Friday 28 August 2015

Tractor selfies prove popular in Corby farmer’s fight to raise mental health awareness

Tractor selfies prove popular in Corby farmer’s fight to raise mental health awareness A Corby farmer has started a campaign to get people tweeting selfies with their tractor to raise awareness of mental health issues. Northamptonshire Telegraph

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New accommodation to be opened in Northampton for doctors of the future

New accommodation to be opened in Northampton for doctors of the future New student accommodation for trainee doctors is being opened by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

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Students training to be occupational therapists set up singing sessions to help patients with breathing difficulties in Northampton

Students training to be occupational therapists set up singing sessions to help patients with breathing difficulties in Northampton Students from the University of Northampton’s School of Health are working with patients living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) to offer singing sessions – which have been shown to offer both physical and mental benefits. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Will NHS.UK be the next GOV.UK?

Will NHS.UK be the next GOV.UK? When Jon Rouse presented his part of the plans to improve digital services for the health and care sector at the National Information Board meeting in June he focused on just one thing:

"Our number one priority is that we create a single portal. All services [will] start and end with that single portal. Services are developed against consistent standards, with a consistent look and offer, and can be all accessed through that single portal with customers coming in through multiple channels. I haven’t got time to talk about the rest."

In other words, NHS.UK – currently NHS Choices – will be the place we go, not just for information about health and local services, but to book appointments, manage repeat prescriptions and (eventually) access health records and care plans. The King's Fund

Press release: National childhood immunisation programme boosted by MenB vaccine

Press release: National childhood immunisation programme boosted by MenB vaccine From 1 September 2015, the MenB vaccination will be added to the NHS Childhood Immunisation Programme in England. The vaccine will help protect children against this devastating disease which can cause meningitis (an infection of the protective membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord) and septicaemia (blood poisoning) which are serious and potentially fatal illnesses.

Babies will be offered the MenB vaccine with the other routine vaccinations at 2 months, 4 months and 12 to 13 months of age. Vaccinating babies at these times helps protect them when they are most at risk of developing MenB disease.

Infants under 1 year of age are most at risk of MenB and the number of cases peak at around 5 or 6 months of age. Public Health England

Independent report: Global Health Security Agenda: pilot assessment of the UK

Independent report: Global Health Security Agenda: pilot assessment of the UK The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) is a US-led initiative to make progress, through international collaboration, toward a world safe and secure from infectious disease and other health threats. It also aims to promote global health security as an international priority.

The UK volunteered to pilot an assessment tool designed to assess how countries are performing against the national actions and targets set out in 11 action packages spanning prevention, detection and response preparedness.

The main objective was to assess the usefulness of the assessment tool and the GHSA targets, with a view to using the UK experience of applying the tool to make proposals for improving it. The pilot also aimed to use the tool to describe and review structures and functions in the UK which are essential for preventing, detecting and responding to infectious disease and other threats to health. The UK is one of 5 assessment sites across the world.

This report follows a self-assessment and a week-long assessment visit to the UK in June 2015 by a panel of international experts. The report concludes that, overall, the UK has demonstrated a strong baseline position across all areas. One key area of strength was the cross-government and organisational coordination and response to the Ebola crisis. Department of Health

Research and analysis: Abortion on grounds of sex of the foetus

Research and analysis: Abortion on grounds of sex of the foetus The Serious Crime Act 2015 requires an assessment to be carried out into evidence of gender abortions occurring in England, Wales and Scotland. This report responds to that requirement and sets out the actions and evidence that have been considered in carrying out the assessment. The assessment includes updated birth ratio analysis for 2009 to 2013.

The department will continue to monitor this issue closely through annual analysis of birth ratios, and working with other government departments and researchers. Department of Health

High Court rules on disciplinary procedures

High Court rules on disciplinary procedures A recent ruling by the High Court serves as a reminder for NHS trusts to examine their disciplinary procedures carefully. NHS Employers

One in seven mental health patients in ‘out of area’ beds – official figures

One in seven mental health patients in ‘out of area’ beds – official figures Ex-care minister Norman Lamb says he wanted to introduce a target to end 'out of area' placements for non-specialist care by end of 2015. Community Care

How having 'senior moments' may be a good thing

How having 'senior moments' may be a good thing "Senior moments? Only worry if you don't notice them," the Daily Mail reports.

"Senior moments" is a term used to describe a sudden memory lapse, such as forgetting your PIN or a relative’s name. While these types of lapses can affect people of all ages, older people are often more concerned when they happen, in case they could be the initial symptoms of dementia.

A new study suggests this may be an unnecessary worry – the real warning sign could be when people "forget that they have forgotten". Being unaware of failing memory could be a warning sign of impending dementia. NHS Choices

Back and neck pain has biggest health impact on UK patients, study finds

Back and neck pain has biggest health impact on UK patients, study finds UK patients lost more 'healthy years' of life to neck and back pain than any other condition in 2013, research has shown, but overall life expectancy has increased over the prior eight years. GP Online

E-cigarette industry funded experts who ruled that vaping is safe

E-cigarette industry funded experts who ruled that vaping is safe Public Health England called last week for electronic ‘nicotine sticks’ to be prescribed on the NHS as part of a ‘game-changing’ review of medical evidence. The Daily Mail

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My nervous breakdown as a doctor made me doubt my patients' depression

My nervous breakdown as a doctor made me doubt my patients' depression Going through a major depressive episode made me more resilient but less empathic, and I began to resent patients’ mental health problems

I was 23-years old when I qualified as a doctor, and 26 when I had a nervous breakdown.

The terminology is archaic; nowadays it would be labelled a major depressive episode, but it feels like an appropriate description. This was more than feeling low in mood – I had my backbone torn out from me, and no longer recognised the person I’d become.

I reminded myself continuously that I was a failure, and fantasised over and over about dying

Depression can rip apart your identity and make you dismiss your worth Continue reading... The Guardian

The obesity problem needs action, not analysis

The obesity problem needs action, not analysis Perhaps the way to convert our kids to healthy eating is by conveying the message that junk food, like analogue mobiles, is naff, says Judith Woods. The Daily Telegraph