Wednesday 18 November 2015

Troubled private ambulance transport service will not bid for new contract in Northamptonshire

Troubled private ambulance transport service will not bid for new contract in Northamptonshire A much-criticised private company that ferried Northamptonshire people to hospital appointments will not seek to extend its contract. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Living a long life? How mental health impacts life expectancy

Living a long life? How mental health impacts life expectancy People living with a serious mental health condition die 12-13 years younger than other people. Most of this is due to physical illness and unintentional harm. RSA open Public Services Network

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Female GPs dominate the profession for the first time according to new GMC report

Female GPs dominate the profession for the first time according to new GMC report In a few years’ time women doctors will out number male colleagues – already there are more practising women GPs under 40 than men, according to the General Medical Council’s The state of medical education and practice in the UK report 2015.

Heat maps show 'antibiotic surge'

Heat maps show 'antibiotic surge' A huge and potentially inappropriate surge in antibiotic prescriptions in winter has been identified through the first detailed maps of seasonal prescribing in England. BBC News

Spending review - a big week ahead for the NHS

Spending review - a big week ahead for the NHS There's just a week to go until a policy announcement which could prove the most significant for the NHS in this Parliament.

Chancellor George Osborne will unveil the results of his spending review setting out, along with other departments, the path for the health budget. At a time of intense pressure on the health service, the Treasury's decision about future spending totals and the timing of increases will be critical. BBC News

High cost of unscheduled care for MS patients

High cost of unscheduled care for MS patients Emergency admissions for MS patients costs NHS £43m per year. OnMedica

Passport to practise could threaten patient safety

Passport to practise could threaten patient safety GMC urges government and European Commission to assess impact before introducing card. OnMedica

Pet owners blamed for increasing risk of MRSA and E.coli by not following animal medicine instructions

Pet owners blamed for increasing risk of MRSA and E.coli by not following animal medicine instructions Public Health England urges owners of sick pets to ensure antiobiotics are used strictly as directed. The Independent

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Children are waiting six months to even be assessed for a mental health condition

Children are waiting six months to even be assessed for a mental health condition Provision is uneven across the country after referral. The Independent

Mental health needs urgent extra funding to avert crisis, say trust chief executives | Claire Murdoch

Mental health needs urgent extra funding to avert crisis, say trust chief executives | Claire Murdoch Ahead of the spending review, 10 London mental health trusts warn against raiding their budgets to plug funding shortfalls in acute hospitals.

The NHS is facing the greatest financial challenge in its history. Figures for the first three months of the financial year reveal an accumulated NHS deficit of almost £1bn. The independent health thinktank, the Nuffield Trust, says deficits have now become the “new normal” in the NHS, with four out of five trusts now in the red. The figures for the second quarter of the financial year are feared to be significantly worse. Continue reading... The Guardian

NHS cannot make £22bn cut sought by government, finance chiefs warn

NHS cannot make £22bn cut sought by government, finance chiefs warn Fears also raised that deficit will exceed forecast £2bn and all of England’s 156 acute hospital trusts will end 2015-16 in the red

The NHS needs much more than the £8bn ministers have promised and will not deliver the £22bn of savings it has pledged, according to NHS finance chiefs.

The service in England is heading for a deficit this year even bigger than the £2bn already widely forecast, according to research by the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). Continue reading... The Guardian

'Everyone likes to be thanked': How patient feedback is improving NHS care

'Everyone likes to be thanked': How patient feedback is improving NHS care Listening to patients is vital to improve performance. Two hospital trusts whose feedback systems helped turn their services around reveal how they did it

Five years ago, Surrey and Sussex healthcare NHS trust was one of the worst performing hospitals in the country. Now, it is one of the best. In March, the healthcare regulator, the Quality Care Commission, awarded the trust a “good” rating in every category.

The trust’s approach to feedback has played a central part in this turnaround. Fiona Allsop, its chief nurse, says: “One of the reasons we’ve got there is by listening to our patients … We’re providing services for our local community. We want to give them opportunities to get involved in what we do.” Continue reading... The Guardian

Jeremy Hunt: 'very difficult' to avoid patient harm if doctors' strike goes ahead

Jeremy Hunt: 'very difficult' to avoid patient harm if doctors' strike goes ahead Jeremy Hunt warns of risks to patients from doctors' strikes, as he makes a last ditch plea to unions in a bid to head off industrial action. The Daily Telegraph

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