One in four A&E patients at KGH in December waited for more than four hours

One in four A&E patients at KGH in December waited for more than four hours More than 25 per cent of patients who attended KGH’s A&E department in December had to wait for longer than four hours.

New NHS figures show 7,488 people visited A&E there in the last month of 2017. A total of 73.4 per cent of these were admitted, transferred or discharged within the target time of four hours – meaning 1,989 had to wait longer than expected. Northamptonshire Telegraph

A&E performance reaches a new low

A&E performance reaches a new low We are in the middle of winter, and pressures on the NHS are rising. The media and groups of NHS staff are describing an A&E service in crisis, while the government says the NHS is more prepared for winter than ever before. What does the latest national data say about how A&E departments are coping compared with previous winters? The King's Fund

Feeling the heat the decline of stop smoking services in England findings from a survey of local authority tobacco control leads

Feeling the heat the decline of stop smoking services in England findings from a survey of local authority tobacco control leads A report by Cancer Research UK and Action on Smoking and Health showing that cuts to the public health budget nationally have led to dramatic changes in services for smokers. Only 61% of local authorities continue to offer all local smokers access to evidence-based support in line with NICE guidance.

Local areas report year-on-year budget cuts to stop smoking services. There is now at least one local authority in England where there is a zero budget for addressing smoking.

The survey of local authorities across England also found that 1 in 9 areas report that GPs are no longer prescribing nicotine replacement therapy, such as patches or gum, to smokers. One in 10 GPs do not provide access to varenicline, an effective prescription-only medication that helps smokers to quit.

What doctors, nurses and patients think about the NHS

What doctors, nurses and patients think about the NHS The NHS has been under the spotlight even more than usual over the Christmas period, with hospitals described as unsafe and overcrowded.

Doctors say patients are dying in corridors, and are asking for money for beds and staff.

Newsbeat asked for your experiences at hospitals and was inundated with responses.

They were raw - but gave positive as well as negative accounts. BBC News

'Liver branding' surgeon Simon Bramhall fined £10,000

'Liver branding' surgeon Simon Bramhall fined £10,000 A liver surgeon who branded his initials on the livers of two patients has been fined £10,000.

Simon Bramhall, 53, used an argon beam machine to write his initials on the organs of the anaesthetised patients in 2013 while working at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Bramhall, of Tarrington, Herefordshire, admitted two counts of assault by beating at Birmingham Crown Court.

He was also sentenced to a 12-month community order. BBC News

See also:

• Surgeons don’t have to sign their names… in us | Barbara Ellen The Guardian

Carillion: Government contractor enters compulsory liquidation 'with immediate effect'

Carillion: Government contractor enters compulsory liquidation 'with immediate effect' Company employs some 20,000 people in the UK and holds contracts for HS2, prisons, the NHS and the armed forces.

One of the Government's most important contractors has collapsed into liquidation as a result of its lenders refusing to provide any more financial support, raising fears about the future of hundreds of major projects at an already challenging time for the British economy.

Following several days of tense negotiations, the board of construction giant Carillion on Monday said that it had “no choice but to take steps to enter into compulsory liquidation with immediate effect’’. The Independent

Sexual health services must be protected to prevent a crisis | The big issue

Sexual health services must be protected to prevent a crisis | The big issue A petition is the first step in the battle to stop the loss of ringfencing of funds

We were pleased that Nick Cohen highlighted the impact of the systematic reduction in public health funding on vital prevention and clinical services (“You don’t have to be poor to be an addict. But it helps”, Comment). Like the drug and alcohol services he referred to, there is a growing deficit between need and the availability of sexual health services. In London, a number of sexual health clinics have closed recently and patients are reportedly being turned away.

We are on the verge of a crisis in sexual health services, but the stigma and blame attached to public health issues such as drug and alcohol use can also be a critical barrier to convincing hearts and minds (and voters) to fight against this predicament in sexual health. Despite this, the fight is on. Already, 5,000 people have signed a petition to protect sexual health services. Continue reading... The Guardian

Dentists warn of child tooth decay crisis as extractions hit new high

Dentists warn of child tooth decay crisis as extractions hit new high NHS surgeons removed multiple teeth from under-18s in England a record 42,911 times in 2016-17, figures show

NHS surgeons are performing record numbers of operations to pull out rotten teeth in children. Continue reading... The Guardian 

See also:

• Hospital operations for child teeth removal increase in England BBC News

Medical students urged to volunteer as NHS winter crisis worsens

Medical students urged to volunteer as NHS winter crisis worsens Exclusive: Emails seen by the Guardian reveal inexperienced undergraduates are being asked to help in A&E units and wards

Medical students are being urged to help relieve the NHS winter crisis because hospitals are so short-staffed they are struggling to cope with the surge in patients, the Guardian can reveal.

Despite their lack of experience, undergraduates are being asked to volunteer in A&E units and on wards reeling under the weight of extra demand caused by the cold weather, an outbreak of flu and people suffering serious breathing problems.

A combination of factors are at play. Hospitals have fewer beds than last year, so they are less able to deal with the recent, ongoing surge in illness. Last week, for example, the bed occupancy rate at 17 of England’s 153 acute hospital trusts was 98% or more, with the fullest – Walsall healthcare trust – 99.9% occupied. Continue reading... The  Guardian

NHS crisis fuelled by closure of 1000 care homes housing more than 30000 pensioners - Telegraph.co.uk

NHS crisis fuelled by closure of 1000 care homes housing more than 30000 pensioners The growing NHS crisis has been fuelled by the closure of almost 1,000 care homes housing more than 30,000 pensioners, research suggests. It comes as NHS figures show the worst Accident & Emergency crisis on record. The Daily Telegraph

NHS boss diagnosed with Alzheimer's tells of the disease

NHS boss diagnosed with Alzheimer's tells of the disease Three years ago, Wendy Mitchell was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Though devastated, the NHS manager, from Yorkshire, was determined to remain upbeat. The Daily Mail