Kettering Skylark ward: Mum alarmed at 'out-of-depth' admission

Kettering Skylark ward: Mum alarmed at 'out-of-depth' admission The mother of a seriously ill boy said she was "very alarmed" when a doctor at an under-fire children's ward admitted they were "out of their depth".

In October, Carys's five-year-old son Charlie was discharged from Kettering General, but she returned him the next day in a "sort of lifeless" state.

She said it seemed "quite chaotic" on Skylark ward before he was transferred to another hospital for further tests.

The hospital said it had undergone a "comprehensive improvement programme". BBC Northampton

Austerity and the pandemic: How cuts damaged four vital pillars of pandemic resilience

Austerity and the pandemic: How cuts damaged four vital pillars of pandemic resilience Real terms cuts and underinvestment in public services from 2010 to 2020 undermined the UK’s ability to provide an effective and coherent response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

This briefing looks at four pillars of pandemic preparedness:

1. Safe staffing levels in health and social care
2. Public service capacity and resources
3. A strong safety net - social security system
4. Robust health and safety

For each pillar we summarise the history of austerity, it impacts on the UK’s resilience and preparedness in the years before the pandemic, and the consequences for the UK’s pandemic response. And we suggest the lessons that must be learned before the next pandemic happens. The TUC

See also:

• Cameron-Osborne austerity years cost UK dearly when Covid struck, says TUC The Guardian
• Cameron-Osborne austerity left UK ‘hugely unprepared’ for Covid, says report The Independent
• Years of austerity left UK 'hugely unprepared' for COVID pandemic, report says Sky News

Ghana patients in danger as nurses head for NHS in UK - medics

Ghana patients in danger as nurses head for NHS in UK - medics The recruitment of nurses by high-income countries from poorer nations is "out of control", according to the head of one of the world's biggest nursing groups.

The comments come as the BBC finds evidence of how Ghana's health system is struggling due to the "brain-drain".

Many specialist nurses have left the West African country for better paid jobs overseas.

In 2022 more than 1,200 Ghanaian nurses joined the UK's nursing register.

This comes as the National Health Service (NHS) increasingly relies on staff from non-EU countries to fill vacancies. BBC News

Major NHS hospital investigated over 'gross negligence' following baby’s death

Major NHS hospital investigated over 'gross negligence' following baby’s death One of the NHS’ largest hospital trusts is being investigated over “possible gross negligence manslaughter” after a baby died 24 hours after her birth.

Polly Lindop died at St Mary’s Hospital on 13 March and Greater Manchester Police have now launched a probe into her death. The Independent

See also:

• Manchester baby death investigated over 'possible manslaughter' BBC News

Covid inquiry chair ‘may have to quit’ if denied access to Johnson WhatsApps

Covid inquiry chair ‘may have to quit’ if denied access to Johnson WhatsApps The chair of the UK Covid-19 public inquiry may have to resign if the government succeeds in its high court attempt to block the unredacted disclosure of ministers’ WhatsApp messages, the lawyer representing thousands of bereaved families has said.

Elkan Abrahamson, who represents the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group, which is a core participant at the inquiry, said the dispute between the government and the inquiry over texts and other documents had become “an existential struggle”. The Guardian

See also:

• Government willing to enter mediation with Covid inquiry over WhatsApps, minister says The Daily Telegraph
• Covid WhatsApps used for coffee orders not big decisions, says ex-health minister The Guardian
• What is the UK government hiding from the Covid inquiry? (podcast) The Guardian
• Covid inquiry legal challenge over WhatsApp messages to be heard ‘very soon’ The Guardian
• Covid inquiry chairwoman expected to address ministers' High Court challenge The Independent
• COVID inquiry chair Baroness Hallett 'may have to resign if ministers win WhatsApp battle' Sky News

Global ‘silver tsunami’ of older cancer patients is coming, experts warn

Global ‘silver tsunami’ of older cancer patients is coming, experts warn The world must urgently prepare for a global “tsunami” of millions of older cancer patients or risk healthcare systems being unable to cope, leading doctors have warned.

With life expectancy increasing and a rapidly soaring population of older people, a looming increase in elderly patients with cancer was now a “serious public health concern”, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) said in a report. Cancer centres must prepare for “the silver oncologic tsunami”, the experts added. The Guardian

See also:

• Cancer Centers Must Adopt Geriatric-Based Care Models to Prepare for the Incoming ‘Silver Oncologic Tsunami’ American Society of Clinical Oncology
• Warning that NHS will be hit by 'silver tsunami' of older cancer patients with cases set to surge by a THIRD in next 2 decades due to ageing population The Daily Mail
• 'Silver tsunami' of elderly cancer patients could overwhelm NHS The Daily Telegraph

New drug could help thousands with chronic heart disease in England

New drug could help thousands with chronic heart disease in England A first-of-its-kind treatment targeting a chronic heart disease could offer a “greater hope” to thousands of people living with the condition.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has approved the use of mavacamten in draft guidance to the NHS. It would be used to treat those with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), with about 7,000 people expected to benefit. The Guardian

See also:

• First treatment to target heart condition set to benefit thousands as NICE draft guidance approves NHS use National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

Fresh drug combination promises to hold back the Ovarian cancer for FIVE YEARS

Fresh drug combination promises to hold back the Ovarian cancer for FIVE YEARS There's good news for women living with incurable ovarian cancer, thanks to a fresh drug combination that can hold back the disease for up to five years, according to a new study.

Around 7,500 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the UK. As it causes few symptoms in early stages, it's picked up at a late stage in the majority of cases. The Daily Mail

Disposable vapes like Elf and Geek bars should be BANNED entirely, say top paediatricians

Disposable vapes like Elf and Geek bars should be BANNED entirely, say top paediatricians Ministers should ban disposable vapes because they are increasingly used by children and are harmful to the environment, doctors say.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has warned that 'youth vaping is fast becoming an epidemic' and more must be done to tackle the crisis.

In response to the Government consultation on e-cigarettes, which closes today, the College says the devices 'are not a risk-free product and can be just as addictive, if not more so than traditional cigarettes'. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Children’s doctors call for an outright ban on disposable e-cigarettes Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
• Children's doctors call for ban on disposable vapes BBC News
• UK government endorsed e-cigarette firm accused of fuelling underage vaping The Guardian
• Vaping is fast becoming an epidemic among children, warn doctors The Independent
• Urgent call to ban disposable vapes after NHS data reveals one-in-five children smoke e-cigarettes iNews
• Doctors call for ban on disposable vapes amid 'epidemic' among children ITV News
• Youth vaping 'fast becoming epidemic', children's doctors warn as they call for ban on disposable vapes Sky News

Number of Brits undergoing gender-changing ops doubles in a decade, fascinating stats reveal

Number of Brits undergoing gender-changing ops doubles in a decade, fascinating stats reveal NHS medics performed one gender-changing procedure nearly every day last year, figures show.

The record number (355) — obtained by MailOnline analysis — illustrates the growth of Britain's trans community.

Just 146 procedures were carried out annually a decade ago, for comparison. The Daily Mail

Why we need a new ‘Beveridge moment’ for social care in the 21st century

Why we need a new ‘Beveridge moment’ for social care in the 21st century 2023 is not only the 75th anniversary of the National Assistance Act, it is also the 45th anniversary of the beginning of my career. In June 1978 I began working as a social worker for Wakefield Council. I have held roles as a director of social services, as a senior civil servant advising on social care reform, as a regulator of the quality and safety of health and care services and more recently as a non-executive working in health education and as a member of the NHS England board.

In all those roles I have often asked myself ‘How did we get here?’ The King's Fund

Costs of expensive new drugs threaten financial sustainability of NHS

Costs of expensive new drugs threaten financial sustainability of NHS New figures show that the total cost of prescription medicines to the NHS in England reached a new high of £17.2 billion in the financial year 2021 –2022, according to a new independent report.

The report, from a team at the University of York, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), shows that since 2018 NHS spending on branded medicines has been increasing by over five per cent annually - this excludes expenditure on COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

See also:

• Costs of expensive new drugs threaten financial sustainability of NHS while pharma industry lobbies for increase on medicines spending London School of Economics and Political Science

Final four weeks to get spring booster with more than half protected

Final four weeks to get spring booster with more than half protected The NHS is encouraging people to come forward for their spring booster ahead of the seasonal campaign coming to a close at the end of June. The NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Programme has provided more than 3.6 million people with a spring booster to date, which is more than half of those eligible. NHS England

Doctors failed to spot cancer 'red flags' - report

Doctors failed to spot cancer 'red flags' - report A woman whose GP failed to diagnose her with colon cancer for a year, says she now has "problems trusting anyone".

Charlie Puplett, 45, from Yeovil, Somerset, first expressed concerns about unexplained weight loss and a lack of appetite to her GP in May 2019.

Failing to test her for colon cancer, she was not diagnosed until almost a year later, after vomiting blood.

The NHS trust in question has been approached by the Press Association for comment. BBC News

See also:

• Doctors failed to spot cancer ‘red flags’ for a year Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
• Doctor told cancer patient she had anorexia despite three ‘red flag’ signs The Independent

Ministers ‘playing dangerous game’ with NHS workforce plan delay

Ministers ‘playing dangerous game’ with NHS workforce plan delay A nursing union has warned that the Government is “playing a dangerous game” with the delay to the long-awaited NHS workforce plan.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said nursing numbers are plummeting and waiting lists are soaring while the delay continues.

The RCN said a review of NHS England/Digital data paints a picture of targets being missed and patients being failed, with record numbers of patients on waiting lists, people waiting hours in A&E, and tens of thousands of vacant nursing posts. Evening Standard

See also:

• NHS workforce crisis: ‘This catalogue of issues must be addressed urgently’ Royal College of Nursing
• Latest NHS workforce and vacancy statistics NHS Employers
• PM to pledge £1billion to train tens of thousands of extra nurses, midwives, doctors and dentists The Daily Mail 
• NHS plan to fix workforce crisis ‘will double number of medical school places for doctors’ iNews

Why does Rishi Sunak want to limit scope of Covid inquiry?

Why does Rishi Sunak want to limit scope of Covid inquiry? When Boris Johnson first announced a public inquiry into Covid, many observers saw it as an attempt to kick difficult questions into the long grass. Two years on, in a twist that may well amuse the former prime minister, that long grass is littered with political bear traps for Rishi Sunak.

Such are the complexities of this week’s developments, it can be easy to overlook the sheer strangeness of what is actually going on: a government going to the high court to try to limit the scope of an official inquiry it set up in the first place. The Guardian

See also:

• Boris Johnson warned Covid inquiry legal funding could be withdrawn BBC News
• Government legal challenge against Covid inquiry ‘very disheartening’, virus victim’s son says Channel 4 News
• Senior Tories express doubts over Covid inquiry legal challenge The Guardian
• Sunak under fire as ‘stupid’ Eat Out to Help Out scheme to be focus of Covid inquiry The Guardian
• Who were in the WhatsApp groups Boris Johnson and ministers used to fight Covid? The Independent
• Boris Johnson warned he could lose legal funding for Covid inquiry ITV News
• Government accused of COVID inquiry 'cover-up' as legal battle beckons over Boris Johnson's WhatsApp messages Sky News
• Boris Johnson to bypass Cabinet Office and hand over unredacted messages directly to COVID inquiry Sky News

‘Children with ADHD are being failed’: parents share their experiences of an overwhelmed system

‘Children with ADHD are being failed’: parents share their experiences of an overwhelmed system Since the pandemic there has been a steep rise in cases of ADHD among children. Here, experts discuss why, parents describe their struggles and campaigners say what needs to change. The Guardian

The worst day of the week for heart attacks revealed

The worst day of the week for heart attacks revealed erious heart attacks are more likely to happen on a Monday than at any other time, research has suggested.

The study found that the likelihood of a heart attack occurring on a Monday was 13% greater than expected.

Doctors at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland analysed data from 10,528 patients across the island of Ireland – 7,112 in the Republic and 3,416 in Northern Ireland. The Independent

New British lung cancer drug from AstraZeneca is hailed as a 'game changer'

New British lung cancer drug from AstraZeneca is hailed as a 'game changer' A 'game-changing' British drug can halve the risk of dying from lung cancer, research has shown.

The ground-breaking trial found patients who received osimertinib after surgery were 51 per cent more likely to be alive five years later than those given a dummy pill.

The daily tablets target non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumours among people who have a specific genetic mutation which means they have stopped responding to earlier treatments. The Daily Mail

See also:

• Overall Survival with Osimertinib in Resected EGFR-Mutated NSCLC (abstract) New England Journal of Medicine
• Tagrisso achieved unprecedented survival in early-stage EGFR-mutated lung cancer, with 88% of patients alive at five years in ADAURA Phase III trial AstraZeneca
• Lung cancer pill cuts risk of death by half, says ‘thrilling’ study The Guardian

Medics set to sue General Medical Council for failing to clamp down on conspiracy theorists

Medics set to sue General Medical Council for failing to clamp down on conspiracy theorists Angry doctors have accused the General Medical Council of negligence for failing to crack down on medics who spread false information about Covid-19 jabs.

They say the doctors' regulator – charged with protecting patients and maintaining standards in medicine – is shirking its statutory responsibility to police its members properly.

All practising doctors in the UK must be registered with the body. The Daily Mail