Health and care sector latest developments
Winter pressures on NHS remain relentless with uptick in norovirus a real concern
The NHS could be facing a ‘second surge’ in norovirus as the vomiting bug reaches its highest level so far this winter, it has been warned.
Figures released today show the average number of patients in hospital with norovirus each day this week rose to over 1,000 for the first time this winter (1,012). This represents a jump of 8.9 per cent in cases compared with the previous week (929).
It follows the average number of norovirus patients in hospitals per day rising by more than 2.5 times from the start to the end of January (from 361 to 950).
Acute and community care director speaking on behalf of the NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, Rory Deighton warned that “winter pressures on the NHS are relentless and services remain severely stretched”.
£120million ‘sprint’ will drive last-ditch attempt to hit elective target
NHS England plans to spend around £120 million on a ‘sprint’ exercise in a bid to hit its main elective target for this year by March.
It is understood that the funds will mainly be used to increase outpatient activity, with a focus on first appointments and outpatient appointments with procedures.
The exact sum allocated may change slightly, depending on how well trusts perform financially in the last quarter.
The sprint, funded within NHS England’s existing budget, began in January with trusts told to make plans begin putting them into action as soon as possible, but the amount of money available has only just been made public.
NHS England warns cement shortage must not undermine elective care
NHS England has warned trusts not to let the nationwide orthopaedic cement shortage undermine elective treatment targets.
According to the Health Service Journal, NHS England has urged hospitals to keep theatres running for non-cement procedures and redirect surgeons to outpatient work where necessary.
The British Orthopaedic Association cautioned that switching to alternative cement or implant products may take weeks and require retraining, stressing that unfamiliar equipment should not be used without proper preparation and patient consent.
Government accepts recommendations in palliative care review
The government has accepted many conclusions of the Independent Expert Panel’s (IEP) evaluation of palliative care in England.
The IEP’s report, commissioned by the Health and Social Care Committee, assessed services across commissioning, delivery, community provision, workforce and inequalities.
The government fully accepted the recommendations on delivery, community-based care and inequalities, while partially accepting those on commissioning and workforce.
It acknowledged unwarranted variation in access and quality, workforce pressures and gaps in data, but rejected the claims that commissioning frameworks are absent, pointing to existing statutory duties on ICBs and local authorities.
Ministers said that reform will be driven through a new palliative care and end-of-life care modern service framework, aligned with the 10 Year Health Plan, alongside a shift from hospital to neighbourhood and community-based care.
ICBs will be expected to implement changes from 2026/27 onwards, with the government pledging to address structural issues in commissioning, data and workforce capacity.
Women attending first NHS mammogram hits ten-year high
Hundreds of thousands more women attended NHS breast screening last year and thousands more cancers were diagnosed early in England, NHS England has said.
New figures show that, in 2024/25, 1.94 million women aged 50 to 70 attended screening within six months of invitation – up from 1.75 million the previous year.
As a result, 19,291 cancers were detected – nine cases in every 1,000 women screened – which is up almost 16 per cent on the previous year, when 16,677 cancers were diagnosed through NHS breast screening.
Medical imaging supported by new UKRI funding
The government has announced that £55 million of funding is being provided to create a new medical imaging programme.
The programme, included in the latest pot of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding, will bring together technology and clinical expertise to better diagnose and treat cancer, with ‘Centres of Imaging Excellence’ being set up across England, Scotland and Wales.
£4.5 million of funding has also been secured by QV Bioelectronics, a company using advanced materials to treat glioblastoma. The funding will allow human trials to begin.
Health innovation minister Dr Zubir Ahmed emphasised the potential for research to “save lives by giving patients faster diagnoses and individually tailored treatments”.
Continued progress in driving down waiting lists in Wales
The Welsh NHS Confederation has welcomed improvements in NHS waiting lists.
In December, there were just under 741,000 referral to treatment (RTT) patient pathways waiting to start treatment (the overall waiting list), a decrease of around 16,900 since November. This is the lowest since March 2023 and the seventh month in a row where the figure has fallen.
There were about 580,300 individual patients on treatment waiting lists in December, down from 591,700 in November and 616,500 in the previous December.
Darren Hughes, director of the Welsh NHS Confederation, said that it is “reassuring to see the continued, relentless focus on driving down waiting lists is paying off, especially for those waiting the longest for treatment”.
