“Mouths full of gold.” Private practice in Britain’s National Health System
By SAURABH JHA, MD
When Aneurin Bevan was asked how he convinced doctors to come on board the National Health Service (NHS) he allegedly replied, “I stuffed their mouths full of gold.” Bevan recognized that to conscript doctors to the largest socialist experiment in healthcare in the world he had to appeal not so much to their morals, but pockets.
There is much piety about the NHS. It is the envy of the world, though oddly Saudi oil barons still favor Cleveland Clinic and Texas Heart Institute over quaint little hospitals in rural Scotland. The NHS featured in Britain’s 2012 Olympic parade along with Mr. Bean and the...
Source: The Health Care Blog - October 29, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: at RogueRad Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs
Improving the working environment for safe surgical care
Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh - This discussion paper outlines a number of critical recommendations to government to greatly improve safety in the delivery of surgical treatment and patient care. The report notes factors adversely affecting morale, including a lack of team structure, poor communication, high stress levels, and limited training opportunities. The report also records how staff, at times, feel diverted away from the patient-centred care they strive to deliver because of administrative and IT issues, and believe that being more innovative and efficient with existing resources could m...
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - August 3, 2017 Category: UK Health Authors: The King ' s Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Patient safety Quality of care and clinical outcomes Workforce and employment Source Type: blogs
Artificial Retina Made of Organic Photovoltaic Material Lets Blind Rats See
A team of Italian researchers has developed an artificial retina that, in essence, functions like a self-powering solar panel. The fully organic retinal prosthesis was implanted into the eyes of rats with retinitis pigmentosa, which allowed them to see for months after surgery.
Artificial retinal implant inside eye of “Royal College of Surgeons” breed of rat. Image courtesy of Fabio Benfenati
The implant consists of an organic semiconductor, a photovoltaic which turns light into current, and a conductive polymer to interface with the back of the eye, both placed on top of a substrate of silk. The silk helps the...
Source: Medgadget - March 14, 2017 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Editors Tags: Ophthalmology Source Type: blogs
Avoiding unconscious bias: a guide for surgeons
Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) - This guide aims to encourage surgeons to be aware of this, and sometimes adjust their behaviour so that their trainees and fellow staff do not misinterpret their actions. It outlines the impact on of unconscious bias on equality and diversity in relation to recruitment and workplace harassment in particular.GuidePress release (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - August 3, 2016 Category: UK Health Authors: The King ' s Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Equality and diversity Workforce and employment Source Type: blogs
Fight Aging! Newsletter, May 16th 2016
In this study the authors demonstrate that, as in many other cases, the methodology of delivery matters just as much as the details of the cells used:
Retinal and macular degenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide. Similar to other neurodegenerative diseases, there are no effective treatments that can stop retinal degeneration or restore degenerative retina. Recent advances in stem cell technology led to development of novel cell-based therapies, some are already in phase I/II clinical trials. Studies from our group and others suggest that human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSC) m...
Source: Fight Aging! - May 15, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Newsletters Source Type: blogs
Improving Stem Cell Transplant as a Treatment for Retinal Degeneration
In this study the authors demonstrate that, as in many other cases, the methodology of delivery matters just as much as the details of the cells used:
Retinal and macular degenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide. Similar to other neurodegenerative diseases, there are no effective treatments that can stop retinal degeneration or restore degenerative retina. Recent advances in stem cell technology led to development of novel cell-based therapies, some are already in phase I/II clinical trials. Studies from our group and others suggest that human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSC) m...
Source: Fight Aging! - May 9, 2016 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs
More to science: working as the Chair of Nursing and Midwifery
How did you get interested in science?
I was always asking “why?” I wanted to know the answer to every puzzle or dilemma that presented itself. However, in my school years I was put off physics and chemistry by the amount of rote learning that was expected, and the seemingly futile repetition of experiments that we already knew the answers to.
Biology was more interesting, as it involved learning about the workings of the human body, which I enjoyed. But mathematics was my great love, and my early career plan was to study mathematics in university, and then to teach. However, in my last year in school I realized that I...
Source: BioMed Central Blog - May 5, 2016 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Dana Berry Tags: Health Medicine #moretoscience careers early career researchers Science > Careers Source Type: blogs
Expedition and Wilderness Medicine
Guest post Dr Edi Albert – Associate Professor, Remote and Polar Medicine at the University of Tasmania. Director, Wilderness Education Group
These two nearly synonymous terms refer broadly to the practice of medicine in austere and remote environments. The former term suggests a “journey with a purpose”, whether scientific, humanitarian, or recreational. The latter terms suggests an environment “undisturbed by human activity”. Either way, a pretty cool way to practice medicine.
It is within this context that we can identify three broad aspects to expedition and wilderness medicine: pre-departure preparation ...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - April 25, 2016 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Sean Rothwell Tags: Medical Specialty Wilderness Medicine adventure adventure medicine Curriculum Dr Bill Lukin Dr Edi Albert Dr Julian Williams Dr Sean Rothwell remote Source Type: blogs
Smokers and overweight patients: soft targets for NHS savings?
This report explores how widespread the practice of restricting surgery on the basis of weight or smoking status has become by examining the commissioning policies of CCGs in England. The report compares these against guidance produced by NICE, RCS and surgical specialty associations. It found that over one in three CCGs in England are denying or delaying routine surgery to patients – such as hip and knee replacements – until they stop smoking or lose weight, in contravention of national clinical guidance.
Report
RCS - news (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - April 21, 2016 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Local authorities, public health and health inequalities NHS finances and productivity Source Type: blogs
Professional standards for cosmetic surgery
Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) - This guidance has been updated with the aim of improving patient safety and standards within the cosmetic surgery industry. It stipulates that only surgeons with the appropriate training and experience should undertake cosmetic surgery and outlines the ethics and behaviour expected of cosmetic surgeons. It supplements new guidance produced by the General Medical Council today for all doctors who carry out cosmetic intervention and is intended to be read alongside this guidance.
Guidance
Press release (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - April 11, 2016 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Quality of care and clinical outcomes Regulation, governance and accountability Source Type: blogs
Emergency general surgery: challenges and opportunities
Nuffield Trust - The Nuffield Trust was commissioned by the Royal College of Surgeons of England to explore the challenges facing emergency general surgery and identify opportunities to overcome them. The report found that the most significant challenges faced by emergency general surgery (EGS) include variation in outcomes, workforce, organisational and operational issues and underlying demographic and epidemiological trends. The report argues that the quickest gains could be achieved through the systematic use of protocols and pathways. The most comprehensive means to address the challenges faced by EGS would be th...
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - April 10, 2016 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: NHS measurement and performance Quality of care and clinical outcomes Source Type: blogs
Private Medicine in India is a Free Market
BY SAURABH JHA, MD
Once, a farmer from a village in Bihar was diagnosed with colon cancer. He came to Patna, the capital city, to have the tumor removed. Because he was poor, my father recommended a young surgeon who trained in the UK. The surgeon was competent and idealistic. He was a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. His charges were the lowest. He did not charge the extremely poor.
The farmer declined, saying “if this babu is treating patients for free, he can’t be a good surgeon.” The farmer chose the most famous surgeon in the city, whose charges were not astronomical in comparison, but certainly higher....
Source: The Health Care Blog - October 1, 2015 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: THCB Source Type: blogs
Immediate care in sport – time for a change
How confident would you be if you are taken out of your emergency room and transported to be pitchside caring for a critically injured athlete? Your only medical equipment is strapped to your waist in a small bag; you have a physio with you, there are no other Doctors, no nurses and no little red button to press for help. There are twenty thousand people watching you at the ground and you are live on the sports channel with a further million people watching on…
Time critical limb injury
The days of finding a local Doctor who happens to be nearby or a relative of the players to “cover a game” are over. Medical...
Source: Life in the Fast Lane - September 8, 2015 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Fraser Brims Tags: Sports Medicine ICIR ICIS Immediate care Pitchside sport medicine Trauma Source Type: blogs
Grinders' disease
What is the connection between the 1945 film Brief Encounter and Sheffield? Not the setting, or the destination of any of the trains (although there are signs for trains to Skipton and Bradford). But the interests of Dr. Harvey, the male character played by Trevor Howard. There is a scene where he talks about pneumoconiosis, and mentions that it can be caused by metal dust.And this is grinders' disease, common among Sheffield grinders. Sheffield City Morris dance to a song about the Sheffield grinder, and a bit of further research uncovers this song, sung here by Roy Bailey. At what...
Source: Browsing - June 23, 2015 Category: Databases & Libraries Tags: medical history occupational medicine sheffield Source Type: blogs
Consultation on standards for non-specialist emergency care of children
Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) - These standards are intended for use by commissioners, service managers, and clinicians and they aim to ensure emergency surgical services for young people meet expected levels of quality and attain excellent outcomes in relation to governance, organisation of care, patient experience, training and service delivery. The consultation closes on 26 June 2015.
Draft standards
Response form
RCS consultations (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - May 15, 2015 Category: UK Health Authors: The King's Fund Information & Knowledge Service Tags: Patient involvement, experience and feedback Quality of care and clinical outcomes Regulation, governance and accountability Source Type: blogs
