Elderly people in NI at risk of abuse
As the Northern Ireland Assembly failed to sit on the 1,000th day since the last election this Wednesday, UK charity Action on Elder Abuse’s newly appointed Deputy CEO Veronica Gray condemned NI’s adult safeguarding policy as “not fit for purpose”. NI remains the only part of the UK without adult protection legislation, and its reliance on regional policy for delivery of adult safeguarding has left people vulnerable to abuse, with 21 percent of NI over-60s reporting being victim to financial abuse, compared with just 0.7 percent of older people across Great Britain.
Read more on the BBC.
Nursing shortages forcing NHS to rely on support staff
A new report from The Health Foundation has found that the NHS is relying on less qualified staff to plug workforce gaps because of a huge shortage of nurses.Currently there are almost 44,000 nursing vacancies across the NHS, which is 12% of the nursing workforce, but this could hit 100,000 in a decade, the report said.
Read more in the Guardian.
Surge in new cases follow leak of maternity failings interim report
Following the leak of an interim report into the deaths of mothers and babies at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust more than 200 new families have contacted the inquiry. The investigation, being led by the maternity expert Donna Ockenden for NHS Improvement, has already looking at more than 600 cases where newborns and mothers died or were left injured from 1979 to the present day.
Read more in the BBC.
Coffee could reduce risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity
Finally, a piece of news the ZPB team are happy about! A new study has found that drinking up to four coffees a day can reduce the risk of type two diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. The international research team examined the link between coffee consumption and metabolic syndrome. They discovered an “association between coffee consumption” and a decreased risk of serious health issues. Although the independent researchers were commissioned by the Institute for Scientific Information on Coffee, a body funded by coffee companies, so maybe take this finding with a pinch of salt (or cube of sugar).
Read more on the Evening Standard.
Quote of the week
Families will receive text message reminders about their children’s vaccinations in a bid to stop declining rates of some immunisations, the Conservatives have announced. In response to this Health Secretary, Matt Hancock said;
“The science is clear: vaccines save lives, and ensuring that children are properly immunised is one of the most important things any parent can do for their children.”
Read more in Digital Health.net