What should be done to fix the crisis in social care? Five priorities for government

What should be done to fix the crisis in social care? Five priorities for government Adult social care in England needs fixing – and has done for decades. Increasing numbers of people are unable to access social care and care providers are at risk of collapse. Yet successive governments continue to duck reform, and people and their families continue to suffer unnecessarily. The Health Foundation

See also:

• Care services 'at risk' as funding doubts grow BBC News
• Councils 'face a £2.4BILLION black hole in their social care funding next year' The Daily Mail

More than 160 NHS leaders say a lack of investment is putting patients at risk of harm at their NHS trust

More than 160 NHS leaders say a lack of investment is putting patients at risk of harm at their NHS trust A new survey released today by NHS Providers has found that 82% (161) of NHS trust leaders think that the current climate of restricted capital funding poses a medium or high risk to patient safety, and could undermine plans to transform the NHS.

Despite the prime minister’s welcome commitment to allow the NHS to spend an additional £1.8bn, the survey reveals the scale of the challenge of NHS capital funding that still exists, and the direct impact this has on everyone who relies on the health service.

See also:

• Rebuild our NHS: our asks of the government (briefing) NHS Providers
• Time to rebuild our NHS and create a 21st century health service NHS Providers
• Patients' lives 'at risk because NHS hospitals have been allowed to crumble' The Daily Mail
• 'Crumbling' hospitals putting lives at risk, say NHS chiefs The Guardian

No deal Brexit: Flu vaccine delays "very likely"

No deal Brexit: Flu vaccine delays "very likely" Doctors and NHS leaders have warned that a no-deal Brexit would make it "likely" there will be a delay in flu vaccine supply this year.

They say the EU departure date coincides with the winter season in a way that creates "a perfect storm for the NHS".

Major flu vaccine manufacturer Sanofi said delays in deciding what strains of flu to use in the vaccine mean over a million doses will have to be imported after 31 October. BBC News

See also:

• Binning the Brexit backstop: the impact on the NHS Nuffield Trust

MPs highlight 'secret scandal' of radiotherapy access as NHS dispute figures

MPs highlight 'secret scandal' of radiotherapy access as NHS dispute figures Politicians have criticised the “secret scandal” of poor radiotherapy provision amid a dispute with the NHS over how many cancer patients may not be getting treatment.

A report from MPs across the political spectrum estimates that 20,000 patients are missing out on treatment each year.

The report said it had observed “consensus” and “widespread acknowledgement” of the estimate, based on analysis from the charity Action Radiotherapy of Government data. ITV News

See also:

• Radiotherapy: Securing the future of Britain’s secret lifesaver All-Party Parliamentary Group on Radiotherapy

I'm a medical student, and I'm gay. Work would be simpler if I were heterosexual

I'm a medical student, and I'm gay. Work would be simpler if I were heterosexual Does the pledge for doctors to be honest include our sexuality? If I tell the truth, I risk losing patient trust to homophobia

I’m a medical student heading into my sixth and final year, and I am a gay woman. I feel like my work as a healthcare professional would be much simpler if I were heterosexual.

When medical students (and the wider medical community) work on a ward, getting to know the patients is important. We have time to sit and chat with patients about their grandchildren, their dogs and where they went on holiday when they were young. In turn, most people like to know a bit about us. Forming a human connection with people under your care, especially those who are older or prone to loneliness, is essential in building a trusting patient-doctor relationship. I hit a sticking point time and time again. I’m asked if I have a husband, a boyfriend, children, or plans to marry someone soon. The Guardian

Number of people accessing NHS dentist falls to 10-year low

Number of people accessing NHS dentist falls to 10-year low Access to NHS dentists is now the worst it has been for a decade, new figures suggest, with just half of adults undergoing regular checks.

Statistics from NHS Digital show just 50.2 per cent of adults have seen a dentist in the last two years - a drop from 52.5 per cent less than a year ago. The Daily Telegraph

Antibiotic resistance "could kill humanity before climate change does" warns England's chief medical officer

Antibiotic resistance "could kill humanity before climate change does" warns England's chief medical officer Antimicrobial resistance could soon kill at least 10 million people per year and wipe out humanity "before climate change does", England's chief medical officer has warned.

Professor Dame Sally Davies also cautioned the post-Brexit UK against importing meat or fish from countries that "misuse" antibiotics while rearing livestock. The Daily Telegraph

See also:

• The Chief Medical Officer on the catastrophic threat of antimicrobial resistance Department of Health and Social Care

NHS has lost 600 GPs in one YEAR despite pledges from Government to tackle the downward spiral

NHS has lost 600 GPs in one YEAR despite pledges from Government to tackle the downward spiral The NHS has lost almost 600 GPs in the last year as its recruitment crisis continues, figures show.

Almost as many family doctors left the health service between June 2018 and June 2019 as did in the entire three years to March.

Doctors' union the British Medical Association said falling GP numbers mean strained GPs are risking their own health to catch up with huge workloads. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Healthcare Workforce Statistics - March 2019, Experimental NHS Digital

UK's healthcare spend is the second lowest in the G7 and average for Europe

UK's healthcare spend is the second lowest in the G7 and average for Europe The UK has the second lowest healthcare spending of the G7 nations and spent £2,989 per person in 2017.

Among comparable countries, the US had by far the biggest outgoing - spending £7,736 ($9,433) per person on average - but had a lower life expectancy.

Figures released by the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) ranked 36 countries by how much their healthcare costs each year. The Daily Mail

See also:

• How does UK healthcare spending compare with other countries? Office for National Statistics
• Healthcare expenditure, UK Health Accounts: 2017 Office for National Statistics