This bulletin from the NHS Information Centre reports on the use of medicines in hospitals and puts their use into context by comparing it with their use in primary care and with medicines prescribed in hospitals but dispensed in the community. The bulletin explores the use of medicines used in the management of Attention Deficit [read the full story…]
The Department of Health have published their proposed next steps to develop services for offenders with severe personality disorders in the NHS and Criminal Justice System. This follows a consultation that ran from Feb-May this year. In short, this work seeks to ensure that: the personality disordered offender population is a shared responsibility of the [read the full story…]
‘Preparation for Birth and Beyond: a resource pack for leaders of community groups and activities’ aims to help the NHS, local authorities and the voluntary sector in planning or running groups for expectant and new parents. The pack is a practical tool that aims to improve outcomes for babies and parents through a refreshed approach [read the full story…]
Assisted suicide generates debate on a variety of levels – ethical, moral, religious, spiritual, political, cultural, psychological, professional and legal. It is an issue that affects the nursing workforce, both as individuals and as health professionals. Most people who are approaching the end of their lives in the UK do not ask a health professional [read the full story…]
The aim of this study was to establish the relative safety and balance of risks for antidepressant treatment in older people. The cohort study included 60,746 patients aged 65 years and over diagnosed with depression. The study was based in 570 general practices in the UK supplying data to the QResearch database. The study objectives [read the full story…]
As people get older they tend to have more problems sleeping. Sometimes they are prescribed medication (hynoptic drugs) to help them sleep. Commonly used hynoptics are benzodiazepines and Z drugs (zopiclone, zolpidem, zaleplon). Researchers from Australia have just published a systematic review of randomised controlled trials (ref 1) that evaluates the effectiveness of simple ‘minimal [read the full story…]
Despite what you read in the tabloid press, the vast majority of people with mental health problems are not violent. However, when violence does occur in hospitals, it’s important that healthcare professionals know how to manage the situation. This new systematic review has been conducted by a team of Italian researchers who searched a range [read the full story…]
Intensive care patients are at risk of developing anxiety, depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during their recovery. One study shows that 10% of patients who spend more than 48 hours in intensive care will go on to be diagnosed with PTSD (ref 2). This randomised controlled trial conducted by a collaborative team of [read the full story…]
It’s a sad fact of life that as people get older they sometimes find themselves living a lonely lifestyle; cut off from stimulating social networks and all of the activities and benefits that friendships entail. Social exclusion and a lack of frequent interaction may predict impaired cognition in the older members of the population. Researchers [read the full story…]
New figures from the NHS Information Centre show that the number of people held in detention under the Mental Health Act at 31st March 2011 increased by 5%, from 19,947 in 2009/10 to 20,938 in 2010/11. This is despite the number of formal admissions for treatment and new Community Treatment Orders having fallen since the [read the full story…]
