Andre Tomlin

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André Tomlin is an Information Scientist with 20 years experience working in evidence-based healthcare. He's worked in the NHS, for Oxford University and since 2002 as Managing Director of Minervation Ltd, a consultancy company who do clever digital stuff for charities, universities and the public sector. Most recently André has been the driving force behind the Mental Elf and the National Elf Service; an innovative digital platform that helps professionals keep up to date with simple, clear and engaging summaries of evidence-based research. André is a Trustee at the Centre for Mental Health and an Honorary Research Fellow at University College London Division of Psychiatry. He lives in Bristol, surrounded by dogs, elflings and lots of woodland!

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Payment by results will only work if NHS data quality improves: new Audit Commission report

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This new report from the Audit Commission says that the NHS needs to improve the quality of its data if the government is to expand its Payment by Results (PbR) system. The data for ‘non-tariff’ areas such as community services and chemotherapy was often of poor quality, and it is these areas that will be [read the full story…]

General hospital staff often have negative attitudes towards people who self harm: new systematic review

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Researchers from Oxford University’s Centre for Suicide Research have conducted a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies that explore health service staff attitudes to people who self-harm. It’s obvious to say that staff attitudes are going to have a big impact on the care of patients, but this research sought to review the nature [read the full story…]

Mental health and criminal justice: new briefing from the Centre for Mental Health

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Studies show that as many as 90% of prisoners have some kind of mental health issue and admissions to psychiatric hospital are also common (10% of male and 30% of female prisoners). This updated briefing paper from the Centre for Mental Health examines the provision of mental health care for adults in the criminal justice [read the full story…]

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Study suggests people with depression and anxiety have lower use of oral health services and greater tooth loss

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A previous systematic review has shown that People with severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder are over three times more likely to lose their teeth. Another large cross-sectional study from the USA has now been published that looks at the associations among depression, anxiety, use of oral health services, and tooth loss. This [read the full story…]

Study highlights growing need for secure long-term in-patient psychiatric rehabilitation

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We need to include the risk of crime victimisation, as well as perpetration, in mental health clinical assessments.

Inpatient psychiatric rehabilitation is needed for about 1% of people with severe mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. Patients are cared for within a rehabilitation centre, sometimes attached to a hospital. The aim is to help these patients recover so that they can be discharged into the community. There is huge variation in the amount of [read the full story…]

First key performance indicators published for the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme

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The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme aims to provide evidence-based psychological therapies for people with depression and anxiety disorders. The NHS Information Centre have published the first set of key performance indicators for the programme, which aim to provide the Department of Health, IAPT services, commissioners and members of the public with information on [read the full story…]

Group cognitive behavioural therapy almost as good as individual CBT for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

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There are a number of studies that show the positive impact that cognitive behavioural therapy can have on the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This randomised controlled trial conducted by researchers in Denmark sought to shed some light on the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioural therapy compared to individual CBT. 110 outpatients with OCD were [read the full story…]

Drug and talking treatments for adults with ADHD: new systematic review and meta-analysis

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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a group of behavioural symptoms that include inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. ADHD is often thought of as a childhood problem, but it can be a lifelong condition, and many children continue to have symptoms as a teenager and adult. It is estimated that nearly two-thirds of children with ADHD [read the full story…]

Updated booklets for patients, families and carers to mark National Dementia Awareness day

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The Mental Health Foundation are marking the first National Dementia Awareness day by relaunching three of their patient information booklets that have recently been updated with the latest legislation and contacts. The booklets are all available as free PDF downloads from the Mental Health Foundation website and paper copies are available for a small fee. The [read the full story…]

World Alzheimer’s report highlights the importance of early diagnosis and intervention for dementia

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This new 70-page report from Alzheimer’s Disease International warns that in countries such as England, 50-80% of dementia cases are not being recognised in primary care. It highlights the fallacy that as people get older they naturally have problems with their memory, and goes on to recommend that primary care staff who see people with [read the full story…]