Care of the elderly

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MRSA Action UK: Study shows over a third of patients in acute care received antibiotics last year

The Health Protection Agency preliminary findings from research conducted in 99 acute hospital trusts and 5 independent sector organisations during September and November last year, has revealed that over a third of patients received antibiotics, with over half being administered for community acquired infections.

MRSA Action UK take part in developing the Department of Health's Patient-Led Inspections of the Hospital Environment

The Government is committed to a more central role for patients and the Prime Minister has announced that a new system of Patient-Led Inspections will replace Patient Environment Action Teams from 2013. The results of the new inspections will be reported publicly to help drive up standards of care.

Dr Hadwen Trust pledges £0.7m for humane medical research

The Dr Hadwen Trust (DHT) has announced grants totalling over £720k to fund innovative and humane research into bipolar disorder, cardiovascular disease, cystic fibrosis, motor-neuron disease, rabies and schizophrenia.

MRSA Action UK’s Annual General Meeting

MRSA Action UK will hold it’s Annual General Meeting on 17th March 2012. There are opportunities for members to be involved in shaping the way the Charity lobbies for improvement in our healthcare and help to raise awareness about healthcare infections and what we can do to stay well and reduce the risks of acquiring them.

TACT: Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD): how to support affected children

Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is an incurable lifelong condition arising from brain damage caused by maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The effects may include physical, mental, behavioural and learning disabilities. However, if diagnosed, the right strategies can transform the lives of those affected. This new Guardian Social Care Network half-day seminar in association with TACT Fostering and Adoption will explain the condition and show what can be done to help.

MRSA Action UK: Untreatable superbug threat becomes a reality

Today’s news report that Britain is facing a massive rise of a strain of the bacterium E.coli that is resistant to almost every antibiotic in our arsenal comes as little surprise to MRSA Action UK. In November 2008 our press release entitled “the rising threat from new superbugs” heeded the warning of the first outbreak of a mutant strain of E.coli 026 on a dairy farm in the UK.

Unite: Cameron facing collapse in trust over health reforms says poll

Six times as many people trust health professionals than David Cameron and Andrew Lansley (60 per cent – 10 per cent) over their health reforms and 68 per cent want the government to publish its own risk register on the reforms.

MRSA Action UK will hold it’s Annual General Meeting on 17th March 2012

This meeting is open to the public and MRSA Action UK welcome new members and also those who work in the health industry.

ESRC: Tackling financial exploitation of elderly people

Professionals who are in close contact with elderly people could soon be in a better position to spot if they are being financially exploited, for example through a lottery scam or by a deceitful relative draining the bank account, thanks to a pioneering new study funded by the UK Research Councils’ New Dynamics of Ageing programme (NDA)

MRSA Action UK: Using fingerprinting and testing for toxin positive patients is key to reducing Clostridium difficile

Care homes and hospitals need to take advantage of their local Health Protection Units in the use fingerprinting to check for cross infection. New evidence that shows fewer than a quarter of cases can be linked to other patients makes diagnosis and effective treatment absolutely essential if deadly strains are to be halted from becoming endemic in our care facilities.

13/10/11

Elderly patients in hospitals across England are subject to 'alarming' treatment, with some hospitals allowing patients to go hungry or ignoring them completely, according to a report published today.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out unannounced inspections of 100 hospitals across England and found only 45 to meet basic standards on providing adequate care to elderly patients.

In some cases the regulator discovered help bells placed out of patients' reach and some patients were subject to humiliation when staff neglected to properly close curtains during examinations and procedures.

Age UK is demanding the commission now carry out spot checks of hospitals on a regular basis and is lobbying for hospitals to publish rates of malnutrition on their wards.

Age UK: Nearly one in five hospitals "fail" elderly patients

Lansley: Poor standards "simply unacceptable"

Labour: Elderly patients not treated with "dignity or respect"

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Paxman: "Your challenge will be to stop yourself becoming a total irrelevance."

Cameron lashes out: Ed Balls branded a "muttering idiot"

Balls managed to rile up the prime minister today

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Jacob Rees-Mogg wants a Tory-only government to roll back the state

The Watson/Mensch love-in continues… sort of

Louise Mensch and Tom Watson: Friends across the aisle

Pseudo facts? New London Assembly gets off to a rocky start

City Hall: Mayor Boris faces his friends and enemies

Beecroft stings 'socialist' Cable

Vince Cable branded 'socialist' by Adrian Beecroft

Special event coverage

Festival of Social Sciences: Celebrating the Social Sciences

Evidence-based policy should not be a radical concept. It needs to be celebrated.

Festival of Social Sciences: 2 languages: 2 brains, 2 minds, 2 cultures?

As part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences, the Deafness Cognition And Language Research Centre (DCAL) hosted an event exploring the powerful benefits of bilingualism in spoken and sign languages, for hearing and deaf people alike - benefits that reach hearing and deaf people alike.

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Voice: Feeling stressed? Understand yourself? Now, move forward Conference

Application forms are now available for an exciting conference in Manchester. The fun-packed day will give you practical solutions and advice on managing stress and time to help you achieve a work/life balance.

BHA: The Marriage Debate - ‘This house would legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales'

Two weeks before the Government’s consultation on same-sex marriage draws to a close, Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association is participating in a debate hosted by Catholic Voices on the motion, ‘This House Would Legalise Same-Sex Marriage’.

BSIA: Information Destruction Exhibition and Conference

This one-day event is targeted at professionals operating in the information destruction industry, and aims at keeping delegates updated on recent developments in their sector, providing an opportunity to network with fellow professionals, whilst offering access to an informative exhibition and a comprehensive conference programme.

Care of the elderly

13/10/11

Age UK: Nearly one in five hospitals "fail" elderly patients

Lansley: Poor standards "simply unacceptable"

Labour: Elderly patients not treated with "dignity or respect"

Opinion Formers

Latest News

No 10 unleashes Tory gay marriage opposition with free vote move

No eurozone answers as crisis drifts on

Must try harder: £35bn remains in uncollected tax

Leveson vs Paxman: 'You could become an irrelevance'

Cameron lashes out: Ed Balls branded a "muttering idiot"

Rees-Mogg: Coalition can't fix Britain

The Watson/Mensch love-in continues… sort of

Pseudo facts? New London Assembly gets off to a rocky start

Beecroft stings 'socialist' Cable

Special event coverage

Festival of Social Sciences: Celebrating the Social Sciences

Festival of Social Sciences: 2 languages: 2 brains, 2 minds, 2 cultures?

Opinion Former Events

Voice: Feeling stressed? Understand yourself? Now, move forward Conference

BHA: The Marriage Debate - ‘This house would legalise same-sex marriage in England and Wales'

BSIA: Information Destruction Exhibition and Conference

ABI: The Future of Long-term Savings & Retirement Income - Automatic Enrolment and Beyond Conference

Take the Gold Challenge for St Dunstan's

TACT: 2013 Virgin London Marathon

13/10/11

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