News and Knowledge

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month: 5 ‘red flag’ symptoms to look out for

Bowel Cancer Awareness Month is held in the UK throughout April, and health experts have issued a warning to help people recognise symptoms of this debilitating disease.   Bowel cancer ranks as the fourth most common cancer in the UK, as data from Cancer Research UK shows that around 43,000 each year receive a diagnosis.…

NHS can’t cope with ‘avalanche’ of ADHD & autism diagnoses, expert warns

An expert has warned that the NHS is struggling to cope with an “extraordinary, unpredicted and unprecedented” rise in demand for autism assessments and ADHD treatments in England. The warning comes as data from NHS Digital show that around 172,040 people were on waiting lists as of December 2023 – up from 117,020 a year…

NHS delays could be even longer than initially reported, figures shows

NHS waiting lists could be even longer than initially thought as new data shows that there could be almost 10 million people waiting for appointments. The new figures have come after the Office for National Statistics surveyed the public on their attempts to get GP appointments and other bookings for a month– and found that…

New artificial-pancreas technology to be offered to diabetes patients

Thousands of people with type 1 diabetes are set to be offered new artificial-pancreas technology on the NHS to help them manage the condition. We have broken down everything you need to know, as well as who will be eligible for the new technology. What is an artificial pancreas? This new technology calculates how much…

Public satisfaction with NHS at all-time low, figures show

Public satisfaction with the NHS has fallen to the lowest level on record as poor access to GPs and long waits for hospital care continue.   The figures, from the British Social Attitudes annual survey show that less than one in four (24 per cent) people were happy with the health service in 2023, down…

32% of people haven’t got a Will because they ‘don’t know where to start’

After Update Your Will Week took place earlier this month to encourage people to check their Will is up to date and accurate, new figures reveal how many people still need to write or finish writing their Will.   A Will is an important document to instruct your family or friends on how you would…

Newborn baby died after 14 hours due to ‘total and complete’ NHS failures

A baby died after just 14 hours due to repeated, ‘total and complete’ NHS failures, an inquest has found.   Zachary Taylor-Smith’s death could have been prevented had his mother, nurse Hannah Taylor-Smith, 33, been given antibiotics, a hospital trust admitted.     Zachary Taylor-Smith was born at Royal Derby Hospital at 36 weeks in…

Health board fined £220k after patients fell to their deaths out of hospital windows

A Scottish Health Board has been fined £220,000 for safety breaches after two vulnerable patients fell to their deaths out of a window.   Both patients were being cared for at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh at the time of their deaths, which occurred in two separate incidents. On 29 October 2017, one of…

NHS pressures force women to wait 3x as long for abortions

Demand for abortions on the NHS is forcing some women to wait three weeks for a termination – triple the recommended time frame, a senior NHS chief has warned.   According to figures, the demand for abortions in England and Wales has hit ‘unprecedented’ levels as NHS services remain under ‘great pressure’. Steve Russell, the…

CICA: ‘broken system’ as victims of crime are let down without legal advice

Victims of crime are being let down by the current CICA (Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority) system, as figures show that many are being under-compensated by tens of thousands of pounds.   Data from the Office for National Statistics and the Scottish government shows that approximately 480,000 people are injured as a result of violent crime…