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News from
other organisations and the
NHS
Allow doctors to take on roles to benefit
UK healthcare
The GMC's Chair and UK’s chief medical
officers have urged those who employ doctors to enable them to
take on advisory and support
roles that will benefit healthcare systems across the UK.
Government and statutory agencies such as NICE, the Committee of
Human Medicines, Royal Colleges and the GMC rely heavily on the
involvement of senior medical professionals for their expertise and
experience in a range of roles.
Mental health in parliament
Andy
Burnham MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Health has stated
that the NHS must devote more time and resources to mental health
if it is to meet the demands of the 21st century. Changes to
people's lifestyles meant mental illness, which receives only 6.5%
of total health spending, would soon be "the biggest burden on
society". He called for GPs to give more consideration to mental
health problems and treatments as part of a sea change in attitudes
towards the issue.
Better NHS services reduce suicide
rates
A study
by the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by
People with Mental Illness has shown a positive link between
improvements in mental health services and a reduction in suicide
rates. The researchers used nine national recommendations for safer
services and compared the rates of suicide in NHS Mental Health
Trusts before and after the recommendations were adopted. They also
compared suicide rates in Trusts that adopted few of the
recommendations with those that adopted many.
Gap between Scottish and English
suicide rates widens
A new
study has revealed the widening gap in suicide rates between
Scotland and England & Wales due to a large extent to the
number of young Scottish men taking their lives. The research,
carried out by the Universities of Manchester and Edinburgh and the
Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in
Glasgow, examined suicide rates north and south of the border
between 1960 and 2008. The team found that the suicide rate in both
men and women was in fact lower in Scotland until around 1968 when
it overtook the rate in England & Wales. Suicides among men
continued to rise on both sides of the border until the early 1990s
when rates in England & Wales began to fall and the gap between
north and south widened markedly.
Department
of Health
- Health and Social Care Bill explained
- Dame Fiona Caldicott to lead review into confidentiality and
the sharing of health and social care information
- Mental health community teams activity data, 2011-12 Q3
- Personal health budgets and NHS Continuing Healthcare
- Framework agreement for NHS Commissioning Board Authority in
place
- Department seeks partners for reaching young people
- First estimates of funding in new health structure
- The future for public health
Estimating
the prevalence of autism spectrum conditions in adults
Adults with a more severe
learning disability also have a greater likelihood of having autism
according to a report
published by the NHS Information Centre.
Major
overhaul to reform family justice system
In
the government’s response to the recommendations made by the
independent family justice review panel, ministers have
outlined their plans to reform the system to help strengthen
parenting, reduce the time it takes cases to progress through the
courts, and simplify the family justice system.
Alcohol Behaviour Change
A
new campaign aimed at encouraging Scots to think about
the health effects of regularly drinking above the recommended
alcohol guidelines has been launch. The Scottish Government’s
Alcohol Behaviour Change is encouraging women to ‘Drop a Glass
Size’ in 2012.
Don’t
let drink sneak up on you
A new national
Change4Life campaign exposes that drinking slightly over the
lower-risk alcohol guidelines can seriously impact long term
health. The advert highlights that regularly drinking around two
large glasses of wine or two strong pints of beer a day triples the
risk of developing mouth cancer and double the risk of developing
high blood pressure.
Reports from British Medical Journal
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Education and training levy could
vary by provider
Julie Moore, chairwoman of the NHS Future Forum’s education and
training group, has told MPs that the planned education and
training levy, designed to ensure that all organisations that
benefit from employing publicly trained doctors pay back into the
public purse, could potentially differentiate between large private
healthcare providers and smaller not-for-profit groups, such as
charities and social enterprises. The levy, which is part of the
government’s plans to put medical education and training in the
hands of employers, could otherwise prevent charities and social
enterprises from providing NHS services.
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Huge potential of NHS junior
doctors being ignored
Junior doctors in the NHS are
willing and able to help improve health services, but they don’t
feel valued or heard, reveals the results of a
regional survey published online in BMJ Quality and Safety. The
findings prompt the authors to conclude that junior doctors are “an untapped NHS resource,” at
a time when the NHS needs to draw on all the help it can get.
Long-term conditions and mental health: the costs of
co-morbidities
A report
published by The King’s Fund and Centre for Mental
Health has found that people with
long-term
conditions such as diabetes or heart disease are
two to three times more likely to experience mental
health problems than the general population. However, a
systemic failure to identify these problems and provide effective
support is resulting in poorer outcomes for patients and could be
costing the NHS billions.
Benefits
of Consultant Delivered Care
The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has published a
comprehensive review into the benefits to patients of consultant
delivered medical care. On the basis of the best evidence
available, the Academy concludes that medical care delivered by
fully trained consultant doctors has demonstrable benefits.
Update from General Medical Council
(GMC)
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New guidance prevents doctors from
being 'gagged'
The GMC has published new guidance preventing
doctors from signing ‘gagging’ clauses that would prevent them
raising concerns about patient safety.
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New website launched for doctors
with health concerns
Your Health
Matters is a new website for doctors who may be
concerned about their own health or that of a colleague. It
provides case studies showing doctors with a range of health
concerns, a testimonial from a doctor who has gone through fitness
to practise procedures, and a range of advice on the
process.
Increased funding for NHS Boards
Health boards across Scotland are to benefit from a share of
£8,802 billion in revenue funding in 2012-13. The additional
funding represents a real terms increase of 2.9 per cent for all
territorial boards. Territorial boards will benefit from £7.761
billion, while special boards will receive £1.040 billion.
Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice
needs revising
The Mental Health Foundation, in partnership with the Norah Fry
Research Centre at the University of Bristol and the Centre for
Applied Social Research at University of Bradford, have published
a report calling for the Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice
to be revised to enable health and social care staff to make more
effective best interests decisions.
NHS Confederation: new policy forum to
help NHS speak strongly to Government
The NHS Confederation has unveiled its new policy forum to
assert the voice of the NHS in the face of the huge spending and
political challenges it faces. Made up of senior NHS leaders across
the country and from different parts of the system, the
new Policy Forum aims to allow the NHS to speak strongly on the
big strategic issues facing the service.
National Institute for Health and
Clinical Excellence: Updates
Looked
after children and young people say 'I'm Not Like Tracy Beaker'
YoungMinds has published
a report highlighting the stigma surrounding the mental health of
Looked after Children and Young People.
'Improving the Mental Health of Looked After Young People'
reveals that more applications were made last month to take
children into care than before. Around 60% of Looked after Young
People have some level of mental health problem.
Mencap report finds NHS still unsafe for
people with a learning disability
Mencap is calling on the government to make the NHS safe for
people with a learning disability. A new report ‘Death by indifference: 74
deaths and counting’ finds continued institutional
discrimination in the NHS. The report looks at what progress has
been made since the publication of Mencap’s original ‘Death by
indifference’ report in 2007. It confirms that, although some
positive steps have been taken in the NHS, many health
professionals are still failing to provide adequate care to people
with a learning disability.
BBC: The New Elizabethans:
opportunity to make their suggestions
To mark the Diamond Jubilee, the BBC is searching for the 60
people who have made the greatest impact on these islands during
The Queen’s reign: the people history will remember as The New
Elizabethans. Who are the figures who have really shaped and
illuminated the character of the age? From now until 9 March, the
public have the opportunity to make nominations. We are keen that
the list reflects all aspects of life in the UK - scientific,
cultural, medical, social, political, technological, sporting…
Radio 4 would like to offer members of the College the opportunity
to make their suggestions. This can be done via email - or individual
members can submit their suggestions through our website. You can
find more
details about The New Elizabethans and how to nominate.
Time to Change: grants fund for
projects that tackle mental health discrimination now open
Time to Change are looking for projects
that challenge attitudes and behaviour towards mental health by
bringing people who don't have experience of mental health problems
together with those who do. The projects must engage local
communities in meaningful conversations about mental health, and
they must involve people with personal experience of mental health
issues in their planning and delivery. 25% of the total fund will
go to organisations working with Black and Minority Ethnic
communities. Applications must come from not-for-profit
constituted groups or organisations OR people working in
partnership with not-for-profit constituted groups or
organisations, who can hold and administer the funds. Regional
information sessions will be held during February and March to
provide more details about the application process.
Grants
for children and young people's projects: We're also running a
special grants programme for projects that engage children and
young people. Projects must be based in the West Midlands to apply.
The deadline for all grants is 2pm on 30 March.
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