Health and care sector latest developments
NHS remains under pressure despite drop in flu levels
New figures have revealed that there were 1,987 patients in hospital with flu on average each day last week, down from 2,519 the week before.
Meanwhile, there were 1,106 adult beds closed on average each day due to patients in hospital with norovirus last week, up from 984 the previous week.
Overall, virus levels were down, with 3,781 beds closed or occupied due to COVID-19, flu, norovirus and paediatric RSV last week. The week before, this figure was 4,216.
There were improvements in ambulance handover times, with the average handover time last week (34:32) almost three minutes faster than the previous week (37:22) and better than the same point last year (35:04).
Rory Deighton, acute and community care director speaking on behalf of NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation, praised NHS leaders and their teams who he said are ‘working incredibly hard to keep patients safe and provide care as quickly as possible’. However, he warned that ‘despite the drop in flu, winter is not over yet, with norovirus levels continuing to mount and more than 14,000 delayed discharge patients causing bottlenecks in systems’. He added that health leaders are ‘under no illusions that there is still a long way to go to tackle these issues and hit the NHS’ key performance targets’.
Over a quarter of NHSE staff seek redundancy
Over a quarter of NHS England staff have applied for voluntary redundancy, the Health Service Journal has reported.
The scheme launched in November, with applications closing on 14 December, as part of national plans to reduce combined NHSE and Department of Health and Social Care staffing by 50 per cent.
It is believed that NHSE told its workforce that at least 4,100 applications have been submitted, representing around 26 per cent of the total staff.
There has been some criticism about how staff are being treated, with Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, asserting that ‘members are being offered euphemisms rather than real clarity.’
New fund to tackle cancer screening inequalities
The government has announced a new three-year Neighbourhood Early Diagnosis Fund as part of £200 million investment in local cancer care.
Ministers say that it will enable health services to work with their local communities to address the gap in screening uptake and reduce screening inequalities in deprived areas.
The announcement is part of the National Cancer Plan, which the government has said will make England a world-leader in cancer survival.
Parliament Act could be used to circumvent Lords on assisted dying
Supporters of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill are considering potentially circumventing the House of Lords to ensure the legislation passes.
The bill's sponsors are said to believe the Parliament Act could be invoked if the legislation is not approved before May's King's Speech.
While supporters argue that members of the upper chamber are filibustering to block the bill, critics argue that the legislation is currently not fit for purpose, and they are therefore engaging in necessary scrutiny.
Lord Falconer, who is the bill's sponsor in the House of Lords, urged his fellow Peers ‘to come to a conclusion while there is still time’, warning that ‘the Parliament Act is an option’.
Long waits and inequality in mental health care, CQC finds
The CQC has released a report which reveals that rising demand, staff shortages and a lack of beds are causing long waits for mental health care, leaving people more unwell and sometimes placed far from home or in unsuitable environments.
They claim that the findings highlight deep inequalities, with people in deprived areas and black people far more likely to be detained, and many services lacking staff training to address racial inequality, autism and learning disability needs.
The regulator is calling for urgent system wide action, including more staff, more beds and stronger community-based support.
Rebecca Gray, mental health director speaking on behalf of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, said: “The report lays bare that unacceptable racial inequalities still exist’ and that ‘implementation of the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework and Advance Choice Documents will help reduce racial inequalities, if embedded effectively.”
Almost two-in-three women over 50 struggle with mental health
Almost two-in-three women over 50 in the UK struggle with their mental health as they deal with menopause, relationship breakdowns and changes to their appearance, according to a survey commissioned by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Over 2,000 women aged 50 and over across Britain were involved in the research.
Brain fog, parents dying, children leaving home and financial pressures can also trigger difficulties such as sleeping problems and feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
Concerns about an ‘epidemic of silence’ have been raised as it emerged that almost nine out of ten of those affected seek no help to cope.
‘Evidence-free’ mandatory training to be rationalised – trust CEO
Professor Tim Orchard, CEO of Imperial College Healthcare Trust and chair of a national board overseeing ‘statutory and mandatory training’, has said that mandatory staff training is an ‘evidence-free zone’ and its impact on patient outcomes is ‘very difficult to work out’.
Professor Orchard said that nationally mandated training is ‘unduly segmented’ and he has promised a ‘rationalisation’ of training schemes, ‘hopefully by the end of the calendar year’.
His comments come after NHS England said it would release up to 200,000 days of staff time during 2026-27 by slimming down requirements.
New interim chief executive for England’s largest ICB
Katie Fisher, current chief executive of South West London ICB, has been announced interim chief executive of the new West and North London Integrated Care Board, England’s largest ICB, ahead of its formal launch in April.
An announcement on her start date is expected in due course.
