NHS News - July / August 2004.
In partnership with Health Direction

England - Local PCT News

Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale PCT - CHD Information Event
The PCT launched its new Heart Disease Resource Pack for health professionals at a recent CHD Information Event. Over 350 professionals, including 80 GPs, attended the event which included presentations on subjects such as statin prescribing and diet.

Coventry PCT - COPD
Coventry PCT has agreed to set up a Chronic Disease Management Reference Group to look into the improvement of community provision of COPD services. [click here to read more]

Hampshire and Isle of Wight SHA - Refocusing NHS Leadership
The SHA has proposed joint management arrangements for three clusters of PCTs in Hampshire, allied to the ongoing development of lead commissioning arrangements. [click here to read more]

New Foundation Trusts - Name Changes
Ten more NHS Trusts have been awarded Foundation Trust status, and two of these have changed their names. [click here to read more]

North Devon PCT / Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust
The Way Forward Group is planning the future of North Devon's health service, and looking at ways the existing structure could be improved. Options include a merger of the two organisations, and the group is expected to report at the end of July.

South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust - Wound Care
Professor Gus McGrouther has proposed that the country’s first drive-through wound treatment centre be set up at Wythenshawe Hospital. [click here to read more]

Torbay PCT - Care Trust
Plans are underway to bring Torbay PCT and Torbay Social Services together to form a new Care Trust for Adult Services, and a Children's Trust for children's services. [click here to read more]

Torbay PCT - GP Incentive Scheme
Torbay PCT is pioneering a scheme which aims to reduce unplanned hospital admissions by up to 15%. GPs will receive £75 for each patient with a detailed care plan, and £25 if the patient does not have to go into hospital. [click here to read more]

Trent SHA - Celebrating Success 2004
Celebrating Success 2004 is an award scheme covering the Trent SHA area which aims to celebrate the achievements of staff, improvements in patient care and service modernisation. The overall winner was Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. [click here to read more]

Wales - Local Health Board News

Carmarthenshire LHB - Teenage Health
Two teenagers who were invited to sit on the appointment panel for two Youth Liaison Nurses in Llanelli have so impressed the LHB that they have now been asked to sit on a steering group monitoring the development of the two new nursing roles.

Carmarthenshire NHS Trust - Mental Health
Recent figures show that mental health patients account for nearly half of the Trust's delayed hospital transfer problem. Carmarthenshire NHS Trust has one of the highest 'bed-blocking' statistics in Wales, with lost bed days at 14.8%.

Wrexham LHB - Coronary Heart Disease
Caring For Our Health is a major fitness campaign which has been launched in Wrexham, North Wales' largest town. A shock survey last year showed its residents were among the most unfit and sick in North Wales, with heart disease a major killer.

Scotland - Local NHS News

NHS Fife - Diabetes
An innovative computer system aimed at improving diabetes care has been launched in Fife. Scottish Clinical Information Diabetes Collaboration (SCI-DC), is being rolled out initially in four diabetes clinics before being implemented Fife-wide. [click here to read more]

NHS Lothian - Drugs and Alcohol
Edinburgh is to become the first city in Scotland to get its own drugs and alcohol "Tsar" as police and drug workers have warned that the city is on the verge of the worst heroin epidemic for almost 20 years. [click here to read more]

NHS Lothian - Thrombolysis
Ambulances in East Lothian and Midlothian will begin to carry thrombolysis drugs this month. This is the first scheme of its kind in Scotland, and it is expected that it will be rolled out across the rest of Edinburgh and the Lothians later this year. [click here to read more]

Scotland - £19.75m Drug Treatment Funding
Above inflation rises for drug treatment projects across Scotland have been announced, bringing support to £19.75 million for 2004-05. Three NHS Boards will receive increases of up to 50% due to the scale of their drug problems. [click here to read more]

Northern Ireland - Local NHS News

Northern Group LHSCG - Respiratory Illness
There are claims that a recent Air Quality Review shows that residents of Newtonstewart and Springhill Park are 50% more likely to die from respiratory-related illness than the national average. 105/135 homes in Springhill Park rely on coal or solid fuel.

Northern LHSCG - Hypertension
The LHSCG has provided funding to a Limavady community pharmacy to undertake a pilot study aiming to improve the management of patients with hypertension. [click here to read more]

Western HSSB - Health Inequalities
A report published by the HSSB shows that levels of deprivation and sickness are higher locally than anywhere else in N Ireland. It also concludes that local people are two and half times more likely to suffer from ill health than in other provinces.

About the author

Health Direction Ltd is entirely focused on collecting, processing and analysing high quality UK-based health information for dissemination through intuitive, browser-based products via the internet, company intranet and CD-Rom. Privately owned and run you will find our staff friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. We put customer satisfaction at the top of our agenda.

If you have a requirement for NHS information, contact Health Direction.

Disclaimer

OnePharm Internet excludes any warranty, express or implied, as to the quality, accuracy, timeliness, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose of this briefing. OnePharm Internet will not be liable for any claims, penalties, losses, damages, costs, or expenses arising from the use of or inability to use this briefing or from any unauthorised access to or alteration of the Briefing. OnePharm Internet makes no warranty that the contents of this briefing are compatible with all computer systems and browsers.