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Fertility treatment triggers suicidal thoughts in nearly half of patients

One in 10 patients undergoing fertility treatment experience suicidal thoughts “all the time”, a survey suggests.

Fertility Network UK, which carried out the poll, said the findings reveal the “far-reaching trauma” of experiencing infertility and undergoing IVF in the UK.

Four in 10 respondents - 98% of whom were women - said they had experienced suicidal feelings.

Gwenda Burns, chief executive of Fertility Network UK, said: “Fertility patients encounter a perfect storm: not being able to have the child you long for is emotionally devastating.

"But then many fertility patients face a series of other hurdles, including potentially paying financially crippling amounts of money for their necessary medical treatment, having their career damaged, not getting information from their GP, experiencing their relationships deteriorate, and being unable to access the mental support they need."

“This is unacceptable. Infertility is a disease and is as deserving of medical help and support as any other clinical condition.”

Three in four patients said their GP did not provide sufficient information about fertility problems and treatment.

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Source: The Telegraph, 31 October 2022

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Fertility clinics must stop unproven treatments, watchdog warns

Both NHS and private fertility clinics must stop offering unproven treatments that don't help people have children, new official guidelines say.

The draft guidance advises against several popular fertility "add-ons", including so-called endometrial scratches.

These add-ons can "give false hope and put people through unnecessary procedures at an already difficult time", experts at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) say.

They also recommend fertility preservation services such as egg freezing should be more widely available, including to women with severe, recurrent endometriosis.

The guideline committee considered a recent survey by the fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which showed almost three-quarters of people who had had fertility treatment between September and October 2024 had said they were using additional tests or emerging technologies, despite most not being proven to work.

And only 37% of those questioned said the risks of any add-ons had been explained.

The updated draft guidance specifically advises against:

  • intracytoplasmic sperm injection, external (ICSI) for men with healthy semen – where a sperm is directly injected into an egg in a laboratory
  • endometrial scratch – where the lining of the womb is "scratched" with a small sterile plastic tube before IVF
  • hysteroscopy - a fine telescope like instrument is used to visualise the womb, as a pre-treatment to improve IVF outcomes
  • tests on the lining of the womb called endometrial receptivity testing, external, as a suggested add-on before embryo transfer

The guidance says patients must be given all the information necessary about treatments, including how likely they are to be successful and the risks and benefits involved.

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Source: BBC News, 10 September 2025

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Female surgeons sexually assaulted while operating

Female surgeons say they are being sexually harassed, assaulted and in some cases raped by colleagues, a major analysis of NHS staff has found.

The Royal College of Surgeons said the findings were "truly shocking".

Sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape have been referred to as surgery's open secret.

There is an untold story of women being fondled inside their scrubs, of male surgeons wiping their brow on their breasts and men rubbing erections against female staff. Some have been offered career opportunities for sex.

Nearly two-thirds of women surgeons that responded to the researchers said they had been the target of sexual harassment and a third had been sexually assaulted by colleagues in the past five years.

Women say they fear reporting incidents will damage their careers and they lack confidence the NHS will take action.

It is widely accepted there is a culture of silence around such behaviour. Surgical training relies on learning from senior colleagues in the operating theatre and women have told us it is risky to speak out about those who have power and influence over their future careers.

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Source: BBC News, 12 September 2023

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Female heart attack victims half as likely as men to receive treatment

Women are half as likely as men to receive treatment for a heart attack – even after it has been diagnosed, research shows.

Experts warned that "unconscious bias" means doctors are far less likely to think that female patients are suitable for interventions which can save lives. It follows evidence that 8,000 women have died needlessly from heart attacks in the last decade because they have not received the same standards of care as men.

Some of the death toll was blamed on a failure to diagnose cases in women, with medics too often assuming symptoms signified a less serious ailment. But the new study by Edinburgh University found that even when women received a diagnosis, they were half as likely as men to be put on any of the main treatments available. 

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Source: The Telegraph, 14 October 2019

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Female doctors launch campaign against harassment in UK healthcare

Female doctors have launched an online campaign that they say exposes shocking gender-based discrimination, harassment and sexual assault in healthcare.

Surviving in Scrubs is an issue for all healthcare workers, say the campaign’s founders, Becky Cox and Chelcie Jewitt, who are encouraging women to share stories of harassment and abuse to “push for change and to reach the people in power”.

The campaign has called for the General Medical Council (GMC), which regulates doctors, to explicitly denounce sexist and misogynistic behaviour towards female colleagues and “treat them with respect”.

More than 40 stories have been shared on the campaign’s website, ranging from sexual harassment by patients to inappropriate remarks and sexual advances from supervisors.

The campaign is bolstered by evidence that shows 91% of female respondents had experienced sexism at work within the past two years. The findings are a result of nearly 2,500 surveyed doctors working in the NHS – the majority of whom were women – published in a 2021 report by the British Medical Association (BMA).

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Source: The Guardian, 11 July 2022

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Female CEOs say ambulance service culture ‘deeply wrong’

The only two female ambulance chief executives in the country have said there is something ‘deeply wrong’ with the culture in ambulance services.

Helen Ray, the chief executive of the North East Ambulance Service Foundation Trust, said women working in the ambulance service “accept [inappropriate] banter, they accept sexualised behaviour from their male colleagues, and from patients, and they think it is okay”.

She stressed “it is absolutely not [okay]” and said women must be given “safe spaces for talking and speaking up about that”.

“There is something deeply wrong with the culture in the ambulance service”, she told the NHS Confederation’s Health and Care Women Leaders Network event on Tuesday.

Siobhan Melia, interim chief executive of South East Coast Ambulance Service, said when she joined the trust four months ago on secondment from Sussex Community FT, it felt like she had “landed on a different planet”.

Ms Melia said it was a culture “not like any other part of the NHS”.

“The gender pay gap in my organisation is significant, so we see men in senior roles are taking it upon themselves to abuse their power, [with] both female students and female lower graded staff.”

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Source: HSJ, 10 November 2022

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Female ambulance staff subjected to ‘macho and sexualised’ culture

A ‘macho’ culture within ambulance trusts is leading to widespread abuse of female staff.

HSJ has been told of multiple cases including sexual misconduct, harassment or abuse against staff in the last two and a half years. These include:

  • women being told that giving sexual favours would help them get on to paramedic training
  • a woman who was told she would pass her driving course if she gave oral sex to a superior
  • a student on placement who could not take off her jacket without comments being passed on her breasts, and therefore would wear it even on the hottest days
  • a student given a lift by her supervisor who then proceeded to rub his hands up and down her legs during the journey.

In a freedom of information request, the 10 ambulance trusts in England were asked for the number of incidents in which allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment or abuse had been made against staff.

The trusts reported 221 cases since April 2019, of which at least 27 resulted in dismissal and at least 44 resulted in other disciplinary action, with some cases still under investigation.

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Source: HSJ, 7 December 2021

 

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Feeling the strain: UK GPs the least satisfied with amount of time they have with patients

Just 1 in 4 UK GPs are satisfied with time they are able to spend with patients – appointment times are among the shortest of 11 countries surveyed.

A report published today by the Health Foundation paints a picture of high stress and low satisfaction with workload among UK GPs. The report is an analysis of an international survey of GPs from 11 high-income countries, including 1,001 UK GPs, undertaken by the Commonwealth Fund in 2019.

Among 11 high-income countries included in the study, only France has lower levels of overall satisfaction with practising medicine, and only Sweden reported higher levels of stress. Over half of UK GPs (60%) say they find their job 'extremely' or 'very' stressful, and almost half (49%) plan to reduce their weekly hours in the next three years.

UK GPs also reported significantly shorter appointment lengths than their international colleagues. The average length of a GP appointment in the UK is 11 minutes, compared with a 19 minute average appointment for GP and primary care physicians in the other countries surveyed. 

Dr Rebecca Fisher, one of the Health Foundation report's authors and a practising GP, says: "These findings illustrate the pressures faced by general practice, and the strain that GPs are under. Right now the health system is in unprecedented territory and mobilising to meet the challenge of Covid-19. This survey shows that over the long term we need concerted action to stabilise general practice. Despite performing strongly in some aspects of care, many GPs consider that appointments are simply too short to fully meet the needs of patients. Too many GPs are highly stressed and overburdened – to the point of wanting to leave the profession altogether."

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Source: The Health Foundation, 5 March 2020

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Federal guidelines now include at-home test to check for cervical cancer

The Department of Health and Human Services announced updated cervical cancer screening guidelines on Monday, allowing American women to perform tests for human papillomavirus at home for the first time.

The recommendations allow women between the ages of 30 and 65 with an average risk for cervical cancer to test themselves for the virus, also known as HPV, which is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. and causes deadly cervical cancer.

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Source: Independent, 5 January 2026

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Febrile seizures: Health bodies called to take action to prevent child deaths

An inquest report into the death of a young boy who died at home in his sleep has called for health bodies to take action to prevent further deaths.

Louis Rogers' death was initially categorised as Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC) but the report recorded febrile seizures contributed.

The recommendations include:

  • A greater emphasis on medical education, research and public information for sudden unexpected deaths associated with febrile seizures
  • Referrals for assessment of febrile seizures should be undertaken earlier to exclude more severe underlying illnesses
  • The NHS website and pamphlet given to parents and guardians following a child's febrile seizure should be updated to help assist them in picking up potential early indicators of a more severe illness
  • "Robust national guidance" and education should be given to GPs so that timely referrals could be made
  • A checklist should be provided for health practitioners so that a child was not given a misdiagnosis of a febrile seizure
  • Records of all contact with health practitioners - including GPs and paramedics - should be available for all

The recommendations were made to six health authorities: Royal College of Paediatricians, Joint Royal Colleges Ambulance Liaison Committee, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), Royal College of General Practice, Royal College of Emergency Medicine and NHS England.

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Source: BBC News, 29 March 2023

 

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Fears some ambulances 'left Covid patients at home'

Some seriously ill COVID-19 patients in London may not have been taken to hospital by ambulance because of a system temporarily used to assess people, a BBC investigation suggests.

Patients could have "become very sick or died at home" instead, a paramedic claimed.

One family said they had to plead to get hospital care.

Medical professionals use 'NEWS2', as one way of identifying patients at risk of deteriorating, a check normally used for sepsis patients. Under normal circumstances, ambulance teams would blue-light anyone with a score of five or above to hospital.

But on 18 March, LAS workers were told to apply the NEWS2 check to suspected Covid patients and that many of those with a score up to seven could be "suitable for community care", even if there were issues with breathing rate, oxygen supply and consciousness.

But one paramedic, who wanted to remain anonymous because she did not have permission to speak to the media, said she believed that as a result of the NEWS2 advice, crews went to patients "who may have been seen by ambulance before and then suddenly became very sick or even just dropped dead."

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Source: BBC News, 23 April 2020

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Fears over patient safety as Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust looks to axe 600 jobs

Fears over patient safety have been raised after it was revealed that 600 jobs will be lost at hospitals in parts of Essex to save money.

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust - which runs Southend, Basildon, Broomfield, St Peter's in Maldon and Braintree hospitals - is facing a £91m pound black hole in it's budget and said that "reducing headcount" would be necessary.

The trust is one of the largest acute trusts in the country and employs 16,000 members of staff. It has a budget of around £1bn each year. Bosses said in a letter to staff that "all posts" must be reviewed, "including clinical roles". All current vacancies are being reviewed and no vacancies will be approved until that process is complete, they add.

The news has been criticised by campaign groups and union bosses, who say that patients could be put at risk. UNISON Eastern regional organiser Sam Older said: "This vacancy freeze will ring alarm bells for already overworked staff. These 600 posts weren't created for the hell of it - they are there to provide healthcare to 1.2 million people in Essex. The trust was already struggling with rising demand. Slashing staff numbers, cancelling bank shifts and long waits to fill vacancies is only going to make this worse. And there's a clear risk that cutbacks will pose a threat to patient safety if staffing levels fall too low."

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Source: ITV, 27 April 2024

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Fears over patient safety amid plans to ‘water down’ training for nurses

Health leaders have warned the public may be at more risk amid plans to simplify nursing training across the UK. Nursing leaders have also come out in opposition of the proposals by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) saying bosses could not be sure that the nurses they hired would have the skills required to care patients' safely.

Matthew Winn, chief executive of Cambridgeshire Community Services Trust, said "The changes being proposed by the Nursing and Midwifery Council will lead to a watering down of the educational and training standards of these specialist professionals. If courses are developed unilaterally by universities, as an employer I will have no idea if the district nurse is competent to undertake the role I am recruiting them to do.”

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Source: The Independent, 08 August 2021

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Fears over NHS plan to close all local ambulance stations in London

NHS bosses plan to shut every local ambulance station in London, prompting fears that patients could be harmed if 999 crews take longer to reach them, the Guardian can reveal.

The London ambulance service (LAS) has started a controversial programme to close all 68 ambulance stations and replace them with 18 new “ambulance deployment centres” or “hubs”.

A patient group has criticised the plan as “dangerous” and MPs are worried that having fewer ambulance stations around the capital could mean patients wait longer to get to hospital.

“This move to shut every ambulance station in London could cause significant harm to patients because of the delays that will take place in getting to them,” said Malcolm Alexander, the chair of the LAS Patients’ Forum, a non-statutory watchdog, and Hackney Healthwatch, a government-funded statutory body that scrutinises NHS services in the east London borough.

“We have come across many situations where people have suffered harm because ambulances have taken too long to get there. It looks like this is quite dangerous from the point of view of patient safety.”

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Source: The Guardian, 25 September 2021

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Fears of two-tier health system as more turn to private care, says watchdog

A two-tier health system is emerging with people increasingly paying for tests and treatments on the private sector to beat NHS waits, a patient watchdog is warning.

Healthwatch England said feedback from patients combined with polling suggested use of the private sector is on the rise, with long NHS waits said to be a key factor.

Private sector providers said alongside rises in people paying for treatment, some were also using the private sector to get scans and tests done before returning to the NHS, with their results, in a bid to get seen quicker.

The government said it is making improvements, adding it is determined to reduce the delays that meant some felt the need to pay fore care.

The survey of nearly 2,600 people in England found 16% of people had used the private sector in the past year, up from 9% two years previously. Four in 10 of those that had paid for care cited long NHS waits.

Healthwatch England, which also analysed 390,000 pieces of feedback from the public over the past three years to draw up its conclusions, said the government had to do more to improve waiting times.

It said the NHS should also provide more information to patients while they wait, to reassure them about when they might be seen, as well as helping them manage any symptoms.

Currently nearly four in 10 people wait longer than the target time of 18 weeks for hospital treatment.

Figures from the Private Healthcare Information Network show nearly 950,000 operations and treatments were carried out in the private sector last year in the UK.

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Source: BBC News, 16 March 2026

 

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Fears of side-effects fuel reluctance to get Covid jabs, survey finds

Most people who are reluctant to be vaccinated against Covid are worried about side-effects and whether the vaccines have been adequately tested, a survey in 15 countries has shown.

Other reasons cited in the survey of 68,000 people, led by Imperial College London’s Institute of Global Health Innovation in collaboration with YouGov, were the uncertainty that people would not get the vaccine they preferred and worries about efficacy.

The survey was carried out in Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Excluding eligibility, the top reasons for not having the vaccine across all 15 countries surveyed were “concerns about side effects” and/or “concerns that there has not been enough testing of vaccines”.

Trust in vaccines was highest in the UK, at 87%, and lowest in Japan, at 47%. The UK respondents also had the highest level of confidence in their health authorities (70%), while South Korea had the lowest (42%).

Among those who had not yet been vaccinated, confidence was highest in the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in nine out of the 15 countries, and in three others – Canada, Singapore and Sweden – among those under 65.

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Source: The Guardian, 4 June 2021

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Fears of Long Covid crisis as demand for rehabilitation services surges

Health officials are calling for urgent intervention from the government to meet the steep surge in demand for occupational therapy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to healthcare professionals from both the NHS and the private care system, demand for occupational-therapy-led rehabilitation services in Britain has increased by a staggering 82 per cent over the past six months alone.

Swelling pressure on already “overloaded” rehabilitation services has stirred up stark warnings from members of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), who say the level of demand for the service they provide “isn’t sustainable” as there isn’t a large enough workforce to meet the need.

A revealing survey carried out by the college has raised grave questions about the prospect of providing timely rehabilitation for people recovering from short and long-term illnesses who need urgent support to enable them to carry out their daily activities.

The survey of of 550 occupational therapists working in the UK found that 84 per cent are now supporting people whose needs have become more complex because of delays in treatment brought about by the pandemic.

As a result of this, coupled with a wider increase in the number of people requiring help, 71 per cent of the RCOT’s respondents felt there were not enough occupational therapists to meet the demand.

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Source: The Independent, 22 May 2022

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Fears of fast spread of XEC Covid strain after many haven’t had vaccines in long time

The new Covid XEC variant could spread rapidly through the population as many people have not been vaccinated in a long time, an expert has warned.

Scientists believe the XEC variant will become the dominant Covid strain over the next few months, with a few mutations which may help it spread through autumn.

The variant, which derived from the omicron variant, is likely to take off in the next few weeks as it spreads through Europe after being first detected in Berlin in June.

An immunologist has told the The Independent that due to “reduced levels of  protective neutralising antibodies”, the XEC variant could sweep through the UK at a rapid rate.

Professor Sheena Cruickshank, an immunology expert at the University of Manchester, says protection may be lower for much of the population, after a long time without being vaccinated.

There is no indication that any further restrictions will need to be introduced “at this stage”, says Prof Cruickshank.

But preventative measures are vital in further reducing the need for future restrictions.

Track and trace, good ventilation, masks in clinical settings and paid-for vaccines for those who aren’t eligible for a free booster, would all help secure the UK’s health security.

“We have learned from the inquiry so far what not to do,” Prof Cruickshank said.

“Hopefully they will look at that, and learn and consider measures like track and trace or ventilation etc, to reduce the risk of the country needing to shut down.”

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Source: The Independent, 22 September 2024

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Fears of broader maternal care deserts as US states push to ban abortion

Louisiana is fighting to become a leader in the race to criminalise doctors who allegedly provide abortions, since the US supreme court ended federal abortion protections.

In doing so, the state may also become an example of how abortion bans could worsen maternal health in America, as criminal penalties across the US redefine where and how doctors are willing to practice.

In turn, that is likely to worsen a leading reason some states are more dangerous places to give birth – lack of hospitals, birthing centres and obstetricians.

“It should be no surprise that in a lot of the states where there’s a [trigger ban], there’s a strong correlation [with maternity care deserts],” said Stacey Stewart, president and chief executive of the March of Dimes, an organization that advocates for maternal and infant health and is strictly neutral on abortion.

Many of the same states hostile to abortion have also pursued intersecting policies that can worsen health overall for residents, such as refusal to expand a public health health insurance program for the poor, called Medicaid.

Now, the severe criminal penalties and extraordinary civil liability doctors are exposed to under such anti-abortion statutes could become fundamental to how and where healthcare providers decide to practice.

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Source: The Guardian, 8 July 2022

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Fears of 'two-tier' system as NHS waiting lists prompt more people to go private

Concerns are growing that long NHS waiting times caused by the coronavirus crisis are exacerbating pre-existing health inequalities and creating a “two-tier” system, as more people turn to the private sector for quicker treatment.

As leading doctors warn mass cancellations of NHS operations in England are inevitable this winter after waiting times reached the highest levels on record this summer, data shows a rise in the number of people self-funding treatment or investing in private health insurance.

“COVID-19 has not impacted everyone equally, and there is clearly a risk that the backlog in routine hospital treatment is going to add to those inequalities if some people are able to get treatment faster because they’re able to pay,” said Tim Gardner, from the Health Foundation thinktank.

As the NHS heads into winter and a growing second wave of the virus, experts stressed the need to help those affected by the backlog now.

“There is a need to prioritise the most urgent cases, but simply because someone’s case isn’t urgent doesn’t mean it’s not important. It doesn’t mean that people aren’t waiting in pain and discomfort, or waiting anxiously for a diagnosis,” said Gardner.

“We think it’s incumbent on the health service to make the best possible use of the capacity it’s got. But also it needs to make sure it’s supporting people while they’re waiting. We just can’t have people left in limbo.”

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Source: The Guardian, 27 October 2020

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Fears NHS weight loss jab could be harmful to those vulnerable to eating disorders

A newly approved weight loss jab should be used with caution as it could be harmful to those vulnerable to eating disorders, doctors have warned.

Thousands struggling with obesity could be prescribed Wegovy, or semaglutide, which scientists have described as a “game changer”, after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approved its use.

However, eating disorder experts have warned the NHS to proceed with caution in prescribing the drug, with one GP accusing NICE of being “absolutely reckless” in approving it.

The drug was approved on Wednesday for use in adults who have at least one weight-related condition, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol sleep apnoea and heart disease, and a body mass index score of at least 35. It can only be prescribed to those undergoing weight management treatment.

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Source: The Independent, 8 March 2023

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Fears more doctors’ strikes in England will push NHS ‘close to breaking point’

Hospital bosses fear that further strikes by doctors will push the NHS “close to breaking point” as it struggles to cope with its winter crisis in the months ahead.

NHS leaders are concerned that medics’ plans to continue their campaign of stoppages until February will make it even harder for the service to manage what is always its toughest period.

Four days of strikes this week in England have included the first-ever 24-hour joint strike over pay on Wednesday by consultants and junior doctors. This latest series of stoppages – two days by consultants and three days by junior doctors – has forced hospitals to reschedule many thousands of outpatient appointments and non-urgent operations because of the lack of staff.

“Winter pressures, respiratory illness and rising Covid again mean that the next six months will be exceptionally difficult. Winter always is,” said one hospital trust chief executive, who asked not to be named.

“The NHS is effective at absorbing pressure but the industrial action may, at times, take us close to breaking point and often patient harm and the impact on NHS staff is not fully recognised,” he said.

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Source: The Guardian, 20 September 2023

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Fears for vulnerable patients as NHSE changes covid treatment rules

Some of the most vulnerable patients could risk missing out on covid treatment because new rules will place the onus on them to access antiviral medication themselves instead of the NHS contacting them directly, senior figures have warned.

The warnings follow NHS England’s national medical director Sir Stephen Powis writing to local leaders last week advising them the national commissioner will no longer identify patients who are eligible for covid treatment.

This means eligible patients will need to contact local services themselves, rather than being approached proactively by a covid medicines delivery unit.

Patients Association chief executive Rachel Power said: “Expecting patients ill with covid to know they’re eligible for these treatments and ask for them is unreasonable. How will they know they’re eligible or who to contact?”

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Source: HSJ, 6 April 2023

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Fears for patients as '111' calls abandoned - Government called to 'get a grip' on issue

A call to NHS 111 was abandoned every 10 seconds between 2020 and 2021, figures show. Millions of callers to the helpline hung up at a time when demand for the NHS was at its highest.

In 2020, 2,490,663 calls were abandoned, while in 2021 this figure increased to 3,531,186. And 1,174,159 gave up on the line from January to May this year. Callers in Devon take an average of 11 minutes to get through to the NHS 111 service, according to Liberal Democrat research.

Daisy Cooper, Lib Dem spokeswoman for health and social care, said: "Ambulance services are being stretched to breaking point, hospitals are reaching full capacity and now people cannot get through to NHS 111. We have called on this government time and time again to get a grip on this issue by recruiting more NHS 111 call handlers now."

"The longer they delay, the longer they are leaving people in pain and distress."

Helen Hughes, of the Patient Safety Learning charity, said: "These figures represent a serious safety concern. Each call is a potential missed opportunity for patients to receive timely medical advice that may prevent future harm."

"With the ongoing severe pressures faced by ambulance services and hospitals this summer, patients are increasingly being signposted to NHS 111 for advice on non-life threatening conditions."

"However, it can only relieve the pressure on other areas of the health service if NHS 111 has the capacity and resources to meet rising demand. The NHS leadership needs to urgently assess the reasons for this high number of abandoned calls."

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Source: Express, 31 July 2022

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Fears for NHS patients’ safety as eight in ten hospitals are relying on outdated medical equipment

NHS England advises scanners should be replaced every ten years to ensure reliable images and accurate diagnoses.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has pledged to install modern equipment.

Yet 38 of the 48 hospital trusts contacted use X-ray machines more than ten years old — and at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust one machine dates back 30 years.

More than 20 trusts rely on ageing MRI scanners — a hospital trust in Plymouth still uses an 18-year-old machine.

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Source: Irish Sun, 29 December 2025

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