News about the NHS

Pippa Crerar Political editor · Oct 20, 2024

Wes Streeting denies ‘dystopian future’ over weight-loss jabs for unemployed UK health secretary says people will not be ‘involuntarily jabbed’ but that medications could be ‘gamechanging’ Wes Streeting has denied his plans to give new weight-loss jabs to unemployed people to help them back into work would result in a “dystopian future” where overweight people would be “involuntarily jabbed”. The UK health secretary acknowledged that weight-loss drugs were not, on their own, the answer to the nation’s obesity crisis after he suggested this week that they could have a “monumental” impact on getting more people working. Continue reading... By Pippa Crerar Political editor Wes Streeting denies ‘dystopian future’ over weight-loss...

Phillip Inman · Oct 19, 2024

If you let Google have your data, why not the NHS? | Phillip Inman A government with access to personal information could deliver welfare and services much more easily – and could also be a bulwark against the tech giants’ business practices The government will need to intrude into people’s lives more than ever to cope with spiralling demands on the state’s finances. In the transition to greener technologies, the need to track who is emitting carbon and where they are doing it will only intensify. Last week’s announcement by the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, that he is employing more people to monitor cars coming into the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) to make sure they are fined is another example of big brotherism that his...

Rachel Hall · Oct 19, 2024

When therapy goes wrong: the problem of underqualified practitioners In the age of influencer therapists and mental health apps, experts say the public need to be better informed Psychotherapists in England must be regulated, experts say, after abuse claims rise ‘I was completely vulnerable’: woman tells of alleged abuse by ‘counsellor’ From influencer therapists on social media to psychotherapy platforms advertising on TV and radio, going to see a therapist is increasingly mainstream – yet many people know little about who they are seeing and what they are getting. Experts said more information and awareness among the public of how therapy works was desperately needed, to minimise the risks of making their mental health worse...

Jessica Elgot, Denis Campbell and Rowena Mason · Oct 18, 2024

NHS set to receive 4% budget rise but health chiefs say it may not be enough Whitehall source says it would only allow NHS to ‘stand still’ on waiting lists rather than reduce them The NHS is set to get an inflation-busting 4% rise in its budget next year but health chiefs have said it may not allow them to cut waiting lists for another 18 months, the Guardian has learned. The health service is on course to be one of the big winners in the spending review on 30 October if it gets a proposed 4% real-terms uplift from the Treasury. This could translate to a cash injection of about £7bn for the health budget in England, while other departments are facing much tougher settlements and some likely to have to cut capital spending in year...

Diane Taylor · Oct 18, 2024

‘I feel like I have failed everyone’ says Nigerian nurse accused of cheating after arriving in UK Nurse says she has lost ‘my name, my integrity, my dreams’ after being accused of using proxy to sit tests to work in Britain Nigerian nurses urge UK minister to intervene over test cheating claims When I was a little girl in my village in Nigeria going to school was something I could not even dream of because we did not have money. Then my mother sold everything we owned to pay for me to go to school. I knew this was my only ticket to make something worthwhile out of my life and my family’s life. Continue reading... By Diane Taylor ‘I feel like I have failed everyone’ says Nigerian nurse accused of cheating after arriving in UK...

Nicola Davis Science correspondent · Oct 18, 2024

Weight loss jabs not ‘quick fix’ for UK worklessness, health experts warn Scientists say using the drugs to get people back into work could carry logistical and ethical problems Weight loss jabs are not a “quick fix” and the health secretary’s plan to use them to help people get back to work could backfire, experts have warned. Wes Streeting announced a real-world trial of the medication’s impact on worklessness this week, saying that “widening waistbands” were placing a burden on the NHS. He suggested that as well as bringing benefits to the health service, the jabs could help people get back into employment. Continue reading... By Nicola Davis Science correspondent Weight loss jabs not ‘quick fix’ for UK worklessness, health...

Denis Campbell and Michael Goodier · Oct 17, 2024

Repair bill for crumbling NHS buildings in England soars to almost £14bn NHS Providers chief says 'vital bits of the NHS are literally falling apart after years of underinvestment’ The cost of repairing crumbling NHS buildings in England has soared to almost £14bn, prompting warnings that patients and staff are at risk from falling roofs and faulty equipment. The repair bill faced by the health service to make its estate fit for purpose has more than trebled from £4.5bn in 2012-13 to £13.8bn last year, according to NHS England data. Continue reading... By Denis Campbell and Michael Goodier Repair bill for crumbling NHS buildings in England soars to almost £14bn to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Guardian Staff · Oct 17, 2024

Wine tax is proportionate and necessary | Letter Taxing alcohol products according to their strength will nudge producers and consumers to lower-strength products, easing the burden on the NHS, writes Dr Katherine Severi Given the alarming rates of alcohol harm across the UK, it would be irresponsible to award wine producers preferential treatment in the forthcoming budget (Wine sellers warn of price rises as new tax regime looms, 6 October). The recent changes to alcohol duty, taxing products according to their strength, not only followed recommendations from the World Health Organization, but also common sense. Both producers and consumers will be nudged to lower-strength products, thus easing the burden on the NHS. Wine producers...

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Oct 17, 2024

British BAME and foreign doctors ‘suffer discrimination throughout careers’ GMC’s chief executive says report is ‘shaming’ and BMA urges NHS to make working environment more inclusive British doctors of BAME origin and overseas-trained medics working in the UK experience “persistent and pernicious” inequality throughout their careers, the medical regulator has warned. The General Medical Council (GMC) said too many doctors are still being reported by their employers for alleged misconduct compared with white British-trained medics. Continue reading... By Denis Campbell Health policy editor British BAME and foreign doctors ‘suffer discrimination throughout careers’ to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Rachel Clarke, Lucy Webster, Gaby Hinsliff · Oct 16, 2024

Should MPs legalise assisted dying? Our panel responds Today Westminster begins its scrutiny of a bill that could for ever change the way we live or die in England and Wales Christiaan Barnard, the surgeon who performed the world’s first heart transplant, vividly skewered the notion of patients “freely” choosing to have such dangerous, experimental surgery. They were, he wrote, like someone chased by a lion to the bank of a river filled with crocodiles, who decides to hurl themselves into the water: “For a dying man, it is not a difficult decision because he knows he is at the end … But you would never accept the odds if there were no lion.” Barnard captures a fundamental flaw in libertarianism that is horribly pertinent, whether we...

Matthew Weaver · Oct 16, 2024

Huge demand for new obesity drugs risks overwhelming NHS, Streeting told More than 200 doctors and experts warn health secretary of ‘enormous pressure’ on already stretched services More than 200 doctors and medical experts have warned that the unprecedented demand for new obesity drugs is threatening to overwhelm the NHS. In a joint letter to the health secretary, Wes Streeting, the healthcare professionals call for an urgent review of services for millions of people struggling with weight. Continue reading... By Matthew Weaver Huge demand for new obesity drugs risks overwhelming NHS, Streeting told to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Denis Campbell and Rowena Mason · Oct 15, 2024

Alan Milburn to be given lead role in Labour’s health ministry Move reignites row over Labour figures with private interests having access to government Who are the key New Labour figures in Keir Starmer’s government? Wes Streeting is to hand Alan Milburn a lead role in the running of his health ministry, in a move that has reignited the row over Labour figures with private interests having access to government. The health secretary is preparing to appoint Milburn, who was a radical reformer of the NHS in his time in that post under Tony Blair, as the lead non-executive director of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). Continue reading... By Denis Campbell and Rowena Mason Alan Milburn to be given lead role in...

Polly Toynbee · Oct 15, 2024

Let’s get this straight: private healthcare will and must work for the NHS – not the other way around | Polly Toynbee Labour is right not to be squeamish about independent healthcare firms, but Wes Streeting seems wise enough to prioritise public benefit Our critically injured public services beg for help, but the totem signifying the state of the nation will always be the NHS. The monthly waiting time reports on ambulances, the state of A&E, the wait for cancer or GP appointments: all take the nation’s pulse. The latest figures showed a twitch of improvement. Can a government only 100 days old claim any credit? Alastair McLellan, the editor of the Health Service Journal, suggests it probably can, as health trusts accelerate...

PA Media · Oct 15, 2024

Unemployed could be given weight-loss jabs to get back to work, says Wes Streeting Health secretary announces trials to assess impact of medicines such as Ozempic or Mounjaro on worklessness New weight-loss jabs could be given to unemployed people to help them get back into work, Wes Streeting has suggested. The health secretary said “widening waistbands” were placing a burden on the NHS. Continue reading... By PA Media Unemployed could be given weight-loss jabs to get back to work, says Wes Streeting to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Andrew Anthony · Oct 13, 2024

Guilt, worry, resentment: how the ‘club sandwich’ generation juggles caring for parents, children and grandparents With people surviving longer and with greater infirmity, the pressures on adults living among three other generations are increasing Like the doctor in a corny joke, the study published last week by the Journals of Gerontology had some good news and some bad news. The good news, say researchers from University College London (UCL) and Oxford University, is that people born in the 1940s and 1950s are living longer than their parents. The bad news is that they are more likely to be ill. Continue reading... By Andrew Anthony Guilt, worry, resentment: how the ‘club sandwich’ generation juggles caring for parents...

Ben Quinn · Oct 12, 2024

Plans for digital NHS tag for overseas patients cause migrant privacy concerns Doctors say proposals will make it difficult to reassure trafficking victims and asylum seekers ‘hospitals are safe places’ Plans to create a new digital tag for the records of NHS patients from overseas has caused concern among doctors, as well as privacy and migrants’ rights campaigners. A new data category called Overseas Visitor Charging would be created in national NHS records under proposals the Labour government has inherited from its Conservative predecessor. Continue reading... By Ben Quinn Plans for digital NHS tag for overseas patients cause migrant privacy concerns to Continue reading... NHS Forums - For NHS Staff | Patient Forums

Sally Pipes · Sep 15, 2024

Kamala Harris’ worst plan yet: bringing the NHS to America Democratic politicians seemed determined to drag American healthcare into a statist quagmire Continue reading this article about Kamala Harris’ worst plan yet: bringing the NHS to America by Sally Pipes NHS Forums - For daily discussion by NHS Staff.

Guardian Staff · Oct 11, 2024

Assisted dying bill leaves much unanswered | Letters Dr Lucy Thomas says Charles Falconer’s assertion that the type of legislation he is proposing is ‘safe’ does not make it so; plus five other readers respond on questions of palliative care and Kim Leadbeater’s private member’s bill If Lord Falconer’s aim (Letters, 4 October) is to develop a safe and compassionate assisted dying law he should want to understand and address, rather than dismiss, the serious concerns raised by people like me who work with terminally ill patients on a daily basis and who he expects to enact his legislation (I see the worrying consequences of assisted dying in other countries. Britain’s bill needs a radical rethink, 2 October). He should also be...

Guardian Staff · Oct 10, 2024

We need person-centred mental health care, not more psychiatrists | Letter Dr Jennifer Poole says a less medicalised approach using therapists other than consultant psychiatrists would be more effective in the long term Regarding your article (Scottish NHS boards pay up to £837 an hour for locums amid psychiatry crisis, 7 October), the solution to this increasingly untenable situation is a change of approach to mental health. Psychiatrists (medically qualified doctors who go on to treat emotional and mental health issues with medications) are necessarily focused on diagnosis of a “disorder” as an illness in the person. However, there is little evidence that this is effective with mental health issues in the vast majority of cases...

David Conn and Felicity Lawrence · Oct 10, 2024

Lucy Letby: police and CPS handling of case raises new concerns about convictions Exclusive: Letby’s barrister says application challenging verdicts is being prepared using expert medical evidence When the public inquiry into the crimes of the former nurse Lucy Letby opened in Liverpool last month its chair, Lady Justice Thirlwall, dismissed concerns about the safety of the convictions as “noise”. The judge cautioned that questions being raised were increasing the distress of parents whose children had died or been harmed. Letby was found guilty across two trials of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others at the Countess of Chester hospital (COCH) in 2015 and 2016. Thirlwall pointed out that in May this year...

Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent · Oct 10, 2024

Disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson refuses to attend inquest Families of former patients condemn refusal to give evidence, which lawyers say is due to health reasons and ‘inadequate facilities to prepare’ The jailed former breast surgeon Ian Paterson has refused to give evidence at an inquest into the deaths of 62 of his former patients, in a move labelled “unacceptable” and “atrocious” by families of the deceased. Paterson had been due to speak at the judge-led inquest at Birmingham and Solihull coroner’s court, which is investigating whether 62 of Paterson’s former patients “died an unnatural death as a result of his actions”. Continue reading... By Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent Disgraced breast surgeon Ian...

Andrew Sparrow · Oct 10, 2024

Robert Jenrick rejects claim Tory MPs put him in final two for leadership ballot by mistake – UK politics live Jenrick says he thinks Tory MPs voted for ‘the best placed people to lead this party forward’ Robert Jenrick, one of the final two Tory leadership candidates, is delivering a speech in London. There is a live feed on his X account. Jenrick started by promising “a complete break with Labour’s failing agenda”. He said: The real choice this country faces is between Labour’s failing agenda and the new approach I want us to take, the new approach we need as a country. Because if I am chosen as the next leader of this party we will stand to offer a complete break with Labour’s failing agenda. Continue reading... By Andrew...

Denis Campbell Health policy editor · Oct 10, 2024

Teachers regularly helping pupils in distress in attempt to fill NHS funding gap Three in four teachers put a pupil’s psychological needs before teaching at least once a week, UK survey reveals Teachers are picking up the pieces of the deepening crisis in children and young people’s mental health, with many regularly helping pupils in distress on top of their classroom duties. Teachers say they are playing an important role in supporting pupils’ often fragile mental wellbeing because so many who need help from the NHS are not receiving it, a UK-wide survey found. 78% of teachers say pupils’ mental health has got worse since they joined the profession. 76% say only half or fewer of the pupils who they believe need help with their...

Josh Halliday North of England editor · Oct 9, 2024

Lucy Letby encouraged by manager to visit Alder Hey children’s hospital, inquiry hears Countess of Chester senior nurse said placements would give Letby ‘break’ from stress, despite knowing she was under investigation over babies’ deaths Lucy Letby was encouraged by a senior nurse to undertake regular visits to Alder Hey children’s hospital despite her being under investigation on suspicion of murdering babies, a public inquiry has heard. Letby, 34, was told the placements would give her “a break from the stress here”, weeks before police were called over the unexplained deaths and deterioration of newborns at the Countess of Chester hospital. Continue reading... By Josh Halliday North of England editor Lucy Letby encouraged by...

Editorial · Oct 8, 2024

The Guardian view on the coroner’s role: if deaths can be prevented, they should be | Editorial When inquests make recommendations, they must not be allowed to sink into a bottom drawer The family of Maeve Boothby O’Neill, who died aged 27 after suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) for many years, is not the first to reach the end of an inquest only to be faced by uncertainty regarding its results. The coroner issued a prevention of future deaths notice (PFD) addressed to Wes Streeting and five health organisations, including NHS England. This criticised the lack of specialist care and training for doctors, and raised concerns about clinical guidelines and nutrition. But while there is a legal obligation on any body in...

News about the NHS

Show only:

Wes Streeting denies ‘dystopian future’ over weight-loss jabs for unemployed

If you let Google have your data, why not the NHS? | Phillip Inman

When therapy goes wrong: the problem of underqualified practitioners

NHS set to receive 4% budget rise but health chiefs say it may not be enough

‘I feel like I have failed everyone’ says Nigerian nurse accused of cheating after arriving in UK

Weight loss jabs not ‘quick fix’ for UK worklessness, health experts warn

Repair bill for crumbling NHS buildings in England soars to almost £14bn

Wine tax is proportionate and necessary | Letter

British BAME and foreign doctors ‘suffer discrimination throughout careers’

Should MPs legalise assisted dying? Our panel responds

Huge demand for new obesity drugs risks overwhelming NHS, Streeting told

Alan Milburn to be given lead role in Labour’s health ministry

Let’s get this straight: private healthcare will and must work for the NHS – not the other way around | Polly Toynbee

Unemployed could be given weight-loss jabs to get back to work, says Wes Streeting

Guilt, worry, resentment: how the ‘club sandwich’ generation juggles caring for parents, children and grandparents

Plans for digital NHS tag for overseas patients cause migrant privacy concerns

Kamala Harris’ worst plan yet: bringing the NHS to America

Assisted dying bill leaves much unanswered | Letters

We need person-centred mental health care, not more psychiatrists | Letter

Lucy Letby: police and CPS handling of case raises new concerns about convictions

Disgraced breast surgeon Ian Paterson refuses to attend inquest

Robert Jenrick rejects claim Tory MPs put him in final two for leadership ballot by mistake – UK politics live

Teachers regularly helping pupils in distress in attempt to fill NHS funding gap

Lucy Letby encouraged by manager to visit Alder Hey children’s hospital, inquiry hears

The Guardian view on the coroner’s role: if deaths can be prevented, they should be | Editorial

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