Health News Blog

Labour to clear waiting list without more staff?
Starmer promises that the backlog of about 3.2 million people now waiting more than 18 weeks for NHS treatment will be cleared within five years. But unless Labour confronts the longstanding staff shortages it's not possible. First, a Labour government will have to deal with NHS pay the value of which has fallen in the last decade.

Junior doctors to strike just before election
Junior doctors in England are to strike for five days in the week leading up to the general election. Keir Starmer vowed to “get in the room” with junior doctors to settle the pay dispute. Well it's likely he'll get the chance.

Millions of patients wait 2 weeks for a GP
In September 2022, the government said patients would be able to see a family doctor within two weeks of booking a consultation. Thérèse Coffey, then the health secretary,promised to prioritise the issue. Now more than 5 million patients a month are waiting longer than a fortnight for a GP appointment.

BMA chair calls for GP resignations
The chair of the GP committee, Dr Katie Bramall-Stainer, said that GPs should consider resigning from the  NHS over the way they are treated by the government.

Call to renationalise our NHS
Keep Our NHS Public calls for an end to a) privatisation, b) the myth that privatisation brings efficiency and c) the diversion of NHS funding into private hospitals. The model of a comprehensive NHS, when publicly provided, was ranked the best health care systems in the world - but no longer.

Privatised equipment supplier blamed
NRS was awarded the contract last April. Both Whittington Healthcare Trust and South East London ICB complained saying people awaiting hospital discharge were receiving the wrong equipment or seeing it delivered late.

Hospitals are leaving more patients in corridors
More and more UK hospitals are leaving patients in corridors due to a lack of bed space. A patient counted 13 other patients alongside him on a corridor at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.

Half of nurses plan to quit
Almost half of nurses in England plan to quit or are considering it. Excessive levels of pressure and pay are the issues prompting the 45% of nurses surveyed by the Roayl College of Nursing say they are considering quitting.

Private equity's profiteering
Social care directors and campaigners accused businesses of profiteering from children’s social care. With councils on the verge of bankruptcy it's revealed that 863 homes providing care for vulnerable children are owned by investment companies, including private equity, venture capital and foreign funds.

Non-surgeon removed a gall bladder
The Royal College of Surgeons has expressed alarm that a non-surgeon has removed patients’ gall bladders at Walsall Manor Hospital. A research paper shows that 175 surgeries were carried out by a Surgical Care Practioner at the hospital during a four-year period.

Cost cutting in the NHS
A cost-cutting project is replacing paediatricians with medically unqualified "associates". A secondary care doctor has been suspended for inadequately supervising a physician assistant.

PAs and GP employment crisis
The government has failed on a manifesto pledge to deliver 6,000 new GPs  by 2024, but has allocated £1.4 billion to fund other roles in primary care like physician associates. The replacement of qualified doctors with PAs has resulted in locum GPs unable to find work.

NHS funding lags behind election pledge
In 2019 the Conservatives pledged to increase spending by £34 billion a year by the end of the parliament. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said increases in funding from the government had been eaten up by higher than expected inflation.

Kings Fund: "You get what you pay for"
Siva Anandaciva, Chief Analyst at the Kings Fund: "We spend below average on our health service compared to our peers, so it’s not surprising that we have fewer hospital beds, doctors, nurses, MRI/CT scanners."

Killings spotlight poor mental health services
The Hainault tragedy is the latest in a series of high-profile killings that have focused public attention on the adequacy of mental health treatment and care. NHS mental health services are struggling to cope with resource shortages and increasing demand for care.

Cuts will result in patient deaths
After recruiting staff to address the increasing waiting lists hospital trusts are being forced to cut medical staff, threatening their ability to care for patients, senior health leaders have warned.

Private company in contract breach
Private providers requested authorisation for a change of control and a due diligence exercise began to assess the new owner, but they went ahead anyway without it.

Hospital ceiling falls in
Ceilings have fallen in at two key units of an NHS hospital, forcing it to evacuate patients and cancel X-rays and scans. Stepping Hill hospital in Stockport is plagued by leaks and major structural defects, prompting claims it is dangerous for both patients and staff.