Fewer operations lead to growing NHS waiting list
THE waiting list for hospital treatment in England has reached a new record of seven million and analysis suggests this is due to fewer operations being carried out rather than a post-pandemic surge in demand.
Older patients use NHS more but complain less
MORE patients over age 55 years used the NHS in England (66 per cent) than those under 55 years (57 per cent) during the pandemic, but fewer (25 per cent) would have been willing to complain compared to under 55s (34 per cent).
"Hidden waits" drive mental health patients to emergency services
MORE than three quarters of mental health patients waiting for NHS appointments have been forced to seek emergency support from A&E and other crisis services, new figures suggest.
NHS England moves to ease demand with new GP assistants
NHS England is recruiting over a thousand GP assistants from this month to offer admin support in hard-pressed practices.
Rise in NHS talking therapies
THE number of NHS patients accessing talking therapies for conditions such as anxiety and depression has risen by over a fifth.
Funding boost for regulation of digital mental health tools
RESEARCH into the regulation of digital mental health tools in the UK has been given a £1.8 million funding boost by the charity Wellcome.
New guides to help surgeons defend against negligence claims
NEW best practice guides to documenting common surgical procedures aim to help NHS teams in England defend against claims of negligence or poor practice.
Government calls for GP appointments within two weeks
PATIENTS in England needing a GP appointment should get one within two weeks, according to new government plans.
Scheme to reduce hospital admissions extended across Scotland
A SCHEME designed to reduce hospital admissions by delivering antibiotic treatments in people’s homes or outpatient clinics is to be rolled out across Scotland.
Burnout in doctors doubles risk of patient safety incidents, new study finds
PATIENT safety incidents are twice as likely to happen if a doctor is suffering symptoms of burnout, a new global study has found.