Tuesday 10 March 2015

Parity in progress? The All Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health’s inquiry into parity of esteem for mental health

Parity in progress? The All Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health’s inquiry into parity of esteem for mental health This report calls for an end to the ‘institutional bias’ against mental health in the NHS. The APPG Mental Health report also asks that the next government accelerates its efforts to bring mental health services up to the standard of physical health services. All Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health

Survey of in-patient admissions for children and young people with mental health problems: Young people stuck in the gap between community and in-patient care

Survey of in-patient admissions for children and young people with mental health problems: Young people stuck in the gap between community and in-patient care Delays accessing beds have put mentally unwell children at risk, with some attempting to take their own lives while they waited for hospital care. Royal College of Psychiatrists

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True integration must bridge the divide between services and the people they serve – Luke O’Shea

True integration must bridge the divide between services and the people they serve – Luke O’Shea Today marks the start of a radical integration programme, the first of its kind in the world, called Integrated Personal Commissioning (IPC).

The most radical part of IPC isn’t the integration of health and social care, or the entirely new financial incentives, or the central role of the voluntary sector. These elements of the programme are vital, but are being tried at scale in programmes around the world. The really radical part, the controversial part, the uncomfortable part, is to hand real power over to people and, if they choose to take it, to allow them spend their own budgets according to their needs and priorities – ‘what matters most’.

Huge relief as pay agreement ends NHS strike threat

Huge relief as pay agreement ends NHS strike threat There was huge relief today as unions decided to call off NHS industrial action in England and agree to the Government’s pay proposal made in January. NHS Employers

NHS £75m privatisation plan halted

NHS £75m privatisation plan halted A plan to privatise about £75m of NHS services in Cornwall is abandoned after bosses decided it would not deliver the right results. BBC News

New care models explained: How the NHS can successfully integrate care

New care models explained: How the NHS can successfully integrate care New models at the heart of the NHS Five Year Forward View. Health Service Journal

Is education the best form of teen contraception?

Is education the best form of teen contraception? "Getting a good education could be the best form of contraception for teenagers," The Independent reports after a study of recent data from England found an association between improved GCSE results and lower rates of teenage pregnancy.

Researchers looked at data from England on teenage pregnancy rates between 2004 and 2012. They were particularly interested in whether the increasing use of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARCs), such as implants or injections, was associated with reduced teen pregnancy rates. It didn't.

What they did find is a link between educational achievement – specifically, more teenagers getting at least five GCSEs and reduced rates of teenage pregnancy. The reason for the link between higher educational attainment and reduced pregnancies was not specifically assessed.

How the system is failing to care for the mentally ill

How the system is failing to care for the mentally ill Police called in to deal with mentally ill people due to "lack of appropriate mental health provision", says police watchdog. The Daily Telegraph

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What the healthcare sector wants from the next government

What the healthcare sector wants from the next government After the Health and Social Care Act was labelled ‘a huge waste of money’, priorities must now be public health and integration

The Health and Social Care Act, which came into force two years ago, probably represents the biggest shake-up of the NHS since its inception. The debate sparked by the act has led to the future of the NHS becoming one of the most hotly-discussed topics in the run-up to this year’s election. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS embraces wearable health devices such as the Apple Watch to improve care

NHS embraces wearable health devices such as the Apple Watch to improve care Monitoring activity could help patients take better care of their health and allow doctors and nurses to keep abreast of changes without several appointments.

Wearable devices to monitor our health and vital signs are being enthusiastically embraced by the top brass of the NHS. There is not a trace of old-fashioned fustiness or scepticism in their attitude to new gadgetry. NHS England’s chief executive Simon Stevens and its medical director Sir Bruce Keogh are both keen to explore what technology can do for us and for those who take care of us when we are sick. No surprise there – the truth is the NHS needs all the help it can get.

What will help most is if patients take better care of their own health and avoid getting ill in the first place. That’s where the Apple Watch comes in. Like a number of other devices on the market, it monitors a user’s activity levels, counts calorie expenditure, and registers heart rate – a personal trainer strapped to your wrist. The built-in incentives and the shame factor of knowing you have hardly moved from your chair all day will undoubtedly work for some, but it is those most motivated to be fit and healthy who are likely to be the ones who will buy it. If you don’t really want to take more exercise, it’s fairly unlikely you will fork out the cash. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS calculator which can predict when you might suffer heart attack launched

NHS calculator which can predict when you might suffer heart attack launched The NHS has launched a new online app that predicts your chances of a heart attack. The Independent

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