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One patient dies every 23 minutes in England after long delay in A&E

One patient is dying every 23 minutes in England after they endured a long delay in an A&E unit, according to analysis of NHS figures by emergency care doctors.

In all, 23,003 people died during 2022 after spending at least 12 hours in an A&E waiting for care or to be admitted to a bed, according to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).

That equates to roughly 1 every 23 minutes, 63 every day, 442 a week or 1,917 each month.

The college said its findings, while “shocking”, were also “unsurprising” and reflected the fact that emergency departments are often overwhelmed and unable to find patients a bed in the hospital.

Rosie Cooper, the Liberal Democrats’ health spokesperson, said “patients are now dying in their droves” due to successive Conservative governments neglecting the NHS, and added that the lives lost due to A&E snarl-ups constituted a “national disaster”.

“Long waiting times are associated with serious patient harm and patient deaths,” said Dr Adrian Boyle, RCEM’s president. “The scale shown here is deeply distressing.”

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Source: The Guardian, 28 February 2023

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One of UK's best doctors died from a condition he was an expert in as he lay on understaffed hospital ward

One of the best doctors in the UK died on an understaffed Manchester hospital ward after falling sick with a condition he was an expert in treating, an inquest has heard.

Professor Amit Patel was among the ‘best doctors in the UK’, the first person in the country to be qualified in stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy, and intensive care medicine. He was also a beloved husband and father-of-two.

“He looked liked a corpse, 70 per cent of his blood was in his lungs, he was freezing cold and he looked like he was dead," his heartbroken wife told an inquest at Manchester Coroners Court. "I told my daughters, ‘daddy is dead’ – I didn’t have much hope he would be able to come out of that.”

Professor Patel's condition was being investigated by doctors at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester Royal Infirmary, and across the country. But, he was in the unimaginable position of being a nationally recognised expert in the illness. During his career, he had formed ‘national guidance’ on the illness and sat on the national multi-disciplinary panel to which the most serious cases, including his own, were referred.

 The court heard how he was experiencing the symptoms of hemophagocytic lymph histiocytosis (HLH) – a rare and life-threatening immune disorder where the body reacts inappropriately to a 'trigger’, such as an infection or cancer, and leads to inflammation. Patients can be predisposed to HLH by Still’s disease, another rare autoimmune condition also causing inflammation, which Professor Patel was suspected to have had.

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One million NHS Scotland waiting list backlog projections branded ‘terrifying’

Nearly one million people are set to be on a NHS waiting list in Scotland by next year, analysis has revealed, in projections that have been described as “terrifying”.

The analysis produced by Edinburgh University shows NHS Scotland must treat at least 20 per cent more non-emergency hospital cases over the next three years to eliminate the backlog caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. And the research revealed the number of referrals waiting to be treated in Scotland topped 667,000 at the end of December 2023, covering an estimated 10 per cent of the population.

Researchers warned that, without any increase in capacity, the waiting list will increase to nearly one million people by December 2026.

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Source: The Scotsman, 10 January 2024

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One in two care workers verbally and physically abused by care home residents

Nearly half of care workers in care homes have been both physically and verbally abused by the residents they are supporting, according to new research.

A poll of 2,803 staff working in care homes revealed 17% have received verbal abuse from residents and 11% have been subject to physical abuse.

A spokesperson for carehome.co.uk, said: “All over the UK, care workers are doing physically and emotionally demanding jobs on often low pay and long hours. Yet at the same time, the rewards of working in a care home can be huge, as you can build strong relationships with the people you care for and make deep, emotional connections."

“Lashing out at staff is often a sign of frustration and it is vital care homes give staff dementia training so they can find the reasons behind this challenging behaviour. Care workers do such an important job and with around three-quarters of people in care homes having dementia, it is vital care workers are given adequate support and specialist training to care for them.”

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Source: Carehome.co.uk, 10 May 2019

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One in three women with female health conditions forced to wait three years for diagnosis

A third of those with a women’s health condition have been made to wait three years or longer for a diagnosis, damning new research has revealed.

The same study found half of those women took a year or more to be given their diagnosis.

Srdjan Saso, a consultant gynaecologist and surgeon who works with King Edward VII’s Hospital, told The Independent: “A delayed diagnosis can mean a severe impact on quality of life both professionally and personally.

“It can have a significant impact on a woman’s day-to-day life and hence needs to be addressed properly and seriously. From a more sinister perspective, in certain cases, it can be cancer and we are picking it up late.”

Source: Independent, 14 February 2023

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One in three survivors of severe Covid diagnosed with mental health condition

One in three people who were severely ill with coronavirus were subsequently diagnosed with a neurological or psychiatric condition within six months of infection, a study has found.

The observational research, which is the largest of its kind, used electronic health records of 236,379 patients mostly from the US and found 34% experienced mental health and neurological conditions afterwards. The most common being anxiety, with 17% of people developing this.

Experts warned that healthcare systems need to be resourced to deal with patients affected by this, which could be “substantial” given the scale of the pandemic. They anticipate that the impact could be felt on health services for many years.

Neurological diagnoses such as stroke and dementia were rarer, but not uncommon in those who had been seriously ill during infection. Of those who had been admitted to intensive care, 7% had a stroke and almost 2% were diagnosed with dementia.

The study, which was published in the Lancet Psychiatry, found that these diagnoses were more common in COVID-19 patients than among those who had the flu or respiratory tract infections over the same time period.

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Source: The Guardian, 7 April 2021

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One in three pharmacists unable to access PPE, finds RPS survey

A third of pharmacists cannot obtain continuous supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE), according to a survey conducted by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS).

The survey found that 34% of respondents said they were not able to source continued supplies of PPE as they work in the face of COVID-19.

The poll of 445 pharmacists also revealed that 94% were unable to maintain social distancing of two metres from other staff in their pharmacy, mainly because the pharmacies — and the dispensaries in particular — were too small. A further 40% of respondents said they were unable to maintain social distancing of two metres from patients.

The results of the survey, which ran between 14 and 20 April 2020, have come after Public Health England (PHE) updated its PPE guidance on 10 April 2020, which recommends that pharmacy staff only wear fluid-resistant (type IIR) surgical masks (FRSMs) when in “contact with possible or confirmed cases of COVID-19” and not around other pharmacy staff.

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Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 22 April 2020

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One in three NHS doctors so tired their ability to treat patients is affected, survey finds

One in three doctors in the NHS are so tired that their ability to treat patients is impaired, according to a report that reveals medics are more sleep deprived now than during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Longer hours, staff shortages and soaring demand for care on top of the backlog that worsened during the Covid crisis are causing extreme tiredness among doctors, leading to memory blanks, problems concentrating and patient harm.

More than one-third (35%) of doctors said they were so tired that their ability to treat patients was impaired, according to the survey conducted by the Medical Defence Union (MDU), which provides legal support to about 200,000 doctors, nurses, dentists and other healthcare workers across the UK.

A further third (34%) said their ability to practise medicine may have been impaired. Of the 69% who said extreme tiredness had or may have impaired their ability to treat patients, one in four (26%) said one of their patients had been harmed or a near miss had occurred as a result.

When doctors last answered confidential questions about tiredness in February 2022, nearly one in 10 (9%) said they felt sleep deprived at work on a daily basis. Three years on, the proportion affected had more than doubled to one in five (22%).

The proportion of medics saying extreme tiredness had impaired their ability to treat patients was 26% in 2022 and 35% in 2025.

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Source: The Guardian, 3 March 2025

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One in three health workers suffering ‘burnout’ amid NHS staffing crisis

Almost one in three NHS employees have had to take time off work suffering poor mental health in the past year, new research suggests.

The Unison union said its survey of 12,000 health workers shows the impact of a staffing crisis, with many suffering “burnout”.

Panic attacks, high blood pressure, chest pains and headaches are among the physical signs of stress reported by nurses, porters, 999 call handlers and other NHS staff who completed the survey.

The news comes as more than half of the mental health hubs launched for NHS workers after the pandemic have closed since last year, according to the British Psychological Society.

Unison said workforce pressures are taking a huge toll as staff tackle a waiting list backlog, with many struggling to look after their wellbeing.

Of those who were off with mental health problems, one in five said they did not tell their employer the real cause of their absence, mainly because they did not feel their manager or employer would be supportive.

The union said staff feel undervalued and frustrated, with many quitting for less stressful jobs that pay more.

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Source: The Independent, 8 April 2024

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One in three GPs in England do not work in NHS, says BMJ study

One in three GPs in England do not work in the NHS, with increasing numbers seeking to move abroad or becoming a private contractor, deepening patients’ difficulties in getting appointments.

The proportion of family doctors who, although qualified, do not provide care through the NHS has risen from 27% in 2015 to 34% last year, according to a study published in the BMJ.

That means almost 20,000 GPs who could be working in the health service are “lost” to it and are not doing so, despite unprecedented demand for care and many government initiatives to try to increase GP numbers.

While a total of 58,548 GPs in England were on the General Medical Council (GMC) register at the end of last year, only 38,626 of them were in general practice there – a difference of 19,922.

The Patients Association said the findings were “deeply distressing” for patients who are often left frustrated by the time it takes to get a consultation with a GP.

GPs’ heavy workloads, increasing demands from patients they are facing and widespread frustration that they have too little time to care for patients properly are behind burnout among family doctors that is fuelling their increasing dropout from the NHS, the researchers say.

“While there is a welcome rise in GP numbers on paper, this report that one in three GPs are not working in the NHS is deeply distressing for the patients who already experience frustration and anxiety when trying to access a GP appointment.

“Long waits, fragmented care and delayed diagnoses are putting people’s health at risk”, said Rachel Power, the Patients Association’s chief executive.

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Source: The Guardian, 17 September 2025

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One in three Black and minority ethnic staff face discrimination or bullying

A third of Black and ethnic minority health staff have suffered racism or bullying as the NHS fails to address “systemic” levels of discrimination, The Independent can reveal.

Levels of bullying and harassment of minority workers have not improved in the past five years with almost 30% saying they have been targeted in the past year, compared to 20%of white staff.

Despite being one-quarter of the workforce, minority ethnic staff make up just 10% of the most senior positions, the NHS’s flagship report is set to reveal.

One nurse told The Independent she was forced to leave her job following a campaign of bullying, while another, who has left for the private sector, said her mental health was hugely impacted by the discrimination she experienced.

Another nurse said she was left “traumatised” by bullying and harassment and she was “gaslighted” by her employer.

“This incident is going to affect me for the rest of my life … when I first joined [the NHS trust] I thought I was going to retire there but ... my career [has been cut] short and it’s not fair,” she said.

Equality for Black Nurses, a membership organisation founded by Neomi Bennett in 2020, has launched 200 cases of alleged racism against a number of NHS trusts since it was set up.

“Racism is driving nurses out of the NHS,” Ms Bennett, told The Independent, warning that this issue had reached “pandemic levels”.

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Source: The Independent, 24 January 2023

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One in ten patient safety incidents in hospitals due to poor communication

Patients’ lives are being put at risk by poor communication from healthcare professionals in hospitals worldwide, according to new research.

The analysis included 46 studies, published between 2013 and 2024, involving over 67,000 patients across Europe, North and South America, Asia and Australia. And the findings are alarming. The authors discovered that poor communication was the sole cause of patient-safety incidents in over one in ten cases and contributed to causing incidents in one in four cases.

These aren’t just statistics, they represent real people harmed by preventable errors.

In one documented case, a doctor accidentally shut off a patient’s Amiodarone drip (a drug to treat heart arrhythmias) while silencing a beeping pump. The doctor failed to tell the nurse, and the patient’s heart rate spiked dangerously.

In another example, a patient died after a nurse failed to tell a surgeon that the patient was experiencing abdominal pains following surgery and had a low red blood cell count – clear indicators of internal bleeding. The patient later died from a haemorrhage that could have been prevented with adequate communication.

These findings confirm what many healthcare professionals have long suspected: communication breakdowns directly threaten patient safety. What’s particularly concerning is that these incidents cut across different healthcare systems worldwide.

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Source: The Conversation. 28 April 2025

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One in seven in UK prefer consulting AI chatbots to seeing doctor, study finds

One in seven people are using AI chatbots for health advice instead of seeing their GP, a UK study has found.

The poll of more than 2,000 people found that – of the 15% turning to chatbots – one in four had done so because of long NHS waiting lists.

The study analysed by researchers at King’s College London revealed the potential risks of using AI for health advice. A fifth of respondents who did so said the technology did not encourage them to seek a professional opinion and a similar proportion said they decided against seeking a consultation because of something an AI chatbot had told them.

The research is the first to quantify the use of AI chatbots for health advice, according to the researchers, and signals how the technology is changing the way people are dealing with health problems.

Prof Graham Lord, the lead author of the study, said growing individual use of chatbots was creating “an unregulated AI healthcare system alongside the NHS”.

He added: “This research underlines the scale and pace at which AI is already shaping how people access healthcare. While the opportunities are significant, it also highlights concerns about safety and accountability.

“When something goes wrong with AI, responsibility is often placed on clinicians, even where they have limited control over how AI tools are introduced. To realise AI’s potential, we need greater transparency about what works, what is safe, how decisions are made and how issues are handled – so staff and patients can feel confident in its use. It is vital we respond to what the public are telling us and ensure we build and maintain trust with them and the AI tools we look to deploy.”

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Source: 13 May 2026

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One in seven callers could not reach GP in worst-performing ICS

People attempting to contact their GP practice are almost three times as likely to report failing to get through in some integrated care systems (ICS) than others, according to NHS England-commissioned data.

The survey figures, collected for the first time by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), show 8.5% of people nationally who tried to call their GP between mid-January and mid-February this year said they could not reach the practice. This equates to 1.5 million people across England, according to the ONS.

In Northamptonshire – the worst performing ICS – 14.7% of callers did not manage to make contact. That is the equivalent of around one in seven people. By comparison, only 3.9% of callers in Gloucestershire, the best performing ICS, could not get through. The findings are broadly similar when population and age are accounted for.

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Source: HSJ, 12 April 2024

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One in seven A&E patients are repeat visitors with unmet needs, study finds

One in seven A&E patients are repeat visitors with unmet medical needs who feel they have nowhere else to go, according to research that found most are over 70 with multiple conditions or under 50 with mental ill health.

Less than 2% of the population account for almost 14% of all A&E attendances, the British Red Cross study suggests. Across the UK, patients are turning to emergency departments five or more times a year due to “unresolved medical issues”, the charity said.

“Many of those frequently attending A&E had often tried to get other help but this had not met their needs,” its report says. “This meant that when they reached A&E, they were often in need of more urgent care.”

The research comes as NHS England’s top A&E doctor urged people to use 111 services this winter and suggested that as many as two in five people arriving at A&E could be better treated elsewhere.

Frontline emergency doctors have sounded the alarm over an approaching winter crisis that they say is already putting patients in overstretched A&E departments at risk.

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Source: The Guardian, 25 November 2024

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One in four young people in England have mental health condition, NHS survey finds

Sharp rises in rates of anxiety, depression and other disorders have led to one in four young people in England having a common mental health condition, an NHS survey shows, with young women more likely to report them than young men.

The study found that rates of such conditions in 16- to 24-year-olds have risen by more than a third in a decade, from 18.9% in 2014 to 25.8% in 2024.

Results from the adult psychiatric morbidity survey showed that reports of common mental health conditions – a term that also includes panic disorder, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder – occurred in 36.1% of women compared with 16.3% of men.

Sally McManus, one of the lead researchers on the survey, said the figures reflect many global trends disproportionately affecting young people.

“Young people are growing up worried about many aspects of their lives, from insecure employment and housing through to Covid and climate change. Young people may have been one of the one groups whose mental health was most affected by Covid,” she said.

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Source: The Guardian, 26 June 2025

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One in four women under 40 have never checked themselves for breast cancer

One quarter of women under 40 have never checked themselves for breast cancer – believing they are too young, or they don’t think it will affect them, or they are just too busy.

And half of all women do not regularly check their breasts for signs of cancer.

The study of 2,000 women found those aged 18 to 39 are the least likely to look for signs of cancer, with a tenth believing they are not old enough to suffer the illness. But a quarter admit they do not have the confidence to inspect themselves, while 1 in 10 put it off in case they find a lump.

It also emerged women from South Asian backgrounds are the least likely to examine themselves compared to other ethnicities, with 40% admitting to never checking at all. This drops to 27% of black women and just 13% cent of those of other ethnicities.

Of the South Asian women polled who don’t check themselves for signs of breast cancer, more than a third said they forget or don’t know what they are looking for. While more than 1 in 20 (7%) don’t feel comfortable checking themselves due to cultural reasons.

Barriers to going to the doctor when noticing a lump or change in breasts vary – from not wanting to waste their doctor’s time, the fear of not being taken seriously, concerns that a female doctor won’t be available, and not wanting to know what caused the change.

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Source: The Independent, 11 October 2021

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One in four women in England have serious reproductive health issue, survey finds

More than a quarter of women in England are living with a serious reproductive health issue, according to the largest survey of its kind, and experts say “systemic, operational, structural and cultural issues” prevent women from accessing care.

The survey of 60,000 women across England in 2023, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and analysed by academics at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, found that 28% of respondents were living with a reproductive morbidity, such as pelvic organ prolapse, uterine fibroids, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, or cervical, uterine, ovarian or breast cancer.

Almost a fifth (19%) of women reported experiencing severe period pain in the last year, and 40% of respondents reported heavy menstrual bleeding. More than 30% of participants aged 16-24 reported severe period pain.

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Source: The Guardian, 10 April 2025

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One in four school leavers have higher cancer risk because they skipped this vaccine

One in four UK students leaves high school without the protection of the HPV vaccine, putting them at higher risk of several cancers, experts have warned.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)’s latest data for the 2024/25 academic year shows that although uptake has remained steady since last year, a quarter of students are still missing the jab that can give vital protection against cervical, mouth and throat cancers.

The report found that year 10 students in England had an HPV uptake of 75.5% for girls and 70.5% for boys, well below the pre-pandemic rates of around 90%.

Regionally, the uptake for year 10 students was the lowest in London (with 61% for girls and 56.9% for boys) and the highest in east England (82.8% for girls and 78.2% for boys).

Dr Sharif Ismail, UKHSA consultant epidemiologist, said: “The HPV vaccine is one of the most effective cancer-preventing vaccines available. Now, just a single dose given in school, it protects against cervical cancer and several cancers caused by HPV that affect both boys and girls, helping to save thousands of lives and the terrible stress on families.”

Health minister Stephen Kinnock said: “Every child deserves protection against cancers caused by HPV, and it's concerning that too many young people are leaving school without this vital vaccine.

“I'd urge any parent whose child has missed their HPV vaccine not to wait – speak to your GP or local NHS service today.”

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Source: The Independent, 29 January 2026

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One in four people could be left without a GP within a decade, doctors claim

One in four people could be left without a GP within a decade, medics say.

The forecasts from Doctors’ Association UK suggest 16 million people in England could be left without access to a family doctor, amid growing staffing shortages.

Today the new Health Secretary is expected to set out plans to boost access to GPs, following warnings that public satisfaction is the lowest on record.

Research by the Health Foundation suggests that the NHS will lose up to 8,800 full-time equivalent GPs by 2030 if current trends continue. On Wednesday, Doctors’ Association UK said this could leave one in four people without access to a GP.

Dr Lizzie Toberty, GP lead for the Doctors’ Association UK, said the workload of a family doctor now placed “unrealistic demands” on them.

She said: “GPs will cut their hours, quit the NHS, or quit the country. We fear patients will suffer the same ‘postcode lottery’ for seeing their GP as many do now with getting an NHS dentist.”

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Source: The Telegraph, 21 September 2022

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One in four NHS workers more likely to quit than a year ago, survey finds

A quarter of NHS workers are more likely to quit their job than a year ago because they are unhappy about their pay, frustrated by understaffing and exhausted by COVID-19, a survey suggests.

The findings have prompted warnings that the health service is facing a potential “deadly exodus” of key personnel just as it tries to restart normal care after the pandemic.

A representative poll of 1,006 health professionals across the UK by YouGov for the IPPR thinktank found that the pandemic has left one in four more likely to leave than a year ago. That includes 29% of nurses and midwives, occupations in which the NHS has major shortages.

Ministers must initiate a “new deal” for NHS staff that involves a decent pay rise, better benefits, more flexible working and fewer administrative tasks, the IPPR said.

“The last 12 months have stretched an already very thin workforce to breaking point. Many are exhausted, frustrated and in need of better support. If the government does not do right by them now, more many leave their jobs,” said Dr Parth Patel, an NHS doctor and IPPR research fellow who co-wrote its new report on how the NHS can retain and recruit more staff.

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Source: The Guardian, 30 May 2021

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One in four NHS doctors tired to the point of impairment, survey finds

One in four doctors in the NHS are so tired that their ability to treat patients has become impaired, according to the first survey to reveal the impact of sleep deprivation on medics during the coronavirus pandemic.

Growing workloads, longer hours and widespread staff shortages are causing extreme tiredness among medics, leading to memory problems and difficulty concentrating, according to the report by the Medical Defence Union (MDU), which provides legal support to about 200,000 doctors, nurses, dentists and other healthcare workers.

The survey of more than 500 doctors across the UK, carried out within the past month and seen by the Guardian, uncovered almost 40 near misses as a direct result of exhaustion. In at least seven cases, patients actually sustained harm.

Despite encouraging signs the Omicron wave may be fading, doctors admitted the constant pressure of the past 22 months spent fighting coronavirus on the frontline was taking a toll on their technical skills and even their ability to make what should be straightforward medical decisions. Medics admitted for the first time sleep deprivation was causing real harm to patients in the NHS.

Almost six in 10 doctors (59%) reported their sleep patterns had worsened during the pandemic. More than a quarter (26%) of medics admitted being so tired that their ability to treat patients was “impaired”. Of these, one in six (18%) said a patient was harmed or a near miss occurred as a result.

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Source: The Guardian, 17 January 2022

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One in four critical care units got busier in past week

The number of patients in critical care grew at one in four English hospital trusts in the past week, despite overall covid-19 occupancy falling, HSJ can reveal.

It comes with adult critical care occupancy still very high in many areas — 10 trusts still have at least double the number of patients that they normally have space for. It highlights the ongoing pressure still on hospitals, with the prime minister due to decide in coming days on a timetable for loosening lockdown.

HSJ analysis of NHS sitrep data shows that 31 trusts (of a total 125 general acute trusts) saw the number of critically ill adults climb between 2 and 9 February.

Twenty-five of these trusts were either at or above their total capacity available last winter. The critical care units still seeing increasing pressure when compared to last year are spread nationally, but are predominantly in Yorkshire, Midlands and the North West, where the covid third wave peaked later.

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Source: HSJ, 11 February 2021

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One in four births in England is now emergency caesarean, BBC analysis shows

A quarter of all babies in England are now delivered by emergency caesarean operations, BBC analysis shows - marking a significant rise over the last five years.

The unplanned surgeries have increased by eight percentage points, while the rate of elective caesareans has also increased.

At the same time, the rate of vaginal births without instruments has fallen - from more than half of all deliveries to 43%.

Prof Marian Knight, director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, which researches the care of women and babies in pregnancy and birth, says the rise represents a "total change in how women give birth" in England, and that it has not been replicated in other European countries.

The NHS does not publish data on why an emergency C-section is performed, and experts say there is no single, clear explanation for the increase.

However, some have told the BBC they are concerned a culture of fear in maternity units and among pregnant women is driving up the number of procedures.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which represents maternity doctors, says pressure on staff and operating theatres means the system is "really struggling" to meet the increased demand.

NHS England says "decisions are made by considering individual circumstances and clinical advice to ensure the safest and most appropriate approach for each birth".

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Source: BBC News, 5 June 2026

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One in four babies in England delivered by caesarean section, NHS data shows

One in four babies born in NHS hospitals in England last year were delivered by caesarean section, official figures show.

The gradual increase in the number of caesarean births over the past decade is due to a growing number of complex pregnancies and births, caused by factors including rising obesity rates and women waiting until they are older to have children. The proportion of spontaneous deliveries that do not involve drugs or other medical interventions has steadily declined in the last 10 years.

“Over the past decade, there has been a gradual national increase in the number of caesareans,” said Dr Ranee Thakar, the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).

“A major factor of this is the growing number of complex births. We are seeing national rising rates of obesity and people choosing to have children at a later stage in their life, both of which can increase the chance of complications.”

Most women seek a C-section for medical reasons, but also have the right to opt for one based on personal preference according to guidelines published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. These state that if a mother does not want a vaginal birth after discussing the benefits and risks, the medic should “offer a planned caesarean birth for women requesting a caesarean birth”.

In 2022, hospitals in England were told to abandon targets aimed at limiting the number caesarean sections carried out to below 20%, over fears for the safety of mothers and babies. At the time, the chief midwife described the targets as potentially unsafe. This followed the Royal College of Midwives formally abandoned its normal birth campaign in 2017, after years of promoting vaginal births as preferable.

Dr Thakar said: “The RCOG does not promote one form of birth over another. Women should be supported to make an informed decision about how they want to give birth, including a discussion on the risks and benefits of both vaginal and caesarean births. The safety and care of the woman and baby during pregnancy, labour and birth should always be the main focus.”

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Source: The Guardian, 16 December 2024

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