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Search results for "nhs"
519 records
found from year 2006
| View search results from other years: 2005 2004 |
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| Tuesday, 18 July 2006 10:10 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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According to the first ever official survey over 28,000 people are waiting for their initial appointment with a physiotherapist in Scotland.
The unprecedented investigation found patients can face delays of up to a year for their first treatment session.
Lewis Macdonald, Deputy Health Minister, called for health boards to examine therapy services in light of the information and drive waiting times down.
Kenryck Lloyd-Jones, policy officer in Scotland for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: "We're concerned patients might be waiting for such periods before seeing a physiotherapist. Early intervention is so often essential in restoring function. We want progress to address patient need”.
Hundreds of physiotherapy students and graduates from across the UK are expected to gather in London today to protest at the lack of NHS jobs for newly qualified staff.
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| Tuesday, 18 July 2006 09:48 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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The use of the drug donepezil for Alzheimer's disease is to be limited by the NHS, although it has been shown to slow down shrinking of the brain.
In a study, the drug donepezil did more than relieve symptoms in patients with mild mental impairment - it also had an effect on the size of the brain. But under draft proposals from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), it could be limited to those with moderate Alzheimer's and not available to those with milder symptoms.
In Scotland, the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network recommends using the drugs at all stages of illness. But there are fears that once the NICE guidelines are finalised, they will also be adopted in Scotland and patients will no longer have access to them.
The latest study used MRI scans to measure brain shrinkage in 131 patients with mild cognitive impairment - some were given donepezil and others a dummy drug.
The study found that patients who were carriers of certain genes linked to cholesterol metabolism, the use of the drug resulted in slower shrinking of the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is the key to memory.
Dr Clifford Jack, of the Mayo Clinic in the United States, said: "Our study results seem to imply that donepezil does more than provide symptom relief - it has an effect on a measure of brain health”.
Kate Fearnley, the policy director of Alzheimer Scotland, said: "This research is further evidence of why NICE's recommendation to delay treatment until people have moderate Alzheimer's is fundamentally flawed.
"Although it's a small study, it is in tune with other research which shows the brain changes of Alzheimer's disease may start years before diagnosis”.
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| Tuesday, 18 July 2006 08:12 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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Bishop Auckland General Hospital has apologised after Derek Atkinson, 56, from County Durham, who suffered a burnt toe, ended up having his lower leg amputated.
Derek, who has diabetes, burned his big toe on a hot-water bottle in 2001. He said he had seen a consultant at the hospital five times for treatment.
After two weeks the former teacher was in so much pain that he called his GP, who diagnosed gangrene. The big toe on his left foot was removed and days later his left leg was amputated below the knee.
Mr Atkinson told the Northern Echo: "I saw the consultant five times but all he seemed to do was take swabs, give me antibiotics, bandage it and rebandage it”.
A report from the independent parliamentary and health service ombudsman criticised the care Mr Atkinson received. A spokesman for the Co Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS trust said: "We have received the ombudsman's report and have written to Mr Atkinson to apologise. We have introduced new guidelines for the management of diabetic patients with foot problems in our accident and emergency departments.
"We believe that these greatly reduce the chance of a similar problem occurring”.
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| Monday, 17 July 2006 09:34 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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Reform an independent, non-party think tank whose mission is to set out a better way to deliver public services and economic prosperity, claims that the NHS wastes cash on big hospital building projects while freezing spending on small schemes.
The Reform think-tank said the reliance on private finance initiative (PFI) projects - more than £18bn is earmarked up to 2014 - was misguided.
The centre-right group said smaller health centres should be funded, but capital budgets were not being spent.
The Government said all PFIs - built using private cash, but paid for over time by the NHS - were being reviewed.
Report author Nick Bosanquet said NHS trusts were being paralysed by the fear of the deficits, which was depriving the health service of the kind of spending it needed.
"Large hospital buildings schemes are only appropriate in certain situations.
"In effect the NHS should move to a system which could fund investment of various sizes from £5m to £30m”.
He even suggested the NHS could rent property as it was "unnecessary and inefficient for the NHS to own so much capital" and added it should be left to local managers to identify more manageable schemes in the future.
Andrew Lloyd-Kendall, policy manager at the NHS Confederation, said the NHS needed to think very carefully about whether PFI builds were needed.
"PFI is a very important tool for bringing hospital facilities up to date. Although the direction of travel is increasingly towards care in community settings there is still a need for hospitals”.
And Paul Miller, chairman of the British Medical Association's consultants committee, added: "We have been asking for a while if PFI is necessary, I am not convinced on the whole they are”.
But a Department of Health spokesman said all PFI schemes were being reappraised to see if they offered "value for money" and were "needed" in the changing climate.
Health Minister Andy Burnham said: "We have asked all trusts taking forward a major PFI scheme to undertake a review to ensure every penny of extra investment in new NHS hospitals is spent wisely and options taken forward locally are in patients' best long-term interests”.
He also pointed out money was being invested in primary care facilities through the LIFT scheme - the equivalent of PFI for community services.
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| Monday, 17 July 2006 08:58 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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A report by The Public Service Ombudsman for Wales, has revealed that three patients (known as A, B, C,) suffered heart and breathing problems during minor surgery after being given an unlicensed drug preparation.
The three men underwent nasal surgery at Ysbyty Gwynedd hospital. Each of the procedure was described as routine minor operations and all three patients expected to leave hospital that same day.
All three patients, in preparation for the operation were administered a drug preparation which included cocaine and was known as Moffett’s Solution. Immediately after her operation the first patient experienced severe respiratory and cardiac problems.
The second patient also suffered similar problems which required his transfer to intensive care. The third patient also experienced similar albeit less severe problems.
A number of other patients who also underwent surgery on the same day in the same theatre using the same anaesthetic parameters but without being administered Moffett’s solution; these patients did not experience any adverse reactions.
The Public Service Ombudsman upheld complaints by all three patients about the problems in April 2003.
North West Wales NHS Trust said it was taking professional advice and would discuss the report with the ombudsman.
The ombudsman criticised the response by the North West Wales NHS Trust, which runs Ysbyty Gwynedd, which did not provide a formal response to the patients' complaints until November 2003.
Despite further representations from two patients, the trust remained unable to provide them with an explanation for their reactions.
Dr Rick Greville, director of the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries, told BBC Wales it was not unknown for unlicensed drugs to be used to treat patients.
"The responsibility of usage of medicines sits with the doctor so if the doctor is sufficiently experienced with medicines that aren't licensed for that type of patient, the medic concerned would perhaps prescribe that medicine," he said.
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| Monday, 17 July 2006 08:38 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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Richard Fleming and Paul Mitchell two doctors are quitting their NHS jobs to set up Scotland's first standalone private fertility clinic.
Women, including those up to 45 years old and the overweight, will pay £3000 for one cycle of treatment at the Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicine.
But the Scotland Patients Association said the news was "totally unacceptable”.
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| Sunday, 16 July 2006 09:16 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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Researchers at the University of Aberdeen are developing a revolutionary testing device to cut the time taken to diagnose autism in children.
The scientists believe their computer-based system will save parents months, even years, of waiting on the NHS for help.
The time taken for a diagnosis in Scotland varies from between six months and three years, according to support groups. However, Dr Mark Mon-Williams and colleague Dr Justin Williams believe their device could diagnose, or rule out, autism in an hour.
The scientists have been given a £178,000 grant by Scottish Enterprise to prove their test works. It could then be marketed commercially.
Dr Williams said: "At the moment, the tests are crude and can involve anything from bouncing a ball or weaving a shoelace through a hole to test co-ordination. An assessment of motor skills by an occupational therapist can take about three hours. Our machine could probably do it in about an hour”.
The machine involves taking computer-based measurements, which track children's movement and reactions to certain stimuli. About 60 patients have been involved in a trial.
Dr Williams said: "Different movement paths, especially jerky or erratic patterns, can indicate brain disorders such as ADHD and autism”.
Dr Mon-Williams added: "There is a lot of criticism of testing at the moment. A lot of the tests are repetitive, involve a lot of people, and they are expensive and time-consuming.
"We believe this is a relatively low-cost solution for the health service, as it will free up clinician and occupational therapist time”.
John McDonald, chair of the Scottish Society for Autism said: "There is a long way to go, but anything that can make a positive contribution to reducing the time taken for a diagnosis, and the distress caused to parents, should be supported”.
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| Sunday, 16 July 2006 08:52 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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New figures obtained by the newspaper the Sunday Herald shows that Scotland’s top doctors are earning salaries of almost a quarter of a million pounds a year.
The figures, obtained under freedom of information, show that in Lanarkshire, the five highest-earning consultants were paid between £200,000 and £225,000. In Glasgow, the biggest salary was £217,996, and in the Borders it was £200,000.
Shona Robison, SNP health spokeswoman, said: “For the money being paid to consultants, it is absolutely necessary for the public to know what improvements have been made to patient care. This [contract] was sold on the basis of great improvements to productivity and seeing more patients, and there is no evidence of that whatsoever”.
Margaret Davidson, chief executive of the Scotland Patients’ Association, raised concerns that cash was being diverted from other areas to fund the “extremely high” salaries. “Can they [health boards] afford these salaries?” she said. “If they can’t, it will be coming from patient services and patients will be affected”.
However, Tory health spokeswoman Nanette Milne acknowledged the contract was costing more than expected, but added: “I think for many years medical and consultant staffs were, relatively speaking, underpaid when you compare them to the equivalent in industry”.
Doctors’ leaders pointed out that the average consultant started on £70,000, and did not earn such large sums. Dr Peter Bennie, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association’s Scottish consultants committee, said that the higher salaries were due to bonuses, rather than the new contract. He added: “Salaries in the region of £200,000 are limited to a very small number of doctors at the top end of the salary scale who, in addition, have received the highest level of award for outstanding work.”
He also said that the new contract would take time to bed in and early criticisms were “not particularly helpful”.
“The increased expenditure on consultants’ salaries is recognition of our working hours and commitment to NHS Scotland. But even now, most consultants are still doing unpaid work”.
An Executive spokesman would not comment on specific salaries, but said the contract was being used to help improve services, such as waiting times. He added: “The contract is a once-in-a- generation fundamental shift in the way the work of the consultant is governed”.
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| Saturday, 15 July 2006 10:27 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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Under a radical overhaul of regulation doctors will face "MoTs" every five years to make sure they are still fit to do their job, as part of proposals set out in the wake of the Shipman murders.
The UK's Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, said a more robust testing process to determine if doctors should stay on the medical register would increase public confidence.
Yesterday, Sir Liam said his main concern was patient safety and he said there must be "a robust revalidation process".
"At present, a senior doctor can go through a 30-year career without undergoing a single assessment of their fitness to practise, whereas an airline pilot would face over 100 checks over a similar timescale," he said.
Under the proposals, out for consultation until November, the revalidation process would have two components.
The first, covering all doctors, would mean general five-yearly checks on performance before they are relicensed.
In addition, specialists like GPs and consultants would have to be re-certified in their particular speciality, with tests set by the relevant Royal College.
As well as five-yearly revalidation, Sir Liam also said that employers' annual appraisals of doctors needed to be made more consistent across the UK so these could feed into the assessments. The new proposals will also regulate nurses and chiropractors.
Sir Graeme Catto, president of the GMC, welcomed Sir Liam's proposals on revalidation, but said other recommendations would need more careful consideration. "We will continue our drive to create a modern, independent system of medical regulation which delivers for patients and commands the support of doctors," he said.
The British Medical Association criticised plans to change the burden of guilt in fitness-to-practise cases. "Patient safety is paramount and no-one wants to put people at risk by bad practice," the BMA chairman, James Johnson, said. "But it seems wrong to be able to take away a doctor's livelihood because of something found on a balance of probability, rather than proving something beyond reasonable doubt. It opens the door to miscarriages of justice”.
But the proposals were welcomed by the lawyer representing the families of Shipman's victims. Ann Alexander said: "The families of Shipman's victims deserve such a thorough reform to a system that failed them. We must maintain this momentum for change to safeguard not only our lives, but also the reputation of the NHS both in this country and throughout the world."
A Scottish Executive spokesman said: "Public safety is paramount. That is why we welcome these reviews, which look to improve safeguards for patients. We look forward to using the consultation period to analyse in detail the implications of the report's recommendations”.
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| Saturday, 15 July 2006 09:12 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk |
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According to a response to a written parliamentary question that appeared in Hansard yesterday the number of people admitted to hospital because of wasp, bee and hornet stings more than doubled from 369 in 2003-04 to 843 in 2004-05.
In addition, eight people died from insect stings in 2004; in 2003 there were three deaths. Professor Lars Chittka, an expert in behavioural ecology at Queen Mary, University of London, said millions of bumblebees shipped to Britain for use in commercial glasshouses could be partly responsible for the rise in stings.
He said: "The one increase we have seen is in bumblebees used to pollinate plants such as tomatoes and strawberries, which are now grown all year round in glasshouses in Britain.
"Millions of colonies are shipped in for this and they can be very aggressive close to their nests, so workers in the glasshouses would be more at risk of stings. Apart from this though we are not seeing any major increases of numbers elsewhere”.
The number of stings is also closely linked to the hot weather; Professor Chittka added "At the end of the summer is the most likely time for an unpleasant encounter. Their natural resources decline and you will find bees and wasps looking for food at our barbecues and in our ice creams, so they are more obvious to us then”.
According to NHS Direct advice, anyone bitten by a wasp, bee or hornet should carefully remove the sting, wash the area with soap and water and cover it with a cold flannel. Raise the area that has been stung to prevent swelling, use a spray containing local anaesthetic or antihistamine to stop the itching and take painkillers if it is painful.
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