Friday 19 January 2018

Making sense of accountable care

Making sense of accountable care An overview of accountable care and accountable care organisations, different models of service provision and how they work in practice for the NHS. The King's Fund

Policies for healthy lives: a look beyond Brexit

Policies for healthy lives: a look beyond Brexit This collection brings together contributors with expertise in public health, employment standards, local government, consumer rights and food policy, who share their insights on the potential risks and challenges ahead. The Health Foundation

'What would life be - without a sing or dance, what are we?': a report from the Commission on Dementia and Music

'What would life be - without a sing or dance, what are we?': a report from the Commission on Dementia and Music This report summarises the work of the Commission on Dementia and Music, set-up and coordinated by International Longevity Centre-UK, with support from The Utley Foundation. It examines the existing landscape and future potential of using therapeutic music with people with dementia. It calls for a national framework to collate information from local offers and for greater funding.

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PFI and PF2

PFI and PF2 This briefing looks at the rationale, costs and benefits of the Private Finance Initiative; the use of and impact of PFI, and ability to make savings from operational contracts; and the introduction of PF2. National Audit Office

UK 'in grip of worst flu season since 2011'

UK 'in grip of worst flu season since 2011' The UK is in the grip of its worst flu season for seven years, figures suggest.

Health officials say flu rates have once again risen in every part of the UK.

The number of people going to GPs in England with suspected flu rose by over 40% compared to the previous week, figures up to last Sunday show.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have also seen increases.

The last time there was more flu circulating than this was in 2010-11, when swine flu - responsible for the pandemic of the year before - came back.

Hospitals are also seeing "very high" rates of admissions - although it appears the strain known as "Aussie flu" is not causing the most serious illnesses, according to the report from Public Health England.

Instead - of the four strains circulating - a B strain, which does not normally cause high rates of severe illness, is responsible for about half the hospital cases. BBC News

Noel Conway: Terminally ill man granted assisted dying appeal

Noel Conway: Terminally ill man granted assisted dying appeal A terminally ill man who wants to be helped to die has been granted permission to take his case to appeal.

Two judges from the Court of Appeal said there should be a full hearing of 68-year-old Noel Conway's case.

Mr Conway, a retired lecturer from Shropshire who has motor neurone disease, was too ill to attend court.

Last October, the High Court rejected his challenge to the Suicide Act 1961 which he argues breaches his right to a "peaceful and dignified death".

Mr Conway wants a doctor to be allowed to prescribe him a lethal dose of drugs. BBC News

NHS crisis: 100,000 waited 30 minutes in ambulance this winter

NHS crisis: 100,000 waited 30 minutes in ambulance this winter Latest figures show almost a quarter of those had to wait at least an hour before being seen

More than 100,000 patients this winter have had to wait in the back of an ambulance for at least 30 minutes because of A&E overcrowding, NHS figures have revealed.

In all 104,987 patients brought to hospitals in England have been stuck inside an ambulance for upwards of half an hour.

A combination of factors are at play. Hospitals have fewer beds than last year, so they are less able to deal with the recent, ongoing surge in illness. Last week, for example, the bed occupancy rate at 17 of England’s 153 acute hospital trusts was 98% or more, with the fullest – Walsall healthcare trust – 99.9% occupied.

The UK has fewer doctors and nurses than many other comparable countries both in Europe and worldwide. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Britain comes 24th in a league table of 34 member countries in terms of the number of doctors they have relative to their populations. Greece, Austria and Norway have the most; the three countries with proportionately the fewest medics are Turkey, Chile and Mexico. Jeremy Hunt, the health secretary, regularly points out that the NHS in England has more doctors and nurses than when the Conservatives came to power in 2010. That is true, although there are now fewer district nurses, mental health nurses and other types of health professionals.

We will be monitoring the situation in hospitals over the next few months and want to hear your experiences of the NHS this winter. We are keen to hear from healthcare professionals as well as patients about the situation. Have operations been cancelled? Has pressure led to certain wards being closed? How are staff coping? Help us document what is going on across the UKContinue reading... The Guardian

NHS bosses urged GPs to purchase a cheaper flu jab

NHS bosses urged GPs to purchase a cheaper flu jab NHS England asked doctors to purchase the trivalent jab - which offers no protection against the B Yamagata strain, referred to as 'Japanese flu', according to documents obtained by HSJ. The Daily Mail

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