Complexity of health system is 'holding back progress' in HIV care

Complexity of health system is 'holding back progress' in HIV care The complexity of the health system in England is holding back progress in meeting the needs of people with HIV, according to a new report from The King’s Fund.

The report highlights how improvements in treatment mean that, 30 years on from being seen as a death sentence, people with HIV are able to live longer, healthier lives. This means that for the first time we are seeing significant numbers of older people with the condition; already, 30 per cent of people with HIV are aged 50 or over and this is projected to rise to 54 per cent by 2028.

Because of this, health services need to focus on quality of life rather than just on suppressing the virus, and also need to co-ordinate care with that for other long-term conditions common in older people.

The risks of Valproate medicines in female patients

The risks of Valproate medicines in female patients There is a 30% to 40% risk of developmental disorders in children born to mothers who take Valproate medicines during pregnancy. GPs should identify female patients on Valproate medicines and arrange discussions with healthcare professionals about the benefits and risks. NHS England

Focus on: emergency hospital care for children and young people: what has changed in the past 10 years?

Focus on: emergency hospital care for children and young people: what has changed in the past 10 years? This report draws on emergency hospital admissions data and finds that the number of babies and young children admitted to hospital in an emergency has grown by almost a third over the past decade. The analysis reveals that many children are being admitted to hospital for conditions like asthma and tonsillitis – admissions that could potentially have been avoided with better care and support out of hospital. The report raises questions about where children and young people can access high quality treatment outside of the hospital emergency care setting. Quality Watch

Health care costs in the English NHS

Health care costs in the English NHS This paper describes how to calculate average health care costs broken down by age, sex and neighbourhood deprivation quintile group using the distribution of health care spending by the English NHS in the financial year 2011/12. Centre for Health Economics

Inside a neonatal intensive care unit

Inside a neonatal intensive care unit What does it take to care for the sickest premature babies? 5 live takes a look inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Burnley General hospital. BBC News

Mental health funding cut by millions in five regions despite NHS England call for £1 billion to be spent by 2021

Mental health funding cut by millions in five regions despite NHS England call for £1 billion to be spent by 2021 Spending on mental health services is being cut in five regions of England, new figures have revealed – despite Government pledges to “transform” the way mental health problems are dealt with.

Theresa May has promised to tackle the “stigma” around mental health and NHS England said in February last year an extra £1 billion a year should be invested in mental health services by 2021.

But clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) in Sefton, Scarborough, the Isle of Wight, St Helens and Walsall are set to reduce spending on mental health by £4.5m, according to Freedom of Information data obtained by Pulse magazine. The Independent

It's a deadly fallacy that eating disorders are a teenage illness

It's a deadly fallacy that eating disorders are a teenage illness Most patients with an eating disorder are adults. The lack of specialist services could prove fatal

Sophie* developed an eating disorder when she was 11 years old. With the help of child eating disorder services, she got better and by the age of 16 had achieved a stable weight. But her A-levels proved tough and she relapsed. This time, she had to face the challenge of navigating adult eating disorder services as a vulnerable teenager. When she was finally referred to me nearly eight months after her relapse, she was 19 years old with a BMI of nine.

I worked as a consultant psychiatrist in child eating disorders before moving to adult services in Oxford. When the government announced in the Five Year Forward View a £30m investment for eating disorders in child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) each year until 2021, I was delighted. We know early intervention offers the best chance of recovery and it’s great to see that 66 new specialist services have been set up across the country. Continue reading... The Guardian

GPs can inform DVLA if patients are unfit to drive

GPs can inform DVLA if patients are unfit to drive Family doctors can now report patients they believe are unfit to drive – without telling them first.

Tough new guidance, which comes into force today, says GPs have a duty to inform the authorities if a patient is driving against medical advice.

They no longer need a patient’s consent to alert the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). The Daily Mail

Cancer patients diagnosed in A&E after being repeatedly rejected by their GPs, research warns

Cancer patients diagnosed in A&E after being repeatedly rejected by their GPs, research warns Thousands of people are being diagnosed with late-stage cancer in A&E due to GPs repeatedly misreading their symptoms, new research warns.

Experts have described as “extremely concerning” new data revealing that among those who were diagnosed with the disease in an emergency setting, almost a quarter had visited their family doctor three or more times.

They included 31 per cent of breast cancer patients who had attended three or more appointments, and 41 per cent of those diagnosed with bowel cancer. The daily Telegraph