Health News Blog

Long A&E waits cause 250 extra deaths
A study reveals that long waits in A&E have caused at least 250 needless deaths. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine analysed the 1.5 million who waited 12 hours or more to be admitted in 2023. 

Physician assistants obscure 1st degrees
Courses in becoming a physician assistant ask for degrees that contain little or no scientific content. The BMA call for an inquiry into the issue of PAs replacing qualified doctors. Doctors have been reporting instances where gaps in medical rotas are being filled by PAs.  

Thousands of foreign nurses leaving UK
New research by the Health Foundation shows that about 9000 nurses are leaving the UK to find better paid jobs abroad. UK nurses earn substantially less than many of their counterparts in Australia, New Zealand and US.

Repairing Tory damage to NHS
'Is Wes Streeting up to the task ...?' asks a Telegraph coloumist. Sir Michael Marmot says Streeting is half right, it might need reform but it must have comparable funding to equivalent European countries. 

The quality of care of privatisation
Based on the evidence, a scientific review challenges the justifications for health-care privatisation and concludes that the scientific support for further privatisation of health-care services is weak.

Physician assistants: the hidden agenda
We know that physician assisants are replacing doctors, but read about 'algorythmic medicine' - you cannot replace the skill of a real doctor.

British Social Attitudes: NHS Survey
Just 24% of people across England, Scotland and Wales, the fewest on record, are satisfied with the health service. However, 82% said that it should be funded primarily from taxation, 84% think the NHS has a major or severe funding problem, and forty-eight per cent want the government to increase taxes and spend more on the NHS.

Cuts in NHS staffing are unavoidable
Trusts face pressure to get down to pre-covid staff numbers as NHS England's financial plans for 2024-25 report a total £6 billion deficit. A primary function of Integrated Care systems is to enable the government to control the NHS budget, so our healthcare suffers for their parsimony.

Poor housing and health emergency
A children's doctor reports the rising numbers of children brought to her with chest infections caused by damp housing. 58% of renters live with damp, mould or excessive cold. 

"Nye": play about NHS founder
A National Theatre play starring Michael Sheen explores much of Aneurin Bevan’s life and the setting up of the NHS, including battles with the medical profession and Conservative party. Book tickets to see it live streamed here.

Private equity and £16 million
G4S and Mountain Healthcare Ltd owned by private equity run 26 of the 50 NHS and police-funded centres in England that support thousands of child and adult victims of sexual assault. In the last financial year the two companies collected £16 million.

Scandal of care home profit-taking
The financial model underpinning the UK care home industry is unsustainable. £261 million of the annual income received by the largest 26 care home providers goes towards paying off their debts. Of this £117m (45%) are payments to related, and often offshore, companies. Read the Exec Summary on page 5.

Supercars, yachts and a private jet...
Three people have been arrested as part of an investigation into a £76 million care home scandal that saw investor cash spent on supercars, yachts and a private jet.

Private hospitals 'cannibalising the NHS'
While the NHS is deliberately underfunded the private healthcare sector is making huge profits our of our NHS budget. Why not invest this funding into training and employing more doctors and nurses?

Tax cuts versus funds for crumbling NHS
Hunt's budget has put tax cuts ahead of supporting our crumbling public services. With the NHS facing rampant inflation and increased patient demand for years to come, a lack of investment will inevitably result in real-terms cuts.