UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
1 day ago'Not fit for purpose' - the secret history of a deadly phrase
The phrase 'not fit for purpose' originated from a 2006 memo by Sir David Normington regarding the Home Office's inefficiencies.
We coped, but only just. Collapse was only narrowly avoided thanks to the extraordinary efforts of all those working in health care. To cope with another pandemic there had to be greater capacity to scale-up hospital and ambulance services, according to the inquiry.
A report last year found unnecessary surgeries were carried out, cancers were missed and poor standards of care were delivered at the University Hospital of North Durham and Darlington Memorial Hospital. CDDTF said it wanted to support the patients it had let down, including by offering access to psychological support, and to ensure they knew how to make a claim or raise concerns with police.
In birth injury cases, the collection of evidence is crucial for establishing liability and demonstrating the extent of harm suffered by the child and family. Without sufficient evidence, it becomes challenging to prove that the injury was preventable and that the healthcare providers failed in their duty of care.
Doctors at an Irish hospital accidentally operated on the wrong testicle during surgery on a patient who had gone under the knife for a procedure on his genitalia, it has emerged. The incident was one of four "wrong-site" surgeries that took place in acute hospitals during the last two years, with doctors also operating on a patient's incorrect leg in 2024.
Doctors at an Irish hospital accidentally operated on the wrong testicle during surgery on a patient who had gone under the knife for a procedure on his genitalia. The incident was one of four wrong-site surgeries that took place in acute hospitals during the last two years, with doctors also operating on a patient's incorrect leg in 2024.
As AI becomes integrated into daily life and personal decision making, it is unsurprising that many people are consulting AI for assistance with depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. Mental health chatbots, self-help applications, and large language models can provide immediate responses, emotional validation, and structured coping strategies.
The HSE Mid West has said it accepts "full institutional responsibility" for the "catastrophic and irreparable harm caused" when teenager Jessica Sheedy died at University Hospital Limerick.
While noting women 'were treated with kindness and compassion', a 'requires improvement' rating was given. Inspectors said hospital management 'did not always support staff well-being' and 'were not always visible within the service and were sometimes perceived as unsupportive'. Staff reported they were confident to report incidents, however, were not always assured action would be taken.
Medical negligence in the NHS keeps harming and killing patients because governments and health service bosses have not acted on 24 years' worth of warnings, MPs have said. In a scathing report published on Friday, the public accounts committee (PAC) excoriates the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England for allowing the cost of mistakes to balloon to 3.6bn a year.
When she was 16, Bethan James told her YouTube channel that by 2026 she hoped to have a partner, an enjoyable job and maybe even children. Bethan would have been 27 now - but her dreams were taken when she died aged 21 from a combination of sepsis, pneumonia and Crohn's disease. Bethan's sepsis wasn't spotted early enough and life-saving care was delayed.
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust said that the videos, found on social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, "falsely claim a number of our clinicians are using and endorsing these products". The videos, which show doctors applying weight loss patches to their bodies and losing weight over a period of time, appear to be AI-generated, the Trust said, and do not show doctors who work there.
Artificial intelligence has taken the medical device industry by storm - even adding a layer of complexity to the operating room that's resulting in patients being hurt, some health professionals claim. As Reuters reports, the TruDi Navigation System by device maker Acclarent was designed to treat chronic sinusitis, inflammation of the nasal sinuses, by inserting a tiny balloon to enlarge the sinus cavity openings.
In 2026, the US healthcare system is changing. Enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies have expired, causing premiums for marketplace plans to spike - and pricing some families out of health insurance entirely. President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act will reduce coverage for some patients with Medicaid and funding for hospitals, especially those in rural areas. Costs for Medicare and private insurance are also rising: Employer-based healthcare premiums have increased by 9%, the largest rise in more than a decade.
Rising demand for services has led an NHS trust serving Suffolk and Essex to declare a critical incident. East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust told the BBC it was facing "significant pressure", including hospitals in Ipswich and Colchester. Earlier this month, the NHS reported a rise in flu and other winter viruses after Christmas. The trust has encouraged people to seek help from pharmacists or use NHS 111 where appropriate.
As every week, month, year passes, women are getting more frustrated, upset. You can't put their pain on hold. A lot of them have had to give up work or reduce their hours. They're struggling to make ends meet. We have some members, they've had to sell their homes and move in with elderly parents, marriages broken down We see those women at three in the morning trying to put up a post saying, I don't want to be here any more'
The doctor treated hundreds of children from 2017 to 2022 at Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) in London, with independent experts saying in a new review that his surgery fell well below the level expected in several areas. Many patients came to harm or were left in pain, with some going on to need further surgery. Proper consent was also not obtained in some cases, while Mr Jabbar also had an "unjustified preference for certain surgical techniques including unconventional or unrecognised procedures".
Dr Susan Gilby took over as chief executive at the Countess of Chester hospital in 2018 after it was rocked by the Lucy Letby case. She was awarded the payout one of the biggest in NHS history last month after a tribunal ruled she had been unfairly dismissed after raising concerns about alleged bullying and harassment by the chair of the hospital board.