Seven days in medicine: 19-25 Feb 2020
BMJ 2020; 368 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m735 (Published 27 February 2020) Cite this as: BMJ 2020;368:m735
NHS facilities
Mental health trusts lack funding for urgent building repairs
Two thirds of mental health trusts will not receive the funding they need this year to repair and upgrade their facilities, a survey from NHS Providers found.1 Just over a quarter of the leaders at 37 trusts that responded to the survey (of 54 sent the survey) said that the funding they had been allocated would not meet half of their needs. The NHS in England still uses 350 dormitory-style wards, which the Care Quality Commission has warned are outdated and do not support people’s privacy or dignity.
Infant mortality
Rate falls slightly in England and Wales
The infant mortality rate in England and Wales decreased to 3.8 deaths per 1000 live births in 2018, down from 3.9 in 2017, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed, although this is higher than the lowest recorded rate of 3.6 in 2014. The biggest decrease was seen among babies of mothers over 40. The neonatal mortality rate remained the same as in 2017, at 2.8 deaths per 1000 live births, although up from 2.5 in 2014. This largely reflects an increase in live births at under 24 weeks’ gestation.
Smoking
England will fail to be smoke-free by 2030, charity warns
England is not expected to reach smoke-free status (where only 5% of adults smoke) until 2037—seven years behind the target set last year—unless the government reinvests in stop smoking services and education campaigns, said Cancer Research UK. New projections show around a …
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