Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Scarce staffing, increased demand pushes NHS to “tipping point”

Lack of staffing and increased demand from patients is mounting unsustainable pressure on the NHS, putting patient safety and care at risk, a new poll of NHS leaders by the NHS Confederation revealed.

NHS leaders in England warned that the service has reached a “tipping point” with nearly 88 per cent saying “the demands on their organization are unsustainable.”


The survey, published ahead of the monthly performance figures for the NHS England, covered leaders across hospitals, ambulance services, mental health providers, community services, primary care and integrated care systems.

It highlighted primary care, urgent and emergency care as greatest areas of concern, with record levels of demand on A&E departments and increasing bed occupancy rates.

To help tackle the situation, the NHS leaders suggested that government should provide extra support for social care and ensure effective discharge arrangements.

This comes amid reports that one in five beds in some hospitals are occupied by medically fit patients, but for whom there is no care package available to leave hospital.

Despite the severe pressures, local services have managed to treat significant numbers of patients, with 1.1 million procedures carried out in August alongside 25.5 million appointments in primary care.

Commenting on the findings, Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation said: “The health and social care secretary says the NHS is not under unsustainable pressure, but NHS leaders are clear that we have reached a tipping point.

Javid has come under fire for claiming at a recent press conference, that he did not believe the pressure on the NHS was unsustainable.

Taylor added that the situation is expected to worsen further during the winter unless an action is taken now.

He suggested that government should provide extra funding to social care services to help fill staffing vacancies and persuade them back into the sector.

He said: “It would be better to allocate more immediate funding, from the recent funding settlement, to social care services, as boosting the numbers of care staff will have much greater impact on reducing pressures on hospitals and other parts of the NHS.”

More For You

MHRA approves Pfizer Hympavzi (marstacimab) for haemophilia treatment

Marstacimab is currently being assessed by NICE and the Scottish Medicines Consortium for use on the NHS

gettyimages

Marstacimab approved for haemophilia treatment, Pfizer aims for NHS availability

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Hympavzi(marstacimab) to prevent or reduce bleeding in patients aged 12 years and older, weighing at least 35kg, who have severe haemophilia A or B.

Developed by Pfizer scientists, this groundbreaking treatment is the first of its kind to target a protein involved in the blood clotting process.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Pope Francis

Pope Francis at the Vatican on December 4, 2024.

Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj offers condolences to Catholic community following Pope Francis' passing

His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader and president of the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), has expressed heartfelt condolences to the Catholic community worldwide following the passing of Pope Francis on Monday.

In a formal letter addressed to the members of the Roman Catholic Church, Mahant Swami Maharaj conveyed the deep sorrow of the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu fellowship, acknowledging the Pope's passing as “a profound loss to the Catholic community and Christians around the world.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Pharmacies in Northern Ireland distribute free booklets to raise cancer awareness

Dr Anna Cullen, Public Health Registrar at the Public Health Agency and Clare Conroy, Community Pharmacist from Meigh Pharmacy in Co Down.

Photo credit: Community Pharmacy Northern Ireland

Pharmacies in Northern Ireland help raise cancer awareness

Community pharmacies across Northern Ireland are distributing a free information booklet to help raise public awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer and promote early diagnosis.

The initiative is part of the ‘Be Cancer Aware’ campaign, which has been running in pharmacies since April and will continue through May as part of the Living Well service.

Keep ReadingShow less
CPE invites pharmacy owners to share their views on new CPCF funding settlement

What do you think should be the next priority for the Government?

gettyimages

Pharmacy owners asked to share their views on new CPCF arrangements

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) is urging pharmacy owners to share their views on the new Community Pharmacy Contractual Framework (CPCF) funding settlement ahead of its next full Committee meeting, scheduled for 30 April–1 May.

The Committee said it had agreed to the settlement "reluctantly," acknowledging that it represents a significant shift after years of real-terms funding cuts, while admitting that it’s “still not sufficient to match the continued scale of pressures facing pharmacy businesses.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Homecare medicines services face many challenges beyond pharmacy's control

Homecare medicines services face many challenges beyond pharmacy's control

gettyimages

GPhC calls for industry-wide collaboration to strengthen homecare medicines services

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has called for industry-wide collaboration to improve homecare medicines services to ensure patients always receive their medicines when needed.

The call follows a recent review by the regulator, which identified several challenges facing homecare services, many of which were beyond the immediate control of the pharmacies providing them.

Keep ReadingShow less