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Mersey Care to launch mental health research data platform

Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust will establish a Secure Data Environment (SDE) for mental health research to improve understanding of mental health conditions and treatments.

The trust is working in partnership with the University of Liverpool through the Merseyside-based Mental Health Research for Innovation Centre (M-RIC) and has received more than £2.7 million funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The funding allows Mersey Care to work with DATAMIND, the UK’s national data infrastructure for mental health research, to establish a SDE for NIHR’s Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration (MH-TRC).

The secure data platform will receive, store and analyse patient data from the MH-TRC, and support linkage of MH-TRC data with other health-related datasets such as the NHS SDE networks (regional NHS research hubs), making it easier for researchers to access data to better understand mental health conditions and improve treatments.

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Source: Digital Health (13 November 2025)

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Resident doctors begin five-day strike in latest walkout over pay

Thousands of resident doctors have begun strike action across England in a dispute over pay.

The five-day action, which began at 7am on Friday, is the 13th walkout by doctors since March 2023 and health leaders have warned that the NHS may have to cut frontline staff and offer fewer appointments and operations if the strikes continue.

The NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, which represent health trusts, said continued action was piling pressure on already-stretched budgets. The last industrial action in July was estimated to have cost the health service £300m.

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Source: The Guardian (14 November 2025)

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NHS waiting list down after three months of rises

The NHS waiting list in England has fallen after three months of consecutive rises.

At the end of September, it stood at 7.39 million, down from 7.41 million the month before. Of those waiting, 61.8% of patients had been waiting less than 18 weeks.

That is the best performance for more than two years, but is well below the target of 92%, which the government has promised it will hit by the end of the parliament.

The NHS also released figures showing more than one million people came forward for flu jabs in the past week after a vaccination "SOS" was issued last week amid the early rise in flu cases this year.

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Source: BBC News, 13 November 2025

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Deaths linked to antibiotic-resistant superbugs rose 17% in England in 2024

The number of deaths linked to superbugs that do not respond to frontline antibiotics increased by 17% in England last year, according to official figures that raise concerns about the ongoing increase in antimicrobial resistance.

The figures, released by the UK Health Security Agency, also revealed a large rise in private prescriptions for antibiotics, with 22% dispensed through the private sector in 2024.

The increase in private prescribing is partly explained by the Pharmacy First scheme, a flagship policy of Rishi Sunak’s government that allows patients to be prescribed antibiotics for common illnesses without seeing a GP, raising questions about whether the shift in prescribing patterns risks contributing to the rise in resistance.

“Antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest health threats we face,” said the UKHSA’s chief executive, Prof Susan Hopkins. “More people than ever are acquiring infections that cannot be effectively treated by antibiotics. This puts them at greater risk of serious illness and even death, with our poorest communities hit the hardest.”

The emergence of drug-resistant strains is an inevitable consequence of natural selection. Whenever the drugs are used they wipe out some bugs, but any survivors multiply and are transmitted.

Limiting the use of antibiotics to when they are most needed is one of the most effective ways of combatting the spread of resistance, which it has been predicted could cause as many as 10 million deaths a year globally by 2050.

The latest surveillance data found that the number of antibiotic-resistant infections in 2024 equated to an average of nearly 400 newly reported cases a week.

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Source: The Guardian, 13 November 2025

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Hospitals knew a heart device led to more patients' deaths - but they kept using it

Dozens of patients were put at risk after two of the UK's leading transplant centres continued fitting a heart device - despite knowing of concerns it had a higher mortality rate than its rival product.

Concerns were raised by the NHS about the device in 2018. Of the patients who were subsequently fitted with the mechanical pump, half went on to die within three years.

LVADs have been life-savers for decades and, for a number of years, hospitals had a choice of two devices - the HeartWare HVAD, sold by the Irish-American company Medtronic, and the Heartmate III, sold by US manufacturer Abbott.

In October 2018, NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), which oversees transplants in the UK, conducted a preliminary audit comparing how the two pumps had performed. A more detailed analysis followed in April 2019.

The results were stark. Of the 119 patients who had received the Medtronic device, 45% - or 54 patients - had died within two years. In contrast, just 15% - 15 out of 97 patients - who were given the Abbott pump had died over the same period. Similarly, the number of complications - such as strokes or needing a new pump - were significantly higher for the Medtronic device. The audit said there were "no significant differences" between the types of patients who received each device.

One of the UK's six transplant centres, the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, did not wait for the NHS analysis. It had picked up on the growing international concerns and had stopped using the Medtronic device in February 2018 "after considering the results of two randomised controlled trials", as their clinicians "considered the Heartmate III as superior".

However, Harefield Hospital continued to solely use the Medtronic device until early 2021, shortly after the manufacturer had issued a safety notice. The Freeman Hospital continued until June 2021, when the manufacturer withdrew it from sale "in the interest of patient safety".

The regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), continued to approve the device for use after the 2019 analysis, though it had not been informed by the NHS of the data's existence.

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Source: BBC News, 12 November 2025

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FDA rolls back warning labels on HRT products for menopause, citing misinformation

The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will remove broad “black box” warning labels from hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for menopause. 

The action, announced Monday, follows a comprehensive review of scientific literature by an expert panel at the agency in July, officials said, as well as a public comment period. Manufacturers are now expected to update and reprint their product labeling to remove references to risks of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and probable dementia. 

“The label was designed to frighten women and to silence doctors,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said on stage during the announcement on Monday morning. “The consequences have been devastating.” 

The FDA will not remove the boxed warning for endometrial cancer for systemic estrogen-only products. Its labeled recommendation will be to start HRT within 10 years of menopause onset or before 60 years of age for systemic HRT. 

Use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) plummeted quickly after a flawed, now infamous 2002 study. While the study found a small increased risk of breast cancer among participants using HRT, described as less than a tenth of 1% per year for an individual woman, critics say its results were widely misinterpreted and blown out of proportion. A 2024 study found that only 5% of American women use HRT for menopause.

About 80% of women experience menopause symptoms that can last years, yet research has found women who initiate HRT before the age of 60 have a reduction in all-cause mortality. HRT may also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 50%; Alzheimer’s disease by 35%; bone fractures by up to 60%, according to figures an HHS press release cited.

Echoing Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary blamed the study and “medical group-think” for creating “a fear machine that still lingers.” No clinical trial has ever shown that HRT increases the risk of breast cancer mortality, said Makary, who was previously a surgical oncologist at Johns Hopkins.

“How could the medical establishment get it so wrong for so long?” Makary questioned. “Women deserve the same rigorous science as do men.”

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Source: Fierce Healthcare, 10 November 2025

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Leading doctors issue warning amid ‘bad’ flu season

Leading children’s doctors are urging parents to get their children the flu nasal spray, amid fears of a particularly severe flu season.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) stressed that even healthy children can become seriously ill.

This advice comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirms this year’s flu vaccine provides "strong protection".

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Source: Independent, 12 November 2025

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CFO pleads ‘parlous state’ of trust’s finances to reduce fine for patient death

A mental health trust has been fined £565,000 over the death of a 22-year-old, a figure reduced because the judge took into account the “parlous state” of its finances.

North East London Foundation Trust was yesterday instructed to make the payment for failing to ensure the health and safety of non-employees.

The trust was found guilty in June following the joint longest jury deliberation in English legal history, and a lengthy trial.

The charges relate to the death by suicide of mental health inpatient Alice Figueiredo, who died on a NELFT ward in 2015. The trust, and one of its ward managers, were found not guilty of greater charges of manslaughter.

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Source: HSJ, 11 November 2025

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Dad died in hospital trolley fall after being left alone

An elderly man died after falling off a hospital trolley when he had been left alone despite needing one-to-one care.

Harry Dickinson was taken to Chorley and South Ribble District Hospital on December 18 last year. Harry, a retired farmer, was on blood thinning medication and was bleeding from his mouth which led to staff at Springfield Nursing Home arranging for him to go to A&E.

The following morning, while Harry was unattended, he became increasingly agitated and fell off his trolley. The 90-year-old suffered a traumatic intracranial haemorrhage and died on December 20.

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Source: LancsLive, 11 November 2025

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Thousands of NHS staff to be made redundant after funding agreed

Thousands of job cuts at the NHS will go ahead after the £1bn needed to fund the redundancies was approved by the Treasury.

The government had already announced its intention to slash the headcount across both NHS England and the Department of Health by around 18,000 administrative staff and managers, including on local health boards.

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Source: Sky News, 12 November 2025

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Canada no longer measles-free as outbreaks spread

Canada is no longer measles-free because of ongoing outbreaks, international health experts said on Monday, as childhood vaccination rates fall and the highly contagious virus spreads across North and South America.

The loss of the country’s measles elimination status comes more than a year after the highly contagious virus started spreading.

Canada has logged 5,138 measles cases this year and two deaths. Both were babies who were exposed to the measles virus in the womb and born prematurely.

Measles elimination is a symbolic designation, but it represents a hard-won battle against the infectious disease. It is earned when a country shows it stopped continuous spread of the virus within local communities, though occasional cases might still pop up from travel.

It is prevented by a vaccine administered routinely and safely to children around the world.

“It’s a deeply disheartening development. It’s a deeply worrisome development. And, frankly, it’s an embarrassing development,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, a Brown University infectious disease expert. “No country with the amount of resources of Canada – or other countries in North America even – should lose their measles elimination status.”

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Source: The Guardian, 11 November 2025

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Nearly all NHS trusts failing to hit cancer target

Almost every hospital trust in England is failing to meet the key NHS waiting time target for cancer care, BBC analysis shows.

Just three trusts out of 121 in England are treating cancer patients quickly enough - within 62 days - with experts warning delays could be putting lives at risk.

The government accepted waits were too long, but said it was investing in the NHS to improve performance.

Research shows getting treatment quickly is crucial, with every four-week delay reducing patient survival by an average of 10%.

Dr Timothy Hanna, a leading global expert on cancer who led that research, said the BBC findings were "worrying".

"It's not a few outliers. It's the norm for trusts in England to not hit these waiting time targets and they are set for a reason - timely treatment can improve survival rates."

Paul, who has stage three colon cancer, is one of many patients who has faced delays. His first biopsy was taken in January 2024 when cancer was suspected.

He did not receive any further contact from his cancer services, despite his best efforts, until January this year. He eventually had surgery on his colon in February.

“The waiting was horrendous and now I think that if I had been treated properly and not had to wait so long it wouldn't have progressed to stage three,” Paul said.

He is due to have further surgery next year.

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Source: BBC News, 11 November 2025

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Surgical menopause like a 'hormonal cliff edge'

A woman from East Sussex who was plunged into sudden menopause after surgery to remove both ovaries is spearheading efforts to change NHS policy in this area.

Kate Dyson, 44, from Hastings, underwent the surgery six months ago after having a subtotal hysterectomy just over four years ago to remove her uterus - a procedure which leaves the cervix in place.

The mum-of-three says she was completely unprepared for the impact of surgical menopause, which is triggered by both ovaries being removed.

"Honestly it was like falling off a hormonal cliff edge," she told BBC Radio Sussex.

"Within hours of the surgery I was home the same day. I was experiencing hot flushes, confusion, and the first night I woke up in the morning and I was absolutely dripping with sweat," she said.

Ms Dyson says she found the aftercare galling, and says this is commonplace for many women.

She said: "We are discharged without hormones, without warning, and without support. In my discharge notes it simply read, 'can try combined HRT [hormone replacement therapy] if she wishes', as if it were suggesting a glass of wine at the weekend."

This experience prompted her to start campaign group Surge Menopause, whose aim is to push the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) to revolutionise its offering.

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Source: BBC News, 10 November 2025

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Revealed: Home monitoring operating under lowest level of regulation

Several technologies in use in the NHS are operating under a low-risk form of regulation, despite being advertised for remote monitoring of patients’ vital signs, HSJ  can reveal.

An HSJ  analysis of registrations with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)  has found wide variation in the classification of remote monitoring systems – with some complex software operating on the same level of risk assessment as a bandage or needleless syringe.

The systems use wearable devices to track vital signs, blood sugar levels, medicine adherence and other health observations outside hospital, with the aim of triggering an intervention when patients are at risk.

Between November 2020 and January 2023, over 487,000 people were supported at home using the technologies,  and the government is pledging a big expansion.

Some of the most widely used platforms are listed with the MHRA as “Class I” devices – the category for devices with the ”lowest risk”, which can be self-certified by manufacturers, and is subject to minimal external oversight.

Suppliers said cost and a shortage of “notified bodies”, which can review applications, held them back from obtaining higher accreditation.

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Source: HSJ, 11 November 2025

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NHSE tells trusts to deliver 95% of planned activity during doctors’ strike

Trusts should deliver at least 95 per cent of planned elective activity during the forthcoming five-day resident doctor’s strike, according to NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey.

In a letter to trust and integrated care board CEOs, he also says a “predicted spike” of flu expected immediately after the strike action makes it essential the service recovers as quickly as possible.

The letter, seen by HSJ, begins by stating: “Frustratingly, the British Medical Association has confirmed their planned strikes for next week will go ahead from 7am on Friday 14 November to 7am on Wednesday 19 November.”

The NHSE chief executive writes: “Reducing volumes of bookings, rescheduling appointments and other activity should only happen in exceptional circumstances to safeguard patient safety. This should be undertaken in consultation with your NHS England regional chief operating officer.”

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Source: HSJ, 10 November 2025

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Crime gangs in UK start making own branded weight-loss drugs

Organised crime gangs have begun manufacturing their own branded weight-loss drugs, designed to look like legitimate medicines, in what authorities warn is a significant threat.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the trend had only just emerged, leading them to conduct the largest single seizure of trafficked weight-loss drugs ever recorded by any global law enforcement agency.

Andy Morling, the head of the MHRA’s criminal enforcement unit, said that in the last few months it had seen a new model of production, “where criminals are putting investment into designing their own packaging and branding … and selling it purporting to be a genuine product”.

He added: “That is an unusual model. [What they seized] looked like genuine medicines, but are entirely unlicensed and illegal to sell in the UK. The most recent model, and the level of investment to do packaging and production facilities to sell on an industrial scale – that is undoubtedly organised crime. That is why we are working to eliminate that model before it takes a grip.”

Morling said a product “that sophisticated … is a significant concern” for his unit.

Morling said that there was a “blurring of line in what is considered medicine and another cosmetic treatment available these days”. He said that most customers thought what they were buying in the syringes was a cosmetic treatment.

Morling added: “Some of the beauty parlours are selling them in this setting not realising that they are selling medicine that could end up giving them a custodial sentence … In both customer and seller there is a lack of awareness.”

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Source: The Guardian, 11 November 2025

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NHS staff who visit patients at home say St George’s flags can mean ‘no-go zones’

NHS staff who care for patients in their own homes fear some areas have become “no-go zones” for them because of the presence of St George’s flags, health leaders have said.

Black and Asian staff have been left feeling “deliberately intimidated” as a result of the flags that were put up in many parts of England during the summer, according to the chief executive of one NHS trust in England, who asked to remain anonymous.

“We saw during the time the flags went up, our staff, who are a large minority of black and Asian staff, feeling deliberately intimidated,” he said.

“It felt like the flags were creating no-go zones. That’s what it felt like to them. You add on top of that real autonomous working, that real bravery of working in people’s homes, with an environment … [where] it feels like it’s an area that’s designed to exclude them.”

He said his staff had felt intimidated, “and, if I’m honest, in many cases I think that’s what it was designed to feel like”, he added.

The Royal College of Nursing said the fear created by the flags was part of an alarming wider picture. Prof Nicola Ranger, the union’s general secretary, said: “A sustained campaign of anti-migrant rhetoric is fuelling a growing cesspool of racism, including against international and ethnic minority nursing staff, without whom our health and care system would simply cease to function.

“Those working in the community feel especially vulnerable and employers have a duty to ensure they are protected.

“Following a summer of further racist disorder, it is little wonder a growing number of nursing staff report feeling unsafe, particularly when having to work on their own and often at night.

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Source: The Guardian, 11 November 2025

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Care workers charged following BBC Panorama probe

Two care workers have been charged with the ill-treatment of four people at a mental health unit which featured in an undercover BBC investigation.

The Panorama programme, broadcast in 2022, revealed that patients were humiliated and bullied at the Edenfield Centre in Prestwich, Greater Manchester.

Support worker Sheryl Price, 45, of Eldergreen Close in Bolton, faces 14 charges, while 42-year-old nurse Sara Coleman, of Mitford Street in Stretford, is accused of five.

Both have been bailed and are due to appear at Manchester Magistrates' Court on 25 March.

A undercover Panorama reporter filmed staff at the Edenfield Centre - one of the UK's biggest mental health hospitals - using restraint inappropriately and patients enduring long periods of seclusion in small, bare rooms.

Staff swore at patients and on occasion were seen slapping or pinching them.

Some workers were sacked after the BBC's findings were broadcast.

The programme sparked an independent report, which found Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust repeatedly missed opportunities to act on concerns and had a culture of "suppressing bad news".

The trust was again rated "inadequate" by the Care Quality Commission earlier this year despite some improvements having been made.

Criticisms included issues with patient safety and pressures on staff, with some still feeling unable to speak up about their concerns.

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Source: BBC News, 9 November 2025

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New HIV protection jab approved for use in Northern Ireland

An injection to prevent HIV which is being offered in Great Britain will also be rolled out in Northern Ireland, it has been confirmed.

The long-acting cabotegravir (CAB-LA) jab, which is administered every two months, is an alternative to HIV prevention pills, known as PrEP, which is used daily.

It was announced last month that the injection had been approved for England and Wales, bringing it into line with Scotland.

Campaigners had called for Northern Ireland health authorities to follow suit - with the Department of Health (DoH) now saying the treatment will be rolled-out, a prominent LGBT charity has described the move as "a game-changer".

The Rainbow Project's chief executive Scott Cuthbertson said it "could make HIV prevention much more widely accessible".

Known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), the treatment is taken by HIV-negative people to reduce the risk of getting HIV. It was introduced in Northern Ireland in 2018.

It is taken as a pill and is effective, but they are not always easy for some to take.

It can be hard to access, unpractical or feel embarrassing if people are worried about the possibility of parents or housemates finding the medication.

Other factors such as homelessness can make it difficult to take oral PrEP every day.

However, cabotegravir is given as jab, usually six times a year or every other month, making it potentially more convenient and discreet.

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Source: BBC News, 9 November 2025

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No link between paracetamol in pregnancy and autism or ADHD in children, review finds

A wide-ranging review into paracetamol use by pregnant women has found no convincing link between the common painkiller and the chances of children being diagnosed with autism and ADHD.

Publication of the work was fast-tracked to provide prospective mothers and their doctors with reliable information after the Trump administration urged pregnant women to avoid paracetamol – also known as acetaminophen or Tylenol – claiming it was contributing to rising rates of autism.

Speaking at the White House in September, the US president said women should talk to their doctor about limiting the use of the painkiller while pregnant and followed up with far stronger language, telling women to “fight like hell” not to take it.

While rates of autism have risen in recent decades, many scientists believe the trend is driven by greater awareness, improvements in diagnosis and a substantial broadening of the criteria doctors use to describe the condition.

In an umbrella review published in the British Medical Journal on Monday, researchers analysed previously published scientific reviews on whether paracetamol raised the likelihood of pregnant women having children who are diagnosed with autism or ADHD.

They concluded the quality of the reviews ranged from “low to critically low”, while any apparent link between the painkiller and autism was probably explained by family genetics and other factors.

Prof Shakila Thangaratinam, a consultant obstetrician and senior author on the review at the University of Liverpool, said: “Women should know that the existing evidence does not really support a link between paracetamol and autism and ADHD.

“If pregnant women need to take paracetamol for fever or pain then we would say please do, particularly because high fever in pregnancy could be dangerous to the unborn baby.” Alternative painkillers such as ibuprofen are not recommended during pregnancy.

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Source: The Guardian, 10 November 2025

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Hospital failings continued after Alice Figueiredo death, leaked documents show

Just four months after a young woman died in a London mental health unit,, another patient tried to harm herself in startlingly similar circumstances, leaked documents seen by the BBC show.

Alice Figueiredo, a patient at Goodmayes Hospital, which is run by North East London Mental Health Trust (NELFT), attempted to harm herself using plastic or bin bags on 18 occasions, mostly taking them from the same shared toilet. On the 19th occasion, in July 2015, she managed to take her own life.

Just four months later, in November 2015, another young woman also on Hepworth ward attempted to harm herself using a bin bag. She survived.

Mental health campaigners say it suggests a worrying failure to learn from tragedies.

"It's shocking and distressing that this was still going on four months after Alice died," says Jane Figueiredo, Alice's mother. "The bin bags could and should definitely have been removed, but instead patients continued to be put at unnecessary risk."

NELFT says all bin bags have been removed and "it is committed to learning from every incident and continuously improving" the care it provides.

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Source: BBC News, 10 November 2025

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New chief of scandal-hit nursing regulator finally admits: We got it wrong on Lucy Letby

The new chief of the UK’s crisis-hit nursing watchdog has admitted it got things “completely wrong” following a series of revelations by The Independent exposing a “toxic” culture in which rogue nurses were free to work in the NHS.

In his first national interview as head of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Paul Rees apologised for a string of scandals which have dogged the watchdog and prompted a major overhaul of the beleaguered organisation.

He admitted the regulator – which is responsible for overseeing nearly 800,000 nurses, midwives and nursing associates in the UK – had got its handling of sexual misconduct cases “completely wrong” when it refused to investigate nurses who had been accused of committing sexual assault outside of work.

He also conceded the body should have suspended Lucy Letby when she was first arrested. The NMC failed to suspend the nurse until she was charged with a series of shocking crimes a year later, blaming a loophole in its guidance. Mr Rees has now admitted that was wrong, after this publication uncovered a secret report into failings over the convicted killer’s treatment.

He told The Independent: “We have to be honest about things that have gone wrong. And things have gone wrong in the past.”

Ten months into his role, Mr Rees insists the watchdog, the largest professional regulator in Europe, has undergone a major change of its leadership team. But he warned it could take years to turn around the organisation, which was found in an independent review to have a “dysfunctional” and “toxic” culture due to evidence of racism and sexism within its ranks.

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Source: The Independent, 9 November 2025

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NHS frontline staff forced to ‘plug gaps that should be filled by managers’

NHS staff on the frontline are being forced to plug gaps in services that should be filled by skilled managers and admin staff, according to a new report.

Despite a widespread perception that the health service is beleaguered by a top-heavy structure, new research by the King’s Fund suggests that there are now a “near record low” number of NHS managers for each member of staff.

According to its analysis of NHS hospital and community data, there are now 33 staff members for each manager, compared to 27 staff in 2010.

“The narrative that there are too many managers does not survive contact with reality,” said Suzie Bailey, director of leadership and organisational development at the King’s Fund.

Skilled clinical professionals are being forced to spend hours each week “chasing paperwork, managing rotas or navigating broke administrative systems”, she said.

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Source: The Independent, 10 November 2025

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Social media misinformation driving men to seek unneeded NHS

Social media misinformation is driving men to NHS clinics in search of testosterone therapy they don’t need, adding pressure to already stretched waiting lists, doctors have said.

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is a prescription-only treatment recommended under national guidelines for men with a clinically proven deficiency, confirmed by symptoms and repeated blood tests.

But a wave of viral videos on TikTok and Instagram have begun marketing blood tests as a means of accessing testosterone as lifestyle supplement, advertising the hormone as a solution to problems such as low energy levels, poor concentration and reduced sex drive.

Doctors warn taking testosterone unnecessarily can suppress the body’s natural hormone production, cause infertility, and increase the risk of blood clots, heart problems and mood disorders.

The online demand for treatment is so great that medical professionals have now begun to see it mirrored in their clinics.

Prof Channa Jayasena, of Imperial College London, who is chair of the Society for Endocrinology Andrology Network, said hospital specialists were seeing growing numbers of men who had had private blood tests, often promoted on social media, and been told incorrectly that they needed testosterone.

“At the national meeting, we asked 300 endocrinologists across the UK; everyone is seeing patients from these clinics every week,” he said. “They are filling our clinics. We used to see people with adrenal problems and diabetes, and it’s really affecting NHS care. We are all asking how to deal with this.”

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Source: The Guardian, 8 November 2025

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Maternity scandal at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust prompts calls for action from the Health Secretary

A joint Channel 4 News and New Statesman investigation has revealed shocking allegations against Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, including that a baby declared stillborn was later found to be alive.

The two news organisations have been investigating John Radcliffe Hospital – one of the UK’s most prestigious research hospitals – and its maternity and neonatal unit for several months.

The investigation has heard from more than 20 families who say they have lost babies, had children born with severe disabilities, or suffered serious harm themselves, as a result of poor care at the Trust, with many women still searching for answers.

Amongst the numerous harrowing cases disclosed to the news organisations includes the testimony from Emma Cox, who gave birth to twins aged 17.

“At 24 weeks I went into spontaneous labour. They were born. I was told that one of them was stillborn and the other one was taken and resuscitated and taken to the neonatal unit. A short time later Lilly was brought back to me and they said the mortuary was unable to take her because she was actually alive”, said Ms Cox.

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Source: Channel 4 News, 5 November 2025

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