Search

Systematic literature searching identified 29 relevant health and social sciences articles for review on the topic of austerity policies and their impacts on the health and social care of disabled, elderly and immigrants in the United Kingdom (UK). Since 2010, government changes to previously state-funded areas meant levels of funding and eligibility changed significantly. Self-funding or self-managing healthcare, but more often social care, was transferred to individuals. While additional funding was given for some treatments, prevention approaches were cut. More people had to depend on non-professional care, mostly from family. Many family carers received no professional advice or information and mostly had to reduce their own employment hours and income to care for a dependent. The quality of services, professional or non-professional, became poorer than pre-2010. These changes increased marginalisation and stigma. Consequently, many 'vulnerable' became 'vilified' – disabled, elderly and immigrants often of the worst affected. Government definitions of 'disability', 'elderly' and 'immigrant' change. UK changes reduced the health and social care available to individuals recently. Individuals were made responsible for knowing about changes that affected them and had to manage their care without professional guidance and support. Some had to use personal funding to maintain their quality of life. Many people felt stigmatised because of the changes and were nervous about seeking help they were entitled to. Health and social care should be joined-up and involve assessment, funding, and services offered as a package. This should be ideally focused on preventing worsening health, early treatment and support for managing long-term conditions. Judging that people currently contributing to the economy through work as those who deserve government services is wrong. Assisting the well-being of those who cannot currently contribute can recognise past contributions and improve potential to contribute, and may reduce future needs for government services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To develop a novel interactive budget impact model that assesses affordability of diabetes treatments in specific populations, and to test the model in a hypothetical scenario by estimating cost savings resulting from reduction in HbA1c from ≥69 mmol/mol (8.5%) to a target of 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) in adults with Type 1 diabetes in the UK. Methods: A dynamic, interactive model was created using the projected incidence and progression over a 5‐year horizon of diabetes‐related complications (micro‐ and macrovascular disease, severe hypoglycaemia and diabetic ketoacidosis) for different HbA1c levels, with flexible input of population size, complications and therapy costs, HbA1c distribution and other variables. The model took a National Health Service and societal perspective. Results: The model was developed, and in the proposed hypothetical situation, reductions in complications and expected costs evaluated. Achievement of target HbA1c in individuals with HbA1c ≥69 mmol/mol (8.5%) would reduce expected chronic complications from 6.8 to 1.2 events per 100 person‐years, and diabetic ketoacidosis from 14.5 to 1.0 events per 100 person‐years. Potential cumulative direct cost savings achievable in the modelled population were estimated at £687 m over 5 years (£5,585/person), with total (direct and indirect) savings of £1,034 m (£8,400/person). Conclusions: Implementation of strategies aimed at achieving target glucose levels in people with Type 1 diabetes in the UK has the potential to drive a significant reduction in complication costs. This estimate may provide insights into the potential for investment in achieving savings through improved diabetes care in the UK. What's new?: We describe a new interactive budget impact model that evaluates affordability of diabetes treatments and their independent impact on HbA1c and hypoglycaemia.We tested the model by simulating the effect of reducing HbA1c from ≥69 mmol/mol (8.5%) to 53 mmol/mol (7.0%) in an adult population with Type 1 diabetes in the UK.The model estimated that micro‐ and macro‐complications were reduced by >80%, and total cost savings of more than £8,000/person were achieved over a 5‐year period by strategies that obtain target glycaemic control.The model has potential to provide information about the affordability of diabetes treatments, and thus facilitate better resource planning, budget allocation and treatment uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the study on the benefits, economic impact, and costs associated to patient and public involvement (PPI) in health policy and patient-focused health-care system. Methods were designed to measure the potential benefits of PPI including national health service (NHS) governance, designing of projects, and implementation. Results were outlined and conclude the advantages of recognizing the costs of PPI on the effective planning, execution, and evaluating organization.

The article discusses the highlights of several regional group meetings of the National Association of Equipment Providers (NAEP). It includes the Eastern Regional Group meeting presided by NAEP executive Debra Attwood in Huntingdon, England in November 2014, and the Northwest Regional Group keynoted by chair Liza Alexandria in Stockport, England in October 2014. The Southeast Regional meeting held in November 2014 featured a discussion on equipment training by NAEP member Libby Walker.

This paper explores the place that qualified social workers will have in the world of self-directed support and personalisation. Using material from two case studies it argues that continued social work assistance is needed for many service users given the levels of complexity that typify their lives. It also notes that numerous local authorities are reducing the involvement of qualified social workers, citing the need to maximise the levels of choice and control that people have over their lives by reducing external involvement while responding to major financial cuts. It suggests that the consequences of this could be serious for many people, given the chaotic and dangerous nature of their life choices. However, since the allocation of social workers rests with bodies outside of the profession itself it has little direct control of the sorts of practice with which it is engaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reviews a personalised care package scheme, in which mental health service users in Skegness are allocated previously agreed amounts of money depending on their personal circumstances and needs. The scheme is judged to be successful but is limited by the amount of time it takes and by the involvement of a distant budget holder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emeritus Professor Alan Glasper, from the University of Southampton, discusses the recently published government mandate for the NHS which sets out seven priority objectives to meet by 2020 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the British National Health Service (NHS) is expected to overspend by 2.3 billion British pounds in 2016. Topics covered include the result of King Fund's survey that finance directors believe that it is highly unlikely to meet NHS England's goal of limiting overspending to 1.8 billion British pounds, impact of financial stress on patient care and the opinion of King's Fund chief economist John Appleby.

Tracing the history of prescribing in the UK and why it matters in present day dispensing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a research paper published within the issue on spending in diabetes research across Europe. Topics include contribution of Great Britain to European diabetes research in terms of publishing of papers; investment in diabetes research by countries like Denmark and Sweden; sources of funding which include government, and charitable organizations like Diabetes UK; and dominance of studies on topics like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The article discusses the role of the National Health Services in Great Britain in providing training, education, and continuing education for nurses in order to maintain quality care. The author comments on the Royal College of Nursing, supply and demand of nurses, and educational budgets. Other topics include the labor market in Great Britain and safety of patients.

In our series on the history of prescribing policy, Dr Darrin Baines traces how successive governments have attempted to curb drug costs. Here, he describes the controversial reforms introduced following the publication of Working for Patients in 1989. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An editorial is presented which discusses the rise in mortality rate in England and Wales during 2015 and the reasons for this rise. It mentions the performance of the National Health Service (NHS) of Great Britain and the budgetary reasons that led to the failure to achieve performance markers.

The article presents the principles that underlie the personal health budget pilot program of the Department of Health in Great Britain. These includes the need to inform patient on the size of the budget before the support or care planning stage. It notes that patients are encourage to play an important role in the planning process of care. It mentions allowing patient to choose how they manage their personal health budget.

The role of nursing in the NHS commissioning structure in England is developing. Since April 2013 more than 200 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs), which comprise all GP practices in the locality, have taken on responsibility for health budgets in their areas. This article describes the challenges ahead and nurses’ responsibilities in CCGs when working with local citizens and across the health and social care system to assure the delivery of high quality, safe services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a document titled "Frontline First: Nursing on Red Alert" which was issued in 2013 by the Royal College of Nursing in response to a report on cases of patient abuse at a National Health Service health care facility which was prepared by British attorney Robert Francis. In the article the author offers his opinions on the college's document and its impact on the nursing profession in Great Britain.

This section offers news briefs related to healthcare in Great Britain as of February 2013, including the launch by Boehringer Ingelheim of a chronic, obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) smartphone application which supports healthcare professionals in their consultation with patients, the authorization of 67 clinical commissioning groups by the National Health Service (NHS) Commissioning Board, and an increase in the number of NHS staff who chose to be vaccinated against flu.

The article examines the responses of service user groups and professionals to the spending plans of British Chancellor George Osborne in December 2010. The Department of Health mentions that the money that would be saved by the efficiency measures proposed by Osborne will be reinvested to meet the increasing demand for health care services. The measures include the need for enhancing the productivity of the workforce as well as the application of best practice throughout the National Health Service.

The author examines whether British general practitioners (GPs) are capable of managing National Health Service (NHS) budgets. According to the author, several GPs have problems managing their own finances. He points out that better pay and conditions for GPs are usually under the disguise of improved services for patients. Particular focus is given to the extent of the British Medical Association's militancy throughout history. He argues that GPs are not fit to hold NHS budgets since they cannot be trusted collectively.

Duncan Hamilton is on deferment, studying Adult Nursing at the University of Surrey, returning in 2016. He is President, University of Surrey Students' Union society for nursing, midwifery and operating department practice [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses the problems facing general practice medicine in Great Britain. He highlights the high levels of stress among general practitioners (GP) who conduct about 60 million consultations per year and the need for urgent funding or rescue package for general practice. He also discusses the factors affecting the GP problem including cuts to social care and the reduction in health care spending as a percentage of gross domestic product.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to Iacobucci's investigation about public health in the "Feature" section in the January 23, 2016 issue.

The article reports the claim by Royal Society president Paul Nurse on September 29, 2015 that the government of Great Britain would be behaving like the Neanderthal people if it will implement a sharp reduction to the science budget.

The article predicts the deficits of the National Health Service (NHS) trusts to double from around one billion British pounds to 2.5 billion British pounds in 2015-16, ass told by NHS Providers Chief Executive Chris Hopson.

The author reflects developments in the operation of the British National Health Service (NHS) as of November 2014. Based on the separate reports by the King's Fund, Health Foundation and Nuffield Health, the NHS is confronting such issues as lengthened waiting times for hospital admission and missed accident and emergency targets. Also cited is NHS England's Simon Steven's five year forward vision for the agency.

The article discusses a report published by the Centre for Workforce Intelligence on the review of the general practice workforce commissioned by the Great Britain Department of Health and Health Education. Review found 23 percent increase in the number of general practitioner (GPs) from 1995 to 2013.

The author discusses the rising number of providers in deficit even though the National Health Service (NHS) is living within its budget at an aggregate level. Particular focus is given to King's Fund surveys which show increasing pessimism among finance directors about their ability to deliver unprecedented savings required under the Nicholson challenge. The article discusses how reductions in NHS funding in England have affected social care and other services.

The author discusses the cuts made to health and social care services to transfer funds to preventative services run by local authorities: and highlights the effect of the cuts on the services of Association of Directors of Social Services (ADASS) and the possible solutions.

The author discusses the effects of capsaicin that causes local burning pain and erythema, and mentions that using shock doses of capsaicin, applied to cutaneous nerves briefly, desensitise nerve endings for longer time.

The article reports that although experts have cautioned that the UK Labour Party's proposal to merge the budgets for all health care services in England would require a complete reorganization of the National Health Service (NHS), the party is optimistic that it would not be required.

The article focuses on the advantage of the Personal Health Budgets of the Department of Health in Great Britain in 2013. According to Ray Hodgkinson of the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), Personal Health Budgets can entail better value for money to the National Health Service (NHS) if people are less to be dependent on hospitals. He adds that they are pleased that the Department of Health acknowledges that the benefits of the programme are for people with the highest needs.

A letter to the editor is presented regarding the personal healthcare budgets in the National Health Service (NHS) in Great Britain.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Getting Better Value From the NHS Drug Budget," by J. C. Moon and colleagues, published in the December 17, 2010 issue.

The author addresses the development of the practice of midwifery in Great Britain. He comments on the recommendations included in the Department of Health (DH) Spending Review 2010. He considers the quality of maternity services in the country. He mentions the expected responsibilities of midwives.