Scaling innovation within healthcare systems: practical considerations

Scaling innovation within healthcare systems: practical considerations This guidance is based on extensive research and interviews with NHS Confederation members. It aims to provide practical pointers for innovators and system decision-makers on how to successfully adopt and scale proven innovations. NHS Confederation

Government response: Government boosts use of independent sector capacity to cut NHS waits

Government response: Government boosts use of independent sector capacity to cut NHS waits Thirteen new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) – including eight independently run CDCs – are being launched across the country as part of government plans to use the independent sector to cut NHS waiting lists, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay will announce today.

The government has also set out a range of new measures to unlock spare capacity within the independent healthcare sector.  Department of Health and Social Care

See also: 

• NHS to expand use of private sector to tackle waits BBC News
• NHS goes private in biggest expansion of sector since Blair The Daily Telegraph
• Let private and third sectors cut NHS waiting lists, says Steve Barclay The Guardian
• Govt turns to private sector in attempt to cut NHS waiting lists Sky News

Flu and COVID-19 surveillance report published

Flu and COVID-19 surveillance report published This fortnightly flu and COVID-19 report brings together the latest surveillance data along with the latest public health advice.

COVID-19 case rates continued to increase this week compared to our previous report. 5.4% of 4,396 respiratory specimens reported through the Respiratory DataMart System were identified as COVID-19. This is compared to 3.7% of 4,403 from the previous report. UK Health Security Agency

Hospital to test 'interpreter on wheels' to bridge language barriers

Hospital to test 'interpreter on wheels' to bridge language barriers Two hospitals are to try using a mobile translation service in a bid to remove language barriers between patients and staff.

Peterborough City and Hinchingbrooke hospitals will trial the remote interpreting service for four weeks.

The service, Interpreters on Wheels, uses iPads on trolleys and the Language Line Insight application, says Alex Papp, service coordinator for North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust's linguistic and interpretation department. BBC News

£2 billion NHS digitisation implementation delayed by a year

£2 billion NHS digitisation implementation delayed by a year The NHS digitisation initiative, forecast to deliver £29.8 billion in benefits, has been moved from amber to red on the traffic-light system used by the IPA as trusts struggle to keep up.

The time scale and budget for implementing the NHS digitisation initiative ‘appears to be unachievable’, as trusts report issues with EPR implementation nationally. Open Access Government

AI could solve NHS radiologist ‘workforce crisis’

AI could solve NHS radiologist ‘workforce crisis’ Artificial intelligence (AI) could help the NHS overcome a radiologist “workforce crisis”, experts have said, although building trust in the technology is an important step in it becoming a normal part of a modern health service.

It comes after a pilot study in Surrey found AI had the power to categorise normal chest X-rays with a 99.7% accuracy, showing potential to speed up cancer diagnoses. The Independent

The risk of kidney stones could be increased by eating biscuits and drinking fizzy drinks, researchers warn

The risk of kidney stones could be increased by eating biscuits and drinking fizzy drinks, researchers warn Biscuits, cakes and fizzy drinks could increase the risk of getting kidney stones, researchers have warned.

A study suggests that a greater intake of added sugars - commonly found in processed food - raises the chance of developing the painful condition.

Kidney stones affect more than one in ten people, mostly aged between 30 and 60, and are caused by waste products in the blood forming crystals. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Association between added sugars and kidney stones in U.S. adults: data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2018 (open access) Frontiers in Nutrition
• Consuming foods with added sugars may increase risk of kidney stones – study The Independent

The battle for an NHS dentist: More than 100 people queue overnight and 27,000 calls jammed phone lines to compete for just 60 NHS places at Kent dental surgery

The battle for an NHS dentist: More than 100 people queue overnight and 27,000 calls jammed phone lines to compete for just 60 NHS places at Kent dental surgery A dental practice received 27,000 phone calls after announcing it would be taking on new NHS patients - while more than 100 people desperate for an appointment spent hours queuing outside the building.

Faversham Smiles announced it would be admitting 60 new NHS patients on a first-come-first-served basis from Tuesday. The Daily Mail

See also:

• The rise in dental service recommendations from NHS 111 Nuffield Trust

Tens of thousands of people may have long Covid in Northamptonshire, new estimates suggests

Tens of thousands of people may have long Covid in Northamptonshire, new estimates suggests Tens of thousands of people in Northamptonshire could be suffering from long Covid, new estimates suggest.

The Long Covid SOS charity said more public awareness and research is needed to support those with the “debilitating” condition. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Independent body finds Corby’s Urgent Care Centre ‘very good’

Independent body finds Corby’s Urgent Care Centre ‘very good’ An independent body for health and social care has found that Corby’s Urgent Care Centre (CUCC) is ‘very good’.

Healthwatch North and West Northamptonshire (HWNW) have teamed up with volunteers from Healthwatch Rutland to listen to people’s experiences of using the centre. Northamptonshire Telegraph

See also:

• Corby Urgent Care Centre Visit Report Healthwatch North and West Northamptonshire 

NMC shines spotlight on nursing and midwifery

NMC shines spotlight on nursing and midwifery The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) has published the first Spotlight on Nursing and Midwifery. This new report will be published every year, sharing insights from our work to support sector wide learning and improvement for the benefit of people who receive care.

NHS to speed up diagnosis and treatment of respiratory and heart conditions

NHS to speed up diagnosis and treatment of respiratory and heart conditions Hundreds of thousands of patients could benefit from a quicker diagnosis for a range of respiratory and heart conditions, through ambitious new NHS plans for fast-tracked tests and checks.

As part of measures announced by the NHS today to speed up detection of major health problems, GP practices will be able to directly order diagnostic checks to identify a wide range of conditions, including COPD, asthma, cardiovascular disease and heart failure.

Up to one million patients could benefit from the accelerated access, reducing the need for a specialist consultation and speeding up potentially life-saving treatment and medication for patients. NHS England

See also:

• NHS diagnostic plans will only increase GP workload without adequate funding BMA
• Improved access to diagnostics will undoubtedly support GPs in their referral decisions says College Chair Royal College of General Practitioners
• GPs given freedom to order heart checks direct BBC News
• Major change to GP appointments as up to a million patients will be offered fast-track heart and lung tests under plans to combat record NHS backlog The Daily Mail
• GPs to get power to fast-track patients for heart and lung checks The Guardian
• GPs to directly order tests for respiratory and CVD diagnostics Pulse

New standards for NHS board members to strengthen leadership and governance

New standards for NHS board members to strengthen leadership and governance The NHS has published a framework and supporting resources today to help senior board members to strengthen board governance, boost leadership and improve patient safety.

Resources to support current and aspiring board members within the NHS to further develop their skills and careers will be sent to leaders today, including information on development programmes and peer support networks to develop and share good practice. NHS England

Kent NHS trust issued warning over use of rapid tranquillisation

Kent NHS trust issued warning over use of rapid tranquillisation An NHS trust has been issued with a warning notice regarding its use of rapid tranquillisation.

Inspections of hospital wards in Dartford, Maidstone and Canterbury found a decline in the quality of care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) raised concerns that staff were not always aware of the potential impact sedation had to patients' health.

Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust said it was committed to improving its care and services. BBC News

Why you should go to sleep at the same time all week

Why you should go to sleep at the same time all week Small differences in sleeping habits between work and rest days could lead to unhealthy changes to the bacteria in our guts, a study suggests.

This may be partly a result of people with "social jetlag" having slightly poorer diets, the UK researchers found.

Heavily-disrupted sleep, particularly shift work, is known to have a negative impact on health. BBC News

See also:

• Exploring the relationship between social jetlag with gut microbial composition, diet and cardiometabolic health, in the ZOE PREDICT 1 cohort (open access) European Journal of Nutrition
• Irregular sleep linked to harmful gut bacteria, study suggests The Independent

Rishi Sunak blames striking doctors for pushing up NHS waiting lists

Rishi Sunak blames striking doctors for pushing up NHS waiting lists Rishi Sunak has blamed striking doctors for pushing up NHS waiting lists in a fiery exchange with an A&E worker.

The prime minister was taken to task over his pledge to cut soaring waiting lists, which last month jumped to see a record 7.5 million patients waiting to start treatment. The Independent

See also:

• Rishi Sunak blames striking NHS workers for record-high long waiting lists Evening Standard
• Rishi Sunak blames striking workers as he signals he could fail in two key pledges – as it happened The Guardian
• Rishi Sunak shakes his head in disbelief as junior doctor tells him ‘it’s your fault we’re all unhappy’ The Independent
• Prime Minister blames striking doctors for long NHS waiting lists Pulse

One in four women with suspected breast cancer waiting more than two weeks for specialist NHS appointment

One in four women with suspected breast cancer waiting more than two weeks for specialist NHS appointment One in four women with suspected breast cancer are waiting longer than the two-week target to see a specialist despite an urgent referral, figures show.

NHS England data from spring this year shows 77 per cent of women were seen by a consultant within two weeks of being referred by their GP.

That leaves almost one in four (23.2 per cent) women with suspected breast cancer waiting more than the two weeks target – and in some regions, including London, this figure was as high as almost one in three. iNews

Negligence at Lancashire hospital caused boy permanent brain damage, court rules

Negligence at Lancashire hospital caused boy permanent brain damage, court rules Midwives at Royal Preston hospital failed to accurately monitor Jayden Astley’s heart rate and fabricated notes after birth in 2012

An 11-year-old boy suffered permanent brain damage after birth because of negligence by hospital midwives who then fabricated notes, a high court judge has ruled.

Jayden Astley’s challenges in life include deafness, motor impairments, cognitive difficulties and behavioural difficulties, his lawyers said. The Guardian

Nose-picking healthcare workers more likely to catch Covid, data suggests

Nose-picking healthcare workers more likely to catch Covid, data suggests Nose-picking should be given greater consideration as a potential health hazard, researchers have said, after finding healthcare workers who engaged in rhinotillexis were more likely to catch Covid than those who refrained.

Scientists in the Netherlands say research has previously found healthcare workers who had direct contact with Covid patients were more likely to catch Covid than those who did not. The Guardian

See also:

• Why not to pick your nose: Association between nose picking and SARS-CoV-2 incidence, a cohort study in hospital health care workers (open access) PLOS One
• Picking your nose raises your risk of catching COVID, study suggests The Daily Mail

Northamptonshire Health Charity Win Non-Profit Organisation Award

Northamptonshire Health Charity wins non-profit organisation award An independent charity supporting NHS hospitals and community services throughout Northamptonshire has been announced as a winner in this year’s non-profit organisation awards.

Northamptonshire Health Charity has been chosen as ‘Most Supportive Local Hospital Fundraiser 2023 – East Midlands’. Northampton Chronicle and Echo