John Appleby, the chief economist at the King’s Fund, announced the NHS is ignoring incredibly useful data which is cheap, relevant and easy to collect and sheds light on the NHS. This data is known as proms. They are respected and provide useful information, however since their conceptualisation, their use has barely progressed at all … [Read more…]
Leading official lays bare GP concerns GP and senior Care Quality Commission official Professor Steve Field has stated that GP’s working hours will need to be closely monitored to ensure the safety of patients and the well being of staff. The chief inspector of family doctors in England has also warned against the rising demands … [Read more…]
Threat of antibiotic resistance continues Researchers have discovered that nearly one in seven antibiotic treatments prescribed by GP’s to fight common infections over the past 20 years have failed. The study by Cardiff University looked at nearly 11 million prescriptions handed out between 1991 and 2012, in a bid to establish the level of antibiotic … [Read more…]
11,000 lives could be saved if good practice care followed UK Sepsis Trust chief executive Ron Daniels has called for an increased national focus on identifying and treating sepsis. Dealing with sepsis patients could soon have the same importance as reducing pressure ulcers or hospital acquired infections, with the proposals gaining support from Sir Bruce … [Read more…]
NHS bosses warned to “get a grip” Official figures have shown that the NHS in England has worked up a deficit of nearly £500 million within the first few months of the new financial year. The blame for increasing costs was pinned on the rising demand for services, with regulators explaining that hospitals in particular … [Read more…]
Can an open complaints culture be achieved within the NHS? Campaigners are still striving for a more open whistleblowing culture for NHS staff, as employees wishing to raise complaints are continually coming up against problems, such as bullying. Despite public inquiries recommending the promotion of whistleblowing, campaigning group Patients’ First believe that a ‘culture of fear’ … [Read more…]
Unfair system could see some services underfunded A report by the National Audit Office has revealed that some local healthcare services across England have been underfunded, as the government use an unfair system to allocate £79 billion to resources. The NAO claims that many funding decisions are being made on individual civil servants’ judgments rather … [Read more…]
Long term effects of monetary bonus dwindling Researchers have found that the Advancing Quality scheme, which uses financial incentives to reduce hospital death rates, has seen it’s initial success begin to falter. Under the scheme, 24 hospitals based in the North West of England were offered financial rewards for reducing the number of patients dying … [Read more…]
Winter has always been a notoriously difficult time within the healthcare industry. Illnesses associated with the colder weather relentlessly drive up patient demand on an already overstretched and struggling NHS service. Last winter, excess deaths related to the colder months across England and Wales totaled 31,100, which is a 29% increase on the 2011/12 figures, … [Read more…]
New figures show care complaints are on the rise The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) have revealed that the number of complaints made about NHS care in England has increased to average 480 every day. The official data showed that a total of 174,872 complaints were made over 2013/14, which is a rise … [Read more…]