News about the NHS

Sammy Gecsoyler · Nov 14, 2024

Pharmacies vote to cut services unless UK government acts over ‘crisis’ Pharmacy owners to reduce hours and make fewer home deliveries of medicines unless there is better funding Pharmacies have said they will halt a number of services within weeks, including the end of free medicine deliveries and extended opening hours, unless the government drastically boosts funding for the sector to stem an “escalating crisis”. In a high-turnout ballot run by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), which represents independent community pharmacies, 99% of pharmacy owners said they were willing to limit their services in the interests of patient safety if improved funding was not forthcoming. Serve notice on opening hours above the minimum...

Editorial · Nov 13, 2024

The Guardian view on NHS reform: evidence not dogma should be the guide | Editorial The health secretary is right to link investment to accountability, but he must be wary of creating perverse incentives For any government contemplating NHS reform, the 2012 Health and Social Care Act is a textbook case of what not to do. Despite promises of “no more pointless reorganisations”, the Tory health secretary Andrew Lansley did just that, abolishing management tiers and imposing new care commissioning and competition systems on reluctant doctors. The whole thing was a political nightmare that wasted resources, demoralised staff and undermined public confidence. In an independent report published earlier this year, Lord Darzi described the...

Guardian Staff · Nov 13, 2024

A remarkable feat of 19th-century joinery | Brief letters George Browne’s fitted kitchen | Regional restaurants | National Dried Milk | Human infestation | Lysistrata revisited Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky’s fitted kitchen was not the first (‘That damned kitchen!’ How the inventor of the fitted kitchen came to see it as a curse, 12 November). George Browne, of Troutbeck in the Lake District, built his stunning fitted kitchen in the early 1800s. It would be hard to adapt the design to modern kitchens, but it’s a remarkable feat of joinery that’s worth seeing at Browne’s farmhouse, Townend, which is now in the care of the National Trust. Lynn Fotheringham Over Kellet, Lancashire • Like Colin Struthers, I live in the Rossendale Valley...

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Nov 13, 2024

Legalisation of assisted dying may force NHS cuts, Wes Streeting warns Minister has asked officials at Department of Health to analyse implications for other services Civil servants are looking at the extra costs that assisted dying would impose on the NHS amid a warning from Wes Streeting that some services may be cut to fund expanded end-of-life care. The health secretary has asked officials at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to analyse potential implications for NHS services if the right to die is legalised in England and Wales. Continue reading... By Denis Campbell Health policy editor Legalisation of assisted dying may force NHS cuts, Wes Streeting warns to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff |...

Rachel Clarke · Nov 13, 2024

Wes Streeting, you must have a better plan for ailing hospitals than public humiliation | Rachel Clarke The plan to introduce league tables is a simplistic, retrograde gimmick that will demoralise NHS staff – and sideline their incredible work Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor Seriously, Wes Streeting? After 14 wretched years of Tory austerity, stealth privatisation, draconian outsourcing, the Brexit staff drain and the horror and trauma of Covid from which – as you know – staff haven’t remotely recovered, the big NHS plan is to be … naming and shaming? Complete with inflammatory language that’s designed to scapegoat staff, such as the bad managers you’ve branded the NHS’s “guilty secret”? Do you genuinely think this is...

Andrew Sparrow · Nov 13, 2024

Streeting defends plan for hospital league tables after backlash – UK politics live Health secretary says bad managers are NHS’s ‘guilty secret’ in broadcast round ahead of first major speech on health service reform The Labour MP Diane Abbott has suggested that Wes Streeting’s attacks on NHS managers are a pretext for further privatisation. She posted these on social media this morning. Wes Streeting’s cascade of abuse of NHS managers and medics is a pretext for further and faster privatisation. Just yesterday NHS chiefs told Streeting they have not been given sufficient resources to meet his waiting list targets. They are right - they have not. Demanding unreachable targets when funds are inadequate will just deepen the crisis...

Anna Bawden · Nov 13, 2024

Less than half of eligible people received NHS ‘midlife MOT’ since 2019, says watchdog Health check, which looks for signs of illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes, is available to people over 40 Less than half of people over the age of 40 in England are getting the heart health checks they are entitled to, according to the government’s spending watchdog. The National Audit Office called for a review of how NHS health checks are provided in England, after it found that only 44% of eligible adults attended one in the past five years. Continue reading... By Anna Bawden Less than half of eligible people received NHS ‘midlife MOT’ since 2019, says watchdog to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Sam Wollaston · Nov 13, 2024

Nine hours and 52 minutes: did Dave Strachan’s ambulance wait cost him his life? When he woke up with chest pains, his wife, Lucille, called 999, expecting help to arrive in minutes. But as he drifted in and out of consciousness, their wait continued ... On the evening of 15 March 2022, Lucille and Dave Strachan had supper in their north Wales home, watched their favourite TV show, Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, then went upstairs to bed. Apart from one bout of food poisoning in the 1970s, Dave had never been ill before. But at about 11.20pm he woke up and told Lucille he had chest pains and difficulty breathing. Lucille called their daughter Hilary, a doctor, before dialling 999 and asking for an ambulance. Was Dave breathing, the...

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Nov 13, 2024

Streeting’s hospital league table plan riles NHS medics and bosses Health secretary says controversial scheme for trusts in England is necessary to raise standards Wes Streeting plans to publish a football-style league table of the best- and worst-performing hospitals in England, prompting fury from NHS bosses and staff at the prospect of struggling trusts being “named and shamed”. The health secretary will announce the controversial move on Wednesday to an audience of health service leaders and defend it as a “tough” but necessary way of raising care standards. Continue reading... By Denis Campbell Health policy editor Streeting’s hospital league table plan riles NHS medics and bosses to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For...

Guardian Staff · Nov 12, 2024

Rise in NICs will endanger public health services | Letter While the NHS has been given an exemption to the NIC increase, health services commissioned outside the health service have not, says Greg Fell Your article outlining the extra strain on council budgets that the rise in employers’ national insurance contributions (NICs) will cause highlighted the likely impact on adult and children’s social care services (Adult social care in England needs urgent help from ministers, say bosses, theguardian.com, 6 November). There will also be a significant impact on public health services, including sexual health and addiction services, health visitors and school nursing. In England, these (and other) vital services are paid for by the...

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Nov 12, 2024

NHS England hopes to save thousands of lives with pill that helps smokers quit Experts say once-a-day varenicline tablet reduces nicotine cravings and side-effects from cutting out tobacco Hundreds of thousands of smokers will be given a pill that increases people’s chances of quitting, in a move that NHS bosses believe will save thousands of lives. About 85,000 people a year in England will be offered the chance to use varenicline, a once-a-day tablet that experts say is as effective as vapes at helping people to kick the habit. Continue reading... By Denis Campbell Health policy editor NHS England hopes to save thousands of lives with pill that helps smokers quit to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Guardian Staff · Nov 11, 2024

National screening programme for prostate cancer urgently needed | Letter Too many men are being diagnosed late, says Oliver Kemp, especially those in high-risk groups Wes Streeting’s order to review prostate cancer screening guidance could not come at a more important time (Report, 5 November). Prostate cancer is the second-most deadly cancer among men. High-risk groups, including those with a family history and black men, are twice as likely to die from it. The existing “informed choice” system, which requires men to request testing, is failing. As a result, too many are being diagnosed late – as Chris Hoy was – which drastically reduces their chances of survival. A screening programme for high-risk groups could reverse the rise...

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Nov 11, 2024

Breathing issues cause more emergency NHS admissions than any other condition Figures for England show one in eight of all unplanned hospital admissions in 2023-24 were for respiratory system diseases Serious breathing problems lead to more emergency admissions to hospital in England than any other medical condition, NHS data reveals. More people with asthma, bronchitis or emphysema have to go into hospital for treatment because they are struggling to breathe than those with heart disease, joint problems or cancer. Continue reading... By Denis Campbell Health policy editor Breathing issues cause more emergency NHS admissions than any other condition to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Ben Quinn · Nov 11, 2024

Nurses quitting profession early puts health reforms in England at risk, says union Numbers leaving within 10 years of registering rose by 43% between 2021 to 2024, finds Royal College of Nursing Increasing numbers of UK-trained nurses are set to leave the profession in England within a decade of registering, in a trend that could jeopardise the government’s overhaul of healthcare, according to a union. More than 11,000 will have quit the register within their first 10 years on it, according to analysis by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) of the latest official figures. Continue reading... By Ben Quinn Nurses quitting profession early puts health reforms in England at risk, says union to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For...

Jack Thorne · Nov 10, 2024

‘Rachel had been ready to leave me if our IVF hadn’t worked’: writer Jack Thorne on how his family’s fertility struggles inspired his new film The screenwriter behind hit TV dramas National Treasure and Kiri, as well as the Harry Potter stage play, talks about his new, more personal project created with his wife - a feature film, Joy, celebrating the birth of IVF In 1968, three people decided to cure infertility. In the 10 years between 1968 and 1978, Robert (Bob) Edwards, a scientist, Patrick Steptoe, an obstetrician, Jean Purdy, an embryologist, worked together, with many others, to do something incredible. Basing themselves in an outbuilding at Oldham general on scraps of money, with nurses volunteering their time, and patients...

Donna Ferguson · Nov 9, 2024

NHS in ‘last-chance saloon’, says former health secretary Alan Milburn Milburn set to take senior health department role and says crisis is ‘million times worse’ than when he was in office The NHS is “drinking in the last-chance saloon” and needs to change, the former health secretary Alan Milburn has said as he prepares to take up a senior role in the Department of Health. Milburn, who brought about radical changes, such as the introduction of NHS foundation trusts, when he was a minister for Tony Blair, called for “cultural change” in the health service and said “big reforms will be needed to make it fit for the future”. Continue reading... By Donna Ferguson NHS in ‘last-chance saloon’, says former health secretary Alan...

Chaminda Jayanetti · Nov 9, 2024

NHS patients dying because of problems sharing medical records, coroners warn IT issues and restrictions on access to information are leaving staff unaware of crucial background details Coroners in England and Wales have issued 36 warnings this year over inadequate sharing of NHS patient information, with some patients dying because clinicians couldn’t access important details about their needs. Problems caused by conflicting IT systems, restricted access to medical records and obstacles to sharing information outside the NHS mean staff often struggle to access details about the patients they are treating. Continue reading... By Chaminda Jayanetti NHS patients dying because of problems sharing medical records, coroners warn to...

Guardian staff and agency · Nov 9, 2024

First recipients of Elizabeth Emblem for those who died in line of duty revealed Award given to next of kin of more than 30 public servants after campaign by fathers of murdered police officers More than 30 former firefighters, police officers and other public servants who died in the line of duty have become the first recipients of an award in recognition of their service. The Elizabeth Emblem, named after the late queen, will be awarded to the next of kin of those who died in public service. Among those honoured are PCs Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone, who were murdered by Dale Cregan in Greater Manchester in 2012. Continue reading... By Guardian staff and agency First recipients of Elizabeth Emblem for those who died in line of...

Caroline Kimeu, Kitty Drake, Stephen Burgen · Nov 9, 2024

Bland, soggy slop or scratch-cooked chilli and pancakes? The best and worst hospital food around the world – in pictures From Kenya to Brazil, patients need tasty, nutritious food more than most – so which countries do it best? • ‘We have learned to have low expectations’: why is UK hospital food so bad? One of the best meals of my life was the platter of food that I ate in a Taipei hospital after I gave birth to my son last year. There was tofu braised in five-spice, shiitake mushrooms, steamed cauliflower with diced carrot, and sauteed spinach with ginger. It was paired with plenty of liquid: rice porridge, black sesame soup, and vegetable broth peppered with daikon. Continue reading... By Caroline Kimeu, Kitty Drake, Stephen...

Mina Holland · Nov 9, 2024

‘We have learned to have low expectations’: why can’t British hospitals serve better food? After spending years in and out of hospital with my daughter, I know the patients’ food isn’t usually very good. But does it have to be this way? • The best and worst of hospital food around the world – in pictures ‘We tend to think of this as a nutritional holiday,” said the dietician, as we looked down at the blue plastic tray on my four-year-old daughter Vida’s overbed table. Vida was about to start a long-awaited bone marrow transplant at a major London hospital, a process requiring an intensive chemotherapy programme that would affect her appetite and ability to eat. We needed to prioritise her weight over healthy eating, said the...

Mark Sweney · Nov 8, 2024

NHS-branded baby formula could prevent parents paying too much, watchdog says CMA sets out potential measures, including price cap on retailers, to combat high prices and lack of choice The government could offer its own low-cost baby formula under a brand such as the NHS to combat the high prices and lack of choice in the market, the UK competition watchdog has suggested. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said another “backstop” measure could be for the government to regulate and set a price or profit-margin cap on retailers as a way to bring prices down for parents more quickly. Continue reading... By Mark Sweney NHS-branded baby formula could prevent parents paying too much, watchdog says to Continue reading...

Guardian Staff · Nov 7, 2024

The ketamine crisis has crept up on British youth | Letters Samantha Sherratt says young adults are presenting with life-changing bladder problems, while another reader writes that her daughter took her own life after years of addiction Our hearts and gratitude go to “Nick” and Jack Curran for so bravely sharing the devastating impact ketamine has had on their lives (The agony of ketamine addiction: ‘I felt like I was peeing glass’, 5 November). Their stories starkly illustrate the unexpected crisis unfolding in urology clinics nationwide as more young adults present with bladder issues tied to their recreational use of the drug. Last month, Jasmine King, a urology specialist nurse practitioner with North Bristol NHS trust...

Editorial · Nov 6, 2024

The Guardian view on fixing the Mental Health Act: an overdue return to dignity | Editorial There is a long way still to go, but the government is taking action to end injustice in the treatment of severe mental illness The 1983 Mental Health Act provides for some extraordinarily coercive powers. A person with acute mental illness can be detained without their consent and sometimes forcibly removed from their home for that purpose. This is necessary when someone poses a danger to themselves or others, but that imperative must always be applied with clinical sensitivity and regard for fundamental rights. Mental illness is not a criminal offence. Too often, the boundary between medical intervention and arbitrary detention has been...

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Nov 6, 2024

NHS doctors say lengthy disciplinary processes have left them feeling suicidal Many say they felt ‘guilty until proven innocent’ amid fears misconduct claims used to silence whistleblowers UK doctors are having suicidal thoughts because disciplinary proceedings against them by their NHS employer take so long to resolve, research has found. Medics who have been accused of misconduct say the current system of investigating allegations is “brutal” and “humiliating” to go through and can feel “like a witch-hunt”. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on...

Editorial · Nov 5, 2024

The Guardian view on Badenoch v Starmer: tussling over a shift to bigger government | Editorial This parliament’s real battle won’t be cultural, it will be over the size of the state Kemi Badenoch was still wooing votes from Conservative members last Wednesday, the day the budget was delivered. Now leader of only 120 MPs, she can do little more than tut over the finance bill. Nevertheless, it’s the budget that sets out the great philosophical divide between Ms Badenoch and Sir Keir Starmer. It lies not in a particular policy or even a political commitment, but most acutely in a graph. It’s an exhibit that has received precious little discussion, yet it represents an ideological battleground that could help shape this parliament. You...

News about the NHS

Show only:

Pharmacies vote to cut services unless UK government acts over ‘crisis’

The Guardian view on NHS reform: evidence not dogma should be the guide | Editorial

A remarkable feat of 19th-century joinery | Brief letters

Legalisation of assisted dying may force NHS cuts, Wes Streeting warns

Wes Streeting, you must have a better plan for ailing hospitals than public humiliation | Rachel Clarke

Streeting defends plan for hospital league tables after backlash – UK politics live

Less than half of eligible people received NHS ‘midlife MOT’ since 2019, says watchdog

Nine hours and 52 minutes: did Dave Strachan’s ambulance wait cost him his life?

Streeting’s hospital league table plan riles NHS medics and bosses

Rise in NICs will endanger public health services | Letter

NHS England hopes to save thousands of lives with pill that helps smokers quit

National screening programme for prostate cancer urgently needed | Letter

Breathing issues cause more emergency NHS admissions than any other condition

Nurses quitting profession early puts health reforms in England at risk, says union

‘Rachel had been ready to leave me if our IVF hadn’t worked’: writer Jack Thorne on how his family’s fertility struggles inspired his new film

NHS in ‘last-chance saloon’, says former health secretary Alan Milburn

NHS patients dying because of problems sharing medical records, coroners warn

First recipients of Elizabeth Emblem for those who died in line of duty revealed

Bland, soggy slop or scratch-cooked chilli and pancakes? The best and worst hospital food around the world – in pictures

‘We have learned to have low expectations’: why can’t British hospitals serve better food?

NHS-branded baby formula could prevent parents paying too much, watchdog says

The ketamine crisis has crept up on British youth | Letters

The Guardian view on fixing the Mental Health Act: an overdue return to dignity | Editorial

NHS doctors say lengthy disciplinary processes have left them feeling suicidal

The Guardian view on Badenoch v Starmer: tussling over a shift to bigger government | Editorial

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