12-22-2010 - Government sets out plans for funding public health.
The Department of Health has published a consultation document on its new public health service – to be known as Public Health England – setting out proposals on who will have primary responsibility for funding, commissioning and providing different services.
The majority of public services will be commissioned by local authorities, on their own or in partnership with Public Health England (see box below).
For example, school nursing and other services for children and young people aged five to 19 will be funded and commissioned by local authorities from their new public health budget allocation.
However, some services will be commissioned – at least initially – by the NHS Commissioning Board on behalf of Public Health England, which will provide funding and have overall responsibility for them.
Among those services earmarked for commissioning by the board is health visiting, including leadership and delivery of the Healthy Child Programme for under fives, and the Family Nu
12-22-2010 - Intensive care beds taken up by flu cases.
On Monday 302 ICU beds were being used for patients with confirmed or suspected influenza, compared with 182 the previous Wednesday. Additionally, of the the 21 specialist extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation beds in the country, 16 are currently in use.
There has also been a 74 per cent increase in the number of children and adults under 64, who are more vulnerable to the H1N1 swine flu virus - the most prevalent strain of flu this year - being treated in ICU over the period.
So far the Health Protection Agency has confirmed 14 deaths from swine flu and three deaths from influenza B since September. Of the 17 deaths, 14 had definitely not been vaccinated this year or last year. The immunisation status of the remaining three is unknown
Pregnant women are particularly at risk from the H1N1 virus as their repsiratory reserve decreases the further into the pregnancy they get.
12-07-2010 - Survey reveals nursing discontent.
More than 60% of the 11,500 nurses surveyed by Incomes Data Research on behalf of 13 trade unions had thought fairly or very seriously about leaving their job in the past 12 months, according to a report in Nursing Times.
Of those who had considered leaving, 78% cited stress or workload as a reason, while 43% blamed staff shortages.
Meanwhile 54% were unhappy with NHS restructuring, 26% blamed working hours and 37% were unhappy with target setting.
Two-fifths had thought about a career in teaching, while 28% had considered jobs in caring services, 23% in management and 21% in retail.
The research, which canvassed 31,000 union members, has been submitted to the NHS pay review body
11-29-2010 - Warning issued over winter coughs.
Warning issued over winter coughs
Lung cancer survivor Alan German: \"What might be quite an innocuous symptom needs to be looked at\"
A cold weather cough that will not clear up could be the first sign of more serious illness, say experts.
Pharmacists have been asked by their professional body to pick out people with persistent problems and urge them to see their GP.
A long-lasting cough could indicate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which affects millions in the UK, or even cancer.
Specialists said catching illness early would improve treatment chances.
At this time of year, millions of people develop chest problems, many caused by infections, which will clear up over the following days or weeks.
However, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain said that a few may be early symptoms of lung cancer.
They said that a cough that lasts more than a few weeks, coupled with breathlessness, or fatigue, deserves the attention of a GP rather than just more
11-29-2010 - Private firm becomes first to run NHS hospital.
Private firm becomes first to run NHS hospital
Private company Circle is to take over the running of Cambridgeshires Hinchingbrooke hospital.
The trust, near Huntingdon, becomes the first to be entirely run by a private business after it beat another bidder, Serco, to the contract.
Regional NHS bosses sought new management after the trust amassed nearly £40m of debts.
They said the move would improve the running of the hospital, but unions warned it heralded a new era of privatisation.
The involvement of private companies in the health service is nothing new.
Risks
They have already lent management support to hospitals, as well as winning contracts to provide specific services such as pathology.
The private sector also runs a number of treatment centres, which carry out minor non-emergency surgery.
But this move breaks new ground in that the company, which is partly owned by its employees in a John Lewis-style model, will be entirely responsible for running the h
11-29-2010 - NHS death rates better - but some trusts still too high.
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An analysis of deaths in English hospitals has found 19 NHS trusts have higher rates than would be expected.
But monitoring body Dr Fosters report on 147 trusts shows an improvement on 2009, when the figure was 27.
The survey also shows that four trusts had a higher than expected number of patients who died after surgery.
The NHS Confederation said the report showed where the NHS could do better. The government says unsafe care will not be tolerated.
However, Patients Association chief executive Katherine Murphy said safety was still clearly not the top priority of every NHS organisation.
We cannot continue with a situation where patients are stuck with poor healthcare because of where they live, she said.
Dr Fosters survey looks at overall death rates and deaths after surgery as well as a range of other indicat
11-26-2010 - Nurses To Be Re-Tested.
The project is being launched at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Heartlands and Good Hope Hospitals in Birmingham and Solihull Hospital, Nursing Standard revealed.
The nurses will sit on-line tests on their knowledge of matters such as end of life care, falls and blood transfusions during the winter.
The trust\'s chief nurse Mandie Sunderland told a conference that the test had been introduced after a series of cases of poor patient care emerged.
These included failing to observer patients adequately and making serious errors in the administration of medicines.
Nurses will be given three months to pass the tests - which they will be allowed to repeat if they fail. Nurses who fail may be offered tuition.
Three other Midlands NHS trusts are also set to run the exercise.