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COVID-19 vaccines rolled out to people aged 70 years and over
19/01/2021
Millions of people aged 70 and over and those clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19 will be invited to get their vaccinations from Monday 18...
One million over 80s invited to vaccination centres
19/01/2021
More than one million people aged 80 or over have been invited to book a coronavirus jab at a vaccination centre. Ten new large-scale centres,...
Plan for the largest vaccination programme in British history
13/01/2021
The UK COVID-19 vaccines delivery plan sets out how the government will work with the NHS, devolved administrations, local councils and the armed...
New parents need space to talk about their mental health
11/09/2019
A report by Healthwatch says new parents need more support to deal with mental health problems during and after pregancy. More....
Link between deprivation and dependency on prescription drugs
11/09/2019
Public Health England has published an evidence review of dependence and withdrawal problems associated with five commonly prescribed classes of medicines in England. The review finds evidence that addiction increases with deprivation of makes recommendations for better monitoring, treatment and...
NHS warning to parents as ‘asthma season’ hits
03/09/2019
The NHS is calling on parents to keep asthma medicine close at hand this week, with children up to three times more likely to need medical help as the school year starts. One in ten young people has asthma, with spikes in demand for help from GPs and hospitals in the weeks after school holidays,...
NHS cuts medicines costs by three quarters of a billion pounds
03/09/2019
The NHS has saved more than £700 million from the annual medicines bill. The NHS-wide campaign supported patients and doctors to maximise the use of ‘generic’ and best value ‘biologic’ treatments to treat conditions including arthritis and cancer. Figures show that the uptake of best value...
Medicines project delivers £11 million savings
02/09/2019
A collaboration between hospitals and pharmacies in Cheshire and Merseyside has saved the NHS £11 million and improved patient care. Pharmacies in the area are being notified by their local hospital when a patient is discharged who might need help understanding changes to their medicines. The...
More harm than good: why more isn't always better with older people's medicines
02/09/2019
A report from Age UK calls for a more considered approach to prescribing medicines for our older population. The report also provides evidence showing that prescribing more drugs isn’t always the best option.
NICE to address issues in treating difficult to control epilepsies
02/09/2019
NICE has announced its intention to work with GW Pharma to address the issues highlighted by its independent appraisal committee in its evaluation of cannabidiol for treating two types of severe treatment-resistant epilepsy. More....
Life-changing drug to stop deadly bleeding available on the NHS
22/08/2019
NHS England is to fund a life-changing treatment for thousands of people with severe haemophilia, which will dramatically cut their risk of life-threatening bleeds and reduce treatment time. People with haemophilia A are at risk of spontaneous or uncontrolled bleeding because they do not have...
£3m to support children and young people's mental health
22/08/2019
£3.3 million is being spent to expand 23 local projects to help prevent mental illness in children and young people. Thousands of young people across England will benefit from new mental health support including counselling, mentoring and arts programmes in their communities. M ore....
Smoking, drinking and drugs make young people ‘unhappy’
22/08/2019
New figures from NHS Digital showed 51% of young people aged 11 to 15 who had recently drunk alcohol, smoked cigarettes and taken drugs experienced low levels of happiness. This is compared to 36% who had recently done just one of these things, and 22% who hadn’t recently smoked, drank or taken...
A&E overused but GP access difficult – coincidence?
16/08/2019
The first ever large-scale research into attitudes towards emergency care from the most recent British Social Attitudes Survey shows that many people think A&E is overused, while many also report difficulties getting GP appointments. The survey also reveals significant differences in...
Digital diabetes prevention
13/08/2019
Online support for people at risk of type 2 diabetes can help stop people from going on to develop the condition. In pilot schemes, offering convenient, 24/7 access to online advice significantly boosted the numbers joining the diabetes prevention programme. Almost seven in 10 people, 68%, referred...
Barriers to accessing cannabis-based products for medicinal use on NHS prescription
12/08/2019
NHS England and NHS Improvement have published the findings and recommendations of a review of the barriers to prescribing of cannabis-based products for medicinal use. Read more here .
Unsung hero awards
12/08/2019
The Unsung Hero Awards, which launched on 1 August, recognise and honour non-clinical staff, teams and volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty for the NHS. The awards shine a light on the hard work and commitment of people who are vital to our health service but are sometimes overlooked...
NHS combined performance summary
12/08/2019
NHS England has published monthly performance statistics for ambulances, referrals to treatment, NHS 111 and other key areas. Read more here .
Service user experience in adult mental health services
09/08/2019
This updated quality standard covers improving the experience of people using adult NHS mental health services. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement. More...
Overpayments of carer’s allowance
09/08/2019
The parliamentary work and pensions committee has found that carers are being disproportionately heavily penalised for years of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) administrative errors or their own honest mistakes, in a confusing and outdated system. The report highlights the example of a...
New lung cancer treatment option approved by NICE
09/08/2019
Another new life-extending treatment for some people with lung cancer is to be made available on the cancer drugs fund following its approval by NICE in draft guidance. Immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab (also known as Keytruda) used with chemotherapy drugs carboplatin and paclitaxel will now be an...
Tackling loneliness
08/08/2019
The government's loneliness strategy was published in October 2018. It set out a wide variety of cross-departmental measures that the government would take to provide national leadership to tackle loneliness in England. This briefing explains the strategy, the steps taken so far by the government,...
Aspirin may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer
08/08/2019
Aspirin taken daily for two years or more could reduce the risk of colorectal cancer in people with Lynch syndrome, says NICE in new draft updated guidance. People with the condition have an increased lifetime risk – estimated to be four out of five people – of developing colorectal cancer. Regular...
Children and young people’s mental health workforce growth is ‘encouraging’
08/08/2019
The last three years have seen the children and young people’s mental health workforce grow by 23%, largely in community based services. A study for Health Education England found encouraging growth, particularly in NHS employed staff, where numbers have increased by almost a quarter in the two...
Six ways health services can improve waiting rooms
06/08/2019
Here are six steps that people have told us health and social care services can take to provide a better environment while they wait. Read the full story by clicking here .
Healthwatch charts experience of service users with a sensory impairment
05/08/2019
Healthwatch has published anecdotal evidence about the experience of using NHS services for people with a sensory impairment or loss. Read it here .
Same-day pharmacy consultations offered to patients
24/07/2019
Patients with minor health issues will be offered same-day appointments at their local pharmacy, under a new deal announced by the Health and Social Care Secretary. Click here to read the full article.
Thousands to benefit from lifesaving heart op
19/07/2019
Fifteen hundred people a year are set to benefit from an innovative new heart procedure to prevent strokes in younger people. The new treatment tackles patent foramen ovale, better known as hole in the heart, a common condition that can trigger stroke. This potentially lifesaving procedure helps...
