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Type 2 Diabetes
19/11/2019
Do you know your risk of type 2 diabetes? Anyone can develop type 2 diabetes, but certain factors can increase a person’s risk. These risk factors...
Mental health at work
15/11/2019
NHS Employers is working with the mental health charity Mind to promote good mental health in the NHS. They have compiled tools, resources and...
Martin Lewis – Pharmaceutical Tips
13/11/2019
1. Look at the active ingredient - that's what matters. It's widely known that it's the medicine's 'active' ingredient that does the business. So you...
CQC finds Mental Health Act Code of Practice not being used as intended
28/06/2019
The Mental Health Act (MHA) Code of Practice is not being used as it was intended due to a lack of awareness and understanding of the statutory guidance amongst providers and staff. A report published by CQC found variation in providers’ understanding of the MHA Code of Practice and how it should...
Adult inpatient survey 2018
28/06/2019
Findings from the Care Quality Commission’s latest annual survey of people who stayed as an inpatient in hospital show that most people had confidence in the doctors and nurses treating them and felt that staff answered their questions clearly. However, there has been no overall improvement in the...
CQC report on oral care in care homes
24/06/2019
New report from CQC highlights the need for better support for residents in care homes and more training for staff to help people look after their oral health. To read more please click here.
Guide on biosimilar medicine updated
18/06/2019
NHS England has issued an updated guide on the role of biosimilar medicines in the NHS. The guide also provides support on the safe, effective and consistent use of all biological medicines, including biosimilar medicines, to support patients, in line with the principles of shared decision-making...
Adding folic acid to flour: public asked views
18/06/2019
Plans to add folic acid to flour in the UK could prevent up to 200 birth defects a year, according to government public health advisors who have launched a consultation to get views on their proposal to add folic acid to flour. Folic acid, or vitamin B9, is essential to the development of a healthy...
NHS waiting times for elective and cancer treatment
18/06/2019
A parliamentary report finds that increasing numbers of patients are being let down by the NHS’s failure to meet deadlines for waiting times. The percentage of patients treated within waiting times standards continues to get worse for both elective (non-urgent care) and cancer treatment. The report...
NHS Improvement figures show progress by hospitals
18/06/2019
NHS hospitals in England provided more urgent treatment and routine operations than ever before last year, according to figures from NHS Improvement. Despite the pressure of demand, the provider sector continued to improve quality and achieved one of the best financial performances in recent years...
Community pharmacy flu vaccination exceeds 1.4m
07/06/2019
Community pharmacists in England administered 1,431,538 flu vaccinations to patients under the national NHS flu vaccination service in 2018/19. The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) has published a full report including costs of drugs and fees.
Amanda Pritchard named as NHS chief operating officer
07/06/2019
NHS England has announced that Amanda Pritchard has been appointed as the NHS chief operating officer (COO). For regulatory purposes, she is also chief executive of NHS Improvement. Pritchard takes up the role on secondment from Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust where she is chief executive...
NHS showcases innovations
06/06/2019
3D heart modelling to rapidly diagnose coronary disease and an advanced blood test which can cut the time it takes to rule-out a heart attack by 75% are among innovations being introduced by the NHS. NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens told a conference this week that more patients will...
Rise in sexually transmitted infections
06/06/2019
Sexually transmitted infections are on the rise, according to Public Health England which has produced data showing 448,000 cases were diagnosed in 2018, an increase of 5% from 2017. The number of consultations at sexual health services, both in clinic settings and online, increased by 7% to nearly...
NHS doctors to get more flexible pensions
05/06/2019
The government has launched proposals to make pensions more flexible for senior clinicians. The proposals are in response to criticisms that tax charges on pensions contributions are effectively penalising doctors for seniority and long service. The government will consult on proposals to offer...
Ambulance service wants more volunteers
03/06/2019
A report by the King’s Fund for the Office for Civil Society explores the role of volunteers in ambulance services in England and identifies examples of different ways in which volunteering opportunities are being developed. More....
Call for smoking ban on hospital grounds
03/06/2019
Public Health England is calling on all NHS trusts to become completely smoke-free by banning smoking in hospital grounds. More than two thirds (69%) of NHS acute trusts in England have implemented a ban. PHE wants the rest to follow suit. More....
Thousands more GP staff recruited across England
03/06/2019
NHS England has recruited 300 more family doctors and thousands more nurses, pharmacists and other staff to work alongside GPs delivering better care in the community. There are now 7,302 more full time equivalent (FTE) health professionals working in primary care than three years ago, NHS Digital...
Independent review of national cancer screening programmes in England
30/05/2019
Professor Sir Mike Richards is leading a major overhaul of national cancer screening programmes as part of a renewed drive to improve care and save lives. This interim report calls for practical measures to be used across the NHS to make screening more convenient and reverse the longstanding...
NHS WiFi now available to millions of patients
30/05/2019
Free NHS WiFi is now available in 6,749 GP practices and 212 acute, mental health and community NHS Trusts across England, benefitting millions of patients. 95% of GP practices and 98% of NHS trusts are already connected with the remaining four trusts and ten CCGs all underway with their own...
Workforce race equality standard data collection for CCGs
28/05/2019
For the first time this year, CCGs will be required to submit data for national analysis and publication in the same way as NHS trusts. Guidance and timelines have been sent to CCG accountable officers. The NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) was mandated in April 2015. It aims to ensure...
Podcast on mental health support for schools
22/05/2019
NHS England has recorded a discussion between clinicians and system leaders about the benefits of improving mental health provision in schools. More.....
New reports recommend improvements to a range of services
22/05/2019
The Healthcare Qualify Improvement Partnership (HQIP) has made recommendations to commissioners for improvements to services for COPD, breast cancer, lung cancer and other disease areas. The reports draw on data from clinical audits and patient outcome reports. HQIP is a partnership of several...
New device will protect prostate cancer patients during radiation treatment
22/05/2019
An innovation that can reduce the side-effects of radiotherapy for prostate cancer patients by over 70% will be rolled out across the NHS to put cutting-edge treatments at the heart of people’s care. Thanks to a deal struck by the NHS with manufacturer Boston Scientific, hospitals in England will...
Parents told to look out for scarlet fever symptoms
22/05/2019
Scarlet fever is a seasonal bacterial illness that is common at this time of year, mainly affects children, and is easily treated with antibiotics. The latest report by Public Health England (PHE) on seasonal levels of Group A streptococcal infection shows that 9,887 cases of scarlet fever have...
Brain cancer treatment aid now available across England
22/05/2019
A new treatment aid will allow surgeons to identify areas of the brain affected by cancer more accurately, helping up to 2,000 patients a year. Known as “the pink drink”, 5-ALA uses fluorescent dye and ultraviolet light to make cancerous cells glow under UV light. This allows surgeons to more...
Community pharmacy oral health campaign
22/05/2019
NHS England and NHS Improvement have launched a campaign to help parents and carers stop children under five from experiencing tooth decay. Pharmacies will display posters and provide advice on healthy dental habits, such as consuming less sugar, brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and...
Disabled doctors to get increased support
22/05/2019
Disabled doctors and medical students can expect greater support to pursue their careers, following new guidance from the General Medical Council (GMC). The regulator has advised medical schools and training providers of the steps they should put in place to make sure all students and trainee...
