Jump to content
  • articles
    9,854
  • comments
    83
  • views
    12,512,860

Contributors to this article

About this News

Articles in the news

Government publishes report that will shape Women's Health Strategy

In an ongoing effort to improve care and support for elderly women and women’s health satisfaction and outcomes in general, the government have published their report summarising written responses from 436 organisations and experts from the Women’s Health Strategy call for evidence.

The organisations that contributed to the report included participants from the charity sector, academia, professional bodies, clinicians, royal colleges and other general experts in women’s health.

The topics highlighted in the report include:

  • Menstrual health and gynaecological conditions, including the impact of premenstrual syndrome on someone’s quality of life.
  • Fertility, pregnancy, pregnancy loss and maternal health, including women not feeling listened to during and after pregnancy and the provision of bereavement support services.
  • Menopause, including suggestions for improvements in training and guidelines for healthcare professionals.
  • Gynaecological and other cancers, including barriers to accessing high-quality, up to date information on risk factors for female cancers.
  • Mental health, including its interaction with other health conditions across women’s life course.
  • Healthy ageing, including the need to increase focus on the health needs of older women and emphasise women may experience the same conditions as men in different ways.
  • Violence against women and girls, including the complications associated with hymenoplasty and barriers to accessing healthcare support for those who’ve been subject to years of violence and abuse.

Minister for Women’s Health Maria Caulfield said: “For generations, women have lived in a healthcare system primarily designed by men, for men. We are committed to tackling the gender health gap, and the publication of our strategy later this year will mark a significant step forward.”

She added: “I want to thank the expert individuals and organisations who took the time to respond to our call for evidence. The insights you have provided have been stark and sobering but will be pivotal to ensuring our strategy represents the first-hand experiences of the health care system.”

Read full story

Source: NHE, 13 April 2022

Read more

Government progress against recommendations on patient safety in the NHS to be evaluated

The Health and Social Care Select Committee have commissioned an Expert Panel to consider the Government’s progress against accepted recommendations from public inquiries and reviews on patient safety.

The Panel will consider a range of recommendations made by public inquiries and reviews on both patient safety and whistleblowing and subsequently select a number of these for evaluation. The Panel will in its final report provide a rating of the Government’s progress against each of these recommendations.

Panel members are:

  • Professor Dame Jane Dacre (Chair).
  • Sir Robert Francis KC
  • Anita Charlesworth
  • Professor Stephen Peckham
  • Sir David Pearson
  • Professor Emma Cave

Read full story

Source: House of Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee, 24 October 2023

Read more

Government progress against commitments made on workforce to be evaluated

The Health and Social Care Committee examines the Government’s progress against its pledges on the health and social care workforce and will be the focus of a new independent evaluation by the Health and Social Care Committee’s Expert Panel.

Professor Dame Jane Dacre, Chair of the Expert Panel, said:

“We’ll be looking at commitments the Government has made on workforce – the people who deliver the health and social care services we rely on.

“We’ve identified a recurrent theme in our evaluations to date – whether in maternity, cancer or mental health services, progress is dependent on having the right number of skilled staff in the right place at the right time. Shortages have a real impact on the delivery of services and undermine achievements.

“Our panel of experts will evaluate progress made to meet policy pledges in this crucial area - whether it’s about getting workforce planning right, training, or ensuring staff well-being.”

The Expert Panel will focus on three areas:

  • Planning for the workforce – including how targets are set, recruitment, and retention.
  • Building a skilled workforce – including incorporating technology and professional development of staff.
  • Wellbeing at work – including support services for staff, and reducing bullying rates.

Four specialists have been appointed for this evaluation, bringing their subject specific expertise and experience. They will work alongside the core members of the Expert Panel in identifying a set of Government commitments on workforce and evaluate progress made against them.

The findings will support the work of the Health and Social Care Committee which is carrying out a separate inquiry: Workforce: recruitment, training and retention in health and social care.

Read full story

Source: UK Parliament, 20 April 2022

Read more

Government pledges better support for women who lose babies during pregnancy

Women who lose babies during pregnancy will be able to get a certificate as an official recognition of their loss as well as better collection and storage of remains under new government plans.

The government will make sure the certificate is available to anyone who requests one after experiencing any loss pre-24 weeks’ gestation.

The NHS will develop and deliver a sensitive receptacle to collect baby loss remains when a person miscarries. A&Es will also have to ensure that cold storage facilities are available to receive and store remains or pregnancy tissue 24/7 so that women don’t have to resort to storing them in their home refrigerators.

The new recommendations are part of the government’s response to the independent Pregnancy Loss Review.

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 23 July 2023

Read more

Government pledge to build 40 ‘new’ England hospitals likely to be delayed until after 2030

The health secretary is set to signal a major delay to one of the headline promises in the last Conservative manifesto by suggesting the delivery of 40 new hospitals in England is likely to be pushed back until after 2030.

In a move that will spark anger among MPs who wanted “spades in the ground” before the next election, government sources said Steve Barclay would make the announcement today.

The pledge to build and fund “40 new hospitals over the next 10 years” was one of the major headlines of Boris Johnson’s pitch to the electorate in 2019.

Sources indicated the government had been ready to make the announcement about the probable delay for some time, but it was repeatedly pushed back because of fears about a backlash from Tory MPs.

Rundown NHS hospitals have become a danger to patients, warn health chiefs

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 25 May 2023

Read more
 

Government plans to remove all remaining restrictions in England

The government plans to end all remaining covid restrictions in England—including the legal obligation to self-isolate—ahead of schedule later this month, the prime minister, Boris Johnson, has said.

The current restrictions, including the requirement that anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 must self-isolate for at least five days, are due to expire on 24 March. But Johnson, addressing MPs during prime minister’s questions on 9 February, said that the remaining rules could end early if recent trends in the data continued.

In response to the prime minister’s statement healthcare leaders said that they understood the importance of wanting to return to normal but called for a cautious approach.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said, “It is important to remember that Covid-19 has not gone away. Though cases have fallen significantly in recent weeks and the NHS’s very successful booster campaign has made a massive difference to the numbers of seriously ill patients, the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 remains high by previous standards."

“Any steps to de-escalate our precautionary approach—including ending requirements for self-isolation for positive tests—must be proportionate to the risks.”

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said, “Around 40% of NHS staff absences are due to covid currently, and so removing the self-isolation requirements could bolster capacity significantly at a time when the service is committed to tackling its waiting lists—but we have to be mindful that it could also lead to higher rates of transmission, which could then lead to more admissions into hospital alongside more ill health in the community."

“The government must take a cautious approach as we move onto the endemic stage of covid, be guided by the evidence, engage the NHS appropriately, and be prepared to review its decision if new threats emerge.”

Read full story

Source: BMJ, 9 February 2022

Read more

Government plans new ‘regulatory levers’ to force pace of NHS’s digital uptake

Digital improvement will be added to the conditions which trusts and integrated care systems have to legally meet as part of their operating licence, the government has indicated. 

The move is part of a raft of actions unveiled by the Department of Health and Social Care which are intended to “modernise” the NHS.

The Plan for Digital Health and Social Care states: “At present, there are limited formal mechanisms for overseeing delivery of NHS digital priorities. Digital does not yet feature in the provider licence, system oversight framework, or Care Quality Commission assessments.”

It adds: “We are exploring options for filling this gap in discussions between NHS England and the CQC, and through a review and consultation with system leaders and frontline staff.”

New “regulatory levers” will be used to: “signal that digitisation is a priority, identify the non-negotiable standards of digital capability, [and] explain how we will monitor and support compliance”.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 30 June 2022

Read more

Government plans ‘single set of management standards’ for the NHS

A government review of health and care leadership has recommended a single set of ‘core leadership and management standards’ for NHS managers.

The report by General Sir Gordon Messenger and Dame Linda Pollard calls for “consistent management standards delivered through accredited training”, according to a government statement this morning.

The full document has yet to be published but the statement summarises the findings and says an “institutional inadequacy” has formed in the way leadership and management is trained and developed in the NHS.

It says the report has produced seven recommendations, which have all been accepted in full by the health and social care secretary Sajid Javid, who said they must be taken forward “urgently”.

Among them is a call for a more “effective and consistent” appraisal system to reduce variation in how performance is managed. This is after the review concluded a greater focus was needed on “how people have behaved [and] not just what they have achieved”.

The recommendations do not include any registration system for NHS managers, despite calls from some over many years for more regulation of the roles, nor appear to include specific reform of the “fit and proper person” test, which has been discredited and under review.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 8 June 2022

Read more

Government overseen years of decline in NHS

The government has overseen years of decline in cancer care and non-urgent hospital services in England, MPs say.

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee said services had started deteriorating long before the pandemic. It pointed out key targets had not been met since 2016 and the pandemic had just exacerbated the problems.

But ministers said they were investing extra money and creating more capacity to treat patients, to address the backlog that had now developed.

More than six million people are currently on a hospital waiting list - one in nine of the population - the highest figure on record. This includes people waiting for operations such as knee and hip replacements.

Meanwhile, just two-thirds of urgent cancer patients start treatment within the target time of 62 days. And the number of referrals for cancer care has dropped by between 240,000 and 740,000 since the pandemic started.

The MPs said people would face serious health consequences because of delays in cancer treatment, with some dying earlier.

The government is also accused of failing to recognise staffing the health service remains its biggest problem.

The MPs said the workforce was crippled by shortages and exhausted by two years of the pandemic.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 15 March 2022

Read more
 

Government on track to break Boris Johnson’s ‘40 new hospitals’ promise

The government is on track to break a key election promise from Boris Johnson to build 40 new hospitals in England by the end of the decade, a damning report by the public spending watchdog has found.

Delays to projects mean the target is unlikely to be met, with work on buildings in the second cohort of the scheme yet to have started as of May, according to the National Audit Office.

The approach to achieving objectives at the lowest possible cost could also result in hospitals that are too small, the watchdog warned, as modelling assumptions may be unrealistic about the extent to which care in future will be provided outside hospitals.

The government failed to achieve good value for money, with the scheme having cost £1.1bn by March this year, and progress has been slower than expected, the report concluded.

The claim will ignite concerns that the new hospitals would struggle to cope in the event of another pandemic, given England already has one of the highest rates of hospital bed occupancy among countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 17 July 2023

Read more

Government must allow at home early medical abortions, MPs warn

The government must stop treating women “like children” and permanently allow at home early medical abortions, MPs and health professionals have said.

Abortion rules changed after Covid hit the UK in March 2020, with the government allowing abortion pills to be sent via post to be taken at home after a phone consultation.

The new system - referred to as “telemedicine” - was due to run out on 25 March but the government declared a six-month extension for at home early medical abortions earlier in the month.

MPs are now set to vote on whether to make telemedicine abortion services permanent on Wednesday.

Clare Murphy, chief executive of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), told The Independent: “We welcome the vote. MPs have the opportunity to prevent the recriminalisation of women who use

Stella Creasy, a Labour MP and campaigner for abortion rights, is one of many MPs calling for telemedicine abortion services to be made permanent.

“Despite the best attempts to scare, telemedicine has been shown to be safe, secure and preferable for many patients for a variety of reasons - it’s time to trust women and ensure they can make the right choices for themselves when it comes to their own medical care”, she said.

Read full story

Source: The Independent, 29 March 2022

Read more
 

Government lukewarm on NHS plan to cut covid death risk

Health leaders have called for the routine recording of ethnicity and faith during the registration of deaths to help fight COVID-19, but the government appears to have rejected the idea.

Leaders at West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, the second largest integrated care system in England, wrote to registrar general Abi Tierney last month and said the lack of routine collection and analysis of this data “means there is a structural barrier to understanding of inequalities in mortality”.

The Home Office replied and said it is considering “a range of reliable and proportionate ways to collect the necessary information”. But HSJ understands the Home Office has indicated no immediate action will be taken on the issue.

The letter said: “This absence has undoubtedly led to delays in identifying the inequalities of COVID-19 mortality and means that we remain unclear about the disparities in deaths outside of hospital. These delays have risked contributing to further loss of life in our places in recent weeks, as we have not had robust data to enable us to address impacts at sufficient pace as we have been dealing with this crisis.”

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 8 July 2020

Read more
 

Government launches new portal for care home coronavirus testing

With all care home staff and residents now eligible for testing, with a priority given to those in homes looking after residents over 65 years of age, a new online portal has been launched to streamline the process of arranging coronavirus test kit deliveries.

As national testing capacity continues to increase, the government is prioritising testing for care homes and other areas identified as having the greatest need. As such, across England, all symptomatic and asymptomatic care home staff and residents can be tested for coronavirus.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is working alongside local authority Directors of Public Health, Directors of Adult Social Services and local NHS providers to deliver this testing programme for care homes.

Tens of thousands of care home workers and residents have already been tested, either by Public Health England or at drive through testing sites, mobile testing units and via satellite testing kits – packages of tests sent to care homes for staff to use on residents.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock said: “The additional testing capacity we have achieved delivers many thousands of tests a day for residents and staff in care homes. This new portal allows those who book tests for staff and residents to do so even more easily, and it also offers a route for the prioritisation of care homes with the greatest need."

Read full story

Source: National Health Executive, 12 May 2020

Read more
 

Government launches new mental wellbeing campaign for general public

As part of the UK Government’s efforts to tackle health problems, including mental health, earlier in the cycle, the newly-created Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has launched the latest Better Health – Every Mind Matters campaign to improve the general public’s mental wellbeing.

The new campaign aims to empower members of the general public to look after their mental health through tips and practical advice, helping to find what works for them in reducing stress and anxiety, boosting their mood, sleeping better, and feeling in greater control of their lives.

New research commissioned by OHID revealed nearly half of adults (49%) in England said the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on their mental wellbeing. In the same research, more than a third of all adults in England (34%) said they did not know what to do to improve their mental wellbeing. That equated to 15.1 million people. Younger adults were the most significantly affected group with their mental health, with 57% of 18-34 year olds suggesting the pandemic had negatively impacted their mental health. Just under half (44%) reported not knowing what to do to help improve it.

This is the first campaign delivered by OHID since being officially launched on October 1, 2021. They have been set up with the aim of tackling health inequalities across the country.

Minister for Care and Mental Health, Gillian Keegan, said: “The public showed great resilience throughout the pandemic, but it has served as a stark reminder that we all need to look after ourselves not only physically, but mentally. “There are simple steps we can all be taking to improve our mental wellbeing and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. For anyone who is unsure what they can do, I urge you to visit Every Mind Matters and take advantage of the expert advice and practical tips available to you.”

Claire Murdoch, NHS National Director for Mental Health, added: “The last year has taken its toll on people’s mental health but NHS staff have responded rapidly to treat more people with mental health issues than ever before – rolling out 24/7 crisis lines across the country and mental health support teams in schools during the pandemic. “The NHS is here for you, so if you’re struggling with anxiety and depression our rapidly expanding talking therapy services are available, while anyone who needs urgent help can access our 24/7 NHS crisis lines – available to people of all ages. “I would encourage everyone to look after their mental health, and by answering 5 simple questions, get a tailored ‘mind plan’ which will give you tips to help boost your mood, sleep better and deal with stress and anxiety.”

Over 3.4 million individual Mind Plans have already been created since the campaign was first launched in October 2019.

Original source: National Health Executive

Read more
 

Government launches landmark review of health and social care leadership

The government has launched a review of leadership in health and social care. The review will be led by former Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Gordon Messenger, and will report back to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Sajid Javid, in early 2022.

The Health and Social Care Leadership Review will look to improve processes and strengthen the leadership of health and social care in England. Working with the health and care systems, retired General Sir Gordon Messenger will have a team from DHSC and the NHS to support him led by Dame Linda Pollard, chair of Leeds Teaching Hospital.

The review comes as the government invests a record £36 billion to put health and social care on a sustainable financial footing and deliver the biggest catch-up programme in NHS history. Any recommendations made as the review progresses will be considered carefully and could be rapidly implemented to make every penny of taxpayer’s money count.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid, said:

"I am determined to make sure the NHS and social care delivers for the people of this country for years to come and leadership is so important to that mission.

We are committed to providing the resources health and social care needs but that must come with change for the better.

This review will shine a light on the outstanding leaders in health and social care to drive efficiency and innovation. It will help make sure individuals and families get the care and treatment they need, wherever they are in the country, as we build back better."

Read full story

Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 2 October 2021

Read more
 

Government launches independent review of Physician and Anaesthesia Associate professions

An independent review of Physician Associates (PAs) and Anaesthesia Associates (AAs) has been launched by the Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting today to consider how these roles are deployed across the health system, in order to ensure that patients get the highest standards of care. Professor Gillian Leng CBE will independently lead the review.

The review will look into the safety of these roles, how they support wider health teams, and their place in providing patients with good quality and efficient care. It will also look at how effectively these roles are deployed in the NHS, while offering recommendations on how new roles should work in the future. It will consider the scope of PA and AA roles, which currently include gathering medical histories, performing initial examinations, organising tests to support doctors and reviewing patients before surgery.

To increase transparency in these roles, the review will also look into measures to ensure patients know when they are interacting with PAs or AAs, so they are clear on the type of clinician they are seeing and for what reason. 

The review and next steps will be published in the Spring.

Read full story

Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 20 November 2024

Related reading: Physician associates: What are the patient safety issues? An interview with Asif Qasim

Read more

Government launches consultation on minimum standards for GP autism training

The Government is consulting on a draft code of practice which will ensure health and care staff, including GPs, receive training on learning disabilities and autism ‘appropriate to their role’.

Since July last year, all CQC-registered health and social care providers including GP practices in England have been required to provide training for their staff in learning disability and autism, including how to interact with autistic people and people who have a learning disability.

The legal requirement was introduced by the Health and Care Act 2022, but the Government has now launched a consultation on the Oliver McGowan Code of Practice, which outlines how providers can meet the new requirement.

The BMA’s GP Committee last month said that the Act does not specify a training package or course for staff and that the CQC ‘cannot tell practices specifically how to meet their legal requirements in relation to training’.

The Government’s draft code says that CQC-registered providers must ensure that all staff, regardless of role or level of seniority, have ‘the right attitude and skills to support people with a learning disability and autistic people’ and will need to demonstrate to the CQC how their training meets or exceeds the standards set out in the code.

Read full story

Source: Pulse, 29 June 2023

Read more
 

Government launches call for evidence to improve health and wellbeing of women in England

Women are being encouraged to share their experiences of the health and care system via a call for evidence aimed at improving healthcare for women.

Launching to coincide with International Women’s Day, the call for evidence will form the basis of a landmark government-led Women’s Health Strategy, to improve the health and wellbeing of women across England and place women’s voices at the centre of their care.

By better understanding women’s experiences, the government can ensure key parts of the health service are meeting women’s needs as they should be.

Matt Hancock, Health and Social Care Secretary, said: "The healthcare system needs to work for everyone, and we must address inequalities which exist within it. Improving women’s health, especially at older ages, is critical for a fair health and care system in the future." 

"To build this strategy, we need to hear from those who it directly impacts. I urge all women, and those who have experiences or expertise in women’s health, to come forward and share their views with us to inform the future of this important strategy."

Nadine Dorries, Minister for Women’s Health, said: "Women’s experiences of health care can vary and we want to ensure women are able to access the treatment and services they need. It’s crucial women’s voices are at the front and centre of this strategy so we understand their experiences and how to improve their outcomes."

"I urge every woman, and anyone who cares for women, to feed into this call for evidence and help shape the future of women’s health."

Read press release

Complete survey (consultation closes at 11:45pm on 30 May 2021)

Source: GOV.UK, 6 March

Read more

Government launches call for evidence on men’s health

The government is calling for men of all ages to come forward and feed into England’s first ever men’s health strategy.

The 12-week call for evidence will gather vital insights from the public, health and social care professionals, academics and employers so the government can properly consider how to prevent and tackle the biggest issues facing men from all backgrounds.  

It will ask for their views on what is working and what more needs to be done to close the life expectancy gap between men and women, as men in England die nearly 4 years earlier than women, on average. 

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: 

"Every day, men across England are dying early from preventable causes. Men are hit harder by a range of conditions, while tragically suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 50. 

"Our Plan for Change means we will tackle these issues head on through a men’s health strategy, and today’s call for evidence is the crucial next step in understanding what works, what doesn’t, and how we can design services men will actually use. I urge people to come forward to share their views."

The call for evidence will seek responses on how the government’s Plan for Change can work across the board to improve the health and wellbeing of men, through: 

  • prevention - finding the right areas and the right ways to promote healthier behaviours  
  • diagnosis and treatment - improving outcomes for health conditions that hit men harder
  • encouragement to come forward - improving men’s access to, engagement with and experience of the health service.

Read full story

Source: Gov.UK, 24 April 2025

Related reading on the hub:

 

Read more

Government has no clear plan for NHS England abolition, say MPs

The government is abolishing NHS England without a clear plan for how it will be achieved and how it will benefit frontline care, a cross-party group of MPs has warned.

Ministers announced in March that the body responsible for overseeing the health service in England would go, with its functions brought into the Department of Health and Social Care.

But the Public Accounts Committee said it was concerned about the uncertainty being caused and urged the government to set out a clear plan within the next three months.

The government said the move would eliminate "wasteful duplication" and that detailed planning had started.

Alongside the changes at a national level, the 42 local health boards responsible for planning services are also having to shed around half of their 25,000 staff.

Committee chair and Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said the changes to NHS England and local health boards amounted to a major structural reform.

He said strong decision-making and experienced staff would be vital to manage a period of "huge pressure" for the NHS.

"It has been two months since the government's decision to remove what, up until now, has been seen as a key piece of machinery, without articulating a clear plan for what comes next – and the future for patients and staff remains hazy," he added.

Read full story

Source: BBC News, 14 May 2025

Read more
 

Government guidance continues to put staff and patients at risk from the airborne nature of Covid-19

Fresh Air NHS, Patient Safety Learning and the Safer Healthcare and Biosafety Network are calling for urgent change to the UK government’s guidelines on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which are failing to adequately protect healthcare workers against the airborne nature of the Covid 19 virus.

In March 2020, UK PPE guidance for Covid-19 facing healthcare workers was downgraded, from requiring airborne protection for all staff, to only those in areas where aerosol generating procedures were commonly performed – mainly the ICU. To-date, approximately 1,500 UK health and care workers have died from Covid-19, with non-ICU healthcare workers experiencing far greater risk of infection than their better protected ICU colleagues. It is estimated that a further 122,000 health service workers who contracted Covid-19 are struggling with prolonged symptoms, often referred to as Long Covid.

Commenting on this, Helen Hughes, Chief Executive of Patient Safety Learning, said: “Providing enhanced PPE to everyone working in non-ICU Covid-19 wards would offer much-needed reassurance that our leaders are committed to protecting both patients and staff from avoidable infection and the associated consequences.

“The lack of recognition of the airborne nature of Covid-19 transmission from the UK government puts at risk the safety of healthcare staff, their loved ones and patients. There needs to be an urgent review of the PPE guidance to ensure that it is lawful, evidence-based, reflective of the airborne nature of the Covid-19 virus, and that safety is prioritised.”  

Read full story.

Source: Safer Healthcare and Biosafety Network, 06 July 2021

Read more

Government failed health staff in pandemic, says BMA

The UK government failed in its duty of care to protect doctors and other healthcare staff from avoidable harm and suffering in its management of the covid-19 pandemic, a major review by the BMA has concluded.

Two reports published on 19 May document the experiences of thousands of UK doctors throughout the pandemic, drawing on real time surveys carried out over the past two years, formal testimonies, data, and evidence sessions. The reports will form part of a wider review by the BMA into the government’s handling of the pandemic, with three further instalments to come.

The evidence lays bare the devastating impact of the pandemic on doctors and the NHS, with repeated mistakes, errors of judgment, and failures of government policy amounting to a failure of a duty of care to the workforce, the BMA said.

Chaand Nagpaul, BMA chair of council, said, “A moral duty of government is to protect its own healthcare workers from harm in the course of duty, as they serve and protect the nation’s health. Yet, in reality, doctors were desperately let down by the UK government’s failure to adequately prepare for the pandemic, and their subsequent flawed decision making, with tragic consequences.

“The evidence presented in our reports demonstrates, unequivocally, that the UK government failed in its duty of care to the medical profession.”

Read full story

Source: BMJ, 19 May 2022

Read more

Government examines surge in ‘potentially preventable’ deaths

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) officials are concerned that many more people are dying than expected in recent months – particularly older working-age people – with NHS care delays and interruptions a likely cause.

HSJ understands there is concern and analysis under way across the chief medical officer’s team and in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.

The DHSC told HSJ initial work showed the biggest causes of the “excess deaths” were cardiovascular disease (heart attacks and strokes) and diabetes.

This supports the case they are being caused by a combination of the current very long delays for ambulances and other emergency care, and by people with heart disease and diabetes missing out on routine checks due to Covid and its knock-on effects, HSJ was told.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 17 August 2022

Read more
 

Government does not fully understand risks of relaxing covid infection control

The government has been warned that changes to covid-related infection prevention and control guidance will not enable a ‘rapid’ increase in the NHS’ capacity to tackle the elective care backlog and could pose significant ‘risks’.

Trust leaders have been told they no longer have to segregate patients into separate pathways according to “high”, “medium”, or “low” risk of covid-19 in updated IPC guidance issued by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and UK Health Security Agency.

Following this guidance means the treatment of every patient without symptoms of a respiratory illness will be subject to the same precautions – such as one, rather than two, metre physical distancing. This, in theory, could create more capacity to treat larger numbers of patients.

A subsequent letter from NHS England highlighting the changes said: ”This guidance supports efficient delivery of NHS services to meet wider patient needs, via the return to pre-COVID-19 social distancing and standard IPC measures for patients who do not have infectious respiratory diseases.”

However, NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson told HSJ that many trusts are currently losing between 10 and 20% of their capacity due to “essential” IPC measures, and would not be able to abandon this approach quickly. 

He said: “There is a conception in some people in central government’s minds that by having got this guidance changed, we are now going to see a rapid recovery of activity levels and we’ll be able to more successfully manage the infection risk. That’s what people need to be realistic about – there is a risk here."

Read full story

Source: HSJ, 29 November 2021

Read more

Government ditches ‘700k appointments’ manifesto pledge

The government has admitted that a manifesto pledge was badly designed and is on course to be missed, a year after telling integrated care boards to deliver it.

Labour’s 2024 manifesto said it “will tackle the immediate [dental] crisis with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments”. A year ago, integrated care boards were told to commission their share of the “additional urgent appointments”  to take place during 2025-26.

But this week, NHS England wrote to ICBs saying: “The government has now confirmed that the 700,000 commitment will be broadened with immediate effect to all dental appointments measured through courses of treatment.”

Several sector sources confirmed to HSJ  that the original target was effectively being scrapped.

Speaking at a conference last week, the former NHSE chief dental officer Sara Hurley said: “It’s lovely that [the government] are going to be able to fiddle with, sorry, amend the definition to what the new appointment offering is.”

There has been widespread outcry in recent years because in many areas it is extremely difficult to get NHS dental appointments.

Read full story (paywalled)

Source: HSJ, 2 March 2026

Read more

© 2026 Patient Safety Learning. All rights reserved.

Patient Safety Learning is registered as a charity with the Charity Commission Registration number 1180689.

×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.