Safety net: The impact of cyberbullying on children and young people's mental health Social media companies aren’t doing enough to tackle cyberbullying putting young people’s mental health at risk. Social media is always present making cyberbullying inescapable for thousands of children. Young people want social media companies to get tougher on cyberbullying.
The report of our inquiry with YoungMinds contains recommendations calling on social media companies to take faster and firmer action to stop cyberbullying. The inquiry led by Alex Chalk MP heard from young people, adult industry experts, and social media companies on what more can be done to tackle cyberbullying and promote good mental health. The Children's Society
Tuesday, 6 March 2018
Plans to cut excess calorie consumption unveiled
Plans to cut excess calorie consumption unveiled Major steps to cut people’s excessive calorie intake have been unveiled by Public Health England (PHE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), as part of the government’s strategy to cut childhood and adult obesity.
The package includes:
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The package includes:
- new evidence highlighting overweight or obese boys and girls consume up to 500 and 290 calories too many each day respectively
- a challenge to the food industry to reduce calories in products consumed by families by 20% by 2024
- the launch of the latest One You campaign, encouraging adults to consume 400 calories at breakfast, and 600 for lunch and dinner. This comes as adults consume 200 to 300 calories in excess each day
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'Opportunities missed' by trust before Poundland attack
'Opportunities missed' by trust before Poundland attack A coroner has criticised an NHS trust over how it treated a schizophrenic drug addict who stabbed a man to death in a Poundland store.
Trevor Joyce attacked Justin Skrebowski with a knife from the shop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in December 2015.
Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter said important information about Joyce was not passed to police.
Mr Skrebowski's widow said her husband "paid with his life" because of failings in Joyce's care.
In a statement Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust apologised and said it had implemented a number of changes after a review of the case. BBC News
Trevor Joyce attacked Justin Skrebowski with a knife from the shop in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in December 2015.
Oxfordshire Coroner Darren Salter said important information about Joyce was not passed to police.
Mr Skrebowski's widow said her husband "paid with his life" because of failings in Joyce's care.
In a statement Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust apologised and said it had implemented a number of changes after a review of the case. BBC News
Hundreds of mental health patients dying after NHS care failures
Hundreds of mental health patients dying after NHS care failures Guardian investigation finds 271 highly vulnerable patients died between 2012 and 2017 after 706 failings by health bodies.
At least 271 highly vulnerable mental health patients have died over the last six years after failings in NHS care, a Guardian investigation has found.
Coroners have been so alarmed at the lapses in care that emerged during inquests that they issued legal warnings to 136 NHS bodies, mainly providers of care, between 2012 and 2017. They included mental health trusts, acute hospitals, ambulance services and GP surgeries. Continue reading...
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At least 271 highly vulnerable mental health patients have died over the last six years after failings in NHS care, a Guardian investigation has found.
Coroners have been so alarmed at the lapses in care that emerged during inquests that they issued legal warnings to 136 NHS bodies, mainly providers of care, between 2012 and 2017. They included mental health trusts, acute hospitals, ambulance services and GP surgeries. Continue reading...
See also:
- How the Guardian investigated mental health patient deaths The Guardian
- ‘My son was left to rot at home’ The Guardian
- ‘She was screaming out for help’ The Guardian
If Hadiza Bawa-Garba worked in the US she would still be a doctor
If Hadiza Bawa-Garba worked in the US she would still be a doctor In the individualistic US medical errors are blamed on systems but in the collectivist NHS individuals are blamed for errors.
When I moved to Philadelphia for training in radiology, three things struck me about the US – the numerous types of bagels, defensive medicine, and the amount of support for trainee doctors. American medicine, though famously litigious, protects its residents (trainees), who work as hard as their British counterparts, and often make critical decisions, sometimes unsupervised, but rarely unsupported.
I’ve trained in both systems, as a surgical senior house officer in Britain and a radiology resident in the US, and the difference between the two systems for trainees is stark. In the US residents must gradually earn their independence; in Britain independence isn’t earned but assumed. I was on call overnight, unsupervised in a busy A&E in London 18 months after qualifying from medical school, with no consultant or registrar on site. This would be unthinkable in the US. I never complained because I enjoyed the independence and felt supported by the nurses. In hindsight, I feel goosebumps knowing that I was only one catastrophic error from facing the same fate as Hadiza Bawa-Garba, the paediatric registrar convicted for manslaughter for missing sepsis. Continue reading... The Guardian
When I moved to Philadelphia for training in radiology, three things struck me about the US – the numerous types of bagels, defensive medicine, and the amount of support for trainee doctors. American medicine, though famously litigious, protects its residents (trainees), who work as hard as their British counterparts, and often make critical decisions, sometimes unsupervised, but rarely unsupported.
I’ve trained in both systems, as a surgical senior house officer in Britain and a radiology resident in the US, and the difference between the two systems for trainees is stark. In the US residents must gradually earn their independence; in Britain independence isn’t earned but assumed. I was on call overnight, unsupervised in a busy A&E in London 18 months after qualifying from medical school, with no consultant or registrar on site. This would be unthinkable in the US. I never complained because I enjoyed the independence and felt supported by the nurses. In hindsight, I feel goosebumps knowing that I was only one catastrophic error from facing the same fate as Hadiza Bawa-Garba, the paediatric registrar convicted for manslaughter for missing sepsis. Continue reading... The Guardian
7 million UK women suffer urinary incontinence
7 million UK women suffer urinary incontinence 7 million women suffer incontinence: Now, the UK’s top doctor has revealed her own ordeal to break the most embarrassing taboo of all.
'We women, after we’ve had babies, can be damaged so that we get incontinence and actually — I’ve never gone public about this — after my first child I could only go three yards before I peed my pants.'
These are the words of Dame Sally Davies, England’s chief medical officer, who last week, revealed she’d been virtually housebound for six weeks after the birth of her first daughter Olivia, now 26. The Daily Mail
'We women, after we’ve had babies, can be damaged so that we get incontinence and actually — I’ve never gone public about this — after my first child I could only go three yards before I peed my pants.'
These are the words of Dame Sally Davies, England’s chief medical officer, who last week, revealed she’d been virtually housebound for six weeks after the birth of her first daughter Olivia, now 26. The Daily Mail
More than 44,000 patients affected by an IT glitch
More than 44,000 patients affected by an IT glitch More than 44,000 patients have been affected by an IT glitch that means some of their medical data has been lost.
GPs at affected practices will have to review their records to ensure information is up-to-date for each of their patients.
Pathology results, vaccine uptake and read codes have been lost at around 2,500 surgeries across England.
It comes at a time when resource-strapped doctors have warned they are overwhelmed by a surge in demand amid the 'worst winter ever'. The Daily Mail
GPs at affected practices will have to review their records to ensure information is up-to-date for each of their patients.
Pathology results, vaccine uptake and read codes have been lost at around 2,500 surgeries across England.
It comes at a time when resource-strapped doctors have warned they are overwhelmed by a surge in demand amid the 'worst winter ever'. The Daily Mail
5,000 flu and norovirus patients are still stuck in hospital
5,000 flu and norovirus patients are still stuck in hospital More than 5,000 patients are still stuck in hospital with flu and norovirus – the equivalent of one in 20 NHS beds.
Three times as many people have had to stay in hospital this year after the worst flu season in seven years.
This has combined with a spike in norovirus cases to fill the equivalent of ten acute hospitals with these patients alone, the head of NHS England warned.
Simon Stevens said NHS staff had worked tirelessly to cope with this winter’s pressures. He praised their efforts at reducing so-called bedblocking, adding that the health service had ‘turned the corner’ by working with councils to enable patients to be discharged more quickly. The Daily Mail
Three times as many people have had to stay in hospital this year after the worst flu season in seven years.
This has combined with a spike in norovirus cases to fill the equivalent of ten acute hospitals with these patients alone, the head of NHS England warned.
Simon Stevens said NHS staff had worked tirelessly to cope with this winter’s pressures. He praised their efforts at reducing so-called bedblocking, adding that the health service had ‘turned the corner’ by working with councils to enable patients to be discharged more quickly. The Daily Mail
Monday, 5 March 2018
Shock figures reveal Corby is the suicide capital of England
Shock figures reveal Corby is the suicide capital of England Death records have revealed the suicide capital of England.
Some of the nation's favourite seaside resorts feature at the top of the list - while Corby had the highest rate in the entire country.
Government statistics, crunched by MailOnline, reveal 17.5 people in every 10,000 commit suicide in the Northamptonshire town.
Corby was hit by the decline of its steel industry in the 1980s which saw thousands of people in the town being made redundant.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that in the last three years there were a total of 14,277 deaths classified as suicides.
But they also show a huge variation across the country - with some parts of England having three times the suicide rate of others. The Daily Mail
Some of the nation's favourite seaside resorts feature at the top of the list - while Corby had the highest rate in the entire country.
Government statistics, crunched by MailOnline, reveal 17.5 people in every 10,000 commit suicide in the Northamptonshire town.
Corby was hit by the decline of its steel industry in the 1980s which saw thousands of people in the town being made redundant.
Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that in the last three years there were a total of 14,277 deaths classified as suicides.
But they also show a huge variation across the country - with some parts of England having three times the suicide rate of others. The Daily Mail
Old, disabled and poor will feel impact of Northants County Council belt-tightening budget
Old, disabled and poor will feel impact of Northants County Council belt-tightening budget The brunt of the of the drastic cuts to Northamptonshire County Council’s budget will be borne by the old, the disabled, the poor and the young.
The council’s own damning analysis of its sweeping cuts is detailed in its Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) written by its own officers. Northampton Chronicle and ECHO
The council’s own damning analysis of its sweeping cuts is detailed in its Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) written by its own officers. Northampton Chronicle and ECHO
Medication without harm: A challenge for social care as well as the NHS
Medication without harm: A challenge for social care as well as the NHS In March 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched its third Global Patient Safety Challenge, Medication Without Harm, with the ambitious goal of reducing avoidable medication-related harm by 50% worldwide over the next five years.
This ambitious challenge was taken up last week by Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Speaking at the World Patient Safety, Science and Technology Summit, he highlighted that an estimated 237 million drug errors occur each year in England, and set out new proposals to tackle what he described as ‘appalling levels of harm and death that are totally avoidable’. The government’s new proposals include accelerating the rollout of electronic prescribing systems in hospitals, decriminalising errors by pharmacists to encourage learning and transparency, and expanding the use of PINCER, an IT tool recently supported by the Health Foundation that identifies patients at risk of hazardous prescribing.
This ambitious challenge was taken up last week by Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Speaking at the World Patient Safety, Science and Technology Summit, he highlighted that an estimated 237 million drug errors occur each year in England, and set out new proposals to tackle what he described as ‘appalling levels of harm and death that are totally avoidable’. The government’s new proposals include accelerating the rollout of electronic prescribing systems in hospitals, decriminalising errors by pharmacists to encourage learning and transparency, and expanding the use of PINCER, an IT tool recently supported by the Health Foundation that identifies patients at risk of hazardous prescribing.
Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision – our response
Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision – our response In January 2017, Theresa May announced the government’s intention to publish a Green Paper on children and young people’s mental health tackling the burning injustice of poor mental health care. The Green Paper Transforming children and young people’s mental health provision was published at the end of 2017, and a subsequent consultation paper outlines how the government intends to achieve this. The King's Fund
Is it wrong to be blunt about obesity?
Is it wrong to be blunt about obesity? When Cancer Research this week revealed that millennials are set to become the most overweight generation since records began, there was a key message - after smoking, obesity is the second biggest cause of cancer.
It called for a ban on junk food advertising and urged people to eat healthier, more balanced diets.
But not everyone appreciated the tone of the message.
The award-winning Danish comedian Sofie Hagen, who lives in London and has written for the BBC about her social anxiety, took to Twitter to criticise the campaign, which she said was "incredibly damaging". BBC News
It called for a ban on junk food advertising and urged people to eat healthier, more balanced diets.
But not everyone appreciated the tone of the message.
The award-winning Danish comedian Sofie Hagen, who lives in London and has written for the BBC about her social anxiety, took to Twitter to criticise the campaign, which she said was "incredibly damaging". BBC News
Admissions to hospital for drug-related mental health problems soar
Admissions to hospital for drug-related mental health problems soar NHS hospitals in England treating twice as many people with drug-related disorders as they did 10 years ago
Soaring numbers of children, young people and pensioners in England are being taken to hospital after suffering serious mental disorders as a result of taking drugs, NHS figures reveal.
Hospitals are treating more than double the number of people for what the NHS calls “drug-related mental and behavioural disorders” than they did 10 years ago. Continue reading... The Guardian
Soaring numbers of children, young people and pensioners in England are being taken to hospital after suffering serious mental disorders as a result of taking drugs, NHS figures reveal.
Hospitals are treating more than double the number of people for what the NHS calls “drug-related mental and behavioural disorders” than they did 10 years ago. Continue reading... The Guardian
Britain's contaminated blood scandal: ‘I need them to admit they killed our son’
Britain's contaminated blood scandal: ‘I need them to admit they killed our son’ In the 1970s and 80s, 4,689 British haemophiliacs were treated with contaminated blood products. So far, more than half of them have died. The government knew there were risks involved. The patients didn’t. Will they ever get justice?
It has been called the biggest treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, and a “horrific human tragedy”. But Su Gorman, whose husband has endured years of ill health as a result of haemophilia treatment, does not believe this adequately describes Britain’s contaminated blood scandal. As far as she is concerned, it is simply a crime.
In the 1970s and 80s, 4,689 haemophiliacs became infected with hepatitis C and HIV after they were treated with contaminated blood products supplied by the NHS. Of those infected, 2,883 have since died.
Waiting for the result, I lived in fear. We had friends dying of Aids, so no illusions about what the endgame would be
At every single stage, the truth has been there and people have evaded it, and that must carry a penalty
They told us in the hospital corridor, with kids running past. Just, ‘Oh, by the way, Colin has tested positive for HIV' Continue reading... The Guardian
It has been called the biggest treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, and a “horrific human tragedy”. But Su Gorman, whose husband has endured years of ill health as a result of haemophilia treatment, does not believe this adequately describes Britain’s contaminated blood scandal. As far as she is concerned, it is simply a crime.
In the 1970s and 80s, 4,689 haemophiliacs became infected with hepatitis C and HIV after they were treated with contaminated blood products supplied by the NHS. Of those infected, 2,883 have since died.
Waiting for the result, I lived in fear. We had friends dying of Aids, so no illusions about what the endgame would be
At every single stage, the truth has been there and people have evaded it, and that must carry a penalty
They told us in the hospital corridor, with kids running past. Just, ‘Oh, by the way, Colin has tested positive for HIV' Continue reading... The Guardian
Hospitals that refuse surgery to smokers and obese patients slammed
Hospitals that refuse surgery to smokers and obese patients slammed NHS hospitals that refuse surgery to smokers and obese patients are ‘draconian and discriminatory’, doctors warned last night.
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges criticised the policies, which were introduced in some clinical commissioning groups last October.
Professor Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said people in need of medical help will be left in pain as they are forced to wait for treatment. The Daily Mail
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The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges criticised the policies, which were introduced in some clinical commissioning groups last October.
Professor Derek Alderson, president of the Royal College of Surgeons, said people in need of medical help will be left in pain as they are forced to wait for treatment. The Daily Mail
See also:
- Statement on rationing decisions based on patient lifestyle Academy of Medical Royal Colleges
NHS launches a 'one-stop' service to diagnose prostate cancer
NHS launches a 'one-stop' service to diagnose prostate cancer A ‘one-stop’ service to revolutionise prostate cancer treatment has been launched by the Health Service.
The quick-access programme slashes the time taken for a diagnosis from around six weeks to just days.
Patients have all their tests in one day, rather than several. And doctors use the latest MRI scanners and techniques to search for the disease with far greater accuracy than before.
Doctors hope to test 5,000 men over the next two years in the £1.6million trial.
Campaigners say it is the biggest leap forward in prostate cancer diagnosis for decades. The Daily Mail
The quick-access programme slashes the time taken for a diagnosis from around six weeks to just days.
Patients have all their tests in one day, rather than several. And doctors use the latest MRI scanners and techniques to search for the disease with far greater accuracy than before.
Doctors hope to test 5,000 men over the next two years in the £1.6million trial.
Campaigners say it is the biggest leap forward in prostate cancer diagnosis for decades. The Daily Mail
Friday, 2 March 2018
'Fantastic work' of maternity teams ranks Northampton hospital as one of best labour wards in country
'Fantastic work' of maternity teams ranks Northampton hospital as one of best labour wards in country New mothers have praised Northampton General Hospital's maternity unit as one of the best in the country.
Northampton is performing better than most hospitals and topped the score in five survey questions in a national survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
NGH was picked out as only one of four NHS trusts scoring better than expected across all labour and birth issues, and scored the highest ratings nationally for treating patients with kindness emotional assessment, help from staff about homebirths and attention while in hospital after the birth. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Northampton is performing better than most hospitals and topped the score in five survey questions in a national survey by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
NGH was picked out as only one of four NHS trusts scoring better than expected across all labour and birth issues, and scored the highest ratings nationally for treating patients with kindness emotional assessment, help from staff about homebirths and attention while in hospital after the birth. Northampton Chronicle and Echo
Is transformation in the NHS really transformational?
Is transformation in the NHS really transformational? Transformation – a complete change in the appearance or character of something or someone, especially so that that thing or person is improved – is fast becoming an overused word in the debate around public sector reform. As a result, it is often deemed a euphemism for delivering more with less and is at risk of becoming meaningless. There seems to be a lack of consensus on what it actually means in terms of service reform though it is often presented as a possible panacea for the many and complex challenges facing public sector organisations. The King's Fund
Reducing emergency admissions
Reducing emergency admissions Emergency admissions cost the NHS £13.7 billion in 2015-16 and pose a serious challenge to both the service and financial position of the NHS, according to today’s report by the National Audit Office (NAO). Over the last four years, the NHS has done well to manage the impact on hospitals, despite admitting more people as emergency admissions. While progress has been made in some areas the challenge of managing emergency admissions is far from being under control.
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See also:
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