Clare Horton writes
Good morning and welcome to the daily live blog from the Guardian Healthcare Professionals Network. Throughout the day, we'll be bringing you news, comment and analysis from around the web.
The Keogh review of hospitals with high death rates dominates this morning's headlines. For the Guardian, Sarah Boseley and Denis Campbell report that doctors have accused Jeremy Hunt of trying to "make political capital out of patients' deaths" after the report uncovered "mediocrity" rather than a disaster on the scale of Mid Staffs. They write:
NHS leaders said that political briefings about the report in the media before publication which highlighted 13,000 avoidable deaths at the 14 trusts had unjustifiably frightened patients and relatives, demoralised staff and undermined the public's confidence in the service.
There had been speculation that 13,000 patients may have needlessly died since 2005 on the basis of figures from Sir Brian Jarman of Imperial College. But NHS medical director Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, who led the review, said it was "clinically meaningless and academically reckless" to try to quantify avoidable deaths.
Matthew Taylor reports from Basildon and Thurrock university hospitals NHS foundation trust, one of 11 institutions placed under special measures by the health secretary. And Patrick Wintour says ill-tempered clashes between Hunt and Andy Burnham in the Commons indicate that health is likely to be a gruesome battleground in the 2015 election.
Jeremy Hunt accused Andy Burnham of allowing thousands to die on his watch as health secretary. Photograph: PA The Telegraph says the report revealed that failings uncovered in NHS wards were so bad that inspectors felt compelled to abandon their impartial roles and step in to alleviate patient suffering. It adds:
Inspectors visited 21 hospitals, run by 14 NHS trusts, which had the highest recent mortality rates in England. They found that some of the risks to patients were so severe that they were forced to step in immediately.
During the visits, decisions were taken urgently to close operating theatres, suspend unsafe “out of hours” services for critically ill patients, order changes to staffing levels and to force hospitals to tackle major backlogs of scans and X-rays that had gone unexamined.
During one inspection, a senior nursing official was so dismayed by the shortage of staff that she stepped in to comfort one patient physically because they had been ignored by staff.
And the Independent says Sir Bruce Keogh has warned that dozens of hospitals across England may have the “ingredients” of poor care, over-stretched staff and substandard management that led to the deaths of hundreds of patients in Mid Staffordshire.
In other news, an investigation reveals that one in six NHS hospitals in England has begun offering private treatment options to their patients this year, according to the BBC.
The BBC also reports that the number of people suffering sunstroke, sunburn and heatwave-related injuries is stretching hospital emergency departments.
And the Independent reports on new research, which suggests the number of people with dementia in the UK could be significantly lower than previously thought.
If there's a story, report or event you'd like to highlight – or you would like to share your thoughts on any of the healthcare issues in the news today – you can get in touch by leaving a comment below the line or tweeting us at @GdnHealthcare.
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