Northampton General: New critical care unit marks one year

Northampton General: New critical care unit marks one year A critical care unit, shaped by the Covid pandemic experience, has treated 900 patients in its first year.

The 16-bed unit at Northampton General Hospital, which opened last summer and cost £15.9m, offers round-the-clock care for the most vulnerable patients.

It includes special isolation rooms as well as space for relatives to stay so they can sleep close to loved ones. BBC Northampton

Wellingborough set to host Northamptonshire's first ever disability pride event to 'remove existing barriers and create a more inclusive society'

Wellingborough set to host Northamptonshire's first ever disability pride event to 'remove existing barriers and create a more inclusive society' Wellingborough is to host its first ever pride event for those with disabilities at the end of the month.

The July 29 event will be the first of its kind in Northamptonshire after being proposed by local campaigner Stephen Liney, in conjunction with Wellingborough Town Council. Northamptonshire Telegraph

National training survey results

National training survey results The UK health system is undergoing a period of unparalleled pressure, and the effects are being felt both by the patients in need of care and the doctors who treat them.

The national training survey, completed by more than 70,000 doctors, paints a comprehensive picture of how those workplace experiences are impacting those in training and their trainers.

That the quality of UK postgraduate training remains high, even in the face of acute stress, is testament to the hard work of trainers, trainees and education organisations. 86% of trainees were positive about their clinical supervision and 83% told us they had a good experience in their post.

Despite these positives, our data also point to troubling trends in doctors’ training experiences.

For trainees, burnout levels are once again on the rise. Across the UK, two thirds are now at high or moderate risk of burnout, the highest level since we started tracking this in 2018. General Medical Council

See also:

• Doctors in training report rising risk of burnout NHS Providers

Significant variations in hip fracture health costs and care between NHS hospitals and regions, study finds

Significant variations in hip fracture health costs and care between NHS hospitals and regions, study finds There are significant variations in healthcare spending and care delivery across NHS hospitals in England and Wales following hip fracture, a new study aimed at understanding how hospital care impacts patients’ outcomes and costs has revealed. University of Bristol

See also:

• Organisational factors associated with hospital costs and patient mortality in the 365 days following hip fracture in England and Wales (REDUCE): a record-linkage cohort study (open access) The Lancet Healthy Longevity

Research: Heat mortality monitoring reports

Research: Heat mortality monitoring reports The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) heat mortality monitoring helps to provide information on excess deaths observed during episodes of heat each year to inform public health actions.

Adverse heat events are increasing in frequency and intensity as a result of climate change. The health impacts of these events can be significant particularly for vulnerable populations when excess mortality can occur.

Policy paper: England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2023

Policy paper: England Rare Diseases Action Plan 2023 The second action plan setting out how the Department of Health and Social Care and delivery partners will implement the UK Rare Diseases Framework in England.

Ian Paterson: Eleven further inquests set to open

Ian Paterson: Eleven further inquests set to open A further 11 inquests are to be opened this week as part of an investigation into dozens of deaths linked to jailed breast surgeon Ian Paterson.

Paterson is currently serving a 20-year sentence after he carried out unnecessary or unapproved procedures on more than 1,000 breast cancer patients.

Judge Richard Foster said 417 cases of former patients had been reviewed.

The inquests will open and be adjourned on Friday. More than 30 deaths are already the subject of an inquest. BBC News

Transparent mouse could improve cancer drug tests

Transparent mouse could improve cancer drug tests A new scanning method involving a see-through mouse could improve how cancer drugs are tested, by picking up tumours previously too small to detect.

Prof Ali Ertürk of the Helmholtz Munich research centre worked out how to make a dead mouse transparent in 2018.

His team have now used chemicals to highlight specific tissues so that they can be scanned in unprecedented detail.

Drugs are often tested first on mice. Scientists say the new scanning method could revolutionise medical research. BBC News

NHS strikes could 'break relationship between staff and managers, say health leaders

NHS strikes could 'break relationship between staff and managers, say health leaders The “domino effect” of ongoing strikes in the NHS could “break the relationship” between staff and senior managers, health leaders have warned.

NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said that managers feel “deep concern” over the long-term impact of the pay row that has involved junior doctors, nurses and paramedics in the past 8 months. Evening Standard

See also:

• Consultants would call off strike for 12.4% NHS pay deal The Guardian
• NHS strikes could 'break relationship' between staff and bosses – health leaders The Independent

Up to 900,000 older people taken to A&E each year due to lack of NHS care at home

Up to 900,000 older people taken to A&E each year due to lack of NHS care at home Almost 900,000 older people are admitted to hospital every year as an emergency because the NHS is failing to keep them healthy at home, Age UK has warned.

A major lack of services outside hospitals means elderly people are also suffering avoidable harm, such as falls and urinary tract infections, the charity said.

In a new report it urges NHS bosses to push through huge changes to how the “hospital-oriented” service operates and establish “home first” as the principle of where care is provided. The Guardian

See also:

• The State of Health and Care of Older People in England 2023 Age UK
• Age UK issues clarion call for a big shift towards joined up home and community based health and social care services for older people Age UK
• Better care for the elderly would free up 855,000 slots in A&E each year, damning report reveals The Daily Mail

Cost of living crisis 'sparks return of Victorian-era illnesses' like scurvy and rickets

Cost of living crisis 'sparks return of Victorian-era illnesses' like scurvy and rickets Victorian-era illnesses such as scurvy and rickets are rebounding because of the cost-of-living crisis, experts say.

Both conditions, which are consequences of malnutrition, largely vanished in the 20th century due to better diets. 

Nearly 11,000 people in England — including hundreds of kids — were hospitalised with malnutrition last year. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Thousands of people admitted to hospital with malnutrition The Times

NHS faces statins crisis as pharmacies report 'desperate' shortages of life-saving drug

NHS faces statins crisis as pharmacies report 'desperate' shortages of life-saving drug Statins are in short supply across the country with pharmacists facing a ‘desperate’ struggle to obtain the life-saving drugs.

Almost eight million Britons rely on statins to lower their cholesterol levels, which in turn reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

But atorvastatin, the most popular statin prescribed by the NHS, is missing from many chemists nationwide. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Negotiators warn statin shortage is having ‘serious impact’ on pharmacies as price spikes The Pharmaceutical Journal

Chronic pain disorder written off by doctors as 'imaginary' drives thousands to suicide, study warns

Chronic pain disorder written off by doctors as 'imaginary' drives thousands to suicide, study warns A chronic condition that causes widespread pain in millions of patients may be linked to an increased risk of death, a new review suggests. 

A meta-analysis suggested that people with fibromyalgia had a 27 percent increased risk of death.

In particular, they highlighted a greater likelihood of accidents, infections, and suicide. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Fibromyalgia and mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis (open access) Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases

Spotlight on the life-saving work of the Critical Care Unit at NGH on its first anniversary

Spotlight on the life-saving work of the Critical Care Unit at NGH on its first anniversary The new Critical Care Unit at Northampton General Hospital has provided vital support for almost 900 patients and their families in its first year of operation.

The £15.9m state-of-the-art unit opened its doors on June 29, 2022, following an extensive period of design, discussion and building work. Northants Life

Defining our digital heath destiny – shaping an eco-system, or being shaped by disfunction?

Defining our digital heath destiny – shaping an eco-system, or being shaped by disfunction? For health and social care to benefit from digital technologies there needs to be a vibrant ecosystem with innovations that are problem-led and rapid to implement, while using the best evidence-based technology. The evolution of the ecosystem is far from this ideal and risks being shaped by dysfunction. The King's Fund

Six steps to better care for older people in acute hospitals

Six steps to better care for older people in acute hospitals This guidance aims to offer measures that teams should take to improve care and reduce hospital-acquired dependency for those living with frailty, as well as stressing that interventions should be monitored and linked more widely to community-based services. Getting It Right First Time

Urology: towards better care for patients with kidney cancer

Urology: towards better care for patients with kidney cancer This guidance – a collaboration between Getting It Right First Time, the British Association of Urological Surgeons and the British Association of Urological Nurses – describes the key features of a good kidney cancer service and lists the quality actions teams can take to bridge any gaps they identify. It also includes a delivery checklist and case studies illustrating good practice.

Nottingham maternity review set to become UK's largest

Nottingham maternity review set to become UK's largest A review into failings in maternity care in hospitals in Nottingham is set to become the largest in the UK, the BBC understands.

Donna Ockenden, chair of the inquiry, is expected to announce that 1,700 families' cases will be examined.

She was in charge of the probe into services in Shropshire, which found at least 201 babies and mothers might have survived had they received better care.

The review comes after dozens of baby deaths and injuries in Nottingham. BBC News

See also:

• Nottingham baby death inquiry expected to uncover biggest-ever maternity scandal Evening Standard
• Baby died of brain injury after midwives ‘neglected’ mum while breastfeeding The Independent
• Significant change in NUH maternity review means more cases to be investigated Nottingham Post
• Nottingham hospitals trust to be more 'honest' with families affected by maternity failings Nottingham Post
• Crisis in NHS maternity units revealed as 21 rated ‘substandard’ The Observer

Weight-loss jabs investigated for suicide risk

Weight-loss jabs investigated for suicide risk Europe's drugs regulator has told BBC News it is conducting a review of some weight-loss jabs after being alerted to a possible link to thoughts of suicide and self-harm among users.

Member state Iceland notified the European Medicines Agency after seeing three cases.

The safety assessment will look at Wegovy, Saxenda and similar drugs, such as Ozempic, that help curb appetite.

Product leaflets already list suicidal thoughts as a possible side effect. BBC News

Researchers hopeful of treatment of Parkinson’s by 2030 with ‘dual efficacy’ drug

Researchers hopeful of treatment of Parkinson’s by 2030 with ‘dual efficacy’ drug A former diabetes trial drug could be used to treat Parkinson’s disease within years, research suggests.

The drug, which was designed to treat dyskinesia – involuntary movements that are a common side effect in Parkinson’s patients who take levodopa-based medication for several years – could also improve motor symptoms linked to the condition.

According to Parkinson’s UK, the drug – NLX-112 – offers hope that a new multi-faceted treatment could be in reach by 2030. The Independent

See also:

• Clinical trial results offer hope of a new Parkinson’s treatment for motor symptoms and dyskinesia Parkinson's UK