IN BRIEF

‘HOW TO COMPLAIN’ CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED South Asian and Muslim women are made to feel inferior and in the wrong when they complain to the NHS, according to the parliamentary and health service ombudsman. The ombudsman service last week launched a campaign to encourage women from these groups to complain if they feel they have not received a good service from the NHS. It has distributed 25,000 leaflets in five south Asian languages – Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu – explaining the process for complaining. Research by the ombudsman service found that women from South Asian and Muslim backgrounds are less likely to complain about their NHS treatment than white British women, and focus groups revealed some of the reluctance to complain is because of fear of repercussions. Parliamentary and health service ombudsman Dame Julie Mellor said: ‘We are worried south Asian and Muslim women’s voices are going unheard.’ Go to www.ombudsman.org.uk

Handheld devices are saving hundreds of lives, study claims More than 750 lives were saved in one year at two hospitals where nurses have been using handheld computers to record patients’ vital signs instead of paper charts, a study suggests. Specialist software called VitalPAC, developed by nurses and doctors at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust with technology company the Learning Clinic, automatically calculates if patients are deteriorating. It then warns nurses to monitor patients more frequently and, if necessary, alert a doctor or rapid response team. VitalPAC was introduced at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust in 2005 and at University Hospital in Coventry two years later. More than 750 lives were saved in 2010 across the two sites, according to research published in BMJ Quality & Safety. Project leader Paul Schmidt said: ‘We believed traditional paper charts were not doing the job well enough so we designed an electronic system to support staff.’ But Michael Adams, associate head of the school of nursing, midwifery and social work at Birmingham City University, said: ‘I find it slightly depressing that nurses need a phone or other electrical device to tell them to call a doctor.’

Scotland’s chief nursing officer Ros Moore has announced that she will step down at the end of the year. Ms Moore (pictured), who was appointed in 2009, said: ‘I have enjoyed the role but the time is right for me to move on.’ RCN Scotland director Theresa Fyffe said: ‘Ros Moore has been an advocate for nursing in Scotland and has worked hard to make her mark, not only on policy issues but also with the nurses working daily in our health service.’ More than a third of cancer patients do not think there are enough nurses on duty to care for them while in hospital, a survey of 110,000 patients in England has found. The annual national cancer patient experience survey also found that nine out of ten patients felt clinical nurse specialists listened to their questions and took the time to explain things properly. Go to tiny.cc/NCPES An academic based in Scotland has become the first European nurse to be inducted into an international nurse researcher hall of fame. Brendan McCormack, who is head of nursing at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, has been honoured in the Sigma Theta Tau International 2014 international nurse researcher hall of fame awards for his research in areas including nursing and older people. The number of people being diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) in the UK is still unacceptably high, despite a small decrease in cases, Public Health England (PHE) has warned. There were 7,892 cases of TB in 2013, down from 8,729 in 2012. PHE said reducing cases through early diagnosis and treatment was a priority. Go to tiny.cc/TB_UK_2014 A free guide to help community nurses and other healthcare professionals spot the signs of gastrointestinal intolerance in malnourished adults has been published. The guide, drawn up by experts including oncology clinical nurse specialist Pam O’Donoghue, provides tips on signs to look out for. It also suggests ways to help patients manage the condition, which can lead to dehydration and weight loss, and exacerbate malnutrition. www.abbottnutrition.co.uk/ media/82444/consensus_guide.pdf New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) says more support should be given to carers of people with bipolar disorder to help them cope with challenging behaviour. NICE recommends carers are offered their own mental health assessment to discuss their needs. Carers should also be given an overview of bipolar disorder and information on support for carers and where to turn to in a crisis. Go to www.nice.org.uk/guidance/CG185 Two thirds of local authority areas in England missed targets for child immunisation against measles, mumps and rubella in 2013/14, government figures reveal. Health and Social Care information Centre data show only 51 out of 149 local authorities met the World Health Organization’s 95 per cent target for children to receive the first dose of the MMR vaccine by their second birthday. Go to tiny.cc/immunisation_stats

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'How to complain' campaign launched.

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