Northampton MP praises ambulance service after spending a day with paramedics

Northampton MP praises ambulance service after spending a day with paramedics Northampton South MP David Mackintosh has praised the “dedication and professionalism” of the East Midlands Ambulance Service after spending a day with paramedics. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Public hospital spending in England: evidence from National Health Service administrative records

Public hospital spending in England: evidence from National Health Service administrative records This paper describes how costs vary across the lifecycle, and the concentration of spending among people and over time. It finds that costs per person start to increase after age 50 and escalate after age 70. Spending is highly concentrated in a small section of the population: with 32 per cent of all hospital spending accounted for by 1 per cent of the general population, and 18 per cent of spending by 1 per cent of all patients. There is persistence in spending over time with patients with high spending more likely to have spending in subsequent years, and those with zero expenditures more likely to remain out of hospital. Institute for Fiscal Studies

See also:

• New joints: private providers and rising demand in the English National Health Service Institute for Fiscal Studies

We need to talk about boards: Boards, leadership and the NHS

We need to talk about boards: Boards, leadership and the NHS "There is no legal form, structure or system that can completely inoculate NHS provider organisations against failure because organisations are led by people not systems or methodologies, and as in any industry, success is contingent on the cumulative behaviour of individuals. But good corporate governance provides a vehicle for the provision of sound leadership, clear direction and dynamic accountability." NHS Providers

Data on Written Complaints in the NHS - 2014-15

Data on Written Complaints in the NHS - 2014-15 The NHS complaints procedure is the statutorily based mechanism for dealing with complaints about NHS care and treatment and all NHS organisations in England are required to operate the procedure. This annual collection is a count of written complaints made by (or on behalf of) patients, received between 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015 and also includes experimental information on upheld complaints. Health and Social Care Information Centre

See also:

• 562 NHS complaints every day is 'just the tip of the iceberg' experts warn The Daily Mail

Children’s unit closure fears as rota vacancies pose threat to patient safety

Children’s unit closure fears as rota vacancies pose threat to patient safety 77% of respondents in a workforce survey say service is unsustainable

Children’s doctors have called for a shake-up in how hospital services are delivered as more than two thirds of lead paediatricians say they are concerned about how the service is going to cope in the next six months.

The annual ‘Rota Vacancies and Compliance Survey,’ found that vacancies and gaps on middle grade rotas continue to be hard to fill, with evidence suggesting there are not enough appropriate staff to plug current gaps. This has sparked fears over patient safety, trainees’ wellbeing and sustainability of delivering services. Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

See also:

• Rota compliance and vacancies Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• RCN responds to RCPCH concerns about impact of staff shortages on children’s services Royal College of Nursing
• NHS children's units could be forced to close because so many female doctors are going on maternity leave The Daily Mail
• NHS children's units under threat from rise in female doctors The Daily Telegraph

Mental Health: Thousands Of Vulnerable People Are Not Getting The Support They Need In Police Custody

Mental Health: Thousands Of Vulnerable People Are Not Getting The Support They Need In Police Custody Hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable people in society are being denied the support they need during police interviews, it has been revealed.

Up to 280,000 people with learning disabilities, mental illness or autistic spectrum disorders are interviewed every year but only about 45,000 of these involve the use of a Appropriate Adult (AA) who supports them through the process to ensure they are safe, well, and understand everything that happens. Huffington Post UK

See also:

• There to help: Ensuring provision of appropriate adults for mentally vulnerable adults detained or interviewed by police The Home Secretary’s Commission on Appropriate Adults National Appropriate Adult Network
• 'Appropriate adults not being used' for many vulnerable people in custody BBC News
• Appropriate adult not available for many vulnerable people in police custody The Guardian
• It’s time we gave our most vulnerable people proper protection in custody The Guardian

1% public sector pay rise not guaranteed, treasury says

1% public sector pay rise not guaranteed, treasury says Doctors' leaders have slammed an announcement by government that a 1% capped pay rise may not be awarded to all public sector workers. GP Online

See also:

• RCN response to letter to Pay Review Body Royal College of Nursing

Cards and flowers almost twice as expensive in hospital shops than on high street

Cards and flowers almost twice as expensive in hospital shops than on high street WH Smith and Marks & Spencer say it helps to pay higher rents and covering staff wages during longer opening hours. The Daily Telegraph

Legal highs: Cases on the rise, say West Midlands paramedics

Legal highs: Cases on the rise, say West Midlands paramedics The number of patients suffering the effects of 'legal highs' has rapidly increased, paramedics in the West Midlands have said. The Independent