Top doctor accuses hospitals of failing to provide beds for families, who end up exhausted, stressed and depressedThe NHS is adding to the suffering of parents with a child in hospital by not giving them somewhere to sleep, the UK's top children's doctor has warned.Far too few hospitals provide parents with accommodation so they can stay beside their ill son or daughter, Professor Terence Stephenson, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, told the Observer.He said it was "not good enough" that some parents have to sleep on a pulldown bed or an unused patient's bed, sometimes for weeks or even months, in order to keep a vigil by their child. Some end up exhausted and reduced to tears by sleep deprivation and the lack of privacy, he added. He accused the NHS of...

One of the things that came out of the US healthcare débâcle was the curious false dichotomy that the only two possible approaches to healthcare were the NHS or the current American system. Now, the American healthcare system has many things going for it: America has the highest quality treatment of any country in the world,...

Since I previously wrote about what it was, and then wasn’t, I feel it is encumbant on me to include here what the official line on homeopathy now is: A recent report by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee examined the provision of homeopathy through the NHS and called for funding by the NHS to be stopped. The Committee did recognise that many users derive benefit from its use and did not argue that such treatments should be banned. The Liberal Democrats believe that, as a basic principle, individuals should have maximum freedom about how they choose to get treated, so long as the therapy is safe. When it comes to NHS provision, we support a review by NICE into the cost effectiveness of Complementary and Alternative (CAMs) therapies, including homeopathy; as well...

Last Wednesday (?) Yeah, Yeah, Call me difficult but, really? I do like my GP, he’s great, he clearly wants to help. He is looking to ensure I am served up a platter of options. A classy plate displaying such plentiful and ripe a bounty of services that the NHS can offer those with Mental Difficulties,...

Awareness of breast, bowel and lung cancer to be increased in attempt to reduce 10,000 annual deaths caused by late cancer discoveryThe NHS is to urge people to report telltale signs of cancer to their GP in an attempt to reduce the 10,000 deaths caused by late diagnosis of the disease each year.The Department of Health is providing £8m for primary care trusts (PCTs) across England to fund campaigns to raise the profile of the UK's three biggest cancer killers – breast, bowel and lung cancer.Between them, the three forms of the disease account for around 63,400 of the 155,000 cancer deaths in the UK each year.PCTs will be able to bid for up to £100,000 to spend on advertising campaigns, outreach work and ensuring that more information about these cancers is available."This money will...

Nearly there nowAs the Doc has described many times, Labour's NHS is a huge Stalinist meat processing factory through which patients are transported on a series of conveyor belts. The belts are picturesquely known as Patient Pathways, and alongside five year plans, mandatory organisational protocols, and do-or-die output quotas, they are central to the way the Bureau of State Health Production directs its massive industrial empire. That, and summary execution for managers who fail to deliver their published quotas.And just so you know, here's what a pathway looks like (click on image to enlarge):Well, it now turns out out that the entire empire has been on a pathway of its own. According to State Health Commissar my Lord Darzi:“The NHS is continuing a...

'Unscrupulous' pharmacies face closure threat over lucrative export trade in vital medicinesLife-saving medicines meant only for sale in the UK are being sold for export at huge mark-ups, causing an acute shortage of drugs that is putting patients' lives at risk, the Observer has established.A "shopping list" from would-be buyers sent to UK pharmacies and wholesalers and seen by the Observer reveals they are being encouraged to sell on some medicines for up to 30% more than they would get from the NHS.Pharmacies are being offered £930 for a course of Humira, a medicine for rheumatoid arthritis that they normally buy for £715, giving them an instant profit of 30%. Those involved in the trade – believed to be a handful of rogue pharmacies and wholesalers – are offering £76.50 for a...

Today’s Guardian reports that at least 11 Conservative parliamentary candidates have undergone training provided by an extremist right-wing group, the leadership of which has described the NHS as “the biggest waste of money”, described global warming as “a scam” and justified the waterboarding of prisoners. The Young Britons’ Foundation claims to have trained 2,500 Conservative party activists. Its chief executive, Donal Blaney, runs courses on media training and policy. He has called for trespassing environmental protesters to be “shot down” by the police and proposes that the UK should have a US-style liberal firearms policy. In an article on his own blog, hosted on Google’s free blogspot service, he has written an entry with the...

Candidates trained by rightwing group that rubbishes NHS, dismisses global warming and backs waterboardingTory parliamentary candidates have undergone training by a rightwing group whose leadership has described the NHS as "the biggest waste of money in the UK", claimed global warming is "a scam" and suggested that the waterboarding of prisoners can be justified.At least 11 prospective Tory candidates, an estimated seven of whom have a reasonable chance of winning their seats, have been delegates or speakers at training conferences run by the Young Britons' Foundation, which claims to have trained 2,500 Conservative party activists.The YBF chief executive, Donal Blaney, who runs the courses on media training and policy, has called for environmental protesters who trespass to be "shot...

Karl Harris told younger colleague there was no point in trying to save man, 59, who had collapsed, court toldA paramedic was jailed for 12 months today after being found guilty of telling a series of lies when he failed to resuscitate a 30-stone man.Jurors heard that Karl Harris, 45, told his less experienced colleague there was no point attempting to resuscitate Barry Baker after the pair were sent to his home in Brighton, East Sussex, in the early hours of the morning.The 59-year-old patient, who lived alone, phoned 999 on 29 November 2008 after experiencing breathing difficulties and died after suffering a cardiopulmonary arrest.Jurors at Lewes crown court found Harris guilty of a charge of perverting the course of justice.Sentencing him, Judge Guy Anthony said he had demonstrated a...

John Radcliffe hospital says move is precautionary after four children were found to have died in past three monthsVikram DoddA hospital has decided to suspend heart surgery on children after four have died in the past three months.The John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford said the move was precautionary. There would be an external investigation into the reasons for the deaths, since such a spate was unusual, the hospital said.The children had congenital heart problems, and had been receiving care for some time before their operations. The hospital added that it alone haddecided to hold an investigation.In the meantime the parents of 26 children awaiting heart surgery at the John Radcliffe would be contacted and those scheduled for operations would be offered them elsewhere.No member of staff...

Exclusive: NHS overspend tops £130m with third of primary healthcare trusts running deficitsMore than a third of NHS primary healthcare trusts, which fund hospitals in England, are running deficits that have led to a cutback in surgical operations and seen calls to close casualty departments, according to a joint study by the Guardian and the thinktank Civitas.The analysis, which used figures from the public board meetings of 100 trusts, shows the health service overspend this year is more than £130m. The Department of Health has warned trusts they cannot enter the new financial year in the red and health authorities which do not cut costs face repaying cash from next year's budget or being subjected to central control.The funding gap has already had an impact on patients, with GPs in...

Parents web forum Mumsnet calls for new code of practice to help women who lose their babiesOne in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. You'd think, then, that the health system would cope seamlessly with miscarrying women. Yet throughout the UK, grim stories abound of insensitive hospital staff, inadequate facilities, confusion, panic and grief.Shocked by the sheer volume of posts on this topic on the parenting web forum Mumsnet, its founders are calling for a new miscarriage code of practice. They argue that simple changes such as better communication and information systems, shorter waiting times, improved access to scanning facilities and better staff training in the psychological effects of miscarriage, would make a massive difference to the trauma that miscarrying women feel.Last...

Caveat Lector: These views are my own, and do not reflect current or planned LPUK policy. Originally posted here.Alcohol duty?ALCOHOL DUTY?Right, we all know that consumption taxes are regressive if not done correctly. Specifically, consumption taxes are regressive on goods with low demand-elasticity -- things where people's demand does not vary much with price; essentials like bread and (in the west) meat, and cigarettes and alcohol.As a poor student, going out much is out of the question, but a bottle of plonk in front of a movie with the significant other makes a pretty damned good substitution. For those poorer than I, vodka and supermarket cola is a cheaper alternative to wine.Now Labour want to double the price of alcohol, in the name of "tackling binge drinking." FFS: can't you see...

  Back in the middle of 2009 I was referred by my G.P to a London teaching hospital. After many trials and tribulations I finally saw the consultant, the decision was made to schedule surgery, the exact nature of which would be based upon the results of further scans and tests. I fairly bounced my way home, at last I could look forward to resolution. I’ve spent the 2 years, since my previous surgery, in discomfort and, by the end of the day, in pain. I’ve put up with it and carried on regardless but increasingly it has been affecting more and more of my day-to-day life. As long as I believed that my op would be only a few weeks away I was prepared to ‘grin an bear it’ but last week my gritty determination crumbled. I had the tests and scans back in December,...

Basildon hospital trust faces unlimited fine for not ensuring safety of 20-year-old quadriplegic trapped in bed railsA hospital notorious for poor patient care has admitted failing to protect a severely disabled man who choked to death after getting his head caught between the railings on his bed.Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS foundation trust pleaded guilty to a criminal charge involving lapses in safety procedures in its care of Kyle Flack. The 20-year-old, who was deaf, blind and quadriplegic, could not speak and had cerebral palsy, died at Basildon hospital on 12 October 2006 two days after being admitted.The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted the trust at Basildon magistrates court under the Health and Safety at Work Act for not ensuring a patient's safety. The...

A report by the Royal College of Surgeons, published today, reveals that children’s NHS operations are being cancelled because of the chaotic introduction of new Government safeguarding regulations. From the report: Overzealous interpretation of the requirements by NHS Trusts and long delays in the system mean that NHS surgeons cannot move between Trusts quickly enough to deal with rare cases, of which there are many in children, and to cover absences. The RCS is calling for immediate roll out of passport-style arrangements that allow NHS staff who have already received an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check for one Trust to be recognised across the health service. Is the NHS a national service or not? Since October 2009 the Vetting and Barring Scheme has introduced new...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/7320338/Starved-girl-Khyra-Ishaq-failed-by-social-services-says-judge.html Khyra Ishaq, aged just seven years old, was emaciated and confined to a squalid room, she was deprived of food and regularly beaten, dying in excruciating pain in May 2008, weighing 2st 9lb. She was found to have suffered more than 60 injuries. Khyra and five other children in the family home shared a...

The Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust hospital represents a microcosm of what is wrong to Labour's approach in office. From the conclusions to the report published today:1. This has been a story of a trust which has, over a sustained period of time, failed to deliver acceptable standards of care to many of its patients. It is appropriate to echo a statement made by Florence Nightingale 150 years ago: It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a Hospital that it should do the sick no harm.100 2. Unfortunately, this requirement has not been met at Stafford Hospital. While it is true that in some of its activities it has achieved good standards which have attracted praise, the deficiencies identified in this report are too widespread and too...

Francis inquiry finds 'shocking' failures in care as hospital focused on cutting costs and hitting government targetsAn independent inquiry found today that there were "shocking" systematic failures of hospital care in Mid Staffordshire that left patients routinely neglected, humiliated and in pain as the trust focused on cutting costs and hitting government targets.Today's report from the inquiry led by Robert Francis QC, which was commissioned by the health secretary, Andy Burnham, concluded with 18 recommendations for the trust and the government, but was criticised by some families who reiterated calls for a full public inquiry.The Francis inquiry was commissioned in last September after a damning investigation by the Healthcare Commission six months earlier, which found that between...

It isn’t often that Members of Parliament are praised, vilified as they are over their expenses, point-scoring and deference to vested interests. Yet this week has seen a moment of real clarity in Westminster, a true demonstration of how our elected leaders can exercise critical thinking and formulate policy based on objective, rational evidence – and all this over some tiny sugar pills. Monday saw the publication of Evidence Check: Homeopathy, a report by the House of Commons Science and Technology committee (full report available as a PDF here). This report followed months of taking evidence from various parties – from registered homeopaths and representatives of retailers that sell such ‘remedies,’ to medic and journalist Ben Goldacre and Professor of Complementary...

Don't have time to go into the detail that it deserves, but the House of Commons science and technology committee has published the results of its evidence check on homeopathy. The results won't, of course, come as any surprise to anyone who has been following the debate. But I have to admit to be impressed by the lack of ambiguity in their conclusions. This is paragraph 157: By providing homeopathy on the NHS and allowing MHRA licensing of products which subsequently appear on pharmacy shelves, the Government runs the risk of endorsing homeopathy as an efficacious system of medicine. To maintain patient trust, choice and safety, the Government should not endorse the use of placebo treatments, including homeopathy. Homeopathy should not be funded on the NHS and the MHRA should stop...

Seriously, this has to be another wind-up. There is no way our taxes were handed over to either a NHS Trust or design company that didn’t realise what they were doing here. Still, it’s sound advice, it saves you a trip to Amsterdam and from what we hear about Northampton, it’s probably best they’re not procreating anyway:...

Today the Evening News has launched its "End the Indignity" campaign. The cases of our some of our most vulnerable people being given medical treatment in what amounts to little better than a cupboard has shocked a large number of people. The management of the N&N need to suspend this practice immediately and have a full review determining how this came about. They dignity of these patients is worth more than the bureuacracy of the NHS.The Evening News is showing why we need a strong, vibrant, independent press who can rally local people behind important cases such as this. They deserve all our support.You can read more about the campaign...

As people who know me well will tell you, I’ve always been something of an idealist, daydreaming about some abstract political philosophy whilst everyone else deals with more pragmatic concerns – or ‘living in the real world’ as I believe it’s known. I make this point as what I’m about to write alludes to an apparent confluence – potentially at least – of strands of abstract political thought and practical everyday policy that I believe should gain prominence as the general election approaches. First of all let’s deal with the practicalities (unusual for me but there you go…). Earlier this month Norman Lamb MP launched The NHS: A Liberal Blueprint, a Lib Dem policy briefing on the future of the NHS. Accompanying the launch of...

The Royal Surrey County hospital bought NHS drugs cheap to sell at a profit in Europe, in a move defended as 'entrepreneurial', but deemed 'unethical' by health expertsA foundation hospital last year sold millions of pounds worth of drugs intended for the NHS in Europe, despite warnings from the government that such behaviour was "unacceptable".The Royal Surrey County hospital foundation trust had been trading in the pharmaceutical export market by buying up drugs at the cheap NHS price and selling them to a wholesaler for export. The low value of the pound meant they could be sold at a profit. By December — the month it was awarded foundation trust status — the hospital had earned £4.6m in revenue over 10 months and made £300,000 profit on the sales.The Royal Surrey's finance...

It is clear from the overwhelming response to the campaign and petition that local people want the Whittington A & E to remain and remain 24/7. In fact - most people can't believe closure is even being proposed - as to anyone locally this is madness. But the fight doesn't stop at a petition. On the 4th March, I have arranged a public meeting, where local residents will get the chance to hear at first hand, what the hospital bosses have to say about the threat to the A&E. To represent the NHS, I have invited Rachel Tyndall, Chair of the North Central London (NCL) review panel, the body that has put forward the proposals to close the Whittington A&E, and Richard Sumray, who is chair of Haringey Primary Care Trust. This will also be an opportunity for you to ask questions –...

One of Labour's greatest achievements has been the investment in the NHS that has delivered a real saving - lives. Hat tip to Bob Piper for this little gem of a website, reminding us of how things used to be. In another reminder, last Friday, I was fortunate to have a chat with Baroness Morris of Yardley, formerly the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley prior to the spread of the reign of Hemming. She spoke of a local school that she had visited during her first term as MP, where the water supply and foul waste pipes ran inside a corridor, where it got so cold in winter that these pipes froze and cracked. Under Labour, that school has been rebuilt. Remember that. Also via...

Watchdog says failure by trusts to comply with alerts is 'unacceptable'Hospitals were accused tonight of putting patients' lives at unnecessary risk after research revealed they were failing to comply with NHS orders designed to prevent deaths from mistakes involving drugs, surgery or equipment.Information released by the ­Department of Health after a freedom of information request showed that hospitals were not complying with safety alerts issued by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA).The NPSA's chairman, Lord Patel of Dunkeld, told the Guardian that the behaviour of the trusts was unacceptable and endangered the health of patients."It's not good enough," he said. "What's the point of us developing these alerts if they don't pay any attention to them? Alerts are produced to reduce...

"Anyone contemplating fraud against the NHS should be aware that they will be caught, and if they are caught, they will have to face the consequences of their fraudulent actions."Let me be clear today about what is a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and to fraudsters. Fraud perpetrated against the NHS is, in my view, a fraud perpetrated against each and every one of us and that is why it is...

Claire Mowbray, who heads up our physio and first aid team at Warwick Road is to leave the Club at the end of the season. Her advancing career ambitions mean that she will no longer be able to devote... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the website for full links, other content, and more! ]]...

I thought this was a very interesting short talk from Dr Ben Goldacre on the placebo effect.The thing that surprised me the most was when he described how even animals feel the benefit from the placebo effect. I'd love to see the proof of that because it sounds absolutely bonkers.I particularly like the way that he describes how placebos work but, because it's unethical to lie to patients we should not use them - but we should use the fact that they work in order to make pre-existing, proven treatments even more effective.(h/t...

It's very kind of Labour to help distribute one of our core messages. Just so everyone remembers:DAVID CAMERON "We are commited to the NHS".Labour used to be quite good at this kind of attack stuff, now they are just...

An excellent new poster for the new Labour Party NHS campaign. It is about time that the reality behind the Tories' patient unfriendly policies for the health service were given a proper airing. Voters need to realise that when they get Ashcroft-funded leaflets from Tory candidates pledging to scrap terrible Labour targets, this is what they really mean. I hope there's a lot more where this came...

Minute-by-minute coverage as Labour's general election coordinator, Douglas Alexander, and Andy Burnham, the health secretary, outline the party's plans for the NHS8.58am: The Labour party is holding another campaign press conference this morning. Douglas Alexander, the general election co-ordinator, and Andy Burnham, the health secretary, have invited journalists to their HQ at Victoria Street to hear them "outline Labour's campaign for the NHS and the threat posed by David Cameron and the Conservative party policy on the NHS". I'm not sure how good it's going to be; Gordon Brown delivered a big speech on the NHS just yesterday. But if they don't have much new to say about the NHS, there are plenty of other topics to ask about. The press conference starts at 10am.Health...

Midwife Muse’s roll call of causative factors so far - PCT’s for with-holding government monies Groups who place the majority of their emphasis on THE BIRTH, and lobby accordingly, putting antenatal and postnatal care on the back burner Trusts for employing too many managers Fittingly the midwives come last, that’s the usual position we appear to occupy in any planning, so why alter the status quo? Why are we to blame then? Well we will do what we always do when change is foist upon us, we will grumble, get stressed, some of us will even rant, in private but ultimately we will comply. When I used to work in the unit the obstetricians, generally the registrars, would keep coming out with jokes which were always based upon how bolshie midwives are, ‘What’s...

Local Bathgate man 79 year-old Patrick Morrison went into Astley Ainslie Hospital, Edinburgh after losing his right foot. When he returned home upon removing the protective sock covering it his wife Alexia aged 75 burst out laughing as he had been fitted with a left foot on his right.She called the hospital who cut off the lower part of the replacement limb and replaced the foot with a...

Worrying trend sees increasing numbers of older adults developing allergies for the first timeThe number of people at risk from severe and fatal allergic reactions has increased sharply every year for the past 15 years, according to new NHS figures. The number of adults developing potentially lethal new allergies for the first time has also accelerated dramatically.The figures reveal an unprecedented year-on-year increase in the number of prescriptions issued to those at risk of the most serious allergic reaction, known as anaphylactic shock. The most common triggers are allergies to eggs, nuts, fish, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, and latex. Potentially fatal reactions to insect stings are also increasingly common, as are dramatically adverse reactions to drugs and medication.New...

In Part 1 I identified the PCT’s role in affecting how midwifery care is provided in the community and then, in Part 2, I talked about how I believe that user and pressure groups, focusing their lobbying on the birth, has adversely influenced funding for other areas of maternity care. Managers, and other higher grades. They are not dissimilar to metal coathangers really, turn your back on them for a while and they have replicated themselves, Southampton have managed a 85% increase in their numbers in 4 years.  Maternity services are not about to be out-shone by the other departments where the number of managers has risen 3 times as fast as the number of nurses. Locally, 10 years ago we had 2 separate maternity units, each unit had 3 managers, including their Head of Midwifery,...

The PCT’s, in some areas, are with holding the government monies which were supposedly ring-fenced for the improvement of the maternity services. The result is that the maternity care providers, the hospital trusts, have increased consultant availability, improved facilities and employed (in some cases) more midwives in line with recommendations but the promised monies have not been forthcoming from the PCT’s, so they are now having to make cut-backs. Next on my list of ‘those responsible’ are the ‘user’ and ‘interest’ groups. Within maternity care the focus, their focus, is on the birth itself. Fair enough, that is what is most important, a healthy baby and Mum. Childbirth is not an isolated event though, there are 40 weeks leading up to...