Month: July 2013

General health checks in adults for reducing morbidity and mortality from disease

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date July 17, 2013

A Cochrane Systematic Review (2012)

General health checks involve multiple tests in a person who does not feel ill with the purpose of finding disease early, preventing disease from developing, or providing reassurance. Health checks are a common element of health care in some countries. To many people health checks intuitively make sense, but experience from screening programmes for individual diseases have shown that the benefits may be smaller than expected and the harms greater. One possible harm from health checks is the diagnosis and treatment of conditions that were not destined to cause symptoms or death. Their diagnosis will, therefore, be superfluous and carry the risk of unnecessary treatment.

Click here to view this review

CVD Liver Disease including NHS Health Checks Respiratory Disease

NHS Health Check Website

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date July 17, 2013

The NHS Health Check programme aims to help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and certain types of dementia. Everyone between the ages of 40 and 74, who has not already been diagnosed with one of these conditions or have certain risk factors, will be invited (once every five years) to have a check to assess their risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes and will be given support and advice to help them reduce or manage that risk.

Local authorities are responsible for commissioning the NHS Health Check risk assessment. However, the programme requires collaborative planning and management across both health and social care. Health and wellbeing boards will therefore be vitally important in the local oversight of this mandated public health programme.

Click here to view this website

Care of the Elderly Learning Disabilities Public Mental Health

Getting on? growing older with autism: a policy report

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date July 17, 2013

By The National Autistic Society (2013)

This report sets out some of the key issues facing older people with autism and what government and other bodies need to do to make sure they have the services and support they need.

Click here to view this report

Library Public Mental Health Young People

"Alone with my thoughts" Recommendations for a new approach to young people's mental health support

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date July 17, 2013

By Mindfull (2013)

This report has been released to accompany the launch of a free online counselling service for young people. The report is based on a YouGov survey of over 2000 young people which found that over half of those who had shown signs of depression as children felt that they had been let down in their experience of mental health support. It calls for early intervention and prevention as well as increased professional support and advice.

Click here to view this report

Alcohol Smoking Tobacco & Drugs

Consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products: summary report

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date July 17, 2013

By Department of Health (July 2013)

This report provides an overview of the responses to the consultation on standardised packaging of tobacco products and the main themes raised. The government has decided to wait until the emerging impacts of standardised tobacco packaging in Australia can be measured before making a final decision on this policy in England. This policy remains under consideration.

Click here to view this report

change Healthy Settings Licensing Patient Satisfaction Planning

The NHS belongs to the people: a call to action

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date July 17, 2013

By NHS England (July 2013)

In this document, NHS England calls on the public, NHS staff and politicians to have an open and honest debate about the future shape of the NHS in order to meet rising demand, introduce new technology and meet the expectations of its patients. It sets out the challenges facing the NHS, including more people living longer with more complex conditions, increasing costs whilst funding remains flat and rising expectation of the quality of care. It argues that the NHS must change to meet these demands and make the most of new medicines and technology and that it will not contemplate reducing or charging for core services.

Click here to view this report

Public Mental Health

Mental health in the NHS: a simplified map

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date July 17, 2013

By Centre for Mental Health (April 2013)

This chart illustrates changes to mental health services in the new NHS structure.

Click here to view this chart

Care of the Elderly CVD End of Life Care Liver Disease including NHS Health Checks Respiratory Disease

More care less pathway: a review of the Liverpool care pathway

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date July 17, 2013

By Independent Review of the Liverpool Care Pathway (July 2013)

This report sets out recommendations regarding the LCP and end of life care following an independent review chaired by Baroness Julia Neuberger. The recommendations include phasing out the LCP and replacing it with an individual end of life care plan; an end to incentive payments for use of the LCP and other similar approaches; and a new system-wide approach to improving the quality of care for the dying.

Click here to view this report

Care of the Elderly CVD Healthy Settings Library Liver Disease including NHS Health Checks Patient Experience Public Health Advice to NHS Commissioners Respiratory Disease Secondary Care

Review into the quality of care and treatment provided by 14 hospital trusts in England: overview report

Post author By Sarah Woodhall
Post date July 17, 2013

By Professor Sir Bruce Keogh KBE (July 2013)

Sir Bruce Keogh’s review into 14 hospital trusts in England is the result of a series of ‘deep-dive’ reviews into other hospitals with mortality rates which have been consistently high for two years or more. It found that all 14 trusts will have to undertake strict improvement plans and 11 will be placed into special measures to ensure that Sir Bruce’s recommendations are fully implemented and patient care improves.

Click here to read the report