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‘Demoralised’ nurses ‘driven out’ of profession, survey finds

Most nurses warn that staffing levels on their last shift were not sufficient to meet the needs of patients, with some now quitting their jobs, new research reveals.

A survey of more than 20,000 frontline staff by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) suggested that only a quarter of shifts had the planned number of registered nurses on duty.

The RCN said the findings shone a light on the impact of the UK’s nursing staff shortage, warning that nurses were being “driven out” of their profession.

In her keynote address to the RCN’s annual congress in Glasgow, general secretary Pat Cullen will warn of nurses’ growing concerns over patient safety.

Four out of five respondents said staffing levels on their last shift were not enough to meet all the needs and dependency of their patients.

The findings also indicated that only a quarter of shifts had the planned number of registered nurses, a sharp fall from 42% in 2020 and 45% five years ago, said the RCN.

Ms Cullen will say: “Our new report lays bare the state of health and care services across the UK.

“It shows the shortages that force you to go even more than the extra mile and that, when the shortages are greatest, you are forced to leave patient care undone.

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Source: The Independent, 6 June 2022

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Racial disparity in cancer diagnoses via screening in England

Black people are more than a third less likely than white people to be diagnosed with cancer via screening in England, according to the first study of its kind, prompting calls for targeted efforts to improve their levels of uptake.

Screening programmes save lives by preventing cancer from occurring or spotting it earlier, when treatment is more likely to be effective.

In England, screening for cervical cancer is offered to women aged 25 to 64, breast cancer screening is offered to women aged 50 to 70, and everyone aged 60 to 74 is offered a bowel cancer screening home test kit every two years.

The latest research, however, lays bare stark disparities in screening diagnosis rates between different ethnic groups for the first time. The study of more than 240,000 cancer patients over a decade found that 8.61% of patients were diagnosed via screening.

Broken down by ethnicity, the figure for white people was 8.27%, almost exactly the same as the national average, but among black people it was 5.11%. The findings suggests that black people are 38% less likely to be diagnosed via screening than white people.

Diagnosis via screening in mixed-race patients was much higher at 9.49%, and higher still in Asian patients at 10.09%, almost double the rate for black patients. The results were published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Jabeer Butt, the chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, said the findings should prompt urgent action.

“Cancer screening saves lives,” he said. “That’s why it is so important that effective outreach and culturally appropriate interventions are prioritised to reduce health inequalities.

“We know that awareness of cancer symptoms is lower among minority ethnic groups, particularly black Africans, with higher reported barriers to seeking help. But we also know from previous research on colorectal cancer interventions that speaking to someone who explains the steps of the screening process ahead of time can lead to improvements in screening uptake in minority patients."

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Source: The Guardian, 6 June 2022

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Dismissal of women’s health problems as ‘benign’ leading to soaring NHS lists

Doctors’ routine dismissal of women’s debilitating health problems as “benign” has contributed to gynaecology waiting lists soaring by 60% to more than half a million patients, a senior health leader has said.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) president, Dr Edward Morris, told the Guardian that waiting lists for conditions such as endometriosis, prolapse and heavy bleeding had increased by a bigger proportion than any other area of medicine in the past two years.

Many such conditions are defined as medically benign despite being life-limiting and progressive in some cases. In medicine, “benign” is traditionally used to indicate non-cancerous conditions, but Morris said institutionalised gender bias meant the term was used more widely in gynaecology, resulting in conditions being “normalised” by non-specialists and deprioritised within the NHS.

We have to change the language. We have to call it what it is,” said Morris. “These conditions cause huge amounts of suffering to women. Being lumped in a topic called benign gynaecology downplays the importance and suffering.”

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Source: The Guardian, 2 June 2022

 

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US gunman shot surgeon he blamed for pain

Two talented physicians, a patient who sacrificed his life and a selfless receptionist were the four people killed on 1 June 1 a shooting inside a medical office building on the Saint Francis Health System campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma. 

Police in Tulsa say the gunman, Michael Louis, had gone to the hospital for back surgery 19 May and was treated by Dr Preston Phillips. Louis was discharged from the hospital 24 May and subsequently called Dr Phillips' office several times complaining of pain and seeking additional treatment. The surgeon saw Mr. Louis on 31 May  for more treatment, police said. 

On 1 June, Mr Louis called Dr Phillips' office again complaining about pain and seeking additional care. Mr Louis purchased an AR-15-style rifle that afternoon, just hours before the shooting, police said.

Dr Phillips was killed in the shooting and was the gunman's primary target, police said. "He blamed Dr Phillips for the ongoing pain following surgery," Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin said at a news conference. 

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Source: Becker's Hospital Review, 2 June 2022

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Women in UK ‘seldom’ told drug used in surgery can impede contraception

Women undergoing NHS operations are not being routinely informed that a drug commonly used in anaesthesia may make their contraception less effective, putting them at risk of an unplanned pregnancy, doctors have warned.

Administered at the end of surgery before patients wake up, sugammadex reverses the action of drugs that are given earlier in the procedure to relax the patient’s muscles. The drug is known to interact with the hormone progesterone and may reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives, including the progesterone-only pill, combined pill, vaginal rings, implants and intra-uterine devices.

However, new research suggests that robust methods for identifying at-risk patients and informing them of the associated risk of contraceptive failures is not common practice across anaesthetic departments in the UK.

Current guidance says doctors must inform women of child-bearing age about the drug. Women taking oral hormonal contraceptives should be advised to follow the missed pill advice in the leaflet that comes with their contraceptives, and those using other types of hormonal contraceptive should be advised to use an additional non-hormonal means of contraception for seven days.

But doctors at a major London hospital trust found no record within the medical notes of relevant patients that they had been given advice on the risks of contraceptive failure due to sugammadex.

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Source: The Guardian, 2 June 2022

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‘We’re playing with fire’: US Covid cases may be 30 times higher than reported

The United States is now in its fourth-biggest Covid surge, according to official case counts – but experts believe the actual current rate is much higher.

America is averaging about 94,000 new cases every day, and hospitalizations have been ticking upward since April, though they remain much lower than previous peaks.

But Covid cases could be undercounted by a factor of 30, an early survey of the surge in New York City indicates.

“It would appear official case counts are under-estimating the true burden of infection by about 30-fold, which is a huge surprise,” said Denis Nash, an author of the study and a distinguished professor of epidemiology at the City University of New York School of Public Health.

While the study focused on New York, these findings may be true throughout the rest of the country, Nash said. In fact, New Yorkers likely have better access to testing than most of the country, which means undercounting could be even worse elsewhere.

“It’s very worrisome. To me, it means that our ability to really understand and get ahead of the virus is undermined,” Nash said.

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Source: The Guardian, 2 June 2022

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'What do I have to lose?’ Desperate long Covid patients turn to ‘miracle cures’

Few of the 23 million Americans with lingering symptoms are getting answers – in this dangerous void, alternative providers and wellness companies have created a cottage industry of Long Covid miracle cures.

Some doctors ply controversial blood tests that claim to identify evidence of the elusive disease. Other practitioners speak assuredly about the benefits of skipping breakfast and undergoing ozone therapy, or how zinc can bring back loss of taste or smell. Some desperate patients have gone overseas for controversial stem cell therapy. Over the next seven years, the global complementary and alternative medicine industry is expected to quadruple in value; analysts cite alternative Covid therapies as a reason for growth.

Robert McCann, a 44-year-old political strategist from Lansing, Michigan, sleeps for 15 hours – and when he wakes up, he still finds it impossible to get out of bed. Sometimes he wakes up so confused that he’s unsure what day it is.

McCann tested positive for Covid in July 2020. He had mild symptoms that resolved within about a week. But a few months later, pain, general confusion and debilitating exhaustion returned and never fully left. 

He says he’s skeptical of “miracle cures”. But, after about 17 months of illness and no relief from doctor’s visits, he’s desperate. “I’ll just be frank,” he told me, “if someone has mentioned on the Subreddit that it’s helped them, I’ve probably bought it and tried it.”

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Source: The Guardian, 2 June 2022

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Retired consultant is struck off over treatment of young transgender patients

A retired consultant gastroenterologist has been struck off the UK medical register for “wide ranging failings” in treating young transgender patients and in prescribing testosterone for men.

Michael Webberley, who was charged with failing to provide good care to 24 patients, acted outside the limits of his expertise, a medical practitioners tribunal concluded.

Through the private online clinic GenderGP, which he ran with his wife Helen, a GP, Webberley prescribed puberty blockers to a child of nine and cross sex hormones to a teenager who died by suicide a few months later.

He faced charges over his care of seven transgender patients, and the tribunal found that he had provided treatment that was not clinically indicated or that had been prescribed without adequate tests, assessments, or examinations.

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Source: BMJ, 30 May 2022

 

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‘Impossible’ to improve delayed discharges as picture worsens

The number of patients stuck in hospitals despite being ‘medically fit’ to leave has continued to increase in recent months, leading to warnings from NHS Confederation that trusts are finding it ‘impossible’ to make progress on reducing the numbers.

Official statistics for April suggest an average of 12,589 patients per day in NHS hospitals in England – 13% of all occupied beds – did not meet the “criteria to reside”. At 31 trusts, the proportion was 20% or more.

NHS England has since told local leaders to make reducing the numbers of delayed discharges an operational priority. The issue is a key factor behind the long waits in emergency care, as ward beds are taking longer to become available to accident and emergency patients.

Rory Deighton, acute lead at NHS Confederation, said targets to reduce delayed discharges “will not be met” unless the government “invests in domiciliary care wages,” amid high numbers of vacancies in the social care sector.

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Source: HSJ, 1 June 2022

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Ukraine refugees not accessing NHS despite need

Many Ukraine refugees who were receiving regular care before leaving the country say they have not continued it since arriving in the UK, prompting warnings they have not been ‘empowered to seek support’.

Data published by the Office for National Statistics earlier this month on the experiences of visa holders entering the UK under the Ukraine Humanitarian Schemes revealed 74 per cent of those surveyed who had been receiving regular treatment before they left Ukraine said this had stopped since arriving in the UK.

Meanwhile, 65% of those who were receiving regular prescriptions for medications or drugs while in Ukraine had not accessed these since arriving in the UK.

Refugee Council policy and research officer Kama Petruczenko warned refugees “are facing many barriers which are not currently being addressed”.

Ms Petruczenko added: “As the ONS data shows, those who need to speak with health professionals are unable to because of the language barrier and it is very likely that many of the respondents who said they did not need medical assistance, are unable to understand how the UK health system works and are not empowered to seek support.”

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Source: HSJ, 1 June 2022

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Doctors fear Platinum Jubilee bank holiday will add to hospital waiting times

Emergency doctors in Scotland are “dreading” the Queen’s Jubilee weekend as fears grow that the public holiday will add to long patient queues.

One accident and emergency consultant has pleaded with patients to be considerate to NHS staff as they deal with long backlogs at a time when other workers will be on holiday.

Calvin Lightbody, at Hairmyres Hospital in Lanarkshire, said that the GP out-of-hours service in his region had been so short-staffed they had to send patients to A&E instead of treating the people themselves, adding to the delays in hospitals.

He said a four-day bank holiday weekend, when doctors’ surgeries will be shut, threatened to add to the pressure on “creaking” services.

“If you go to A&E you are going to have a very long wait to be seen, several hours probably,” he said. “Please be kind. Our staff are working extremely hard, they are flat out, they are exhausted, they are doing their best.” He appealed to patients not to delay seeking medical attention if they were seriously unwell including those suffering chest pain, heavy bleeding and stroke symptoms even though services were “overwhelmed”.

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Source: The Times, 1 June 2022

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Man's bed death was avoidable, says coroner

The death of a retired police officer who got his head trapped in a hospital bed was an avoidable accident, an inquest has concluded.

Max Dingle, 83, of Newtown, Powys, died after he became stuck between the rails and mattress at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on 3 May 2020.

The initial post-mortem test gave the cause of death as heart disease.

But a second examination, commissioned by Mr Dingle's son, found entrapment and asphyxiation to be the cause.

After comparing and discussing their findings, both pathologists then agreed "entrapment did play a significant part in the cause of death", the senior coroner for Shropshire John Ellery said.

The inquest was told Mr Dingle's son Phil had asked for the second post-mortem test because "did not accept" the initial findings and had sought the opinion of a pathologist in Australia, where he lives.

Max Dingle, who had been admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath, died 15 minutes after he was found to be trapped, the hearing was told.

Concluding the inquest, Mr Ellery said: "Based on all the evidence, the conclusions of this inquest are Mr Dingle's death was an avoidable accident."

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Source: BBC News, 1 June 2022

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Cervical screening every five years ‘prevents as many cancers as every three’

Women could be screened for cervical cancer every five years instead of every three and as many cancers could still be prevented, a new study suggests.

Researchers at King’s College London said that screening women aged 24 to 49 who test negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) at five-year intervals prevented as many cancers as screening every three years.

The study of 1.3 million women in England, published in the BMJ, found that women in this age group were less likely to develop clinically relevant cervical lesions, abnormal changes of the cells that line the cervix known as CIN3+, and cervical cancer three years after a negative HPV screen compared to a negative smear test.

Lead author Dr Matejka Rebolj, senior epidemiologist at King’s College London, said the results were “very reassuring”.

She added: “They build on previous research that shows that following the introduction of HPV testing for cervical screening, a five-year interval is at least as safe as the previous three-year interval.

“Changing to five-yearly screening will mean we can prevent just as many cancers as before, while allowing for fewer screens.”

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Source: The Independent, 31 May 2022

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UK Long Covid cases hit record high of 2 million

The number of people suspected to be living with Long Covid has risen to a record high of two million, new figures show.

Estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that, as of 1 May, around 3.1% of the population were suffering from persistent symptoms after becoming infected with coronavirus.

This includes 826,000 who have had Long Covid for at least one year – up from 791,000 in April. Some 376,000 people have meanwhile lived with the condition for at least two years, the figures show.

The prevalence of Long Covid in the UK has jumped sharply since the end of the Omicron wave, which infected millions of people over winter. Since the beginning of the year, 700,000 people have developed the condition – more than one-third of the overall total.

Lingering symptoms adversely affected the day-to-day activities of 1.4 million people, the ONS said, with 398,000 reporting that their ability undertake day-to-day activities had been “limited a lot”.

Long Covid was found to be most prevalent in people aged 35 to 69 years, women, people living in more deprived areas, those working in healthcare, social care, or teaching and education, and those with another activity-limiting health condition or disability, the ONS said.

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Source: The Independent, 1 June 2022

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Criminal acts of violence at UK GP surgeries almost double in five years

Criminal acts of violence at GP surgeries across the UK have almost doubled in five years, new figures reveal, as doctors’ leaders warn of a perfect storm of soaring demand and staff shortages.

Police are now recording an average of three violent incidents at general practices every day. Staff are facing unprecedented assaults, abuse and aggression by patients, with surgeries struggling to cope with “unmanageable levels of demand” after years of failure to recruit or retain sufficient numbers of family doctors.

Security measures such as CCTV, panic buttons and screens at reception are now increasingly being rolled out across GP surgeries, the Guardian has learned, with senior medics claiming ministers perpetuate a myth that services are “closed”.

Last night, Britain’s two most senior doctors condemned the wave of violence and called for urgent action to finally resolve the workforce crisis.

“It is unacceptable that GPs and their staff are afraid and at risk of being verbally or physically abused, when they are working amid exceptional pressures and striving to do their best for patients,” said Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the British Medical Association. “GP practices are facing unmanageable levels of demand with 2,000 fewer GPs than in 2015.”

He added it was “no surprise” that patients were struggling to get appointments because of the national “lack of capacity” and “lack of historic investment in general practice”.

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Source: The Guardian, 31 May 2022

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Bristol woman 'still devastated' after being put through unnecessary mesh bowel surgery

A Bristol woman says her life has 'never been the same' since receiving unnecessary operations on her bowel more than ten years ago.

Following a recent review, Mandy Giltrow is one of more than 200 patients who received a mesh bowel procedure - which she says may not have been needed.

The operations were all conducted by surgeon Tony Dixon who has been sacked by the North Bristol NHS Trust.

Mandy Giltrow underwent a mesh bowel procedure which was performed by Mr Dixon at Frenchay Hospital in April 2011.

Following the surgery her symptoms continued. Following follow up appointments Mandy, a mum-of-four, underwent a further procedure in April 2013.

Mr Dixon carried out a further operation in October 2014 at Spire Bristol to replace mesh.

However Mandy, who is 49 and lives in Staple Hill, continues to suffer issues including stomach and bowel pain as well as recurrent water infections. She also has a hernia near her surgery scars.

North Bristol NHS Trust has since admitted liability.

Mandy told ITV West Country: "I got anxiety for all the different operations I had and then I physically could not do anything. I was stuck for three months in a bubble."

"I couldn't go out, I couldn't do anything with my children not even take them to school."

Mandy says her mental health was badly affected by the operations leading to a nervous breakdown and agoraphobia, meaning she could not lead the house.

"You have an operation. It doesn't resolve the original problem and now you have another problem which is twice as bad."

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Source: ITV, 30 May 2022

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Clearing NHS Covid backlog in Wales could take seven years

It may take seven years to get NHS Wales waiting lists of 700,000 back to 2020 levels, Wales' auditor general has said.

The number of patients waiting for non-urgent treatment has doubled since February 2020, just prior to the Covid pandemic.

They include Patient Michael Assender, 74, who has spent two years on a waiting list with severe back pain. After struggling with his back, Mr Assender, from Cwmbran, Torfaen, paid £1,500 for a private scan, which revealed he had two slipped discs.

"At the moment I'm coping pretty well, taking pills for the pain and trying to stay active," he said. "But something that took me half hour before now takes an hour."

Mr Assender said he knew others waiting for surgery who had become depressed and considered taking their lives, adding: "A lot of people out there are in a constant pain and I do pity them."

"It's a dire situation really."

The Welsh government said it had a plan to deal with backlogs.

But Wales' Auditor General Adrian Crompton said: "Just as the NHS rose to the challenge of the pandemic, it will need to rise to the challenge of tackling a waiting list which has grown to huge proportions."

"Concerted action is going to be needed on many different fronts, and some long-standing challenges will need to be overcome."

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Source: BBC News, 31 May 2022

 

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Covid lockdown blamed for deaths of more than 3,000 people with diabetes

A lack of diabetes checks following the first Covid lockdown may have killed more than 3,000 people, a major NHS study suggests.

Those with the condition are supposed to undergo regular checks to detect cardiac problems, infections and other changes that could prove deadly.

But researchers said a move to remote forms of healthcare delivery and a reduction in routine care meant some of the most crucial physical examinations did not take place during the 12 months following the first lockdown.

Experts said the findings showed patients had suffered “absolutely devastating” consequences and were being “pushed to the back of the queue”.

The study, led by Prof Jonathan Valabhji, the national clinical director for diabetes and obesity, links the rise in deaths to a fall in care the previous year.

It showed that, during 2020/21, just 26.5% of diabetes patients received their full set of checks, compared with 48.1% the year before.

Those who got all their checks in 2019-20 but did not receive them the following year had mortality rates 66% higher than those who did not miss out, the study, published in Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, found.

The study shows that foot checks, which rely on physical appointments, saw the sharpest drop, falling by more than 37%.

“The care process with the greatest reduction was the one that requires the most in-person contact – foot surveillance – possibly reflecting issues around social distancing, lockdown measures, and the move to remote forms of healthcare delivery,” the study found. Those in the poorest areas were most likely to miss out.

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Source: The Telegraph, 30 May 2022

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NHS will not hit virtual wards target, internal data suggests

The NHS is on trajectory to fall short of a flagship pledge to have around 24,000 “virtual ward beds” in place by December 2023, internal data has revealed.

NHS England’s figures from March, seen by HSJ, suggest the system is instead more likely to have created around 18,500 virtual beds by the 2023 deadline. 

Senior clinicians, including the Royal College of Physicians and the Society of Acute Medicine, have recently raised concerns about the speed and timing of the roll-out and staffing implications.

And now fresh concerns are also being raised about the programme following publication of a new academic study which suggests virtual wards set up by the NHS during Covid made little impact on length of stay or readmissions rates.

Alison Leary, professor of healthcare and workforce modelling, London South Bank University, was one of the first senior leaders to publicly voice concerns about the NHS’s virtual wards programme.

Professor Leary told HSJ: “I am not surprised [systems are falling] short. Since Elaine [Elaine Maxwell, visiting professor, London South Bank University] and I published our piece in HSJ, I have been contacted by several clinicians who have serious concerns over virtual wards and staffing them.”

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Source: HSJ, 31 March 2022

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Loss of 25,000 NHS beds caused ‘serious patient safety crisis’, finds report

The NHS has lost almost 25,000 beds across the UK in the last decade, according to a damning report  says the fall has led to a sharp rise in waiting times for A&E, ambulances and operations.

The Royal College of Emergency Medicine said the huge loss of beds since 2010-11 was causing “real patient harm” and a “serious patient safety crisis”. At least 13,000 more beds are urgently needed, it added, in order to tackle “unsafe” bed occupancy levels and “grim” waiting times for emergency care and handover delays outside hospitals.

Patients are increasingly “distressed” by long waiting times, the college said, as are NHS staff who face mounting levels of burnout, exhaustion and moral injury. The UK has the second lowest number of beds per 1,000 people in Europe at 2.42 and has lost the third largest number of beds per 1,000 population between 2000 and 2021 (40.7%), the report said.

There are currently 162,000 beds in the NHS across the UK, according to the college.

“The situation is dire and demands meaningful action,” said Dr Adrian Boyle, the college’s vice-president. “Since 2010-11 the NHS has lost 25,000 beds across the UK, as a result bed occupancy has risen, ambulance response times have risen, A&E waiting times have increased, cancelled elective care operations have increased.

“These numbers are grim,” Boyle added. “They should shock all health and political leaders. These numbers translate to real patient harm and a serious patient safety crisis. The health service is not functioning as it should and the UK government must take the steps to prevent further deterioration in performance and drive meaningful improvement, especially ahead of next winter.”

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Source: The Guardian, 31 May 2022

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Childbirth: Mum left feeling dirty by incontinence injuries

"It's isolating, debilitating and you feel dirty."

Too many women have to cope with bowel incontinence from injuries during childbirth, according to one charity.

Anna Clements, from Masic, said stigma and a lack of information meant women were unaware of the medical support available.

The Welsh government said a plan would be published in the summer on how health boards should provide "high-quality women's health services".

A coalition of charities said this was one of a number of ways women experience poor health outcomes.

Women need to be listened to and not just dismissed and told 'this happens with birth - just get on with it'," added Ms Clements.

Masic supports women who have experienced anal sphincter injuries - an issue which carries so much stigma that few will speak to anyone about their symptoms.

Julie Cornish, a colorectal surgeon, was instrumental in setting up a hub which helps patients with pelvic organ prolapse, incontinence and bowel dysfunction.

"These are really common conditions - they mainly affect women, but can affect men as well," she said.

Clinics for things such as bowel, bladder or gynaecological issues are held simultaneously in the hub, based at Barry Hospital, Vale of Glamorgan. This means patients can get immediate advice from different specialists without joining separate waiting lists which cuts waiting times significantly.

Ms Cornish acknowledged the numbers currently seeking help were "the tip of the iceberg" because of the stigma.

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Source: BBC News, 28 May 2022

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Close contacts of monkeypox cases ‘left in the dark’ as experts call for greater support

Close contacts of people infected with monkeypox have criticised health officials for a lack of communication and support while they have to isolate.

Public health experts and scientists have said the government needs to offer financial support to people forced to self-isolate for 21 days, as it emerged that one local council has already stepped in to provide sick pay for an infected man who could not work from home and was told he would not be paid.

With cases of monkeypox on the rise in the UK – 106 were infections detected as of Friday – it’s thought hundreds of people have been told to self-isolate since the beginning of May.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was providing daily calls for infected individuals and close contacts to offer support.

However, one man from Leicester, whose housemate contracted monkeypox after visiting Gran Canaria pride festival, described UKHSA’s handling of his case as a “farce”, saying he has waited days for instruction from officials.

“They couldn’t provide any meaningful or helpful information and nothing about housemates or close contacts,” the housemate told The Independent.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has meanwhile said countries should take quick steps to contain the spread of monkeypox and share data about their vaccine stockpiles.

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Source: The Independent, 29 May 2022

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Attacks in Wales on workers up to almost 3,000

"I shouldn't have to work out my escape route when I walk into a property."

Paramedic Joanna Paskell was a victim of one of the near-3,000 attacks on emergency workers in Wales last year.

The patient who punched her got a 12-month community order, but it left the 45-year-old suffering with anxiety and meant she was off work for four months.

"It took four security guards to calm her down so she could be treated," said Mrs Paskell, who has worked with the ambulance service for more than 25 years.

She said at first she tried to laugh it off, but it was only when getting ready for her next shift, five days later, that she felt the emotional toll.

"All I want to do is make a difference - that's why I joined this job. We can't do that if we're working in fear of our own safety."

Last year there were 2,838 assaults against police officers, firefighters, ambulance staff, NHS workers and prison staff - a 4.9% rise.

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Source: BBC News, 30 May 2022

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All neighbourhoods need “single, urgent care teams” offering same day access, says review

Proposals for primary care networks to evolve into more collaborative “integrated neighbourhood teams” to improve access to care have been broadly welcomed.

A “stocktake” report commissioned by NHS England, published on 26 May, called for urgent same day appointments to be dealt with by “single, urgent care teams” for every neighbourhood with greater use of a range of health and social care professionals. 

The report, written by Claire Fuller, a general practitioner and chief executive of Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System, undertaken by Dr Claire Fuller, Chief Executive-designate Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care System and GP on integrated primary care, looks at what is working well, why it’s working well and how we can accelerate the implementation of integrated primary care (incorporating the current 4 pillars of general practice, community pharmacy, dentistry and optometry) across systems.

Doctors’ leaders welcomed many of the report’s recommendations but emphasised that they could only work if the government resourced primary care practices better and tackled workforce shortages.

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Source: BMJ, 27 May 2022

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UK patients affected by infected blood scandal to receive payouts

A compensation scheme for thousands of people affected by the infected blood scandal, described as the biggest treatment disaster in the history of the NHS, will reportedly be announced within weeks.

Ministers will set up an arm’s-length body to administer the funds, which could run into hundreds of millions of pounds, and recognise culpability for the scandal for the first time, according to the Sunday Times.

As many as 30,000 people became severely ill after being given factor VIII blood products that were contaminated with HIV and hepatitis C imported from the US in the 1970s and 80s, or after being exposed to tainted blood through transfusions or after childbirth. On average, one person affected is dying every four days, with approximately 3,000 having died to date.

Last year, before the then health secretary Matt Hancock’s appearance at the public inquiry into the scandal, the paymaster general, Penny Mordaunt, announced the appointment of Sir Robert Francis QC to examine options for a framework for compensation before the inquiry reports its findings.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson confirmed the review would be published shortly. “The government intends to publish the study by Sir Robert Francis QC in time for the inquiry and its core participants to consider it before Sir Robert gives evidence to the inquiry in July,” they said. “Government will give full consideration to Sir Robert’s recommendations and evidence to the inquiry.”

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Source: The Guardian, 29 May 2022

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