News about the NHS

Josh Halliday North of England editor · Nov 28, 2024

Lucy Letby inquiry: hospital boss ‘sincerely regrets’ not calling police sooner Former medical director of Countess of Chester hospital says he is ‘truly sorry’ if he failed bereaved families A boss at the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered babies has said he “sincerely regrets” not calling police sooner and is “truly sorry” if he failed the bereaved families. Ian Harvey, a former medical director at the Countess of Chester hospital, told the Thirlwall inquiry he wished he had contacted the police nearly a year before they were informed. Continue reading... By Josh Halliday North of England editor Lucy Letby inquiry: hospital boss ‘sincerely regrets’ not calling police sooner to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff |...

Andrew Gregory Health editor · Nov 28, 2024

NHS trials ‘sponge on a string’ test for risk signs of oesophageal cancer Test to be offered to people with heartburn gives faster, cheaper diagnosis of precursor condition The NHS is to offer a 10-minute “sponge on a string” test to 120,000 patients with heartburn in a trial to see if it should be used to screen millions of people for one of the world’s deadliest cancers. Patients swallow a soluble pill attached to a thread which, when washed down with a glass of water, releases a sponge the size of a 50p coin to collect cells from the oesophagus as it is retrieved. Continue reading... By Andrew Gregory Health editor NHS trials ‘sponge on a string’ test for risk signs of oesophageal cancer to Continue reading... NHS Forums -...

Natalie Morris · Nov 28, 2024

Both my parents died in a hospice – the decline I saw in end-of-life care in four years was terrifying | Natalie Morris This crisis is not the fault of medical professionals. If funding for hospices is cut further, more people will die in distress In September, I found myself back in a hell that was all too familiar. My mum was in a hospice, dying of cancer, while I camped at her bedside or paced the halls desperately. Four years earlier – almost to the day – I had been in the exact same position with my dad after his cancer diagnosis became terminal. How was this happening to us again? And so soon? It felt like the past had looped back on itself, trapping me in a recurring nightmare. And yet something fundamental had changed in the...

Zoe Williams · Nov 28, 2024

Women are fed up with waiting – and they’re taking fertility into their own hands | Zoe Williams We’ve climbed steadily from a place of little agency – waiting for the right partner to come along – before we could have children The number of women without a partner having children by IVF or sperm donation has trebled in the past 10 years. IVF itself is not unproblematic; provision on the NHS varies wildly, with hurdles and prohibitions that range from random to downright cruel. There are trusts that won’t offer it over the age of 35, others that won’t if her partner has children from a previous relationship. Private clinics, meanwhile, can prey on people, gouging them for add-on treatments, exploiting hopes they know are unrealistic...

Robert Booth UK technology editor · Nov 28, 2024

UK government failing to list use of AI on mandatory register Technology secretary admits Whitehall departments are not being transparent over way they use AI and algorithms Not a single Whitehall department has registered the use of artificial intelligence systems since the government said it would become mandatory, prompting warnings that the public sector is “flying blind” about the deployment of algorithmic technology affecting millions of lives. AI is already being used by government to inform decisions on everything from benefit payments to immigration enforcement, and records show public bodies have awarded dozens of contracts for AI and algorithmic services. A contract for facial recognition software, worth up to £20m, was...

Andrew Gregory Health editor · Nov 28, 2024

One in three consultant child psychiatrist posts in England are vacant, analysis shows Child and adolescent mental health services have highest vacancy rates of any psychiatric specialism Consultant psychiatrist on why early intervention is key and why delays are unacceptable One in three child and adolescent consultant psychiatrist posts in England are vacant, according to a “shocking” analysis laying bare the workforce crisis that experts say is fuelling “unacceptable” long waits for NHS care. The number of children and young people requiring mental healthcare has soared in recent years, but many face lengthy delays before they can access treatment. Some are deteriorating to a dangerously severe state of mental ill-health while...

As told to Andrew Gregory · Nov 28, 2024

Long wait for NHS mental healthcare has ‘stark consequences for children’s life chances’ Consultant psychiatrist on why early intervention is key and why delays are unacceptable One in three consultant child psychiatrist posts in England are vacant, analysis shows One in three child and adolescent consultant psychiatrist posts in England are vacant, according to a “shocking” analysis laying bare the workforce crisis that experts say is fuelling “unacceptable” long waits for NHS care. Dr Elaine Lockhart, a consultant paediatric liaison psychiatrist who works in NHS child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), describes the frustrating but rewarding daily battle to meet the soaring demand and to help those most in need. At...

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Nov 28, 2024

Prisoners denied dignity while receiving NHS care, watchdog finds Health Services Safety Investigation Body reveals difficulties inmates have when they leave jail for treatment A female inmate remained handcuffed to a male prison officer while she had a mammogram, in an example of prisoners being denied their dignity while receiving NHS care, a watchdog has revealed. The incident is highlighted in a report by the Health Services Safety Investigation Body (HSSIB) into the difficulties prisoners can face when they leave jail to see a GP or visit a hospital. Continue reading... By Denis Campbell Health policy editor Prisoners denied dignity while receiving NHS care, watchdog finds to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff...

Josh Halliday North of England editor · Nov 27, 2024

Former chief executive of Letby hospital denies he discouraged police inquiry Tony Chambers accepts that chances to stop nurse were missed but declines to identify any personal failures The former chief executive of the hospital where Lucy Letby murdered babies has apologised to the victims’ families but denied discouraging police from launching an investigation. Tony Chambers told the Thirlwall inquiry he “wholeheartedly accepted” that the Countess of Chester hospital’s “systems failed” and that there were missed opportunities to stop the nurse sooner. Continue reading... By Josh Halliday North of England editor Former chief executive of Letby hospital denies he discouraged police inquiry to Continue reading... NHS Forums -...

Sam Wollaston · Nov 27, 2024

Bone-on-bone agony: the cruel reality of facing a three-year waiting list for a new knee Before she retired in 2014, Alexandra McTeare had worked for the NHS for 30 years – and always believed in public healthcare. But when she experienced severe pain, she was forced to consider difficult choices When Alexandra McTeare was told she might have to wait three years for knee replacement surgery, she felt desperate. “Because of how miserable your life is, how small it has become,” she says. The problems with her knee started in 2017. “It was painful and would swell up, particularly in the heat.” She would take painkillers and keep her leg elevated when she was sitting down, and did stretching exercises for her muscles. But over the next...

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Nov 27, 2024

Plans to end NHS dental care crisis not working, warns spending watchdog National Audit Office finds ‘significant uncertainty’ as to whether pledge for extra 1.5m treatments will be fulfilled Plans to end the deepening crisis in access to NHS dental care are failing, leaving patients unable to get treatment, according to a warning from the government’s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office’s (NAO) damning verdict on the “dental recovery plan” prompted patient groups to voice alarm that people’s struggles with decayed teeth represents “a serious public health concern”. Continue reading... By Denis Campbell Health policy editor Plans to end NHS dental care crisis not working, warns spending watchdog to Continue reading...

Rob Davies · Nov 27, 2024

Government confirms online slots cap and betting levy to fund NHS services Gambling minister says measures will be ‘instrumental’ in helping those most at risk of addiction Bookmakers and casinos will be forced to fund NHS services that tackle problem gambling, after Labour rubber-stamped the previous government’s plans, which also include a cap of as little as £2 on the sums that can be staked on online slot machines. The Guardian revealed on Monday that the government was poised to approve the new “statutory levy”, using proceeds of around £100m a year to fund research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms. Continue reading... By Rob Davies Government confirms online slots cap and betting levy to fund NHS services to...

Jessica Elgot · Nov 26, 2024

Mass advertising campaigns on assisted dying spark anger among MPs Members concerned over ‘inappropriate’ tactics from both sides, including billboards at Westminster station Mass advertising campaigns on assisted dying, including billboards at Westminster station and targeted Facebook adverts, have sparked anger among MPs. Amid an increasingly fractious debate on assisted dying before a vote on Friday, MPs have raised concerns about “inappropriate” tactics used by both camps. Continue reading... By Jessica Elgot Mass advertising campaigns on assisted dying spark anger among MPs to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Guardian Staff · Nov 26, 2024

Whistleblowing doctors need better protection | Letters Wes Streeting’s move is welcome, but the entire law in this area requires revisiting, say Dr David E Ward and Prof Jane Somerville We are encouraged to note that Wes Streeting is taking serious steps to stop NHS managers persecuting whistleblowing doctors just because they have raised patient safety concerns (NHS bosses who silence whistleblowers face sack under government plans, 24 November). The unwarranted and widely publicised detriments to some doctors who have spoken up about safety matters over the past 20 years have had serious consequences, despite laws intended to protect them. Trusts must be banned from dismissing doctors who raise patient safety concerns, and obliged...

Andrew Gregory Health editor · Nov 26, 2024

Number of single UK women having fertility treatment trebles, report says Study also finds that number of female couples receiving IVF or DI treatment doubled between 2012 and 2022 The number of single women in the UK undergoing fertility treatment to start a family has more than trebled in a decade, a report has revealed. In total, 4,800 women without a partner had in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or donor insemination (DI) treatment in 2022. This represents a 243% increase from the 1,400 single women who had fertility treatment in 2012, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Continue reading... By Andrew Gregory Health editor Number of single UK women having fertility treatment trebles, report says...

Guardian Staff · Nov 25, 2024

Physician associates play an important role in modern healthcare | Letters One physician associate says they have been doing vital work for years, but the profession is now being framed as a problem. Plus letters by Dr Charles Heatley, Samer Nashef and Dr Giles Youngs I am a physician associate with six years’ experience and I am concerned about how one-sided the media coverage has been on the work we do in the NHS. I have just been made redundant, along with three other PAs at my practice. This is happening across the country. The NHS has invested in training and employing thousands of us for 20 years, only to now pull the rug out from under us and end our careers, losing skilled workers from a system that is under strain. And for...

Andrew Gregory Health editor · Nov 25, 2024

One in seven A&E patients are repeat visitors with unmet needs, study finds Some patients across UK turning to A&Es five or more times a year due to unresolved medical issues, charity says One in seven A&E patients are repeat visitors with unmet medical needs who feel they have nowhere else to go, according to research that found most are over 70 with multiple conditions or under 50 with mental ill health. Less than 2% of the population account for almost 14% of all A&E attendances, the British Red Cross study suggests. Across the UK, patients are turning to emergency departments five or more times a year due to “unresolved medical issues”, the charity said. Continue reading... By Andrew Gregory Health editor One in seven A&E...

Andrew Gregory Health editor · Nov 24, 2024

Plan to regulate NHS bosses could see those who silence whistleblowers barred for life Proposals to end ‘culture of cover-up’ includes plan to ban bosses who silence whistleblowers from working in health service NHS managers who silence whistleblowers or endanger patients through misconduct face being sacked and barred from working in the health service for life under radical government plans to regulate thousands of bosses for the first time. Ministers will begin a public consultation on Tuesday seeking views on the proposals, which they say are designed to eradicate a “culture of cover-up” in the NHS. It follows a series of scandals over the last decade at trusts including Morecambe Bay, East Kent and Shrewsbury and Telford...

Guardian Staff · Nov 24, 2024

Doctors’ dilemma on prolonging life at all cost | Letters Andy Thurston, Denis Jackson and Helen Keats respond to a letter by a doctor on assisted dying I read Dr Chula Goonasekera’s letter (18 November) with interest. I too am a doctor and have had a very fulfilling career. I agree that doctors are trained to save lives, but I fear we were never so well trained to recognise when a life could not be saved, and the phrase “not to officiously strive to prolong life” is well worth bearing in mind. The law is a very blunt instrument. Having seen many very unsatisfactory deaths over the years, I am not at all sure we are doing the right things all the time at the moment. My second point is purely semantic. I very much agree that the use...

Michael Savage Policy Editor · Nov 23, 2024

‘One conversation really changed my mind’: the personal stories driving MPs’ decisions on assisted dying Traditional allies such as Diane Abbott and John McDonnell are split over Friday’s vote as politicians grapple with the issue During a Labour away day ahead of the last election, the party’s candidates were put through their paces as parliamentary debaters. The topic chosen, assisted dying, was a deliberately intractable issue designed to test their analytical skills. Yet just months later, scores of new MPs find themselves having to make a very real decision over changing the law. “I’m genuinely the most back and forth on this that I’ve been on anything,” said one new MP who has found themselves on either side of the debate over...

Guardian Staff · Nov 22, 2024

Palliative care and pain management are key to assisted dying debate | Letter There is a significant gap between what is currently provided and what should be provided in end-of-life care, write Dr Barry Miller, Dr Arif Ghazi, Dr Patrick McGowan and Dr Andrew Severn As pain medicine specialists who have worked with palliative medicine specialists, we believe the debate on assisted suicide (How are cabinet ministers likely to vote on assisted dying?, 18 November) must recognise the significant gap between what is currently provided and what should be provided in end-of-life care. In Oregon, poorly controlled pain is an important symptom in one in three patients who request medical assistance to die, and a factor in determining the...

Gordon Brown · Nov 22, 2024

Spending time with people in their final days showed me that we need not assisted dying, but better end-of-life care | Gordon Brown With investment in palliative care, we can improve on our current end-of-life options – ‘Switzerland, suicide or suffering’ Gordon Brown is the UN’s special envoy for global education and was UK prime minister from 2007 to 2010 Report: Gordon Brown: improve end-of-life care rather than allow assisted dying Jennifer, the baby daughter my wife Sarah brought into the world a few days after Christmas 2001, died after only 11 days. By day four, when the extent of her brain haemorrhage had been diagnosed, we were fully aware that all hope was gone and that she had no chance of survival. We could only sit...

Anna Bawden and agency · Nov 21, 2024

Delaying routine care was least bad of ‘awful options’, Matt Hancock tells Covid inquiry Inquiry chair challenges ex-health secretary over his assertion NHS was available to all during crisis Cancelling non-urgent treatment of patients during the Covid crisis was the “least bad” of a series of “awful options”, Matt Hancock has said. In his third and at times combative appearance at the Covid-19 inquiry, in which he repeatedly interrupted the inquiry counsel, Jacqueline Carey KC, the former health secretary defended his decision to allow the NHS to postpone routine treatment and care from April 2020. Continue reading... By Anna Bawden and agency Delaying routine care was least bad of ‘awful options’, Matt Hancock tells Covid...

Editorial · Nov 21, 2024

The Guardian view on physician associates: the NHS must level with the public | Editorial Wes Streeting’s review must lead to greater clarity if confidence is to be rebuilt The plan for the NHS workforce in England created under the Conservatives is already under review. Given Labour’s pledge to rewire the system – emphasising prevention and care delivered in the community rather than in hospitals – the overall staffing mix is bound to be reconfigured when the 10-year plan is launched next year. But amid these wider changes, and ongoing difficulties around workforce shortages, a simmering row about the role of physician associates (PAs) has become too hot to ignore. Wes Streeting’s announcement this week of a review, to be led by...

Guardian Staff · Nov 21, 2024

Bus fare rise is just the ticket for public | Brief letters Fare play | Priced out | Laughter as medicine | Tourist labels | Health check As a non-driver and bus user all my life, I can understand why the government has raised the bus fare cap to £3. Anyone who has used buses for a long time knows that this is still cheaper than it’s been for years in most areas. I suspect most people asked about the rise (Editorial, 20 November) were not bus users or had bus passes. Trevor Hopper Lewes, East Sussex • Anyone who thinks raising the bus fare cap to £3 is OK either never travels by bus or holds in contempt the demographic that needs to use them. Lois Ozlojo Southend-on-Sea Continue reading... By Guardian Staff Bus fare rise is...

News about the NHS

Show only:

Lucy Letby inquiry: hospital boss ‘sincerely regrets’ not calling police sooner

NHS trials ‘sponge on a string’ test for risk signs of oesophageal cancer

Both my parents died in a hospice – the decline I saw in end-of-life care in four years was terrifying | Natalie Morris

Women are fed up with waiting – and they’re taking fertility into their own hands | Zoe Williams

UK government failing to list use of AI on mandatory register

One in three consultant child psychiatrist posts in England are vacant, analysis shows

Long wait for NHS mental healthcare has ‘stark consequences for children’s life chances’

Prisoners denied dignity while receiving NHS care, watchdog finds

Former chief executive of Letby hospital denies he discouraged police inquiry

Bone-on-bone agony: the cruel reality of facing a three-year waiting list for a new knee

Plans to end NHS dental care crisis not working, warns spending watchdog

Government confirms online slots cap and betting levy to fund NHS services

Mass advertising campaigns on assisted dying spark anger among MPs

Whistleblowing doctors need better protection | Letters

Number of single UK women having fertility treatment trebles, report says

Physician associates play an important role in modern healthcare | Letters

One in seven A&E patients are repeat visitors with unmet needs, study finds

Plan to regulate NHS bosses could see those who silence whistleblowers barred for life

Doctors’ dilemma on prolonging life at all cost | Letters

‘One conversation really changed my mind’: the personal stories driving MPs’ decisions on assisted dying

Palliative care and pain management are key to assisted dying debate | Letter

Spending time with people in their final days showed me that we need not assisted dying, but better end-of-life care | Gordon Brown

Delaying routine care was least bad of ‘awful options’, Matt Hancock tells Covid inquiry

The Guardian view on physician associates: the NHS must level with the public | Editorial

Bus fare rise is just the ticket for public | Brief letters

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