Technology need not be the enemy in the fight for better mental health

an article by Emily Reynolds published in the Guardian

New digital technology is being touted as a quick, cost-effective way to deliver therapy. But it mustn’t become the only option


‘Digital interventions are a useful tool, but are not sufficient on their own – they’re simply one weapon in what should be an arsenal of options for young people.’ Photograph: Christopher Thomond

Effective treatment for children with mental illnesses is a pressing issue – so much so, in fact, that a huge chunk of the recent NHS long-term plan was dedicated to it. It’s long overdue: child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are suffering from both lack of funding and under resourcing, with young people subsequently forced to wait months or even years for treatment.

The plan has numerous suggestions: more money pumped into services, for one, an overhaul of crisis care, early intervention. But, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), there could be another way to combat the issue: apps. They’re recommending that the NHS administer cognitive behavioural therapy via phones and computers – therapy specifically designed to help five- to eight-year-olds.

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The impact of waiting time targets in emergency departments

a column by Jonathan Gruber, Thomas Hoe and George Stoye for VIX: CEPR’s Policy Portal

Emergency departments in hospitals around the world are under pressure to reduce waiting times.

This column analyses the effect of a government target for hospitals in England which mandates a maximum waiting time of four hours. The target successfully reduced waiting times and mortality, but increased costs per patient.

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Hospitals: human bodies?

Medical institutions must not let the drive for greater operational efficiency undermine the essential qualities necessary for organising care


an article by Dr Robert Farrands FRSA published in the RSA Journal (Summer 2013)

The Francis Report on the failure of the Mid Staffordshire hospital describes in detail a form of organisational hypertrophy: a state when some organs of the body are overnourished and grow at the expense of the whole. This condition prevails in organisations when a limited number of a rich complex of concerns and practices are singled out for special attention. As a result, the chosen aspects become vested with undue significance, while other equally important features are overlooked.

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Latest patient data fiasco highlights need for an NHS data protection czar

To be fair it was the latest fiasco when the report was written back in April this year. I was inspired to go and find it by an article in Bulletin (of the information and records management society) (Issue 168 (July 2012)) which I managed to read in the British Library yesterday.
I thought it was too “good” not to use – which assumes that we can see anything good in reading that “10 of the 30 major data breaches the ICO handles each month involve the NHS in one shape or another”.

Is the NHS overall the largest organisation in the UK?

Not three times as large as anyone else, surely.

Cryptzone Insight by Grant Taylor

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Step Into the NHS

The NHS is about much more than doctors and nurses. There are over 350 different careers available in the NHS, and not all of them involve working directly with patients, but are equally as important, such as IT analysts, auditors, scientists, and even gardeners and chaplains.

Step into the NHS has been designed specifically to engage with 14-19-year-olds, stimulating them to think about ways in which their talents and skills can have a positive impact on the future of the NHS. Young people are given a real insight into what goes on inside the NHS with case studies and short films from real staff, including Wildlife, which follows a young healthcare scientist through the hospital where she works and Ramp, a view of A&E through an injured skateboarder's eyes. There is also an interactive career mapper that will take users to the five careers that suit their interests and an opportunity to receive ongoing, personalised communication from the NHS Careers Team that will support them in their future decision making.