Health and wellbeing boards: System leaders or talking shops? – The King’s Fund

Health and wellbeing boards: System leaders or talking shops? – The King’s Fund.

Summary

The reforms to the health and social care system set out in the recent Health and Social Care Act have emphasised the need for integration. Central to these reforms is the establishment of statutory health and wellbeing boards to encourage local authorities to take a more strategic approach to providing integrated health and local government services. Past efforts to achieve the vision of joined-up, well-co-ordinated and jointly planned services have had only limited success. Faced with complex organisational change, unprecedented financial pressures and rising demand for services, will health and wellbeing  boards be able to fulfil these expectations and achieve greater success than previous bodies?

Can mobile stroke units save lives? – Health News – NHS Choices

Can mobile stroke units save lives? – Health News – NHS Choices.

NHS Choices examines the science behind the newspaper headlines.

 

 

Conclusion

 

This small study found that using specialised mobile stroke units to assess and treat suspected stroke patients at the site of the emergency roughly halved the time taken for doctors to decide on the appropriate treatment. Since, in the case of most strokes, the earlier thrombolytic treatment is given the better the outcome, this is important. As the authors pointed out, stroke is a medical emergency where time is critical for saving the brain, and patients’ lives.

Shift workers ‘risking’ Type 2 diabetes and obesity

Shift workers getting too little sleep at the wrong time of day may be increasing their risk of diabetes and obesity, according to researchers.

via BBC News – Shift workers ‘risking’ Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Overnight discharges from NHS hospitals to be examined

The government is investigating after figures emerged suggesting that hospital patients in England have been discharged overnight to free up beds.

via BBC News – Overnight discharges from NHS hospitals to be examined.

Patient campaigner bids for top commissioning board role

via Patient campaigner bids for top commissioning board role | News | Health Service Journal.

This article is solely the work of the HSJ. For a full copy of the article please contact the library.

A patient and public involvement campaigner has applied for a senior NHS Commissioning Board role, partially in protest at tokenistic participation “rituals”.

 

Local payment by results – Audit Commission

Local payment by results – Audit Commission.

This briefing considers the potential benefits for local authorities of using payment by results (PbR), the risks involved and how to mitigate them. At a time when PbR is high on the political agenda, the briefing sets out to help councils understand what it entails, and whether it is right for their circumstances. As most schemes are at an early stage, the Commission has examined the issues that local commissioners should consider if they are to use PbR successfully, drawing on some national and international examples.

The briefing suggests that there are five principles that any PbR scheme needs to meet if it is likely to succeed. These are:

• a clear purpose;
• a full understanding of the risks;
• a well-designed payment and reward structure;
• sound financing; and
• effective management and evaluation.

Number of people with dementia will reach 65.7 million by 2030, says report

Developing countries will be hit hardest by the worldwide increase in the numbers of people with dementia, says a report from the World Health Organization and Alzheimer’s Disease International.

via Number of people with dementia will reach 65.7 million by 2030, says report | BMJ.

An NHS Athens account may be required to view this in full.

 

The report can be viewed and downloaded by clicking here

Doctors: disabled patients get poorer care in hospital

via Doctors: disabled patients get poorer care in hospital | News | Health Service Journal.

This article is solely the work of the HSJ. For a full copy of the article please contact the library.

A poll of hundreds of hospital doctors and GPs has found most believe patients with a learning disability get poorer care than the rest of the population.

 

Poor patients face shorter GP opening hours

via Exclusive: Poor patients face shorter GP opening hours | News | Health Service Journal.

This article is solely the work of the HSJ. For a full copy of the article please contact the library.

The number of GP practices paid to offer longer opening hours dropped sharply last year, an HSJ investigation has revealed. The fall was particularly steep in poorer areas.

 

Maternal obesity ‘linked to child autism risk’

Maternal obesity ‘linked to child autism risk’ – Health News – NHS Choices.

Conclusion

This case-control study has found an association between maternal metabolic conditions (diabetes, hypertension and obesity) during pregnancy and the chances of children having autism and developmental delays. These conditions were also associated with lower scores on several markers of development, particularly expressive language.

Due to the study design, this study can only show that metabolic conditions are associated with these outcomes. Case-control studies are useful for investigating rare conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder, as case-control studies start with people known to have the outcome, and therefore allow researchers to have sufficient number of patients to study in a meaningful way. However, case-control studies also have limitations. For example:

Nursing regulator ‘poorly organised and weak’

The body that regulates nurses and midwives in the UK is failing to carry out its duties due to institutional weakness, an interim review says.

via BBC News – Nursing regulator ‘poorly organised and weak’.

Interventions in sports settings to reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm: a systematic review protocol

Interventions in sports settings to reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm: a systematic review protocol — Kingsland et al. 2 (2) — BMJ Open.

An NHS Athens account may be required to view this in full.

 

 

Abstract

 

Introduction Alcohol consumption is a primary cause of physical, psychological and social harm to both the user and others. At both the professional and non-professional level, sports players and fans report consuming alcohol at greater levels than people not involved in sports. Limited systematic reviews have been conducted assessing interventions targeting alcohol consumption behaviour and related harms in the sporting context.

Dentists can help detect alcohol misuse, say surgeons

via Dentists can help detect alcohol misuse, say surgeons | BMJ.

An NHS Athens account may be required to view this in full.

Dental teams should be identifying alcohol misuse and educating patients on its negative health impact as part of their preventive approach that includes dental hygiene and smoking cessation, maxillofacial surgeons have suggested.

 

A web-based computer-tailored smoking prevention programme for primary school children: Intervention design and study protocol

BMC Public Health | Abstract | A web-based computer-tailored smoking prevention programme for primary school children: Intervention design and study protocol.

This article is available freely via Open Access. Please click on the above link to view it fully.

Abstract (provisional)

DH faces ‘significant’ accounts auditing problem

via DH faces ‘significant’ accounts auditing problem | News | Health Service Journal.

This article is solely the work of the HSJ. For a full copy of the article please contact the library.

The Department of Health could face problems with the auditing of its 2011-12 accounts unless potentially “significant” mismatches between the accounting of foundation trusts and commissioners are resolved.

 

Diabetes blood pressure control warning

Half of people with diabetes are failing to keep control of their blood pressure, risking “damaging” complications, figures suggest.

via BBC News – Diabetes blood pressure control warning.

Brighton acute chief to lead Public Health England

via Brighton acute chief to lead Public Health England | News | Health Service Journal.

This article is solely the work of the HSJ. For a full copy of the article please contact the library.

Duncan Selbie, chief executive of Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust, has been named as chief executive designate of Public Health England.