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NHS told to return to "near-normal" performance before winter

Trusts have been set a series of “very stretching” targets to recover non-covid services to nearly normal levels in the next few months, in new guidance from NHS England.

NHS England and Improvement set out the system’s priorities for the remainder of 2020-21 in a “phase three letter” sent to local leaders.

It said the NHS must “return to near-normal levels of non-covid health services, making full use of the capacity available in the ‘window of opportunity’ between now and winter”, when further emergency and covid pressures are anticipated.

In recent weeks providers have found it very difficult to resume many services, with many running at well below normal capacity, due to infection prevention measures, staffing gaps, and other covid-related barriers.

The targets in the new guidance for phase three of the NHS’s covid response include:

  • In September trusts must deliver “at least 80 per cent of their last year’s activity for both overnight electives and for outpatient/daycase procedures, rising to 90% in October (while aiming for 70% in August)”;
  • “This means that systems need to very swiftly return to at least 90 per cent of their last year’s levels of MRI/CT and endoscopy procedures, with an ambition to reach 100 per cent by October.”
  • “Trusts must hit 100 per cent of their last year’s activity for first outpatient attendances and follow-ups (face to face or virtually) from September through the balance of the year (and aiming for 90 per cent in August).”

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Source: HSJ, 31 July 2020

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NHS told to raise its game on IPC or face omicron-driven surge in hospital infections

The NHS must apply Covid infection prevention and control measures more robustly if it is to avoid a steep rise in infections within healthcare settings, a senior doctor at NHS England has said.

The warning came from NHS England national clinical director for antimicrobial resistance and infection prevention and control Mark Wilcox during a webinar for NHS leaders.

He said that the effectiveness of the vaccination programme had led “understandably” to the NHS being more relaxed when it came to Covid IPC.

However, he warned that “the effectiveness of the vaccines has diminished substantially with respect to two doses” because of the omicron variant, and that “if we carry on with the level of IPC that we have been lulled into then we will see very significant problems with nosocomial infection”.

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Source: HSJ, 14 December 2021

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NHS told to prepare for use of Nightingale hospitals in coming weeks

NHS England has told hospitals to begin planning for the use of Nightingale Hospitals as the numbers of coronavirus patients in hospitals is expected to surge in coming weeks.

In a letter sent on Wednesday night hospitals were told to activate all of their emergency capacity to cope with the expected pressures over the coming weeks.

This is likely to mean the mass redeployment of staff and designating wards, surgical theatres and recovery areas as makeshift intensive care units for patients.

NHS England did not explain how the Nightingale Hospitals would be staffed if the decision was made to activate them.

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Source: The Independent, 24 December 2020

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NHS told to make better use of hospital passports to support patients

Hospital passports need to be more consistently used across the NHS to better support patients with communication difficulties, a learning disability nurse says.

Support for patients with communication needs and learning disabilities, as well as the nurses caring for them, is often ‘inconsistent’, according to RCN professional lead for learning disabilities Jonathan Beebee.

Coupled with the current system-wide pressure of patient backlogs and high staff vacancy rates it means patients often do not have their communication needs met.

A hospital passport, which contains vital information about a patient’s health condition, learning disability and communication needs, would help address this, Mr Beebee told Nursing Standard. 

"There has got to be better consistency in how we are identifying people with communication needs, how they are getting flagged and how nurses are being pointed to that from the second that someone is admitted to the ward," he said.

Mr Beebee says ensuring a standardised approach would improve patient experience and ultimately nurses’ relationship with patients.

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Source: Nursing Standard, 27 July 2022

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NHS told to let patients initiate follow-up appointments

Trusts are being encouraged to adopt a system in which patients initiate follow up appointments by the lastest guidance from NHS England designed to help the NHS recover from the covid crisis. 

It is hoped the approach can reduce unnecessary demand and therefore help trusts cut waiting lists that have soared as a result of the restrictions placed on hospital activity during the pandemic.

Under 'patient initiated follow up' (PIFU) patients decide when they require follow up appointments. They are given guidance as to what symptoms and other factors they should take into account when deciding if a follow up appointment is necessary. PIFU is already used by some trusts, but it has not yet become widely adopted. 

The plan to increase PIFUs was set out in a guidance published today designed to underpin the “phase three letter” sent out to NHS leaders last week.

The guidance, Implementing phase 3 of the NHS response to COVID-19 pandemic , says “individual services should develop their own guidance, criteria and protocols on when to use PIFUs”. The document also sets out some overarching principles.

It says services will be rated against the following headline metrics: “total number and proportion of patients on the PIFU pathway; patient outcomes, e.g. recovery rates, relapse rates; waiting times; and DNA rates”.

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Source: HSJ, 7 August 2020

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NHS told to expect ‘huge number’ of legal challenges after pandemic

The NHS should expect a “huge number” of legal challenges relating to decisions made during the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare lawyers have warned.

The specialists said legal challenges against clinical commissioning groups and NHS providers would be inevitable, around issues such as breaches of human rights and clinical negligence claims.

Francesca Burfield, a barrister specialising in children’s health and social care, told HSJ’s Healthcheck podcast: “I think there is going to be huge number of challenges. If and when we move through this there will not only be a public enquiry, [but] I anticipate judicial reviews, civil actions in relation to negligence claims and breach[es] of human rights….”

She said criminal proceedings by the Care Quality Commission or Crown Prosecution Service would also be a possibility, around issues such as deprivation of liberty, neglect, safeguarding, and potential gross negligence manslaughter.

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Source: HSJ, 20 April 2020

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NHS told to cut spending on doctors and nurses to save £4.5bn

Hospitals are preparing to cut spending on doctors and nurses by hundreds of millions of pounds after being ordered to plug a £4.5 billion hole in the NHS budget.

Chief executives at hospitals, mental health trusts and community services in England have been ordered to review staffing levels and draw up plans to close some services and merge others. They are also looking at banning or restricting the use of some agency workers.

NHS bosses have been alerted in recent days to the scale of the cuts needed after negotiating financial plans for next year. The health service in England has a budget of £165 billion for the 2024-25 financial year, which starts next week. The budget rose by 3.2% in real terms between 2018-19 and 2023-24.

Spending has been put under additional pressure by the cost of covering strikes by junior doctors which NHS England has said has cost more than £1.5 billion and affected more than 430,000 patients’ appointments.

Saffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said services had been stretched by the need to pick up the pieces from a shortage of social care and other community services. She said an ageing population and poor public health meant patients in hospital were sicker and staying longer, needing more care.

She said: “Trust leaders are being pushed to the very limits of what is possible, and there will be a situation where they have to make difficult choices about keeping basic services going versus investing in quality and improvement for the future. We are in a situation where we will be patching something that’s already a bit patched-together.”

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Source: Times, 31 March 2024

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NHS told long-term sick can ‘get on with life’ if treated at home

Millions of people with long-term illnesses should get medical treatment at home rather than in hospital to help them carry on working, according to a report.

The NHS is being urged to deliver more medicines directly to patients’ doors, so they can self-administer drugs at home, and “get on with life” rather than having to travel back and forth to hospitals.

New research shows this model of care, called clinical homecare, helps those needing regular treatment for chronic conditions, including cancer and arthritis, to stay in employment and retain independence.

Experts said providing more patients with specialist medicines at home can play a vital role in tackling the UK’s growing rates of economic inactivity, with 2.7 million long-term sick now signed off work.

The report, commissioned by the National Clinical Homecare Association, said expanding the schemes means millions of patients “could be supported to continue working and living their lives without being defined by their health status”, adding that up to three million cancer patients could benefit.

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Source: The Times, 19 March 2024

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NHS to use test that prevents babies going deaf

A rapid test that can help preserve the hearing of newborn babies is set to be used by NHS hospitals.

For some babies, commonly used antibiotics can become toxic. The drugs damage sensory cells inside the ear leading to permanent hearing loss.

The test - which analyses babies' DNA - can quickly spot those who are vulnerable. It means they can be given a different type of antibiotic and avoid having a lifetime of damaged hearing.

Gentamicin is the first-choice antibiotic if a newborn develops a serious bacterial infection. It is life-saving and safe for the majority of people.

However, it has a rare side effect. About 1,250 babies in England and Wales are born with a subtle change in their genetic code that allows the antibiotic to bind more strongly to the hair cells in their ears, where it becomes toxic.

These tiny hairs help convert sounds into the electrical signals that are understood by the brain. If they are damaged, it results in hearing loss.

The side effect is well known, but until now there was no test that could get the results fast enough. It would be dangerous to delay treatment, and alternative antibiotics are not used as they have their own side effects and because of concerns about antibiotic resistance.

The new genedrive kit analyses a sample taken from inside the baby's cheek. Tests at two neonatal intensive care units in Manchester and Liverpool showed it could spot who was susceptible to hearing loss in 26 minutes, and using it did not delay treatment.

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Source: BBC News, 9 February 2023

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NHS to use AI to identify people at higher risk of hepatitis C

The NHS is to use artificial intelligence to detect, screen and treat people at risk of hepatitis C under plans to eradicate the disease by 2030.

Hepatitis C often does not have any noticeable symptoms until the liver has been severely damaged, which means thousands of people are living with the infection – known as the silent killer – without realising it.

Left untreated, it can cause life-threatening damage to the liver over years. But with modern treatments now available, it is possible to cure the infection.

Now health chiefs are launching a hi-tech screening programme in England in a fresh drive to identify thousands of people unaware they have the virus.

The scheme, due to begin in the next few weeks, aims to help people living with hepatitis C get a life-saving diagnosis and access to treatment before it is too late.

The NHS will identify people who may have the virus by using AI to scan health records for a number of key risk factors, such as historical blood transfusions or an HIV diagnosis.

Anyone identified through the new screening process will be invited for a review by their GP and, if appropriate, further screening for hepatitis C. Those who test positive for the virus will be offered treatment available after NHS England struck a deal with three major pharmaceutical companies.

Prof Graham Foster, national clinical chair for NHS England’s hepatitis C elimination programmes, said the scheme “marks a significant step forward” in the fight to eliminate the virus before 2030. It will “use new software to identify and test patients most at risk from the virus – potentially saving thousands of lives”, he added.

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Source: The Guardian, 31 July 2022

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NHS to use AI technology to help free up hospital beds

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is being piloted to help free up NHS hospital beds being used by people who are fit to be sent home, officials have said.

A new platform, currently being trialled by Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, uses AI to help fill out the documents needed to discharge a patient - potentially saving hours of delays.

The tool extracts information such as diagnoses and test results from medical records, helping staff to draft discharge summaries, which must be completed before a person is sent home from the hospital.

The document is then reviewed by healthcare professionals responsible for the patient and used to send them home or refer them to other services.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said the technology will allow doctors to spend less time on paperwork and more time on patient care, cutting waiting times in the process.

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Source: Sky News, 16 August 2025

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NHS to treat 25,000 hospital patients at home in ‘virtual wards’

The NHS plans to treat up to 25,000 hospital patients at home in “virtual wards” to help clear the backlog caused by the pandemic, the “living with Covid” plan has revealed.

Patients will be offered acute clinical care at home, including remote monitoring and treatment, as an alternative to hospital stays.

Consultants or GPs will review patients daily via digital platforms and phone calls. In some cases, patients will be provided with a wearable device to continuously monitor and report their vital signs.

The NHS has set a national target of 40 to 50 virtual beds per 100,000 population, which equates to about 25,000 beds across England, according to the “living with Covid” plan published this week.

The document said: “The use of ‘virtual wards’ and ‘hospital at home’ models of care have ensured that patients can be safely cared for in their own homes and that additional bed capacity can be freed up in hospitals.” 

Commenting on the initial rollout of virtual wards, Dr Tim Cooksley, the president of the Society for Acute Medicine, warned a “hasty” rollout could risk patient safety.

He said: “Virtual wards do have the potential to be a model of the future. However, it is essential they are appropriately planned, resourced and staffed so they simply cannot be seen as a short-term mitigation measure which can be hastily rolled out mid-pandemic. Incorrect implementation could risk patient safety and significantly impact clinician and patient confidence.”

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Source: The Telegraph, 22 February 2022

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NHS to test using drones to fly chemotherapy drugs to Isle of Wight

The NHS plans to use drones to fly chemotherapy drugs to cancer patients in England to avoid the need for long journeys to collect them.

The devices will transport doses from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight in a trial that, if successful, will lead to drones being used for similar drops elsewhere.

They will take 30 minutes to travel acrss the Solent, which will save patients on the island a three to four-hour round trip by ferry or hovercraft.

On Tuesday, Amanda Pritchard, NHS England’s chief executive, unveiled the move to help mark the 74th anniversary of the health service’s creation by the postwar Labour government.

“Delivering chemo by drone is another extraordinary development for cancer patients and shows how the NHS will stop at nothing to ensure people get the treatment they need as promptly as possible, while also cutting costs and carbon emissions,” she said.

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Source: The Guardian, 5 July 2022

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NHS to target same elective activity next year

Health systems will be asked to deliver the same amount of elective activity next year as they were tasked with completing in 2023-24, HSJ understands.

Local leaders have been issued with varying interim targets for 2024-25 that produce an average national threshold of 7% more activity than pre-covid levels, on a value-weighted basis.

It means the target for the current year has effectively been rolled over into next, suggesting the elective recovery is a year behind schedule.

Even if systems hit their thresholds next year, they will still fall well short of the central target set out in the elective recovery plan in 2022.

Recent weeks have seen other elective ambitions ditched or watered down, including the prime minister’s headline pledge to bring the overall waiting list down. It is likely a result of the government accepting it cannot push more elective activity due to ongoing strikes and overspending.

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Source: HSJ, 27 February 2024

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NHS to tackle 'unfair' maternity outcomes

A taskforce has been set up to tackle disparities in maternity care experienced by women belonging to ethnic minorities and those living in deprived areas.

Black women are 40% more likely to miscarry than white, studies suggest. Maternal death rates are also higher among black and Asian women.

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists head Dr Edward Morris told BBC News implicit racial bias was affecting some women's care.

Patient Safety and Primary Care Minister Maria Caulfield said: "For too long disparities have persisted which mean women living in deprived areas or from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to get the care they need and, worse, lose their child.

"We must do better to understand and address the causes of this.

"The Maternity Disparities Taskforce will help level-up maternity care across the country, bringing together a wide range of experts to deliver real and ambitious change so we can improve care for all women - and I will be monitoring progress closely."

Chief midwifery officer Prof Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent, who will co-chair the taskforce, said: "The NHS's ambition is to be the safest place in the world to be pregnant, give birth and transition into parenthood - all women who use our maternity services should receive the best care possible."

The taskforce will meet every two months and focus on:

  • improving personalised care and support plans
  • addressing how wider societal issues affect maternal health
  • improving education and awareness of health when trying to conceive, such as taking supplements and maintaining a healthy weight
  • increasing access to maternity care for all women and developing targeted support for those from the most vulnerable groups
  • empowering women to make evidence-based decisions about their care.

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Source: BBC News, 23 February 2022

Source: BBC News, 

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NHS to spend almost £100m improving maternity safety after Shrewsbury care disaster

The NHS is to spend almost £100m to make maternity units across the NHS safer for mothers and babies in a major victory for families and The Independent – which has been campaigning for better training for midwives and doctors.

NHS England announced the investment on Thursday in response to the care scandal at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust.

As well as boosting the numbers of midwives and doctors on wards, NHS England said the money would include an extra £26.5m for safety training for midwives and doctors across England.

The £96m represents one of the biggest investments in maternity services for decades. A total of £46m will be to used to recruit 1,000 extra midwives along with £10m for the equivalent of 80 extra doctors. As well as training cash will also be used to create new roles to oversee trusts safety and help recruit staff from overseas.

The investment is a direct response to the poor care at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust where The Independent revealed in 2019 that dozens of babies and mothers had died or been left brain damaged as a result of persistent poor care over decades. An inquiry is examining more than 1,860 cases, making it the largest maternity scandal in NHS history.

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Source: The Independent, 25 March 2021

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NHS to set up national AI lab

The NHS in England is setting up a national artificial intelligence (AI) laboratory to enhance care of patients and research. The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, said AI had "enormous power" to improve care, save lives and ensure doctors had more time to spend with patients. He has announced £250m will be spent on boosting the role of AI within the health service. 

Clinical trials have proven AIs are as good as leading doctors at spotting lung cancer, skin cancer, and more than 50 eye conditions from scans. This has the potential to let doctors focus on the most urgent cases and rule out those that do not need treatment. Other tools have been developed that can predict ovarian cancer survival rates and help choose which treatment should be given. However, AI will pose new challenges, including protecting patient data.

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Source: BBC News, 8 August 2019

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NHS to run seven ‘tests’ to prepare for emergencies

NHS England has told organisations to run seven ‘tests’ to prepare for emergencies after admitting “further work” is needed to improve the resilience of the health service.

The national plan to prepare for emergencies, which covers until 2030, was revealed in a NHSE letter to trust and system leads this week.

NHSE lead on emergency preparedness, resilience and response Stephen Groves said in the letter: “We are committed to driving this programme forward but also recognise further work is needed to strengthen collective resilience.”

In his letter, Mr Groves said NHS organisations will be set the one of the following themes to exercise each year:

  • Casualty and mass casualty
  • Hazardous materials and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear
  • Business continuity
  • Cyber and digital
  • Infections disease and pandemics
  • Adverse weather
  • Security, shelter and evacuation

Mr Groves said the new programme would start in October, and would create a “more holistic learning environment” through systematic testing.

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Source: HSJ, 14 August 2024

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NHS to roll out life-changing glucose monitors to all Type 1 diabetes patients

NHS England patients with Type 1 diabetes will now be eligible for life-changing continuous glucose monitors after the health service secured a new cut-price deal.

The wearable arm gadget sends information to a mobile app and allows diabetes patients to keep track of their glucose levels at all times without having to scan or take a finger prick test.

Traditionally, continuous glucose monitors are more expensive than their flash monitor counterparts – which record glucose levels by scanning a sensor – but thanks to the NHS agreeing on a new cost-effective deal with manufacturers DEXCOM, they will now be available for NHS patients on prescription at a similar price.

The monitor, called Dexcom ONE Real Time-Continuous Glucose Monitoring, uses a sensor no bigger than a bottle cap that attaches to the arm for up to 10 days and measures glucose levels from just under the skin.

Patients will receive their starter pack – which will include information on the product and usage, a sensor and transmitter – from the hospital or GP surgery once prescribed, after which they can go to the pharmacy for their repeat prescription.

Dr Partha Kar, national speciality advisor for diabetes and obesity said: “This is a huge step forward for Type 1 diabetes care and these monitors will be life-changing for anyone with the illness – giving them more choice to manage their condition in the most convenient way possible – as well as the best chance at living healthier lives, reducing their risk of hospitalisation and illnesses associated with diabetes, which in turn reduces pressure on wider NHS services.

“The new deal also delivers on our commitment to get patients the latest cutting-edge medical technology at the best value for taxpayer money – saving the NHS millions over the coming years”.

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Source: NHS England, 2 August 2022

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NHS to roll out ‘Martha’s Rule’

The head of the NHS has today announced the rollout of ‘Martha’s Rule’ in hospitals across England from April, enabling patients and families to seek an urgent review if their condition deteriorates.

The patient safety initiative is set to be rolled out to at least 100 NHS sites and will give patients and their families round-the-clock access to a rapid review from an independent critical care team if they are worried about their or a loved one’s condition.

This escalation process will be available 24/7 to patients, families and NHS staff, and will be advertised throughout hospitals, making it quickly and easily accessible.

NHS chief Amanda Pritchard said the programme had the potential to “save many lives in the future” and thanked Martha’s family for their important campaigning and collaboration to help the NHS improve the care of patients experiencing acute deterioration.

Thirteen-year-old Martha Mills died from sepsis at King’s College Hospital, London, in 2021, due to a failure to escalate her to intensive care and after her family’s concerns about her deteriorating condition were not responded to promptly.

Extensive campaigning by her parents Merope and Paul, supported by the cross-party think tank Demos, has seen widespread support for a single system that allows patients or their families to trigger an urgent clinical review from a different team in the hospital if the patient’s condition is rapidly worsening and they feel they are not getting the care they need.

Merope Mills and Paul Laity, Martha’s parents, said: “We are pleased that the implementation of Martha’s Rule will begin in April. We want it to be in place as quickly and as widely as possible, to prevent what happened to our daughter from happening to other patients in hospital.

“We believe Martha’s Rule will save lives. In cases of deterioration, families and carers by the bedside can be aware of changes busy clinicians can’t; their knowledge should be recognised as a resource. We also look to Martha’s Rule to alter medical culture: to give patients a little more power, to encourage listening on the part of medical professionals, and to normalise the idea that even the grandest of doctors should welcome being challenged. We call on all NHS clinicians to back the initiative: we know that the large majority do listen, are open with patients and never complacent – but Martha’s doctors worked in a different culture, so some situations need to change.

“Our daughter was quite something: fun and determined, with a vast appetite for life and so many plans and ambitions – we’ll never know what she would have achieved with all her talents. Hers was a preventable death, but Martha’s Rule will mean that she didn’t die completely in vain.”

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Source: NHS England, 21 February 2024

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NHS to review ME services after death of Maeve Boothby O’Neill

The NHS is carrying out an assessment of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) services across England after the death of Maeve Boothby O’Neill, whose case highlighted a lack of understanding and inability to care for sufferers of the illness. 

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), which provides advice to improve healthcare, is also re-examining its guidance on feeding support for people with severe ME. Education of medical professionals about patients, who have often been stigmatised, is also being ramped up.

Andrew Gwynne, the health minister, has committed to better research “with the aim of better understanding the causes, identifying new treatments and improving patient outcomes”.

It comes after the landmark inquest of Boothby O’Neill, who died at the age of 27 in 2021 after suffering from ME since her teenage years. Her case highlighted misunderstandings of ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, and the lack of treatment available for severe sufferers.

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Source: The Times, 5 December 2024

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NHS to pay 25% more for innovative drugs after UK–US zero-tariff deal

The UK has agreed to pay 25% more for new medicines by 2035 as part of a US-UK drug pricing deal that will cost an estimated additional £3bn a year.

The transatlantic agreement will also see the health service in England, which currently spends £14.4bn a year on innovative therapies, double the percentage of GDP it allocates to buying such products, from 0.3% to 0.6% over the next decade.

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Source: Guardian, 1 December 2025

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NHS to pay £870,000 to whistleblower doctor who spoke out on patient safety

A London NHS trust has been ordered to pay a leading heart doctor more than £870,000 after he was sacked for whistleblowing about safety concerns following a patient’s death.

Dr Kevin Beatt, one of the UK’s most respected consultant cardiologists, was fired from Croydon Health Services in 2012 after reporting staff shortages, inadequate equipment and workplace bullying at the trust.  

The tribunal heard Dr Beatt’s dismissal “had a devastating effect on his career and his wellbeing”.

He told the Evening Standard: “I was forced into a position where I lost my career for trying to highlight dangerous practices in the NHS. It has taken seven years to get to this point, which is just appalling. It has been a huge ordeal and I have the greatest sympathy for any whistleblower who has to go through something like this.”

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Source: Evening Standard, 11 March 2020

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NHS to overhaul maternal care in England to tackle pregnancy deaths

The NHS has announced every maternity service in England will have to upend clinical standards to reduce the number of women who die during or after pregnancy.

Increasing numbers of women have been reported to be dying during pregnancy or in the weeks after giving birth.

According to the latest official data, there were 252 maternal deaths from 2022 to 2024 – 20% higher than the rates from 2009 to 2011. This is the equivalent of 12.8 deaths for every 100,000 women giving birth.

NHS England's chief midwife Kate Brintworth (CMO) told Sky News that, while improvements were being made, "none of us think care is in the right place".

"We don't think that things are good enough," she said.

"It's a terrible anguish to lose a child," she added. "I think it's one of the worst things that can happen to a human, and our responsibility as leaders in maternity is to make sure those families don't experience that anguish."

Ms Brintworth hopes today's announcements will ensure avoidable deaths are "significantly" reduced.

The Maternity Safety Alliance, a campaign group, said it was "alarmed" that Ms Brintworth's response to the data suggested "a lack of urgency, accountability and meaningful action" to the "long known and completely avoidable harm and death that is happening everyday in our maternity services".

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Source: Sky News, 23 April 2026

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NHS to offer new drug that halves the risk of cancer returning

A world-leading treatment that halves the risk of lung cancer patients suffering a return of the disease after undergoing treatment, is to be rolled out by NHS England.

In a trial of the drug – the first of its kind – around nine out of ten patients treated, remained alive and disease-free after two years – compared to more than four in ten who hadn’t received the new therapy.

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for one in five of all cancer deaths.

Around 100 patients in England with a rare form of cancer will initially have access to the drug, called Osimertinib, with many more expected to benefit this year.

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Source: NHS England, 7 May 2021

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