Pioneering heart procedure performed at KGH

Pioneering heart procedure performed at KGH A new procedure to treat calcified heart arteries using sonic pressure waves has been performed at Kettering General Hospital for the first time.

Consultant interventional cardiologist Dr Prashanth Raju, assisted by cardiology registrar Dr Abdelmunam Tumy, performed the Shockwave Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy on Wellingborough man Jack Hadley earlier this month. Northamptonshire Telegraph

'Unsafe' Northampton care home failed to notice when residents were poorly or sick, inspectors say

'Unsafe' Northampton care home failed to notice when residents were poorly or sick, inspectors say
Northampton care home where staff failed to notice or take action when its elderly residents were poorly has been branded 'unsafe' by the health watchdog.

In the past two years, Pytchley Court Nursing Home, in Brixworth, has failed to meet standards despite inspectors visiting five separate times to tell them how to improve.

But in its newest report published last week (November 12), the home has now slipped into an 'inadequate' rating after the CQC found repeated failures to make sure its residents were safe. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Pytchley Court Nursing Home Care Quality Commission

Prevention is better than cure – except when it comes to paying for it

Prevention is better than cure – except when it comes to paying for it We welcome Matt Hancock’s signal and intent that prevention will be one of three priorities distinguishing his time as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The policy paper, Prevention is better than cure recognises the complex factors that drive population health and announces a Green Paper to come next year. It also sets out a long list of existing government actions and commitments but stops short of committing to anything new in the short term. The King's Fund

Guidance for trusts on homelessness referrals

Guidance for trusts on homelessness referrals On 1 October 2018, the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 introduced a new legal duty on some public services to refer service users they consider may be homeless or threatened with homelessness to a local housing authority.

This guidance provides an overview of the duty to refer for NHS staff, including how to make a referral to a local authority. Department of Health and Social Care

October flu figures show 6,000 more staff get their flu jab

October flu figures show 6,000 more staff get their flu jab Public Health England have today released the first figures for the 2018/19 flu season showing that 6,785 more frontline healthcare workers received the flu vaccine from 1st September 2018 to 31st October 2018 compared to the same period last year. NHS Employers

See also:

• Official Statistics: Seasonal flu vaccine uptake in healthcare workers: monthly data, 2018 to 2019 Public Health England

Why catching cancer earlier is so important

Why catching cancer earlier is so important A leading cancer expert says making treatment more straightforward for patients is the key to catching tumours early and improving survival rates.

In future, all potential cancer patients - whether having obvious signs or less clear symptoms - will be treated by the same route, rather than being on two different paths.

The NHS in Wales will be the first health service in the UK to do it this way. BBC News

Youth mental health - what's going on?

Youth mental health - what's going on? Nearly one in four young women has some form of mental illness, a new NHS report has found. LGBT teens are also much more at risk.

The findings are based on a survey of more than 9,000 young people in England, the first update of the report in 13 years.

Overall, among children aged five to 15, one in nine had a mental health disorder, up from one in 10 in the previous study. BBC News

See also:

• Our response to the prevalence survey on the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England Royal College of Psychiatrists
• Better access to mental health services for children and young people needed in the community says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• Poor mental health 'took so much of my life' BBC News
• Defiant toddlers are being branded mentally unwell, NHS report finds The Daily Telegraph
• Fifth of 17 to 19-year-old girls self-harm or attempt suicide The Guardian
• What is happening with children’s mental health? The Guardian
• 'I felt so worthless': two teenagers on their mental health struggles The Guardian
• Shortchanging the next generation’s mental health is a false economy the country can ill afford The Independent

FGM aid: New £50m package to protect millions of girls from female genital mutilation around world

FGM aid: New £50m package to protect millions of girls from female genital mutilation around world Britain will ramp up efforts to end the devastating practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) with a £50m aid package to end the abuse of women and girls around the world.

Penny Mordaunt, the international development secretary, announced a cash boost to local projects across Africa over the next five years, as part of efforts to end the practice by 2030.

FGM, which refers to any procedure to alter female genital organs for non-medical reasons, can cause infection, scarring, childbirth complications and mental trauma. The Independent

See also:

• UK pledges £50m to help end FGM in Africa BBC News
• The village that's eradicated FGM BBC News

Life expectancy falling for women in poorest areas of England

Life expectancy falling for women in poorest areas of England The life expectancy of women in the most deprived areas of England is falling, new research has revealed.

Previous research has shown those in more affluent areas have a greater life expectancy than those in poorer ones, but researchers have found the gap is widening, with experts saying lives are being lost to preventable and treatable diseases as a result of rising poverty.

The team say the growing gap is probably down to a combination of factors, including the relatively high price of healthy food and difficulty accessing healthcare – factors they say have been exacerbated by issues such as the gig economy and austerity policies. The Guardian

See also:

• Contributions of diseases and injuries to widening life expectancy inequalities in England from 2001 to 2016: a population-based analysis of vital registration data (open access) The Lancet Public Health
• Life expectancy gap in England continues to widen between the rich and the poor, new study claims The Daily Mail

Internet may be fuelling hypochondria after ‘Google diagnoses’ surge by more than 8,700% in 3 years

Internet may be fuelling hypochondria after ‘Google diagnoses’ surge by more than 8,700% in 3 years Britons are turning to Google more than 100,000 times a year to self-diagnose and find cures, new research shows.

UK search volumes for terms such as 'how to know if chest pains are serious' have risen by 8,781 per cent from 2015 to 2018, analysis of Google data has found.

It raises concerns that searching symptoms online is fueling hypochondria.

Searches for treatment for sciatica, acne and IBS have been the most common ovver the past three years. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Most googled medical symptoms in the UK Perkbox Medical

Thousands of lung-cancer patients will get access to a life-saving treatment on the NHS

Thousands of lung-cancer patients will get access to a life-saving treatment on the NHS NHS drugs watchdog NICE gave the green light to a pilot of the treatment, making available to more than 3,000 patients over the next 18 months. It may then become a routine therapy. The Daily Mail

See also:

• New life-extending lung cancer treatment approved by NICE National Institute of Health and Care Excellence 

Winners of 2018 HSJ Award for Provider Trust of the Year revealed - Northamptonshire Healthcare

Winners of 2018 HSJ Award for Provider Trust of the Year revealed - Northamptonshire Healthcare No one could accuse leaders at Northamptonshire Healthcare FT of setting their sights low. The overall aim is to support change and growth both locally and on a national scale. Individual goals include demonstrably changing cultures to influence care; delivering innovations that change lives; staying financially robust in a challenged climate; and developing strong partnership working. Health Service Journal

Ketamine: Can it treat depression?

Ketamine: Can it treat depression? Ketamine has a reputation as a party drug but a handful of clinics in the UK now legally offer it as a treatment for the most severe types of depression.

BBC Like Minds meets two patients who have regular infusions, as all other treatments have failed. Featuring staff and patients at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. BBC News

Record NHS funding to give patients a better alternative to hospital

Record NHS funding to give patients a better alternative to hospital More NHS patients will be cared for at home and in their community to avoid them going into or staying in hospital unnecessarily, Theresa May announced.

Ahead of a visit to a north London health centre she pledged to cut needless hospital admissions and help inpatients return home sooner – through community-based rapid response teams and dedicated support for care home residents. Department of Health and Social Care

See also:

• New money will not lead to a big shift in services Nuffield Trust
• General practice must be a key recipient of new funding for primary and community care, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• NHS to spend £3.5bn on mobile medical teams to help keep elderly patients out of hospital The Daily Mail
• Community healthcare in line for £3.5bn annual funding boost The Guardian
• Theresa May's £3.5bn for out-of-hospital care revolution not enough to deliver significant changes, experts warn The Independent

Mental health: One in four young women struggling

Mental health: One in four young women struggling Nearly one in four young women have a mental illness, with emotional problems such as depression and anxiety the most common, figures for England show.

The official NHS report found young women aged 17 to 19 were twice as likely as young men to have problems, with 23.9% reporting a disorder.

In children aged five to 15, one in nine had a disorder, up from one in 10 when the review was done 13 years ago.

The findings are based on a survey of more than 9,000 young people. BBC News

See also:

• Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2017 NHS Digital

'Vast gap' in child mental health support in England

'Vast gap' in child mental health support in England There is a "vast gap" in the support provided by the NHS for children with mental health problems, the Children's Commissioner in England says.

Anne Longfield's report criticised slow progress made in improving specialist community services for children.

She said waiting times were too long and was concerned about numbers being rejected by services in some areas.

It comes as the NHS prepares to publish a major report into mental health problems among the young. BBC News

See also:

• Analysis shows children’s mental health services are showing signs of improvement – but a seismic shift in ambition still needed to meet demand Children's Commissioner 
• EVERY school should have mental health officers to tackle child welfare crisis, insists watchdog The Daily Mail

Type 2 diabetes affects 7,000 under-25s in England and Wales

Type 2 diabetes affects 7,000 under-25s in England and Wales There are nearly 7,000 children and young adults under 25 with type 2 diabetes in England and Wales - about 10 times the number reported before, according to Diabetes UK.

Its analysis of 2016-17 data found most were being treated in GP practices rather than in specialist units.

The condition is linked to obesity and is more aggressive in children.

Child health experts said the government should act now to implement proposals to cut childhood obesity. BBC News

See also:

• National Diabetes Audit Report 1- Findings and Recommendations 2016-17 NHS Digital
• Number of young Britons suffering from diabetes sufferers is 'TEN times higher than expected' The Daily Mail
• Type 2 diabetes now affects nearly 7,000 young Britons The Guardian
• Sugary treats which cause obesity account for 70% of items at supermarket checkouts, research finds The Independent

Antidepressant prescribing rose in England after EU referendum

Antidepressant prescribing rose in England after EU referendum Increased uncertainty about the future might have lain behind the rise in antidepressant prescribing in England after the EU referendum in 2016, researchers have suggested in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. They proposed in their research report that mental health provision ought to be strengthened during such periods in future. OnMedica

Language requirements for foreign nurses to be relaxed amid staffing crisis

Language requirements for foreign nurses to be relaxed amid staffing crisis The current English language requirements for foreign nurses and midwives is set to be lowered under new proposals from the regulator.

The move by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) is intended to ease the “significant pressure” currently on the NHS workforce.

NMC plans to change the requirements to ensure that those who are “just missing out” make the cut. The Independent

See also:

• NMC proposes changes to English language test Nursing and Midwifery Council
• English language tests will be made easier for foreign nurses to beat staff shortages in NHS The Daily Mail
• Language tests for foreign nurses to be made easier, regulator proposes The Daily Telegraph

UK teenagers turn to mobile apps to help with mental ill health

UK teenagers turn to mobile apps to help with mental ill health Usage of apps that help cope with anxiety, self-harm and depression has soared recently

Tens of thousands of young people in Britain who are struggling with their mental health are seeking help online for problems such as anxiety, self-harm and depression.

Soaring numbers of under-18s are turning to apps, online counselling and “mood diaries” to help them manage and recover from conditions that have left them feeling low, isolated and, in some cases, suicidal. The Guardian