mrhf's blog

'Concerns have been raised about a new website that lets people post their thoughts on care providers in England.

The Good Care Guide aims to give relatives a place to go to share their views on the service they have received from care homes and nurseries.

Government watchdogs helped develop the scheme but critics say firms could be put out of business if damaging posts are published.

Its backers say it will provide "real, honest feedback on what is available".'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17084680

http://www.goodcareguide.co.uk/

"An estimated 1.3 million diabetes patients are missing out on vital and potentially life-saving health checks"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17014480

"...the National Diabetes Audit for England shows scores of trusts are failing to give all nine tests to even half their diabetes patients and some are testing fewer than 10%"

http://www.ic.nhs.uk/webfiles/Services/NCASP/Diabetes/200910%20annual%20...

'The editors of the British Medical Journal, the Health Service Journal and the Nursing Times say the Health and Social Care Hill is so badly thought out that it will leave "an unstable system that is only partially fit for purpose".'

'In a separate piece in the BMJ, Kieran Walshe, professor of health policy at Manchester Business School, calculates that scrapping the Bill would save "just over £1 billion in 2013." '

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9049420/More-NHS-reform-in-...

'Women who have diabetes are almost four times more likely to have a baby with a birth defect, research reveals.

'One out of 13 mothers-to-be with either Type 1 or Type 2 of the disease on giving birth have a child with a major congenital abnormality as a direct result of their condition. Overall for such women, the risk of having a child with a birth defect of whatever kind is 7%, according to the journal Diabetologia. The risk of having a baby who has a birth defect is 2% in females without diabetes.'

"Councils will be able to get extra funding to encourage breast-feeding and combat child tooth decay as part of a government plan for local authorities to take a greater role in improving public health.

In a public health framework to be outlined on Monday by the health secretary, Andrew Lansley, local authorities will be alloted more than £2bn for the role. Councils that get the best results across 60 factors influencing health will be awarded extra funds under a so-called "health premium" incentive scheme."

'Labour is to step up its campaign to block the government health reforms, accusing the government of allowing NHS hospitals to devote half their beds, appointments and car park spaces to the treatment of private patients.

...Speaking ahead of a Commons debate on Monday, Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, said: "David Cameron's plan opens the door to an explosion of private work in NHS facilities, meaning longer waits for NHS patients and a two-tier health service in England."

...leaked emails on the Liberal Democrat internal noticeboard show disquiet.

Research Project: The Development of a Referral Decision Screening Tool to Allow the Early Identification of Mental Health Problems for People in Police Custody

Offender Health Research Network are currently looking for service users to get involved in the project who have mental health issues and have been in contact with the police.

One of England's biggest hospital trusts has been accused of "institutionalised racism" after a senior manager it sacked won almost £1m in damages for racial discrimination and unfair dismissal.

Elliot Browne secured the compensation from Central Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust after an employment tribunal ruled he faced "persistent discrimination" and "an intimidating environment" before the trust suspended him when he complained and then ended his 34-year NHS career.

The NHS Future Forum has given its second set of reports to Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in which it sets out a series of recommendations to improve the quality of patient care and achieve better outcomes.

http://healthandcare.dh.gov.uk/forum-report/

Over four months the Forum listened to more than 12,000 people and attended more than 300 events. In this phase, the Forum set out to listen to more patients and carers and sought more input from local authorities, housing and social care providers.

"An early clinical trial of a hepatitis C vaccine has shown "promising" results, according to researchers at Oxford University.

Designing a vaccine has been difficult as the virus changes its appearance, making it hard to find something to target.

Writing in Science Translational Medicine, researchers say their trial on 41 patients shows it is possible.

The Hepatitis C Trust said the findings were very promising."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16415225