General News

Three million lives could be improved across England thanks to new high-tech healthcare. After seeing the technology in practice in Cornwall Care Services Minister Paul Burstow, has pledged to make it available to more people with long term conditions. In order to make this a reality, over the next five years the Department of Health will work with industry, the NHS, social care and professional organisations to bring the benefits of assistive technology such as telehealth and telecare to millions of people with long term conditions.

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Housing Minister Grant Shapps has launched a new deal to help older people to continue living comfortably in their own homes - with particular support for those leaving hospital. With nearly one in five of the whole population expected to be aged 65 or over by 2020, Ministers are determined to ensure elderly, vulnerable people get the help they need to live independent lives, and can be safe in the knowledge that they won't get ripped off by dodgy dealers and fraudsters.

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Health Minister Edwin Poots has launched a remote telemonitoring healthcare system which will be used by up to 20,000 patients across Northern Ireland. The £18m system will help to improve health outcomes for patients with long-term conditions through better engagement with clinicians and enhanced self-management. The contract has been led by the European Centre for Connected Health (part of Northern Ireland’s Public Health Agency) who worked in partnership with, and on behalf of, the five Health and Social Care Trusts.

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There has been a record surge in people going online for trusted health information and advice over the winter period, according to new figures from NHS Choices and NHS Direct. Daily visits to the NHS Choices website from October to the end of December were up 56 per cent compared to the same time last year, despite lower levels of flu so far this year. This equates to 133,000 more visits a day this year (368,000), in contrast with the same period in 2010, in which there were 235,000 visits a day.

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Shortfall in care home fees cause concernThe fees paid by local councils to care home providers no longer cover the costs of meeting basic standards of care set by the official regulator in England, according to a new report published by Bupa. In the report ‘A Fair Deal', analysis shows care home fees paid by councils have fallen by 3.9% in real terms over the last two years, hitting providers at the same time that care homes have been facing large increases in their main costs - utilities, people, and food - and compounding the long-standing problem of chronic under-funding in the sector.

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Three innovative small companies have each been awarded government contracts worth £100,000 to develop new services that aim to help older adults live independently for longer through adopting better approaches to food and nutrition. The awards follow the companies' success in the ‘Independence Matters – Home and Away' competition for development contracts, a joint programme between the Technology Strategy Board and the Design Council. The contracts, awarded through the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), will enable the three companies to work with designers to develop human-centred service solutions that help to ensure the independence of adults in older age, and which are ready to be scaled-up and rolled out to the commercial market.

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New coalition for MS in the workplace

The Employers' Forum on Disability has joins leading organisations to launch new coalition addressing the needs of people with multiple sclerosis in the workplace. Business and health leaders have joined forces to announce the formation of the ms&work coalition, the first group of its kind to address the needs of people living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the workplace across Europe. The coalition, an alliance of Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD), Merck Serono; a leading healthcare company, Microsoft Corp and the European Federation of Neurological Associations (EFNA) was announced at the 5th Joint Triennial Congress of ECTRIMS and ACTRIMS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

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The Government is investing up to £15 million to support the recommendations to improve prosthetics services for military veterans who have lost a limb due to activities while serving their country.  In January, the Government asked Dr Andrew Murrison MP to lead a review into the prosthetic services currently offered to veterans by the NHS. This followed concern by service charities and some serving personnel who have been seriously injured that the NHS may not be equipped to provide prosthetic services to the same standard as the Defence Medical Service at Headley Court.

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Hampshire County Council have awarded a new contract to Panztel for their eziTracker service that provides electronic verification of homecare service provision.In common with other local authorities Hampshire County Council contracts out homecare (also called social or domiciliary care) services to independent service providers, many being charities operating in a local area. The largest electronic monitoring contract in the UK, it will involve around 2,700 carers from 121 independent care providers, serving over 8,000 individuals across the county.

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Arthritis Research UK has launched a £6million experimental tissue engineering centre which aims to regenerate bone and cartilage by using patients' own stem cells to repair the joint damage caused by osteoarthritis.

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People may be paying too much for mobility aids such as mobility scooters and stair-lifts, and the elderly and disabled can experience high pressure and misleading sales practices when buying this equipment at home, the OFT has warned. During the course of its market study into mobility aids, published today, the OFT has launched consumer protection investigations into two national mobility aids traders, one in relation to suspected unfair doorstep sales practices and the other over its terms and conditions and service delivery. It is investigating other similar behaviour which may result in further consumer protection actions and has started action which could lead to the removal of the credit licences from a number of sellers of mobility aids. Local Trading Standards Services (TSS) are also actively engaged in enforcement action into similar unfair sales practices in this sector.

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A new report shows more than 1 billion people with disabilities face substantial barriers in their daily lives. It suggests that Governments should step up efforts to enable access to mainstream services and to invest in specialized programmes to unlock the vast potential of people with disabilities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank have revealed new global estimates that more than one billion people experience some form of disability. They urged governments to step up efforts to enable access to mainstream services and to invest in specialized programmes to unlock the vast potential of people with disabilities.

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The economic recession and the UK's slow recovery since have changed the way individuals must approach trusts for grants to relieve personal hardship, according to Catriona Chronnell author of the new edition of The Guide to Grants
for Individuals in Need.

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The RAatE 2011 Conference takes place on Monday 28 November 2011, at the University of Warwick Conference Centre, Coventry. RAatE is the only UK conference focussed on the latest innovations in Assistive Technology (AT). RAatE 2011 will be of interest to everyone who uses, works with, develops or conducts research in the field of AT.

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NHS patients will have more freedom to choose where they go for their healthcare from April 2012, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has announced. Eight services have been recommended as the most suitable. They are: Wheelchair services (children), Continence services (adults and children), Services for back and neck pain, Adult hearing services in the community, Diagnostic tests closer to home, Podiatryservices, Leg ulcer and wound healing, Talking Therapies (Primary Care Psychological therapies, adults).

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NHS and local government leaders have teamed up with Age UK to improve dignity and care for older people in hospitals and care homes. The NHS Confederation, Local Government Group (LG Group) and Age UK are joining forces to establish a commission on improving dignity in care provided to older patients in hospitals and care homes.

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A new report outlines the cost of implementing personal health budgets. This is the third of five reports funded by the Department of Health explore the effectiveness of the different models examined. This research looks at the set-up costs involved for the 20 in-depth evaluated pilot sites to implement personal health budgets. Costs examined include project management, system development, workforce development and support planning and brokerage.

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Unmet need, unacceptable variation and often poor quality: Healthcare support to 400,000 older people in care homes needs significant improvement says new BGS inquiry.

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Families across Merseyside who are affected by hearing loss or impairment are benefiting from life-saving telecare solutions that enhance fire safety in the household and promote independent living.

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A Bupa care home company has been fined £100,000 after an elderly resident died after falling from a hoist while being moved. Irene Evans, 91, suffered head injuries in the incident at Parklands Court Nursing Home, Park Road, Bloxwich, on 31 January 2007. She died in hospital ten days later.

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New research has revealed some shocking results as to the real impact the UK's care crisis is having on British families. The research, carried out for National Carer's Week by retirement village operator Audley, questioned 1000 members of the so-called 'Sandwich Generation', individuals who are bringing up their own children whilst also providing care and support to ageing parents. The research highlights not only the effect that unsuitable living conditions and the lack of care provision is having on our older generations, but also the impact it is having on the lives of their families.

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20,800 hospital admissions in England over a 12 month period were for people recorded as having a fall involving a bed, provisional figures from The NHS Information Centre show. Between March 2010 and February 2011 provisionally there were also 12,000 admissions for people who had falls involving chairs.

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A new system to tackle variation in how much NHS hospitals pay for products has been announced by Health Minister Simon Burns. Some hospitals are currently paying nearly three times as much as others for the same products like surgical gloves and stents. Introducing a fairer and more transparent bar code system will lead to significant savings for the NHS in a market which currently costs it up to £6 billion annually.

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The NHS is wasting £31 million each year on unplanned emergency admissions to hospital for muscle disease patients that could have been entirely avoided through proper access to specialist care and equipment, according to the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Invest to Save report.

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A High Court judge has ruled a cost-cutting plan by Birmingham Social Services to be unlawful. He found that city council leaders ignored provisions in the Disability Discrimination Act when they were due to stop providing care packages for about 4,000 adults whose needs are assessed as being substantial.

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There is a crucial need for a sustainable solution to issues concerning the funding of social care for individuals in the greatest need, according to directors of adult social services. Their warning follows a new survey of English local authority adult care budgets, conducted by ADASS, showing that councils intend to reduce spending on adult social care by £1 billion in the coming year.

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The public wants a clear message from the Government on how much they will have to pay for care in their old age, research carried out for the Commission on Funding of Care and Support has found. While the majority of people in our research believe both the Government and the individual have a responsibility to contribute to long-term care costs, they want clarity on exactly what they will be expected to pay, along with simple ways to support them in planning for this.

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A Law Commission report that says the social care system is "out-dated and flawed" has been welcomed by over-50s lifestyle organisation Saga, but labelled as simply highlighting a mess that everybody in care already knows about. Dr Ros Altmann, Director-General of over-50s lifestyle organisation Saga, said the key is better quality of care in the home not "a home" - but adds the big issue is still the cost.

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New report backs Whizz-Kidz's argument to fast forward wheelchair reform

A new report (April 2011) produced by Frontier Economics – a leading economic firm – demonstrates the Social Return on Investment (SRoI) of Whizz-Kidz's work. Whizz-Kidz has called on the government to Fast Forward reform of NHS wheelchair provision for disabled children and young people. According to the charity, this will ensure that all disabled children in the UK can access the right mobility equipment and ongoing support that they need without undue delay.

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New Director for Ricability

Ricability has announced that Paul Gambrell has been appointed as the new Director of the charity, following the retirement of David Yelding. In 1999, following a successful career in the automotive industry, Paul joined the charity, Motability. As Technical Director, he established a centre of excellence in the field of vehicular mobility for disabled people, working closely with Government and industry to improve the standards of adaptation equipment and vehicle conversions. Then, as Grants Director, Paul led the challenge of transforming Motability's grant- making into a more customer-friendly service. In April 2008, Paul became Chief Operating Officer of ATcare, establishing it as an organisation working for the development and promotion of assistive technology products in London.

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Report calls for fairer funding of care

Calls have been made for a fairer system for the funding of care and support to ensure equal access around the country, the Commission on Funding of Care and Support has announced. Publishing the results of its ‘Call for Evidence' the Commission's chair, Andrew Dilnot, said there was considerable backing for a partnership model – where both the state and the individual share responsibility. Respondents also called for national guidelines on assessment and eligibility.

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The Technology Strategy Board is to invest up to £18 million over four years to show how new technologies and innovative services can help support independent living for older people and people living with long-term conditions, and improve their quality of life. The DALLAS programme – Delivering Assisted Living Lifestyles at Scale – will establish up to 5 sites across the UK with a minimum of 10,000 users per site and will show how assisted living technologies and services can be used to promote well-being and provide top quality health and care, enabling people to live independently. The programme will also help to grow the sector in the UK and help British companies to take advantage of increasing global demand for assisted living.

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Ten million pounds is to be invested over four years to improve care by growing the Scottish telehealthcare sector. The project - jointly announced by the Scottish Government and the Technology Strategy Board - will show how new technologies and innovative services can help improve the quality of life of, and support independent living for, older people and people living with long-term conditions. The demonstration programme will involve at least 10,000 older people and people with disabilities.

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A new free booklet has just been launched to help friends and family understand how equipment and technology can support the independence and safety of people with the early symptoms of dementia.

Getting Equipped to Tackle Forgetfulness provides clear information and some essential top tips for people who know someone experiencing confusion and memory problems.

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People in Wales who receive homecare and other non-residential social services will pay a maximum charge of £50 a week for these services from 11 April 2011 following the introduction of a landmark Welsh law, the Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas has announced.

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The number of managers and senior managers working in the NHS in England decreased last year alongside an overall expansion in the size of the workforce, says a report from The NHS Information Centre. Final figures show there were 1,431,557 staff (including bank) working for the NHS in England on 30 September 2010. This was an increase of 10,559 (0.7 per cent) since 30 September 2009 and an increase of 312,599 (27.9 per cent) since 2000 (an average annual increase of 2.5 per cent).

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Care standards in Scotland are continuing to improve with more services receiving top grades than ever before, according to the country's care regulator. The Care Commission has revealed that more than a quarter of all care services across the country have received the highest grades following their inspections over the past year, while only a small minority are performing below acceptable standards.

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Local authority social care services face a funding gap in excess of £1 billion by 2015, despite the additional funding announced in the Spending Review, according to a new paper from The King's Fund. With social care and the NHS facing an unprecedented funding squeeze, Social care funding and the NHS: an impending crisis? calls for a single national settlement for health and social care and for budgets to be brought together.

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An affordable electric wheelchair will soon be available in India for people with disabilities. An electric wheelchair that's made in India and is affordable is an idea whose time is nearing. An ongoing project at the Indian Spinal Injuries will soon be ready with such wheelchairs.

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The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (BAPO) conference (4 - 6 March) featured a joint presentation on the effects of Post Polio Syndrome (PPS), a neurological condition that can occur in those who contracted polio.

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Housing Minister Grant Shapps has confirmed that despite the tough financial climate, £180m is being given to councils to help them fund home adaptations and help those with disabilities live comfortably and independently in their own home. Publishing details of the local authority allocations for the Disabled Facilities Grant programme in England, he confirmed that an extra £11m a year will be made available from April. The funding is allocated through councils, and the 150 with the highest level of relative need will see the amount they receive go up next year, with other areas continuing to be funded by the same amount.

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More than £2million additional Welsh Assembly Government funding will be invested in reducing waiting times for wheelchair services, particularly for children and young people, Health Minister Edwina Hart has announced.

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Radical new plans to put social services in Wales on a sustainable footing have been announced by the Deputy Minister for Social Services, Gwenda Thomas. Sustainable Social Services for Wales – A Framework for Action sets out the Assembly Government's plans to renew social services and social care for the next decade.

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In the largest stroke rehabilitation study ever conducted in the United States, stroke patients who had physical therapy at home improved their ability to walk just as well as those who were treated in a training program using a body-weight supported treadmill device, followed by walking practice.

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Eleven British universities and sixteen businesses – including many small and medium sized companies – are to receive a total of nearly £9 million of government investment for research that will help to underpin the development of innovative, cost-effective, user-centred services for independent living. The funding – from the Technology Strategy Board, the Economic and Social Research Council and the Department of Health's National Institute for Health Research – will go towards eight research and development projects in the areas of Economic & Business Modelling and Social & Behavioural Studies.

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An elderly woman died of her injuries after being thrown from a wheelchair while in an Age Concern Westminster minibus. Olive Sarti, 88, was taken to hospital with a head injury and a broken neck after the incident on Shirland Road, London on 20 September 2006.

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A Liverpool nursing home has been fined £18,000 after an 81-year-old woman fell to the ground while being lifted out of bed. Frances Shannon fell three feet and suffered a broken shoulder as well as injuries to her back and elbow. The wife, mother of two and grandmother of one died in the Royal Liverpool University Hospital the following day.

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Housing Minister Grant Shapps has announced the steps Government will take to overhaul the complex system of council house finance and return financial control to councils themselves - enabling them to offer a better deal to England's four million council tenants. As part of this Mr Shapps announced an extra £116million funding allocated each year for councils to pay for disabled adaptations to homes and an extra half a billion per year for councils to spend on their stock.

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The first groups of GPs who will take the lead in the Government's plans for commissioning health services has been announced by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley. The 52 groups of GP practices from across England have been selected to be the first to take on commissioning responsibilities as part of the Government's plans.

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A new report looking at the market for equipment and services designed primarily to enable independence for older people and disabled people in particular has been published by Consumer Focus.

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