Health News Blog
Edited by Ken Kirk
27th May 2025
NHSE: "Slow down elective referrals"
To massage the waiting lists totals down, NHS England has told integrated care boards they need to slow down elective referrals dramatically. This is referred to as "elective care management".
Labour and the NHS
An article by Keep Our NHS Public says "The failure to acknowledge that the huge and growing waiting lists, together with difficulty accessing care, causally relate to underfunding is a major worry for campaigners. So too is the expectation that the private sector is there to help out."
Government dropped health push after lobbying
The healthy food push was dropped on 1 June 2023 under Rishi Sunak’s government, after the Food and Drink Federation, which represents corporations including Nestlé, Mondelēz, Coca-Cola, Mars and Unilever repeatedly demanded the government ditch it.
Streeting appoints ex boss of privatiser
Samantha Jones has become Private Secretary at the DHSC, almost the highest civil service rank, to run the department for Streeting. She was previously senior advisor to Boris Johnson.
UK the sickest of developed world
The UK is becoming “the sick person of the wealthy world” because of the growing number of people dying from drugs, suicide and violence, research has found.
18th May 2025
"Wrecking ball to improving maternity safety"
The Royal College of Midwives has described the Government's decision to slash crucial ringfenced maternity service funding as ‘utterly shocking’.
Hospitals reject Palantir's data platform
Fewer than a quarter of England’s 215 hospital trusts were actively using Palantir’s Federated Data Platform by the end of 2024.
£216 million to private X-ray firms
The government prefers to give £216 million of our taxes to private firms rather than recruit enough radiologists.
Mackey: "No more big NHS spending rises"
The chief executive of NHS England said the budget is "maxed out". However in 2022, nine of the EU14 countries spent more on health care per head than the UK and six invested over 20% more. A 17.4% rise in spending would put the UK almost on a par with what Denmark spent on health care in 2022, and still short of current levels of investment in France, the Netherlands and Germany.
7th May 2025
Private providers 3 times more expensive
Northamptonshire ICB found the use of independent providers under “right to choose” rules for diagnosis and treatment of autism and ADHD was up to three times more expensive than their local provision.
Outsourcing 'fuels inequality and longer waits'
The expansion of private providers into NHS-funded care has reduced surgical admissions at NHS hospitals and is associated with rising waiting times for all patients. The poorest 20% of patients were significantly less likely to be treated in the private sector and faced longer waiting times than the richest 20%.
Not enough GP training posts
We often hear that there are “ongoing difficulties in recruiting enough GPs” but currently, the crisis is not in recruitment but frozen recruitment. Thousands of doctors who applied to train as GPs are rejected each year due to lack of training posts. The shortage of GPs is entirely within the government’s control, bound by funding.
Hospitals paid to remove patients from waiting
Hospitals in England are being offered unlimited bonus payments to remove people they have decided do not need treatment from their waiting lists.
1st May 2025
NHS now corporate health
When privatisation is already so deeply embedded in the NHS, we can’t just blindly argue for ‘more funding’ to solve its problems.
Corporate profits in eye care
This Centre for Health and Public Interest report looks at how the very rapid growth in private sector provision of NHS cataract care has happened and the profits of some of the companies involved.
Samantha Jones: permanent secretary
Former CEO of Operose Health, a large privately-owned chain of NHS GP practices and chief executive of West Hertfordshire and Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Trusts, is appointed permanent secretary in DHSC.
Politicians funded by private healthcare
When private companies and people linked to the private healthcare sector give donations and benefits to senior Labour politicans, they might expect something in return.
Hedge Fund Labour
Since early 2020 the party has stopped condemning NHS privatisation and privateer donors have returned. Read on for a summary of Labour’s donor links to the private health industry.
Court rules on Physician Assistants
The BMA sought to establish that the application of 'Good Medical Practice' to PAs and the use of the term ‘medical professionals’ by the GMC are both ‘unlawful’. However, the BMA called the High Court decision ‘regrettable’ ruling in favour of the GMC.
Starmer vists Palantir HQ
Mandelsen, now British Ambassador to US, arranged for Starmer to visit Palantir. Did they discuss Palantir’s work with US agencies accused of separating children from their parents, wrongfully detaining thousands of US citizens and forcibly sterilising women?