Health News Blog

Even the Kings Fund is saying it
The UK “underperforms significantly” on tackling its biggest killer diseases, in part because it has been weakened by years of underinvestment. The comparative study of 19 well-off nations concluded that Britain achieves only “below average” health outcomes because it spends a “below average” amount for every person on healthcare.

Private sector can't solve the NHS waiting list crisis
NHS campaigner John Lister says "The evidence that choice itself makes a difference to waiting lists is largely inconclusive. Patients are sceptical, asking why they should be expected to shop around when they just want a good local hospital". A recent Health Foundation report has also warned that use of the private sector can only have a “limited impact” on tackling things like NHS backlog.

Palantir awarded NHS data contract
Despite considerable public concern, Palantir has been awarded a contract to ‘transition’ existing NHS projects into the new federated data platform. Palantir had no track record in health; it is mainly an intelligence and defence contractor whose systems support surveillance and policing. Previous NHS data projects have foundered because of a failure to win patient trust, this is no exception.

The risks of using Palantir for NHS data
A Foxglove report has identified the following - the Covid emergency meant the usual procurement rules were waived. The contract's scope is vague, there's a failure to design for patient consent and there are risks to over centralisation. It will lock in a single monopoly provider who has a poor reputation and several Palantir pilot projects have failed.

NHS: a shining jewel of social solidarity
The principles underlying the creation of the NHS continue to exemplify social solidarity expressed through policy: comprehensive medical and health care for all, publicly owned and provided, funded from progressive taxation. Nationally defined pay, conditions and quality standards completed the picture.

Cameron years left UK 'totally unprepared'
The TUC says what we all know, that austerity wrought by Cameron and Osborne left the UK unprepared for the pandemic. They brought not only unsafe staffing in public services and a broken safety net, but funding cuts that caused poverty and therefore greater risks of exposure to Covid-19.

UK spent less on health than rest of Europe
In every year between 2010 and 2019 the UK would have had to spend an additional £73 billion more to match Germany’s spending per person, and £40 billion extra every year to match France.

A decade of neglect
40 new hospitals would be built in England by 2040 was a key manifesto pledge by Boris Johnson in 2019. But the £20 billion so far committed by ministers is only just over half of the estimated need of £37 billion and this doesn't take account of spiralling building material costs.

Stop Palantir's NHS data take over
The government intends to let Palantir create a huge ‘Federated Data Platform’ of patient records; but Palantir's recent history tells us they are totally unfit to be trusted with our health data. Sign the petition and pass on.

Private sector can't solve the waits
John Lister summarizes how the use of the private sector can only have only a limited impact on tackling NHS backlog.

Fortunes earned on PPE contracts
This businessman has made a fortune supplying PPE during the pandemic even though the NHS may be unable to use millions of the gowns his company delivered. And here's a US banker who was paid a £73 million dividend in 2021 after his firm won hundreds of millions in Covid contracts.

A fair analysis of Starmer's NHS policy
There's some promise but a) he reiterates a commitment to private sector delivery b) there must be a substantial funding increase and c) to deliver on increased staff numbers he must offer restorative pay increases. 

Barclay admits to 40 new hospitals lies
He admits not all the hospitals are "brand new", and some are merely new wings or refurbishments. Many won't be built by 2030 as promised.

Capitalism and the rise in mental illness
We live in a social and economic system at odds with both our psychology and our neurology ....what if it's not us who are sick but a system at odds with us as social beings?

23000 deaths in A&E's in 2022
Here's the facts for 2022: 1. more than 1.5 million people were left waiting in A&E for over four hours; 2. nearly 350,000 had to wait more than 12 hours; 3. 23,000 people had died, an increase of more than 20% on 2021, and nearly 40% on 2020.

Third of ICSs fail to balance their budgets
Integrated Care Systems (ICS) are first and foremost about making organisations within an ICS work together in order to reduce patients’ use of NHS services and save money. Under the Health and Social Care Act 2022 each ICS must submit financial plans to NHS England to meet the funding NHSE provides. A third of the 42 in England have failed to do so.

NHS still waiting for £1 billion promised in 2017
In 2017 the NHS was promised £2.7 billion for capital spending, primarily on buildings. Now 5 years later, the NHS is still waiting for more than half of it. Still, it got a media headline, didn't it!

Hancock: emails reveal Tory donor contacts
WhatsApp messages and emails between Tory donors and Matt Hancock reveal the extent of ministerial access they enjoyed when government Covid contracts were being awarded.