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One in five young women unaware folic acid vital for baby's health

One in five young women and half of men are unaware that taking folic acid in pregnancy is vital for a baby's health.

The worrying findings from a YouGov poll suggest many are not being educated about the diet to follow while pregnant.

Experts say folic acid is vital for protecting babies in the womb against spinal defects that can cause paralysis in the legs, poor bladder and bowel control and a risky build-up of fluid in the brain.

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Source: Daily Mail, 23 November 2025

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One in five UK adults living with diabetes or pre-diabetes as diagnoses reach all-time high

One in five UK adults are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes as diagnoses have reached an all-time high, new data shows.

Charity Diabetes UK called this a “hidden health crisis” and urged the government to act immediately. Some 4.6 million people are now diagnosed with the condition, compared to 4.4 million a year ago.

This includes about 8% with type 1 diabetes, which happens when a person cannot produce insulin, a hormone that helps the body turn glucose into energy.

Some 90% have type 2 diabetes, which happens when the body does not use insulin properly, while 2% have different and rarer forms of the condition. A further 1.3 million are estimated to be living with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

The chief executive of the charity, Colette Marshall, said: “These latest figures highlight the hidden health crisis we’re facing in the UK and underline why the government must act now.

“There must be better care for the millions of people living with all types of diabetes, to support them to live well and fend off the risk of developing devastating complications.

“With more people developing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes at a younger age, it’s also critical that much more is done to find the missing millions who either have type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes but are completely unaware of it. The sooner we can find and get them the care they need, the more harm we can prevent.”

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Source: The Independent, 6 February 2025

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One in five patients leave some A&E departments in England without treatment

More than one in five patients at some hospitals are leaving accident and emergency departments before completing treatment, and in some cases before being seen for assessment at all, with the rate across England trebling since before the pandemic.

Experts told the Observer that the increase was probably driven by a combination of long A&E waiting times and by difficulties accessing NHS facilities such as GPs, community health services and NHS 111.

The figures apply to patients who left A&E before an initial assessment; after an assessment but before treatment started; or before treatment was completed. They include patients who left to find treatment elsewhere.

David Maguire, a senior analyst with the King’s Fund health thinktank, linked the rise to patients having difficulty accessing other parts of the NHS and going to A&E instead.

“We’re probably talking about things that won’t require an admission, but it’s important that you get seen by someone,” he said. “So for example, somebody’s got a chest pain, somebody’s got some sort of adverse indication that you would want to seek attention for. It’s a perfectly rational thing to do. But it’s a struggle to access at other points [in the NHS], so you default towards A&E.”

He added that staff shortages and social care capacity were also contributing factors.

“I think it’s a lot of the NHS not functioning properly. Pre-pandemic, there was a certain amount of flex in the system – even with the problems that we were seeing around performance – that meant you could come to A&E with some of these issues. That flex in the system has gone – the capacity has been absorbed by other issues.”

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Source: The Observer, 21 May 2022

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One in five patients don’t know the difference between doctors and physician associates, watchdog warns

Almost a quarter of people do not know the difference between a physician associate and a doctor, according to a new poll.

While 52 per cent of people can differentiate between the two roles, some 23 per cent said they did not know the difference, the survey conducted for Healthwatch England has revealed.

The organisation, which represents the interests of patients across England, has called for more clarity around the role of physician associates (PAs).

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Source: Independent

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One in five GPs use AI such as ChatGPT for daily tasks, survey finds

A fifth of GPs are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT to help with tasks such as writing letters for their patients after appointments, according to a survey.

The survey, published in the journal BMJ Health and Care Informatics, spoke to 1,006 GPs. They were asked whether they had ever used any form of AI chatbot in their clinical practice, such as ChatGPT, Bing AI or Google’s Gemini, and were then asked what they used these tools for.

One in five of the respondents said that they had used generative AI tools in their clinical practice and, of these, almost a third (29%) said that they had used them to generate documentation after patient appointments, while 28% said that they had used the tools to suggest a different diagnosis.

A quarter of respondents said they had used the AI tools to suggest treatment options for their patients. These AI tools, such as ChatGPT, work by generating a written answer to a question posed to the software.

The researchers said that the findings showed that “GPs may derive value from these tools, particularly with administrative tasks and to support clinical reasoning”.

However, the researchers went on to question whether these AI tools being used could risk harming and undermining patient privacy “since it is not clear how the internet companies behind generative AI use the information they gather”.

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Source: The Guardian, 17 September 2024

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One in five Covid survivors experienced hair loss, cohort study finds

One in five people hospitalised with COVID-19 experienced hair loss within six months of first being infected with the virus, a cohort study of patients found.

A team of Chinese experts looking into the long-term health consequences of the disease surveyed patients who had been discharged from Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan last year.

Of the 1,655 people who took part 359 (22%) reported losing hair.

Fatigue or muscle weakness, difficulty sleeping, smell disorder, anxiety and depression were some of the other most commonly reported symptoms, with a higher percentage of these reported among women.

The long-term consequences of Covid-19 after six months remained "largely unclear", the study concluded.

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Source: The Independent, 23 February 2021

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One in five Covid patients develop mental illness within first three months, study shows

One in five COVId-19 patients were diagnosed with a mental illness for the first time within three months of their infection, a study has shown.

Mental health experts said the findings, which were based on an analysis of the electronic medical records of 69 million people in the US, suggest that coronavirus survivors could have an increased risk of developing psychiatric disorders.

Of the almost 70 million people whose records were examined in the study, 62,354 individuals had confirmed COVID-19 cases.  

Researchers at the University of Oxford and the NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre found that one in five of these patients went on to receive a first time diagnosis of anxiety, depression or insomnia within 90 days of testing positive for the virus. This was roughly twice as high as the figure for other individuals over the same time frame, according to the researchers.

People with a history of mental health disorders who contracted the virus were also discovered to be more likely to have new psychiatric diagnoses.

Paul Harrison, a psychiatry professor at the University of Oxford who led the research, said: "People have been worried that COVID-19 survivors will be at greater risk of mental health problems, and our findings in a large and detailed study show this to be likely.

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Source: The Independent, 10 November 2020

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One in eight UK adults using private medical care due to NHS delays

One in eight adults in the UK have paid for private medical care in the last year because of long delays in getting NHS treatment, renewing fears that the NHS is becoming “a two-tier system”.

“Around one in eight (13%) adults reported they had paid for private medical care, with 5% using private insurance and 7% paying for the treatment themselves,” according to a new report by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Patients also say that waiting for tests or treatment is badly affecting them, including making their illness worse.

The ONS survey of 2,510 adults across the UK found that one in five were waiting for an appointment, test or treatment at an NHS hospital. Of those in that situation:

  • Three-quarters said their delay had had either a strongly (34%) or slightly (42%) negative impact on their life
  • 36% said waiting had made their condition worse
  • 59% said it had damaged their wellbeing
  • A third said long waits had affected either their mobility (33%) or ability to exercise (34%)

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Source: The Guardian, 16 December 2022

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One in 25 heart attack deaths in north-east of England ‘preventable in London’

One in 25 people who die of a heart attack in the north-east of England could have survived if the average cardiologist effectiveness was raised to the London level, research shows.

The research, undertaken by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), looked at the record of over 500,000 NHS patients in the UK, over 13 years. It highlights the stark “postcode lottery” of how people living in some parts of the country have access to lower quality healthcare.

The results found that while cardiologists treating patients in London and the south-east had the best survival rates among heart attack patients, patients being treated in the north-east and east of England had the worst.

Among 100 otherwise identical patients, an additional six patients living in the north-east and east of England would have survived for at least a year if they had instead been treated by a similar doctor in London.

Furthermore, if the effectiveness of doctors treating heart attacks in these areas of the country were just as effective as the cardiologists in London, an additional 80 people a year in each region would survive a heart attack.

The research also revealed a divide between rural and urban areas of England, with patients living in the former typically receiving treatment from less effective doctors compared with those in more urban areas.

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Source: The Guardian, 9 August 2022

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One in 20 patients in England wait at least four weeks to see GP, figures show

One in 20 patients has to wait at least four weeks to see a GP at a time when funding for family doctor services is falling, NHS figures show.

In November 2023, 1.5m appointments in England at a GP surgery took place four weeks or more after they were booked, 4.8% of the 31.9m held that month.

In one in six appointments, 5.4m (17.3%), the patient was forced to wait at least two weeks after booking it to see a GP, practice nurse or other health professional.

“Millions of people are being left anxious or waiting in pain because they can’t get an appointment with their GP,” said Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, who highlighted the latest evidence underlining the long delays that many patients face to see a GP.

“Staggering” numbers of patients now have to wait a long time, he said.

GP leaders blamed the situation on the widespread shortage of family doctors, which they said was making it impossible to keep up with the rising demand for appointments. Burnout due to intense workloads is prompting more GPs to work part time.

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Source: The Guardian, 22 January 2024

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One in 10 patients spent over 12 hours in A&E in 2025

One in 10 patients who attended major A&E units in England last year spent more than 12 hours there, a BBC analysis shows.

During 2025, 1.75 million patients waited that long to be treated and discharged or found a bed on a ward - only marginally better than in 2024.

It comes as the Royal College of Nursing warned long waits and corridor care – where patients are left for hours in make-shift areas – was having a devastating impact.

The union published testimonies from members across the UK describing unsafe and undignified care, with one nurse saying animals were treated better at vets.

The government said it was unacceptable, but it was still dealing with the legacy it inherited.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting acknowledged corridor care remained a problem, saying the NHS was "falling short".

"It should never be normalised," he added.

He said he was committed to ending the practice before the end of the parliament and would soon start publishing data on it to ensure transparency.

But he said on some measures, such as ambulance response times, there had been improvement compared to last year.

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Source: BBC News, 15 January 2025

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One in 10 operations in England cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice

About one in 10 operations in England are cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice or postponed, according to research.

A study of elective surgery at 91 English NHS trusts found that 10% of operations were cancelled the day before the planned surgery date; while 9% were postponed when patients had their pre-op appointment.

If the study’s findings were replicated nationally, that would equate to approximately 300,000 cancellations or postponements. Yet nearly 40% of cancellations could be avoided, the authors concluded.

Researchers for the National Institute for Health and Care Research Central London patient safety research collaboration, NHS England, University College London and the Royal College of Anaesthetists examined planned surgery data over seven days in November 2024. They found that the most common causes of cancellations were for medical reasons, patients not attending, operating lists overrunning and emergency admissions. But in 37.3% of cases, had these issues been identified as little as three to five days earlier, the operation could either have gone ahead, or another patient could have been offered the surgery slot, the study calculated.

The study, published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, also found that nearly two-thirds of operations postponed at the pre-op appointment were because patients needed further tests or specialist clinical review.

The authors concluded that clinical pathways need overhauling, with more early screening, nimbler surgery scheduling and better communication.

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Source: The Guardian, 24 April 2026

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One in 10 hospital nurses now off work with covid absences still rising

More than one in 10 hospital nurses are now off work in areas hard-hit by covid, according to internal data leaked to HSJ.

The data shows the toal absence rate among acute trust nurses has risen steadily over the last month.

Nationally the total absence rate among acute trust nurses was 9.7% as of Monday, up from around 7% at the start of December, pushed up by rapidly rising absences due to covid. These make up more than half of total absences, and have now hit rates last seen in early May.

Senior NHS sources said staff absences are severely compounding operational pressures in the hardest hit regions, limiting hospitals’ capacity to operate more than is suggested in official bed capacity figures.

The highest rate was in the East of England where 11.4% of nurses off work, with coronavirus accounting for 7.5%. This is likely to mask even higher rates in particular hospitals, services and wards.

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Source: HSJ, 14 January 2021

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One in 10 hospital nurses absent due to coronavirus

One in 10 nurses working in acute hospitals are off work due to coronavirus, according to internal NHS figures seen by HSJ.

Internal NHS figures from the COVID-19 national operational dashboard state that, on Saturday, English acute trusts reported that 41,038 nurses and midwives were absent . 28,063 (68%) were COVID-19 related. The total nursing and midwifery headcount in acute trusts is about 280,000 — meaning roughly 10% are off on covid-related absence.

There are ongoing complaints from staff about their access to COVID-19 tests — which, it is hoped, will hope reduce the absence rates from suspected cases — while national officials say these are now being made available.

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Source: HSJ, 14 April 2020

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One in 10 health workers in England had suicidal thoughts during pandemic

One in 10 health workers in England had suicidal thoughts during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research that highlights the scale of its mental impact.

The risk of infection or death, moral distress, staff shortages, burnout and the emotional toll of battling the biggest public health crisis in a century significantly affected the mental wellbeing of health workers worldwide.

A study involving almost 20,000 responses to two surveys reveals the full extent of the mental health impact on workers at the height of the pandemic.

Research led by the University of Bristol analysed results from two surveys undertaken at 18 NHS trusts across England. The first was carried out between April 2020 and January 2021 and completed by 12,514 workers. The second – covering October 2020 to August 2021 – was completed by 7,160.

The first survey found that 10.8% of workers reported having suicidal thoughts in the preceding two months, while 2.1% attempted to take their own life in the same period. Some 11.3% of workers who did not report suicidal thoughts in the first survey reported them six months later, with 3.9% – about one in 25 – saying they had attempted to take their own life for the first time.

Responses showed that a lack of confidence in raising safety concerns, feeling unsupported by managers, and having to provide a lower standard of care were among the factors contributing to staff distress.

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Source: The Guardian, 21 June 2023

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One in 10 A&E patients waits 12hrs, long-hidden data reveals

Around 10 per cent of the 1.2 million accident and emergency attendees in February waited 12 hours or more, newly published NHS England data has revealed, laying bare the true extent of the NHS’s emergency care crisis.

The data – which NHSE has collected for years but has only now started to publish – shows 125,505 patients waited 12 hours or more from their arrival at A&E to be admitted, transferred or discharged.

This is more than double the highest figure under the existing metric of around 55,000, which only starts the clock from when the patient has received a decision to admit.

NHSE’s decision to publish the data for 12-hour breaches from time of arrival follows a concerted campaign by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, which has long raised concerns the measure from decision to admit has significantly masked the true extent of long waits in A&E.

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Source: HSJ, 13 April 2023

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One dogged coroner, four needless deaths and a stark conclusion: the NHS is broken

When David Morganti’s case notes landed on Andrew Cox’s desk this autumn they told a devastating story — but one which was depressingly familiar to the senior coroner for Cornwall.

The 87-year-old RAF veteran had fallen and hit his head in the bathroom of the house he shared with his wife, Valerie, in April. It took nine hours for paramedics to reach their home near St Austell, Cornwall. As they waited, the bleeding on his brain became gradually worse until he lost consciousness. By the time he reached hospital it was too late. An expert neurosurgeon told Cox that had he reached hospital faster, Morganti might have survived.

The coroner said the effects of the injuries he suffered were likely to have been exacerbated “by a delay in the arrival of an ambulance and his subsequent admission into hospital.”

It was the latest in a series of similar deaths the coroner had encountered. 

After Morganti’s inquest, Cox resolved to carry out a wider investigation into what appeared to be a broken system. He has now sent his findings to Steve Barclay, the health secretary, and demanded he act to prevent more deaths.

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Source: The Times, 19 November 2022

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Oncologist who attended surgery on two patients while he had covid is suspended for three months

A consultant oncologist who ignored a hospital instruction and attended patients’ cancer surgery on two days when he knew he was still testing positive for Covid-19 has been suspended from the UK medical register for three months.

Andrew Gaya admitted knowingly breaking the rules but told the medical practitioners tribunal he had feared that the patients’ treatments would be postponed if he could not attend the private London Gamma Knife Centre, part of HCA Healthcare UK. The two incidents occurred in the early weeks of the pandemic, at a time of high covid death rates.

“I did not take the decision to attend the centre on 3 April 2020 lightly and was aware it was not in accordance with the instructions I had been given,” Gaya told the tribunal. “At the time I thought that I wasn’t going to do any harm and that I was acting in the best interests of the patient as the case was urgent.

“I know I should have telephoned [the relevant manager] and asked if she would allow me to undertake the treatment, but I was afraid her answer would be ‘no’ and that the patient’s treatment would be cancelled,” he told the tribunal in a witness statement.

Both patients have since died, but after the tribunal concluded Gaya told the Daily Telegraph, “One lived for 6 months with good quality of life.”

Gaya, who was present as part of a multidisciplinary team, wore protective gear and observed social distancing. There is no evidence that he had infected anyone.

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Source: BMJ, 1 November 2022

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Once-daily pill for endometriosis approved for use on the NHS

A new at-home treatment option offers hope for women suffering from endometriosis.

The NHS has approved linzagolix, also known as Yselty, a once-daily pill designed to alleviate the debilitating symptoms of the condition.

Endometriosis affects an estimated 1.5 million women in the UK, causing tissue similar to the womb lining to grow elsewhere in the body. This can lead to a range of painful and disruptive symptoms, including severe pelvic pain, heavy periods, exhaustion, and fertility problems.

The current diagnostic process can be lengthy, with NICE reporting an average nine-year delay between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis.

Linzagolix offers a new approach to managing endometriosis by blocking specific hormones that contribute to the condition's symptoms.

This new oral medication is expected to benefit up to 1,000 women annually, providing a more convenient and accessible treatment option.

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Source: The Independent, 1 May 2025

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On the front lines of coronavirus: the Italian response to covid-19

Italy has rapidly become the country hit second hardest in the world by the coronavirus pandemic. Marta Paterlini reports in the BMJ on the front lines of a country in total lockdown.

The resulting government imposed state of emergency lockdown, which started in northern Italy and has expanded to the whole country, will last until at least 3 April in an attempt to contain a contagion that has, at the time of writing, infected over 24 747 people (including at least 2026 healthcare staff) and killed 1809. The fatality rate of 7.2 is now higher than in China (3.8).

Italian doctors describe a warlike scenario in hospitals, with fewer places available than there are patients in critical condition. Lombardy, the region around Milan and the most affected in the country, has around 1000 beds available for patients in need of intensive care, but they are near to saturation.

Italy is experiencing a chronic shortage of healthcare workers. On 9 March the government announced a plan to add 20 000 new doctors, nurses, and hospital employees to meet demand.567 Retired doctors may be called on, as well as students who have completed their medical degree and are in the final year of specialist training.

Meanwhile, medical authorities are trying to avoid quarantining doctors who have come into contact with coronavirus patients. They are encouraged to work unless they show symptoms of the infection or test positive. Specialist physicians such as gastroenterologists and cardiologists have been asked to work outside of their fields.

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Source: BMJ, 16 March 2020

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On the edge of exhaustion in the NHS

"I still have nightmares most nights about being completely out of my depth."

Gemma, a ward nurse in Northern Ireland, was redeployed to a critical care unit at the end of March when the first wave of coronavirus struck.

"I had never looked after a critically ill intensive care patient in my life," she says.

"I just thought, I'm coming in here and I'm going to die. I'm going to catch Covid and I'm going to be one of those patients in the beds."

As the second wave of the pandemic takes deep root across parts of the UK, thousands of NHS workers are struggling to recover from what they have already been through.

"We were all in PPE all the time," recalls Nathan, a senior intensive care nurse at a hospital in the Midlands. "All you can see is people's eyes, you can't see anything else."

He describes trying to help junior members of staff survive long and difficult days.

"And I'd see these eyes as big as saucers saying help me, do something. Make this right. Fix this."

"The pressure was insane, and the anxiety just got me," he says. "I couldn't sleep, and I couldn't eat, I was sick before work, I was shaking before I got into my car in the morning."

Nathan ended up having time off with severe anxiety, but he is now back at the hospital, waiting for the beds to fill up again.

The BBC has spoken to a number of nurses and doctors across the UK who are deeply apprehensive about what lies ahead this winter.

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Source: BBC News, 24 October 2020

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Omicron blocks thousands of overseas doctors joining NHS

Thousands of overseas-qualified doctors wanting to work in the UK will be delayed after the General Medical Council cancelled exams due to the surge in Covid cases.

The regulator said its decision to pause professional and linguistic assessment board tests, scheduled for January and February, was made “in direct response” to the current omicron wave. Up to 54 doctors would have been needed each per day as examiners, it said, alongside a “large number of role players and staff”.

It comes as overseas recruitment is seen by government and national officials as a crucial way to boost NHS staffing, including GPs.

Director of registration Una Lane said: “We are deeply disappointed to have to cancel exams at this time, but given the pressures on the NHS and the impact on examiner availability, it was the only viable option.”

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Source: HSJ, 6 January 2022

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Ombudsman’s COVID report highlights ‘tragic individual cases’

A Covid report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has highlighted some ‘tragic individual cases’ over the past months.

The report analyses cases over the first 18 months of the pandemic which for the majority reveal that councils and care providers weathered the unprecedented pressures they were under fire.

However, the report also reveals the ‘serious impact on people’s lives’ when things go wrong.

Cases include a woman who died from COVID-19 at a care home with poor infection control procedures which was then compounded by staff trying to cover up the facts.

The Ombudsman’s report focuses on the lessons that can be learned from the complaints it has received about the pandemic and welcomes that, in many cases, councils and care providers are already using their experiences from the pandemic to consider how they can make improvements to services.

Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “We have investigated some tragic individual cases over the past months. Each represents poor personal experiences where councils and care providers did not get things right.

“Our investigations have shown that, while the system did not collapse under the extreme pressures placed on it, Covid-19 has magnified stresses and weaknesses present before the pandemic affecting some councils and providers.

“We have always advocated how crucial good complaint handling is in any setting, so I am particularly saddened that, in some authorities, dealing with public concerns and complaints itself became a casualty of the crisis. At a time when listening to public problems was more important than ever, we saw some overstretched and under-resourced complaints teams struggle to cope.

“If evidence was needed, this report proves that managing complaints should be considered a frontline service.”

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Source: Care Home Professional, 24 February 2022

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Ombudsman warns over-stretched doctors could put cancer patients at risk

England’s NHS Ombudsman has warned that cancer patients could be put at risk because of over-stretched and exhausted health staff working in a system at breaking point and delays in diagnosis and treatment.

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO) revealed that between April 2020 and December 2023, his Office carried out 1,019 investigations related to cancer. Of those 185 were upheld or partly upheld.

Issues with diagnosis and treatment were the most common cancer-related issues investigated by PHSO. These issues included treatment delays, misdiagnosis, failure to identify cancer, the mismanagement of conditions, and pain management.

Complaints about cancer care also included concerns about poor communication, complaint handling, referrals, and end-of-life care.

Most investigations were about lung cancer, followed by breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

The Ombudsman recently closed an investigation around the death of Sandra Eastwood whose cancer was not diagnosed for almost a year after scans were not read correctly. The delay meant she missed out on the chance of treatment which has a 95% survival rate.

In 2021, PHSO published a report about recurrent failings in the way X-rays and scans are reported on and followed up across the NHS service.

Mr Behrens said, “What happened to Mrs Eastwood was unacceptable and her family’s grief will no doubt have been compounded by knowing that mistakes were made in her care.

“Her case also shows, in the most tragic of ways, that while some progress has been made on my recommendations to improve imaging services, it is not enough and more must be done.

“Government must act now to prioritise this issue and protect more patients from harm.”

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Source: Parliamentary Health and Health Service Ombudsman, 9 March 2024

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Oliver McGowan: NHS autism training mandatory after teen's death

Mandatory training for treating people with autism and learning disabilities is being rolled out for NHS health and care staff after a patient died.

It comes after Oliver McGowan, 18, from Bristol, died following an epileptic seizure.

At the time, in November 2016, he had mild autism and was given a drug he was allergic to despite repeated warnings from his parents.

His mother Paula lobbied for mandatory training to potentially "save lives".

A spokesman for the NHS said the training had been developed with expertise from people with a learning disability and autistic people as well as their families and carers.

The first part of the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training is being rolled out following a two-year trial involving more than 8,300 health and care staff across England.

Mark Radford, chief nurse at Health Education England said: "Following the tragedy of Oliver's death, Paula McGowan has tirelessly campaigned to ensure that Oliver's legacy is that all health and care staff receive this critical training.

"Paula and many others have helped with the development of the training from the beginning.

"Making Oliver's training mandatory will ensure that the skills and expertise needed to provide the best care for people with a learning disability and autistic people is available right across health and care."

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Source: BBC News, 2 November 2022

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