Press Summary: 8 August 2017

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31 July

Relationship between councils and NHS cracking under strain

Grim summary of what the cuts and over-bearing ministerial tramplings are doing to what is supposed to be a core relationship between co-operating parties (see next item)

https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2017/jul/31/relationship-councils-nhs-cracking-financial-strain

[12 more stories]

2 August

How to keep people out of hospital?

Guardian’s summary of the rationale for ACOs. Fails to address the cardinal point: if the whole system is meant to work on cooperation between providers, what’s going to happen when some of them are private and profit-led and some are NHS and budget bound? Do the words ‘the life out of’ and ‘suck’ not spring to mind? How do you guard against that, exactly? Does the ‘arrangement’ even define this as a risk?

https://keepournhspublic.com/news-events/konp-new-briefing-to-mps-and-councillors/

 

Lack of workforce planning for nursing

Fair comment on the crisis in nursing and what is behind it. Prospect

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/nhs-30000-nurses-short-where-government-panic-health-service

 

4 August

 

NHS ‘must put house in order’ before seeking more cash

Brigg Report points to need for more improvements. Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/04/nhs-must-put-its-house-in-order-before-seeking-more-cash-says-internal-audit

Also later followed up by the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40825987

 

Campaigners to stage protest over hospital closure (local)

Good example of pre-publicity possible once a good relationship with local press is built up. Burton KONP cited as one of organisers; well done Burton. Burton Mail

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/news/burton-news/campaigners-stage-protest-over-queens-280756

With the follow-up 2 days later, again citing Burton KONP amongst others.

http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/news/burton-news/protesters-march-through-burton-oppose-285379

 

Chester MP at odds with Trust over private fertility clinic (local)

Another example of the growing trend for NHS trusts to court private health facilities within their own property – which is in an NHS area facing immense budgetary pressure, you will notice: “Run it down, wait for people to complain, bring in the private suppliers…”. Chester Chronicle

http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/chester-mp-hospital-boss-odds-13425456

 

6 August

NHS sent cancer patients ads for private treatment

There is nothing good, ethically supportable or publicly sound about this. It is quite simply an abhorrent wrong. Leeds KONP are on to it… Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/05/nhs-sent-cancer-patient-adverts-for-private-clinic-leeds

Also the Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/nhs-sends-terminally-ill-cancer-patients-adverts-for-private-care-leeds-teaching-hospitals-trust-a7879151.html

 

NHS to recruit ‘British’ nurses to avoid agency costs after Brexit

So the government cuts the bursary, makes those already here feel unwelcome, and makes no promises about recruiting from overseas (which the NHS has always had to do); instead ‘official are making plans’ to hire ‘home grown nurses’ after the magic of Brexit. This seems to wander dangerously close to delusion. Where are they coming from, then? Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/06/exclusive-nhs-recruit-army-british-nurses-brexit-instead-paying/

 

IVF cut back in England to save money

No coincidence that the reports of private IVF clinics being set up in NHS buildings are increasing. Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/06/ivf-cut-back-in-13-areas-of-england-in-bid-to-save-money-new-data-shows

 

8 August

 

Maternity ward closures in England

Guardian and others reporting on Labour’s FOI data. Unacceptable risks in midwifery through cuts have been with us for several years and are getting worse. This is the latest manifestation.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/08/nhs-maternity-wards-england-forced-closures-labour

 

Campaigners unite to stop STP in Oxfordshire (local)

Oxford KONP listed amongst others. Good example of collaborative demonstration and local press coverage. Well done, Oxford. Oxford Mail

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/15458965.United_as_one__Campaigners_and_politicians_stand_together_to_stop_major_healthcare_plans/

 

Recent national enquiries have included the Morning Star and LBC radio (the latter for live phone-in contributions).

These summaries provide a guide to the main stories in the preceding week, but you can get alerts sent about health stories to yourself every day. This is done through Google news and Google alerts: free services anyone can set up. To find out how to do this, go to the Steering Group, News & Events section on the KONP website (https://keepournhspublic.com/support-konp/steering-group-page/news-events/ ) and look for the “starter set of instructions”.

Mobile devices also have free apps that provide news, which you can filter with varying degrees of control.


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