emergency Medical Team deployed to Cox’s Bazar. Northamptonshire Telegraph
Mental health trusts’ income lower than in 2011-12
Mental health trusts’ income lower than in 2011-12 Mental health trusts have less money to spend on patient care in real terms than they did in 2012, official figures analysed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists show.
The College is calling for mental health trusts to be given more money and for better ways of tracking where mental health money is being spent. It fears some of that money is failing to reach the frontline.
Mental health trusts’ income is lower in England now than it was in 2011-12 once inflation is taken into account, according to the latest available figures.
This is despite the Government’s assertion that mental health spending is at “record” levels.
It comes as demand for services soars, with some trusts saying a lack of funds has forced them to cut services.
The picture across the UK is similar, with mental health spending in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all lower now than it was in recent years.
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The College is calling for mental health trusts to be given more money and for better ways of tracking where mental health money is being spent. It fears some of that money is failing to reach the frontline.
Mental health trusts’ income is lower in England now than it was in 2011-12 once inflation is taken into account, according to the latest available figures.
This is despite the Government’s assertion that mental health spending is at “record” levels.
It comes as demand for services soars, with some trusts saying a lack of funds has forced them to cut services.
The picture across the UK is similar, with mental health spending in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all lower now than it was in recent years.
See also:
Your attention please: The social and economic impact of ADHD
The social and economic impact of ADHD This report estimates that the hidden costs of undiagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to the economy could amount to billions of pounds every year, and calls for urgent action to uncover the true economic costs to individuals, families and society as a whole. Demos
Derby junior doctors take break-time test case to court - BBC News
Derby junior doctors take break-time test case to court A test case could have a "dramatic" impact on the NHS and junior doctors, a court has been told.
A group of doctors claims Royal Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust did not ensure they had proper breaks.
The High Court heard the staff should get a half-hour break for every four hours they are continuously on duty or be paid double for the time.
NHS lawyers said this could cost the trust £250,000 and open up claims from junior doctors across England. BBC News
A group of doctors claims Royal Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust did not ensure they had proper breaks.
The High Court heard the staff should get a half-hour break for every four hours they are continuously on duty or be paid double for the time.
NHS lawyers said this could cost the trust £250,000 and open up claims from junior doctors across England. BBC News
WHO warns of soaring rates of measles in Europe
WHO warns of soaring rates of measles in Europe Europe has seen a big surge in measles cases in 2017, which the World Health Organization says is a tragedy after a record low of 5,273 cases in 2016.
Cases increased four-fold, with more than 20,000 people affected and 35 deaths.
Fifteen European region countries, including the UK, had large outbreaks. Measles cases were highest in Romania, Italy and Ukraine.
People shunning vaccination is part of the problem, say experts.
Although research published 20 years ago about a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism has been discredited, the scare it created damaged some people's trust of the vaccine.
Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can be deadly. BBC News
Cases increased four-fold, with more than 20,000 people affected and 35 deaths.
Fifteen European region countries, including the UK, had large outbreaks. Measles cases were highest in Romania, Italy and Ukraine.
People shunning vaccination is part of the problem, say experts.
Although research published 20 years ago about a possible link between the MMR vaccine and autism has been discredited, the scare it created damaged some people's trust of the vaccine.
Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can be deadly. BBC News
Woman pleads guilty after Tunstall ambulance abuse note
Woman pleads guilty after Tunstall ambulance abuse note A 26-year-old woman who verbally abused paramedics and left a foul-mouthed note on their ambulance in Stoke-on-Trent has admitted a public order offence.
Kirsty Sharman, of Parsonage Street, also accepted writing the handwritten message, which said she did not care "if the whole street collasped [sic]" .
Paramedics were dealing with a 999 call in her street in Tunstall on Sunday.
At North Staffordshire Justice Centre, chairman of the magistrates said it was an "absolutely despicable incident". BBC News
Kirsty Sharman, of Parsonage Street, also accepted writing the handwritten message, which said she did not care "if the whole street collasped [sic]" .
Paramedics were dealing with a 999 call in her street in Tunstall on Sunday.
At North Staffordshire Justice Centre, chairman of the magistrates said it was an "absolutely despicable incident". BBC News
Debtors with mental health problems need 'breathing space'
Debtors with mental health problems need 'breathing space' Thousands of people with mental health issues are trapped in a spiral of escalating debts, a charity says.
The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute said that in 2017, some 23,000 people were being pursued while in hospital for mental health problems.
Thousands more were in a similar position while receiving mental health crisis support in the community.
A coalition of debt groups wants the government to allow "breathing space" for people with mental health troubles.
The government is considering whether to allow individuals in problem debt up to six weeks' grace from interest, charges and enforcement action by debt collectors if they seek help and financial advice.
Charities want the breathing space scheme extended to anyone accessing psychiatric in-patient care or the care of a Crisis Resolution Team. BBC News
The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute said that in 2017, some 23,000 people were being pursued while in hospital for mental health problems.
Thousands more were in a similar position while receiving mental health crisis support in the community.
A coalition of debt groups wants the government to allow "breathing space" for people with mental health troubles.
The government is considering whether to allow individuals in problem debt up to six weeks' grace from interest, charges and enforcement action by debt collectors if they seek help and financial advice.
Charities want the breathing space scheme extended to anyone accessing psychiatric in-patient care or the care of a Crisis Resolution Team. BBC News
General practice given just 4% of NHS winter bailout money - Pulse
General practice given just 4% of NHS winter bailout money GPs were allocated just 4% of the total amount of winter resilience funding given to NHS organisations this year, with the rest going to secondary care.
In mid-December, NHS England released a £20m fund to add extra appointments up until Easter in areas without GP Access schemes, in an effort to ease winter pressures.
However, GP leaders have said the money was 'far too little' in comparison with the amount given to hospitals this year. Pulse
In mid-December, NHS England released a £20m fund to add extra appointments up until Easter in areas without GP Access schemes, in an effort to ease winter pressures.
However, GP leaders have said the money was 'far too little' in comparison with the amount given to hospitals this year. Pulse
The town that’s found a potent cure for illness - community
The town that’s found a potent cure for illness - community Frome in Somerset has seen a dramatic fall in emergency hospital admissions since it began a collective project to combat isolation. There are lessons for the rest of the country
It could, if the results stand up, be one of the most dramatic medical breakthroughs of recent decades. It could transform treatment regimes, save lives, and save health services a fortune. Is it a drug? A device? A surgical procedure? No, it’s a newfangled intervention called community. This week the results from a trial in the Somerset town of Frome are published informally, in the magazine Resurgence & Ecologist. (A scientific paper has been submitted to a medical journal and is awaiting peer review). We should be cautious about embracing data before it is published in the academic press, and must always avoid treating correlation as causation. But this shouldn’t stop us feeling a shiver of excitement about the implications, if the figures turn out to be robust and the experiment can be replicated. Continue Reading... The Guardian
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It could, if the results stand up, be one of the most dramatic medical breakthroughs of recent decades. It could transform treatment regimes, save lives, and save health services a fortune. Is it a drug? A device? A surgical procedure? No, it’s a newfangled intervention called community. This week the results from a trial in the Somerset town of Frome are published informally, in the magazine Resurgence & Ecologist. (A scientific paper has been submitted to a medical journal and is awaiting peer review). We should be cautious about embracing data before it is published in the academic press, and must always avoid treating correlation as causation. But this shouldn’t stop us feeling a shiver of excitement about the implications, if the figures turn out to be robust and the experiment can be replicated. Continue Reading... The Guardian
See also:
- Social prescribing can help give some patients a 'sense of purpose', says College Royal College of General Practitioners
- Lonely patients are being 'prescribed' coffee mornings The Daily Mail
Health department 'ignoring UK life expectancy concerns'
Health department 'ignoring UK life expectancy concerns' Academics call for investigation into effects of NHS underfunding and austerity politics
The Department of Health and Social Care has been accused of ignoring repeated warnings about stagnating life expectancy, from academics who are demanding an urgent inquiry into whether austerity policies could be driving the trend.
The academics said that in recent years there had been “one of the greatest slowdowns [in life expectancy improvements] for both sexes since the 1890s”, with rates even declining for some groups. Continue reading... The Guardian
The Department of Health and Social Care has been accused of ignoring repeated warnings about stagnating life expectancy, from academics who are demanding an urgent inquiry into whether austerity policies could be driving the trend.
The academics said that in recent years there had been “one of the greatest slowdowns [in life expectancy improvements] for both sexes since the 1890s”, with rates even declining for some groups. Continue reading... The Guardian
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