Blog About Healthcare

Posts Tagged ‘UK’

The BBC has reported that the NHS in London spent almost £13m on public relations in the last three years. A BBC London investigation has found the information and claims the costs are enough to recruit 600 nurses.

Around £9.7m was spent on press officers’ salaries at hospitals and primary care trusts (PCTs), while private PR companies were paid a further £3m.

Critics called for “medical doctors not spin doctors”, pointing to longer waiting times and cancelled operations.

Some trusts said PR spending was needed to educate the public on health issues. The BBC sent Freedom of Information requests to all 33 London hospitals, in addition to the capital’s primary care trusts and NHS London.

The research revealed some 82 press officers on the public payroll, with an average salary of £37,278.

By stark contrast, in 1981 there were only eight press officers working in the entire NHS.

Katherine Murphy, chief executive of The Patients Association, said: “Far too many patients experience longer waiting times, cancelled operations and standards of care below what they deserve.

“These figures are a concerning example of the cost of NHS PR – it is sadly patients paying the price.

“Many will ask whether this funding would be better spent on medical doctors, rather than spin doctors.”

Yet the outlay on staff press officers was supplemented by millions of pounds handed to private PR firms.

Read the full BBC article here.

Around two million people in the UK use a hearing aid. It’s surprising fact also, that hearing loss affects more than 50% of over 60’s. There are many ways to help prevent and treat hearing loss and one such company is Amplifon.

Amplifon can offer information and advice to help improve hearing quickly. You’ll find general advice also on how to help combat tinnitus and prevent undiagnosed hearing loss. The infographpic below will help explain a little clearer how Amplifon can help.

laser surgery consultation

If you wear glasses or contact lenses, it’s likely you’ve heard about laser eye surgery – a common medical procedure to correct vision in one or both eyes. Laser (or LASIK, short for laser-assisted in situ keratomiluesis) treatment has become popular in recent years as it offers a convenient, relatively painless procedure that can reduce or eliminate the need for visual aids. However, as with all forms of surgery it’s not without its risks, and if you’re unsure of what to expect, this guide may help.

Put simply, LASIK surgery uses a laser to alter the shape of the cornea (the clear covering at the front of the eye that can grow out of shape, causing short- or long-sightedness). When you choose a LASIK surgeon (such as Ultralase) you will make an appointment with a doctor who will perform an eye exam to see whether you are a suitable candidate for the procedure. While LASIK surgery can be used to correct myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism, there are a number of conditions it can’t help with, and other pre-existing medical conditions may mean the treatment is too risky for you.

The procedure itself is very quick – patients are usually in and out of surgery in less than an hour, during which they will be awake the entire time. This is something that may put people off, but there is very little pain involved: most people report mild discomfort for a few days after the procedure. Patients are given anaesthetising eye drops and a retainer to keep their eyes open, and will be asked to stare at a light while the laser does its work. This part takes typically around five minutes per eye, and after a short rest the procedure is complete.

One of the advantages of LASIK is the low recovery time. Depending on their job, patients may be able to return to work the next day, although your doctor may recommend a few days of rest. Most people notice the benefits immediately, but with others their vision improves gradually over the next few days. It’s important to let your doctor know if you have any negative side effects, such as blurred vision or “halos” around lights – these can usually be corrected with post-operative treatment.

The efficacy of LASIK surgery has improved dramatically over the past few years, and the treatment is now appropriate for more people than ever. If you are still unsure, the Royal College of Ophthalmologists has a more detailed breakdown of the risks and benefits on its website.

On Wednesday 1 August 2012 the Health Professions Council (HPC) changed their name to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

The decision to change the name was made by government and is being brought about by the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which will also see the HCPC taking on the regulation of social workers in England. Although not everyone registered with the HCPC works in ‘health’ or ‘care’ the new name will better describe the diverse range of professions the organisation regulates.

Although the name was chosen by government, the HCPC had the opportunity to offer suggestions. To help the HCPC with this, they commissioned independent quantitative and qualitative research to gauge perceptions of possible names, which included telephone and online interviews with around 2,500 individuals, and discussion-based focus groups of between seven and eleven members.

The HCPC were particularly keen to understand the perceptions of members of the public, who are the potential service users of the professionals they regulate. One poll showed that 81 per cent of the general public felt that ‘Health and Care Professions Council’ could best reflect the role of a regulator of many different professions; another showed that 76 per cent of the general public associated the term ‘care professional’ with ‘social worker’. In the focus groups ‘Health and Care Professions Council’ was the preferred option with both the public and the professionals the HCPC currently regulate. Both groups viewed it as the most suitable name to cover the range of professions to be regulated. This was a unanimous outcome.

The HCPC have previously used the strapline ‘Protecting the public; Regulating health professionals’ on a number of their communication materials. This will no longer be appropriate and instead they will use ‘Regulating health, psychological and social work professionals’. In developing this strapline they considered both the diversity of professions that they currently regulate (including practitioner psychologists who joined the Register in 2009) and the groups that the HCPC may regulate in the future (including public health professionals and healthcare support workers). It was not felt to be appropriate to name any one profession in the HCPC’s strapline; instead they have referred to some of the broad categories in which the professionals that they regulate work.

The HCPC will use this new strapline on all the materials which currently bear their strapline, including their website and social media platforms, public information posters and leaflets and on the banners and display materials which they take to professional and public-facing conferences, exhibitions and events. The HCPC will use the strapline on their most public and prominent materials, with particular emphasis on materials which will be accessed by members of the public, to reinforce who they are and what they do.

The HCPC will be the same organisation and will continue to undertake the same functions. Current registration certificates and cards will remain valid and the HCPC standards will be unchanged.

The new HCPC web address will be http://www.hcpc-uk.org and their email addresses will end in ‘@hcpc-uk.org’.

The change to the organisation’s name – and taking on the regulation of social workers in England – is not being funded from registration fees. This means that registrants are not paying for the necessary amendments to their materials due to the change of name or the work to allow social workers in England to join the Register. The HCPC has received a grant from the Department of Health to cover the cost of this work.

Article by Simon Lucas

Turmeric Powder

The BBC reported recently about new medical research in the fight against bowel cancer.

A report claims that Curcumin (a chemical found in curry spice ‘Turmeric’) is being tested to see how successful it could be in helping kill bowel tumours in patients.

It is already known that Curcumin has a range of other health benefits and the latest research is generating excitement amongst those involved with the fight against cancer.

The BBC reports that “Studies have already shown that it can beat cancer cells grown in a laboratory and benefits have been suggested in stroke and dementia patients as well.”

The spice is set to be trialed in Leicester, England along side chemotherapy drugs to investigate the possibility of a combined treatment.

Bowell cancer is one of the most common cancers found in the UK and roughly 40,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year.

In some cases, if the disease is not caught early enough, the disease can spread through the body making the disease more difficult to treat. Advances in chemotherapy and surgery are helping prolong life expectancy of patients though, and in some cases patients can go into remission, cancer is still major problem for the NHS in the UK and tumour surgery comes with risks, as with any major operation.

The BBC report that Forty patients at Leicester Royal Infirmary and Leicester General Hospital will take part in the trial, which will compare the effects of giving Curcumin pills seven days before starting standard chemotherapy treatment.

More information on the BBC article here: Curry chemical’s ability to fight cancer put to the test

Article by Simon Lucas.

NHS

A recent article by the BBC has shed light on a political row which has erupted over the legacy of PFI for the health service as one hospital trust faces insolvency.

South London Healthcare, a merger of three hospital trusts, is spending 14% of its income on repayments to a private finance initiative (PFI).

The government says the financial problems are caused by a PFI scheme signed off under Labour. Labour says there are wider financial pressures in the NHS, and PFI also delivered many new hospitals. The government could appoint an administrator within weeks, but in the meantime the trust’s hospitals will continue to run as normal. The move raises the prospect that other trusts could follow in its wake.

There are another 20 trusts that have declared themselves financially unsustainable in their current form. Work has already started to rectify their problems and therefore wholesale dissolving is considered unlikely.

However, the move over South London Healthcare does act as a warning that the government is prepared to use the measure, which was made possible by legislation Labour introduced in 2009.

You can read more about the BBC’s report here: BBC NHS PFI Report

Back injuries are life changing, claim your rightful compensation today

Whatever the incident, back injuries are a common result – and everything from the level to the manageability of the problem and pain tends to be unique from person to person. So, whether you’ve had whiplash or a serious spinal injury, it is worth looking into back injury compensation. Whether you are less mobile for days or know someone who has been paralysed as a result, it is worth getting the facts about it.

Different back injuries

We all get a little back pain now and again; it isn’t necessarily something to be concerned about. But, if there are repeat factors that lead to this, or you have had an accident you may be entitled to compensation. Here are some common conditions:

• Strains and sprains – When a ligament is torn or stretched it is known as a strain and a sprain is damage to tendons or muscles. What usually comes of this is pain, cramps and spasms and mobility reduction.
• Herniated disk – When there is a rupture to one or more of your spinal disks you will get what is known as an annular tear. This problem with a nerve root sees you suffering a lot of pain.
• Fractured vertebrae – In a bad incident, the trauma will lead to a broken spine. Alternatively, it is known to be a problem for the elderly and it tends to occur in the lower back.
• Spinal cord injuries – Usually an impact of car accidents, this is where there is an injury to the spinal cord which leads to problems with your body and brain communicating. Generally speaking, the higher the injury, the bigger the problem.
• Compression fractures – If this happens then your spine may change permanently, and there may be a deformation or collapse to the vertebrae.

As you can see, there are numerous back injuries that could occur – and they have differing results. If you do have one then you should see if you can claim some compensation and how you can get your life back. Many of these problems come from road traffic incidents. Much like this next story.

A client success

When a young man from Birmingham was out getting on with his day-to-day life, tragedy occurred – he was involved in a road accident. Crossing the road is part of all of our everyday lives, but when he was struck by a vehicle he was left with serious problems from a spinal cord injury. Originally, the insured driver denied liability but thanks to Irwin Mitchell the issue was resolved and showed him to have been negligent – at least in part – to the incident.

From here, interim funds were won in order to buy the client a property that was more suited to his needs along with therapy, equipment and a car. After this we were able to recover £3.5 million in damages and help him to lead a normal life again. With help and support we can overcome many things and this is what the man was able to get by claiming with us – for example, the client was able to be one of the first users of robotic exoskeleton equipment.

A partner from our Birmingham office, Stephen Nye, commented: “We are delighted to have achieved such a favourable outcome for our client. He faced his injuries with great courage and has taken a very positive outlook on his life, achieving a very high standard in wheelchair sports.”

Sponsored Post by Forward 3D on Behalf of Irwin Mitchell.

There is a misconception where critical illness cover is concerned, and it might even be one which you too have thought about at one point or another. Yes, surely nobody wants to think about such things, but there is no need to grind yourselves down with negativity. In fact, critical illness cover as seen here on unbeatablelifeandcriticalillness.co.uk is designed to give you peace of mind, not stress you out even further and with this in mind, it can certainly help to know as much as possible about your typical critical illness cover plan and the company providing it where, in the UK you should be sure to look out for the FSA logo seen here and check the company on the register…

So, with this in mind, here are a few frequently asked questions on the topic, something which certainly deserves to be addressed by anyone who is thinking about protecting themselves further down the line.

Firstly, is critical illness cover worth the initial outlay?

Is it more trouble than it’s worth? Well, how about we turn this question around to a degree and throw it back at you? Can you really afford not to have a critical illness cover plan? These days, and believe us when we say that this is far better than it once was, even the best company policies in regard to sick pay and cover often only pay out for six months at a time, which isn’t bad of course, but customers are often faced with statutory sick pay after this period which, as we all know can sometimes barely even cover the cost of your mortgage or rent, never mind bills and other expenses. So, with this in mind, there is certainly a financial benefit to enjoyed through critical illness cover.

Another question which is understandably asked fairly regularly relates to what is covered by a typical critical illness cover plan. After all, each plan is slightly different and this is certainly worth noting down before signing up to any specific programme or scheme. Annoying as it is, some policies only cover roughly thirty different illnesses and yet others cover well over a hundred. Put simply, if an illness is not listed on your policy documents, then you are not covered for it unfortunately and this is why it can be hugely important to consider the finer details of any plan before signing on any dotted line, be it online or on paper.

Article by Simon Lucas

Portable Drill

The importance of good quality and accurate equipment for healthcare professionals cannot be stressed enough, and as concerns grow over the standards of NHS care, it is more important than ever before for healthcare providers to be mindful of this. Many hospitals and private practices face closure as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carry out inspections across the UK.

Private practices and professionals such as chiropodists / podiatrists, dieticians, occupational therapists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetics / orthotics, radiographers, speech and language therapists and more must comply with The Health Professionals Council (HPC) regulations. This means that they must obtain high enough standards in training, skills, behaviour and health in the area of medicine or health care in order to be HPC registered.

Whether you’re business is part of the NHS or a private healthcare provider registered by the HPC, your methods of practice, quality of care and hygiene among other things will be under constant surveillance; one way in which you can be confident in the quality of care your practice gives is to maintain a supply of high quality medical equipment. Thanks to Mobility 365, this task is simpler than ever before.

Disposable Blades and Handles

At Mobility 365 you’ll find a wide choice of medical supplies, disability aids, sports injury aids, health clinic supplies and so much more, in fact they have over 14,000 products, one of the UK’s largest selections of medical and mobility supplies on the internet making it so much easier to find everything you need in one place. With a range of features designed to make ordering faster and easier for their customer, Mobility 365 certainly put their customers first. For example, if you represent a government funded organisation like a school, NHS trust, GP, government department etc, you can order by faxing an official headed purchase order.

Another perk to shopping with mobility 365 is their willingness to offer quotes on bulk orders, plus the free delivery when you spend over £40. All of their products are approved by the BHTA (British Healthcare Trades Association) which means that they have been granted full Office of Fair Trading approval under the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS).

Good quality equipment for health professionals can ensure greater accuracy, faster results, better hygiene and ultimately the better quality care of patients. Initially these tools and supplies may seem costly, however better supplies will last longer and will withstand heavier duty use. You will enjoy faster cleaning results, more hardwearing materials and features which will ensure you can do your job to the best of your ability.

So for a wide choice of high quality and affordable easier living supplies, household products, injury and emergency items, medical supplies, paediatrics products and therapy consumables, look no further than Mobility 365, the UK’s favourite health-care products supplier.

HPC Registered

The Health Professions Council (HPC) has been set up in the UK to help protect the general public when seeking advice and treatment from a health professional.

The HPC, as it is also known, is a regulator of health professionals. They keep a register of health professionals who meet their standards for training, skills, behaviour and health in the area of medicine or health care the health professional practices in.

The HPC regulates fifteen health professions: arts therapists, biomedical scientists, chiropodists / podiatrists, clinical scientists, dietitians, hearing aid dispensers, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, paramedics, physiotherapists, practitioner psychologists, prosthetists / orthotists, radiographers, and speech and language therapists.

These professions all possess at least one ‘professional’ title which is protected by law, this means that anyone who uses one of these titles must be registered with the HPC. It is a criminal offence in the UK for someone to claim they are registered with the HPC when they are not, and they can be prosecuted by the HPC if this happens.

Clubs & Societies

Society logo next to HPC logo

Some health professions also have an additional society which health professionals may be a member of, in Podiatry and Chiropody this is the Society of Chiropodist and Podiatrists.

Those wishing to join this society need to be HPC registered before applying. This ensures all professionals are already vetted and are qualified to work under the title of Podiatrist or Chiropodist in the UK.

To check whether a Podiatrist or Chiropodist (or other health professional) is registered with the HPC, you can ask for their registered number and search for them online here: http://www.hpc-uk.org/

If you have any doubts about your health professional, it is definitely worth checking up before you begin treatment.

Information sourced from The HPC Website.