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Carers’ Support Service Vacancy
17/09/2020
The Carers’ Support Service currently has a vacancy for a Volunteer Coordinator. The vacancy closes 5pm on Friday 16th October. Click the links below...
People in most deprived areas were almost twice as likely to visit A&E
16/09/2020
There were almost twice as many attendances to Accident and Emergency departments in England for the 10% of the population living in the most...
Learning resources to prevent suicide and self-harm
16/09/2020
Health Education England has launched new online resources to help prevent suicide and self-harm as part of its contribution to World Suicide...
Early cancer detection and survival to be prioritised by NHS
05/07/2019
Monitoring one-year survival will be central to measuring progress in transforming cancer care, the Department of Health and Social Care says. Screening programmes will be overhauled and diagnosis made faster and more accurate with new state-of-the-art technology as part of a blueprint for rapidly...
Eye health experts warn of dangers of smoking to sight
05/07/2019
The Association of Optometrists (AOP) is warning that millions of smokers in the UK are putting themselves at increased risk of blindness or sight impairment by continuing with the habit. This comes as almost all (96%) optometrists taking part in a survey said they examine a patient every month who...
Survey of adult carers in England 2018/19
05/07/2019
The survey covers informal, unpaid carers aged 18 or over who care for a person aged 18 or over, where the carer has been assessed or reviewed by social services. The survey sought carers’ views on whether they have a balanced life alongside their caring role.
Changes to the Access to Infertility Treatment Policy
04/07/2019
Have your say on some proposed changes to the Access to Infertility Treatment Policy - for more information and to have your say please click here.
Primary care networks open for business
04/07/2019
The 1 July go-live date for primary care networks (PCNs) has come and gone, with NHS England reporting that more than 7000 GP practices - more than 99% - have formed. Around 7,000 practices across England – more than 99% – have formed more than 1,200 PCNs. GPs will recruit multi-disciplinary teams...
Increase in adult carers feeling stressed or depressed
28/06/2019
60.6% of carers reported feeling stressed in 2018-19 (up from 58.7% in 2016-17), according to a survey of 50,800 adult carers in England, published by NHS Digital. The percentage of carers who reported feeling depressed increased from 43.4% in 2016-173 to 45.1% in 2018-19. More....
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.....
