Monday 16 October 2017

Northamptonshire police and crime commissioner launches mental health consultation

Northamptonshire police and crime commissioner launches mental health consultation Is the police and criminal justice service providing the right support for people with mental illness? This is the question being asked by the Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner as he launches his mental health consultation.

Stephen Mold, police and crime commissioner has launched Time2Listen, which is focused on gaining a better understanding of the experience of people with mental illness - ADHD and Autism - and their interactions with the police and criminal justice service in Northamptonshire.

Over the next three months, the commissioner wants to hear from local people to get a true picture of how effective the police and the criminal justice services are in supporting people with mental illness and what can be done to improve those interactions. Northampton Chronicle and Echo

East Midlands radiology consortium experiences major IT issues

East Midlands radiology consortium experiences major IT issues A radiology consortium that covers eight trusts in the East Midlands is experiencing serious continuing problems with its IT systems, it has emerged.

The East Midlands Radiology Consortium’s (EMRAD) cloud-based solution is meant to make it possible for clinicians to access radiology images for every patient in the East Midlands, regardless of where they were taken.

But HSJ yesterday reported on system failures that have sometimes forced doctors to send images on DVD by taxi when seeking specialist advice for emergency patients. Digital Health

A system response to provider failure: does Greater Manchester point to a different future?

A system response to provider failure: does Greater Manchester point to a different future? Regulators have a number of options at their disposal in dealing with NHS providers that get into difficulty. These include putting providers into a special measures regime, replacing the chief executive and sometimes other board members, and merging trusts with neighbouring providers that are performing well. Appointing a transformation or turnaround director and buddying with high-performing trusts are other options, as is the appointment of a trust special administrator in particularly challenging contexts. The King's Fund

How mobile technology can reduce agency spend

How mobile technology can reduce agency spend This case study describes how Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has maximised the take up of bank shifts through development of a mobile app allowing clinicians to self select shifts. NHS Employers

Care Quality Commission regulating health and social care

Care Quality Commission regulating health and social care Quality Commission has improved as an organisation, but now needs to overcome some persistent issues with the timeliness of some of its regulation activities if it is to sustain further improvement, the National Audit Office has found.

The state of hospice services in England: 2014 to 2017

The state of hospice services in England: 2014 to 2017 This report presents findings from CQC's hospice inspection programme and finds that hospice care across England has the highest percentage of health and social care services that are rated outstanding (25 per cent), and a further 70 per cent are rated good. The inspections found that hospice leaders and frontline staff displayed a strong commitment to providing truly person-centred, compassionate care and support to people using their services, and their loved ones. Care Quality Commission 

The impact of homelessness on health: a guide for local authorities

The impact of homelessness on health: a guide for local authorities This report warns that that the rising number of older homeless will create significant extra pressures for councils, such as in providing housing and social care. The report aims to support local authorities in protecting and improving their population’s health and wellbeing, and reducing health inequalities, by tackling homelessness and its causes. Local Government Association

Hospitals in England to ban 'super-size' chocolate bars

Hospitals in England to ban 'super-size' chocolate bars "Super-sized" chocolate bars are to be banished from hospital shops, canteens and vending machines, NHS England says.

Sweets and chocolate sold in hospitals should be 250 calories or under, the head of the body says.

Under the plans, most "grab bags" will be banned - with hospitals given a cash boost for facilitating the change.

The proposals would also see 75% of pre-packed sandwiches coming in at under 400 calories. BBC News

NHS patients to be asked about sexuality

NHS patients to be asked about sexuality Health professionals in England are to be told to ask patients aged 16 or over about their sexual orientation, under new NHS guidelines.

NHS England said no-one would be forced to answer the question but recording the data would ensure that "no patient is discriminated against".

The guidance applies to doctors and nurses, as well as local councils responsible for adult social care.

A spokeswoman said: "It will have no impact on the care [people] receive."

She added: "All health bodies and local authorities with responsibility for adult social care are required under the Equality Act to ensure that no patient is discriminated against." BBC News

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NHS praised after racist tweet about sickle cell disease sufferers

NHS praised after racist tweet about sickle cell disease sufferers The NHS has been praised for its response to a racist comment on Twitter regarding black blood donors.

NHS Blood and Transplant tweeted an appeal for more black donors to help black people with sickle cell disease.

A user replied "If we deport all blacks, this will stop being an issue". The NHS responded: "OR.. we could just deport you.".

An NHS spokesman said: "There is no place for any kind of racism within our online communities".

The offending tweet has since been removed. BBC News

Discrimination and misplaced stoicism: why older people's mental health gets overlooked

Discrimination and misplaced stoicism: why older people's mental health gets overlooked Busy GPs are too often neglecting problems like anxiety and low mood.

One in five older people suffer from depression, yet their mental health problems often go unrecognised and they are much less likely to get psychological help than younger people. A government target, set in 2011 – for older people in England to make up 12% of referrals to psychological therapies – was missed by a mile.

“It was supposed to be achieved in five years, but it’s still only 6.7%,” says Tom Gentry, head of health influencing at charity Age UK. “At the current rate of improvement, it would take another 15 years to get there.” Continue reading... The Guardian

Children’s tsar savages NHS over paucity of mental healthcare

Children’s tsar savages NHS over paucity of mental healthcare Anne Longfield says services are ‘unacceptably slow’ to improve, in open letter to chief executive of NHS England

The children’s commissioner has launched a savage attack on the head of the NHS, accusing him of denigrating research that shows an “unacceptable” lack of children’s mental health provision.

In a highly unusual move, Anne Longfield has published an open letter to Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, accusing him of ignoring young people’s experiences of the service and the frustrations of their parents. Laying out a list of grievances against him and his team, she also threatens to use the law to compel him to hand over data on waiting times for children’s mental health services. Continue reading... The Guardian

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MPs urge action on lengthy wait for autism diagnosis

MPs urge action on lengthy wait for autism diagnosis Cross-party group asks Jeremy Hunt to impose uniform standards to ease the burden on parents.

Parents of children with suspected autism are having to wait at least 44 months for diagnoses, prompting a cross-party group of more than 140 MPs to write to the health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, demanding urgent action.

The startling new figures, revealed in response to a freedom of information request, relate to children under the age of five who need a specialist autism assessment after being referred by a GP or other health professional. Continue reading... The Guardian

Rise of the 'super-size' GP surgery as quarter of practices now deal with more than 10,000 patients

Rise of the 'super-size' GP surgery as quarter of practices now deal with more than 10,000 patients New figures reveal the rise of the “supersize” GP surgery, amid the closure of almost 700 practices in five years.

Family doctors said they were being forced to handle far more cases than they could cope with, with one in four practices now seeing more than 10,000 patients.

The proportion of surgeries with such list sizes has risen by 27 per cent since 2013, the NHS data shows.

It follows admissions from the Health Secretary that the traditional family doctor role has been eroded by decades of underfunding. The Daily Telegraph

Metal-on-metal hip implant patients sue manufacturer in 'biggest ever' class action

Metal-on-metal hip implant patients sue manufacturer in 'biggest ever' class action Hundreds of patients claiming compensation for “failed” metal-on-metal hip implants will take a manufacturer to court tomorrow in one of the largest class actions of its kind.

DePuy faces claims from more than 300 individuals who claim to have been injured as a result of the early failure and consequent revision surgery of their prosthetic hips.

Hundreds more metal-on-metal claims against a number of other manufacturers are said to be on hold pending the outcome of the trial, which is expected to last until the end of January. The Daily Telegraph

NHS plans could see patients banned from A&E

NHS plans could see patients banned from A&E Controversial plans to ban patients from attending crowded A&E departments to slash soaring waiting times are being considered by the NHS.

Experts have reacted in fury to the scheme, which will demand patients to seek a referral from their GP or 111 before they step foot through the doors.

Dr Helen Thomas, national medical adviser for integrated urgent care at NHS England, said they 'may well pilot' such plans to slash A&E waiting times.

She told delegates at a conference addressing the demand on the NHS of the unprecedented idea, and reiterated the claims to Pulse magazine. In a nod towards the controversy such a plan will provoke, she admitted it is a 'hot potato'. The Daily Mail

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