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AI catches one-third of interval breast cancers missed at screening

An AI algorithm for breast cancer screening has potential to enhance the performance of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), reducing interval cancers by up to one-third, according to a study published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Interval breast cancers - symptomatic cancers diagnosed within a period between regular screening mammography exams - tend to have poorer outcomes due to their more aggressive biology and rapid growth. DBT, or 3D mammography, can improve visualization of breast lesions and reveal cancers that may be obscured by dense tissue. Because DBT is relatively new as an advanced screening technology, long-term data on patient outcomes are limited in institutions that have not transitioned to DBT until recently.

"Given the lack of long-term data on breast cancer-related mortality measured over 10 or more years following the initiation of DBT screening, the interval cancer rate was often used as a surrogate marker," explained study author Manisha Bahl, M.D., M.P.H., breast imaging division quality director and co-service chief at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. "Lowering this rate is assumed to reduce breast cancer-related morbidity and mortality."

In a study of 1,376 cases, Dr. Bahl and her colleagues retrospectively analysed 224 interval cancers in 224 women who had undergone DBT screening. On those DBT exams, the AI algorithm (Lunit INSIGHT DBT v1.1.0.0) correctly localized 32.6% (73/224) of cancers that were previously undetected.

"My team and I were surprised to find that nearly one-third of interval cancers were detected and correctly localized by the AI algorithm on screening mammograms that had been interpreted as negative by radiologists, highlighting AI’s potential as a valuable second reader," Dr. Bahl said.

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Source: Digital Health News, 1 August 2025

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‘Unjust’ NHS ethnic pay gap to be reviewed

A long-awaited review into “unjust and unfair” pay disparities between white and minority ethnic staff across the NHS has been launched. 

The NHS Race and Health Observatory has commissioned the first-ever study of the issue. The project will be carried out in partnership with the University of Surrey.

It will examine differences in pay, career progression, and pension contributions - as well as the potential impact on cumulative financial earnings - between staff from different ethnic backgrounds.

The review will also explore the potential explanations for any differences and make recommendations to “reduce and eliminate unwarranted inequalities where they are found to exist”, the RHO has said.

The final report is due in December 2026.

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Source: HSJ, 6 August 2025

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Thousands of patients miss out on weight loss jab due to NHS ‘postcode lottery’

Thousands of obese patients are missing out on a key weight loss jab due to a “postcode lottery” of provision in the NHS, according to a report.

Mounjaro, dubbed the “King Kong” of weight loss medicine, was supposed to be available through GP surgeries from 23 June under an agreement between NHS England and NICE.

But just eight out of 42 NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England were able to provide treatment to patients, according to Sky News, who obtained the data using a Freedom of Information request. Many other ICBs were reportedly unable to confirm when treatment would be available.

Dr Jonathan Hazlehurst, an endocrinologist and obesity physician at University Hospitals Birmingham, said patients were “set up for failure” and have been treated unfairly.

"Giving people open promises and setting them up for disappointment and failure is clearly grossly unfair. That's what the current system is doing,” he told the broadcaster.

NICE said in December that the NHS should offer Mounjaro to patients with a BMI of over 40 and at least four clinical conditions related to their weight, such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

It calculated from NHS England data that there were 97,500 patients who should be treated in the first year.

But Dr Hazlehurst claims NHS England has only provided funding for just over 22,000 patients.

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Source: The Independent, 5 August 2025

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NHS issues vaccination warning for pregnant women over dangerous virus currently surging in Australia

Expectant mothers and people over 75 are being urged to get vaccinated against a potentially deadly virus following a record number of cases in Australia.

Health chiefs say the Australian winter often predicts how viruses will spread in the UK, and already this year cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have steadily risen in many areas.

The virus, which is a common cause of coughs and colds, may also cause a chest infection called bronchiolitis.

Some people have a high risk of becoming seriously ill with it, including babies and adults over 75.

According to NHS England, RSV is a leading cause of infant deaths worldwide and a main cause of children being taken into hospital.

NHS England is encouraging pregnant women to get a jab that protects against RSV so their babies are protected after birth.

Kate Brintworth, chief midwifery officer for NHS England, said: “While for most adults RSV only causes mild, cold-like symptoms, for older adults and young children it can lead to serious breathing problems that can end up in hospitalisation.

“Getting vaccinated while pregnant is the best way to protect your baby from the moment they are born, and now is the time for mums to act, to make sure their babies are protected ahead of their first few months this winter, when there tends to be more bugs circulating.”

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Source: The Independent, 5 August 2025

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Suicidal teen warned mental health hospital staff ‘slept on shifts’ and urged ‘shut this place down’

A suicidal teenager revealed that staff “slept on shifts” and said the scandal-hit mental health hospital she was being held in should be “shut down” in a note she wrote before her death, an inquest has heard.

Ruth Szymankiewicz, 14, died on 14 February 2022 after she was left alone at Huntercombe Hospital, near Maidenhead in Berkshire, despite requiring constant one-to-one observation, Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court was told.

In the 15 minutes she was left alone, Ruth, who had an eating disorder, made her way to her room, where she self-harmed. She was found and resuscitated before being transferred to hospital, but died two days later from a brain injury.

In a note written before she died, which was read aloud on Tuesday at the inquest into her death, Ruth said there was a lack of therapy at the hospital, which she said had an “unsafe number of staff”.

On Monday, the court heard that the support worker responsible for monitoring Ruth was working under a false identity and had completed just a day or a day and a half of online training the day before his first shift at the children’s psychiatric hospital.

Evidence presented at the inquest also revealed that on the day of Ruth’s death, he was working on another ward in the hospital, but had been assigned to Ruth as Thames Ward, where she was being cared for, was short-staffed.

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Source: The Independent, 5 August 2025

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Schools and hospitals ‘very likely’ to be hacked

Britain’s schools and hospitals are “very likely” to suffer a “large-scale loss or hijack” of their websites, the government has admitted.

Officials have said that the internet domains of public sector websites are particularly vulnerable to being exploited by “hostile actors”.

A hack could lead to a “significant loss of information and reputation”, officials concluded.

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) also said it was “likely” not to be prepared for a significant cyberattack that could “potentially contribute to a national crisis”.

The NHS has faced a series of damaging cyberattacks. Last year, doctors at two big hospital trusts in London were forced to cancel all elective inpatient procedures and admissions after a lab that processes pathology tests was hacked.

Richard Horne, the chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, wrote in a letter to The Times in May that organisations “must operate in a way that minimises the risks”, adding that freely available advice is “not being followed nearly enough across the UK”.

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Source: The Times, 3 August 2025

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We will no longer tolerate ‘negative behaviours’, pledges ICB

An integrated care board has apologised to staff and pledged to no longer tolerate a range of “negative behaviours” identified by a report into the organisation’s culture. 

The report into management behaviour at Kent and Medway ICB, obtained by HSJ, reveals staff were reluctant to speak up due to the “perceived futility or fear of consequences”. Executives were perceived as “defensive, remote, and closed-off” by staff, while poor behaviour often remained “unaddressed” or was met with “a lack of action”.

The report added this had led to “colleagues avoiding direct challenge and relying on processes such as the [Freedom to Speak Up] Guardian, even when these methods are not appropriate or best suited to addressing these issues”. 

The ICB commissioned consultancies Kaleidoscope Health and Care and Absolute Diversity to conduct a joint review last November, following concerns expressed in internal staff surveys and FTSU Guardian reports. These included “differential and poorer” work experience for staff with a protected characteristic and low morale.

The report identified “a number of significant and widespread cultural challenges”. These included:

  • A “loss of civility” in parts of the organisation, particularly between some staff and executives;
  • Senior leaders of band 8 and above felt “disempowered, deskilled and devalued by executives, with excessive decision escalation and micromanagement hindering their ability”; and
  • Executive team members “publicly disagreed with and undermined collective decisions”, leading to inconsistent briefing of teams on executive decisions.

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Source: HSJ, 5 August 2025

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‘Growing cultural tension’ could turn hospital’s staff against leaders

A hospital has uncovered concerns about “toxic behaviours” and racism, and been warned that “growing cultural tension” could turn “staff against each other or against leadership”.

The review was ordered by Medway Foundation Trust after it identified concerns about culture and potential racism and bias. Staff at Medway Maritime Hospital also reported increasing violence and aggression from patients and relatives.

The resulting report – by a company called Absolute Diversity – details concerns around bullying, toxic behaviour and discrimination. It also found some signs of hope, however, with a sense of pride among staff and a commitment to patient care.

It called on the trust to make it safe to speak up, review staff experience of employee relations processes, and increase leadership accountability and clarity with “clear expectations for leadership behaviours”.

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Source: HSJ, 5 September 2025

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Great Ormond Street Hospital surgeons forced to use mobile phone torches during surgery after power cut

Surgeons at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) for children were forced to use mobile phone torches during an operation due to a power outage, the NHS’s safety watchdog has found.

The leading children’s hospital has faced ongoing concerns over the maintenance of its estate and operating theatres, which have led to water leaks and power outages, according to a report by the Care Quality Commission.

The CQC warned of “recurrent” problems, including a power outage during spinal surgery and ventilation failures.

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Source: The Guardian, 4 August 2025

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New support helps parents cope with ICU trauma

Charlotte Creevy's son Seth was two weeks old when he stopped breathing and was rushed to intensive care at a London hospital.

"What kept going through my mind was, 'Is he going to live or die?'"

Charlotte said Seth had contracted three viruses and needed respiratory support.

Thankfully Seth recovered and returned home after being treated at the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington for three weeks in October 2022.

Now a "first of its kind" support service by the charity Cosmic is being rolled out at the hospital to help parents like Charlotte cope with the trauma of experiencing their child going into intensive care.

"It was awful. I would cry because it was hard not knowing what would happen to Seth," Charlotte added.

"I was only two weeks postpartum after an emergency C-section, so I was physically not in a good way anyway."

Chief executive of Cosmic, Susannah Forland said "things like the beeping of a fridge can trigger trauma or flashbacks".

She added: "The impact can be long-lasting and far-reaching after the families return home.

"Our service will bridge the gap between hospital and home, providing a vital safety net during one of the most emotionally vulnerable times in a parent's life."

Research at St Mary's Hospital found that early intervention helped reduce symptoms of PTSD and other long-term mental health issues among parents, following their child's discharge from intensive care.

After a successful pilot, Cosmic is funding and delivering the post-PICU service on a permanent basis.

It involves providing parents with a booklet containing information and coping mechanisms, a follow-up telephone call by trained staff, and ongoing referral for counselling where needed.

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Source: BBC News, 5 August 2025

Further reading on hub:

How a charity in France is supporting intensive care units: An interview with Anne-Sophie Debue

 

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NHS in England told to keep Welsh patients waiting

NHS patients from Wales who need knee and hip operations in England face lengthy delays after a health board asked English hospitals to copy Wales' longer waiting times.

Powys health board announced the change as it could not afford the cost of how quickly operations over the border were being carried out, but patients have said they were not informed.

Mel Wallace, 59, from Howey, Powys, was initially told she would have a 12-month wait for her hip replacement, but now faces another 45-week wait after already waiting 59 weeks.

Health board chief executive Hayley Thomas said people in the area "should be treated in the same timeframe as residents of anywhere else in Wales".

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Source: BBC News, 4 August 2025

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Quarter of a million NHS Scotland patient falls in 5 years

New figures reveal it is becoming more likely for NHS Scotland patients to fall as a quarter of a million incidents are recorded in just five years. 

There were least 266,573 patient falls between 2019 and 2024, according to Freedom of Information data obtained by the Labour Party. When incidents in 2025 were included, this number rose to 282,385. 

With nine out of 14 health boards reporting an increase, the figures suggest that patients are becoming more likely to fall.

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Source: The Herald

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Common allergy medication’s risks outweigh its usefulness, experts say (CNN)

Dr. Anna Wolfson says she sees dangerous misuse of the allergy medication diphenhydramine in her clinic every day.

“If someone has an allergic reaction to a food, people will say, ‘Don’t worry, I have diphenhydramine in my purse,’ and I would say, ‘Really, epinephrine is the first-line treatment for food allergies,’” said Wolfson, an allergist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Diphenhydramine can be harmful if people take it after having an allergic reaction to food, she said, because the drug – best known by the brand name Benadryl – makes them drowsy and can cause them to miss signs that their symptoms are getting worse.

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Source: CNN, 1 August 2025

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'I'm in control of my sexual health' - UK gonorrhoea vaccine rollout begins

Gonorrhoea vaccines will be widely available from today in sexual health clinics across the UK, in a bid to tackle record-breaking levels of infections.

The jabs will first be offered to those at highest risk - mostly gay and bisexual men who have a history of multiple sexual partners or sexually transmitted infections.

NHS England say the roll out is a world-first, and predict it could prevent as many as 100,000 cases, potentially saving the NHS almost £8m over the next decade.

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Source: BBC News online, 4 August 2025

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Three million on NHS England waiting lists have had no care since GP referral

Almost half of the 6 million people needing treatment from the NHS in England have had no further care at all since joining a hospital waiting list, new data reveals.

Previously unseen NHS England figures show that 2.99 million of the 6.23 million patients (48%) awaiting care have not had either their first appointment with a specialist or a diagnostic test since being referred by a GP.

The Patients Association described the situation as “an invisible waiting list crisis” that was “staggering” in scale, with millions living in limbo, anxious as their health deteriorates.

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Source: The Guardian, 1 August 2025

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Obstetricians and gynaecologists: Suicidal thoughts and burnout rose after pandemic, survey suggests

Obstetricians and gynaecologists have become more likely to report suicidal thoughts since the Covid pandemic, a UK survey has found.

Researchers at Imperial College London surveyed 1400 practising doctors who had been registered with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) from June to August 2022 and compared the findings with the previous questionnaire results from 2018.

They found that 72% (805) of respondents met the criteria for burnout, up from 36% (1116) in 2018. Trainees experienced the highest levels of burnout at 80% (344), while consultants reported the lowest levels at 67% (393).

The proportion of doctors reporting anxiety and depression had also risen: anxiety increased from 33% of doctors (1008) to 62% (643), and depression rose from 14% (416) to 31% (317). Doctors having suicidal thoughts rose from 3% (90) to 9% (98).

However, researchers highlighted that the post-pandemic study had a smaller response rate of 19% (1400 of 7388 members)—much lower than the 55% rate (3102 of 5661) in 2018. 

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Source: BMJ, 30 July 2025

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Neighbourhood health ‘can’t be line managed’

A government neighbourhood health lead has warned the service “can’t line manage organisations outside the NHS into change”, which will instead rely on “frontline involvement” organised in relatively small patches.

Sir John Oldham, a former GP who is chairing the government’s neighbourhood health implementation programme, launched a call three weeks ago for applications to join its first wave.

The “large-scale change programme” will be joined up with parallel national 10-Year Health Plan  delivery work, including developing two neighbourhood health provider contracts, and changing funding flows.

But Sir John told HSJ that successful implementation “requires the meaningful frontline involvement of partners at a neighbourhood level… You can’t line manage organisations outside the NHS into change, you have to engage and facilitate. Yet it is their contribution that will be needed [to achieve] the hard deliverables”. 

The senior adviser to health and social care secretary Wes Streeting also said the programme would not accept applications from multiple places working as one, because they would be too wide to properly engage local teams. “The connectivity between place and neighbourhood will be very important, which is why a single application from multiple places won’t be accepted,” he said. “The definition of a place is up to local people.

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Source: HSJ, 1 August 2025

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ICBs can scrap chief nurse and medic, says NHSE

Integrated care boards can now scrap the roles of chief nurse and chief medical officer – despite previous guidance saying they are required – NHS England has indicated.

NHSE told HSJ it was “for each ICB to determine which specific roles they require at board level to deliver their core functions”, after saying systems should reduce executive headcounts as part of its “model ICB blueprint”.

It comes as North East London ICB announced to staff it was scrapping its chief nurse and chief medical officer roles from its executive management team. It is restructuring in order to cut its costs in half and focus on “strategic commissioning” (see below), as instructed by government and NHSE.

The Royal College of Nursing has criticised NEL ICB’s removal of the chief nurse role – and said other systems may follow suit.

Patricia Marquis, executive director of RCN England, said: “The decision to remove the chief nurse post by the North East London ICB shows poor insight into the importance of nursing in ensuring safe patient care. Worryingly, we are now hearing that other ICBs across England are planning to follow suit. The RCN is monitoring the situation and will be supporting members to challenge decisions locally.

“As the biggest and most trusted profession in the NHS workforce, it is vital that nursing continues to have leaders in place to influence decision-making. Failure to do so risks devaluing the nursing profession and undermining the delivery of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, which is so heavily dependent on the expertise and leadership of senior nursing staff.”

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Source: HSJ, 1 August 2025

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I've stopped life-saving medication says man exhausted by fight for NHS care

Tim Hull can point to many achievements during his 56 years. But it is a life Tim has decided to end. His quality of life, he says, is "very, very low". Tim has a medical condition that weakens his muscles, and his health has declined rapidly over the past two years.

It is the battles to get the health and care support he needs which have driven him to make the desperate decision, says Tim. He feels abandoned by health professionals, has been moved from one waiting list to another, has not been provided with the right equipment to help him and has been bed-bound for nearly seven months.

In February, he stopped taking the medication that prevents his kidneys from failing. They are now beginning to give up and he knows he has months, if not weeks, to live.

"I don't feel that things are going to get any better than this," he tells BBC News. "I just feel [ending my life] would be a better option than lying in bed 24 hours a day."

Tim's neurological condition is rare, however, many of the difficulties he has faced feel familiar to many.

Over the past two years, BBC News has been contacted by the families of more than 250 people with serious disabilities or illnesses about their struggles to access health and care services.

Many described the impact of very long waits for assessments, appointments, and for vital equipment that can help them cope at home.

They also highlighted the frustrations of trying to get someone to signpost the right services, being passed from department to department, and the feeling that they were only listened to when they reached a crisis.

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Source: BBC News, 30 July 2025

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First NHS AI-run physio clinic in England halves back-pain waiting list

The first NHS AI-run physiotherapy clinic has halved the waiting list for back pain and musculoskeletal services, according to the NHS trust where the pilot has taken place.

More than 2,500 patients living in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough were able to access Flok Health, a physiotherapy platform run by AI, over a 12-week period starting in February.

The platform, which was created using video footage of a human physiotherapist, provides same-day automated video appointments with a digital physiotherapist via an app that responds to information given by a patient in real time.

When the clinic was first launched in Cambridgeshire, waiting times for elective community musculoskeletal (MSK) services in the region were about 18 weeks.

The waiting times for all MSK conditions decreased by 44% over the course of the 12-week period due to the use of Flok combined with other initiatives such as community assessment days, according to Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS trust (CCS), which deployed the services in those areas of England.

Anna-Marie Cooper, from Cambridge, had a positive experience using Flok despite being initially sceptical when she was referred to the AI physio for her back pain.

“I have used private physiotherapy services in the past, but I found my experience with the AI physio as good as, if not better than any care I’ve received before,” she said. “Flok’s service was so intuitive, and having the flexibility to schedule and rearrange appointments whenever I wanted really suited me.”

But the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) said that although AI holds great potential for the future of healthcare treatments, it was concerned about widening health inequalities for other patients who couldn’t or didn’t want to access physiotherapy care via an app.

John Cowman, the chief executive of the CSP, said: “When tackling the problem of waiting times, it is important to address the root causes, one of which is the recruitment freezes currently stopping graduate physiotherapists from finding work in the NHS. We have a workforce ready to provide proven, safe care which will help cut waiting times and ensure people get the appointments they need.

“AI will certainly play an increasing role in healthcare in the coming years as a tool to support services, but should be run in conjunction with increasing the physiotherapy workforce.”

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Source: The Guardian, 31 July 2025

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Review uncovers misogyny and paternalistic culture at major trust

An independent review of a major trust has uncovered claims of misogyny and a failure to deal with “unwanted romantic advances”, HSJ can reveal. 

The damning report into University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust found that multiple women reported eye-rolling and dismissiveness in meetings. Female surgeons in particular felt “constantly excluded” by their male colleagues.

The review team also learnt that no action was taken after a female staff member reported unwanted romantic advances and inappropriate comments from senior male colleagues.

The report was written by Niche Health and Social Care Consulting, which specialises in independent investigations. It was commissioned after a poor Care Quality Commission report and “undertakings” from NHS England. It was based around interviews and focus groups with staff, governors and leaders, a survey of board members and a wider survey of more than 1,000 staff members.

The review team found senior leaders said there was a “paternalistic culture” in the organisation, with all decisions passed through the executive.

It called on the trust to build “psychological safety” in the organisation, which was also described as having a “medically dominated culture”, where doctors were “pandered” to.

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Source: HSJ, 31 July 2025

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Yusuf Nazir: New report examines death of boy who was sent home from hospital due to a 'lack of beds'

The mother of a five-year-old boy who died after being sent home from hospital because of a "lack of beds" has told Sky News that the second report into his death "has not brought closure for the family". 

Yusuf Nazir died in November 2022. His mother Soniya had rushed her son to Rotherham Hospital's A&E, only to be told "there were no beds available".

Yusuf was eventually seen by a doctor but then sent home. Soniya says the doctor told her that "Yusuf had the worst case of tonsillitis he had ever seen".

But the child's health continued to deteriorate, and his desperately worried mother called an ambulance to rush him to the nearby specialist children's hospital in Sheffield.

It was here, the report says, that a number of critical interventions were missed. Yusuf's family say that, if doctors had acted sooner, he would still be alive.

Speaking in her first interview since Yusuf's death, Soniya described the panic she felt as a mother watching her son "dying in front of her eyes".

"I carried Yusuf to the nurse, floppy with his eyes rolled back, struggling to breathe, myself to the nurse," Soniya said.

"She said: 'We're too busy, we can't get a doctor, you'll have to wait.'"

This second independent report was backed by Wes Streeting when he was shadow health secretary.

A previous internal NHS report found no wrongdoing on the part of Rotherham Hospital. The family have described that report as a "whitewash".

Their claim will be supported by this second report, which says: "It's clear that across all settings - primary care, pre-hospital, emergency and inpatient - the healthcare system failed to truly hear the family's voice."

It also says staff should have listened to the "mother's instinct".

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Source: Sky News, 31 July 2025

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'It makes me sad and angry': Bereaved mother urges parents to get their children vaccinated

The mother of a 10-year-old girl who died from complications of measles has urged parents to have their children vaccinated amid a surge of cases.

Renae Archer was too young to have the MMR vaccine when she caught the infection at just five months old.

A decade later, she was diagnosed with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, a very rare brain disease. She died in 2023.

Her mother Becky believes Renae might not have caught measles if more people had inoculated their children.

The warning comes as rates of vaccine uptake continue to fall. The recent death of a child with measles at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool put the focus on a surge of cases in a city with low levels of vaccination.

It has left communities with rates of vaccination below the 95% level seen to provide herd immunity, where enough people are protected to prevent the virus spreading.

Becky Archer said: "It does make me quite sad and angry because they are potentially putting their children at risk.

"We just want people to open their eyes to someone that's actually been through it and not the nonsense that's being spread out on social media or on telly.

"I just want people to be knowledgeable of how serious a situation can be."

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Source: Sky News, 31 July 2025

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Major healthcare equipment firm on brink of failure

A major supplier of healthcare equipment to people who are being discharged from hospital or need support in their own homes, is on the brink of going bust.

NRS Healthcare, which works with the NHS and about 40 councils in England and Northern Ireland, is expected to run out of cash by the end of the week, the BBC understands.

The government said it was working with local authorities to minimise "any potential disruption" and find alternative suppliers.

In a letter, sent to the government early in July and seen by the BBC, councils warned of "a devastating impact" and "risk to life" and asked for a short-term loan for NRS while new arrangements were put in place.

It is believed no loan was offered, but most councils have now managed to get plans in place to keep services running.

Council leaders and social services bosses have since confirmed they are "exploring all options to maintain services, including alternative providers and local solutions".

"We are committed to ensuring that services remain as reliable as possible, especially to those people with the highest levels of need during this period of uncertainty," said the Local Government Association, which represents councils in England, in a joint statement with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.

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Source: BBC News, 30 July 2025

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'I'm utterly lost': Patients' anger over doctors strike cancellations

The resident doctors strike in England begun after a dispute over pay between the government and the British Medical Association (BMA).

Thousands of doctors walked out over five days, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting insisting that disruption would be kept to a minimum.

But several NHS patients have told the BBC they fear their conditions could become worse after delays to scheduled procedures, while some have also expressed sympathy over the concerns the doctors are raising.

Peter Plant, 58, of Tamworth, who has kidney cancer, said his surgery to remove the organ on Friday was cancelled on Thursday morning. The operation has been rescheduled for 20 August, but he fears the delay could be a "death sentence".

"Resident doctors do not care that delaying operations like mine are very likely a death sentence," he said.

"I'm absolutely angry and frustrated. It is not just about me, it's about our whole family.

"You try and gear yourself up for it and then it's utter deflation."

Mr Plant said he and his family had been living in "limbo" and that he felt "utterly lost".

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Source: BBC News, 25 July 2025

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