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AI stethoscope can help spot life-threatening heart disease years earlier, study finds

A stethoscope that uses artificial intelligence could help doctors detect serious heart valve disease years earlier, potentially saving thousands of lives, a new study suggests.

It is estimated that 41 million people worldwide, including 1.5 million people in the UK, live with a type of heart valve disease, which can lead to heart failure, hospital admissions and death.

Early diagnosis is vital for successful treatment, but the condition can be symptom-free in its early stages before causing dizziness, shortness of breath and heart palpitations, which can be confused with other conditions, meaning some patients do not get a diagnosis until the disease is advanced.

Currently, diagnosis of valve disease relies on echocardiography, a type of ultrasound scan that is expensive and time-consuming. While doctors do listen to the heart using a stethoscope, this is not routinely done in short GP appointments, and is known to miss many cases.

But the new technology that works with digital stethoscopes was found to outperform GPs at detecting valve disease, and could be used as a rapid screening tool.

“Valve disease is a silent epidemic,” said Professor Anurag Agarwal from Cambridge’s department of engineering, who led the research. “An estimated 300,000 people in the UK have severe aortic stenosis alone, and around a third don’t know it. By the time symptoms appear, outcomes can be worse than for many cancers.”

For the study published in the journal npj Cardiovascular Health, researchers analysed heart sounds from nearly 1,800 patients using an AI algorithm trained to recognise valve disease.

The AI was found to correctly identify 98% cent of patients with severe aortic stenosis, the most common form of valve disease requiring surgery, and 94% cent of those with severe mitral regurgitation, where the heart valve does not fully close and blood leaks backwards across the valve.

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Source: The Independent, 10 February 2026

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‘Cover-ups’ leave staff scared to report sexual safety concerns

A trust’s staff “fear raising concerns about attitudes, behaviours and sexual safety”, particularly about senior managers and doctors, a review by NHS England has found.

Black Country Healthcare Foundation Trust’s “Freedom to Speak Up” arrangements have been reviewed by NHSE, following a series of cultural concerns  and the departure of multiple senior directors.

The review, published in board papers this month, said: “We consistently heard that staff feel that ‘cover-ups’ take place and raising a concern sometimes feels like ‘reporting a friend to a friend’.”

Staff gave recent examples of where they had experienced, or seen others experience, “disadvantageous and demeaning treatment” after raising concerns.

Examples of this included inconsistent application of HR policies such as annual leave and flexible working to disadvantage the person raising concerns, unkind and unprofessional behaviour by senior staff members such as ignoring individuals, and not including them in conversations.

Others said they did not want to raise concerns for fear of detriment, such as bank staff members who thought they would not be given shifts.

Some staff felt as if they had a “target on their back” after speaking up.

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Source: HSJ, 10 February 2026

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People with obesity 70% more likely to be hospitalised by or die from infection, study finds

People living with obesity are 70% more likely to be hospitalised by or die from an infection, with 1 in 10 infection-related deaths globally linked to the condition, research suggests.

Being an unhealthy weight significantly increases the risk of severe illness and death from most infectious diseases, including flu, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections and Covid-19, according to a study of more than 500,000 people.

Obesity may already be a factor in as many as 600,000 of 5.4 million deaths (11%) from infectious diseases every year, researchers found.

The study’s first author, Dr Solja Nyberg, of the University of Helsinki, said the problem could worsen. “As obesity rates are expected to rise globally, so will the number of deaths and hospitalisations from infectious diseases linked to obesity.

“To reduce the risk of severe infections, as well as other health issues linked with obesity, there is an urgent need for policies that help people stay healthy and support weight-loss, such as access to affordable healthy food and opportunities for physical activity.”

In the meantime, she added, it was “especially important” for those living with obesity to keep up to date with their vaccinations.

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Source: The Guardian, 9 February 2026

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Sepsis mistakes killed our daughter - we fear it could happen again

When she was 16, Bethan James told her YouTube channel that by 2026 she hoped to have a partner, an enjoyable job and maybe even children.

Bethan would have been 27 now - but her dreams were taken when she died aged 21 from a combination of sepsis, pneumonia and Crohn's disease.

Bethan's sepsis wasn't spotted early enough and life-saving care was delayed. Now her grieving parents are campaigning for better training to diagnose one of the UK's biggest killers.

A BBC investigation has found sepsis awareness training is still not mandatory at most hospitals in Wales, and Bethan's parents fear that what happened to their daughter could still happen to others.

This included at the hospital where Bethan died and the Welsh government said sepsis awareness was a "focus" and a "priority", while the Welsh Ambulance Service said "meaningful changes" had been made.

Jane and Steve James said they were "haunted and totally devastated" by the "needless death" of their eldest child in 2020.

Bethan died six years ago this week and her parents fought for an inquest where a coroner found that the journalism student "would not have died" if her care and treatment had not been delayed.

A BBC investigation has found that sepsis awareness training remains a lottery in Wales and is still not compulsory at Wales' largest hospital, the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where Bethan died.

"You go into the hospital and there's sepsis posters on lifts and walls but if their actual frontline staff can't recognise the symptoms of sepsis, it just beggars belief," said Jane.

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Source: BBC News, 9 February 2026

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A&Es to open dedicated areas for ‘extended stay’ patients

“Extended emergency medicine” areas will be opened in hospitals for A&E patients whose care can’t be turned around within the four-hour target, according to new national guidance.

NHS England has released new guidance on a “model emergency department” to provide a blueprint for A&Es to meet national targets.

The guidance – delayed since last year amid internal concerns about its usefulness – recommends the use of new “extended emergency medicine ambulatory care areas” (EEMACs).

They are intended for patients who are expected to be sent home following investigation and treatment, rather than admitted, but would likely be in A&E for more than four hours.

It is a similar approach to the “same day emergency care” units now running in many hospitals. However, SDECs are primarily run by specialists, rather than A&E staff, whereas EEMACs are for patients needing more general emergency attention.

If a patient is moved to an EEMAC within four hours, they will count as having met the headline waiting target, NHSE confirmed to HSJ. However, if they reach 12 hours, they will be counted as a breach against the 12 hours in the department measure. The same approach applies to SDEC.

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Source: HSJ, 9 February 2026

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Victims of cancer-linked pregnancy drug to demand public inquiry into ‘silent scandal’

Victims of a cancer-linked pregnancy drug will meet with Health Secretary Wes Streeting on Monday as part of a push to get a public inquiry into what they believe is a “silent scandal”.

DES Justice UK (DJUK) is also seeking the creation of an NHS screening programme to identify those who may be at risk from exposure to diethylstilbestrol, commonly known as DES.

The campaign group has more than 500 members and includes women who took the drug, but also their daughters, sons and grand-daughters who have suffered issues such as infertility, reproductive abnormalities and increased risk of cancer.

DES – a synthetic form of the female hormone oestrogen – was prescribed to pregnant women from 1940 to the 1970s.

It was used to prevent miscarriage, premature labour and complications of pregnancy, as well as to suppress breast milk production, as emergency contraception and to treat symptoms of menopause.

According to DJUK, DES was prescribed to about 300,000 women over almost four decades.

In 1971, it was linked to a cancer of the cervix and vagina called clear cell adenocarcinomam, leading to US regulators calling for it not to be given to pregnant women.

However, it continued to be prescribed to pregnant women in Europe until 1978.

DES is also linked to cancers such as breast, pancreatic and cervical.

DJUK is meeting with Mr Streeting to urge him to launch a public inquiry into the events.

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Source: The Independent, 9 February 2026

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Failure to compensate pelvic mesh implant victims ‘morally unacceptable’, say campaigners

The government’s failure to respond to calls for a compensation scheme for women harmed by pelvic mesh has been described as “morally unacceptable” by campaigners.

Thousands of women were left with life-changing complications after receiving transvaginal mesh implants, with some unable to walk or work again.

Saturday marks two years since plans for financial redress for women harmed by pelvic mesh implants were set out by England’s patient safety commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes.

However, ministers have made no commitments to providing compensation to women harmed by the medical scandal. The plans, outlined in the 2024 Hughes report, included compensation for children left disabled as a result of their mothers using the epilepsy drug sodium valproate in pregnancy.

The government recently admitted that there was still no timetable to provide compensation for victims affected by pelvic mesh and valproate. Hughes has now pledged to take the matter directly to the prime minister.

Campaigners have said the lack of government action is worsening the mental health of people affected by the scandals.

Kath Sansom, the founder of the advocacy group Sling the Mesh, said: “As every week, month, year passes, women are getting more frustrated, upset. You can’t put their pain on hold. A lot of them have had to give up work or reduce their hours. They’re struggling to make ends meet. We have some members, they’ve had to sell their homes and move in with elderly parents, marriages broken down …

“We see those women at three in the morning trying to put up a post saying, ‘I don’t want to be here any more’ … I’m so angry that these women have their lives ruined and no one is taking accountability by giving them compensation … it’s morally unacceptable.”

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NHSE to revive 2000s-style improvement collaboratives

NHS England plans to revive compulsory “structured improvement collaboratives” for outpatients, urgent and emergency care, and frailty services – in an echo of the Modernisation Agency approach of the 2000s.

The three collaboratives will be on a compulsory basis “to improve care at scale across the NHS”.

The approach is explicitly modelled on the “emergency services collaborative”  run by the NHS Modernisation Agency between 2002 and 2005. It played a big part in driving services towards meeting the new four-hour accident and emergency target, according to a 2004 evaluation.

A paper presented to NHSE’s board this week set out a wider reset of NHSE’s improvement framework, making clear responsibility is firmly with providers, while the centre focuses on “creating the conditions”, regional teams “support”, including with strengthened “local improvement networks”. Integrated care boards will focus on commissioning.

But the proposals – developed by Sarah-Jane Marsh, national director of urgent and emergency care and operations, and Glen Burley, financial reset and accountability director – said a “small number of national priorities will require a systematic ‘all-in’ effort to improve care at scale across the NHS”.

These will be targeted at specific changes in the three priority areas, with improvement experts and clinicians facilitating sessions where teams share best practice and improvements.

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Source: HSJ, 7 February 2026

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Mike Richards to leave CQC

The chair of the Care Quality Commission is stepping down, just as the struggling regulator seeks a new chief executive.

Sir Mike Richards has been in the role for less than a year but in an announcement this lunchtime said the CQC’s turnaround “will demand a longer-term commitment as chair than I am able to make”.

The CQC was just about to go out to advert for a new CEO, following the resignation of Sir Julian Hartley last year.

Today Sir Mike said: “There is an urgent need to appoint a permanent CEO [and] after careful consideration, I believe it would be best for this appointment to be led by a new chair who can commit to providing long‑term continuity.”

Sir Mike was appointed to help recover the CQC, along with Sir Julian, after far-reaching leadership and operational failures were outlined in external reviews in 2024.

He was a chief inspector at the CQC about a decade ago and is widely respected for a range of senior national clinical leadership roles. Since 2022 he has been chair of the UK National Screening Committee and, as a former oncologist, has led work in recent years on improving diagnostics. 

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Source: HSJ, 6 February 2026

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Grieving families who lost babies due to NHS failings hit out at maternity investigation

Families "enduring everlasting grief" after losing babies due to NHS failings are being sidelined by a rapid review into maternity services, a campaign group has claimed.

One woman, whose daughter died in 2022, described how victims are forced to "compress" their experiences into eight minutes, with some re-traumatised by having to choose the most important reasons for their babies' deaths.

The Maternity Safety Alliance has renewed its call for a statutory inquiry into NHS maternity services, urging the Government to "abandon this performative approach".

However, a spokesperson for the National Maternity and Neonatal Investigation (NMNI) argued that its rapid review would allow improvements to be made faster than would be possible with a statutory inquiry.

The probe is being led by Baroness Valerie Amos and will examine 12 NHS trusts, with a report due in the spring.

The Maternity Safety Alliance has published fresh criticism of the process, claiming the timescale is “compressed” and the involvement of families is “limited to sharing their experiences rather than participating in the decision-making processes”.

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Source: The Independent, 6 February 2026

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Chase ‘quick wins’ to hit A&E target, hospitals told

Hospitals are being encouraged to target children, less sick patients and “near miss breaches” in the final weeks of the financial year, in an attempt to hit the government’s A&E target.

NHS England said in a paper to its board meeting on Thursday that it was taking “significant further action” coming out of winter to try to hit the bar of 78 per cent of patients being treated within four hours. This was the recovery target set by government for the service for 2025-26.

NHSE said the “action” will include “targeting clear areas of improvement opportunity [for example] in non-admitted performance, paediatric, and ‘near miss’ breaches”.

The move has been criticised by some experts as “focusing on easy improvements” while “ignoring” the more serious long accident and emergency waits, which do more harm to patients.

Royal College of Emergency Medicine president Ian Higginson told HSJ: “The main problem causing long waits in our [EDs] is patient flow. Focusing on perceived ‘quick wins’ mustn’t distract from what is happening in our corridors.

“For instance: how does focusing on marginal gains such as ‘near miss breaches’ help an elderly patient who is going to be waiting for a bed for 12 hours or more?

“It is of course important to get non-admitted patients in and out of ED as quickly as possible, but these are not the patients coming to most harm.

“We have yet to see meaningful plans to address the fundamental problem of getting the sickest patients, who need admission, into hospital. It is these patients who are at the greatest risk of harm, and that is where the main focus needs to be.”

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Source: HSJ, 6 February 2026

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36 UK infants ill after drinking contaminated baby formula

Thirty-six infants in the UK have had suspected food poisoning from contaminated baby formula.

It comes after specific batches made by Nestle and Danone were recalled because of contamination with the toxin, cereulide.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says it has received clinical notifications of young children developing symptoms, including vomiting and diarrhoea, consistent with cereulide poisoning.

None of the infants – all around or under one – are reported to be gravely ill, the BBC understands.

Gauri Godbole, from UKHSA, said it was not unexpected, given "the widespread availability" of the affected products prior to the recall and "subsequent testing".

Godbole said there did not seem to be any signs that huge numbers of children had been affected so far.

"Current surveillance indicators do not show unusual increases in reports of vomiting in children under the age of one for this time of year," she added.

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Source: BBC News, 5 February 2026

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Researchers find most Americans with high blood pressure don’t have it under control

Four out of five U.S. adults living with high blood pressure don’t have their condition under control, researchers said Tuesday, signaling possibly deadly repercussions.

Some 120 million Americans are affected by the chronic condition, which can raise people’s risk of kidney disease, heart failure, dementia or a deadly heart attack or stroke.

Controlling high blood pressure – also known as hypertension – is crucial to lower these risks and improve overall quality of life.

People can do that through maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly, as well as taking medication that helps to keep their hearts from being overworked.

But the researchers also found that more than 61% of Americans with uncontrolled blood pressure aren’t taking medication.

"Clearly, the vast majority of patients really need to have optimization of their blood pressure, and there's a big gap in blood pressure management that is not being addressed,” Dr. Benjamin Hirsh, director of preventive cardiology at New York's Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital, told HealthDay News, reacting to the findings.

“This can portend negative adverse health effects for these patients who are undertreated.”

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Source: The Independent, 5 February 2026

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Autistic girls much less likely to be diagnosed, study says

Females may be just as likely to be autistic as males but boys are up to four times more likely to be diagnosed in childhood, according to a large-scale study.

Research led by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden scrutinised the diagnosis rates of autism for people born in Sweden between 1985 and 2020. Of the 2.7 million people tracked, 2.8% were diagnosed with autism between the ages of two and 37.

They found that by the age of 20, diagnosis rates of men and women were almost equal, challenging previous assumptions that autism is more common among males.

“Our findings suggest that the gender difference in autism prevalence is much lower than previously thought, due to women and girls being underdiagnosed or diagnosed late,” said the lead author, Dr Caroline Fyfe.

The research calculated that in childhood, boys were diagnosed on average nearly three years earlier than girls – the median age at diagnosis was 15.9 for girls, but 13.1 for boys. Overall, boys were three to four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism under the age of 10, although girls were found to “catch up” by the time they were 20, owing to a rapid increase in autism diagnosis during adolescence.

“These observations highlight the need to investigate why female individuals receive diagnoses later than male individuals,” the authors conclude.

Patient and patient advocate Anne Cary, writing in a linked editorial, said the research supported arguments that it was “systemic biases in diagnosis, rather than a true gap in incidence” that were behind the discrepancy in diagnosis rates.

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Source: The Guardian, 4 February 2026

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Period blood test could offer less invasive alternative to cervical screening

Testing period blood for signs of cervical cancer could be an accurate and convenient way of screening for the disease, researchers say.

The current NHS test involves a nurse or doctor taking a sample of cells from the cervix - but a third of women invited for screening do not attend.

A study of the new test, which can be carried out at home, used blood collected on a cotton strip attached to a standard sanitary pad.

Cervical cancer charities say finding new and potentially gentler ways of testing for the disease is encouraging and could improve access, although it is still early days for this research.

The NHS is already sending at-home test kits to women in some areas of England who have missed several cervical screening appointments. These DIY test kits containing a vaginal swab will be sent out more widely at some point this year.

Testing period blood would be an even less invasive option, say the Chinese researchers behind the new study in the journal The BMJ, external, adding it could be "a robust alternative" to current methods.

Five million women are not up to date with the test, research shows, and there are many reasons why - including fear, pain and discomfort.

"Cervical screening can be difficult for some women for many reasons, like if they have had a bad previous experience, they are menopausal, they have a physical or learning disability, cultural barriers, or are a survivor of sexual violence," says Athena Lamnisos from charity The Eve Appeal.

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Source: BBC News, 5 February 2026

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Trust bosses clash over ‘car park care’

Ambulance service leaders have clashed with a large hospital trust for putting “pressure” on its crews to deliver “car park care” while patients wait to be admitted.

The row has even resulted in senior figures from one provider – University Hospitals Birmingham Foundation Trust – suggesting the West Midlands ambulance medical director was “compromising his registration” by resisting it, according to meeting minutes published last week as part of January’s board meeting papers. 

West Midlands Ambulance Service University Foundation Trust said it is battling pressure, chiefly from UHBFT, to allow “treatment of patients by [emergency department] staff in [the] rear of ambulance, or patients being treated in ED and put back on ambulance” after receiving initial treatment, such as catheterisation or infusion.

Minutes of the WMAS quality governance committee, reporting on one meeting between senior leaders about the issue, said: “UHB did challenge whether the WMAS medical director [Richard Steyn] is compromising his registration by not allowing them [ED staff] to provide care in the back of the ambulance.”

WMAS “should not be supporting the requests from the hospital to develop standard operating procedures and procedures for the treatment of patients in the ambulance”, according to the minutes published last month of a committee meeting that took place in November. 

Doing so, it said, risked “this [becoming] the ‘norm’ whereby the ambulances will be used as an additional cubicle and whilst doing this our patients are dying”.

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Source: HSJ, 5 February 2026

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Coroner warning to pregnant woman over drug used to treat migraines after baby death

A coroner has warned against a type of medication that can be used to treat migraines during pregnancy after the death of a four-day-old baby.

On 13 November 2024 in Sunderland, Baby Avery Hall, died with lung damage, low oxygen levels and reduced blood flow – complications known to arise when prescription drug Candesartan is used throughout pregnancy, particularly in the second and third trimester.

Avery’s development in pregnancy was compromised by reduced amniotic fluid, leading to poor lung development and impairment of urine production by the kidneys.

His mother was prescribed Candesartan, a medication that relaxes blood vessels, to treat her recurring migraines before she became pregnant.

But in April 2024 when she fell pregnant, doctors gave her “unclear and indecisive advice”, and she was not told specifically to stop using Candesartan, despite the known risks.

David Place, a senior coroner for the City of Sunderland, issued a prevention of future deaths report on Monday. He concluded that Avery died from complications known to arise when Candesartan is used throughout pregnancy and that “action should have been taken”.

“His mother had continued to use this medication which had been prescribed to her since 2022 being unaware of the risks it posed due to a combination of unclear and indecisive advice at the outset and no additional advice about the safety of the medication from clinicians involved in her antenatal care,” Mr Place said.

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Source: The Independent, 3 February 2026

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Hospital told to improve safety probes a decade after baby deaths

A hospital in East Ayrshire has been ordered to improve the way it handles patient safety incidents in its maternity unit, almost 10 years after it was the centre of an investigation into baby deaths.

The report from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) made 16 requirements for improvement at the unit in Crosshouse University Hospital, near Kilmarnock, including for delays women faced when they contacted the triage unit.

It said some staff were reluctant to report patient safety events, and reviews into incidents took too long to the detriment of families.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran said it is committed to ensuring patients receive safe and dignified care at all times.

In 2016, a review was ordered into failures of care at the hospital after BBC Scotland News revealed there had been six "unnecessary" baby deaths at the hospital. NHS Ayrshire and Arran was told to improve the way it investigated adverse events.

Last year, the Scottish government said it would carry out a national review of maternity care after another BBC investigation revealed ongoing safety concerns across several maternity units.

In total, the latest report made two recommendations and 16 requirements.

Other areas for improvement include flushing of infrequently used water outlets and improvements in the cleanliness of patient equipment.

The HIS report also highlighted 10 areas of good practice including "positive and respectful" interactions between staff and women, families and babies and that staff felt well supported in an under-pressure environment.

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Source: BBC News, 4 February 2026

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Obesity in pregnancy ‘contributing to avoidable harm’ as doctors issue new warning

Doctors have warned that rising obesity rates among pregnant women are endangering both mothers and babies.

Over a quarter of pregnant women in the UK are now classified as obese.

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has urged that this be "recognised as an urgent and growing public health challenge".

Obesity is “contributing to avoidable harm” while also putting increased pressure on NHS maternity services, according to the new report.

The college said there must be “bold, joined-up action” from food policy, education and healthcare to better prevent obesity in general.

The “stigamatisation” of women’s weight also “remains an issue” and should be replaced by non-judgmental care before, during and after pregnancy, experts said.

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Source: The Independent, 4 February 2026

 

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Alleged bullying, harassment and toxic culture at hospital revealed in leaked report

Staff members at Wales' largest hospital have faced disciplinary proceedings after a "toxic culture" leaving some feeling unsafe at work was uncovered.

The leaked Cardiff and Vale health board internal review included reports of "bullying and harassment" and "violent and aggressive" behaviour at a University Hospital of Wales (UHW) department.

The investigation, which was completed in August 2024 but not made public, found "systemic failure at all levels" and "unchecked" poor behaviour at the Cardiff HSDU unit, which is responsible for the sterilisation and decontamination of medical equipment.

The health board said it had acted "robustly and fairly" to deal with the "historic allegations".

It said five members of staff had since been "subject to disciplinary action", and that "leadership oversight, management arrangements and team culture" had also been strengthened.

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Source: BBC News, 3 February 2026

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Three-quarters of cancer patients in England will survive by 2035, government pledges

Three in four cancer patients in England will beat cancer under government plans to raise survival rates, as figures reveal someone is now diagnosed every 75 seconds in the UK.

Cancer is the country’s biggest killer, causing about one in four deaths, and survival rates lag behind several European countries, including Romania and Poland. Three-quarters of NHS hospital trusts are failing cancer patients, a Guardian analysis found last year, prompting experts to declare a “national emergency”.

In a new plan published today, ministers will pledge £2bn to resolve the crisis by transforming cancer services, with millions of patients promised faster diagnoses, quicker treatment and more support to live well.

Some cancer performance targets have not been met by the NHS since 2015. Under the national cancer plan, all three waiting times standards will be met by 2029, ministers will announce.

And, for the first time, the government will commit to ensuring that, from 2035, 75% of patients will be either cancer-free or living well, which means a normal life with the disease under control five years after being diagnosed. Currently, six in 10 survive five years or more.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), this would mean 320,000 more lives saved over the 10-year plan.

Cancer was “more likely to be a death sentence in Britain than other countries around the world”, said health secretary Wes Streeting, but he was determined to change that. “Thanks to the revolution in medical science and technology, we have the opportunity to transform the life chances of cancer patients.”

“Our cancer plan will invest in and modernise the NHS, so that opportunity can be seized and our ambitions realised. This plan will slash waits, invest in cutting-edge technology, and give every patient the best possible chance of beating cancer.”

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Source: The Guardian, 4 February 2026

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Nearly 23 million extra deaths worldwide by 2030 as aid cuts bite, study says

Nearly 23 million additional deaths are expected by 2030 as a result of countries like the US and UK dramatically cutting their overseas aid, a new report estimates.

The peer-reviewed study, produced by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and published in the influential health journal The Lancet, finds that cuts to aid programmes in 93 countries - including 38 in Sub-Saharan Africa - will result in 22.6m extra deaths by 2030.

With that total including some 5.4 million children under the age of five, the findings have been labelled a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

“These findings give a voice to millions of vulnerable people and show the profound moral cost of the zero-sum approach many political leaders are taking,” said Dr Rajiv J Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, which helped to fund the report.

“Though it will take years to adequately assess the full toll of aid cuts, this early projection is an urgent call to action,” added Dr Shah, who is also a former administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which is the agency that managed most American aid programmes before it was closed by Donald Trump last year.

“This humanitarian catastrophe is not inevitable, but preventing it will require all of us to act with urgency,” Dr Shah added.

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Source: The Independent, 2 February 2026

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Revealed: Bid to overhaul key emergency target

National officials are in talks about a major overhaul of the ambulance response time target that covers more than half of emergency calls.

Category 2 is by far the largest group of ambulance incidents, at 51% covering relatively minor concerns up to suspected heart attacks and stroke.

Their formal target response time is 18 minutes. This has rarely been met at a national level, but – in the wake of a huge rise and outcry from 2022-24 – there has been a big improvement over the past year. The NHS is trying to meet a 30-minute recovery target this year, which falls to 25 minutes in 2026-27.

However, ambulance leaders are now suggesting major changes be made to how their providers are measured for Category 2 calls, including putting more weight on care quality indicators and less on response time.

Speaking to HSJ,  Association of Ambulance Chief Executives chair Jason Killens also floated the possibility of splitting Category 2 into more and less urgent incidents, allowing the latter to have a slower response. This has not yet been formally put forward by AACE or discussed with NHSE.

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Source: HSJ, 3 February 2026

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Father-of-three not told of aneurysm before death

A father-of-three died of a brain haemorrhage following failings at the hospital where he worked, health bosses have admitted.

Craig Green, 39 was a catering assistant who worked at the QE and was referred by his GP to the hospital following hearing loss.

He attended an ear, nose and throat emergency clinic on the 1 April 2025.

An MRI scan was later carried out and doctors found an aneurysm in one of the arteries to his brain, which was flagged as a high priority to be reviewed by the neurovascular team at the trust.

However, the referral was never finished and neither Craig Green nor his GP were made aware of the findings.

"What's very hard to understand is that, if he knew, he could've put things in place. He could've spoken to his family," his father, Dennis Green, said.

A spokesperson for the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust said there were failures in communication by their staff over Craig Green's case. The Department of Health said the failure was unacceptable.

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Source: BBC News, 3 February 2026

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Lack of mental health beds contributed to UK teenager’s death, inquest finds

A shortage of mental health beds and poor communication between agencies contributed to the death of a teenage girl on hospital grounds, an inquest has found.

Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, who had a history of self-harm, died in March 2022 after absconding from an acute children’s ward where she had been put because of a dearth of appropriate mental health beds.

Her family and campaigners say Ellame’s death exposed a mental health system “crumbling at the seams”.

The inquest jury at West Sussex coroner’s court was told that Ellame absconded “multiple times” during her stay at Worthing hospital’s Bluefin ward, which was not a specialist mental health unit.

Jurors concluded the decision to place Ellame there was “inappropriate” and “more than minimally” contributed to her death. They found “inadequate provision” of mental health beds also contributed to her death.

The coroner Joanne Andrews said she would issue a prevention of future deaths report to warn that more children would die unless the inadequate provision of mental health beds was tackled.

Ellame’s parents, Ken and Nancy Ford-Dunn, urged the government to increase funding for mental health services to ensure “other families don’t have to experience the worst thing imaginable”.

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Source: The Guardian, 2 February 2026

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