Clinicians and GPs to discuss Healthier Together plans

Clinicians and GPs to discuss Healthier Together plans: About 100 clinicians from Northamptonshire’s two main hospitals and GP practices will meet on Tuesday 4th December to discuss how health services could change to deliver lasting improvements for local people.

Death rates at Northampton General Hospital improve, says report - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Death rates at Northampton General Hospital improve, says report - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Death rates at Northampton General Hospital improve, says report Northampton Chronicle & Echo “We have a rigorous process of examining all alerts and investigating issues to determine whether clinical care issues are coded correctly within the statistics. This work is linked to continuing hospital improvement programmes. “NGH will continue to ... and more » See our post on the Dr Foster report on the Library Blog

Nurses launch 'compassion drive'

Nurses launch 'compassion drive': More emphasis should be placed on nurses providing compassionate care in hospitals, industry leaders say in a new drive to reassure the public. BBC News

See also:

• AUDIO: Nursing chief: 'Restore compassion': The Chief Nursing Officer For England, Jane Cummings BBC News

New protections if care providers fail

New protections if care providers fail: A tough system of checks on the finances of the largest care companies is proposed to give early warning of problems and to challenge financial models which could be unsustainable or compromise quality. Under these proposals the government would introduce regulation of major care providers and if a provider failed there would be plans to support a well-managed exit.
The plans announced today aim to protect those being cared for should another Southern Cross happen. NHS Networks

E-portal for youth mental health

E-portal for youth mental health: A new e-portal to improve skills and attitudes towards young people's mental health is being funded by the Department of Health. E-Health Insider

MPs call for language testing of European doctors

MPs call for language testing of European doctors:

As revalidation kicks off, Health Committee calls for more stringent European standards Related items from OnMedica Revalidation starts today Nurses must be competent in English – say nurse leaders All foreign doctors to be assessed for language proficiency New NHS staff must meet language skills criteria Consultation launched on checks for foreign doctors’ language skills

People with severe mental health problems 'miss out'

People with severe mental health problems 'miss out':
A paper published in the British Journal of Psychiatry has found that the severely mentally ill are not given the treatment they require for physical illnesses.Researchers from the University of Leicester looked at 61 studies and discovered that mentally ill people had less chance of getting medication for conditions such as high blood pressure.The studies included a wide range of conditions including arthritis... Healthcare Today

'Worryingly high' hospital death rates reported

'Worryingly high' hospital death rates reported: NHS hospitals in England are “full to bursting”, says The Daily Telegraph, while The Guardian highlights concerns over “worryingly high” death rates in some hospitals.

The alarming headlines are based on an annual Dr Foster report on hospital statistics. The independent report looks at areas such as mortality rates, bed occupancy rates, staffing and efficiency, and access to treatment in each hospital.

Why the NHS reforms sow seeds of confusion

Why the NHS reforms sow seeds of confusion: The Health and Social Care Act is Janus legislation that attempts to promote both competition and collaboration at the same time
It starts to seem as if all that malarkey about competition and marketisation of healthcare during the passage of the NHS bill was just a nasty dream.

Health Minister: Dr Foster report shows NHS in good health

Health Minister: Dr Foster report shows NHS in good health: Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter says the NHS copes well with the demand from patients despite a Dr Foster report highlighting how hospitals are "full to bursting". The Daily Telegraph

Care home job advertisements 'encouraging' criminals to apply

Care home job advertisements 'encouraging' criminals to apply: CONVICTED criminals have been encouraged to apply for jobs in care homes looking after frail, elderly people. The Daily Telegraph

Say Aah! Dentists warned not to buy a hand held X-ray machine due to radiation concerns

Say Aah! Dentists warned not to buy a hand held X-ray machine due to radiation concerns:
Dentists have been warned not to buy a hand held X-ray machine which exposes patients to 10 times the recommended dose of radiation. The Independent