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Sam

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  1. Sam
    NHS executives and other staff who refuse to engage with investigations into maternity care failures could be sent to prison for up to two years under new government proposals.
    The requirement to engage with maternity reviews will apply to existing and former NHS staff, and to the ongoing inquiries at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and University Hospitals Sussex Foundation Trust.
    The announcement by health secretary James Murray came as Donna Ockenden published her 400-page report into care failings at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust. This makes 18 specific recommendations for national action and criticises the trust’s leadership for its arrogance and the service for not learning from past inquiries (see below).
    Health secretary James Murray said the government would compel staff to give evidence “to end a culture of secrecy and prevent further harm”.
    He added: “This action will help ensure the reviews in Leeds and Sussex are fair and comprehensive, so that uncovering the truth does not rely solely on those who choose to come forward voluntarily. Those who refuse to do so or deliberately withhold information about failures could face up to two years in prison.”
    Ms Ockenden’s report reveals that ”66 former and current” senior NUH staff were approached to contribute to the investigation. However, despite being ”contacted on multiple occasions”, only 37 came forward, 35 of which were interviewed. 
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 24 June 2026
  2. Sam
    A comprehensive programme of webinars has been unveiled for Clinical Audit Awareness Week 2026 (#CAAW26), including NHS England Chief Executive Sir James Mackey newly confirmed as a keynote speaker. 
    Taking place from 22 to 26 June 2026, the annual campaign run by Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) promotes the role of clinical audit and evidence-based improvement in improving patient care and outcomes.  
    The centrepiece of the campaign is a series of free, online webinars spanning five themed days, each examining a different dimension of clinical audit and healthcare improvement.  
    Opening on Monday 22 June, the first session will explore how clinical audit supports major NHS strategic priorities, including the three shifts outlined in the NHS 10‑Year Plan towards prevention, community‑based care and greater use of data and digital tools.  Tuesday’s programme shifts the focus to patient and public involvement, with discussions on how engagement at local and national levels can address inequalities and improve outcomes, including a dedicated session on maternity care disparities.   Midweek, the spotlight turns to innovation and transformation, highlighting how emerging tools and technologies are reshaping audit and improvement practices across healthcare systems.   On Thursday, a webinar delivered in partnership with Patient Safety Learning will examine patient safety, demonstrating how robust audit data can identify risks, reduce harm and support safer care pathways.  The week concludes on Friday with a focus on data‑informed improvement and impact, exploring how evidence from audits and registries can be translated into tangible, real‑world changes in care delivery.  Across the week, sessions will also be complemented by daily announcements of the Excellence in Clinical Audit Awards, recognising achievements and best practice from across the sector. Winners will be presenting their projects to inspire others and share this excellent work. 
    All webinars are free to attend, though advance registration is required. The programme is aimed at a wide audience, including clinicians, audit professionals, quality improvement specialists and healthcare leaders interested in leveraging data to improve care.  
    By bringing together expertise from across the NHS and beyond, HQIP hopes the week will not only celebrate achievements but also build momentum for future improvement efforts. 
    Discover the full programme, including the speakers and topics for each webinar: Clinical Audit Awareness Week, 22-26 June 2026 
  3. Sam
    Trust chairs and chief executives must take mandatory antisemitism and anti-racism training within six months, as part of efforts to tackle “routine ostracism” of Jewish people in the NHS.
    A government-commissioned report on antisemitism and other forms of racism in the NHS and health regulation, published today, said training must take place for “approximately 400 chairs and chief executives of NHS provider trusts on antisemitism, anti-racism and building on the Macpherson principles, within the next six months”.
    The Macpherson principles were established by the 1999 Macpherson report, originating from the public inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence.
    The report, by Labour peer and campaigner Lord Mann, said: “This training should support leaders to understand how they can take evidence-based actions to address discrimination and effect change in their organisations. Consideration should also be given to how this might be extended to integrated care boards and primary care networks’ leadership.”
    Leaders of health and care systems and professional regulators should also take the training, Lord Mann’s report said.  
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 4 June 2026
  4. Sam
    A quarter of all babies in England are now delivered by emergency caesarean operations, BBC analysis shows - marking a significant rise over the last five years.
    The unplanned surgeries have increased by eight percentage points, while the rate of elective caesareans has also increased.
    At the same time, the rate of vaginal births without instruments has fallen - from more than half of all deliveries to 43%.
    Prof Marian Knight, director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, which researches the care of women and babies in pregnancy and birth, says the rise represents a "total change in how women give birth" in England, and that it has not been replicated in other European countries.
    The NHS does not publish data on why an emergency C-section is performed, and experts say there is no single, clear explanation for the increase.
    However, some have told the BBC they are concerned a culture of fear in maternity units and among pregnant women is driving up the number of procedures.
    The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which represents maternity doctors, says pressure on staff and operating theatres means the system is "really struggling" to meet the increased demand.
    NHS England says "decisions are made by considering individual circumstances and clinical advice to ensure the safest and most appropriate approach for each birth".
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 5 June 2026
  5. Sam
    The family of a girl left brain-damaged at birth have agreed to accept £28m in damages after the NHS trust involved admitted that its mistakes led to the tragedy.
    Barking, Havering and Redbridge university hospitals NHS trust failed to monitor the baby’s heart rate while her mother was in labour or ask an obstetrician to review the case, either of which might have led to the girl being born in a healthy condition.
    The girl, who is six, suffered severe hypoxia-ischaemia – loss of oxygen to her brain – while she was being born at Queen’s hospital in Romford, east London, in July 2019. That left her badly disabled.
    She has epilepsy, experiences unpredictable seizures and is expected to lose mobility throughout her life. She will need lifelong care to help with her cognitive and language impairments. She will also need constant supervision because she has no awareness of danger and is overly friendly with strangers.
    The girl’s mother demanded urgent action by ministers and NHS bosses to overhaul maternity care, which is in the spotlight after a series of scandals at trusts across England.
    “My daughter is thriving and doing well. But it’s impossible for me to forget that I was robbed of the precious experience of most mothers giving birth by the horror of what happened to us,” said the mother. Neither she nor her daughter can be identified for legal reasons.
    “Seven years on, I’m still deeply affected by seeing the hospital’s name crop up in the press regarding tragedies for other families and their babies. This is despite the repeated promises of the government and endless reviews into maternity safety. Surely someone must take the bull by the horns and take action to change things.”
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 4 June 2026
  6. Sam
    Updated safety advice has been issued to strengthen warnings about potential psychiatric and sexual dysfunction linked to finasteride and to provide precautionary advice on dutasteride.
    Following an additional detailed review of the evidence, including the outcome of a European regulatory review, the MHRA has published a new Drug Safety Update and is updating product information for medicines containing finasteride and dutasteride to provide clearer guidance for healthcare professionals and patients. 
    Finasteride is used to treat male pattern hair loss at a dose of 1mg, and benign prostatic hyperplasia at a dose of 5mg. Dutasteride (0.5mg) is used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. 
    The updates include: 
    strengthened warnings in the product information for finasteride 1mg for androgenetic alopecia to clarify that sexual dysfunction may contribute to mood disorders, and that sexual dysfunction has also been reported with and without mood alterations. a precautionary warning added to the product information for dutasteride to note that mood alterations have been reported with a medicine in the same class, finasteride. Existing UK patient alert cards for finasteride, introduced in 2024, remain in place. These cards highlight the risks of sexual dysfunction, depression and suicidal thoughts and advise patients on what action to take if side effects occur. 
    Read full story
    Source: MHRA, 11 May 2026
  7. Sam
    More than 500 people have received potentially life-saving care thanks to Martha’s rule, which gives hospital patients the right to seek a second opinion about their health.
    They were moved to intensive care or a specialist unit after they, a loved one or a member of NHS staff triggered the patient safety mechanism, which the NHS in England began using in 2024.
    Martha’s rule lets patients, relatives and staff call a helpline run by the hospital if they are worried about the person’s condition or treatment and ask for a “rapid review” of their care.
    In the 18 months between September 2024 and February 2026, a total of 524 adults and children about whom concerns had been raised were moved to an intensive care or high-dependency unit, a specialist hospital or a specialist ward at the hospital where they were already an inpatient.
    Wes Streeting, the health secretary, said the figures proved that Martha’s rule is “already having a life-saving impact”. It has been widely hailed as a major advance in patient safety.
    Martha’s rule is named after Martha Mills, who died aged 13 in 2021 after her family’s concerns that she was deteriorating went unheeded by staff at King’s College hospital in London.
    NHS England’s latest data on how Martha’s rule is operating shows that 12,301 calls were made to Martha’s rule helplines during those 18 months. About one in three – 4,047 – helped to identify a patient whose health was getting worse. Three-quarters of them (2,967) were made either by a patient and their carer or by the patient themselves. Hospital staff made the other 1,080.
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 1 May 2026
    Further reading on the hub:
    Embedding Martha's Rule into practice—Lessons from the national pilot Martha's Rule - Merope Mills (Martha’s mother) explains Martha’s story (31 March 2026
  8. Sam
    NHS England has had to cancel the procurement of a “groundbreaking” cancer screening programme due to “procedural issues”.
    The NHS wants to roll out a new self-testing service to improve uptake of cervical cancer screening, which remains persistently below the NHSE target.
    The aim was to enable people in under-screened groups to order self-sampling test kits via the NHS App from June 2026 onwards.
    However, this target has now been put in doubt after NHSE announced on 12 March it had terminated the procurement.
    This came nine days after it had announced its intention to award the three-year contract worth £15.6m to supply and deliver the kits to diagnostics and digital health provider Chronomics.
    Last summer, the government announced the new HPV self-sampling service would be a “ground-breaking initiative” intended to “revolutionise cervical cancer prevention rates by tackling deeply entrenched barriers that keep some women away from potentially life-saving screenings”.
    Those barriers include “a fear of discomfort, embarrassment, cultural sensitivities and the struggle to find time for medical appointments”, the government said. Screening uptake remains at 68.8% against a target rate of 80%.
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 31 March 2026
  9. Sam
    Nearly one in five NHS organisations are "rationing" crucial joint replacement surgeries based on patients' weight, a new report has claimed.
    Arthritis UK has warned that this practice is creating a "postcode lottery" of care across the country, leaving individuals in urgent need of operations at risk of enduring prolonged pain.
    The charity also expressed concerns that these policies are being implemented "in a bid to cut waiting lists and costs".
    An analysis conducted by Arthritis UK found that 31 out of 42 NHS integrated care boards (ICBs) currently have policies linking body mass index (BMI) to hip and knee replacements.
    Specifically, eight ICBs, representing 19% of the total, are "rationing" procedures by setting defined BMI thresholds as a criterion for surgical referral.
    A further 23 have policies that encourage or mandate weight loss to become eligible for these operations, the report said.
    According to Arthritis UK, ICBs justify the use of BMI policies by highlighting risks.
    However, it said research only shows a significant risk for people with a very high BMI, and these policies have “been inappropriately used” to cut off patients with lower BMIs, such as 35.
    This move has affected thousands of people “who would have received the significant improvements in their joint pain and function,” the charity said.
    The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) advises against using BMI to exclude patients from referral to surgery.
    Read full story
    Source: The Independent, 26 March 2026
  10. Sam
    A hospital group CEO says its leaders have “managed to let people down” and, in some cases, “disconnected” from their staff, in response to very poor NHS Staff Survey scores. 
    The Norfolk and Waveney University Hospitals Group CEO’s comments in an all-staff briefing email acknowledge the significant morale problems across the three trusts, which are undergoing a major restructure.
    Lesley Dwyer was appointed group CEO and took the group live last year. It comprises Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, James Paget University Hospitals, and Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn Foundation Trusts.
    The results showed a year-on-year decline in staff satisfaction across all three trusts. Professor Dwyer told HSJ  this was “from a starting point that was already too low”.
    “This is not the experience we want for our people, and it is not the standard they deserve,” she said.
    In a note to staff seen by HSJ, Professor Dwyer cited “re-structures and transformations… changes in leadership combined with waiting list, service, and financial pressures, pressures on beds, strikes etc”, adding: “It’s no wonder so many of you tell us you are weary.”
    She added: “But for me, these results speak even more deeply than that – I feel that somehow, despite the best of intentions, I/we have managed to let people down. These results show we have disconnected our people from the very purpose of the NHS organisations they work for and, in some cases, from the people who lead them.”
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 13 March 2026
    Further reading on the hub:
    Patient Safety Learning’s response to the NHS Staff Survey Results 2025
  11. Sam
    The deaths of two people in Northern Ireland potentially linked to weight-loss injections have been reported to the government agency responsible for ensuring medicines are safe.
    The two cases are among more than 500 suspected adverse drug reaction reports submitted from Northern Ireland over the last two years related to GLP-1 medications.
    The drugs, prescribed under names such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, are widely used across the UK for weight management and to treat diabetes.
    The reports were made to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
    The MHRA said a report of a suspected reaction "does not necessarily mean it has been caused by the medicine, only that the reporter had a suspicion it may have".
    "Underlying or concurrent illnesses may be responsible, or the events could be coincidental," it added.
    The data shows that the two deaths were of a man and a woman, one who was in their 40s and the other in their 60s, although it does not specify which age category applied to which person.
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 9 March 2026
  12. Sam
    More than 400 lives may have been saved as a result of Martha’s rule, which lets NHS patients request a review of their care, official figures reveal.
    Helplines received more than 10,000 calls in the first 16 months of the scheme after its introduction in England in 2024, according to data seen by the Guardian. Thousands of patients were either moved to intensive care, received drugs they needed or benefited from other changes as a direct result of the calls.
    The system is named after Martha Mills, 13, who died in 2021 from sepsis after a bicycle accident. A coroner found she would probably have survived if she had been moved to the intensive care unit at King’s College hospital in London when she began deteriorating.
    Martha’s rule helplines received 10,119 calls between September 2024 and December 2025 from patients, relatives or staff who were worried about care, the figures show. That led to 446 people receiving improvements to their care that may have saved their life.
    One in three calls (3,457) identified a rapid worsening of a patient’s condition, helping raise the alarm more quickly and enable crucial interventions to be made. The NHS England data shows 1,885 patients had their treatment changed as a result.
    In addition, about 6,000 calls had addressed clinical, communication or coordination concerns, which led to “meaningful improvements” in care or navigating the healthcare system for patients and their families, health officials said.
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 8 March 2026
  13. Sam
    “Medical misogyny” in the UK is letting women down, the health secretary, Wes Streeting, has admitted, as a survey showed half of female patients felt they had been dismissed or ignored because of their sex.
    A report from Mumsnet, which examined data taken from the site over the past decade, warned of “structural and deeply embedded” sexism in UK healthcare. A survey of women using the site found that more than half believed the NHS was institutionally misogynistic.
    The survey also found that:
    50% of women believe they have been dismissed, ignored or not believed by an NHS professional because of their sex. 64% say they have been explicitly told their pain or symptoms were “normal” or “in their head”. 68% think the NHS does not take women’s health concerns seriously. Ahead of the publication of a women’s health strategy, which was announced in 2022 and is expected imminently, Streeting said the report showed that the NHS had let women down too often and for “far too long”. The health secretary said he was “driving change” through more funding, menopause support, moving health services into the community and the introduction of Martha’s rule, which gives patients a right to an urgent second opinion.
    He added: “Medical misogyny has no place within our NHS. It was founded on the principles of equality, yet time and time again, women are ignored and not believed. I want women across the country to know we’re going to tackle this.”
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 8 March 2026
    Related reading on the hub:
    Top picks: Women's health inequity  
  14. Sam
    Some ambulance trusts report that up to two-fifths of their ambulances are unavailable, with ageing vehicles sidelined for repairs and replacements.
    An over-reliance on old vehicles is being exacerbated by problems related to industry fixing and supplying new ambulances.
    In one case, 43% of South Central Ambulance Service’s vehicles are “off road”, which is having “a negative impact on 999 performance, with insufficient fleet capacity to meet operational hours required”.
    It blamed the need for repairs on an ageing fleet, delays in the delivery of new vehicles, and existing vehicles being “overused” in an attempt to compensate.
    South Central Ambulance Service Foundation Trust – which covers the Thames Valley and Hampshire region – also confirmed ambulance availability was a factor in it declaring a “business continuity incident” last month.
    The incident was called when winter pressures, compounded by the capacity problems, saw an increase in response times for category 2 incidents, which cover a wide range of 999 calls, including suspected heart attacks and strokes.
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 16 February 2026
  15. Sam
    NHS England is worried about the “rigour of management” of neighbourhoods, its chair has said.
    Asked to summarise progress on neighbourhoods and what aspects needed most attention, Penny Dash told a conference on Wednesday: “The bit we worry about is, actually, management.
    “Because quite a lot of [neighbourhood health] still feels that it’s great people doing great work, but it hasn’t got quite that rigour of the management behind it that you might want to see.”
    Dr Dash also said she was concerned the health service was “still slightly struggling to create this impetus and momentum” to fulfil the ambitions of the 10-Year Health Plan.
    She stressed that progress needs to be made “now”, “not least because the science is here now”, referencing things like genomics.
    “There’s an awful lot happening in the live world of healthcare that we need to bottle and keep the momentum up on that,” she said.
    Read full story (paywalled)
    Source: HSJ, 13 February 2026
  16. Sam
    Google is putting people at risk of harm by downplaying safety warnings that its AI-generated medical advice may be wrong.
    When answering queries about sensitive topics such as health, the company says its AI Overviews, which appear above search results, prompt users to seek professional help, rather than relying solely on its summaries. “AI Overviews will inform people when it’s important to seek out expert advice or to verify the information presented,” Google has said.
    But the Guardian found the company does not include any such disclaimers when users are first presented with medical advice.
    Google only issues a warning if users choose to request additional health information and click on a button called “Show more”. Even then, safety labels only appear below all of the extra medical advice assembled using generative AI, and in a smaller, lighter font.
    AI experts and patient advocates presented with the Guardian’s findings said they were concerned. Disclaimers serve a vital purpose, they said, and should appear prominently when users are first provided with medical advice.
    “The absence of disclaimers when users are initially served medical information creates several critical dangers,” said Pat Pataranutaporn, an assistant professor, technologist and researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and a world-renowned expert in AI and human-computer interaction.
    “First, even the most advanced AI models today still hallucinate misinformation or exhibit sycophantic behaviour, prioritising user satisfaction over accuracy. In healthcare contexts, this can be genuinely dangerous.
    “Second, the issue isn’t just about AI limitations – it’s about the human side of the equation. Users may not provide all necessary context or may ask the wrong questions by misobserving their symptoms.
    “Disclaimers serve as a crucial intervention point. They disrupt this automatic trust and prompt users to engage more critically with the information they receive.”
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 16 February 2026
  17. Sam
    Measles infections have been confirmed across at least seven schools in north London as the NHS has warned parents to immunise their children.
    Cases were confirmed across several schools in Enfield and Haringey, according to a warning issued by Evergreen GP Surgery in Edmonton, who said that the infection was spreading.
    More than 60 measles cases were reported in London since January, and labs have confirmed 34 cases of measles in Enfield since 12 January, with one in five of these children being admitted to hospital with the infection.
    “There is no treatment for measles, only the vaccination to prevent catching it, which is part of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Varicella (MMRV) injection,” the surgery said on the website.
    “Parents should ensure that their children are up-to-date with all their immunisations. This can be done by checking the child’s immunisations ‘red book’ or contacting the practice nurse here at the GP practice.”
    The MMR vaccine has been updated to also protect against chicken pox.
    The outbreak comes after recent UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) figures showed that not a single childhood vaccine in England last year met the target needed to ensure diseases cannot spread among youngsters.
    Read full story
    Source: The Independent, 15 February 2026
  18. Sam
    Hospital staff asked a teenage boy to tell his deaf mother that her father might die, according to the findings of an ombudsman.
    The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman said University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Trust failed to follow national guidance, by repeatedly using children to interpret critical medical information for their deaf family members.
    Alan Graham, who was born deaf and used British Sign Language (BSL) as his first language, died in September 2021 after being treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
    His daughter, Jennifer Petty, who is also deaf, complained about her father's care. The NHS trust apologised adding "we did not get things right".
    The 52-year-old also raised the issue of hospital staff using her children as interpreters.
    The investigation by the ombudsman found the concerns she raised caused significant distress and affected the family's ability to grieve.
    During an 11-week period in hospital, professional BSL interpreters were provided on only three occasions, the ombudsman found.
    Instead staff regularly relied on Petty's son and daughter, who was 12, to translate complex medical information, including details about the 75-year-old's condition.
    The 52-year-old said the situation was deeply upsetting for the whole family and it was "totally unacceptable" that her children were placed in the position of delivering bad news about their grandfather's condition.
    "My children just wanted to visit their grandad and be there for him as family members but they were constantly being asked to translate by the staff," she said.
    "Having to deliver the bad news about my dad's prognosis was extremely upsetting for all of us."
    The ombudsman said the trust did not consistently make reasonable adjustments for a deaf patient and his family, despite clear requirements set out in national guidance.
    Read full story
    Source: BBC News, 11 February 2026
    Further reading on the hub:
    Top picks: 11 resources to support people with hearing loss or deafness
  19. Sam
    The government’s failure to respond to calls for a compensation scheme for women harmed by pelvic mesh has been described as “morally unacceptable” by campaigners.
    Thousands of women were left with life-changing complications after receiving transvaginal mesh implants, with some unable to walk or work again.
    Saturday marks two years since plans for financial redress for women harmed by pelvic mesh implants were set out by England’s patient safety commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes.
    However, ministers have made no commitments to providing compensation to women harmed by the medical scandal. The plans, outlined in the 2024 Hughes report, included compensation for children left disabled as a result of their mothers using the epilepsy drug sodium valproate in pregnancy.
    The government recently admitted that there was still no timetable to provide compensation for victims affected by pelvic mesh and valproate. Hughes has now pledged to take the matter directly to the prime minister.
    Campaigners have said the lack of government action is worsening the mental health of people affected by the scandals.
    Kath Sansom, the founder of the advocacy group Sling the Mesh, said: “As every week, month, year passes, women are getting more frustrated, upset. You can’t put their pain on hold. A lot of them have had to give up work or reduce their hours. They’re struggling to make ends meet. We have some members, they’ve had to sell their homes and move in with elderly parents, marriages broken down …
    “We see those women at three in the morning trying to put up a post saying, ‘I don’t want to be here any more’ … I’m so angry that these women have their lives ruined and no one is taking accountability by giving them compensation … it’s morally unacceptable.”
    Read full story
    Further reading on the hub:
    Reflections on The Hughes Report: Pelvic mesh, sodium valproate, hormone pregnancy tests and options for redress (a blog from Patient Safety Learning
  20. Sam
    Three in four cancer patients in England will beat cancer under government plans to raise survival rates, as figures reveal someone is now diagnosed every 75 seconds in the UK.
    Cancer is the country’s biggest killer, causing about one in four deaths, and survival rates lag behind several European countries, including Romania and Poland. Three-quarters of NHS hospital trusts are failing cancer patients, a Guardian analysis found last year, prompting experts to declare a “national emergency”.
    In a new plan published today, ministers will pledge £2bn to resolve the crisis by transforming cancer services, with millions of patients promised faster diagnoses, quicker treatment and more support to live well.
    Some cancer performance targets have not been met by the NHS since 2015. Under the national cancer plan, all three waiting times standards will be met by 2029, ministers will announce.
    And, for the first time, the government will commit to ensuring that, from 2035, 75% of patients will be either cancer-free or living well, which means a normal life with the disease under control five years after being diagnosed. Currently, six in 10 survive five years or more.
    According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), this would mean 320,000 more lives saved over the 10-year plan.
    Cancer was “more likely to be a death sentence in Britain than other countries around the world”, said health secretary Wes Streeting, but he was determined to change that. “Thanks to the revolution in medical science and technology, we have the opportunity to transform the life chances of cancer patients.”
    “Our cancer plan will invest in and modernise the NHS, so that opportunity can be seized and our ambitions realised. This plan will slash waits, invest in cutting-edge technology, and give every patient the best possible chance of beating cancer.”
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 4 February 2026
  21. Sam
    Doctors have warned that rising obesity rates among pregnant women are endangering both mothers and babies.
    Over a quarter of pregnant women in the UK are now classified as obese.
    The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) has urged that this be "recognised as an urgent and growing public health challenge".
    Obesity is “contributing to avoidable harm” while also putting increased pressure on NHS maternity services, according to the new report.
    The college said there must be “bold, joined-up action” from food policy, education and healthcare to better prevent obesity in general.
    The “stigamatisation” of women’s weight also “remains an issue” and should be replaced by non-judgmental care before, during and after pregnancy, experts said.
    Read full story
    Source: The Independent, 4 February 2026
     
  22. Sam
    Staff members at Wales' largest hospital have faced disciplinary proceedings after a "toxic culture" leaving some feeling unsafe at work was uncovered.
    The leaked Cardiff and Vale health board internal review included reports of "bullying and harassment" and "violent and aggressive" behaviour at a University Hospital of Wales (UHW) department.
    The investigation, which was completed in August 2024 but not made public, found "systemic failure at all levels" and "unchecked" poor behaviour at the Cardiff HSDU unit, which is responsible for the sterilisation and decontamination of medical equipment.
    The health board said it had acted "robustly and fairly" to deal with the "historic allegations".
    It said five members of staff had since been "subject to disciplinary action", and that "leadership oversight, management arrangements and team culture" had also been strengthened.
    Read full story 
    Source: BBC News, 3 February 2026
  23. Sam
    A shortage of mental health beds and poor communication between agencies contributed to the death of a teenage girl on hospital grounds, an inquest has found.
    Ellame Ford-Dunn, 16, who had a history of self-harm, died in March 2022 after absconding from an acute children’s ward where she had been put because of a dearth of appropriate mental health beds.
    Her family and campaigners say Ellame’s death exposed a mental health system “crumbling at the seams”.
    The inquest jury at West Sussex coroner’s court was told that Ellame absconded “multiple times” during her stay at Worthing hospital’s Bluefin ward, which was not a specialist mental health unit.
    Jurors concluded the decision to place Ellame there was “inappropriate” and “more than minimally” contributed to her death. They found “inadequate provision” of mental health beds also contributed to her death.
    The coroner Joanne Andrews said she would issue a prevention of future deaths report to warn that more children would die unless the inadequate provision of mental health beds was tackled.
    Ellame’s parents, Ken and Nancy Ford-Dunn, urged the government to increase funding for mental health services to ensure “other families don’t have to experience the worst thing imaginable”.
    Read full story
    Source: The Guardian, 2 February 2026
  24. Sam
    Nursing informatics leaders say the most meaningful patient safety improvements tied to AI in nursing workflows so far have come from mature, predictable decision-support tools — while more experimental applications, including generative AI, remain largely unproven at the bedside.
    Marc Benoy, BSN, RN, chief nursing information officer at Summa Health in Akron, Ohio, first cautioned that the term “AI” is often applied too broadly, obscuring critical differences between traditional predictive analytics, embedded machine-learning models and generative AI — each with distinct risk profiles, governance needs and levels of clinical maturity.
    At his organisation, generative AI is not currently operationalised in bedside nursing workflows. Any measurable safety gains have instead come from established decision-support tools and predictive risk scoring embedded in the electronic health record.
    “When implemented well, they can support safer care by reinforcing consistency, reducing variation and nudging standardized actions in safety-sensitive workflows,” Mr. Benoy said, emphasising that such tools remain supplements to, not replacements for, clinical judgment.
    Because these systems behave predictably, he said, they can be validated, monitored and governed over time — a key requirement in evidence-based nursing practice. By contrast, he warned that opaque or poorly understood AI tools can unintentionally shift cognitive burden back onto nurses, introducing new safety risks rather than reducing them.
    He also pointed to operational constraints, noting that successful implementation requires staffing, informatics capacity, capital investment and sustained governance — resources that many health systems lack, particularly when returns on newer AI initiatives remain uncertain.
    Read full story
    Source: Becker's Health IT, 29 January 2026
  25. Sam
    Britain is grappling with widespread shortages of aspirin, a vital medication for preventing strokes and heart attacks in vulnerable patients. The Government has responded by adding aspirin to its export ban list, aiming to safeguard supplies for UK patients amidst manufacturing delays cited as a primary cause.
    Both the National Pharmacy Association (NPA), representing approximately 6,000 pharmacies, and the Independent Pharmacies Association, with over 5,000 members, report significant difficulties in sourcing the drug.
    The NPA confirmed that pharmacists across the UK are being forced to tightly ration existing stock, prioritising patients with the most severe heart conditions or those requiring emergency prescriptions.
    The NPA ran a snap survey of 540 UK pharmacies this week and found 86% reported being unable to supply aspirin to their patients in the previous seven days.
    The problem is worse for the 75mg dose, though all types are affected.
    Several pharmacies said they have also stopped making aspirin available for over the counter sales.
    Read full story
    Source: The Independent, 23 January 2026
    Further reading on the hub:
    All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy inquiry into medicines shortages in England (July 2025) Creon shortages: “It’s just another thing patients with cystic fibrosis could do without” Medicines shortages: minimising the impact on patients (a blog by Catherine Picton) Medication supply issues: A pharmacist’s perspective

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