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Charity calls for national campaign to tackle dementia stigma

Half of all UK adults believe dementia is a condition plagued by stigma, double that associated with cancer, according to new Alzheimer's Society research launched by author Terry Pratchett

Alzheimer's Society is urgently calling for national awareness campaigns to halve this stigma in 5 years. People with dementia involved in the research reported losing friends after a diagnosis of dementia ...

Checks for all Doctors Moves a Step Closer

Revalidation for all doctors has moved a step closer as the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, confirmed the formation of the implementation team for England and £1 million of funding to support them

The team comprises a panel of senior doctors who will provide professionally informed leadership, support and advice to the NHS, patients and doctors representatives for the design and delivery of the process, ensuring that all doctors meet the standards ...

Tax breaks for companies will help keep workers off Incapacity Benefits, says think tank

Much more could be done to keep people with mental health conditions in work, says a new report from the Social Market Foundation. The Government should provide incentives to employers to provide services or insurance to support workers with mental health problems, the report argues

Shifting Responsibilities, Sharing Costs, published by the SMF, outlines a programme of measures that would allow people suffering from common mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, to remain in work, rather than falling into the benefits system ...

Healthcare watchdog to give a voice to NHS staff

The Healthcare Commission is encouraging NHS employees to provide feedback on their experiences at work by participating in the annual NHS Staff Survey

In the sixth annual survey, more than 250,000 NHS staff will be asked their views.
The Healthcare Commission, the Department of Health and NHS Trusts use the information gathered in the survey to inform local and national changes in working conditions and ultimately, improve the quality of care for patients ...

New guidance launched to improve patient safety in General Practice

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has launched new guidance for general practice teams enabling them to learn from patient safety incidents and “near misses”. The new Significant Event Audit (SEA) guidance aims to improve the quality and safety of patient care in general practice

Significant Event Audit (SEA) was established in the mid 1990s as an effective quality assurance method in general practice with the aim of improving patients’ experience, care and outcomes and to identify ...

NHS Medical Search available to NHS health care workers

NHS health care workers who have a connection to the National Network for the NHS (N3) are now able to access a range of trusted clinical information sources in one place, using NHS Medical Search.

The service provides access to trusted clinical information resources when and where they are most required. With practical functionality built around day to day needs, NHS Medical Search offers a range of information resources to staff who may not regularly have used existing NHS library services ...

Pilot procurement scheme for small business technology development targets infections

The new Small Business Research Initiative opens its Health pilot competition, targeted at early stage businesses with technologies to tackle healthcare associated infections

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) will procure, on behalf of the Department of Health, up to £750,000 of development work per project, supporting development and testing prior to commercial procurement ...

Smoking Costing NHS £2.7 billion a Year

New Report Calls for Action to Protect Young People and Curb Tobacco Marketing

The annual cost of smoking to the NHS in England has soared from £1.7 billion a year in 1998 to £2.7 billion this year. Presented at the NCRI conference today the figures are included in a major new report, ‘Beyond Smoking Kills' published by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), in collaboration with the British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research UK and endorsed by over 100 health and welfare organisations. The cost of smoking to the NHS would have risen even more ...