A new confidential enquiry (ESMiE) reviewing intrapartum-related perinatal deaths in births planned in midwifery-led settings in England and Wales has started. This ESMiE enquiry is closely related to the topic of this year’s MBRRACE-UK perinatal confidential enquiry, but ESMiE will focus specifically on perinatal deaths that occur in births planned in midwifery units and at home
News Archive
The National Pregnancy in Diabetes (NPID) Audit aims to support clinical teams to deliver better care and outcomes for women with diabetes who become pregnant. The Programme has moved to being a directed programme by NHS England. The 2016 report has now been published online.
The new options for nurses and midwives to demonstrate that they can communicate in English to the standard required for safe and effective practice has gone live this month. This is for nurses and midwives who have been trained outside the UK and means the Occupational English Test (OET) in addition to IELTS will now be accepted.
The NHS Counter Fraud Authority (NHSCFA) launched this month, with a mission to lead the fight against fraud affecting the NHS and wider health service, and protect vital resources intended for patient care. The new special health authority has been given the independence it needs to fight and deter the fraud, bribery and corruption attacking the NHS.
The Times reports controversial plans for the NHS to pay families for renting spare rooms to recuperating hospital patients have been put back on the table, as it emerged they could have started next month. Health chiefs insist they have not been put off the idea by safety fears, instead saying they will take longer to ensure concerns are resolved before going ahead.
The Care Quality Commission have published a ‘Review of children and young people’s mental health services’ which finds too many children and young people have a poor experience of care and some are unable to access timely and appropriate support. It also found that people working with them do not always have the skills or capacity to identify mental health problems or are able to access the right support at the right time. Safety is seen as the greatest overall area of concern in specialist child and adolescent mental health services. Full recommendations will be made in the thematic review due to be published in March 2018.
Community research has identified challenges of ageing and social entrepreneurs are being invited to develop solutions with a new approach to improve the later years of older people. The research shows a need to look beyond the medical to understand the ecology, psychosocial, economic and environmental aspects of ageing.
Age Cymru’s “Crisis in Care?” report has claimed that older carers in some parts of Wales do not always have their care needs met or the required assessments. The Welsh Government said it was committed to delivering enhanced rights for carers as part of new laws introduced last year.
The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) have published a press release covering the ongoing developments in the continuing trend of more nurses and midwives leaving the register rather than joining it. Jackie Smith, Chief Executive and Registrar of the NMC also gave an interview to the BBC.
New studies show where in the brain the earliest signs of Alzheimer’s occur for the first time. The discovery could potentially become significant to future Alzheimer’s research while contributing to improved diagnostics.
The National Bereavement Care Pathway is now live and at the stage where guidance documents have been created for the eleven pilot sites to trial. These encompass five separate pathways: miscarriage, ToPFA (Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Anomaly), stillbirth, neonatal death and SUDI (Sudden and Unexpected Death in Infancy).
Plus, the new National Bereavement Care Pathway webpage is also live, at www.nbcpathway.org.uk
It’s 40 years since men were first allowed to train as midwives in the UK, but they still only make up a tiny proportion of the profession. Dilan Chauhan is a student midwife on a work placement at University Hospital Lewisham, south London. He is the only man in his year group of 96 and has been taught that midwifery is all about empowering women to make their own choices, and he takes this seriously.