Many cardiology and complex surgery units across the country face closure due to concerns regarding consistency of care. Three hospitals in particular have been targeted which specialise in congenital heart problems and provide complex surgery for children and adults. The plan to close units in Leicester, Manchester and London surfaced in 2016 after a 15-year … [Read more…]
Prime Minister strives for more flexibility Prime Minister David Cameron has declared that everyone across England will have access to GP services seven days a week by 2020. The Conservative leader has announced that a further £100 million from April 2015 will be used towards a fund that was initiated last year to increase flexibility … [Read more…]
Skip the surgery waiting room by getting the doctor to come to you New apps such as Pager and Medicast are making house calls popular again by locating and contacting doctors who can come to your home for a consultation. iPhone app Pager, created by Oscar Salazar, offers house call services for patients in Manhattan and … [Read more…]
41% of cases caused psychological harm for patients A new study has revealed that more than 300 people in the UK and Ireland have been conscious during an operation, despite being given general anaesthesia. The research, which was led by the Royal College of Anaesthetists and Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, looked at … [Read more…]
Over the past couple of months, the media hasn’t been shy in flagging up when the NHS appears to be failing. A&E has been one department that has been particularly focused upon, with reams of facts and figures stacking up to paint a poor picture of emergency care. Not only have A&E departments across England … [Read more…]
First time national failure regime has been introduced in England The Care Quality Commission has revealed that the special measures scheme used for hospitals will now be rolled out across GP practices, with failing surgeries facing closure. The initiative will start in October and will involve 8,000 practices being inspected by March 2016. This is … [Read more…]
21,000 signature petition is delivered to Downing Street Campaigners who are fighting new funding arrangements for GP surgeries took a 21,000 signature petition to Downing Street’s front door in protest. The Save our Surgeries group are urging NHS England to cease funding cuts, claiming that 22 practices across Newham, Tower Hamlets and Hackney could be … [Read more…]
Healthcare expert pinpoints flexible approach as waiting list solution Vanguard Healthcare chief executive Ian Gillespie believes a locally led approach can combat failed hospital waiting time targets. Writing in the Health Service Journal, Mr Gillespie notes that despite many people claiming recent pressures are seasonal, waiting lists are in fact at an all time high, … [Read more…]
“Unexpectedly high” demand for acute service The NHS Trust Development Authority is set to investigate the “unexpectedly high” demand for acute services, which has seen winter pressures roll over into the summer months. The work is due to examine the causes behind the apparent surge in demand and how trusts had responded, with many hospitals missing national A&E … [Read more…]
Government push on completing “hidden” surgery list The NHS in England has been ordered by government to prioritise patients who have been waiting over a year for routine treatment. Ministers have stated that they want to see over 100,000 procedures carried out over the summer on patients who have had to wait longer than the … [Read more…]