Tag: NHS

GMB welcomes withdrawal of ‘pay-cut proposals’ for ambulance and NHS staff

GMB Scotland has welcomed the withdrawal of planned reforms which would have resulted in cuts to terms and conditions of Scottish Ambulance Service and NHS staff.  Continue reading GMB welcomes withdrawal of ‘pay-cut proposals’ for ambulance and NHS staff

Transforming patient care? UK Government to launch NHS Long Term Plan

The UK Government today launches a long term plan to ‘transform’ the NHS. The plan, to be backed by government investment of £20.5 billion a year in real terms by 2023/24, will ‘transform patient care and make sure every penny of taxpayers’ money is spent wisely’.

Now in its 70th year, the NHS has unprecedented certainty to plan for the next decade, ensuring that patients will be supported with world-class care at every stage of their life.

From birth, through the challenges that life brings and into old age, the government says the plan will ensure that the NHS is:

  • Providing the best maternity care in the world – We will ensure every baby gets the best start in life by continuing to improve maternity safety, and providing greater mental health support to new parents.
  • Supporting ageing and increasing independence – We will support people to age well by bringing different health and care teams together to make sure older people are getting the support they need to remain independent, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions. We will make sure people have more say and control over the healthcare and support they are receiving, including by expanding the use of personal health budgets.
  • Improving outcomes for all major conditions – Through better prevention, detection, treatment and recovery from serious diseases, we will improve health outcomes so people live longer and healthier. For mental health services, greater support will be provided to almost 350,000 more children and young people, and at least an extra 380,000 adults over the next five years.
  • Increasing the NHS workforce – We are improving access to mental health, primary care and community services, with tens of thousands more doctors, nurses and other health professionals – a full workforce plan is expected later this year.
  • Bringing the NHS into digital age – We are rolling out new digital technologies to deliver improved access to NHS services. This will mean everyone in the country will have digital access to their GP, including being able to make appointments, manage prescriptions and view their health records online.
  • Cutting waste across the NHS – We will continue to make sure we are using taxpayers’ money efficiently, including through introducing new digital techniques and making back office savings of more than £700 million across the NHS.

With NHS spending in England increasing, extra money will also go to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland under the Barnett formula, which ensures every part of the UK gets a fair share of public spending. The devolved administrations will be able to use this money to improve their own services and develop their own long-term plans.

Prime Minister Theresa May said: “The NHS has always been the country’s most beloved public service – there to provide outstanding care to us all whenever it is needed.

“The launch of the NHS Long Term Plan marks an historic step to secure its future and offers a vision for the service for the next ten years, with a focus on ensuring that every pound is spent in a way that will most benefit patients. This will help relieve pressure on the NHS while providing the basis to transform care with world-class treatments.

“Backed by our record investment of £20.5 billion a year in real terms by 2023/24, this shows what we can achieve with a strong economy and a focus on people’s priorities.”

UK flu levels on the rise

The latest Public Health England (PHE) report,published yesterday, suggests that influenza is starting to circulate in the community and is at moderate levels. The statistics show that over the last week, the flu hospitalisation and intensive care admission rates have both increased from 1.06 to 1.96 per 100,000, and from 0.19 to 0.29 per 100,000 respectively. Continue reading UK flu levels on the rise

Scottish Tories: Budget will deliver sustainable funding boost for Scottish NHS

Nicola Sturgeon is being urged to put in place a clear long-term plan for Scotland’s NHS – with the UK budget set to smash the scaremongering claims she made prior to the Independence referendum, according to the Scottish Conservatives. Continue reading Scottish Tories: Budget will deliver sustainable funding boost for Scottish NHS

It’s time to nominate your Health Heroes

Our Health Heroes, the national healthcare awards, are returning for the third year and promise to be bigger and better than ever, with new categories added to recognise more staff within the care and healthcare sectors.

Organised by Skills for Health and the National Skills Academy for Health, Our Health Heroes 2018 aims to recognise the contribution of healthcare workers across the UK.

Thanks to the ongoing support of headline sponsor Health Education England and prize sponsors UNISON, NHS Improvement and NHS England, the awards have grown and will now include the Lifetime Achievement Award #NHS70 and Staff Retention and Wellbeing Employer of the Year Award.

The new categories are in addition to the established awards for: Apprentice of the Year; Workforce Planning Team of the Year; Integrated Team of the Year; and Clinical Support and Operational Services Support Worker of the Year.

Care and healthcare staff from across the UK can be nominated by line managers and colleagues via the Skills for Health website. Applications for the Lifetime Achievement Award are also open to public nomination.

Entrants will be shortlisted and regional winners and finalists will either be chosen by public vote or by an expert panel, before the winners are announced at the awards ceremony later this year.

John Clifford, (above). a physiotherapy technical instructor from Neath Port Talbot Hospital, won the Clinical Support Worker of the Year award in 2017.

He said: “I was shocked and very proud when I was nominated in the Clinical Support Worker of the Year category. During the awards ceremony I met with lots of deserving people from all over the country, who are all winners – every one of them go that extra mile in their jobs.

“You can imagine how I felt hearing about all the superb nominees for the category – I could have picked any of them to be a deserving winner. When my name was called out as the UK winner I was shell shocked and sat there for a few seconds until my colleague told me to get up and go and collect my award.

“I feel so proud to have even been nominated for this award, and even prouder to be the overall UK winner.”

John Rogers, Chief Executive of Skills for Health, said: “There are thousands of unsung heroes in our NHS without whom our healthcare system would grind to a halt.

“These dedicated staff work hard to keep the NHS running, and the excellent patient care that we all expect from our health service would not be possible without their commitment and passion.

“I am very proud that Skills for Health, the National Skills Academy for Health and our sponsors are shining a light on their contribution and I look forward to celebrating these amazing people at our awards ceremony in November.”

Laura Roberts, Regional Director (North) for Health Education England (HEE), said: “Health Education England is delighted to be sponsoring the Our Health Heroes awards.

“Healthcare is all about people and HEE is committed to ensuring staff working in the NHS make up a rich tapestry of knowledge and skills – whether they have entered the service through an apprenticeship or via a more traditional route.

“Healthcare support workers are the life blood of the NHS and through bringing to life the right values and behaviours, such as compassion, respect and dignity, they are making a significant impact in ensuring patients receive high quality care.”

Sara Gorton, Head of Health at UNISON, said: “As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS, it’s important to recognise its staff who work tirelessly, year after year, to help others. Our health service is the envy of the world thanks to the commitment, hard work and skills of all its staff.

“UNISON is proud to be sponsoring the Operational Services Support Worker of the Year award; these individuals are the unsung heroes of the NHS, who often work behind the scenes to make sure patients and their families get the best treatment possible.”

Mark Radford, Director of Nursing at NHS Improvement, said: “It’s a huge honour to help recognise and celebrate the contribution of our healthcare workers. The NHS is nothing without its people, and we are proud to be part of highlighting the value our dedicated workforce brings to the patient experience, day in, day out.”

The deadline for nominations is midnight on Sunday 16th September and the awards ceremony will take place on Friday 23rd November 2018 at London’s OXO Tower.

To make a nomination visit www.skillsforhealth.org.uk/ohh-2018

Prime Minister sets out five year funding plan for NHS

Scottish Government seeks guarantees

  • NHS will receive an average 3.4 per cent a year real-terms increase in funding over the next 5 years
  • increased funding will support a new 10-year long-term plan the NHS will bring forward
  • the long-term plan will help the NHS tackle waste and improve services.

Continue reading Prime Minister sets out five year funding plan for NHS

Brexit bonus? Scotland to receive extra £2 billion for public services

Scotland is to get a £2 billion funding boost from the UK Government

Public services in Scotland are to receive a £2 billion funding boost from the UK Government. The cash windfall follows yesterday’s announcement by the Prime Minister’s announcement that, in the NHS’s 70th year, she is investing an extra £20 billion a year in health services in England (by 2023-24, compared to today). Continue reading Brexit bonus? Scotland to receive extra £2 billion for public services