Web watch

Online resources and useful updates.

POOr care FOr OlDer HOSPital PatientS

Researchers from the London School of Economics (LSE) have published Older people’s experiences of dignity and nutrition during hospital stays: Secondary data analysis using the Adult Inpatient Survey. This report finds that older hospital patients in England face a ‘widespread and systematic’ pattern of inadequate care. An estimated one million people in later life are affected by poor or inconsistent standards of dignity or help with eating in hospitals. The report comes from data in the Adult Inpatient Survey for 2012-13 to provide a detailed picture of older people’s reported experiences during hospital stays. http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/ dps/case/cr/casereport91.pdf

gP PreScriBing in 2014

The House of Commons library has published its latest briefing paper GP Prescribing in 2014: constituency statistics. Prescription rates for medicines and treatments provide one useful measure of the burden of illness and disease across the country. This paper provides statistics on prescriptions by GP practices in England as a whole and local variation for individual drugs and treatments. In 2014, an average of 18.4 items were prescribed in primary care for each patient registered with a GP practice in England. This amounts to a total of just over one billion items prescribed. The total list price of these items was £8.6 billion - around £152 per head, with an average cost per item of £8.20. http://researchbriefings.parli a-ment.uk/ResearchBriefing /Summary/CBP-7161

PHarmaciStS Plan tO eaSe gP WOrklOaD

Up to 250 clinical pharmacists are to be recruited to GP practices to provide direct patient care and help to ease workload. The £15m, three-year pilot project for England will see pharmacists support about one million patients with self-limiting illnesses or long-term conditions. It is part of the GP workforce 10-point plan agreed between the BMA GPs committee, Royal College of GPs, NHS England and Health Education England. http://bma. org.uk/news-views-analysis/ news/2015/july/pharmacistsplan-to-ease-gp-workload

mental HealtH key FactS aPP

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has launched a new app giving access to the College’s mental health information leaflets, videos and podcasts. RCPsych Key Facts App is available from iTunes and Android Play Store. www.rcpsych.ac.uk/ healthadvice/atozindex.aspx

allergy SuFFererS Put at riSk FrOm FaSt FOOD takeaWayS

An undercover investigation by the Royal Society for Public Health has found that just over two thirds of takeaways are not declaring the presence of any of the 14 major allergens used as ingredients in their food. The investigation, which included 10 types of takeaways, found chicken shops to be the worst offenders. Legislation introduced in 2014 requires takeaways to be able to declare the presence of any of the 14 major allergens, provide notices in a clear visible format and have a system in place to ensure information can be checked, is accurate and consistent. www.rsph.org.uk/ en/policy-and-projects/areasof-work/allergies.cfm

OeSOPHagO-gaStric cancer aWareneSS camPaign: interim reSultS

The National Cancer Intelligence Network has published Be Clear on Cancer: oesophagogastric cancer awareness regional pilot campaign: interim evaluation report. A regional oesophagogastric cancer awareness campaign ran in the North East of England from 10 February to 9 March 2014. This interim report provides available results to date from an evaluation of the effectiveness of the campaign. A full and final evaluation report will be published when the analysis of all metrics is complete. Available at www.web. nhs.net with user login.

PrOmOting HealtHy DietS amOng cHilDren anD yOung PeOPle

The BMA has published Food for Thought: promoting healthy diets among children and young people. This report sets out the measures needed to help promote healthier diets among children and young people. It recommends a range of interventions focused on improving attitudes and knowledge; limiting unhealthy cues and irresponsible retailing practices and creating a healthy food environment. Some of the measures aim to directly protect children and young people, while others are to help parents and carers in making the right choices. http://bma.org.uk/ working-for-change/improvingand-protecting-health/food-forthought

imPrOVing HealtH anD WellBeing tHrOugH Digital tecHnOlOgieS

The top prize in the People Driven Digital unAwards has been won by an online app which can help save the life of a person experiencing cardiac arrest. The Lifesaver app acts as an interactive crisis simulator which uses live-action film to teach the user how to perform CPR and use an automated defibrillator. Further details of all the finalists and the winners for each award category, which includes My COPD, Brush DJ, Timesulin and iPad engage, can be found here: http://mhealthhabitat.co.uk/pddaward-finalists/

Dementia care

The Alzheimer’s Society has published its fourth annual report Dementia 2015: aiming higher to transform lives. This report looks at the quality of life for people with dementia in England and contains the results of the Society’s annual survey of people with dementia and their carers, plus an assessment of what is currently in place and needs to be done to improve dementia care and support in England over the next five years. It makes practical recommendations to the new government on the steps that need to be taken to make quality of life better for people with dementia. www.alzheimers. org.uk/site/scripts/documents_ info.php?documentID=2888 The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has announced £15.8 million worth of counterfeit and unlicensed medicines and devices that have been seized in the UK as part of a global operation. The seizures, the biggest recorded to date in the UK, include large quantities of illegally supplied and potentially harmful slimming pills, anaemia tablets and narcolepsy tablets. Unlicensed foreign medicines were also found and removed. www.gov.uk/government/news/ uk-leads-the-way-with-158-million-seizure-in-global-operationtargeting-counterfeit-and-unlicensed-medicines-and-devices

PHySical actiVity in cHilDren

management OF irOn DeFiciency anaemia recOrD Seizure OF cOunterFeit anD unlicenSeD meDicineS anD DeViceS maDe in uk

Public Health England has published Change4Life Evidence Review: rapid evidence review on the effect of physical activity participation among children aged 5-11 years. This rapid evidence review aims to identify relevant literature on the physiological, psychological, social and behavioural outcomes of physical activity participation among children in that age group, and provide an indication of the strength of the evidence for each outcome. www.gov.uk/government/publications/change4lifeevidence-review-on-physical-activity-in-children

The Royal College of Nursing has published new guidance on iron deficiency and anaemia in adults. This guidance has been published along with other new resources on the topic and is aimed at all nurses, healthcare assistants, midwives and health visitors from all specialties and backgrounds. www.rcn. org.uk/newsevents/news/article/ uk/new-guidance-for-the-management-of-iron-deficiency-anaemia

rare anD leSS cOmmOn cancerS

The National Cancer Intelligence Network in collaboration with Cancer 52 has published Rare and less common cancers: Incidence and Mortality in England, 2010 to 2013. Rare and less common cancers make up just under half of all newly diagnosed cancers: 47% for 2013 in England for both males and females. As of 2013, there are around 2700 more deaths annually from rare and less common cancers than in 2010. Counts and crude rates are presented for 278 rare and less common cancer sites for incidence figures and 95 sites for mortality figures. The data covers the period 2010 to 2013 and is broken down by year and sex for England. Data relating to many of these sites has not been published routinely before. www. ncin.org.uk/publications/