Month: January 2016

NHS Trusts were denied the opportunity to employ nurses from outside of the EU despite the huge demand for nurses within the UK. Over the last year 2,341 applications for a certificate of sponsorship, required to employ nurses from outside of the EU, have been refused. In November last year the government responded to calls …

Overseas nurses barred from working in the UK last year Read More »

The health records of every NHS patient are to be pooled in a vast database which can be accessed by researchers and pharmaceutical companies. This will help improve research but campaigners warn it could breach privacy. From April 2014, peoples’ medical histories will be shared with researchers and pharmaceutical companies unless they opt out. Leading …

Opt out or NHS records will be shared Read More »

This morning junior doctors walked out for 24 hours in response to the proposed changes to their contracts. Junior doctors in the NHS covers those from new graduates from medical school up to those with 10 years or more experience. The measurable impact at present is that 10% of all planned treatments have been postponed; …

Junior doctors commence strike Read More »

Jeremy Hunt has made comments that some of the of the British Medical Association’s membership (the doctors’ trade union) are using the junior doctor standoff as an opportunity to score political points against the Conservative Party. He said:- “Of course it’s a concern if some elements within the BMA are seeing this as a political …

BMA dresses down Jeremy Hunt over political point scoring Read More »

A number of charities have written to the Prime Minister requesting that the Government set up a commission to address the deep problems with the UK healthcare system. The letter states that a quarter of the population of the UK is projected to be over 65 in a little over 20 years’ time. It calls …

Charities ask PM to address ageing population social care crisis Read More »

Peter Wyman, the preferred candidate to become the new CQC Chair, has vowed to encourage CQC to work closely with technology. At his pre-appointment scrutiny hearing in front of the Commons Health Committee on Tuesday he also stated that he wished the regulator to reduce the burden of regulation on providers. He wants to encourage …

CQC to be more hands on with technology Read More »

Former Health Minister Norman Lamb MP is leading calls to create a commission to deal with the ‘existential crisis’ facing UK Healthcare. He calls for a commission without party politics to work towards finding solutions to ease the unprecedented levels of pressure placed on NHS and social care settings. He has already began to build …

Calls for cross party cooperation to tackle healthcare crisis Read More »

Tomorrow two of NICE’s non-executive directors will begin reviewing the decision not to disclose the evidence that had been gathered into safe nurse staffing levels. This review is part of an appeal made by HSJ of the decision not to disclose evidence in light of NHS Improvement taking the lead on formulating guidance on safe …

NICE’s decision to refuse disclosure of safe nurse staffing levels to be reviewed Read More »

Hospitals have had to cope with the highest number of emergency admissions to hospital from care homes on record. The number of emergency admissions have risen by half in four years (22,682 in 2014/15 from 13,906 in 2010/11). Many blame cost pressures within the care sector on these figures which may be caused by the …

Record emergency admissions to hospital from care homes Read More »