Thursday 31 January 2013

New drug and alcohol service to be launched

New drug and alcohol service to be launched:
A new drug and alcohol service will be launched on Friday (February 1), to be run by health and social care charity CRI. Evening Telegraph

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county - Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county - Northampton Chronicle & Echo:

Northampton Chronicle & Echo

NHS offering private care in pilot plan in county
Northampton Chronicle & Echo
Under the NHS's new 'any qualified provder' (AQP) policy, NHS Northamptonshire has selected parts of podiatry and musculoskeletal services to be the first AQP services. It means patients with particular ailments will be asked by their GP ... Unions ...

Complaint handing in NHS Trusts

Complaint handing in NHS Trusts:
This report shows substantial variations in the way in which hospitals display information about how to make a complaint. It also suggests that support to patients is incomplete and unclear, that 35% of staff cite insufficient training in complaints handling as an issue. Key recommendations from the report include: accessible information on how to make a complaint on trusts' websites, as well as on leaflets and posters throughout NHS hospital ward. Complaints should be regarded as a learning opportunity in order to avoid creating a culture of blame.
CASH News 

Advance decisions to refuse treatment: a guide for health and social care professionals

Advance decisions to refuse treatment: a guide for health and social care professionals:
This guide is designed to help health and social care professionals understand and implement the law relating to advance decisions to refuse treatment (ADRT) contained in the Mental Capacity Act (2005). This
version replaces that published in September 2008 and covers: how to make an advance decision to refuse treatment; who can make an advance decision; when a decision should be reviewed; and how it can changed or
withdrawn.    Report    Kings Fund

E-mental health report

E-mental health report: Source: NHS Confederation

This report evaluates how the mental health sector might make the most of opportunities offered by e-mental health, that is the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to support and improve mental health, including the use of online resources, social media and smartphone applications.
 
The report gives examples of how service users, mental health providers and other organisations are already embracing e-mental health to bring about change.
Epilepsy drug linked to tenfold increase in autism: researchers: Children born to mothers who took an epilepsy drug while pregnant are up to ten times more likely to suffer autism or similar conditions, a study has found. Telegraph

Health and social care could consume half of government spending by 2060

Health and social care could consume half of government spending by 2060:
31 Jan 2013
Health and social care could account for half of all government spending in 50 years' time, according to a new report published today by The King's Fund.
The report, Spending on health and social care over the next 50 years, shows how changes to the population, increases in wealth and medical advances will increase pressures to spend more on health and social care in the future. The ageing population will also be a factor although – contrary to popular perception – this is likely to drive only a small proportion of the increase.
The UK currently spends around 9 per cent of its national income on health and social care, more than twice as much as 50 years ago. This could more than double again to nearly 20 per cent by 2061, according to forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility. Based on projections for economic growth and current levels of taxation and government expenditure, the report estimates that this would translate to around 50 per cent of public spending.
The King's Fund will look at these issues in more detail in the months ahead as part of its Time to Think Differently programme which aims to stimulate debate about how to address the future challenges facing health and social care.

New manual published for Expert Patients Programme tutors

New manual published for Expert Patients Programme tutors:
A new version of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Course (CDSMC) Tutor Manual has been published. It replaces the current manual, which will be withdrawn in October 2013.
This affects organisations that deliver or commission Expert Patients Programme (EPP) self management courses. All lead trainers and tutors will need to have update training.
The Department of Health has an agreement with Stanford University that enables NHS organisations to delivery EPP courses using their own staff/tutors. Non-NHS organisations delivering courses need to have their own licence.
Commissioners should make sure that organisations delivering self management courses are licensed and tutors are appropriately trained.
Find out more about the updated manual and training dates. Department of Health