New children's commissioner at 'failing' Northamptonshire council

New children's commissioner at 'failing' Northamptonshire council The government has appointed a new commissioner at a crisis-hit council's children's services department.

Andrew Christie has replaced Malcolm Newsam, who announced he would be leaving his role at Northamptonshire County Council last month.

Mr Newsam took up the role in 2018 after an Ofsted report found people in its care were at "potential risk".

In July, inspectors said the authority was still "failing to keep children safe". BBC Northampton

The deteriorating state of the NHS estate

The deteriorating state of the NHS estate In recent years, the charmingly named ERIC (Estates Returns Information Collection) data collection has contained some deeply alarming news about the condition of NHS buildings and equipment. The King's Fund

Suicide prevention: identifying and responding to suicide clusters

Suicide prevention: identifying and responding to suicide clusters This toolkit, based on research of suicide clusters, is part of Public Health England's support for the government’s suicide prevention strategy.

Departmental overview: Department of Health and Social Care 2019

Departmental overview: Department of Health and Social Care 2019 This report is designed to provide a quick and accessible overview of the Department and its performance over the last year. It focuses on the Department’s responsibilities and how it spends its money, key developments in its areas of work and findings from our recent reports. National Audit Office

Pathway navigator ‘critical’ to cutting lung cancer waiting times say experts

Pathway navigator ‘critical’ to cutting lung cancer waiting times say experts An admin role, described as ‘critical’ in helping to cut lung cancer waiting times and speeding up diagnoses, continues to face national funding challenges says a new report by the UK Lung Cancer Coalition (UKLCC).

According to Pathways Matter – the first report to track uptake of NHS England’s National Optimal Lung Cancer Pathway [NOLCP] guidance and identify barriers – the appointment of a patient pathway navigator can help to more than double the number of lung cancer patients receiving treatment by day 49.

However, securing funding for the role remains ‘challenging’, according to interviews among 17 of the 19 Cancer Alliances.

See also:

• Pathways matter: A review of the implementation of the national optimal lung cancer pathway UK Lung Cancer Coalition
• 'Woefully poor NHS equipment leading to lung cancer delays' ITV News

Ending smoking in the UK could lift over a million people out of poverty

Ending smoking in the UK could lift over a million people out of poverty Analysis of Government data carried out for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) finds that the deadly addiction of tobacco, and the enormous profits of the tobacco industry, drive over a million (1,011,000) people into poverty in the UK.

Seven out of ten adult smokers want to stop smoking, and three quarters regret ever having started, but most did so as children, before realising how hard it is to quit. More than two thirds of those who try smoking go on to become regular smokers, developing an expensive and often lifelong addiction causing disease, disability and premature death.

See also:

• Smoking and poverty 2019 ASH
• Smoking link to poverty highlighted OnMedica

Clinical research improves health of UK economy and NHS

Clinical research improves health of UK economy and NHS The value of clinical research to the NHS, the UK economy and jobs market has been evaluated in a new report, which provides an assessment of the economic impact of the National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network's (NIHR CRN) activities to support clinical research in England. Medical Xpress

Fat found in overweight people's lungs

Fat found in overweight people's lungs Fatty tissue has been found in the lungs of overweight and obese people for the first time.

Australian researchers analysed lung samples from 52 people and found the amount of fat increased in line with body mass index.

They said their findings could explain why being overweight or obese increased asthma risk.

Lung experts said it would be interesting to see if the effect could be reversed by weight loss. BBC News

See also:

• Fatty Airways: Implications for Obstructive Disease (abstract) European Respiratory Journal
• Overweight people develop fat in their LUNGS and it can make it harder for them to breathe The Daily Mail
• Obese people are 'drowning in their own fat', as it blocks airways in the lungs, study finds The Daily Telegraph
• Fat accumulates inside lungs of overweight people, study finds The Independent

Female doctors called 'naughty girls' amid toxic 'old boys' club' at BMA

Female doctors called 'naughty girls' amid toxic 'old boys' club' at BMA The British Medical Association has an “old boys’ club” culture which has seen women “treated as of less importance” and subjected to lewd sexual remarks and advances, a damning investigation has found.

The independent review of sexism and bullying at the medics union describes a “toxic” environment, in which professional women are addressed in demeaning teams such as “naughty girls, little ladies and wee lassies”.

Daphne Romney QC was commissioned by the BMA to carry out the investigation after female doctors spoke out against sexual harassment and sexism by senior members of the trade union. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Report into sexism at the BMA published The BMA
• BMA apologises to female doctors over sexism The Guardian
• Women bullied and harassed at ‘toxic’ British Medical Association, scathing report into sexism says The Independent
• BMA apologises for appalling sexism and harassment OnMedica

Corby BAME doctors say racism is rising

Corby BAME doctors say racism is rising Black and minority ethnic Northamptonshire GPs say they are facing an increasing level of racism while at work.

The county’s two clinical commissioning groups have vowed to tackle the issue after GPs Dr Sanjay Gadhia, Dr Joanne Watt and Dr Miten Ruparelia, who all practice in Corby, spoke out about their personal experiences and the growing occurrences at the joint CCG board meeting. Northamptonshire Telegraph

A healthy foundation for the future: the final report of the young people’s future health inquiry

A healthy foundation for the future: the final report of the young people’s future health inquiry This report summarises the work of a two-year inquiry into young people’s future health. It urges the government to overhaul policies across housing, transport and education and adopt a whole government approach to secure the future health of today’s young people. The recommendations for action include calls for a consistent approach to discounted and free public transport for students across the UK and a review of the impact the current testing regime in schools has on mental health. The Health Foundation

Policy paper: Healthy ageing: consensus statement

Policy paper: Healthy ageing: consensus statement This statement by Public Health England and the Centre for Ageing Better sets out our shared vision for making England the best place in the world to grow old.

EU reciprocal healthcare arrangements: Brexit guidance

EU reciprocal healthcare arrangements: Brexit guidance This briefing provides an overview of some of the guidance that the UK government has published on reciprocal healthcare after Brexit. House of Commons Library

Genetic tests: Experts urge caution over home testing

Genetic tests: Experts urge caution over home testing People should not make health decisions based on genetic tests they do at home, experts have warned.

The University of Southampton team, writing in the British Medical Journal, warn results can be unreliable.

The geneticists said the tests could be wrongly reassuring - or lead to unnecessary worry.

23andMe, one of the companies offering tests, said there were "many cases" where results had prompted further checks and preventative treatment. BBC News

See also:

• Direct-to-consumer genetic testing The BMJ
• Caution needed over commercially available genetic testing, says RCGP Royal College of General Practitioners
• Doctors slam popular genetic tests such as 23andMe for sparking confusion and fear in patients The Daily Mail

NHS doctors too busy to care about patients, says Bodies creator

NHS doctors too busy to care about patients, says Bodies creator Jed Mercurio, a former doctor, says medical dramas ignore the cynicism that infiltrates job

The writer behind the TV hits Bodies, Bodyguard and Line of Duty has said medical dramas do not show how cynical and jaded doctors are in real life.

Jed Mercurio, a former doctor who created the cult medical series Bodies, said hospital doctors were often too busy to deeply care about their patients. The Guardian

Charity launches legal action against NHS fees for pregnant migrants

Charity launches legal action against NHS fees for pregnant migrants Maternity Action says bills of £7,000-plus deter vulnerable women from seeking care

A charity has launched a legal challenge against the policy of charging vulnerable migrant women £7,000 or more to access NHS maternity care.

Maternity care falls under “immediately necessary service” in the UK, which means it must never be refused or delayed regardless of a patient’s immigration status. The Guardian

Mental health hospital to hand out free e-cigarettes to those trying to quit smoking

Mental health hospital to hand out free e-cigarettes to those trying to quit smoking One of the UK's largest mental health hospitals is to hand out free e-cigarettes to those trying to quit smoking, in a deal with a vaping retailer.

The trust said it would help patients “transform” their health.

But critics last night said the deal - believed to be the first of its kind - was “extraordinary” at a time when the safety of vaping is under increasing scrutiny. The Daily Telegraph

Experts warn that parents who don't vaccinate have forgotten the devastating impact of diseases

Experts warn that parents who don't vaccinate have forgotten the devastating impact of diseases Parents have become complacent about vaccinating their children because they have forgotten the impact of devastating diseases, experts warned last night.

Many today have no idea what illnesses such as measles, polio or diphtheria could do to children because vaccination campaigns wiped them out in the UK generations ago.

Yet many of these viruses are still circulating abroad and could return amid falling uptake of childhood immunisations such as the MMR jab, doctors warn. The Daily Mail

Nearly half of NGH A&E patients could have been treated elsewhere yesterday

Nearly half of NGH A&E patients could have been treated elsewhere yesterday Northampton General Hospital is urging patients to use other NHS services as almost half of patients seen by A&E doctors yesterday could have received treatment elsewhere.

Northampton General Hospital is experiencing intense pressure on their A&E department this week, and doctors are asking patients to choose the most appropriate service for their needs and seek advice as soon as they start to feel unwell. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

See also:

• Busy Kettering A&E breaks patient number records and warns people of long waits Northamptonshire Telegraph

CIO interview: Hugo Mathias, CIO, Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

CIO interview: Hugo Mathias, CIO, Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust For all the talk of a ‘paperless NHS’, replacing legacy systems and eliminating paper records is a challenge – but one that Hugo Mathias is tackling through real-time information and cultural change. Computer Weekly