nhs

The mental health sector has the worst staffing problems in the NHS, new figures have revealed. At the end of December 2018, there were 20,286 unfilled positions for mental health workers in England – almost a tenth of the sector’s workforce (9.6%). Former health minister Norman Lamb – who...

More than one in four NHS patients who registered with Babylon GP at Hand quit the video consultation service within just over a year, figures obtained by GPonline reveal. Between November 2017 and January 2019 a total of 55,556 joined the digital first provider, according to figures obtained...

A shortage of cancer doctors will hamper the ability of the NHS to provide cutting-edge care, experts are warning. A Royal College of Radiologists census of 62 major UK cancer centres found more that 7.5% of consultant posts were vacant, with services maintained only by large amounts of...

In the hopes of preventing users from getting confused, the NHS has revealed this it is replacing several words on its websites. The words ‘stools’ and ‘faeces’ will be replaced by ‘poo’, while the word ‘urinate’ will be replaced by ‘pee.’ Other words being changed include ‘vomiting’ to ‘being...

Hospitals are likely to experience delays to cancer testing and treatment regardless of the result of next week's Brexit vote, BBC Newsnight has learned. The Royal College of Radiologists has told doctors to prepare for possible delays for some drugs used to detect cancer if there is a no-deal...

Another £1.5m could be spent turning part of a brand new health centre into OFFICE space because the NHS services it was originally intended for can’t afford the rent. As previously reported, the Altrincham Health and Wellbeing Centre - planned as a cutting-edge new health hub for south...

NHS bosses have urged ministers to scrap controversial legislation that has led to the widespread privatisation of healthcare as part of a major revamp of the health service. NHS England outlined detailed plans that would repeal key parts of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 in order to...

Government ministers have, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, awarded a critical NHS supplies contract to the firm behind the calamitous KFC chicken shortage. A UK logistics hub in Belgium will rely on the delivery company DHL to transport crucial goods across the Channel, The Mirror has...

Diabetics who also have a rare and potentially fatal eating disorder are to start receiving specialist NHS help to reduce their risk of suffering its “devastating” consequences. About 55,000 people in England with type 1 diabetes also have diabulimia, which occurs when a person with the...

The government has created a logistics hub in Belgium where vital medical supplies will be stockpiled to stop the NHS running short of equipment if there is a no-deal Brexit. Stents, implants and other products needed to ensure that patient care is not disrupted will be stored at the hub, the...

Within the next 20-years, 90% of NHS jobs will require digital skills according to a report by the organisation looking into its future. With advancements in technologies such as AI and robotics rapidly transforming surgery, diagnosis and even patient care, the report suggests that fresh...

More than 1,000 10 to 19-year-olds were admitted to hospital with knife wounds in 2017/18. The figure, from NHS England, reveal a 54% rise in the number of children and teenagers treated for injuries from knives over five years. It comes as a leading consultant warns that she is seeing...

None of the three main health screening programmes in England - for bowel, breast or cervical cancer - met their targets last year, according to a report by the National Audit Office. There were also delays in cervical screening results reaching half of women tested, with a backlog of nearly...

Health service staff in Kent may have to sleep in hospitals, clinics and nursing homes if a no-deal Brexit ends up causing traffic chaos across the county, NHS board papers reveal. Kent Community Health NHS trust is exploring the option of personnel staying overnight in its premises as part of...

The number of workers trained to prescribe social activities, like exercise groups and art classes, to GP patients who don't need pills, is set to rise, under NHS England plans. The aim is that "link workers" will support GPs and reduce their workload. A link worker's role is to help patients...

Healthy people in England are to be given the option of paying to have their DNA analysed by the NHS in an attempt to advance understanding and uncover new medical treatments, the health secretary has said. The announcement of the service, which will also be offered for free to people with...

Plans have been drawn up for the use of alternative transport routes and prioritisation of medicines as part of contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit, pharmacists have been told by the NHS. The government has been reviewing transport routes for all medicines “to maximise the ability for...

Tens of thousands of junior doctors are working past the end of their shifts because hospitals are so understaffed, NHS figures show. Almost 36,000 trainee doctors in England have worked beyond their contracted hours more than 63,000 times since 2015. The figures, obtained by the Health...

Theresa May's 10-year plan for the NHS lacks both the staffing and funding to succeed, Labour has said. The PM has promised the publication of the plan on Monday will lead to "world class" care for patients in England. Pledges on maternity care, mental health, elderly support and earlier...

Hospitals will be hit by “mayhem” this weekend because of the coming cold snap, a growing number of people with flu and the NHS’s staffing problems, a leading doctor has warned. Dr Nick Scriven, president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said hospitals will face “severe difficulties” this...