Medical Foundation Programme report calls for better supervision of trainee doctors

Medical Education England recently launched its evaluation of the medical Foundation Programme, chaired by Professor John Collins, Visiting Professor of Surgery at the University of Oxford.  The report, 'Foundation for Excellence', is a detailed evaluation of the Foundation Programme, based on written and oral evidence. The report found that the Foundation Programme has many strengths and provides a critical interface between medical school and medical practice. There were also a number of concerns around design, content, safety and quality.

CQC Annual Report highlights some areas of poor practice

The CQC’s first annual report has highlighted areas of poor practice in mental health services for patients who are subject to the Mental Health Act, and pledged to use its regulatory powers to lever improvement. For instance, patients treated in some mental health units are being failed by "poor and unacceptable" practices, and the Mental Health Act is increasingly used to detain people. The report also raised concerns after finding some patients had been recorded as giving consent for treatment, when lacking the ability to do so.

Self-harm hospital admissions rise

Data for England from the NHS Information Centre have revealed that the number of hospital admissions for people who self harm has risen 11% in three years, with 10,000 more admissions for self harm, taking the figure to 104,340 in 2009/10. This is up 3% on the previous year and is an 11% rise on figures for 2006/07.

King’s Fund survey finds doctors sceptical over new reforms

A survey has found that doctors are sceptical about the government’s proposed NHS reforms and reveal that less than a quarter of doctors have faith that the reforms will deliver improvements in patient care. However, it also found that the majority of doctors were confident that GPs in their area would be able to lead GP Consortia.

Government plays down Unison survey on financial difficulties in Trusts

The government has attempted to play down the significance of a survey carried out by Unison into the effects of financial difficulties on Trusts. Although Unison - who recently took the government to court over its proposed NHS reforms, is concerned that financial pressures will damage healthcare, the government has promised to maintain funding in real terms.

Disabled medical students get help from the GMC

Research has found that disabled students are under-represented in medical schools; in 2009, less than 6% of medical students declared a disability compared to 19% of working-age adults in the UK. The General Medical Council has worked closely with representatives of medical schools and disability experts to review its guidance, Gateways to the Professions: Advising medical schools, encouraging disabled students, to improve the support available for disabled students wishing to access medical education.

NICE guidance on looked-after children

Children and young people in care need better support if they are to reach their full potential and enjoy the same opportunities in life as their peers, according to new guidance from  NICE and Social Care Institute for Excellence. It calls for educational, health and social care organisations, professionals and carers (including foster carers) to work together more effectively to deliver high-quality stable placements that promote nurturing relationships and educational achievement for looked-after children and young people.

NHS Evidence - a vital tool for health and social care staff

NHS Evidence is a free resource to ensure everyone working in health and social care has worldwide access to the best available information to inform decisions made about treatments and resources. It allows users to search more than 170 databases simultaneously, including internationally respected evidence-based sources such as the Cochrane Library, British National Formulary, National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and Royal Colleges. Athens account holders can also search a number of healthcare databases and subscription journals which have been purchased for NHS England.