Care News – Page 2893 – Care Appointments

Nurses Who Work With Fear Of Attack

By Iain MacDonald9th July 2007News Scotland

More than one in three nurses working alone in the community has been assaulted or harassed in the past two years, according to a new survey. The study, by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), found that more than half thought the threat of violence or abuse had increased over the period.

Council Care Boss Pledges Major Effort On Home Helps

By Shetland Today9th July 2007News Scotland

New Councillor Allison Duncan has blamed a breakdown of management and communication in the SIC for the recent shock cuts to home help services. In the Town Hall this week he said old people had been in tears in front of him over losing their visits.

Parents To Sue Nursery After Baby’s Death

By The Guardian6th July 2007News England

The parents of a 16-month-old girl who choked to death announced plans to sue the owners of her nursery yesterday after an inquest found the child was the victim there of “unlawful killing by gross negligence manslaughter”.

1.5m Wrongly Told They Risk Heart Disease

By The Guardian6th July 2007News England

Thousands of people have been wrongly told they are in danger of developing life-threatening heart diseases because of flaws in the way doctors routinely calculate the risk, according to a study of more than a million people published today.

Children’s Help Lines To Get £30m

By BBC6th July 2007News England

The NSPCC children’s charity has been given £30m by the government to expand Childline and other help lines.

Doctor ‘Gave 23 Times The Normal Dose Of Drug To Dying Babies’

By The Scotsman6th July 2007News Scotland

A Scottish consultant was yesterday accused of giving a massive dose of a paralysing drug to two terminally-ill babies to hasten their deaths in an act that was “tantamount to euthanasia”.

Scots NHS Workers Warn Of Strike

By BBC6th July 2007News Scotland

The prospect of strike action has been raised by health workers in Scotland despite the offer of a better pay rise than their English counterparts.

Welsh Nurses Given Early Pay Rise

By BBC6th July 2007News Wales

Nurses in Wales are to receive their full annual pay increase, ahead of their colleagues in England. The unstaged pay increase of 2.5%, backdated to 1 April, was announced by health minister Edwina Hart, who said they “deserved their pay in full”.

Thousands Of New Nurses Still Job-Hunting

By The Daily Telegraph6th July 2007News England

Almost a third of nurses – some 4,000 – had not found jobs six months after qualifying last year, according to official statistics.

{mosimage}More than half of physiotherapists and one in five midwives were also still unemployed half a year after completing their studies, the Department of Health admits.

Professional bodies claimed taxpayers’ money is being wasted on training staff who then cannot find work in the NHS, and blamed Government squeezes on funding which lead to local healthcare trusts cutting junior healthcare positions.

At least 12,000 nurses qualified in May or September last year. But the Department of Health has admitted that only 69% had found jobs by March this year. Among physiotherapists, only 48 per cent managed to find jobs after finishing their training.

The Royal College of Midwives estimates 3,000 more midwives are needed but about 20% of newly qualified midwives failed to find work last year.

A Royal College of Nursing spokesman said: “It is a big problem. Entry-level jobs, for which newly qualified nurses apply, have been frozen because trusts have been told to reduce their deficits. “We think trusts need to be given more time and flexibility to manage their deficits as otherwise it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money.”