News and Knowledge

Care home rated Inadequate following CQC inspection

The Willows Care Home, a residential facility for older adults, has been downgraded from ‘good’ to ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after a recent inspection.   This evaluation, conducted in March, has triggered by safety concerns reported by residents and their families. At the time, The Willows housed 57 residents.     According…

Group Strep B Awareness Month: Claiming for birthing injuries

July marks Group Strep B Awareness Month, dedicated to spreading knowledge about Group B Streptococcus (GBS) and its impact on pregnant women and their newborns.   This month aims to inform and educate expectant mothers, healthcare professionals, and the broader community about the importance of screening, prevention, and treatment.     Group Strep B can…

80% of Nurses Report Insufficient Staffing to Meet Patient Needs

Only a third of shifts in healthcare settings have enough registered nurses to look after patients, a survey has revealed.   According to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), workforce shortages in hospital and community services are so severe that patients are being left in pain and in some cases dying alone. The shortages mean…

NHS to pay £30m in compensation after baby suffers ‘life-changing’ injuries

An NHS hospital is set to pay out £30 million in compensation after negligence caused ‘life-changing injuries’ to a baby girl.   Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Stepping Hill Hospital admitted that their failures and omissions in post-natal care led to a baby girl developing cerebral palsy after she was born.     Legal…

Woman, 70, forced to pull out her own teeth due to lack of NHS dentists

A 70-year-old woman was forced to pull out her own teeth as she couldn’t find an NHS dentist and couldn’t afford to go private.   Linda Colla, from Devon, said she carried out the extractions “with great difficulty and lots of pain” after her teeth had become loose.     Ms, Colla, who receives pension…

Woman suffers brain damage due to negligence before she was born

Medical negligence led to a young woman suffering brain damage before she was born, a judge has ruled.   Elisha Woods, 25, was starved of oxygen before her birth at Bassetlaw District General Hospital in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, on 14 October 1998. But if staff had not delayed inducing her birth when her mother Julie’s amniotic…

Concerns raised as more than 100,000 cancer patients diagnosed at A&E

More than 100,000 cancer patients were diagnosed with the disease in A&E, rather than with their local GP, alarming new figures show.   Experts have now warned that when cancers are picked up in this way, they are often in the later stages of the disease which can be more difficult to treat – and…

Cervical Screening Awareness Week: FAQs about smear tests

Cervical Screening Awareness Week is here to highlight the importance of going for your smear test, as well as answering some frequently asked questions about the procedure.   Figures show nearly one in three don’t attend their cervical screening test, but Cervical Screening Awareness Week aims to change this.     Cervical screenings are used…

Elder Abuse Day 2024: 7 Signs to look out for and how to report abuse

Elder Abuse Awareness Day is here to raise awareness of abuse in older people and highlight what signs you should look out for to keep your loved ones safe.   Shocking statistics show that elderly abuse happens more often than you might think, with around 1 in 6 people 60 years and older said to…

Warning issued as cancer treatment delays ‘becoming routine’

A warning has been issued by the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) as long waits for cancer care are ‘becoming routine’ across the UK.   The RCR has said nearly half of all cancer care centres are experiencing delays most weeks, and an “impending crisis” is looming among the cancer care workforce.     According…