Wednesday 31 May 2017

GPs face the social care gap every day. But we can’t fill it | Zara Aziz

GPs face the social care gap every day. But we can’t fill it | Zara Aziz Health professionals feel increasingly like social workers as we try to access care for the vulnerable. Making them liable for the cost of their illness is wrong

Hospitals and GP surgeries are busier than ever. The burden of ill-health is especially noticeable in poor people, those suffering from mental health conditions, and the elderly. I help to look after the health of all of these groups of patients in my role as a GP, as well as (to a lesser extent) young people and those suffering from acute or self-limiting illnesses. The Guardian

Working at HMP Wandsworth: a healthcare environment like no other

Working at HMP Wandsworth: a healthcare environment like no other As a healthcare professional in one of the UK’s largest prisons, you’ll be exposed to a unique set of challenges and opportunities

HMP Wandsworth is soon to become a remand prison, meaning thousands more men will pass through its doors. To cope with this increased demand, the Offender Healthcare Service is recruiting.

Offenders have a vast range of physical and mental health needs, and substance misuse conditions. It’s estimated that 36% of prisoners in England and Wales have a physical disability or mental illness, and around 30% are estimated to have learning difficulties that affect their ability to cope with the criminal justice system. The Guardian

NHS spending 'at its highest level in history'

NHS spending 'at its highest level in history' The study by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) found that annual spending on the NHS has reached £2,160 per person – up from just £500 in 1970. Daily Mail

NHS funding choices and the 2017 general election

NHS funding choices and the 2017 general election Nuffield Trust - This analysis of the major political parties manifestos has found that none of the parties have pledged to spend enough money on the NHS in England to close its funding gap, cope with increased demand and sustain high quality care. This briefing sets out four spending scenarios, setting them alongside a continuation of existing government plans and calculates how much money each would require by 2022/23. It finds that all the major political parties' plans fail to reach the lowest projecting of possible future NHS spending patterns and consequently spending as a proportion of GDP is set to fall under the three main parties' proposals. The King's Fund

NHS faces £500m-a-year bill post-Brexit for returning retirees, says thinktank

NHS faces £500m-a-year bill post-Brexit for returning retirees, says thinktank If current EU healthcare scheme for retired UK citizens ends, NHS costs will climb, with nurse and care worker shortages set to have a further impact

The NHS would be hit with a bill for an extra £500m a year if all the retired British citizens now living in Europe could no longer get care post-Brexit and returned to the UK, a report from a healthcare thinktank has calculated.

According to the Nuffield Trust, the cost of Brexit to the NHS and social care system would be higher still if the numbers of nurses and care workers currently coming to the UK from Europe fell. Its report says there could be a shortfall of 70,000 paid carers by 2025/26 if the migration of unskilled workers to Britain from Europe is no longer permitted. The Guardian