Mid Staffs campaigners honoured

Mid Staffs campaigners honoured Two women who led the fight against one of the most shocking failings in NHS history are recognised in the New Year honours list. BBC News

7,000 key NHS clinical staff laid off amid enforced cuts

7,000 key NHS clinical staff laid off amid enforced cuts Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA says £20bn savings drive to blame, as doctors and nurses are made redundant.

An "arbitrary" straitjacket on the NHS's budget by Whitehall is leading to job losses, recruitment freezes and inadequate care for patients, the leader of the country's doctors warns on Tuesday.

Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the British Medical Association, said forcing the NHS in England to make £20bn of "efficiency gains" by 2015 at a time of rising demand for healthcare was wrong and damaging.

Porter was speaking to the Guardian after the Department of Health (DH) admitted that 7,060 NHS clinical staff, such as doctors and nurses, have been made redundant since the coalition took power in 2010, at the same time as David Cameron was pledging to protect the service's frontline from cuts.

Liver disease deaths: areas with highest levels 'most starved of NHS funds'

Liver disease deaths: areas with highest levels 'most starved of NHS funds' British Liver Trust slates funding policy giving areas with lowest fatalities 10% more in GP budgets than areas with most deaths.

Health reforms have ensured that the areas with the greatest number of deaths from liver disease are being "starved of NHS funds", a leading charity has warned.

According to an analysis by the British Liver Trust, areas with the lowest numbers of deaths will on average get funding increases worth 10% more than those areas with the highest number.

Despite a personal commitment from the prime minister for liver disease to be tackled as a priority, charities said that no real action had been taken and that a promised strategy was now two years overdue.

Campaigners also said also that the money to tackle the disease was slowly being reduced. Just before Christmas NHS England unveiled how much local groups of GPs would be able to spend on their patients.

Minister calls for shake-up of ambulance response targets in rural areas after death of young chef

Minister calls for shake-up of ambulance response targets in rural areas after death of young chef Norman Lamb, minister for care and support, says rural areas are often neglected as ambulance trusts focus on easier urban response times as they chase targets. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• Rural ambulance times 'need rethink' BBC News