Health Secretary Wes Streeting has told health chiefs in England to prioritise safety even if it means performance against the four-hour A&E target slips this winter. The message was delivered at a meeting with hospital bosses and other NHS leaders in London on Monday amid mounting concern about the winter pressures that are building. Last … Read more
PA Some women have described waiting in “agony” for gynaecological treatment When the BBC reported that waiting lists for gynaecology appointments across the UK had more than doubled since February 2020, many women shared their experiences of how they feel forced to turn to private care. Women waiting in agony for vital gynaecological treatment are … Read more
The NHS in England is busier than it has ever been heading into winter, the country’s medical director is warning. Prof Sir Stephen Powis said rising rates of flu and the vomiting bug norovirus were putting hospitals under huge strain. Around 95% of beds were occupied at the start of December – rates normally only … Read more
A new weight-loss jab will be rolled out on the NHS in England – but it could take 12 years for everyone to receive it, the NHS drugs advisory body says. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) final draft guidance on Mounjaro has recommended it starts being given from March, alongside advice … Read more
BBC/Sabbiyah Pervez Film of Julie Trafford during a mental heath crisis was taken by a member of NHS staff and posted in a WhatsApp group A patient whose mental breakdown was secretly filmed by an NHS worker and shared on WhatsApp says she has been left feeling “dirty, angry and confused”. Julie Trafford’s moments of … Read more
The £200m rescue package to increase access to NHS dentistry this year is not on track, a spending watchdog says. The dental recovery plan published by the Conservative government in February set a target of 1.5 million extra treatments in 2024-25. To achieve that, dentists were offered an increase in payments for seeing NHS patients … Read more
Getty Images Julia’s first four years as a physician associate were everything she hoped they would be. After working in the NHS for the best part of a decade in a non-patient facing role, she was delighted to be on the wards supporting doctors and the wider healthcare teams. “I loved the contact I had … Read more
The NHS in England came within “six or seven hours” of running out of gowns and other protective equipment during the Covid pandemic, Matt Hancock has said. The former health secretary was giving evidence for the third time at the Covid inquiry, about the impact on healthcare systems. He stated there was never a “national … Read more
BBC/Brijesh Patel Roy Pollitt thought his late wife was being treated by a doctor rather than a physician associate A man whose wife died after a drain was mistakenly left in her abdomen for 21 hours has condemned the increased use of physician associates (PAs) within the National Health Service. Susan Pollitt’s inquest concluded her … Read more
PA Failing hospitals will be revealed in league tables and NHS managers sacked if they do not turn things around, the health secretary will tell health leaders at a conference in Liverpool. Wes Streeting is promising a “no-holds-barred, sweeping review” of NHS performance in England. Hospitals can expect to be ranked on indicators such as … Read more