In the news w/e 30 August

Your media headlines roundup, week ending 30 August …

St Clare Hospice’s popular ‘Bereavement Cafe’ meet-ups to expand
Epping Forest Guardian – 23 August 2019
Following overwhelming support and feedback, the charity will open new cafés in Abridge, Theydon Bois and Harlow this October, making 10 branches available. Read the full story.

CCG leads way with latest electronic prescription upgrade live in all GP practices
NHS Digital – 23 August 2019
Portsmouth has become the first area in the country where prescriptions for all patients can be sent electronically. Read the full story.

An optimistic outlook ‘means you live longer’
BBC News – 27 August 2019
Positive people were more likely to live to the age of 85 or more, a study has found. The theory is that optimists may find it easier to control emotions and so be protected from the effects of stress. Read the full story.

Does buying rounds make us drink more?
Epping Forest Guardian – 24 August 2019
A third (31%) of drinkers in the East of England drink more than they intended because they were encouraged by others, reveals a new study by independent alcohol education charity, Drinkaware. Read the full story.

HRT: Medical leaders demand government action over shortages
BBC News – 24 August 2019
Medical profession leaders have called for an urgent meeting with government officials to discuss ongoing shortages of hormone replacement therapy. Read the full story.

Stansted Airport plans delay ‘puts jobs growth at risk’
BBC News – 23 August 2019
Thousands of jobs could be put in jeopardy by a new delay to plans to expand passenger numbers at a major airport, a tourism board, Visit East of England has said. Read the full story. (Also reported on Essex Live and Braintree and Witham Times)

Ministers OK overwhelming majority of £150k plus pay requests
HSJ – 27 August 2019
Health ministers rubber stamped the pay of 65 senior NHS executives last year, HSJ has learned. Email for the full story.

Why red wine could be good for your gut – in moderation
BBC News – 28 August 2019
Red wine could be good for the gut, increasing the number of different types of helpful bacteria that can live there, according to researchers. Read the full story.

Harlow is the worst area for new build premiums
Mortgage Introducer – 28 August 2019
Harlow in Essex is the worst area buyers pay new build premiums compared to traditional housing, estate agent Springbok Properties has found. Read the full story.

HEE medical director: New junior doctors feel unprepared for work
HSJ – 27 August 2019
More needs to be done to help junior doctors prepare for their work in the NHS, according to Health Education England’s medical director. Email for the full story.

Shayne Ward talks about impact of male ‘banter’ on mental health
Epping Forest Guardian – 27 August 2019
Shayne Ward has warned “banter” has an impact on male mental health behind closed doors. Read the full story.

Surgeons save hand severed by electric saw
BBC News – 27 August 2019
A carpenter whose hand was left hanging by skin and bone after a horrific accident with an electric saw has had it successfully reattached by surgeons. Read the full story. 

NHS managers most likely to say stress, anxiety and depression caused sick leave
29 August 2019
NHS managers are most likely to cite stress, anxiety and depression as the cause of their sickness absence, according to the latest NHS data. Email for the full story.

NHS faces legal action from ‘abandoned’ IV feed patients
29 August 2019
The NHS and the national medical regulator could face legal action over the shortage of intravenous feed supplies for hundreds of UK patients, HSJ has learned. Email for the full story.

Pinterest to direct vaccine searches to health sites
BBC News – 29 August 2019
Pinterest users searching for vaccine-related information will be directed to results from “public health organisations”. Read the full story.

Measles: Four European nations lose eradication status
BBC News – 29 August 2019
Measles has returned to four European nations previously seen as free of the illness, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Read the full story.

Billion fewer cigarettes smoked in England a year
BBC News – 28 August 2019
The number of cigarettes smoked each year in England has fallen by more than a billion, according to analysis by Cancer Research UK. Read the full story.

Hertfordshire NHS trust through to finals of national mental health awards
Royston Crow – 27 August 2019
The Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health and learning difficulty services in the county, has been shortlisted for three national awards. Read the full story.

Strep A: Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning group fears another person has contracted infection
Braintree and Witham Times – 29 August 2019
Health bosses say they have been informed of a new probable case of invasive group A streptococcus which has so far affected 24 people and killed a further 13 since February. Read the full story.

No-deal Brexit: Flu vaccine delays ‘likely’
BBC News – 29 August 2019
Doctors and NHS leaders have warned the EU departure date coincides with the winter season in a way that creates “a perfect storm for the NHS”. Read the full story.

NHSE plans ‘unworkable’, says Babylon
HSJ 30 August 2019
Proposed rule changes to the provision of video GP appointments would have “unworkable practical and administrative implications” on digital primary care services, Babylon GP at Hand has said. Email for the full story.

Voluntary Action Epping Forest receives £18,000 worth of donations
Epping Forest Guardian – 29 August 2019
Voluntary Action Epping Forest (VAEF), based in Thornwood, helps some of Epping Forest’s most vulnerable residents with their health and wellbeing. Read the full story.

Care services ‘at risk’ as funding doubts grow
BBC News – 29 August 2019
Local government leaders warn they will have to start scrapping services within weeks unless extra money arrives in next week’s government spending plans. Nearly £2.4bn of the £16.6bn set aside this year for services for the elderly and disabled comes from the three short-term funds. Read the full story.