In the news w/e 31 May

Your media headlines roundup, week ending 31 May…

Princess Alexandra Hospital cleaners set dates for strikes after 99% vote back action
Bishops Stortford Independent – 27 May 2019
They will walk out for 24 hours on Thursday, June 6, the date of the next meeting of the PAH board. Read the full story.

Girl who suffered brain damage as a baby after failing at Princess Alexandra Hospital is awarded £4 million
Essex Live – 27 May 2019
The girl, suffered the injuries in September 2003 after a doctor in the A&E department at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow breached her duty of care to the child. Read the full story.

 Whorlton Hall: Ten arrested over abuse allegations
BBC News – 24 May 2019
Ten workers have been arrested over the alleged abuse of patients with learning difficulties at a specialist hospital. Undercover filming by BBC Panorama at Whorlton Hall in County Durham appeared to show patients being mocked, intimidated and restrained. Read the full story.

‘Ageing estate’ prompts review at specialist centre
HSJ – 28 May 2019
NHS England will review a Hertfordshire cancer centre (Mount Vernon Hospital) amid concerns over the services’ “long-term sustainability”. The service is managed by East and North Hertfordshire Trust, while The Hillingdon Hospitals Foundation Trust manages the estate. Email for the full story.

Medical watchdog warning over ‘consultant leadership’
HSJ – 24 May 2019
The General Medical Council has raised serious concerns about the quality of training at a major London teaching trust. The watchdog has raised several issues with Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust’s acute and internal medicine department. Email for the full story.

Trust in talks over running five GP practices
HSJ – 28 May 2019
St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals Trust hopes to be running five more surgeries within two years, having already taken over one practice. The model involves GPs voluntarily giving up their NHS England contracts and becoming substantive employees of the trust, along with other practice staff. Email for the full story.

Poor planning and resourcing delaying screening innovations
HSJ – 24 May 2019
The interim report from former national cancer director Sir Mike Richards’ ongoing review of cancer screening warned the process for approving new techniques was beset with “poor planning and resourcing leading up to, during and after the decision to progress has been made”. Email for the full story.

NHSI efficiency chief joins Deloitte seven months after £400,000 contract award
HSJ – 29 May 2019
A senior manager working in NHS Improvement’s efficiency team will become a director at Deloitte, seven months after he was part of a panel that awarded a contract to the firm for help on a major shake-up of NHS procurement. Email for the full story.

Reports round up: Delivery drivers strike over pay and hours
Socialist Worker – 28 May 2019
Support staff at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex, plan to strike on Thursday of next week. Read the full story.

CCG managers allowed to keep £200,000 pay-offs
HSJ – 28 May 2019
Two clinical commissioning group managers who were given redundancy packages in excess of the £160,000 maximum have been allowed to keep their pay-offs, HSJ can reveal. Email for the full story.

Views sought on firm’s care home plan for village
Saffron Walden Reporter – 28 May 2019
A developer has unveiled plans for a new 75-bed care home in Stansted Mountfitchet. Read the full story.

Fertility paradox in male beauty quest
BBC News – 28 May 2019
Scientists have uncovered an evolutionary paradox where men damage their ability to have children during efforts to make themselves look more attractive. Read the full story.

PIP breast implant scandal: Victims visited by bailiffs
BBC News – 28 May 2019
Women given faulty breast implants fear thousands of them may have to pay back compensation after visits by bailiffs warning them of legal proceedings. Read the full story.

Mumps – is it the forgotten disease?
BBC News – 25 May 2019
There has been a sharp increase in cases of mumps this year in England – but the viral illness which can cause swollen glands (and, more rarely, testes) has been around for a very long time. Read the full story.

NHSE seeks 19 clinical directors
HSJ – 30 May 2019
NHS England and NHS Improvement have advertised all national clinical director and adviser posts as part of their effective merger. Email for the full story.

Health and care experts share top job to shape services in Herts and west Essex
Bishop Stortford Independent – 29 May 2019
Plans for an integrated health and care system for Bishop’s Stortford and beyond are to be spearheaded by two experts in a job-share.  Read the full story.

Steam locomotive 4270 to visit the Epping Ongar Railway
Rail Advent – 29 May 2019
The Epping Ongar Railway has announced that GWR tank, 4270, will be visiting them for their upcoming steam gala. No. 4270 was built in 1919. The locomotive spent most of its working life based near Cardiff. Excellent traction was had by these locomotives thanks to their 8 driving wheels and two leading wheels.  Read the full story.

Hopes that surgery will help Essex teenager with rare form of motor neurone to walk unaided – family in appeal for funds
Saffron Walden Reporter – 29 May 2019
A teenager living with a wasting disease, a rare form of motor neurone, has received news that surgery might give her extra time before the illness puts her in a wheelchair. Read the full story.

Children experiencing race hate-crime in Essex almost doubles NSPCC investigation reveals
Epping Forest Guardian  – 30 May 2019
Race hate crimes against children in Essex have reached a three-year record high, rising by 45% an NSPCC investigation has found. In total, 141 offences were flagged by Essex Police across the UK in 2017/18, up from 97 in 2015/16. Read the full story.

GM fungus rapidly kills 99% of malaria mosquitoes, study suggests
BBC News – 31 May 2019
A fungus – genetically enhanced to produce spider toxin – can rapidly kill huge numbers of the mosquitoes that spread malaria, a study suggests. Read the full story.

Exclusive: NHS IT strategy plagued by ‘unrealistic’ expectations
HSJ – 31 May 2019
The national strategy for improving trusts’ IT systems has been plagued by unrealistic targets, conflicting policy priorities and funding given to the wrong places, the Nuffield Trust has said. Email for the full story.

Chief medical officer considers recommending tax on unhealthy food
BBC News – 30 May 2019
England’s chief medical officer says she is considering recommending a tax on unhealthy food to persuade parents to buy more fresh fruit and vegetables. Read the full story.

NHS 111 calls closed in error could have harmed patients
HSJ – 30 May 2019
Two patients may have suffered harm after almost 30 NHS 111 calls were not passed onto the 999 service, despite being triaged as needing an ambulance. Email for the full story.

Ultra-processed food linked to early death
BBC News – 30 May 2019
Ultra-processed foods – such as chicken nuggets, ice cream and breakfast cereals – have been linked to early death and poor health, scientists say. Read the full story.

Trusts invited to increase ownership of their estate
HSJ – 30 May 2019
Trusts have been invited to apply for ownership of buildings on their estate which are currently owned by NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships. Email for the full story.

Private firms banned from ‘lead provider’ role
HSJ – 30 May 2019
National leaders have banned private firms from leading new models of care for specialised mental health – following criticism of their involvement. Email for the full story.