Troubled 111 helpline caused a rise in ambulance calls

The NHS 111 helpline has not delivered the expected system benefits so far.

The 24 hour freephone service, which was launched in some parts of England in April 2013 to reduce 999 calls, A&E admissions or use of urgent care centres, has failed to cope with demand.

The 111 helpline is run by non-medical staff with support from nurse advisers and was designed to replace NHS Direct and deal with urgent but ‘not life threatening’ health issues.

However, technical failures and inadequate staffing levels led to a long waiting time which has caused a 2.9 per cent rise in ambulance calls.

Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS medical director, called for an enhanced 111 service, as up to 1 million emergency admissions were avoidable last year.

He pointed out that staff should have access to medical records to give tailored advice, while a wide range of health professionals, such as paramedics and doctors, were needed.

Staff would also be able to book appointments at A&E, whenever appropriate.

“The A&E is creaking at the seams. It is not broken but it is struggling,” Sir Keogh said.

In fact, A&E is currently struggling to meet government targets all over the UK.

According to a recent London Assembly’s report, this year more than half of London’s major A&E departments have failed to meet the ‘within four hours’ waiting time targets at least 50 per cent of the time.

Figures also reveal that more than 10,000 patients spent 12 hours or more in casualty units last year.

Pudsey stops at St Pancras International



Pudsey Bear at Teddy bear Picnic - St. Pancras.
Picture: Federica Tedeschi


Usually crowded St Pancras International was today characterised by a relaxing atmosphere to host the first Pudsey’s FamilyFun Day.

This fun-fuelled activity day, offering a giant Pudsey bear picnic, treasure hunt, drawing sessions and face-painting activities,  just to mentioned a few, is part of great fundraising events that communities, schools, workplaces and individuals are organising in their local areas to support Children in Need.

Hundreds of families today gathered in St Pancras International to take part to this brand new event tailored just for little ones.

Lorraine Siery, a mother-of-three from London, said: ”The event looks fantastic and my daughters are really enjoying it”.

Evangeline, 6, Imogene, 5 and youngest sibling Eleonore, 3 got Pudsey stickers, their faces painted and Ms Siery bought them Pudsey headbands and a Bear toy, as well.

Children in Need, that started in 1980, is a very popular fundraising event across the UK, with people dressing up in Pudsey Bear fancy dress outfits, baking Pudsey Bear cookies for sale and buying the official charity merchandise in support of the causes they help.

“I think that Pudsey’s Family Fun Day is a good way for the kids to realise that many other children are not so lucky.

“Next week the BBC TVshow is on and my daughters will be happy to watch it, as they already know Pudsey Bear. I believe they will be more involved because of today’s event”, Ms Siery added.

 

St Pancras’ passers-by can visit the VIP collection of Pudsey Bears, that will be on display at until November 17.

Every drop counts

ThamesWater has said it is aiming to have all homes switched to an electricity-style meter by 2030.

The company, that is responsible for the public water supply in most parts of the UK, declared that people in London use on average 10 per cent more water than elsewhere in the country.

Most Londoners currently pay flat rate for their water based on the rateable value of their home, with around a third of the households already on a meter.

These ‘smart meters’ connected to a wireless network would encourage households to monitor and cut back on unneeded forms of use, such as garden sprinklers.

Thames Water’s Richard Aylard said smart meters were the best value solution to bridge the gap between supply and demand.

The new scheme aims to cut Londoners’ water consumption by 12 per cent and will be rolled out across borough by borough, starting in Bexley next year.

At the same time, Thames Water will increase bills by up to 8 per cent all over the country, forcing an average family of four to face a bill of nearly £500 a year.

The Government is planning to tackle UK soaring water bills to help those on a low income, as consumers cannot switch their water supplier.

Prime Minister David Cameron said that his intention is to try to reduce the burdens on Britain’s ‘hard-pressed families’.

Opposition leader Ed Miliband was also concerned about Thames Water's plans, as householders may get a raw deal.

“I think the water industry is something that should be scrutinised”, Labour leader said.

 

The National Health Service is not an international system

Short-term migrants to Britain will be charged at least £200 to use the NHS.

Earlier this week health secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced that these charges will be added to the immigration bill passing through parliament.

Currently, temporary migrants who come to the UK either to study or to work, are likely to qualify for free hospital care as soon as they enter the British border.

Back in July, the NHS estimated the cost of health tourism at £12 million.

Mr Hunt, who suggested foreigners cost Britain £2 billion a year, instead, had also highlighted that the NHS is a national health service, not an international one and it should be fair on the British families and taxpayers.

EU visitors would continue to access free NHS treatments but ministers are planning to put in place systems for recovering the costs from their home countries.

Jeremy Hunt has proposed a new ‘registration and tracking system’ for visitors before they join a GP surgery, possibly linked to the NHS number.

Those without a formal residency status could be charged for non-emergency public healthcare and should be issued a temporary NHS number.

Meanwhile, those who work in the national healthcare have pointed out that all the checks potentially put into place to avoid that short-term migrants benefit from the system, along with the proposed ‘tracking system’, could cost far more than they save.

In fact, all these measures could possibly turn the medical staff into groups of border security officials.

We are committed to keeping Britain warmer this winter

Millions of British Gas customers may be changing suppliers soon to get a cheaper deal after the energy giant increased electricity prices by 10.6 per cent and gas prices by 8.4 per cent.

Ministers reacted angrily yesterday to the rise, which came days after Scottish & Southern Energy increased its prices by 8.2 per cent.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who led the chorus of disapproval, has declared to be very disappointed by British Gas rises.

However, shadow energy minister Tom Greatrex said: “Britain’s energy market is broken and people are paying the price for this Government’s failure to stand up to the energy companies”.

British Gas website’s visitors can read the unexpected heading: “We’re committed to keeping Britain warmer this winter”, which sounds contradictory, as the average cost for dual-fuel customers would leap by £123 to £1,444 a year. It will force thousands of families to switch off the heating and reduce their electricity consumption.

Ian Peters, managing director of British Gas, insisted that the rise, which comes into force on November 23,  is due to the increasing cost of gas, rising charges for using the national grid that delivers it around the country and cost of government programmes.

Nursing crisis in the UK

Nursing shortages in the UK have forced NHS to recruit overseas, with Spain and Portugal among the most popular hunting grounds for recruiters.

According to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), in fact, nurses who trained abroad have become a fundamental source of new entrants, making up 40 per cent of new  staff in 2012.

It is not surprising that between 2010 and 2012 the number of ‘qualified in the UK’ nurses working for the health service reduced by more than 6,000. In fact, the number of nursing course places has fallen 2,500 during the last three years.

Dr Peter Carter, chief executive of the RCN, said: “It is perplexing that on one hand nursing posts are being cut and training places being reduced, while on the other, desperate managers are raiding overseas workforces.”

As if it was not enough, according to an independent analysis of the nursing workforce found by the RCN, 24 per cent of registered nurses are set to retire in the next five tears.

NHS services are under strain from an ageing population with increasing healthcare demands, high expectations and no financial growth. It needs radical reform to avoid a financial black hole by the end of the decade.

The Government needs to invest seriously in this workforce to attract nurses and to keep them for the long term.

This means that even though short term recruitment goals have been met, the real challenge is far from over.

 

Get on the property ladder with five per cent deposit

People with a five per cent deposit will get a government-backed loan, which will enable them to get a mortgage at the preferential rates generally offered for those with a 20 per cent deposit.

The first stage of the scheme began in April.

Prime Minister David Cameron has recently declared that the plan to help first time buyers starts this week, in order to increase home ownership in the short-term. 

Barratt Homes will help people whose aspiration is to get on the housing ladder, through the ‘Help to Buy’ scheme, which will underwrite £130billion of new loans for 200,000 homes up to the value of £600,000.

In fact, not only house prices in Britain have doubled in less than a decade, but cost of property in London surged by almost 10 per cent last year, rising by £40,000, which is almost twice the average salary in Britain.

It means the dream of owning a property is becoming harder to realise even for those who save a big chunk of their salary.

Concerns have raised over the risk of a housing bubble, as the scheme is artificially inflating already high prices, according to official figures from the Office for National Statistics.

In fact, the average London property was worth a record £438,000 in July, up £13,000 in a month and 9.7 per cent more than a year previously.

Mr Cameron, however, has clarified that there is no housing bubble, according to advice from the Bank of England.