Three GP practices in Northampton trial scheme to create more same-day appointments

Three GP practices in Northampton trial scheme to create more same-day appointments Three GP Practices in Northampton are teaming up to provide their 33,000 patients with a new way to access emergency, same-day appointments. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

Health at a Glance: Europe 2016

Health at a Glance: Europe 2016 This fourth edition of Health at a Glance: Europe presents key indicators of health and health systems in the 28 EU countries, 5 candidate countries to the EU and 3 EFTA countries. This 2016 edition contains two main new features: two thematic chapters analyse the links between population health and labour market outcomes, and the important challenge of strengthening primary care systems in European countries; and a new chapter on the resilience, efficiency and sustainability of health systems in Europe, in order to align the content of this publication more closely with the 2014 European Commission Communication on effective, accessible and resilient health systems. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

See also:

• Britain has the shortest maternity stays and the fewest hospital beds in the EU The Daily Mail
• Warnings that NHS 'teetering on precipice' amid bed shortages The Daily Telegraph
• The UK is a hotspot for gonorrhoea and cocaine, researchers say The Daily Telegraph

Changing risk behaviours and promoting cognitive health in older adults

Changing risk behaviours and promoting cognitive health in older adults This resource is intended for local authority and clinical commissioning groups to identify what types of interventions they should focus on to help the uptake and maintenance of healthy behaviours and promote cognitive health among older adults living in the community.

It is also intended for providers of lifestyle behaviour change programmes to support the development of evidence-informed prevention packages for older adults.

It is produced in a way that makes it accessible to public health managers and practitioners working in the public, private and third sector. Public Health England

Testing times to come? an evaluation of pathology capacity across the UK

Testing times to come? an evaluation of pathology capacity across the UK This report finds that pathology services in the UK are struggling to cope with the increasing number of patient samples that need to be tested. A growing and ageing UK population means that more people than ever before are being referred for cancer tests including biopsies and blood tests. However, pathology staff numbers are not growing to meet the rising demand for tests, resulting in a lack of capacity for pathology services. Cancer Research UK

'Concern' as study highlights aneurysm death rate

'Concern' as study highlights aneurysm death rate The death rate from abdominal aortic aneurysms is more than three times higher in England than in the US, analysis of official data shows.

The weakening and swelling of the main blood vessel from the heart is normally fatal if it bursts.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, raised "concern" that English surgeons may be performing preventative operations less often.

Experts say the issue should be investigated further. BBC News

Air pollution 'causes 467,000 premature deaths a year in Europe'

Air pollution 'causes 467,000 premature deaths a year in Europe' Toxic air is causing almost half a million premature deaths in Europe every year, a new report says. BBC News

See also:

• Stronger measures needed to tackle harm from air pollution European Environment Agency
• Air quality in Europe — 2016 report European Environment Agency

Winter deaths 'halve to 24,000'

Winter deaths 'halve to 24,000' There were 24,300 extra deaths in England and Wales last winter - about half the number of 2014-15. BBC News

Autumn statement 'missed opportunity' for health and social care

Autumn statement 'missed opportunity' for health and social care Health and care leaders have criticised the government's autumn statement as a missed opportunity after it failed to announce any new funding for health or social care. GP Online

See also:

• The King's Fund responds to the Autumn Statement The King's Fund
• Autumn Statement 2016 - the impact on employers NHS Employers
• Autumn Statement: Row as care funding omitted from measures BBC News
• Autumn Statement: Missed opportunity for NHS? BBC News
• Labour pours scorn over autumn statement for ignoring sick and old The Guardian
• NHS completely absent from 72-page Autumn Statement document The Independent

Official guidance may be delaying mouth cancer diagnosis

Official guidance may be delaying mouth cancer diagnosis Oral facial surgeons have raised concerns that new NICE guidance may be introducing delays for GP referrals of patients with suspected oral cancer for treatment.

A study has been published today in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (BJOMS), which suggests that updated guidance for oral cancer is causing delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Since the introduction of the two-week wait referral pathway for suspected cancer in 2000, diagnosis of lesions in the head and neck has been below 10%. OnMedica

With Men Less Likely To Seek Help With Their Mental Health, Access Must Be Made Easier

With Men Less Likely To Seek Help With Their Mental Health, Access Must Be Made Easier It is a stark and tragic fact that the biggest cause of death among young men in the UK is now suicide. And in the majority of cases, people who lose their life through suicide have not been in contact with mental health services prior to their death.

The mental health of men and boys is the subject of growing concern as a result of the realisation that poor mental health is now a leading cause of ill health and dramatically poorer prospects throughout life. And with evidence that men are less likely to seek help for their mental health, and that only a third of people with a mental health problem get any treatment, the need to improve access to support has become clear. Huffington Post UK

'Poor decisions and lack of compassion' reported at NHS trust

'Poor decisions and lack of compassion' reported at NHS trust Incidents found in secret review of Pennine Acute trust include a premature baby left to die alone in a sluice room

A secret medical review showed mothers and babies died at an NHS trust plagued by clinical errors, bad staff attitudes and chronic shortages.

The review, carried out by new maternity director Deborah Carter at Pennine Acute Hospital NHS Trust which operates North Manchester General and the Royal Oldham hospitals, outlines a string of avoidable deaths and long-term injuries caused by failures over many years. Continue reading... The Guardian

See also:

• Premature baby left to die alone in sluice room, report reveals BBC News
• Mothers and babies died at nhs trust plagued by errors - review The Daily Mail 
• Premature baby ‘left to die alone in sluice room’ at failing NHS hospital The Independent

Promising drug expected to become the first to slow down dementia found to not work

Promising drug expected to become the first to slow down dementia found to not work US pharma giant Eli Lilly announced a trial of 2,000 people had shown solanezumab showed no benefit for people with mild Alzheimer's, causing their share prices to take a tumble. The Daily Mail

Just 1 in 5 of adults really mean it when they tell other people that they are 'fine'

Just 1 in 5 of adults really mean it when they tell other people that they are 'fine' Almost a third of 2,000 Britons polled said they often lie about how they are feeling to other people. While one in ten said they always lie about how they are feeling emotionally, a survey found. The Daily Mail

See also:

• I'm fine The Mental Health Foundation

Premature baby dies after an outbreak of superbug MRSA at a neonatal intensive care unit

Premature baby dies after an outbreak of superbug MRSA at a neonatal intensive care unit Nine newborns were found to be carrying the deadly superbug at the Rosie Hospital, Cambridge, during an outbreak of MRSA in August. The Daily Mail