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Government dilutes public health priorities to deliver shorter NHS mandate

The government has downgraded the importance of improving public health in its annual ‘mandate’ to the NHS.

‘The government’s 2023 mandate to NHS England’ is noticeably shorter at 18 pages than the previous document from March 2022.

Speaking at the NHS ConfedExpo conference, health secretary Steve Barclay said: “For over a decade, governments have used the mandate to make asks of the system. Sometimes these asks have been excessive, with long documents with many pages full of tests and targets… But what we’ve done this year is make it short and clear… setting out our priorities: Cutting waiting lists; the three recovery plans; tech; and workforce".

All the keystone targets for recovering the elective backlog, emergency care waits and cancer care remain in place.

However, the latest mandate places significantly less emphasis on public health.

For example, one of the five objectives in the 2022 mandate called for the service to “embed a population health management approach within local systems, stepping up action to prevent ill health and tackle health disparities”. It also makes no mention of any vaccination programme.

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Source: HSJ, 15 June 2023

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Government delays regulation for non-surgical cosmetic procedures

The government has rejected an urgent call by MPs to bring in a new licensing regime for non-surgical procedures such as Botox injections, chemical peels, microdermabrasion and non-surgical laser interventions.

Ministers also rejected recommendations by the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee to make dermal fillers available as prescription only substances—as Botox is—and to bring in specific standards for premises that provide non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

The government also rejected several recommendations aimed at tackling obesity—including a dedicated eating disorder strategy, annual health and wellbeing checks for every child and young person, and restrictions on buy-one-get-one free deals for foods and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar.

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Source: BMJ, 2 February 2023

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Government delay could see people miss out on vaccines

Pharmacies are warning people are at risk of not getting the flu jab unless an urgent decision is made over the winter vaccination programme.

The Company Chemists’ Association, which represents large pharmacy groups, told HSJ the government and NHS England need to “urgently” clarify how many people it wants vaccinated for flu this year, as well as making changes to regulations.

An expanded and successful winter vaccine programme is seen as key to avoiding potentially catastrophic demand for hospital beds, with flu demand coinciding with covid-19 surges.

Malcolm Harrison, chief executive, said: “We need decisions made now. We have an ongoing dialogue with NHS England but they seem to be waiting on secretary of state’s decision on which groups need vaccinating. That is something [the health secretary, Matt Hancock] needs to make a decision about very, very soon.”

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Source: HSJ, 10 July 2020

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Government defends medical student number cap

Questions are being asked why the government is sticking to its cap on medical and dentistry places.

A shortage of doctors and other medical staff has been described as the biggest challenge facing the NHS. But the number of places at UK medical schools are capped - in England this year there are 7,500 places.

England's Education Secretary James Cleverly told the BBC that you can't just "flick a switch" to increase the capacity to train more doctors.

Medicine is one of a handful of courses where numbers are limited by the government, because the cost is heavily subsidised.

In 2020 and 2021 the government lifted the cap on numbers, which last year led to more than 10,000 places being accepted. But this year the cap in England is being reintroduced.

Mr Cleverly told the BBC that the nature of highly technical, vocational courses like medicine meant increasing the number of places was far from straightforward.

"To increase those numbers you would also need to increase the capacity in training institutions, both in universities and in hospitals.

"It is not something you can just flick a switch and significantly increase the capacity to train.

"The increases have got to be funded, they are technical and expensive courses and we need to understand the balance of requirements between these courses and other courses that the government is supporting financially."

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Source: BBC News, 18 August 2022

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Government deal for clear face masks to help people with hearing loss

Around 250,000 clear face masks are set to be delivered to frontline NHS and social care workers to allow for better care to be provided to those who use lip-reading and facial expressions to communicate, whilst still ensuring staff and patients remain safe during coronavirus.

The clear face masks will allow for improved communication with people with certain conditions like hearing loss, autism and dementia.

Designed with an anti-fogging barrier to ensure the face and mouth are always visible, the see-through masks will help doctors, nurses and carers get important messages across to all patients clearly.

An estimated 12 million people in the UK are thought to have hearing loss, while those who rely on facial expressions to support communication – such as people with learning disabilities, autism or dementia, or foreign language speakers and their interpreters – will also see benefit from the government deal.

Minister for Care Helen Whately said: “Everyone using our remarkable health and care system deserves the best care possible and communication is a vital part of that."

“This pandemic has posed numerous challenges to the sector, so we are always on the hunt for simple solutions to support those giving and receiving care."

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Source: National Health Executive, 7 September 2020

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Government commits to public repository of consultant details “in principle”

The government has committed “in principle” to creating a public repository of consultants’ practice details that sets out their practising privileges and key performance data, including how many times they have performed a particular procedure and how recently.

The commitment was part of the response to an independent national inquiry, launched in 2017, following the malpractice of rogue surgeon Ian Paterson. Now serving a 20 year prison sentence, Paterson had undertaken numerous unnecessary breast operations in both private and NHS practice, causing harm to hundreds of patients.

The inquiry, published February 2020, found that Paterson was able to harm patients over more than decade because of the “dysfunctional” healthcare system. It outlined 17 recommendations for the government to respond to, mainly focusing on improving oversight and governance, as well as ensuring greater scrutiny of private providers.

At the time, some saw the report as a missed opportunity to tackle the systemic patient safety risks of the private hospital business model, such as financial incentives which can lead to overtreatment.

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Source: BMJ, 17 December 2021

 

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Government censored BAME covid-risk review

The government removed a key section from Public Health England’s review (published Tuesday) of the relative risk of COVID-19 to specific groups, HSJ has discovered.

The review reveals the virus poses a greater risk to those who are older, male and overweight. The risk is also described as “disproportionate” for those with Asian, Caribbean and black ethnicities. It makes no attempt to explain why the risk to BAME groups should be higher.

An earlier draft of the review which was circulated within government last week contained a section which included responses from the 1,000-plus organisations and individuals who supplied evidence to the review. Many of these suggested that discrimination and poorer life chances were playing a part in the increased risk of COVID-19 to those with BAME backgrounds. HSJ understands this section was an annex to the report but could also stand alone.

Typical was the following recommendation from the response by the Muslim Council of Britain, which stated: “With high levels of deaths of BAME healthcare workers, and extensive research showing evidence and feelings of structural racism and discrimination in the NHS, PHE should consider exploring this in more detail, and looking into specific measures to tackle the culture of discrimination and racism. It may also be of value to issue a clear statement from the NHS that this is not acceptable, committing to introducing change.”

One source with knowledge of the review said the section “did not survive contact with Matt Hancock’s office” over the weekend.

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Source: HSJ, 2 June 2020

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Government buys millions of doses of new vaccine amid pandemic fears

The UK Government has secured a contract for more than five million doses of the human H5 influenza vaccine, in an effort to bolster the nation's defences against a potential H5 influenza pandemic. The vaccine, derived from the current H5 avian influenza virus - commonly known as 'bird flu' - will be produced by UK healthcare firm CSL Seqirus UK Limited.

This acquisition is part of ongoing plans to enhance the UK’s access to vaccines for a broader range of potentially pandemic-causing pathogens, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Dr Meera Chand, emerging infection lead at the UKHSA, said it was "important for us to be prepared against a range of different influenza viruses that may pose human health risks", adding: "Early access to vaccines saves lives. Adding H5 vaccines to the interventions already available to us will help us to be ready for a wider range of threats."

The influenza A(H5N1) virus has been causing a prolonged global outbreak, primarily in birds, over the past few years. However, the human H5 influenza vaccine would only be used if this virus began spreading among humans, for which there is currently no evidence, the UKHSA clarified.

It added: "The procurement will strengthen the UK’s preparedness for a H5 influenza-originated pandemic by ensuring that vaccines are immediately available, while a pandemic-specific vaccine is made ready. The UK Government already has an advance purchase agreement for pandemic vaccines if or when they are needed, that would be tailored to combat the specific pandemic flu strain identified at the time."

Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Andrew Gwynne, said: “Together with UKHSA, we are committed to ensuring that the UK is prepared and ready to respond to any current and future health threats. Adding the H5 vaccine to our stockpile is one part of our preparedness plans, improving our readiness to respond to a range of emerging health threats and protecting people’s lives and livelihoods.”

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Source: MSN, 3 December 2024

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Government buys 3.5m tests and promises staff checks ‘online soon’

The government has bought 3.5 million coronavirus antibody tests — with more widespread testing of NHS workers coming “online soon”, the health secretary has said.

Matt Hancock also told a press conference this evening that a new testing facility had been opened in Milton Keynes as the government aims to “ramp up” the number of antibody tests — which will determine whether people have had the virus and can therefore return to work.

Mr Hancock also said the government had shipped 7.5 million pieces of personal protective equipment over the last 24 hours, following major shortages, and confirmed the conversion of east London’s Excel centre into a huge temporary hospital facility, with between 500 to 4,000 beds.

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Source: HSJ, 24 March 2020

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Government blocks ‘blanket’ rule to suspend all staff where safety is at risk

The government has rejected advice from an independent inquiry into the actions of disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson to suspend all healthcare professionals who are suspected of posing a risk to patient safety.

The Department of Health and Social Care today published its response to 15 recommendations from the inquiry, which found Mr Paterson, jailed for 20 years in 2017 for 17 offences of wounding with intent, may have conducted up to 1,000 botched and unnecessary operations over a 14-year period.

Of its 15 recommendations, the DHSC accepts nine in full, five in principle, rejects one entirely and there is another further point which it is keeping under review.

In particular, the inquiry panel members recommended that when a hospital investigates a healthcare professional’s behaviour, including the use of an HR process, any perceived risk to patient safety should result in the suspension of that healthcare professional.

DHSC chiefs said they agree practice exclusions and restriction can be necessary, and in some cases immediate exclusion is an appropriate response while an investigation is ongoing.

But they added: “However, we do not believe it would be fair or proportionate to impose a blanket rule to exclude practitioners in such cases.

“Such a step may inadvertently cause a chilling effect, dissuading healthcare professionals from raising concerns and negatively impacting patient safety.”

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Source: HSJ, 16 December 2021

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Government backs reduction in police response to mental health incidents despite safety warnings

Ministers are backing a potentially “dangerous” new model allowing police to reduce their response to mental health incidents after failing to formally assess the risk of harm or death.

Officials are monitoring any “adverse incomes” from the National Partnership Agreement, which will see police forces stop attending health calls unless there is a safety risk or a crime being committed.

Policing minister Chris Philp said a pilot by Humberside Police gave him confidence in national roll-out, which aims to “make sure that people suffering mental health crisis get a health response and not a police response”.

Mental health charities and experts have warned the plans could be “dangerous”, and a coroner raised the alarm following a woman’s suicide after police failed to respond to her disappearance.

A report published last month said action was needed to prevent future deaths, warning that the new model could “allow each agency to regard such a situation as the other’s responsibility, whilst nobody is on the ground attempting to retrieve a seriously ill patient”.

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Source: The Independent, 26 July 2023

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Government asks NHS to ‘cut core funding’ by £500m

NHS England must find hundreds of millions of pounds in last-minute savings to pay for ongoing covid staff tests, it has been revealed

NHSE chief financial officer Julian Kelly told a meeting of NHS England’s board: “We have been asked to see if we can cut core NHS funding - at the moment that is probably to the tune of £500m.” Mr Kelly said achieving this would likely involve “slowing down” some transformation programmes and ambitions in the Long Term Plan.

He added that rising inflation could add an extra £1bn in financial pressure, telling the board “we’re going to have to look at what that means for our ability to deliver NHS goals in the round.”

It was reported in February that Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Rishi Sunak were at loggerheads over whether the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) should receive additional funding for covid testing on top of the health service’s spending envelope. The row is said to have led to a delay in plans to scrap all remaining virus-related restrictions.

The DHSC reduced its ask for extra cash down from £5bn to an eventual £1.8bn but even this lower sum was rejected by the Treasury, according to reports. This means continuing staff testing will have to paid for out of the existing NHS budget.

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Source: HSJ, 24 March 2022

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Government announces Women's Health Strategy to be renewed

Women across the country will soon benefit from better and more compassionate care as the Women’s Health Strategy is set to be renewed to address longstanding barriers, the government has announced.  

This follows the announcement that menopause questions will be included in the NHS Health Check to better support millions of women.  

The renewed strategy will set out how the government will take the next steps to improve women’s healthcare as part of the 10 Year Health Plan and create a system that listens to women’s experiences and tackles the inequalities they face.  

As part of the renewal, which will be published next year, the government will look to identify specific barriers in access to healthcare and set out concrete action to remove them. 

Opinions from women who contributed to our 10 Year Health Plan consultation - the biggest ever conversation about the future of the NHS - will play a central role in developing this strategy. 

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:   

  • We inherited a broken NHS, and as a result too many women are still subject to a system that doesn’t listen to their experiences or understand their needs.  
  • Whether it’s being passed from one specialist to another for conditions like endometriosis or PCOS, the lack of proper pain relief during procedures, or unacceptable gynaecology waiting lists - it’s clear the system is failing women, and it shouldn’t be happening. 
  • Our renewed strategy will set out our longer-term vision so every woman gets the healthcare she deserves, when she needs it. We’re determined to build an NHS in which women can feel safe and can trust.

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Source: Department of Health and Social Care, 23 October 2025

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Government announces lifetime support for infected blood scandal victims


Victims of the infected blood scandal can receive support for life, while those who were subjected to “unethical” research will get up to £15,000 extra, under changes to a multibillion-pound compensation plan.

Payouts under the scheme will start by the end of the year for survivors, and by next year for affected people such as family members under a second set of regulations. Claims for those who have already died – of which there are more than 3,000 – because of the disaster can be made through their estate.

Support scheme payments – including for bereaved partners – will continue for life as part of the plan, the Government said, as it announced it had accepted the “majority” of recommendations from an independent review.

Victims who were used for research without their knowledge will also be eligible for an extra £10,000, with a higher award of £15,000 for those who underwent treatment as children in a notorious case at Lord Mayor’s Treloar’s College.

Infected people – both living and dead – will start receiving payments through the new framework by the end of this year, while for others affected by the scandal, payments will begin in 2025, the Cabinet Office said on Friday.

It comes after senior barrister and interim chairman of the compensation authority Sir Robert Francis KC made 74 proposals to address concerns with the current compensation plans.

These included an enhanced award for those involved in a “particularly egregious” case of unethical testing at the Treloar school and an increase in the “social impact” payment for some of those affected. Pupils at the college were treated for haemophilia using plasma blood products infected with HIV and hepatitis, and NHS clinicians continued with treatments to further their medical research despite knowing the dangers, the Infected Blood Inquiry found.

Jason Evans, who set up the Factor 8 campaign group after losing his father to the scandal aged four, said: “Compensation for those impacted by the infected blood scandal has taken far too long and too many have died waiting.

“Today, the picture of what compensation might look like has become clearer, and now it must be delivered.”

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Source: Medscape, 16 August 2024

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Government announces crackdown on racist and antisemitic doctors in NHS

The Government is poised to introduce sweeping reforms aimed at making it significantly easier to dismiss doctors found to have engaged in racist or antisemitic conduct.

The move, described as the biggest overhaul of the General Medical Council (GMC) in four decades, comes amid growing concerns over a perceived lack of swift action against medical professionals using discriminatory language.

The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a consultation on legislative changes, citing "too many" recent instances of doctors, particularly on social media, using racist and antisemitic language without adequate regulatory response.

The proposed reforms stem from a rapid review conducted by Lord Mann, commissioned last November to investigate antisemitism and other forms of racism within the health service.

Among the initial recommendations from Lord Mann's review, which the government plans to consult on, are new powers for the GMC to challenge decisions made by the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS).

Additionally, the Professional Standards Authority, which oversees all health regulators, will be granted enhanced powers to scrutinise and contest such decisions.

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Source: The Independent, 24 March 2026

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Government ambassador warns abortion is ‘fundamental’ part of healthcare

Abortion access is a “fundamental” part of women’s healthcare the government’s women’s health ambassador has warned.

Dame Lesley Regan, who was appointed as Women’s Health Ambassador by the Government in July, has said in answer to questions from The Independent about the voting records of ministers: “I think it’s really important that we never ever get complacent about freedom of choice.

“Now what my view is about whether abortion is good or bad is really irrelevant. My job is to tell the Prime Minister if he’ll listen and the Secretary of State that it [abortion] is an absolutely fundamental part of women’s healthcare."

“Because I’ve done so much work overseas during my career, what I know is that if you make it difficult to access, or you make it illegal, the problem doesn’t go away but women die as a result.”

Her comments come after it was revealed this week that the prime minister and senior members of his government have voted against boosting access to abortions or have opted out of key votes.

More than a third of the government’s current cabinet voted against early medical abortion at-home measures rolled out in the wake of the pandemic being made permanent.

The Department for Health and Social Care’s minister for women, Maria Caufield, who has been granted responsibility for abortion care, has previously voted to curtail access rights.

Earlier this year The Independent revealed women seeking abortions in the UK are having to travel hundreds of miles to access care as “untenable” waiting times put unsustainable pressure on services.

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Source: The Independent, 8 November 2022

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Government alert over surge in respiratory virus affecting babies and toddlers

The chief medical officers of the four UK nations are set to warn about a surge in admissions of severely ill, very young children later this year, due to the resurgence of a respiratory virus which has been suppressed by anti-covid measures, HSJ can reveal.

Public Health England modelling shows a possible sharp rise in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which can cause bronchiolitis, this autumn and winter, several senior sources said. The modelling shows between 20 and 50% more cases needing hospitalisation than normal, HSJ understands.

Official projections conclude that such a surge would require, at least, a doubling of paediatric intenstive care beds and a significant increase in other critlcal care resources for sick children. 

Most of those expected to be affected by the rise in RSV are forecast to be three years old or younger.

The UK’s four chief medical officers are considering the issue and planning to write to ministers to highlight it, the sources said, while NHS England is working on a response plan, and is expected to alert local NHS leaders. 

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Source: HSJ, 14 May 2021

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Government aims to boost NHS with thousands more doctors and nurses

Thousands more doctors and nurses will be trained in England every year as part of a government push to plug the huge workforce gaps that plague almost all NHS services.

The number of places in medical schools will rise from 7,500 to 10,000 by 2028 and could reach 15,000 by 2031 as a result of the NHS’s first long-term workforce plan.

There will also be a big expansion in training places for those who want to become nurses, with the number rising by a third to 40,000 by 2028 – matching the number of nurses the health service currently lacks.

Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, hailed the long-awaited plan as “a once in a generation opportunity to put staffing on a sustainable footing for years to come”.

Medical groups, health experts and organisations representing NHS staff welcomed the plan as ambitious but overdue. Richard Murray, chief executive of the King’s Fund thinktank, said it could be a “landmark moment” for the health service by providing it with the staff it needs to provide proper care.

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Source: The Guardian, 29 June 2023

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Government acts after claims covid deaths of disabled people are being 'ignored'

Deaths of those with learning disabilities and autism fromCOVID-19 are to be analysed by Public Health England (PHE), HSJ can reveal.

Several senior sources have confirmed PHE has put together a group, which includes independent experts, to analyse mortality data. They had previously not been included in the government’s inquiry into the over-representation of some groups among covid fatalities.

The news comes amid mounting concerns from major charities over the of lack transparency in data collected centrally on the deaths of people from these these groups during the pandemic. 

In a letter yesterday , seen by HSJ, Labour’s shadow secretary for social care Liz Kendall, urged Department of Health and Social Care minister Helen Whately to publish data on deaths reported to the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review Programme (LeDer).

Earlier this week NHS England and NHS Improvement told HSJ the weekly data it is receiving from the national learning disability morality review programme (LeDer) on suspected and confirmed deaths of those with learning disabilities and autism from COVID-19 would not be published until next year.

In her letter Ms Liz Kendall said the Government should “immediately” release the deaths notifications being provided by LeDer along with a “retrospective” analysis from the beginning of the pandemic.

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Source: HSJ, 7 May 2020

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Government accused of misleading claim on health hubs

Most integrated care systems lack a women’s health hub offering full services — contrary to government claims — according to research seen by HSJ.

In spring last year, the government and NHS England said all systems were expected to have at least one operational women’s health hub in place by the end of December 2024. They were required to provide clinical support and consultations/triaging in eight “core” services.

Health minister Karin Smyth told Parliament at the start of this year the objective had been met in 39 out of 42 integrated care systems.

But research by the Menstrual Health Coalition found only 14 integrated care boards had established hubs offering all eight core services, as required. The services are: menstrual problems assessment and treatment; menopause assessment and treatment; contraceptive counselling and provision of all methods; preconception care; breast pain assessment; pessary fitting and removal; cervical screening; and screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and HIV.

The coalition, an alliance of patient and advocate groups, collected information from all ICBs between October and December.

Its co-chair Anne Connolly, a GP specialising in gynaecology, said: “Our findings challenge the narrative that women’s health hubs have been successfully implemented nationwide.

“While figures suggest that hubs are in place, the reality is that many do not provide the full range of services women were promised… There is now an urgent need for transparency alongside the rollout of women’s health services, particularly as the current funding is short term and lacks the necessary commitment to future-proofing these services.”

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Source: HSJ, 30 April 2025

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Government accused of 'sitting on' delayed report into learning disabled deaths

The Health Secretary is under mounting pressure to release a long-delayed report into the deaths of learning disabled and autistic people in England.

The Department of Health and Social Care is being accused of “dragging their feet” and “sitting on” the findings by Parliamentarians and disability campaigners, who describe the delay as “appalling”.

The Learning from Lives and Deaths report, known as LeDeR, is an annual investigation into the deaths of every adult with a learning disability and autism with the aim of preventing future deaths.

The unpublished report relates to deaths in 2023 and was due to be released last year.

ITV News has learnt the report was submitted by King's College and handed to NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care last December.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Scriven, who has spoken to ITV News about the death of his nephew, who was learning disabled and autistic, has submitted two urgent questions to the government seeking an explanation for the delay.

He is yet to receive a response.

“The LeDeR report has experienced an unacceptable delay in its release,” he told ITV News.

“The extended wait for the LeDeR report's publication raises important questions. It suggests either that the report contains findings which are challenging for the Government and healthcare system or that the preventable deaths of people with learning disabilities are not being given the priority they deserve by those at the top of Government.

“Like many, I am keen to see this report made public. I am calling for the immediate publication of the LeDeR report and would welcome an explanation from Wes Streeting regarding the ongoing delays.“

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Source: ITV News, 16 July 2025

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Government abandons commitment to hit cancer, mental health and A&E targets

The government cannot commit to meeting national cancer, A&E, diagnostic, mental health and ambulance waiting time targets by the end of this Parliament, Wes Streeting has told HSJ.

The health and social care secretary made the admission in an interview in which he also questioned the wisdom of creating NHS England and pledged to support controversial service cuts.

Prime minister Keir Starmer has confirmed his intention to hit the 18 week elective waiting time target by 2029, but government has given mixed messages on whether it would do the same for the other constitutional standards — which have largely gone unmet for about a decade.

He said: “I can’t say hand on heart I will definitely deliver those targets over the course of the Parliament. Or that it would be fair to set that expectation on NHS leaders.”

However, Mr Streeting added: “The constitutional standards matter. They are there for a reason and I know the frustration the public feel about the NHS not being there for them when they need it is also felt acutely by staff, who are confronted with the grim reality of what that means for patients.”

NHS England and the Department of Health and Social Care yesterday revealed they would shrink their organisations, and consider more joint working. 

He said although he would not legally scrap NHSE, there would be more change to “eliminate waste and duplication” across the two and on “clarifying roles and responsibilities in the coming months”.

“As far as I’m concerned, the [department] is responsible for policy and strategy… and we drive improvement through the delivery organisation which is NHS England.”

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Source: HSJ, 31 January 2025

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Government ‘manager bashing’ to hide Conservative failings on NHS, says Confed chief

Ministers, including the health and social care secretary, are bashing managers and exploiting the culture wars to try to ‘explain away’ the crisis in the NHS instead of facing up to the problems that 12 years of Conservative-led government have created, NHS Confederation chief executive Matthew Taylor has told HSJ.

During a wide-ranging and exclusive interview with HSJ, MatthewTaylor also raised concerns about the Messenger review and called on local system leaders to speak out if they thought NHS England was setting unrealistic financial targets

The Confed CEO told HSJ: “When you’ve been in government 12 years, to acknowledge the scale of the problems which now exist, problems which clearly reflect decisions made across those 12 years, is a hard thing to do politically.

“If you can’t recognise that the fundamental reasons [underpinning why] we face this yawning capacity gap are to do with, particularly, the decade of austerity, but [also] other failings to address capacity issues like workforce and capital, then you have to look for other culprits and you end up manager bashing and talking about wokery, because it becomes a way to explain away the reality that the patients and the public see.”

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Source: HSJ, 14 June 2022

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Government ‘dithering’ on regulating ‘dangerous rise’ in physician associates has 'harmed patients'

The government ignored expert warnings to regulate physician associates (PAs) for more than two decades and now patients have come to harm, doctors have said.

A leading doctors’ union blamed the “dithering of successive governments” for the “extremely dangerous” increase in PAs carrying out doctors’ duties.

Jeremy Hunt, then health secretary, told a House of Lords committee in 2016 that the government was “committed to introducing legislation for regulatory reform” and it was “a question of finding a parliamentary slot”, citing Brexit debates as a cause of the delay.

Seven years, two consultations and at least two deaths later, regulation of PAs is still a year away, following a series of delays that the Faculty of Physician Associates itself has called “disappointing”.

Dr Matt Kneale, co-chair of the Doctors’ Association UK, told The Telegraph the lack of regulation “poses a significant risk to both patient safety and the overall standard of care within the NHS”.
He said supervising doctors taking on the accountability for PA was not a “tenable long-term solution”.

“Regulation could and should have been introduced earlier to prevent instances of patient harm. The lack of action for over two decades is concerning and requires urgent action,” he added.

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Source: The Telegraph, 14 October 2023

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Government 'destroying lives' by ignoring review recommendations on vaginal mesh and harmful medicines, campaigners warn

Campaigners found to have been harmed by medical products have written to the health secretary warning that government inaction is "causing pain and destroying lives" by ignoring review recommendations.

Some 18 months ago, an independent review recommended financial help for people damaged by some products and drugs that had been prescribed by UK doctors.

The government - which set up the Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review in the first place - has chosen to ignore several of its recommendations.

Alleged victims of vaginal mesh, and the drugs valproate and Primodos, have written to Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Maria Caulfield to say they feel ignored.

The letter states: "Our members gave evidence to the two-year-long review, sometimes travelling long distances, often with disabilities."

"Families shared intimate details of their medical problems, their daily struggles, their difficulties parenting, sometimes even their sex lives. The panel, led by Baroness Cumberlege, was set up by the government to listen, assess and direct policy towards the best course of action.
 
"What was the point of this exercise and the hard work of the panel, if their key recommendations are then ignored by the government?"

In the letter, campaigners say: "The decision not to offer an agency for redress (Cumberlege recommendation 3) means that the review has lost its teeth."

"Still, no one is facing consequences of medical failures other than the patients. At a time when the public is being asked to put its faith in vaccines, this is a bad look for the government."

Kath Sansom, of the campaign group Sling the Mesh, said: "Women must dutifully accept their health has been irreversibly shattered by a medical product they were told was safe, some now needing a disabled blue badge, and they must put up and shut up."

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Source: Sky News, 17 February 2022

MeshPrimodosSodiumValproate_LettertoMariaCaulfield_170222.pdf

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