London Procurement Programme Platinum Rating

Nursing Personnel are pleased to have been awarded a London Procurement Programme Platinum Rating in our recent quality audit by LPP the London Procurement Programme regulating nursing agencies supplying the NHS with nursing staff across London.

Nursing Personnel received a score in excess of 97% for the second time in succession highlighting the quality of service supplied by Nursing Personnel and compliance to the stringent protocols set down by the NHS and LPP.

Nursing Personnel continue to win new business across the UK and London as a result of supplying quality staff and delivering excellent value for money to the NHS.

Should you require any more information in relation to Nursing Personnel call us on – 0845 122 0414.

NHS Trusts are Suffering Financial Difficulties

An official report has found that more leading NHS Trusts are suffering financial difficulties and expect the situation to get worse over the next year.

Out of the Foundation Trusts surveyed, 21 which is an increase of 8 on last year, stated “that they are likely to experience cash problems over the next year”. In addition the survey also indicated that 16 Trusts were at risk of failing to meet key targets relating to treatment of patients on time, with a similar number also likely to breech A&E waiting time limits. The latest survey highlights the continued pressure the NHS is coming under in a bid to meet the Government’s target of £20 billion in savings by 2015. More and more Primary Care Trusts are now failing to meet the spending cuts.

Monitor – the regulator for the semi-independent Foundation Trust sector, has warned hospitals not to fix their financial problems by cutting back on patient care. Monitor’s chairman, Dr David Bennett stated “The challenge of reducing costs must be met, but it is essential that good patient care is at the heart of this. This year we have put extra focus on identifying the potential risks to quality that could result from each trust’s plan. The evidence we have seen in Foundation Trusts’ plans suggests they are not planning to make savings by treating fewer patients or reducing the level of care for patients. Instead they plan to make them through more efficient working on the front line and by reducing administrative or clerical costs.”

Monitor required all 137 Foundation Trusts to submit their current three-year plans and following analysis of these stated “they face their most challenging time. They face lower margins as they take over contracts to run community services and as their operating expenses increase. Managers must also make efficiency savings of 4.4 per cent and plan to do so mainly by cutting staff costs.”

With NHS hospitals across the UK looking at ways to cut back on spending, patient care is likely to suffer as some hospitals could look at reducing the number of staff such as nurse jobs, community nurse jobs, midwifery nurse jobs and support staff.

It is anticipated that 11 NHS Trusts will have received Monitor’s highest financial risk rating by the end of the year, an increase from last years’ total of 4, in addition a further 10 NHS Trusts are likely to break the economic rules guaranteeing them FT status at some point during the financial year.

Following analysis of their balance sheets it suggests that expenditure on drugs is likely to increase, alongside the cost of building new sites using Private Finance Initiative deals.

The current Government system requires NHS Trusts to see patients referred by GP’s, within 18 weeks. Worryingly 16 NHS Trusts have already indicated that they are at risk of not meeting this target, with a similar number in fear of breaching the Government’s target relating to the superbug C. difficile.

Another statistic highlighted by the survey, showed that 14 NHS Trusts are likely to breach the target to see A&E patients within four hours, with this number only increasing with the onset of winter and the likely increase in admissions.

With the Government’s funding remaining flat and demands rising, the management bodies that pay for NHS patients’ treatment are also facing financial trouble. Over the next four years they must make efficiency savings of 4 per cent each year. However, a survey carried out recently indicated that for the current financial year, 59% were anticipating missing this target. Naturally this is likely to result in even more cuts next year, with health experts envisioning more pressure and the possibility of even more treatments being reduced or rationed.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health, said, “Foundation Trusts have greater autonomy to innovate new ways of delivering health services – they are truly responsive to patients, not ministers.”

“But their freedom comes with responsibility and foundation trusts must demonstrate that they are improving outcomes for patients and managing their finances effectively as well as ensuring times are kept low.”

With news of more trusts predicting financial problems over the coming years, further cutbacks are likely to affect patient care and the morale of staff working within the NHS as budgets and staff are being cut.

One of the key concerns is how frontline services can be maintained as promised by the coalition government when such cutbacks are being implemented across the NHS. With increased demand on services, particularly in the winter months, this is only likely to cause more pressure on services.

With NHS Trusts suffering Financial Difficulties, Nursing Personnel works closely with our partners to provide first class personnel at all grades, across the UK.

Founded over 10 years ago, Nursing Personnel has grown to be one of the UK’s largest and most respected specialist recruitment service providers. At Nursing Personnel, all of our nurses are compliant checked under the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Nursing Personnel offer a range of services to NHS Trusts throughout the UK including general nurse jobs, midwife jobs, psychiatric nurse jobs and clinical nurse jobs in both the NHS and private healthcare.

If you are seeking high calibre nursing personnel the please contact us. If you want to be part of the best-nursing agency in the UK, contact our registration team by telephone, or register online today.

Is fake tan causing fertility issues for women?

There has been a suggestion in the media recently that women who use fake tan regularly could be putting themselves at an increased risk of infertility and having babies with birth defects.

Fake tan has been sold as the safe alternative to sun-beds but scientists say it could cause tumours and damage DNA as it contains a cocktail of chemicals which infiltrate deep into living cells.

Amongst the chemical mix are hormone-disrupting compounds which can affect the healthy development of babies, carcinogens including formaldehyde and nitrosamines, as well as skin irritants and chemicals linked to allergies, diabetes, obesity and fertility problems.

There have been no tests carried out on humans showing they are harmful or cancerous but researchers in the US have expressed fears about the safety of tanning products.  Dr Lynn Goldman, dean of the School of Public Health Services, at George Washington University (in Washington DC) said: “What we’re concerned about is not so much that reaction that creates the tanning but reactions that may occur deeper down with living cells that might then change DNA, causing a mutation, and what the possible impacts of that might be”.

Jacqueline McGlade, executive director of the European Environment Agency said the chemicals “may be a contributing factor behind the significant increases in cancers, diabetes, obesity and falling fertility … It’s the cocktail effect”.  McGlade suggest adopting a precautionary approach to many of the chemicals until their effects are fully understood.

Cosmetic manufacturers insisted all ingredients used were safe and comply with stringent EU laws covering the manufacture of cosmetic products.

Rethink on NHS Maternity Services and Midwife Led Units

In a recent announcement by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), maternity services across the UK need a radical rethink.

Under their proposal it suggests a reduction in the number of hospital units, giving more patients access to 24-hour care from senior doctors. It also recommends, for lower risk pregnancies, an increase in the number of units led by a midwife.

This latest proposal from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists comes at a time when birth rates in the UK have reached a 40-year high. According to recent statistics released by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) the total number of babies born in England and Wales during 2010 reached723,165 (1972 witnessed a birth rate of 725,440). Naturally a rising birth rate means more midwives and current figures from the RCM suggest that they need an additional 4,700 midwives to cope.

The RCM general secretary, Cathy Warwick said, “The issue should be top of the government’s agenda. Midwives are working harder and doing more with less and maternity services and the quality of care is suffering. Action is needed by this government and I appeal to David Cameron to accept what the figures are telling him and honour his promise.”

“Failing to do so is a disservice to midwives and more importantly, a disservice to the women and babies those midwives care for.”

With rising birth rates, the demand for more nurse jobs and midwifery jobs need to be addressed by the government with more money being spent on training and recruitment for nurse jobs with the NHS.

Although the National Childbirth Trust welcomed the report they don’t believe it goes far enough and NHS Managers agree, they stated that “Maternity care desperately needs to be reorganised.”

In the past, attempts to re-organise maternity care has proved controversial, but Dr Anthony Falconer, president of the RCOG, said, “If women could be convinced of the greater safety they would be prepared to travel to have their babies.”

Currently the RCOG have reported that in their opinion too many babies are born in traditional hospital units, which in the current financial climate is neither acceptable nor sustainable. Dr Falconer also added that most “out of hours care” is being provided by junior doctors, with the RCOG currently estimating that the number of consultants would need to increase by 1000, to be able to provide “round-the-clock” cover for hospital units.

Dr Falconer also said “There is no doubt if you look at the worst scenario of serious complications, you need the right person, a senior person, there immediately.”

The report estimates that currently across the UK, 56 units see fewer than 2,500 deliveries a year and therefore the proposed changes are likely to affect large cities and towns but rural areas that need to maintain smaller units are likely to remain unaffected. The proposal also recommends an increase in units led by midwives taking pressure off hospital units.

The report was welcomed by Midwives who stated “It could improve the experience for about a third of women who have straightforward deliveries.”, the National Childbirth Trust also commented, saying “The idea of having a network to provide joined-up care for women was one it could support but it would prefer care during pregnancy and maternity to be concentrated in one NHS organisation in each area.”

Mike Farrar, Chief executive of the NHS Confederation said, “Politicians needed to be prepared to speak up for change. Where the case for change is clear, politicians should stand shoulder-to-shoulder with managers and clinicians to provide confidence to their constituents that quality and care will improve as a consequence of this change”. “That has not always been the case, with two ministers in the last Labour government campaigning against the closure of units in Greater Manchester.”

With more babies being born than in previous years the demand for midwife jobs is set to increase with more positions likely to become available in NHS Hospitals and with the possible introduction of more smaller specialist maternity units as recommended by RCOG.

As hospitals across the UK cope with increased births, Nursing Personnel works with our clients across the UK to provide first class nursing personnel at all grades.

Established for over 10 years, all of Nursing Personnel’s nurses are compliant checked under the Nursing and Midwifery Council. We are one of the UK’s largest specialist recruitment service providers and offer a range of positions across the NHS and private healthcare including general nurse jobs, midwife jobs, psychiatric nurse jobs and clinical nurse jobs.

If you are seeking high calibre nursing personnel or want to be part of the best nursing agency in the UK, contact our registration team by telephone, or register online today.

Palliative Care Would Save the NHS Millions

Under a review of Palliative care ordered by the government it could see millions of pounds being saved in a new system for end-of-life care. The review proposes a fairer funding system, which will see a national payment structure being set up. This would cut the current variations around the country with greater clarity on what the state pays for and what is does not.

Currently the total spent by primary care trusts (PCTs) in England on palliative care varies radically dependent upon where the patient lives and this can range from £186 per patient to £6,123, furthermore, where the patient lives also affects the services they receive and this can include whether they receive round-the-clock care. Currently experts estimate that around 90,000 more people die in hospital than they wish to.

The Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley ordered a review of “Palliative Care Funding”, and this review proposed the implementation of a “fair and transparent” funding system where the money is linked to the needs of individual patients.

The scheme proposes that patients undergo an initial assessment of their needs; this in turn is then combined with other factors such as their age and capabilities. The proposed “needs classification system” would have 25 separate classes (13 for adults and 12 for children), each with its own funding, the funding would take into account various factors, including:

• A Patients personal care needs
• Whether the patient requires help with washing and eating
• Is 24/7 nursing care required to support the patient at home
• Does the patient require a co-ordinator to assist them to work out their state entitlements as well as give them access to local charitable services.

The government’s latest proposal would guarantee funding regardless of where patients live, whether they live in a care home, their own home or in hospital. Currently experts estimate that by 2021, this new palliative scheme will see a reduction in deaths in hospital by up to 60,000, this could save the NHS on average £180m annually.

Thomas Hughes-Hallett, chair of the review and chief executive of Marie Curie Cancer Care, said, “No other country in the world has introduced such a system for both adults and children, so the step is both a bold and necessary one.”

Professor Sir Alan Craft, adviser to the review, said, “The government must act on the recommendations contained in the review because evidence shows us that incentivising the provision of palliative care leads to better outcomes for patients, supports choice and is the most effective way of using NHS resources, we need to remove barriers within the current system to enable this to happen.”

Currently only 20% of patients die at home, which is 30% to 40% less than those patients wanting to die at home. “People want a choice over where to die” confirmed Ciaran Devane, chief executive of MacMillan Cancer Support, she went on to say “Twenty-four hour community nursing services are crucial to the delivery of choice and to the realisation of these ambitious recommendations.”

“It will be up to the government to ensure that these services are standard across the country. We need to see a massive improvement on the 56% of PCTs who currently provide 24-hour community nursing.”

Simon Chapman, director of policy and parliamentary affairs at the National Council for Palliative Care, said, “It is vital that the government acts of the review’s recommendations and creates a fair funding mechanism that will ensure people get high quality end of life care where and when they need it.”

“We only get one chance to get it right for dying people, which is why it must be a priority to ensure everyone who needs it can access palliative care around the clock.”

The government’s latest review and proposal to overhaul palliative care for patients will not only see the NHS save millions a year, which could be spent elsewhere such as on training and recruitment, but it will also see better end-of-life patient care.

This increase in palliative care will see the need to train and recruit more nurses to care for patients at home which can only be a good thing as more nurse and community nurse jobs should become available within the NHS.

As the NHS goes through further changes with the implementation of the palliative care review, Nursing Personnel work alongside our clients to provide first class nursing personnel at all grades, across the UK, to meet the ever changing needs and demands of our clients. If you are looking for your next position or wish to work with one of the UK’s leading specialist recruitment agencies then contact our registration team by telephone, or register online today.