In the news

Your media headlines roundup, week ending 14 December…

Restaurant dishes ‘contain more calories than fast-food meals’
BBC News – 13 Dec 2018
The calorie content of meals in UK restaurants is “excessive” and sit-down restaurants are unhealthier than fast-food chains, BMJ research suggests. Read the full story.

Regulators target £700m saving from ‘obsolescent’ outpatients
HSJ – 13 Dec 2018
NHS bosses have identified £700m of potential savings in outpatient services as part of an overhaul of the £10bn workstream. Email for the full story.

Organ donors to be asked if they are religious
BBC News – 13 Dec 2018
People who join the NHS’s UK organ donation register are to be asked if they want their religious beliefs to be considered in the donation process. Read the full story.

Ambulance vandalism: Bins and scooters used in attacks
BBC News – 13 Dec 2018
Fireworks, wheelie bins, knives and scooters have all been used to attack ambulances and rapid response vehicles in the past three years, a BBC freedom of information request has found. Read the full story.

Hospitals ‘overcrowding risk’ ahead of Christmas
BBC News – 13 Dec 2018
Hospitals in England are so overcrowded ahead of Christmas care is being put at risk, experts say, with some places having to turn away ambulances because they cannot accept any more patients. Read the full story.

Regulator tells trusts to set diversity targets
HSJ – 13 Dec 2018
NHS organisations will be required to set their own targets for black and minority ethnic representation across leadership teams and the broader workforce as part of NHS Improvement’s new workforce equality strategy. Email for the full story.

Lack of evidence for teething gels, medicines regulator says
BBC News – 13 Dec 2018
There is little evidence teething gels containing an anaesthetic are effective at easing pain, the medicines regulator has said. Read the full story.

An insight into the shifts in influence of NHS leadership
HSJ – 13 Dec 2018
The 2018 HSJ100 gives a sense of the sometimes delicate, sometimes dramatic shifts in influence at the upper echelons of the NHS, says David Hancock. Email for the full story.

Controversial cash bonus scheme ramped up by NHSI
HSJ – 12 Dec 2018
A controversial incentive scheme for NHS trusts to improve their financial performance has been ramped up by regulators, HSJ has learned. Email for the full story.

Teenage victims ‘more likely to self-harm’
BBC News – 12 Dec 2018
Teenagers who are victims of neglect, bullying, crime, family violence and sexual exploitation are more likely to self-harm and have suicidal thoughts, a study from King’s College London finds. Read the full story.

Generic drug prices ‘surging’ again as Brexit looms
HSJ – 12 Dec 2018
The prices of certain generic drugs are “seeing another surge” which could have a significant impact on the finances of NHS commissioners, a pharmacy body has warned. Email for the full story.

‘Catastrophic’ funding gap could pause district nurse supply for a year
HSJ – 12 Dec 2018
The supply of district nurses coming into the NHS could drop to zero in 2021 unless the government provides additional funding, it has emerged. Email for the full story.

Harlow’s Princess Alexandra Hospital given £9.5 million of funding for more beds
Essex Live – 11 Dec 2018
Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow has been awarded £9.5 million of government funding to provide additional beds for patients as part of a billion pound investment in the NHS announced across the country. Read the full story.

Seven regional directors named by NHSE and Improvement
HSJ – 11 Dec 2018
The joint directors of the new NHS England and Improvement regional teams have been confirmed by the system managers. They include three former hospital chief executives and an ex-Department of Health director general. Email for the full story.

Cervical screening error: More women affected
BBC News – 11 Dec 2018
An additional 3,591 women have not received information about NHS cervical cancer screening, it has emerged. Read the full story.

Minister seeks assurance from Google over NHS patient data
HSJ – 11 Dec 2018
The government has sought a “full explanation” for why an app developed using NHS patient data has been transferred to tech giant Google, where it will receive less independent oversight. Email for the full story.

Chief targets 2023 to open region’s first children’s hospital
HSJ – 11 Dec 2018
Ministers allocate £100m for new East of England specialist children’s hospital. Email for the full story.

Major incident as hospital waste collections halted
HSJ – 11 Dec 2018
Dozens of trusts enact emergency plans after contractor stops collecting clinical waste. Email for the full story.

Puzzle solving ‘won’t stop mental decline’
BBC News – 11 Dec 2018
Doing crossword puzzles and Sudoku does not protect against mental decline, according to a new study. Read the full story.

Child advice chatbots fail to spot sexual abuse
BBC News – 11 Dec 2018
Two mental health chatbot apps have required updates after struggling to handle reports of child sexual abuse. Read the full story.

Troubled trust appoints fifth CEO in five years
HSJ – 11 Dec 2018
A financially troubled Hertfordshire trust has appointed its fifth leader in five years. Email for the full story.

Hancock debates digital’s role in primary care
HSJ – 10 Dec 2018
Making greater use of digital technology in primary care is a top priority for health and social care secretary Matt Hancock – and something a lot of GPs would love to see happen. Email for the full story.

Most CCGs failing to provide learning disability crisis support
HSJ – 10 Dec 2018
No crisis support services for autism and learning disability patients in more than half of CCG areas. Email for the full story.