In the news w/e 01 March
Your media headlines roundup, week ending 01 March…
Highways England to investigate options for improving Essex stretch of M11 following concern about collisions
Saffron Walden Reporter – 22 Feb 2019
There have been at least six serious injury or fatal collisions on the Essex stretch of the M11 between Junction 7 and 8 since April last year. Read the full story.
NHS told to ditch ‘outdated’ pagers
BBC News – 23 Feb 2019
The NHS has been told to stop using pagers for communications by 2021, in order to save money. The health service still uses about 130,000 pagers, which is about 10% of the total left in use globally. Read the full story.
Supermarkets misleading shoppers on healthy food, say nutritionists
BBC News – 24 Feb 2019
The British Dietetic Association said stores including Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s were being “unhelpful” and “confusing” customers. The Royal Society for Public Health has called for an independent supermarket regulator. Read the full story.
Sex education: Menstrual health to be taught in school by 2020
BBC News – 25 Feb 2019
It will be compulsory to teach about periods at schools in England by 2020, which endometriosis sufferer Alice Smith calls “massive”. Read the full story.
Crisis at top CCG amid claims of bullying and ‘toxic’ culture
HSJ – 25 Feb 2019
Culture at Sheffield CCG described as “toxic” by former and current employees. NHS England commissioned an external review of the CCG which confirmed many of the concerns and identified widespread issues. Email for the full story.
Three trust mega-merger delayed by a year
HSJ – 26 Feb 2019
Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Southend University Hospital FT and Mid Essex Hospital Services Trust, which have combined revenues of around £850m, originally planned to merge by this April.
The trusts told HSJ the delay was partly caused by their clinical reorganisation, which has sparked some controversy, being referred to the health and social care secretary by local councils. Email for the full story.
District nurse apprenticeship standard approved
HSJ – 26 Feb 2019
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has approved the apprenticeship standard – a set of criteria of skills and attributes an apprentice will need to qualify – for an employer-funded route to a district nurse qualification. Email for the full story.
NHS child gender reassignment ‘too quick’
BBC News – 26 Feb 2019
England’s only NHS youth gender clinic is too quick to give children and young people gender reassignment treatment, a former governor has said. Read the full story.
Children ‘failed in first 1,000 days’, says MPs
BBC News – 26 Feb 2019
Families in England need more support in the early years to give children the best start in life, MPs say.” Read the full story.
Organ donor law named after Max and Keira set to pass in England
BBC News – 26 Feb 2019
Plans to change the rules on organ donation consent in England are set to clear their final hurdle in Parliament. The legislation will be known as Max and Keira’s Law after a boy who received a heart transplant and the girl who donated it. Read the full story.
This Girl Can Essex calls for women to join ambassadors programme
Epping Forest Guardian – 26 Feb 2019
A sports organisation is giving women and girls across the county the opportunity to become ambassadors and inspire others to get active. Applications are now open for the next wave of ambassadors for residents in Epping Forest, Harlow, Uttlesford and other Essex districts. Read the full story.
Brexit air freight costs ‘could be passed on to trusts’
HSJ – 27 Feb 2019
Medical air freight costs could be “passed on to hospitals” in the event of a no-deal Brexit, a royal college has reported after a briefing from government officials. Email for the full story.
NHS App can’t connect to any online GP suppliers
HSJ – 27 Feb 2019
The NHS App designed to be a digital “front door” for all NHS patients is unable to connect with any current providers of online GP consultations. A leaked NHS Digital briefing shows a survey of 32 online consultation suppliers such as Livi and Babylon Health, found none had the technology to integrate with the NHS App. Email for the full story.
PHE names new medical director
HSJ – 27 Feb 2019
Yvonne Doyle will take on the dual role having been PHE’s London regional director since the arms-length body was formed in 2013. Email for the full story.
Capita implicated amid delays moving patient records
HSJ – 27 Feb 2019
Medical record transfers from English GPs to Scotland are experiencing prolonged delays, with Capita’s troubled English GP admin service implicated by officials. Email for the full story.
GP staff taught self-defence amid patient violence fears
BBC News – 27 Feb 2019
More than 3,000 violent patients in England were barred from seeing their GP in 2018, figures obtained by the BBC have revealed. Read the full story.
Autism-anorexia link ‘must be acted on’
BBC News – 27 Feb 2019
Autistica said findings suggested one in five women presenting to UK clinics with anorexia may also have autism and tailored therapy was vital. Read the full story.
MOMO ‘CHALLENGE’ APPEARING IN FORTNITE AND PEPPA PIG YOUTUBE VIDEOS, PARENTS WARNED
Independent – 27 Feb 2019
Schools across the UK are warning parents that the online Momo “challenge” is being spliced into YouTube videos of Peppa Pig and Fornite. Read the full story.
Adolescent health: Teens ‘more depressed and sleeping less’
BBC Health – 28 Feb 2019
Adolescents are more likely to feel depressed and self-harm, and are less likely to get a full night’s sleep, than 10 years ago, a study suggests. Read the full story.
Border Force boosts staff numbers by 900 to deal with Brexit at Stansted Airport and other ports
Bishop Stortford Independent – 28 Feb 2019
Border Force has issued reassurances about its Brexit preparations for the border and immigration control at Stansted Airport. Read the full story.
Meet the new deputy chief constable of Essex Police
Saffron Walden Reporter – 27 Feb 2019
The new deputy chief constable of Essex Police says she’s “very proud” to take on the role, as she starts her first day in the job. Read the full story.
Directors asked to improve CQC’s tech and engagement
HSJ – 28 Feb 2019
Directors at the Care Quality Commission have been tasked with improving staff engagement after the regulator was given mixed results in a staff survey. Email for the full story.
Almost half of GPs plan to quit NHS within five years amid criticism of Skype consultations
The Telegraph – 28 Feb 2019
Research by the University of Warwick suggests the number of family doctors intending to retire or leave the health service has risen by almost a third since 2014. Read the full story.
Health minister: NHS must lead the world in genomic healthcare
Gov.UK – 27 Feb 2019
The government will today announce a new National Genomic Healthcare Strategy to ensure the UK is able to offer a predictive, preventative and personalised health and care service for people with rare diseases. Read the full story.
Capita criticised for slow transfer of NHS patient records
Consultancy.uk – 28 Feb 2019
One large beneficiary of this trend has been Capita, which, among other contracts, recently won a five-year role worth £5.7 million with Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT). The deal will see EPUT move to the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN), a new data network designed to replace the NHS’ legacy N3 model. Read the full story.
Backing for Uttlesford District Council’s £100m investment plan despite fears over risk to public purse
Saffron Walden -28 Feb 2019
The £100million loan that Uttlesford District Council (UDC) intends to take out for property investment exposes residents to an “unacceptable financial risk that could more than double future Council Tax bills”, councillors have said. Read the full story.
Quick pregnancy safe after stillbirth, study finds
BBC Health – 28 Feb 2019
Although women are often told to wait for a year before getting pregnant again, there is little evidence to back up this advice. Read the full story.
Weekend lie-ins ‘do not make up for sleep deprivation’
BBC Health – 28 Feb 2019
Researchers took two groups of healthy people and limited their sleep to no more than five hours a night. Read the full story.
NHS hires new HR chief from UN
HSJ – 28 Feb 2019
NHS Improvement has appointed a director at the United Nations World Food Programme as its new chief people officer, it has been revealed. Email for the full story.
NHS England and Improvement seek full merger
HSJ – 28 Feb 2019
A raft of new measures to “improve collaboration” across the health service have been announced by NHS England and NHS Improvement, including a request from the two bodies for permission to merge. Email for the full story.
