Things in the library 16th Oct...

 Things to inspire... 

Despite yesterday being my day off I made sure I was able to listen to the Clinical Summit keynote speaker Liz O'Riordan who I have heard before on the radio. She did not disappoint and i strongly recommend you catching up with the presentation. She recommended several books which we will try to buy for the library. If you - or those around you - struggle with work-life balance then this is the talk for you. One of her passions (as a surgeon turned patient) is the dissemination and sharing of good quality information and signposting patients/parents to useful resources. One such resource that you might find useful for your patients and their families is Contact a charity for families with disabled children. They also have part of their website aimed at health professionals.

Things to join in... 

(photo taken in February)

Our next Randomised Coffee Trial will run in November so now is the time to sign-up. This is the chance to be randomly matched with someone else in the trust and to take 30-40 minutes out of your day to connect. You can talk about work if you want and possibly learn something new or make new connections or just share your interests. If you wish you can take a socially distanced walk outside in the park instead of a virtual meeting. On previous participants 95% said it was a positive experience. Click on this link for a form to sign-up, you will be matched and informed what to do next at the end of October and if someone recommended RCTs to you then give us their name and they might win a prize donated by Starbucks for our 70th birthday celebrations.  

Things competitive...  

(photo taken in February)

If you haven't yet joined in the competition we are running with a Book token from Blackwells as the prize (can be used online). Don't miss your chance. Treasure to be found... no-one has yet got all the correct answers!

Things LGBT+ in the NHS... 

This new report from The University of York follows a three-year study to understand how LGBT+ employee networks operate within the NHS, how they are run, what they can do to improve  relationships between colleagues, and ultimately, how they can improve the wellbeing of LGBT+ employees. The report sets out a series of recommendations on how networks could be used in inclusive work environments. The report concludes unequivocally that, while the NHS provide a very positive space for many LGBT+ networks students, there is a real need for the sector to engage with LGBT+ networks and to review how it provides support for networks to ensure NHS trusts get the most from their LGBT+ networks.

Things about evidence... 

For more than 30 years hundreds of organisations and tens of thousands of individuals have been driving improvements in the quality and outcomes of healthcare by promoting and supporting the synthesis, transfer and implementation of evidence into clinical practice. On October 20th 2020 World Evidence-Based Healthcare Day celebrates the impact of researchers, academics, students, clinicians, consumers, patients and other agents of change who are driving improvements in the quality and outcomes of healthcare globally. There are many inspiring stories here of where evidence has made a difference. If you need help searching for the right evidence to support you and inform your work then please use our Book a Librarian service or sign up for our Current Awareness services when you join the library.

Things diagnostic... 

Professor Sir Mike Richards was commissioned by NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens to review diagnostic services as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. The review’s proposals will help save lives and improve people’s quality of life including for cancer, stroke, heart disease and respiratory conditions. In his report, presented to the NHS England and NHS Improvement board meeting 1st October, leading medical expert Sir Mike says that these new services would be ‘covid free’, with diagnostic checks in A&E separated from tests taken ahead of routine procedures. Such an approach would be quicker and safe for patients, so anyone who is in hospital should be able to get a scan on the day.Access to blood tests in the community should also be expanded so that people can give samples close to their homes, at least six days a week, without having to go to hospital.Professor Sir Mike, who was the first NHS national cancer director and the CQC’s chief inspector of hospitals, said that the need for radical change has been further amplified by the pandemic.The report adds that any new services will need to be implemented over time, requiring significant investment in facilities, equipment and workforce alongside replacing outdated testing machines. More information here.

Things to make... 

I love fish and it is often my choice on a restaurant menu (if I remember correctly!) so here is a quick dish you can make 'Honey & orange roast sea bass with lentils' 

Things in the library 14th Feb...

Things to visit the library for today...
Free home-made heart biscuits (while stocks last) for all our library users today...and a reminder that via our Book a Librarian service you can arrange 1:1 or small group training on a variety of subjects....any time of the year not just on St Valentine's Day.




Things for a healthy childhood...
A safe, supportive and happy childhood environment is widely understood to be vital for a child’s development, health and wellbeing over the short- and long-term. Conversely, an established body of evidence shows a correlation between a disruptive, adverse or chaotic childhood environment and an increased prevalence of physical and mental health problems. Despite this established evidence base, the BMA's analysis of recent data highlights insufficient investment in England across a range of services to support a healthy childhood, with funding for a number of different services being cut in recent years. This lack of resource is likely to have an adverse impact on child health in England.

Things about microbiomics...
The Department of Neuroscience at University of Sheffield will co-host an event on Thursday 16 April to mark the launch of the Sheffield Microbiomics Network. This one-day symposium will take place in Sheffield (location TBC) and is open to anyone working in a field relating to microbiomics, or who is keen to embark on research in this area. Please register using this link. Anyone involved in microbiomics research in Sheffield (in any university, NHS or other institution) would be very welcome to join.

Things about indoor air...
There seems to be plenty of air outside at the moment...I just wish it would stop rushing around so fast! However whilst we are all stuck inside at this time of the year this RCPCH report on indoor air quality seems timely. This report is based on a systematic review of the science of indoor pollution, and conversations with children, young people and families. They make recommendations for Government and local authorities, and provide guidance for families.

Things about resilience...

Too many children and young people nationally do not receive the support they need to improve their mental health and wellbeing. There is ample evidence that, despite increased investment in, and policy focus on, mental health services for children and young people, the numbers of children and young people requiring support are going up. Thresholds for accessing support remain high, waiting times are long and there is significant inequity in provision between different local areas.

The purpose of this research from the Local Government Association is, firstly, to explore some of the factors which are contributing to this nationally challenging context and, secondly, to develop an evidence base for how local government and its partners can work most effectively together to deliver a coherent and joined-up offer of support for children and young people’s mental health. The research is based on a review of the existing evidence base, workshops with around 80 participants from councils and their partners in health and in-depth engagements with eight fieldwork areas.

Things about the NHS...
When the NHS Long Term Plan was published in January 2019 Healthwatch were asked by NHS England to engage with people across the country about how people wanted the priorities to be implemented locally. Here's what over 40,000 people told them. Key findings summarised below:

• People affected by cancer, and heart and lung conditions had a much better experience of care services than people with other issues.
• The positive feedback about cancer and heart and lung services appeared to be for a variety of reasons, including speed of diagnosis and treatment, access to rehabilitation, and quality of information and communication from professionals.
• People affected by other issues, especially mental ill health, dementia or learning disabilities, told us that the support often wasn’t in place for them and that professionals did not give enough consideration to their full range of needs.

Things about St Valentine...

On February 14, around the year 270 A.D., Valentine, a holy priest in Rome in the days of Emperor Claudius II, was executed. Under the rule of Claudius the Cruel, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns. The emperor had to maintain a strong army, but was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. Claudius believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families. To get rid of the problem, Claudius banned all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.
Legends vary on how the martyr’s name became connected with romance. The date of his death may have become mingled with the Feast of Lupercalia, a pagan festival of love. On these occasions, the names of young women were placed in a box, from which they were drawn by the men as chance directed. In 496 A.D., Pope Gelasius decided to put an end to the Feast of Lupercalia, and he declared that February 14 be celebrated as St Valentine’s Day.

Things to make...
A special chocolate and chilli dessert, very simple...and sinful!

Things in the library 18th Jan...

Things about obesity... 

The dept of health & Social Care have published 'Childhood obesity, a plan for action: a consideration of interactions between modelled policies'. Setting out how the policies in chapters 1 and 2 of the government’s childhood obesity plan could work together.


Things about the NHS long-term plan...
The King's Fund have published their response to the NHS long term plan. They state that "The new NHS long-term plan includes a number of commitments which – if delivered – will improve the lives of many people. But some significant pieces of the jigsaw are still missing, and there should be no illusions about the scale of the challenge ahead"

Things about mental health...
The House of Commons published 'Mental health services for children and young people'

The summary is:
In 2017–18 only three in ten children and young people with a mental health condition received NHS-funded treatment, and many more faced unacceptably long waits for treatment. The government has committed to providing ‘parity of esteem’ between mental and physical health services, but it is still unclear what it means by this in practice. It also has no comprehensive, long-term plan for how it will fulfil its commitment to implement Future in Mind, which set out a cross-sector vision for how to support children and young people’s mental health. There is now a welcome focus on improving NHS mental health services for children and young people, but there are still significant gaps in the data to monitor progress. Recently published figures have underlined the scale of the task faced: one in eight (12.8%) five to 19 year olds have a mental health disorder. There has also been a marked increase in the number of five to 15 year olds who suffer from an emotional disorder: the figure now stands at 5.8% in comparison to 3.9% in 2004. Work to increase mental health staff numbers and develop the right skills has also progressed more slowly than planned. The recurring issues with recruitment and retention of NHS staff remain unchanged and it is clear that the government’s inability to increase the number of mental health nurses is a roadblock to progress in this area. New and important ways of supporting young people’s mental health through prevention and early intervention, particularly in schools, are now being developed. The government must make urgent headway on all these fronts if it is to provide the mental health services and support that young people need.'

Things about hearing...
Hundreds more people with severe to profound deafness are expected to be eligible for cochlear implants each year, due to updated NICE guidance.The update comes after a review of the definition of severe to profound deafness which is used to identify if a cochlear implant might be appropriate.

Things about Sheffield...
Coming to the Crucible theatre in March/April is 'Standing at the Sky's Edge' this is set in 1961, when the first residents of Park Hill were given the keys to their new homes. With music by Richard Hawley, Standing at the Sky’s Edge tells their story over the next 50 years, in a heart-swelling, heart-breaking love song to Sheffield.

Things to eat..

Sarah received a book for Christmas about what to eat when. One suggestion is eating left over dinner for breakfast e.g. stir fry!  Another is to have something like a frittata. She will be trying this 5 ingredient version this weekend.