The former boss of a hospital which is being investigated over high death rates has told MPs there was a culture of “sheer bullying” in the NHS
via BBC News – NHS whistleblower Gary Walker ‘faced bullying culture’.
Introducing a cap on elderly care costs could leave councils open to a “deluge of disputes and legal challenges”, MPs and peers are warning.
The government will bring forward its overhaul of the pension system and social care funding by a year, the chancellor has announced.
via BBC News – Social care cost cap and flat-tier pension brought forward.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has backed a report calling on health professionals to tackle the social and economic causes of ill health – not just the medical.
via BBC News – NHS told to do more to ‘reduce health inequalities’.
The health and care system in England is “struggling” to look after people with dementia, according to the regulator.
via BBC News – Health and care system ‘struggling with dementia’.
Smoking in Britain has more than halved and people are drinking on fewer nights of the week, according to a snapshot survey covering the past 40 years.
The number of people aged under 35 using heroin and crack in England is “plummeting”, research suggests.
via BBC News – Heroin and crack use falling says National Treatment Agency.
The UK needs a “call to action” to tackle ill health says England Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt after a major study has found that Britain has fallen behind many Western countries on progress in managing preventable diseases.
Five big killers – heart disease, stroke, cancer, lung and liver disease – account for more than 150,000 deaths a year among under-75s in England alone and the Department of Health estimates 30,000 of these are entirely avoidable.
via BBC News – Unhealthy Britain: nation’s five big killers.
The UK is lagging behind progress by similar countries on many indicators for ill-health, research suggests.
via BBC News – UK 'fares badly in European health league table'.
A charity motorbike breast milk delivery service has been launched to help premature babies.
via BBC News – Breast milk delivery launched by Midland blood bikes.
Exposing more of the NHS to private competition could cause a “dangerous” fragmentation of health services in England , the chairman of the Academy of Royal Medical Colleges has said.
via BBC News – NHS ‘privatisation’ reform ‘could place people in danger’.
The number of people catching whooping cough continues to fall in England and Wales, official figures show.
Opening most of the NHS in England to private firms could alienate doctors and render the reforms “a complete waste of time”, a GP who helped draft the plans has warned.
To make provision about children, families, and people with special educational needs; to make provision about the right to request flexible working; and for connected purposes
Level of excess drinking of alcohol ‘is underestimated’
via BBC News – Level of excess drinking of alcohol ‘is underestimated’.
The full report can be accessed by clicking here: http://oxfordindex.oup.com/view/10.1093/eurpub
More than 320,000 of the 400,000 people living in care homes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland now have dementia or severe memory problems, the Alzheimer’s Society charity estimates.
via BBC News – Dementia ‘affects 80% of care home residents’.
The report from the Alzheimer’s Society can be viewed in full by clicking here: http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/lowexpectations
A run of poor sleep can have a potentially profound effect on the internal workings of the human body, say UK researchers.
Contracts to be signed by parents pledging not to give their children alcohol are being considered by authorities in Brighton and Hove.
via BBC News – Brighton and Hove considers anti-child drinking contracts.
Fizzy drinks should be heavily taxed and junk food adverts banished until after the television watershed, doctors have said, in a call for action over obesity.
via BBC News – Tax fizzy drinks and ban junk food ads, say doctors.
Save The Children says that more than 800,000 children could be saved each year if mothers breastfed immediately after birth.
Short cooking classes can have a long-term impact on healthy eating, a study suggests.
Thousands of carers in England, Wales and Scotland are set to lose benefits when new disability-claim rules start.
The number of people using e-cigarettes in the UK is expected to reach a million this year but but while some believe the electronic alternative to tobacco could help save hundreds of thousands of lives others think they normalise what looks like smoking and may be unsafe.
Measles cases in England and Wales have risen to 2,016 in 2012, the highest annual total for 18 years, says the Health Protection Agency.
Collated stories, opinions & reports surrounding The Francis Report. Please contact Bolton’s Health Matters for full access
Obesity can lower vitamin D levels in the body, a study suggests.
via BBC News – Study finds obesity can ‘lead to lack of vitamin D’.
At least 13,000 premature deaths from cancer could be prevented each year in the UK, says the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).
Midwives may be asked to routinely raise the subject of female genital mutilation with women from communities where it is known to take place, the Department of Health has indicated.
via BBC News – Midwife ‘role’ as NHS targets female genital mutilation.
A resurgence of risky sexual practice could be behind a failure to curb HIV in gay and bisexual men in England and Wales, researchers suggest.
via BBC News – HIV levels in gay men ‘not falling’.
You can view the abstract of the original research by clicking here
Leading medical bodies are calling for a 20p-per-litre levy on soft drinks to be included in this year’s Budget
