NHFT Libraries Health News: September 2013

Monday 30 September 2013

New diagnostic department at NGH to divert away from A&E

New diagnostic department at NGH to divert away from A&E A new diagnostic department has been set up at Northampton General Hospital to divert patients with 13 common conditions away from A&E. The trial 'ambulatory care centre' is in a converted area of the hospital close to the accident and emergency ... Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Northampton General Hospital staff alerted CQC to poor care - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Northampton General Hospital staff alerted CQC to poor care Some complaints made to a health watchdog about the standard of care on a ward at Northampton General Hospital were made by staff, it has emerged. The Chron revealed last week that Cedar Ward, which mainly looks after elderly patients, is undergoing ... Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Thirty NHS trusts 'set for deficit'

Thirty NHS trusts 'set for deficit' Thirty NHS hospital trusts in England expect to be in deficit by the end of this financial year, it has been revealed. BBC News

Cancer drugs fund 'to be extended'

Cancer drugs fund 'to be extended' A £400m fund will enable a scheme providing life-enhancing cancer drugs to continue until 2016, the prime minister announces. BBC News

See also:

Press release: Thousands of patients to benefit from £400 million cancer package Department of Health

New EU Directive on public procurement

New EU Directive on public procurement This briefing provides an overview of key aspects of the new EU public procurement Directive and its implications for the health service. NHS Confederation

Hip replacement deaths drop by a half since 2003

Hip replacement deaths drop by a half since 2003 “Death rates following hip replacement surgery fell by half in England and Wales,” reports the BBC News website.

Its headline is based on a new study in The Lancet which looked at data from the National Joint Registry (NJR) over the course of eight years. The registry is an NHS database recording outcomes in artificial joint operations such as hip and knee replacements.

Mental health: Guardianship cases fall by a fifth

Mental health: Guardianship cases fall by a fifth The use of Guardianship orders under the Mental Health Act fell by 20 per cent in England in 2012/13, according to figures released today by the Health and Social Care Information Centre .

A National Health Service for patients

A National Health Service for patients This paper from Civitas proposes the creation of new Patient-led Commissioning Groups (PCGs) – these would be mutuals set up by non-profit membership organisations such as trade unions, friendly societies or cooperatives which would allow patients to take direct control of commissioning.

Nearly 8,000 doctors face being struck off

Nearly 8,000 doctors face being struck off GMC says doctors who refuse to provide information on revalidation are at risk OnMedica

Third of maternity units refusing home births due to staff shortages

Third of maternity units refusing home births due to staff shortages One third of maternity units are refusing women home births because they cannot cope with demand, according to a new report. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

Half of all maternity wards turn away women in labour: Report says lives are at risk because units are 'bursting at the seams' The Daily Mail

GPs told: get better or face closure

GPs told: get better or face closure NHS's first chief inspector of primary care says sanctions will be used to drive improvements in general practice.

Health insurance firm forced to drop misleading advert about NHS deaths

Health insurance firm forced to drop misleading advert about NHS deaths Website wrongly accused the NHS of causing 13,000 needless deaths.

Third of maternity units refusing home births due to staff shortages

Stressed nurses 'forced to choose between health of patients and their own'

Nurses are enduring “unprecedented” levels of stress and ill health as a result of staff cuts and overwork, forcing them to choose between their patients’ wellbeing and their own, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said. The Independent

See also:

Stress on nurses putting patients at risk, warns RCN The Guardian

Depressed children need more support, says Nice

Depressed children need more support, says Nice More needs to be done to improve care and support for children who suffer from depression, health experts have said. The Independent

Kings Mill Hospital: Nurses in tears as 'horrendous' understaffing hits patients, says watchdog

Nurses were reduced to tears by their workload at a Nottinghamshire hospital where understaffing contributed to patients being left hungry and dehydrated, the NHS watchdog has reported. The Independent

Friday 27 September 2013

Head of nursing at Northamptonshire NHS trust has died suddenly - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Head of nursing at Northamptonshire NHS trust has died suddenly - Northampton Chronicle & Echo Angela Hillery, chief executive of Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is with deep regret that we learned of the sad and sudden death of Sharon Dennis, Interim Director of Nursing. “Sharon was a Registered Mental Health Nurse ...

and more »

Lethal discrimination

Lethal discrimination
Rethink Mental Illness

This report finds that people with serious mental illness die an average of 20 years earlier than the rest of the population, the majority from preventable causes. It calls on the Government to take immediate action.

Hospitals earning milions by charging for operations no longer available on NHS

Hospitals earning millions by charging for operations no longer available on NHS Hospitals are earning millions of pounds by charging for operations that used to be free on the NHS but have now been axed on the health service.Daily Telegraph

Concern over premature deaths as millions die early

Concern over premature deaths as millions die early Every person in England loses a week of their life to illnesses which could otherwise be treated successfully - with those living in the north even more likely to die prematurely, new figures have revealed.Daily Telegraph

MMR vaccine: Biggest percentage of children immunised since vaccine introduced

MMR vaccine: Biggest percentage of children immunised since vaccine introduced September 26, 2013: The percentage of children reported as immunised against Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) by the age of two is now at its highest level since the vaccine was first introduced in England, new figures show. IC QOF

Breast cancer test may stop un-needed therapy

Breast cancer test may stop un-needed therapy “
New breast cancer test could spare women chemotherapy,” is the reassuring news in The Guardian.

New tests, approved by NICE (see box), should help better identify which women with breast cancerwould most benefit from chemotherapy.

The new test, called Oncotype DX, is used after surgery for breast cancer. The test works by looking at how active certain genes are in the tumour. Levels of gene activity should help predict whether the tumour is likely to recur.

The test has now been recommended by NICE for people with a certain type of early breast cancer – specifically the oestrogen receptor positive (ER+) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HER2-) types of breast cancers. These are cancers that are associated with specific hormones.

AMHP Competency - mapping tool

AMHP Competency - mapping tool
The College of Social Work

This tool aims to demonstrate how competencies required by social workers working as Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) meet professional development requirements for regulatory registration. The tool is designed to enable social worker AMHPs to map their continuing professional development targets within The College’s Professional Capabilities Framework to the standards of proficiency they need to meet for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council.

Ethnic doctors far less likely to reach senior posts in NHS

Ethnic doctors far less likely to reach senior posts in NHS White doctors are three times more likely to be picked for senior hospital jobs than doctors from ethnic minorities, an investigation has found. Independent

District nursing - who will care in the future?

District nursing - who will care in the future?
National Nursing Research Unit

This Policy and reviews data on the district nursing workforce, looks at the issues to be considered in planning, and considers whether the workforce needed to provide district nursing care in the future will be available.

GMC advises almost 8,000 doctors that their licence to practise is at risk

GMC advises almost 8,000 doctors that their licence to practise is at risk Doctors who have not responded to requests from the General Medical Council (GMC) to provide information for their revalidation have been told that their licence to practise is at risk.

NHS England issues user-friendly guidance for public participation

NHS England issues user-friendly guidance for public participation Transforming Participation in Health and Care is intended to be accessible and user friendly and is published as an interactive PDF on the NHS England website. It includes case studies, tools and links to other user resources. NHS Networks

NHS England invites specialised services providers to take part in its innovative new programme ‘Commissioning through Evaluation’

NHS England invites specialised services providers to take part in its innovative new programme ‘Commissioning through Evaluation’ NHS England is inviting Specialist hospitals to take part in a new, innovative commissioning approach, aimed at increasing access to services or treatments which are not currently routinely funded by the NHS.

The first treatment to benefit, as part of the Commissioning through Evaluation programme, will be Selective Internal Radiotherapy (SIRT), a form of radiotherapy which uses radioactive beads to treat cancerous tumours in the liver.

SIRT is not routinely funded by the NHS as the current evidence base does not yet demonstrate sufficient clinical and cost effectiveness for its routine use. A number of English patients are participating in an international research trial, which is looking at the use of SIRT as a ‘first line’ cancer treatment. The results of that study should be available in a few years’ time. NHS England’s Commissioning through Evaluation programme, however, is focusing on SIRT as a treatment in those situations where other more routine approaches, such as surgery and chemotherapy, have been tried first but have not been successful.

NHS England’s policy statement, which describes the organisation’s commissioning position on the treatment, can be found here: B01/PS/a Interim Clinical Commissioning Policy Statement: Selective Internal Radiotherapy (SIRT)

Asda ditches 'mental patient' outfit

Asda ditches 'mental patient' outfit Asda apologises and withdraws a Halloween outfit it was selling online as a "mental patient fancy dress costume", following criticism. BBC News

Here’s to the future of the NHS

Here’s to the future of the NHS As Stephen Thornton completes his last few days as Chief Executive, he offers some reflections on the changes to the NHS over the last decade. Health Foundation

Most C. diff 'not hospital spread'

Most C. diff 'not hospital spread' Most cases of C. difficile are not actually caused by the bug being spread round hospitals, a study suggests. BBC News

Smoking and mental health briefing

Smoking and mental health Tobacco smoking is the main cause of preventable and premature deaths in the UK. People with mental illness are more likely to smoke heavily than the general population. NHS Confederation

Data service offers GPs insight into local health concerns

Data service offers GPs insight into local health concerns The free, real time service maps searches made via Patient.co.uk - which receives over 17m page views a month from visitors looking up a range of medical conditions - against user locations to enable a postcode specific snapshot of local health concerns.

The service also enables users to search health trends by city and provides a condition heat map of the UK. Patient.Co.UK

Claim that antidepressants cause diabetes unproven

Claim that antidepressants cause diabetes unproven "Happy pills are linked to a higher risk of diabetes," is the headline in the Daily Mail.

The newspaper reports on a review that examined available evidence to see if there was a link between antidepressant use and type 2 diabetes.

Vaccination of health and social care workers against flu, 2013/14

Vaccination of health and social care workers against flu, 2013/14 This letter contains guidance to NHS and local authorities on how to improve flu vaccination uptake rates among staff.

Tuberculosis in vulnerable groups

Tuberculosis in vulnerable groups This briefing summarises NICE's recommendations for local authorities and partner organisations on identifying and managing tuberculosis in vulnerable people who may find it difficult to access services for diagnosis and treatment in traditional healthcare settings.

Public health faces a fresh start

Public health faces a fresh start It's year zero for a new public health world. How have things changed since the transfer of responsibility?

Patients warned over delaying GP visits

Patients warned over delaying GP visits Too many patients are delaying visiting their doctor when they feel unwell with many choosing to research their condition on the internet instead, experts claim.The Daily Telegraph

Competition in NHS is harming efforts to improve patient care, says outgoing chief Sir David Nicholson

Private-sector style competition in the NHS is harming efforts to improve patient care, the health service's top official has admitted, in a damning verdict on a key pillar of the government's health reforms. The Independent

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Appointment of Chief Executive

Appointment of Chief Executive We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Angela Hillery as Chief Executive with immediate effect. Angela was our Interim Chief Executive from May 2013 and was previously the Director of... Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

'Resignation' merger plans dropped

'Resignation' merger plans dropped Plans for a merger of two hospitals in Northamptonshire that led to its chief executive resigning have been dropped. BBC Northamptonshire

Public health matters: new blog launched

Public health matters: new blog launched The blog will feature regular updates from Public Health England’s directors and other experts about all matters related to public health and the public’s health, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at why we do the work we do and take the positions we take.

Forecasting the future for the NHS

Forecasting the future for the NHS Healthcare will change dramatically in the coming decades HSJ

A road less rocky - supporting carers of people with dementia

A road less rocky - supporting carers of people with dementia This report from the Carers Trust found that carers of people with dementia are not getting the support and advice they often desperately need. Of the carers surveyed, only 51% said that they were given an opportunity to talk separately about their needs and how much care they felt able to provide. It makes recommendations to policy makers and commissioners on how to improve the support for carers of people with dementia.

Can foundation trusts survive and where do their loyalties lie?

Can foundation trusts survive and where do their loyalties lie? Foundation trusts are based on two visions of how they should operate and the 2012 Health Act is not helping.

Network of general practices aims to improve standards

Network of general practices aims to improve standards Quality Practice is a national network of general practices that will extend core activities, share services and increase efficiency.

NHS employers make plea for a pay freeze to save jobs

NHS employers make plea for a pay freeze to save jobs NHS trusts have called for a pay freeze for all staff this year, saying it would save the jobs of more than 15,000 nurses.The Daily Telegraph

See also:

NHS Employers' submission to the NHS Pay Review Body NHS Employers

York Hospital to launch virtual antenatal classes as attendances drop

York Hospital to launch virtual antenatal classes as attendances drop York Hospital is set to become the first in the country to scrap its antenatal classes and replace them with virtual lessons for expectant mothers to watch online. The Independent

Tuesday 24 September 2013

Search for new Northampton General Hospital chief is over

Search for new Northampton General Hospital chief is over Dr Sonia Swart has been appointed the new permanent chief executive of Northampton General Hospital. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Me and my operation: A new hip op halved my recovery time

Me and my operation: A new hip op halved my recovery time Dennis Wilkinson, 62, was one of the first in the UK to benefit from a new way of doing hip replacement surgery at Northampton General Hospital. The Daily Mail

No action over Stafford doctors

No action over Stafford doctors Four senior doctors who worked at Stafford Hospital at the height of the neglect and abuse scandal will not face disciplinary action, the General Medical Council has announced. BBC News

See also:

General Medical Council drops cases against four Stafford Hospital doctors The Independent
GMC probe into Mid-Staffs slammed as "whitewash" as cases abandoned The Daily Telegraph
Mid Staffordshire hospital investigation dropped due to lack of evidence The Guardian
Statement on the decision to close four cases involving doctors who held management positions at Stafford Hospital The GMC

'Dramatic' drop in global HIV infections

'Dramatic' drop in global HIV infections The number of HIV infections and Aids-related deaths has fallen dramatically, according to a UN report. BBC News

Supporting staff wellbeing with digital tools

Supporting staff wellbeing with digital tools NHS Employers has published guidance to help the NHS realise the prominence of wellbeing and how digital tools can play a part in organisational support for staff.

Jr doctor creates ward problems app

Jr doctor creates ward problems app A junior doctor working in Watford created an app to flag up problems and inefficiencies on hospital wards. E-Health Insider

Flu research may lead to universal vaccine

Flu research may lead to universal vaccine "Scientists say they have made a significant leap towards creating a vaccine that would protect against every form of flu," is the exciting news on the BBC website.

Starting today: the future of mental health services

Starting today: the future of mental health services This report is the final report from a year-long inquiry into the future of mental health services. It sets out some key messages as to what mental health services need to do in order to ensure that they are ready to address the mental health needs of the UK population in 20-30 years’ time.

Coordinating epilepsy care: a UK-wide review of healthcare in cases of mortality and prolonged seizures in children and young people with...

Coordinating epilepsy care: a UK-wide review of healthcare in cases of mortality and prolonged seizures in children and young people This report covers a themed case review of mortality and serious morbidity in children and young people with epilepsy at all stages of the care pathway, including primary and emergency care. It aimed to evaluate the standards of care provided to the children concerned gainst existing evidence based guidelines.

Sharing info on injuries from violence cut costs by £7m

Sharing info on injuries from violence cut costs by £7m Cardiff project shows huge rewards from low-cost collaboration with police OnMedica

4,000 care homes have been allowed to break the law

4,000 care homes have been allowed to break the law More than 4,000 care homes are being allowed to break the law by regulators, with no registered manager in charge of residents. The Daily Telegraph

One in five councils allocates no money to tackling child obesity

One in five councils allocates no money to tackling child obesity One in five local councils has allocated no money to tackle child obesity despite warnings that it is the biggest time bomb facing today's youth, figures show. The Daily Telegraph

UK pledges £1bn to battle some of world's most devastating preventable diseases

The UK has pledged to save “a life every three minutes” with a major new aid commitment to fight some of the world’s most devastating preventable diseases. The Independent

Monday 23 September 2013

NHS won’t meet £20bn improvement target

NHS won’t meet £20bn improvement target The survey behind the report, which includes finance leads from clinical commissioning groups as well as trust finance directors, highlights the growing pressures on NHS providers and pessimism among finance directors that they will meet the Nicholson challenge. The King's Fund

EXCLUSIVE: NHS waste £750million is on 'ghost patients'

EXCLUSIVE: NHS waste £750million is on 'ghost patients' It means the NHS wasted £143million on ghost patients last year. Yet the flaw in the system has been known since at least a decade ago when the Audit Commission said ghost patients could be costing around the NHS about £100million every year. The Daily Express

See also:

Two million 'ghost patients' cost NHS £450million as number of registered The Daily Mail

What are community services? asks Michael Scott

What are community services? asks Michael Scott It is widely accepted that community services have a vital role to play in the future of the NHS. Barely a day goes by without some new piece of rhetoric declaring them to be ‘the only way forward’ and ‘the light at the end of a dark heath service tunnel’; acute services to be doomed. …Continue reading » NHS Voices

Statin use linked to small increase in cataracts risk

Statin use linked to small increase in cataracts risk "Statins increase risk of cataracts, study finds," The Daily Telegraph reports.

This study looked at a large cohort group of 6,972 pairs of statin users and non-users from a US military healthcare system. It compared the risk of cataracts among people who had taken the widely used cholesterol-lowering medications for at least 90 days, compared with non-users.

Community mental health services survey 2013

Community mental health services survey 2013 This survey of people who use community mental health services asks about the experiences of more than 13,000 people during the past 12 months. The survey involved 58 trusts in England who provide mental health services. It finds that care people receive in the community needs to improve. Of particular concern is people’s lack of involvement in their care plans and having their views taken into account when deciding which medication to take.

Best practices in prevention, control and care for drug-resistant tuberculosis

Best practices in prevention, control and care for drug-resistant tuberculosis This report from the WHO contains best practices in prevention, control and care with the aim of improving the transfer of knowledge and experiences between countries in the European Region, and to help in improving the health system approach. It looks at access to testing and access to treatment as well as recording, reporting and treatment outcome monitoring. It also contains policy guidance.

Ailing private health group BMI comes under pressure to sell hospitals

Ailing private health group BMI comes under pressure to sell hospitals Competition Commission is discussing forcing BMI to sell 10 of its 64 private hospitals to smaller rivals.

Smoking to be banned in prisons

Smoking to be banned in prisons Smoking is to be banned in all prisons in England and Wales, creating fears of riots as prisoners react to the ban. The Daily Telegrap

See also:

Prison smoking ban could spark human rights challenges, ministers warned The Daily Telegraph
Smoking ban considered for prisons BBC News

Whistleblower warns elderly left to suffer because regulator refuses to act

Whistleblower warns elderly left to suffer because regulator refuses to act Former inspector at health watchdog claims elderly are left to suffer in appalling conditions because regulators refuse to act on warnings.The Daily Telegraph

See also:

Former CQC inspector says elderly are being left to suffer The Daily Telegraph

NHS regulator spends £800,000 on lavish hotels

NHS regulator spends £800,000 on lavish hotels More than £800,000 a year is being spent by the NHS regulator on hotel bills, with inspectors routinely undergoing training in four and five star establishments, an investigation has found. The Daily Telegraph

Diabetes timebomb warning over doubling in cases in two decades

Diabetes timebomb warning over doubling in cases in two decades Britain is “sleepwalking into a public health disaster” with a predicted doubling in the numbers suffering from diabetes within two decades, experts have warned. The Daily Telegraph

More than double the number of NHS trusts failing to meet A&E targets

The number of NHS trusts missing patient waiting times for A&E has more than doubled in the last year. The Independent

See also

NHS trusts failing to meet A&E targets The Daily Telegraph
Rise in A&Es failing to hit targets BBC News

Friday 20 September 2013

Press release: Hunt sets out tough new approach to turn around NHS hospitals

Press release: Hunt sets out tough new approach to turn around NHS hospitals Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt today set out the Government’s plans to help prevent future failures of care and safety at NHS hospitals.

In the wake of the scandal over standards at Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust and subsequent Keogh Review which looked at 14 NHS Trusts with high mortality rates, 11 of those Trusts have already been placed in ‘special measures’.

Now, the Health Secretary has set out a new approach to ensure progress at those NHS Trusts, which could be applied to any NHS Trust that is placed in special measures under a new, tougher inspection regime:

Jeremy Hunt announces plans to turn around failing hospitals Daily Telegraph
The Department of Health sets tough approach to turn around 'special measures' hospitals NHS Employers

Average NHS pay up one per cent last year and nearly nine per cent in four years

Average NHS pay up one per cent last year and nearly nine per cent in four years September 19, 2013: NHS staff in England take home an estimated average annual pay packet of just over £29,543 - a rise of one per cent on last year and of almost nine per cent on four years ago, new figures show. IC QOF

Nearly 50 NHS England executives earn more than PM, figures show Guardian
NHS managers' pay rises three times the rate of nurses, figures show Daily Telegraph

World Alzheimer Report: Global number of dependent older people will nearly treble to 277m by 2050 - with almost half suffering from...

World Alzheimer Report: Global number of dependent older people will nearly treble to 277m by 2050 - with almost half suffering from... The number of dependent older people in the world will nearly treble to 277m by 2050, according to a new report, with almost half of those suffering from dementia. Independent

Elderly care needs 'set to treble' BBC News

Face veils in hospital under review

Face veils in hospital under review Whether NHS staff in England should be allowed to wear full face veils is to be reviewed, according to the Department of Health. BBC News

Swine flu vaccine can trigger narcolepsy, UK government concedes

Swine flu vaccine can trigger narcolepsy, UK government concedes Review of fresh evidence finds jab given to 6 million people in Britain can occasionally cause sleep disorder

The government is to reverse its stance on the safety of a swine flu vaccine given to 6 million people in Britain and accept that on rare occasions the jab can trigger the devastating sleep disorder narcolepsy.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has contacted people turned down for compensation last year to explain that, after a review of fresh evidence, it now accepts the vaccine can cause the condition. The move leaves the government open to compensation claims from around 100 people in Britain, and substantial legal fees if a group action drawn up by solicitors is successful.

Peter Todd, who is preparing the case at the London firm Hodge, Jones and Allen, said that damages could reach £1m for each person.

Proposed changes to whistleblowing legislation - Your view counts

Proposed changes to whistleblowing legislation - Your view counts The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have published a consultation seeking evidence to look at existing whistleblowing legislation. We are seeking your views through a short survey so we can present a response to BIS. NHS Employers

RCP revalidation portfolio now available

RCP revalidation portfolio now available The RCP’s new revalidation portfolio is now available free to fellows and members. A major membership benefit, the portfolio is easy to use and accessible online over the internet. It is confidential, accessible only to the individual doctor and those to whom he or she gives permission, for example an appraiser.

Implementing a Health 2020 vision: governance for health in the 21st century. Making it happen

Implementing a Health 2020 vision: governance for health in the 21st century. Making it happen
WHO Europe

This report was commissioned to support the implementation of the Health 2020 policy framework. It aims to provide policy-makers with examples from around the world of how whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches have been implemented, along with a set of tools to manage the policy process.

Another year of PCD for commissioners

Another year of PCD for commissioners NHS England has submitted three Section 251 exemption requests to allow some patient confidential data to continue to flow to commissioners for another year. EHI News

Thursday 19 September 2013

The Big Health Conversation

The Big Health Conversation Public Engagement Event

Would you like the opportunity to influence your local health services in Northamptonshire?

We would like to invite you to an event jointly hosted by NHS Nene Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Healthwatch Northamptonshire on 9 October, 6 – 8pm, Northampton Saints, Franklins Gardens, Northampton NN5 5BG.

NHS Nene CCG is the new clinically led organisation responsible for commissioning the majority of health services on behalf of local people. Healthwatch Northamptonshire is the new consumer champion for local people in relation to health and social care services. Both organisations have a shared goal to improve the health and well-being of people living in Northamptonshire. We are both committed to ensuring patients, services users, carers and the wider public influence the quality of health services in the county.

At the meeting, NHS Nene CCG will outline their emerging plans for April 2014 – March 2015 and ask your views. Healthwatch Northamptonshire will share feedback from their extensive community engagement programme taking place during September, during which they have been out and about asking people about their priorities for health and social care.

Your views are important to us. Both organisations are keen to hear how you feel we can best meet the challenges facing the local health system and ensure local people can continue to benefit from high quality, sustainable health services for themselves and their families. All feedback will be collated and directly used to help shape NHS Nene CCG’s and Healthwatch plans for the next 12 months.

We very much hope you will be able to join us for what will be an open and honest conversation with lots of opportunities for you to contribute via table top discussions.

Please can you confirm your attendance by completing the form at www.neneccg.nhs.uk/bigconversation or phoning us on 01604 651744 by Wednesday 2 October 2013.

We look forward to welcoming you on the 9 October 2013.

Investigation into care on Northampton General Hospital ward - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

Investigation into care on Northampton General Hospital ward - Northampton Chronicle & Echo
An investigation has been launched to improve the standard of care on a ward at Northampton General Hospital. During an inquest held in Northampton yesterday, the family of 77-year-old Peter Catling, of Brundall Close, Langlands, who died in the ...

Ivy League training for new NHS managers

Ivy League training for new NHS managers Health secretary's £10m plan is hoped to attract industry leaders as super-managers are promised intensive business course at top UK and US universities

Top industry managers and high-flying doctors are to be lured into leadership positions in the health service under a fast-track "superheads" scheme that could include study at prestigious universities such as Harvard.

A £10m scheme due to be announced on Thursday the health secretary Jeremy Hunt aims to ape the success of a generation of headteachers who have helped to turn around failing schools. It will offer the "brightest and best" candidates a 10-month crash course in how to run hospital trusts and other important parts of the NHS.

The new super-managers will be provided with a two-month intensive business course at top UK and US universities as part of their training. Officials confirmed they were in talks with the US Ivy league Harvard University, whose business school has been identified as a potential training partner.

Senior doctors parachuted into failing hospitals in bid to improve NHS leadership Daily Telegraph
Rescue plan for failing hospitals BBC News

Patients are at the centre of new ward inspection regime

Patients are at the centre of new ward inspection regime NHS England today hailed another step forward in its vision to put the voice of patients at the heart of the NHS.

Thousands of members of the public joined forces with NHS staff to lead over 4,600 assessments of a mix of NHS settings to shine a light on the things that matter most to patients – being treated in clean, safe environment, tasty nutritious food, and high standards of privacy and dignity.

The new Patient-Led Assessments of the Care Environment (PLACE) were introduced with the key purpose of ensuring patients are at the centre of all inspections of hospital environments, and today marks the first time that detailed data about inspection findings has been published nationally.

The results have today been published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre and show:

After Francis: making a difference

After Francis: making a difference
House of Commons Health Select Committee

In this report the Committee gives its view on the principal recommendations of the report of the public inquiry into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust undertaken by Robert Francis QC.