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UK’s unregulated pregnancy scan clinics putting lives in danger, say experts

High street clinics offering pregnancy scans could be putting unborn babies and their mothers in danger through a lack of properly trained staff, UK experts have warned.

According to the Society for Radiographers (SoR), high street clinics have seen a huge growth in numbers. However, hospital specialists say they have seen cases of missed health problems, misdiagnosed conditions, and situations in which women were erroneously told their babies were malformed or had died.

“I had a lady referred for a potential miscarriage from a clinic and when I scanned her they’d measured a bleed in the womb and they completely missed a very early pregnancy sac with a baby inside it,” said Katie Thompson, a hospital sonographer and president of the SoR.

“Potentially, if they were at a private clinic that could offer a miscarriage service, then they could have been given some medication to bring on a miscarriage on a pregnancy that was actually not miscarrying,” she said.

The SoR says it has also seen cases in which private clinics have wrongly told women they have an ectopic pregnancy – a potentially life-threatening condition – or conversely missed an ectopic pregnancy, while they have also misdiagnosed problems with the cervix and missed abnormalities in babies that should have been picked up.

Elaine Brooks, a former hospital sonographer and Midlands regional officer for the SoR, said some people attended their 20-week hospital scan after having had a private “sexing” scan a week or two before.

“And then they come for their NHS scan and there’s quite a large abnormality that should have been picked up – something like spina bifida, polycystic kidneys or fluid-filled ventricles in the head – things that you wouldn’t expect to have developed in a week,” she said.

The revelations come amid calls from the SoR for sonographers to have a “protected” job title – meaning it can be used only by qualified practitioners registered with a regulatory body. This is already the case for titles such as radiographer, dietician and speech and language therapist.

“At the moment, absolutely anybody can go and buy an ultrasound machine and set up a practice without any qualifications whatsoever. And that has happened,” said Thompson. “There has been somebody that bought a machine and started scanning in her front room because after having a baby, she thought it’d be a nice thing to do.”

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Source: The Guardian, 3 November 2025

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Trusts ‘need help to cut through AI noise’

NHS Providers and IBM have set up an AI productivity centre to help trusts save money when adopting new technology.

The membership group for NHS trusts, which formally agreed to merge with NHS Confederation last week, is working with the global IT firm to accelerate uptake of AI across providers and build understanding among senior leaders.

The masterclasses for members will also cover shared learning on adoption, data privacy and security, and the responsible use of AI.

NHS Providers chief executive Daniel Elkeles said: “Trusts need help to cut through all the noise surrounding AI. From questions about what makes the biggest impact on improving productivity and risk management, to safe and effective adoption that tangibly improves quality of care and staff experience, that’s where we can step in and support our members.

“We need to get much better in the NHS at targeting its use at processes and tasks that enable us to unlock productivity that’s either cash releasing or enables more patients to be treated with the same resource.”

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Source: HSJ, 3 November 2025

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FDA warnings and reports of ‘internal bra’ complications may lead to a surge in breast mesh lawsuits

Breast mesh implants promoted as “internal bra” supports have become the subject of legal and regulatory scrutiny. Not cleared for this use by the FDA, the mesh implants have been linked to higher rates of infections, reoperation and implant failure.

The “internal bra” technique uses synthetic or biologic mesh in combination with other breast surgeries to lift breasts and enhance results. In November 2023, the FDA released a safety communication emphasizing that no surgical mesh products are cleared or approved for use in breast surgeries. Despite this, mesh products have seen increased off-label use for internal bra techniques in breast surgeries with implants.

There are approximately 100,000 breast reconstruction surgeries per year and more than 300,000 breast augmentation surgeries per year in the US. The use of breast mesh in these procedures could put people at risk of higher complication rates.

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Source: Drugwatch, 30 October 2025

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NHS Lothian faces Scottish Government intervention after damning 'culture of mistrust' report on Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

NHS Lothian will face increased intervention from the Scottish Government, the health secretary has said, after a damning review found a “culture of mistrust” had led to patients being harmed at one of Scotland’s busiest maternity units.

The decision comes as the director of NHS Lothian apologised after a report from Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) found “serious concerns” about staffing shortages for maternity care at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Health Secretary Neil Gray announced in the wake of the report the health board had been escalated to level three on the NHS support framework, meaning “significantly enhanced support” would now be provided. He said a Scottish Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce would be set up, to listen to “women’s experiences of maternity services”, as he said he was “deeply disappointed and concerned” by the HIS report.

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Source: The Scotsman, 29 October 2025

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Left lying in excrement for 20 hours and scenes ‘like war films’: The elderly patients neglected in NHS hospitals

Elderly patients have been left languishing in their own excrement and puddles of urine for hours on end in NHS hospitals, a major charity has said.

Corridor care is a “crisis in plain sight” in A&Es across the country, charity Age UK warned ministers, as it described “truly shocking” incidents of poor care of elderly people waiting days on end for attention.

In a new report, The Longest Wait, Age UK revealed “heartbreaking” incidents of poor care, including a woman dying from a heart attack after being left to wait; a patient who was “lost” after being put on a disused corridor; and a man left hooked up to an IV drip in a chair for 20 hours, who soiled himself because he was unable to get to the toilet.

Age UK warned that many patients are unwilling to go to A&E, even if they are in a life-threatening situation, because of their past experiences.

It called on the government to “urgently” tackle corridor care as it warned that older people are disproportionately affected.

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Source: The Independent, 31 October 2025

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Health officials worried as flu season comes five weeks early

The UK's winter flu season has begun five weeks earlier than usual, health officials are warning.

The UK Health Security Agency said cases were rising quickly among children and young people – and warned the virus would soon start to spread across older age groups. The organisation urged people eligible for the flu vaccine to come forward to get protected. But they said it was too early to say how difficult and serious this year's flu season would be.

One of the concerns is that the flu season could peak before the majority of the vulnerable groups have got immunised - the vaccination campaign has only been running a few weeks. Two of the worst winter flu seasons of the past decade have been seen in the last three years, something partly attributed to the bounce-back of the virus after Covid restrictions and when immunity has been low. Last year nearly 8,000 people died from flu and in the 2022-23 flu season there were nearly 16,000 deaths.

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Source: BBC News, 30 October 2025

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AHA urges White House to align and simplify AI regulations in healthcare

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is urging the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to streamline and align federal regulations for artificial intelligence in healthcare, warning that overlapping policies threaten innovation and increase costs.

In a letter to OSTP Director Michael Kratsios, submitted in response to a federal request for information on regulatory reform for AI, AHA Senior Vice President of Public Policy Analysis and Development Ashley Thompson said the association’s nearly 5,000 member hospitals and health systems face growing administrative expenses from redundant rules. More than one-quarter of all U.S. healthcare spending — more than $1 trillion annually — goes toward administrative tasks, the group said, with nearly 40% of hospitals operating at negative margins.

The AHA said tools like ambient documentation assistants, chatbots for scheduling and triage, and imaging algorithms are already reducing burdens for clinicians, but regulatory fragmentation continues to slow progress. The association outlined four recommendations to balance innovation with patient safety:

  1. Synchronise and leverage existing policy frameworks: AI oversight should align with established regulations — such as HIPAA, FDA software requirements, and HHS cybersecurity goals — rather than creating new, duplicative frameworks.
  2. Remove regulatory barriers: The AHA urged Congress to strengthen HIPAA’s federal preemption to eliminate conflicting state privacy laws and to update or repeal portions of 42 CFR Part 2 that limit data sharing for patients with substance use disorders.
  3. Ensure safe and effective AI use: The group called for clinicians to remain in the decision loop for algorithms that could affect coverage or care decisions and for third-party AI vendors handling patient data to be held to the same privacy and security standards as covered entities.
  4. Address organisational and infrastructural challenges: The letter cited inadequate reimbursement, limited broadband access, and digital literacy gaps as barriers to AI adoption, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

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Source: Becker's Health IT, 27 October 2025

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GPs raise alarm as patients flag life-threatening symptoms in non-urgent forms

A new poll found more than two-thirds of GPs are concerned about patient safety

Patients have submitted requests about life-threatening conditions on non-urgent forms following changes to online access in GP surgeries, family doctors have said.

Since October 1, GP surgeries in England have been required to keep their online consultation platform open during working hours for non-urgent appointment requests, medication queries and admin requests. However, family doctors told Pulse magazine they have received reports from patients about difficulty breathing, rectal bleeding and severe vomiting on the forms, which are designed for non-emergencies.

A new poll of 431 GPs and practice managers by Pulse found more than two-thirds (67 per cent) are concerned about patient safety since the change.

Read more here in the Independent.

 

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This mum faces a nightly battle to keep her daughter alive - but the NHS won't help her

For Shelley Mclean, every night is a sleepless one, just to keep her 11-year-old daughter alive.

Missy was born with a rare genetic condition that affects her breathing, digestion and movement. She spent the first nine months of her life in hospital before coming home with a breathing tube in her throat, a feeding tube in her stomach, and a line into her bowel. At first, the family had some NHS-funded nighttime care to help keep Missy safe while she slept. But when her local NHS body decided she no longer met the threshold, that support was taken away. Now, Missy's mother is responsible for her care.

Children like Missy who leave hospital but still need intensive support are meant to receive what's called NHS continuing care - specialist help for those with the most complex, life-limiting or life-threatening needs. But new figures obtained by Sky News reveal just how uneven continuing care has become. NHS spending on children's continuing care ranges from just 80p to £6 per head depending on where families live.

Out of almost 100,000 children in England with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition, only around 4% - roughly 4,400 - receive NHS continuing care funding. And more than half of all disabled children referred for this kind of support are rejected.

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Source: Sky News, 30 October 2025

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Nurses awarded for infant safer sleep initiative

Nurses at a hospital's emergency department have won a national award for their work to reduce the risk of sudden infant death.

The team at Leighton Hospital won the Critical and Emergency Care Nursing award at the 2025 Nursing Times Awards following the success of a project that delivers safer sleep education to families while their children are in A&E.

Bosses at the hospital in Crewe, Cheshire, said staff were praised for their compassionate, non-judgemental and collaborative approach.

The initiative was launched in 2024 and has delivered advice to more than 800 parents and carers.

"With strong potential for replication in other organisations across the UK, this project empowers families and healthcare teams alike, reducing harm and the risk of sudden infant death," the award citation said.

The project was led by emergency department paediatric nurses Ashleigh Hall and Kirstie Orr.

"Safer sleep advice is hugely important and being able to offer that guidance face-to-face, while families are already with us in the emergency department means we can make a real difference," Ms Hall said.

Ms Orr added: "As a team, we want to deliver those messages in the most beneficial ways possible because ultimately this can help to prevent avoidable tragedies."

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Source: BBC News, 29 October 2025

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National audit reveals ‘dire state’ of treatment for stroke survivors

The Stroke Association says stroke care is in a “dire state” in England with too few patients receiving timely treatment and only a third getting the recommended after care.

The charity says, as a result, thousands of stroke survivors are not getting the help they need to physically and mentally recover.

It warned that patients are also facing a “postcode lottery” when it comes to getting a clot-busting treatment, which can significantly reduce the likelihood of long-term disability.

Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said: “Stroke changes a person’s life in an instant with far-reaching repercussions for many. It requires treatments including physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, and mental health support.

“The fact that 65% of stroke survivors don’t get this is truly shocking and demonstrates the dire state stroke treatment and ongoing care is in.

“Stroke must be prioritised by governments and the NHS from prevention to diagnosis, treatment and long-term recovery, only then will stroke patients get the treatment they need, whenever they need it, so the increasing number of UK stroke survivors can live mentally and physically well.”

While stroke patients should be given a review six months after their stroke to discuss their physical and mental health and their ongoing needs, data from the 24/25 Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme revealed that only 35% of patients had this review – the lowest level since 2019/20.

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Source: The Independent, 29 October 2025

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Damning report finds 'culture of mistrust' at maternity unit

Staffing shortages and a "culture of mistrust" led to delays and patients being harmed at one of the busiest maternity units in the UK, a review has found.

An inspection of maternity care at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh said some women waiting for labour to be induced had experienced delays of more than 24 hours.

It also said staff were reluctant to submit safety reports and had raised concerns about being overwhelmed and unsupported.

The damning findings echo those of NHS Lothian's own review into the troubled maternity unit last year - but the health board insisted it was making progress in improving and investing in its women's services.

The review of Edinburgh's maternity unit follows a BBC Disclosure investigation which heard calls for urgent action to improve maternity safety across Scotland.

The investigation heard from a number of families who had experienced poor and sometimes deadly care.

It concluded that mothers and newborn babies had come to harm because of staffing shortages and a "toxic" workplace culture.

Health Secretary Neil Gray said the Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) report was "deeply, deeply concerning".

Gray, who said he had experienced loss in his own family, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland he had directed NHS Lothian to deliver its recommendations "immediately".

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Source: BBC News, 29 October 2025

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'Chances missed,' says damning report into surgeon

"A series of missed opportunities" have been revealed by an investigation into hundreds of children's surgeries carried out by a specialist working at a world-renowned NHS hospital.

Kuldeep Stohr was suspended by Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge earlier this year, amid concerns over surgeries that were "below the expected standard".

A "pivotal missed opportunity" came when the hospital trust failed to act upon recommendations made by an external reviewer into her work in 2016, the report said.

If appropriate actions had been taken, they "would have likely reduced harm to paediatric orthopaedic patients", the independent investigators concluded.

Radd Seiger, a retired lawyer who represents 25 of the affected families said: "This was not a rogue surgeon — this was a rogue system."

The investigation was commissioned by CUH and carried out by Verita, which describes itself as an "objective investigations company providing expert advice to regulated organisations in the UK".

Ms Stohr was suspended by the hospital and has not been at work since March 2024, initially for personal reasons.

In her absence, her patients were seen by other doctors who discovered, a letter to the parents from the hospital said, a "higher than expected level of complications".

That led to an initial review, which found operations involving nine children fell "below expected standards".

One of those was Darcey, whose parents previously told the BBC they feared problems with her hip operation, which left her leg rotated inwards "to almost 90 degrees" and in need of further surgery, were "brushed under the rug".

It emerged that concerns about Ms Stohr dated back as early as 2015 and wider reviews were started into about 800 patient procedures.

The latest report concluded there was "a series of missed opportunities, both major and minor, in how CUH and its leadership addressed concerns" about Ms Stohr's medical practice and "appropriate actions could have been taken".

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Source: BBC News, 29 October 2025

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ChatGPT shares data on how many users exhibit psychosis or suicidal thoughts

OpenAI has released new estimates of the number of ChatGPT users who exhibit possible signs of mental health emergencies, including mania, psychosis or suicidal thoughts.

The company said that around 0.07% of ChatGPT users active in a given week exhibited such signs, adding that its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot recognizes and responds to these sensitive conversations.

While OpenAI maintains these cases are "extremely rare," critics said even a small percentage may amount to hundreds of thousands of people, as ChatGPT recently reached 800 million weekly active users, per boss Sam Altman.

As scrutiny mounts, the company said it built a network of experts around the world to advise it. Those experts include more than 170 psychiatrists, psychologists, and primary care physicians who have practiced in 60 countries, the company said.

They have devised a series of responses in ChatGPT to encourage users to seek help in the real world, according to OpenAI.

But the glimpse at the company's data raised eyebrows among some mental health professionals.

"Even though 0.07% sounds like a small percentage, at a population level with hundreds of millions of users, that actually can be quite a few people," said Dr. Jason Nagata, a professor who studies technology use among young adults at the University of California, San Francisco.

"AI can broaden access to mental health support, and in some ways support mental health, but we have to be aware of the limitations," Dr. Nagata added.

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Source: BBC News, 27 October 2025

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NHS makes morning-after pill available for free across pharmacies in England

The NHS has made the morning-after pill available for free across pharmacies in England in an effort to reduce a “postcode lottery” of access to emergency contraception.

Almost 10,000 pharmacies are now able to offer the pill without charge, saving those in need of free emergency contraception from having to visit their GP or to get an appointment at a sexual health clinic.

Some pharmacies were previously charging as much as £30 for emergency oral contraception.

The NHS’s national clinical director for women’s health, Dr Sue Mann, said the expansion was “one of the biggest changes to sexual health services since the 1960s” and “a gamechanger in making reproductive healthcare more easily accessible for women”.

“Instead of trying to search for women’s services or explain their needs, from today women can just pop into their local pharmacy and get the oral emergency contraceptive pill free of charge without needing to make an appointment,” she said.

“With four in five people living within a 20-minute walk from a pharmacy, this service is another example of how the NHS is already delivering on our 10-year health plan commitment to shift care into the heart of communities”.

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Source: The Guardian, 29 October 2025

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Poor ventilation leaves hospitals ‘not ready’ for another covid

Just four years after the peak of the pandemic, four in five NHS acute trusts are concerned their ventilation systems may be inadequate, according to an investigation by HSJ. 

Maintaining a flow of fresh air into a room is considered an important measure to reduce the spread of airborne infections, such as coronavirus and flu. However, an analysis of trust risk registers reveals that many are operating with ageing ventilation systems which pose a risk to patient safety. 

HSJ asked all 118 acute trusts whether a lack of adequate ventilation was on their risk register. Just under 80% of the 91 who replied said yes. 

This does not mean the risk has necessarily materialised, but is significant enough – either in likelihood, potential impact, or both – to require regular review by managers.

HSJ also asked for trusts to estimate the cost of reaching full compliance with the latest ventilation standards. Twenty-six trusts responded with data which suggested the average cost per trust was around £13m.

One trust estates director contacted by HSJ said: “Based on this research, it is clear the NHS is not ready for another respiratory outbreak.” They added that ventilation was “one of the biggest risks” in managing healthcare estates and a “huge chunk” of their trust’s repair backlog. “One of the reasons these risks exist is because it is so expensive to replace.”

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Source: HSJ, 29 October 2025

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Illegal teeth-whitening industry exposed by BBC

Illegal teeth-whitening treatments that can burn gums and destroy teeth are being handed over in car parks and on doorsteps, a BBC investigation has found.

Some gels, containing more than 500 times the legal limit of bleaching agent for over-the-counter products, are sold blatantly on social media.

As part of the investigation, a BBC North West reporter was able to obtain a fraudulent teeth-whitening qualification, as well as being given "extreme" bleach and advised to "practise on friends and family".

The British Dental Association (BDA) said it was "appalled" by the BBC's findings.

In one case, a seller boasted that there are "insane" profits to be made from providing the treatments.

In the UK, treatments using teeth-whitening products containing more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide can only be carried out by dentists and other professionals registered with the General Dental Council (GDC).

And products used in treatments offered by dentists cannot contain more than 6% hydrogen peroxide.

However, products sold to undercover BBC reporters were sent to a laboratory for tests where results showed they contained hydrogen peroxide levels of up to 53%.

Kellie Howson, 54, who lost four teeth after she paid £65 for a whitening treatment at a beauty salon in Lancaster, urged the public to be aware of the dangers.

She said: "I just remember not long into the treatment my gums starting to really hurt, and afterwards it just got worse and worse.

"I was in agony."

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Source: BBC News, 29 October 2025

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Hundreds of hospice beds and staff cut in England amid funding crisis

Hospices in England are cutting hundreds of beds and staff because of a funding crisis, despite a sharp rise in demand for palliative care, a damning report warns.

People needing end of life care faced a postcode lottery because access to services was so patchy, the National Audit Office (NAO) reported.

A lack of government oversight meant ministers were unaware of how reliant they were on independent hospices, its 52-page report found.

The NAO said nearly two-thirds of independent hospices in England reported a deficit in 2023-24. Overall expenditure was £78m more than income generated.

As a result, services have been slashed and hospices forced to cut the number of beds available for dying people and those with life-limiting conditions. At the end of 2024, about 300 inpatient beds were “deregistered or withdrawn from operation”, the report found, though some could have been because of a preference for being cared for at home.

Hospices have been forced to cut back on staff, the NAO added, despite the fact that demand for palliative care was increasing.

The NAO highlighted “variation” in where hospices were situated across England, owing to the “unplanned way” they have developed over the past few decades.

Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: “Independent hospices play a key role in providing palliative and end of life care and provide choice for people at the end of their lives.

“With many more people expected to want hospice care in the future, it is crucial that the sector is financially resilient. DHSC and NHSE should assess how they would meet increased demand for palliative and end of life care should services delivered by independent adult hospices be insufficient.”

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Source: The Guardian, 20 October 2025

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US shutdown enters fourth week

As the federal government shutdown enters its fourth week, pressure is mounting on the nation’s healthcare infrastructure. Paychecks have been halted for more than 1 million federal employees, critical agencies such as CMS are scrambling to maintain operations, and national disease surveillance efforts are beginning to fracture — just as the U.S. heads into the respiratory virus season.

Funding delays are now directly affecting large swaths of the healthcare workforce and related support systems. More than 1 million civilian federal employees and military personnel — including those at HHS and the Department of Veterans Affairs — have begun missing their paychecks.

The White House has suggested it may not provide back pay for furloughed federal workers, but the Internal Revenue Service has said it will be guaranteed, according to Axios. 

To fund the move, the agency is drawing on user fees collected from researchers accessing CMS data, with plans to reimburse the account once appropriations resume. The decision comes amid mounting pressure to stabilise key healthcare functions as disruptions and delays in telehealth reimbursement and hospital-at-home programs continue to ripple across the system.

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Source: Becker's Hospital Review, 27 October 2025

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'My wife died in childbirth but wasn't told she'd been given labour drug overdose'

Just a week before she was due to give birth, Jacqui Hunter was given the devastating news that her daughter had died in the womb.

Less than 24 hours later, Jacqui was also dead.

The 39-year-old had been told she would have to give birth to her stillborn daughter, who was called Olivia, and was given medication to bring on the labour.

Within hours Jacqui was having intense contractions and at one point slumped into the arms of her husband, Lori Quate, who thought she had fainted.

As staff at Ninewells Hospital rushed to help her, she suffered a cardiac arrest.

Jacqui died two hours later from an amniotic fluid embolism – a rare and life-threatening emergency.

It was not until the next day that Lori found out his wife had been given eight times the recommended dose of the drug to bring on labour – a mistake which some experts say may have contributed to her death.

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Source: BBC News, 27 October 2025

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Medical training in England needs major overhaul, says landmark review

Training bottlenecks are leaving many resident doctors without a job and must be “urgently” tackled as part of an overhaul of postgraduate medical training, a landmark NHS review recommends.

Competition ratios “are now too high” in many specialties, causing major bottlenecks in training that “do not benefit anyone,” the report from England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and former national medical director Stephen Powis concludes.

The “diagnostic” report is the first phase of a review representing the biggest overhaul of postgraduate medical training in England for more than 15 years. It was ordered in February in response to grievances from resident doctors about the current training process.

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Source: BMJ News, 24 October 2025

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Private hospitals carrying out more NHS appointments and procedures

The number of NHS appointments, tests and operations delivered by private hospitals and clinics has increased by almost 500,000 this year, now totalling 6.15 million.

Health secretary Wes Streeting said the policy tackles a “two-tier” system by cutting waiting times and ensuring prompt treatment for NHS patients in England. Private providers report delivering around 10 per cent of elective NHS activity.

Between August 2024 and September 2025 they conducted an average of 19,000 surgical procedures and 100,000 outpatient appointments every week, treating more than 1.1 million people.

Mr Streeting said: “I’ll do everything I can to get NHS patients treated faster, free at the point of use.

“This is a principled, progressive position, not just a pragmatic one.

“We’re not prepared to continue two-tier healthcare, when those who can afford it get treated on time, and those who can’t are left behind. Wealth shouldn’t determine health.”

Using spare capacity in the private sector is key to the government’s target of ensuring that 92 per cent of patients in England should wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to treatment.

Other measures to cut waiting lists include the use of community diagnostic centres (CDCs) and carrying out more surgical procedures on evenings and weekends.

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Source: The Independent, 25 October 2025

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Medics need training after patient died - coroner

More training is needed for hospital staff after a patient died from "a catastrophic and unsurvivable brain injury" following surgery, a coroner said.

It comes after patient John Rust, who had undergone a heart operation at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital, died after a catheter leaked, Birmingham and Solihull's coroner Adam Hodson heard.

In the wake of the case, Mr Hodson has written in a report that all staff using cerebrospinal fluid drains, which the catheter was used for, should be "adequately trained" in their use.

The University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, which has been asked to respond to the coroner by 15 December, said it had introduced extra safety measures.

The inquest heard Mr Rust had been admitted to the hospital on 25 March this year, for an elective thoracic aortic replacement.

It led to a cerebrospinal fluid catheter being inserted to minimise post-operative risks of paraplegia, Mr Hodson was told.

On 27 March, Mr Rust underwent surgery and was taken to an intensive care ward, where concerns were raised the drain was leaking, but the coroner said they were not acted upon.

The inquest concluded this caused him to suffer the major brain injury, and he died on 29 March.

In his Prevention of Future Deaths report, which was sent to the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, the coroner said: "In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken."

He recommended that all clinical staff who use the cerebrospinal fluid catheter "must have completed adequate training to ensure that they are familiar with the functionality of the device prior to use".

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Source: BBC News, 24 October 2025

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NHS App to become default patient communication channel

The NHS App should be the main channel for all types of patient communication by the start of 2029, new national guidance has stated. 

The medium-term planning framework published by NHS England today places the app at centre of its plans for patient triage, appointment booking and all other forms of communication.

The document said the rules “set the scene” for “a crucial new principle that services should be delivered digitally as the default wherever possible”.

The guidance insists the service must “move to a unified access model, using AI-assisted triage, that can effectively guide patients to self-care or to the appropriate care setting, through a single user interface delivered via the NHS App but with an integrated telephony and in-person offering”.

Providers are also told to “fully adopt all existing NHS App capabilities as a priority” over the next three years. This includes ensuring patients can manage their medicines, view waiting times and make appointments via the NHS App.

Patient-initiated follow-ups (PIFU) pathways in which patients trigger their own appointments should also be integrated with the app no later than 2028-29.

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Source: HSJ, 24 October 2025

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Inside looming NHS winter crisis as hospitals face ‘armageddon’

As hospital beds fill up, seriously sick patients are sent to makeshift wards – cupboards, offices and corridors – to be treated by a doctor. Others are left languishing in waiting rooms, sometimes for days on end. In one particularly hard-hit hospital, a Costa Coffee cafe is turned into an emergency ward as medics struggle to cope with rising demand.

It’s only October, yet the picture across NHS wards up and down the country is one of concern, with medics telling The Independent they fear a winter crisis on a scale only seen at the height of the pandemic. One A&E consultant warns the health service is facing something akin to “armageddon”.

Every year, the NHS is under huge pressure at winter – a result of longstanding problems, including under-funding and an ageing population. But hospitals are already battling an “astonishing” number of flu and Covid patients this year, in part due to a “hugely concerning” early flu season, alongside a surge in A&E demand and staffing cuts.

On Tuesday, health secretary Wes Streeting admitted the NHS faces a “challenging” winter but insisted it was “already running hot” ahead of the season. But top medics have told The Independent that the government has failed to adequately plan for a potentially devastating few months.

Dr Vicky Price, president of the Society of Acute Medicine, told The Independent: “This winter, I’m more scared than I’ve ever been. We are in a state of dread going into these winter months.”

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Source: The Independent, 25 October 2025

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