News and Knowledge

Concerns Over Waiting Lists at GPs and A&E in Wales

The current pandemic has resulted in an overstretched NHS that is struggling to keep up with routine patients.   A further delay has been seen by patients being referred by their GPs. This has been noted by the watchdog as a ‘crisis of access’. BBC News reports that people are now suffering with long delays…

Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month

Gynaecological Cancer effects over 21,000 women in the UK each year, which is why it is so important to raise awareness of the symptoms for early diagnosis, prevention strategies and the way in which it can be treated.   Cervical, Ovarian, Uterine, Vaginal and Vulval cancer all fall under the umbrella of Gynaecological cancer, as…

Mum Of Six Dies Of Cervical Cancer, One Year After All Clear

Victoria Ayers died on the 12th of July after losing her battle, as the cancer had spread to her kidney, pelvis and stomach.   Victoria started feeling quite ill in the December of 2019 and began to rapidly lose weight in the run-up to the Christmas of that year. She was later diagnosed with stage…

NHS Hospitals Accused Of Hiding Multiple Patient Safety Reports

A BBC Panorama investigation has highlighted that a large majority of independent hospital reviews that highlight patient safety concerns had not been shared and published with their regulators.   Freedom of information requests made by the BBC revealed 111 reports created by medical royal colleges. Of these only 26 had been shared in full with…

NHS Trust Pleads Guilty To Charges Over Death Of Seven-Day-Old Baby

East Kent Hospitals University NHS Trust have admitted to causing harm to seven-day-old baby Harry Richford, by failing to provide safe care and treatment.   The prosecution, which is the first of its kind, was brought by the Care Quality Commission. Harry Richford died seven days after his emergency delivery at Queen Elizabeth The Queen…

Root Canal Treatment – Getting to the Root of the Problem

Root canal treatment is a dental procedure recommended for bacterial infection that has progressed on to rot the teeth. Read article for more information:

The Truth About Cosmetic Treatments

Some of you may have caught the documentary, The Truth About Cosmetic Treatments, last night on BBC One.   The Michael Mosley and Mehreen Baig BBC TV documentary focused on a variety of cosmetic treatments, for both their effectiveness and safety. This is part one of a two-part programme, looking at the booming industry and…

Spire Healthcare Leeds Investigation

Spire Healthcare‘s Leeds hospital has launched an investigation into one of its surgeons after major concerns come to light over treatment of dozens of its patients.   Just under fifty patients of the two-hundred patients reviewed have been recalled after shoulder surgeon, Mike Walsh, was suspended in 2018 following raised concerns about his practices.  …

Accidental Overdose Kills Teacher

A teacher in her late twenties died of an accidental overdose of paracetamol after calling 999 due to severe pain caused by a urinary infection. An inquest heard that the twenty-six-year-old teacher, Amber Hickford, was suffering from pain from a urine infection that was so extreme, she could barely walk as a result.   After…

Methotrexate Fatalities Caused By Drug Name Confusion

The Pharmacy Times has written a story on the Institution for Safe Medication Practices’ (ISMP) report that it continues to receive cases where Methotrexate has been given in place of another drug by mistake, leading to a fatality. Methotrextate is a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD), which can be given for various types of arthritis. As…