News about the NHS

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...

Andrew Sparrow (now); Caroline Davies and Helen · Nov 21, 2024

NHS was ‘within hours’ of running out of gowns during pandemic, Hancock tells Covid inquiry – UK politics live Former health secretary is facing questions at the UK Covid-19 inquiry British prime minister Keir Starmer says he is “deeply saddened” to hear that Prescott has died, and called him a “true giant of Labour”. In a statement on X, he said, “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of John Prescott. John was a true giant of the Labour movement. On behalf of the Labour Party, I send my condolences to Pauline and his family, to the city of Hull, and to all those who knew and loved him. May he rest in peace.” He possessed an inherent ability to connect with people about the issues that mattered to them – a talent that others...

PA Media · Nov 21, 2024

Matt Hancock says he ‘reluctantly’ stopped non-urgent treatment during pandemic Former health secretary also pressed at Covid inquiry on the ‘slowness’ of the resumption of elective care The former health secretary Matt Hancock has said he “reluctantly” approved of the decision to pause non-urgent planned care during the pandemic. Ministers prioritised hospital capacity for Covid and emergency patients, and so paused elective (non-urgent) treatment from April 2020. Continue reading... By PA Media Matt Hancock says he ‘reluctantly’ stopped non-urgent treatment during pandemic to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Ranee Thakar · Nov 21, 2024

I've seen how waiting for treatment can ruin women's lives. This is how Labour can keep its promise to help them | Ranee Thakar Gynaecology has one of the longest waiting lists in the UK. Women’s health has been neglected for too long Ranee Thakar is president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists A few weeks ago, a police officer came to my urogynaecology clinic for a follow-up appointment. She told me that, since her surgery, her life had changed completely. When I first met her she had been waiting years for treatment for incontinence, and she was miserable. She’d been taking more and more time off work as her condition deteriorated, and had started to feel that there was no hope. Now, after a relatively...

Rachel Hall · Nov 21, 2024

Mental health patients harmed by being sent to units far from home, report finds Distant placements found to have led to anxiety, PTSD and suicide in some cases, as use of them increases in England Mental health patients in England are being harmed by the increase in placements in psychiatric units far from their homes and families, a new report indicates. Patients have had anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while some have died by suicide as a result of their distant placements, according to a Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) report, which drew on interviews with patients and their loved ones. The participants spoke of how their experiences had resulted in feelings of anger, frustration and a loss...

Jessica Elgot and Peter Walker · Nov 20, 2024

UK’s longest-serving MPs issue joint plea for Commons to reject assisted dying bill Diane Abbott and the Conservative Sir Edward Leigh, mother and father of the House, say law has been rushed Diane Abbott and Edward Leigh: Our politics could not be more different – but we’re united against this bill Assisted dying: what are the ‘slippery slope’ fears in England and Wales? Britain’s longest-serving MPs, Labour’s Diane Abbott and the Conservative Sir Edward Leigh, have issued a joint call urging the Commons to reject the assisted dying bill, arguing it is being rushed through and puts vulnerable people at risk. Writing for the Guardian, Abbott and Leigh – the mother and father of the house – said there had been insufficient...

Harriet Grant · Nov 20, 2024

Tower Hamlets mayor taken to court over removal of low-traffic neighbourhoods Save Our Safer Streets crowdfunds to challenge Lutfur Rahman over scrapping three LTNs in London borough The mayor of Tower Hamlets is facing a judicial review this week over his decision to remove three low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in the east London area of Bethnal Green. The campaign group Save Our Safer Streets (SOSS) says the LTNs are vital to protect children in deprived areas from pollution and the risks of heavy traffic. Continue reading... By Harriet Grant Tower Hamlets mayor taken to court over removal of low-traffic neighbourhoods to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Nov 20, 2024

Wes Streeting orders review of physician associates’ role in NHS About 3,500 PAs work in England but there is growing alarm in medical profession about patient safety Wes Streeting has ordered a review of what physician associates (PAs) do in the NHS, amid growing alarm in the medical profession about patient safety. It will examine the safety of their roles and how patients should be made aware that, despite their titles and ability to diagnose illness, they are not doctors and can only perform certain tasks. Continue reading... By Denis Campbell Health policy editor Wes Streeting orders review of physician associates’ role in NHS to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Guardian Staff · Nov 19, 2024

Midlife MOTs on the NHS? Who knew? | Brief letters Health checks | Bothering the NHS | Cornwall tourists | Christmas markets | Horse racing Dr Jahangir Alom (Letters, 17 November) raises an important issue regarding midlife health checks. He rightly points out that people (especially men) from certain cultural backgrounds not engaging with vital NHS checks is a problem which needs to be solved. I wonder, though, how many other people in their late 60s, living in east London like me, have just found out through the Guardian letters page that these health checks exist. Could it be that many of those who aren’t engaging with the process simply haven’t been told that there is a process with which to engage? Name and address supplied •...

Robert Booth UK technology editor · Nov 19, 2024

Meta bid to use AI in UK public sector takes step forward with NHS scheme Silicon Valley tech companies competing to work with local and national government Meta’s push to deploy its artificial intelligence system inside Britain’s public sector took a step forward on Monday night when the tech giant awarded development funding to technology aimed at speeding up NHS A&E waiting times. Amid rival efforts by Silicon Valley tech companies to work with national and local government, Meta ran its first “hackathon” in Europe asking over 200 programmers to devise ways to use its Llama AI system in UK public services and, one senior Meta executive said, “focused on the priorities of the Labour party”. Continue reading... By Robert Booth...

Zoe Williams · Nov 19, 2024

760,000 women in the UK waiting for a gynaecological appointment? That’s just the tip of the iceberg | Zoe Williams A broken NHS makes life worse for everyone. What happened to the dream of promoting ‘good health in all citizens’? The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has landed on an arresting image to illustrate the waiting-list crisis in its field. If all 760,000 women waiting for NHS gynaecological appointments were to stand in a line, the queue would go from London to Exeter. It’s great for visualisation, but it also rams home what a criminal waste of human energy this represents – the awful pressing interminability. I couldn’t face the queue for Kew Gardens now, let alone if I were in constant pain. Given this...

News about the NHS

View the News about the NHS Page #180 | on NHSForums.com

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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

NHS was ‘within hours’ of running out of gowns during pandemic, Hancock tells Covid inquiry – UK politics live

Matt Hancock says he ‘reluctantly’ stopped non-urgent treatment during pandemic

I've seen how waiting for treatment can ruin women's lives. This is how Labour can keep its promise to help them | Ranee Thakar

Mental health patients harmed by being sent to units far from home, report finds

UK’s longest-serving MPs issue joint plea for Commons to reject assisted dying bill

Tower Hamlets mayor taken to court over removal of low-traffic neighbourhoods

Wes Streeting orders review of physician associates’ role in NHS

Midlife MOTs on the NHS? Who knew? | Brief letters

Meta bid to use AI in UK public sector takes step forward with NHS scheme

760,000 women in the UK waiting for a gynaecological appointment? That’s just the tip of the iceberg | Zoe Williams

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