Acute psychotic illness triggered by Brexit Referendum

Political events can take a serious toll on mental health, a doctor has warned, after treating a man with a brief episode of acute psychosis, triggered by the 2016 Referendum on Brexit -- the process of the UK leaving the European Union (EU). Read ScienceDaily article here Click here for case report - you may need an athens password - contact the library 01905 760601 if you have access problems

Towards mental health equality: a manifesto for the next Prime Minister

This manifesto focuses on five key asks of the new Prime Minister: take action to prevent mental illness; create a cross-government plan for mental health and establish a ‘mental health in all policies’ approach across government; reform the Mental Health Act; ensure everyone can access the right mental health support, in the right place, at the right time; and build a mental health workforce fit for the future.  Click here to read further.

Donald Trump's 'downward mental health spiral' could lead US to war, clinical psychologist says

Health professional argues there is a possibility President Trump's mental health could leave America vulnerable to terror attacks or war. Read news article here

NHS funding choices and the 2017 general election

This analysis of the major political parties manifestos from the Nuffield Trust has found that none of the parties have pledged to spend enough money on the NHS in England to close its funding gap, cope with increased demand and sustain high quality care. This briefing sets out four spending scenarios, setting them alongside a continuation of existing government plans and calculates how much money each would require by 2022/23. It finds that all the major political parties' plans fail to reach the lowest projecting of possible future NHS spending patterns and consequently spending as a proportion of GDP is set to fall under the three main parties' proposals.

See also the Centre for Economic Performance's The NHS and social care: prospects for funding, staffing and performance in the 2020s.

Surgeons call for review of private sector transparency and safety standards

Following Ian Paterson’s abhorrent actions, the President and Vice-Presidents of the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) have issued an open letter today (Wednesday 17 May) reassuring the public that rogue doctors should now be caught by modern rules governing medical practice. However, they warn there is no room for complacency and the RCS today calls for a review by the next Government of how safety standards and transparency can improve, particularly in the private sector.

Quality of care in the English NHS: In the balance

Waiting times for many NHS urgent and emergency services in England were at their worst in 2016/17 for the last five years, but there is so far little evidence that the quality of care for some of the big killers – like heart attack, stroke and cancer – is deteriorating. This is the main message from the second pre-election briefing from the Health Foundation,Quality of care in the English NHS: In the balance.

Brexit And The NHS: Election 2017

This briefing from the NHS Confederation outlines the priorities identified by NHS Confederation for the new incoming government. It calls for all political parties to commit to a series of pledges on Brexit ahead of the upcoming general election.