Public satisfaction with A&E at an all-time low: reflections of an A&E doctor

Public satisfaction with A&E at an all-time low: reflections of an A&E doctor The results from the 2022 British Social Attitudes survey made for very difficult reading for those of us working in the NHS right now. Overall satisfaction with the NHS is at the lowest level ever recorded and similarly satisfaction with individual services is at record lows across the board, but it was satisfaction with A&E services that saw the sharpest fall in 2022. 

As an A&E doctor this is truly upsetting but in no way surprising. Just 30 per cent of those surveyed were very or quite satisfied with A&E services while 40 per cent were very or quite dissatisfied. This is the largest change in dissatisfaction in a single year since the question on A&E services was first asked in 1999. The King's Fund

Building a resilient social care system in England: What can be learnt from the first wave of Covid-19?

Building a resilient social care system in England: What can be learnt from the first wave of Covid-19? Social care in England entered the pandemic in a fragile state. With much already written about the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the social care sector, our new report in collaboration with the Care Policy and Evaluation Centre analyses the structural and systemic factors that influenced that initial national response. Covid had far-reaching impacts on social care and exacerbated many longstanding issues. This work seeks to highlight progress and identify where action is needed to create a more resilient system. Nuffield Trust

See also:

• Failure to prepare: what crucial lessons must be learnt from social care and Covid-19? Nuffield Trust
• Unaddressed weaknesses of social care sector impacted the ability to respond to Covid Nuffield Trust
• Ministers missed chances to prepare social care for a pandemic, review finds The Guardian

The preventative state: rebuilding our local, social and civic foundations

The preventative state: rebuilding our local, social and civic foundations This essay makes the case for a new paradigm in public services, that puts prevention first. It argues that there needs to be investment in foundational support for neighbourhoods, a move towards more relational public services and that reactive public services aren’t just servicing problems, but trying to prevent them from happening again. Demos

NHS Pension Scheme: proposed uplift to member contribution thresholds for 2023 to 2024

NHS Pension Scheme: proposed uplift to member contribution thresholds for 2023 to 2024 We are consulting on changes to the NHS Pension Scheme Regulations 2015 concerning uplifts to member contributions in 2023 to 2024, in line with the Agenda for Change pay deal. Department of Health and Social Care

Negotiations begin for a new medicine pricing scheme

Negotiations begin for a new medicine pricing scheme The government, NHS England and the pharmaceutical industry will begin negotiating the successor to the voluntary scheme for branded medicines, pricing and access (VPAS). Department of Health and Social Care

Parents urged to check children's MMR vaccine records following rise in measles cases

Parents urged to check children's MMR vaccine records following rise in measles cases Parents are being asked to check children are fully up to date with their measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations by checking their vaccine record in their red book.

Data published today by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows there has been a rise in measles cases.

See also:

• Rise in UK measles cases causing concern BBC News
• Warning over to parents over spike in measles cases The Daily Mail
• Measles cases on the rise in England, say public health experts The Guardian
• Measles cases surge in England as experts issue warning to parents The Independent
• Mapped: Measles cases in your area as infection rates surge The Independent
• Parents warned of 'very concerning' rise in measles cases ahead of summer holidays ITV News

World not ready for next pandemic, says Bupa boss

World not ready for next pandemic, says Bupa boss Governments and healthcare bodies around the world have not learnt the lessons from Covid-19 and are not ready for another pandemic, according to the boss of private healthcare firm Bupa.

"We might face [another pandemic] soon," Iñaki Ereño said.

Hospitals must be ready to treat infected and non-infected people separately, Mr Ereño told the BBC. BBC News 

Majority of NHS trusts provide no dedicated training to prevent sexual harassment

Majority of NHS trusts provide no dedicated training to prevent sexual harassment Only one NHS trust in England provides dedicated training to prevent sexual harassment, according to research, raising concerns that the NHS is failing to adequately protect staff and patients.

According to health union figures, sexual harassment of staff is pervasive. A 2019 survey by Unison found that one in 12 NHS staff had experienced sexual harassment at work during the past year, with more than half saying the perpetrator was a co-worker. In a recent BMA survey, 91% of female doctors reported sexism, 31% had experienced unwanted physical contact and 56% unwanted verbal comments.

See also:

• A cross-sectional survey of English NHS Trusts on their uptake and provision of active bystander training including to address sexual harassment (open access) Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
• Medicine, misconduct and confronting #MeToo Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
• When we are at our most vulnerable: the sickening extent of rapes and sexual assaults in hospitals Women's Rights Network
• Majority of NHS Trusts do not offer training to prevent sexual harassment, study finds The Daily Mail

Public more supportive of nurses’ strikes after health secretary’s legal action, poll shows

Public more supportive of nurses’ strikes after health secretary’s legal action, poll shows The public is more supportive of nurses’ strikes following the Health Secretary’s legal action against them, a new poll suggests.

The poll, asking whether the high court battle launched by Tory MP Steven Barclay against the Royal College of Nursing over “unlawful” industrial action, found 49 per cent of respondents said it had increased their support for the walkouts. The Independent

See also:

• NHS publishes data following nurses strike NHS England

Patient scarred for life after botched operation left him with severe burns

Patient scarred for life after botched operation left him with severe burns  patient who was left scarred for life when a botched operation left him with horrific burns has received a payout after suing the NHS.

Paul Hickman, 44, underwent routine surgery to improve circulation in his legs when medics wrongly used a heated mattress.

He ended up with significant burns on his buttocks after an alcohol-based solution came into contact with the back of both thighs and his backside. The Independent

See also:

• Man, 44, wins NHS payout after being left with severe burns on his buttocks The Daily Mail

Hundreds forced to stand in line from 4am for place on NHS dentist list

Hundreds forced to stand in line from 4am for place on NHS dentist list Hundreds of people were forced to queue from 4am for a place on an NHS dentist list in scenes akin to lines 'outside bakeries in the Soviet Bloc'.

More than 300 people reportedly stood in line outside Smile Dental Care in Kings Lynn on Tuesday following a one-line announcement on the practice's website saying: 'We will be taking on new NHS patients from 2nd May.' The Daily Mail

Doctors perform first-ever brain surgery on baby while it was still in mom's WOMB

Doctors perform first-ever brain surgery on baby while it was still in mom's WOMB Doctors have saved an unborn baby from certain death after performing a first-of-its-kind brain surgery while the child was still in the womb.

A ten-strong team at the Boston Children's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital carried out the meticulous procedure, which involved cutting into the womb, the baby's skull and then operating on the developing brain.

The baby was diagnosed with vein of Galen malformation at 30 weeks. Children born with the condition have a 30 percent chance of dying before age 11. The Daily Mail