Heart Beat

May 16 – A midwifery course has been recognised for its ‘excellent’ design. The Robert Gordon University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, in Aberdeen, UK, was given this year’s Excellence in Supervision of Midwives award at the British Journal of Midwifery Practice Awards 2012.

“It feels fantastic to have won this award,” said Lynn Grove, a midwifery teacher at Robert Gordon University. “The course development team have worked hard to develop the programme and it is great to have it acknowledged in this way. It has given our midwifery team a real boost and feeling of success.

“Our special thanks go to the Local Supervising Authority Midwifery Officer, Mary Vance, and all of the course development team for their contribution to the programme.” Read the rest

May 15 – Nurses are suffering from a “great deal of unhappiness”, health secretary Andrew Lansley was told yesterday. Mr Lansley braved the Royal College of Nursing conference in Harrogate, Yorkshire, yesterday – setting out his case that the NHS is in good shape.

Mr Lansley cited reductions in hospital infections and improved access to dental services.

He said: “Let’s give the NHS credit for what it has achieved.”

He faced questions about pensions and staffing levels but faced allegations that the NHS was “on the critical list.” Read the rest

May 14 – Hospitals and community services across the NHS are under pressure from staffing shortages – placing in jeopardy hopes of saving money by shifting care to the home, nurses warned today. In one survey nurses reported growing numbers of patients receiving care in corridors or kept in ambulances because of queues for emergency care.

A second survey, published today, found community nurses reporting increasing caseloads. The findings were released at the Royal College of Nursing conference in Harrogate, Yorkshire. Read the rest

While it doesn’t quite feel like summer yet in the UK, we all hope it is right around the corner.  Some of you lucky ones also have plans for some nice beach vacations soon.  We all know what that means…time to get out the swimsuit!  I’m sure we all wish we were a bit firmer or fitter around this time of year.  I’ve always felt that if I’m consistently doing some sort of activity and/or eating healthy for about 1 month before I get into my swimsuit, I feel much more confident in it regardless of whether I really look that much better.  For me personally, it’s all about how I feel in it.  Also, 1 month generally isn’t too overwhelming of a time period and is just long enough to see some results.  Click “Read the Rest” for just a few simple tips to help you look and feel better in your swimsuit.    Read the rest

May 11 – People with chronic migraine could soon be getting Botox routinely on the NHS, it was announced today. Doctors will get support to inject Botox when other treatments fail, according to draft proposals from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

NICE was called in because of the high cost of the treatment – which is well known for its use in cosmetic applications and based on the lethal botulinum bacterium. Its proposals, published yesterday, mean that patients would have to try three other medications before they could have Botox. Read the rest

May 10 – Two nurses are undertaking a pioneering job working with schools to improve the health of children. Lynne Holden and Vicky Saunders have been appointed as school “liaison nurses” in Tendring, Essex, undertaking a different role to that normally undertaken by school nurses.

Their key task is to tackle the problem of school absenteeism in the district, linked to complaints of minor illnesses. Their drop-in clinics in primary schools will encourage parents to bring allegedly sick children in for a check-up. They will also offer telephone advice starting at seven in the morning. Read the rest

May 9 – The controversial secret report on the risks of the NHS reforms will not be published, ministers decreed yesterday. Early drafts of the risk register have already been leaked – and the Information Commissioner had sought to instruct the government to publish the full version.

Some MPs objected to having to approve the NHS reforms without seeing the register. But yesterday the Government used its veto on the Commissioner’s order – putting an end to a series of appeals. Read the rest

May 8 – Some of the techniques used to help women get pregnant carry a significant risk of leading to birth defects, researchers have warned. But one technique – embryo freezing – reduces the risk, according to Australian researchers.

The major study of more than 300,000 births finds that babies born through assisted reproduction face an increased risk of birth defects – but the researchers say that couples who struggle with fertility problems also face an increased risk. Read the rest

May 4 – A nationwide handwashing campaign across hospitals in England and Wales has helped to slash some infection rates, according to new figures revealed last night. The Cleanyourhands campaign, the first one in the world to be rolled out nationally, aimed to reduce high levels of Staphylococcus aureus infection – meticillin resistant (MRSA) and meticillin sensitive (MSSA) – and Clostridium difficile infection that spread through healthcare workers’ hands.

The campaign, which began in January 2005, saw alcohol hand rub being provided at each hospital bedside, distribution of posters, regular audits and feedback, and materials that reminded patients to ask healthcare workers to clean their hands. Read the rest

May 3 – A nursing lecturer has joined the ranks of top nurses who hold the title of Queen’s Nurse. Stefan Cash has been a senior lecturer in child health for the last four years and is based at Birmingham City University.

He has played a key role in developing a paediatric assessment course for ambulance staff. And he has worked to help improve the management of children’s illnesses in schools. He had worked for the NHS for 13 years before becoming a lecturer, joining the university in 2005. Read the rest