france24--2019-11-19--Britain's health service becomes election battleground amid ‘crisis’ fears

As British PM Boris Johnson and Labour's Jeremy Corbyn faced off Tuesday evening in the first TV debate ahead of December’s general election, the condition of the NHS has emerged as a key issue in the campaign, with the head of the British doctors’ association warning that the UK’s beloved state-run National Health Service faces an “unprecedented crisis”.  British prime minister and Conservative leader Boris Johnson called the December 12 election in an attempt to secure a majority in the House of Commons, hoping thereby to “Get Brexit Done” – to quote the Tory campaign’s omnipresent slogan. But as medical staff decry insufficient funding and statistics show deteriorating performance figures, Johnson is taking emergency action in a bid to head off an NHS crisis while striving to present the Tories as the best party to manage the health service in England.  The head of the British Medical Association (BMA), Chaand Nagpaul, made an extraordinary public statement on November 2, saying that the NHS is “hurtling towards an unprecedented crisis this winter”, which tends to be the most difficult season for the service. In what appears to be a pointed comment directed at Johnson’s Conservative Party, which has been in power since 2010, Nagpaul added that “it should not take an election to take stock of just how bad the situation has become”.  Despite the pressures of an ageing population and the development of increasingly complex – and expensive – medical treatments, spending on the NHS has increased by just 1.5 percent a year over the past decade, compared to a historic average of 3.7 percent since its foundation in 1948. “Over the last 10 years or so, the NHS has been quite significantly under-resourced,” said Jonathan Holmes, a policy adviser at the King’s Institute, a British think-tank specialising in healthcare.  In a sign of the party’s concern, the Conservative Home website, the bible of the Tories’ most tribal activists, published a piece on November 9 titled: “Is the Conservative campaign about to run headlong into an NHS winter crisis?”  Statistics lend credence to fears of a crisis. NHS data published on November 14 showed that waiting times in hospitals’ all-important accident and emergency (A&E) departments in October were the worst on record in England.  “Over 80,000 of the very sickest patients had to wait over four hours for a hospital bed last month, and that’s before we’ve even seen very cold temperature in England, or experienced many flu or norovirus outbreaks,” said Patricia Marquis, the Royal College of Nursing’s director for England. “Many nurses I speak to say they are very worried they won’t be able to provide the care they would like to once winter sets in,” she continued.  Soon after the BMA’s statement in early November, The Observer newspaper reported that Johnson was attempting to fend off a crisis by setting up an “operations unit” inside 10 Downing Street to take direct oversight of the NHS – the first time a prime minister has done so.  A statement on the Conservatives’ website says that, “because of the Brexit deadlock”, the health service “recently hasn’t had the attention it deserves”. To give it such attention, the party proposes to increase the NHS’s annual budget by £20.5 billion (€24 billion). Labour has proposed spending another £5.5 billion (€6.4 billion) per year on top of that.  Considering that they have historically been distrusted for their stance on the NHS, “the Tories are doing everything they can to reassure voters that they’ve got the message that more now needs to be spent on it”, noted Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London.  The two parties’ funding promises reflect the public’s priorities: polls suggest that the NHS is a bigger issue for voters than Brexit, which has dominated British political discourse for three years. A survey by Panelbase published at the end of October found that healthcare was the most cited issue when voters were asked to name the most important issues facing the country – mentioned by 66 percent of respondents compared to 54 percent for Brexit. Similarly, pollsters Opinium found in a November 1 survey that 59 percent listed healthcare as a top concern, putting it well ahead of Brexit at 52 percent.  Yet it remains to be seen whether Labour can instrumentalise the state of the NHS for its electoral purposes. “It has always been a Labour issue but the Conservatives are picking up the zeitgeist,” said Sir John Curtice, a professor of politics at Strathclyde University. Given the Tories’ proposals to raise spending, “all we’re arguing about is: how much of an increase do you want?”  At the same time, Labour suffers from a “broader problem about voters’ perception of its competence, which feeds into voters’ ideas about how they will run the health service”, Curtice continued.  That said, the most (in)famous – and perhaps most successful – campaign line in the UK over recent years related to the NHS. It was the Vote Leave campaign’s vow, ahead of the 2016 Brexit referendum, to spend £350 million per week on the NHS that would supposedly be liberated from Brussels after Britain leaves the EU. In the current election campaign, Corbyn has produced an attack line that plays both on voters’ fondness for the NHS and their views about Brexit. He has accused Johnson of wanting to “sell out” the health service to President Donald Trump (who is unpopular in the UK) in a post-Brexit trade deal with the US.  The Conservatives have repeatedly stated that the NHS will be off the table in any future trade talks with Washington, while the British health service has long outsourced some contracts to US companies – to little public complaint. “Labour is stretching the argument when they say a US-UK trade deal would be a threat to the NHS,” noted Michael Keating, a professor of politics at Edinburgh University.  But that makes the argument no less potent, Keating continued: “The Conservatives are very vulnerable on this notion; and if Labour combine it with a winter crisis, creating a series of issues to give a sense of a threat to the NHS, it could be a factor” in the election’s outcome.


france24--2019-11-22--Facing massive doctors' strike, Zimbabweans improvise health services via Twitter and WhatsApp

Doctors and nurses protest over the disappearance of the leader of their union, Dr. Peter Magombeyi, in Harare, Zimbabwe on September 16, 2019. Magombeyi reappeared September 19, after five days during which union members say he was abducted and tortured.  This video, published by Human Rights Watch’s Southern Africa Director, shows women giving birth on the floor of an apartment in a suburb outside the capital. Video: Dewa Mavhinga.  Zimbabwe’s health sector, once regarded as one of the best in Africa , is collapsing. Doctors in public hospitals have been on strike since September 3, the second time in less than a year, to demand salary increases in response to soaring living costs (Zimbabwe’s inflation rate is currently one of the highest in the world ).The government said last month it had doubled doctors’ salaries, but doctors responded that this was inadequate, as it would only increase their monthly salary to around 2,000 Zimbabwe dollars (€118). On November 8, the government fired 211 of the 1,800 doctors on strike.The FRANCE 24 Observers reached out to Health Minister Obadiah Moyo, who did not respond for comment.Patients are being turned away from hospitals because there are no doctors to treat them. Millions of people lack private health insurance and are unable to afford care in private clinics. In Zimbabwe, children under the age of five receive basic free treatment at public hospitals. Everyone else must pay for their treatment.In response, citizens have been mobilising to fill the hole in the healthcare system. Since nurses and midwives are also currently on strike, one 72-year-old woman became a local hero after opening up her apartment to help deliver over 100 babies.


france24--2019-12-09--Long on waits, short on funds: UK's National Health Service faces challenges in Northern Ireland

Rita Devlin, the professional development chief at the Royal College of Nurses in Northern Ireland, speaks to FRANCE 24 near a picket line outside Belfast's biggest hospital.  According to opinion polls, the most important issue after Brexit in this Thursday’s UK general election is the National Health Service. In Northern Ireland, where the NHS is described by experts as at breaking point, patients face the longest waiting lists in the UK. Nurses there, who are paid less than their colleagues in England, Scotland and Wales, went on strike earlier this month – 13 percent of nursing positions in the country are vacant.  The UK’s two main parties are both promising more funding for the NHS after an election win. Boris Johnson's Conservatives are vowing to inject £35 billion of extra money into the system, while Jeremy Corbyn's Labour say they will top this figure and create 45,000 nursing jobs.  But Helen Fidler, a gastroenterologist and the deputy chair of the British Medical Association, worries that if Brexit occurs, it may make things worse.  “We rely on our overseas doctors and our overseas nurses and allied health professionals to support the NHS,” Fidler said. “[Brexit] threatens to make the workforce crisis we have now considerably worse.”  “It doesn't bring a promise of more funding either," she added.  Click on the player above to watch the full report by Hervé Amoric, Shirley Sitbon and Enda O'Looney.


globalresearch--2019-12-04--Is Boris Johnson a Liar? Denies He Will Sell Off UK National Health Service to Trump

‘A plot against the whole country’ declared Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as he brandished a wad of leaked documents last week which he said proves that the UK National Health Service would indeed be ‘on the table’ when it came to US trade talks. Corbyn said the NHS was ‘up for sale’ if the Conservatives were to win the December election whereas Labour would ‘never let Donald Trump get his hands on our NHS’. Arguably it was a strategic move on Corbyn’s part to counter the previous day’s disastrous interview with the infamous Andrew Neil, but regardless its motivation, the exposure of the dossier was a blow to the Conservatives who have also recently lost their significant lead against Labour in the polls – down to just nine points.  The accusations that Boris Johnson is not telling the whole truth over Trump and the NHS come at a time when the UK Prime Minister is facing questions over his record on lying. He had repeatedly denied that the NHS would be included in any trade discussions with the Trump administration, and had previously issued a version of the 451 page document, but with many pages blacked out. However the Labour leader said that, as a result of the leak, Johnson’s denials of such a deal with Trump were now ‘left in tatters’.  The Tory party has dismissed the documents as being significant, claiming they were simply readouts from meetings of the UK-US trade and investment working group (which reportedly took place from July 2017 till a couple of months ago). They attacked Corbyn by saying he was trying to divert attention from the issue of anti-semitism in his party. However there are some serious implications from the leaked papers which cannot be ignored.  Firstly, there is the issue of patenting, which could have a considerable impact on the pricing of medicines. Jeremy Corbyn indicated that discussions regarding a lengthening of patents had already been concluded between the sides, which would mean more expensive drugs. He gave the example of Humira, a drug used to treat Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis: ‘It costs our NHS £1,409 a packet. In the US, the same packet costs £8,115. Get the difference: £1,409 in our NHS, £8,115 in the USA,’ Corbyn said. Furthermore, he went on to explain that one of the reasons for US drug prices being so high in comparison to the UK, was that there was a patent regime ‘rigged for the big pharmaceutical companies.’  BBC journalist Andrew Neil attempted to suggest in an interview with Shadow International Trade Secretary, Barry Gardiner, that drug patents did not in fact amount to the ‘sale of the NHS’ and that there was ‘no evidence in the documents whatsoever’ that the NHS was included in the trade deal negotiations. However Gardiner hit back, stating that it was “A ridiculous and naive thing for you to say, and you are too smart a journalist for me to allow you to get away with it”. Gardiner went further to say that although it was not explicitly mentioned in the documents, the implication was made by the references to pharmaceutical services – which of course the Labour party want to bring strictly under government control if they are elected to power.  A second take-away from the documents, according to Jeremy Corbyn, is that the US prefers a No Deal Brexit.  The Conservatives have made light of this however, saying that it was ‘simply fact’ that it wouldn’t be possible to strike a free-trade deal with Trump if the UK were to remain in the single market and customs union.  But with lie upon lie being exposed by journalists and commentators, it’s now proving increasingly difficult to trust a word uttered by the Conservative leader and his party at present. The mantra seems to be ‘Say whatever with as much confidence and bluster as possible, and people will believe you.’ Take for example several of Johnson’s key lines: ‘Get Brexit Done’, ‘20,000 more police officers’ and ‘50,000 more nurses’. They may sound fantastic, but once you dig a bit deeper you realise it’s not worth taking them at face value. Firstly, ‘Get Brexit done’ we’ve heard before – Johnson promised to have the UK leave the EU October 31st ‘come what may’ – but did not deliver it. How is one to therefore to believe he will deliver on this now? As for the 20,000 new police officers – this is extremely misleading as the Conservative party was responsible for taking around 21,000 police off the streets in recent years. And the ‘50,000 more nurses’ myth has been doing the rounds on social media of late as journalists have taken on key Conservatives ministers over the fact that 19,000 of the 50,000 are in fact nurses currently working in the NHS. So the figure is far from accurate.  But will such falsehoods be enough to dissuade a disgruntled British electorate from voting for Boris Johnson? With just over a week to go before the election, everything’s to play for…  Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc.  This article was originally published on InfoBrics.


jerusalempost--2019-12-03--'New conspiracy theory,' UK's Corbyn describes challenge to health service dossier

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liveaction--2019-07-18--Planned Parenthoods plummeting health services over the years show an increased abortion focus

Planned Parenthood’s plummeting health services over the years show an increased abortion focus

Planned Parenthood claims to be a health care organization, but it isn’t actual health care that is increasing there; it’s abortion. The corporation’s abortion market share has steadily increased (due in part to half a billion dollars they receive from taxpayers annually), while actual health care services are plummeting. That is because Planned Parenthood is focused on abortion, a point made more evident in the recent ousting of the group’s physician president, Dr. Leana Wen, for her resistance to prioritize and politicize abortion.  Despite Planned Parenthood’s receipt of nearly half a billion in taxpayer dollars annually since 2009 (and hundreds of millions prior to that), Planned Parenthood has chosen to shutter the same facilities they have claimed are needed by those who are poor and disadvantaged. In addition, the corporation is seeing a significant decrease in patients as well as declining health services.  The data in the image below, taken directly from Planned Parenthood’s annual reports from 2006 to 2016, reveal that health care services at the nation’s largest abortion business have been dropping for years:  The decline continued into 2017, the last year which saw a published report from the abortion business. Even after increased government funding and excess revenue reaching hundreds of millions of dollars, actual health care services dropped while abortions again rose.  Between 2007 and 2017, data from Planned Parenthood’s published annual reports reveal the following decreases:  Increases at Planned Parenthood between 2007 to 2017 include:  READ: Planned Parenthood prez Leana Wen wasn’t fighting hard enough for abortion. So they fired her.  In 2017 alone, Planned Parenthood reported 117 abortions for every adoption referral, ending the lives of 912 preborn babies at a rate of 38 per hour, or one abortion every 95 seconds. Planned Parenthood’s abortion market share currently stands at 35.9% when compared to the most recent data from the Guttmacher Institute for 2014. Since CDC abortion numbers are generally much lower than numbers released by Guttmacher (Planned Parenthood’s former “special affiliate”), Live Action News compares market share to Guttmacher. This number may increase after Guttmacher releases new figures. This means that one corporation alone, Planned Parenthood, commits nearly 36% of all U.S. abortions.  Planned Parenthood’s estimated abortion revenue, according to an analysis by Live Action News, was estimated at $190 million in just 2017. This translates into an estimated 52 percent of the corporation’s non-government health services revenue and 11.4 percent of total revenue. Planned Parenthood collected a whopping $244.8 million in excess revenue over spending in just one year, according to its 2017-2018 annual report. The graph below shows massive millions were pocketed by the corporation in years prior.  In 2018, Planned Parenthood set out to protect those gains by vowing to spend millions to elect pro-abortion lawmakers, even hiring a new director to push for activist judges in the courts. The taxpayer-funded organization then released a focused plan for 2019, which included not the expansion of health care, but abortion.


pamelagellerreport--2019-11-09--UK National Health Service to Deny Treatment to ‘Racists’ ‘islamophobes’ and ‘Sexists’

“First it was deplatforming people from social media websites, then it was deplatforming people from bank accounts and mortgages. Now it’s deplatforming people from hospital treatment.”  UK National Health Service to Deny Treatment to ‘Racists’ and ‘Sexists’  What could possibly go wrong?  A National Health Service (NHS) trust in the UK has announced that it will deny treatment to patients it deems are ‘racists’ or ‘sexists’.  No, this is not the Onion.  The North Bristol NHS Trust said that “threatening and offensive language,” as well as “racist or sexist language, gestures or behaviour” and “malicious allegations” would all be punishable offenses.  Patients who commit such an infraction will be subject to a “sports-style disciplinary yellow card and then final red card in which treatment would be withdrawn as soon as is safe.”  “We have staff from many different backgrounds, from all over the world, and we pride ourselves on our commitment to equality which is a fundamental value of the NHS,” said Andrea Young, Chief Executive for North Bristol NHS Trust.  “We’re sending a strong signal that any racism or discrimination is completely unacceptable – we want staff to challenge and report it and we want everyone to know that it will have consequences,” she added.  The problem here of course is that the definition of what constitutes ‘racism’ or ‘sexism’ gets broader with each passing day.  As Jack Montgomery highlights, “In late 2017 an NHS patient who requested a female nurse to carry out a cervical smear complained when the hospital sent a person with “an obviously male appearance… close-cropped hair, a male facial appearance and voice, large number of tattoos and facial stubble” who insisted “My gender is not male. I’m a transsexual”.  Foster parents have also had children removed from their care by the state because they were supporters of UKIP and not vehement supporters of “multiculturalism.”  The University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust also ordered that the British flag be removed from security staff stab vests after one person complained that it was “offensive.”  This is even worse than China’s social credit score, which to my knowledge doesn’t yet punish people by withdrawing medical treatment if they engage in wrongthink.  First it was deplatforming people from social media websites, then it was deplatforming people from bank accounts and mortgages. Now it’s deplatforming people from hospital treatment.  Literally eliminating people’s right to basic health care because of their political or social opinions.  This is where we’re at, and this is why the UK is truly the capital of Clown World Order.


prisonplanet--2019-11-05--UK National Health Service to Deny Treatment to ‘Racists’ and ‘Sexists’

UK National Health Service to Deny Treatment to ‘Racists’ and ‘Sexists’  What could possibly go wrong?  A National Health Service (NHS) trust in the UK has announced that it will deny treatment to patients it deems are ‘racists’ or ‘sexists’.  No, this is not the Onion.  The North Bristol NHS Trust said that “threatening and offensive language,” as well as “racist or sexist language, gestures or behaviour” and “malicious allegations” would all be punishable offenses.  Patients who commit such an infraction will be subject to a “sports-style disciplinary yellow card and then final red card in which treatment would be withdrawn as soon as is safe.”  “We have staff from many different backgrounds, from all over the world, and we pride ourselves on our commitment to equality which is a fundamental value of the NHS,” said Andrea Young, Chief Executive for North Bristol NHS Trust.  “We’re sending a strong signal that any racism or discrimination is completely unacceptable – we want staff to challenge and report it and we want everyone to know that it will have consequences,” she added.  The problem here of course is that the definition of what constitutes ‘racism’ or ‘sexism’ gets broader with each passing day.  As Jack Montgomery highlights, “In late 2017 an NHS patient who requested a female nurse to carry out a cervical smear complained when the hospital sent a person with “an obviously male appearance… close-cropped hair, a male facial appearance and voice, large number of tattoos and facial stubble” who insisted “My gender is not male. I’m a transsexual”.  Foster parents have also had children removed from their care by the state because they were supporters of UKIP and not vehement supporters of “multiculturalism.”  The University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust also ordered that the British flag be removed from security staff stab vests after one person complained that it was “offensive.”  This is even worse than China’s social credit score, which to my knowledge doesn’t yet punish people by withdrawing medical treatment if they engage in wrongthink.  First it was deplatforming people from social media websites, then it was deplatforming people from bank accounts and mortgages. Now it’s deplatforming people from hospital treatment.  Literally eliminating people’s right to basic health care because of their political or social opinions.  This is where we’re at, and this is why the UK is truly the capital of Clown World Order.  My voice is being silenced by free speech-hating Silicon Valley behemoths who want me disappeared forever. It is CRUCIAL that you support me.  Please sign up for the free newsletter here. Donate to me on SubscribeStar here.  Support my sponsor – Turbo Force – a supercharged boost of clean energy without the comedown.  This article was posted: Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 1:09 pm


sluggerotoole--2019-12-08--Where does the buck stop with the health service?

With the ongoing crisis in our public health infrastructure it is important to remember one key element which is not examined in depth, especially in periods of strike action; accountability of management. The media narrative being spun by some that a disgruntled workforce of nurses have exacerbated a crisis ought to be heavily countered and discredited as it is simply untrue.  As documented by every outlet during a sitting Stormont administration and since then during the hiatus, the health crisis has been a long time coming with no easy fix in sight nor seemingly within the will of those possessing the political capital to make the tough choices. Pay parity was one such tough choice which has since went down like a lead balloon with what seems like a convenient DUP narrative of allowing Jim Wells’ name to be dragged through the media and Michelle O’Neill’s attempt at defending her record by crying “1% pay rise” many times on talkback.  Accountability is something that NI can hardly boast among our great achievements in the world. O’Neill and Wells, both former health ministers, have attempted to defend their records by taking positions that are the inverse to the actual policies they signed off on while in office. Such is the bizarre nature of our politics that we allow this kind of behaviour and a frustrated media tries to make this plain whenever the parties actually decide to be scrutinised by it – see Nolan’s ongoing dramatization over the DUP refusing an interview with him.  It is not just elected representatives who have built careers within an accountability vacuum, there exists an executive class within our publicly funded institutions who are rarely called out and have little public recognition in proportion to their public responsibility. There is very much pay parity for this group with the rest of the UK, the argument that this is necessary because of the level of talent needed at this level does not hold water when many of these people come up through the ranks in NI anyway. The PSNI are a rare example where there tends to be a talent pool which is UK wide for a UK wide senior police salary, look at the CEO of any council or the CEO of any health trust here and this is not universally the case.  Here is a synopsis of three high bracket salaries within the NI health apparatus according to the taxpayers alliance, reported last December in the Belfast Telegraph:  From the same Belfast Telegraph Article:  Written in December 2018, this is all the more jarring as it was patently obvious that the impending crisis was reaching fever pitch with warnings already sounding that we would be facing the present situation in winter 2019. I have witnessed people on less than 20k per annum being disciplined for missing emails or client deadlines, we have those on benefits incurring sanctions which push them into debt. This is how some see accountability; it stinks in the eyes of many that nurses are lucky to get a rise of 1% when execs soaked up 6.3% a year during a period of collapse.  I do not for a moment doubt that the work of these people is immensely difficult and they may feel it a personal attack to be calling their salary into question. However, in a publicly funded body that does not exist for a profit motive, salary can only be measured in proportion to health outcomes. In the private sector we could debate at length the credence of a CEO being remunerated while a company is not performing but this is something heavily scrutinised within corporate governance procedures by shareholders, with our NHS we are all shareholders so where is the scrutiny? Is it enough to simply demand ministerial intervention? Both sides of the strike are now demanding Julian Smith put up the cash for pay parity, but where is the accountability for heath executives who have patently failed to retain staff, failed to manage waiting lists and failed to exercise budgetary discretion to meet nurses demands?  Photo by Negative Space is licensed under CC0


theatlantic--2019-05-07--Health and Human Services and the Religious-Liberty War

When Trump entered office, his administration began systematically dismantling the legal architecture that had been set up by the Obama administration, creating new initiatives designed to defend religious liberty. In 2017, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions wrote a letter instructing all federal agencies to pay special attention to religious-freedom issues, and last year he formed a new religious-liberty task force in the Department of Justice.  The new HHS rule announced last week is one of the most direct repudiations yet of Obama’s work to extend protections for women and LGBTQ people through administrative action. In our interview, Severino cited a spike in complaints about violations of conscience that his office has received in the past couple of years, which might be reflective of a broader reality: The text of the rule cites a 2009 survey of medical professionals in faith-based associations, in which nearly 40 percent of respondents said they faced discrimination as a result of their religious beliefs or moral convictions. “We want a profession of medicine that is open to anyone who will unreservedly commit themselves to being willing to care for those who are sick,” says Farr Curlin, a professor of medicine and bioethics at Duke University. “There have long been, and remain, principled objections” to procedures such as assisted suicide and gender-transition surgeries, “based on the conclusion that these services are not consistent with the physician’s commitment to the patient’s health,” he says.  [Read: Why Trump’s executive order on religious liberty left many conservatives dissatisfied]  Progressive advocates, however,  believe that the new guidelines provide a carte blanche for health-care workers—from ambulance drivers to nurses to physicians—who want to opt out of providing medical care when they disagree with the choices of the patient. And they fear that the new rule will have implications beyond its stated scope—especially for LGBTQ patients. It is “likely to significantly reduce access to care,”  says Jocelyn Samuels, the director of UCLA’s Williams Institute, which researches public-policy issues related to gender identity and sexual orientation, “and to erect new barriers to vulnerable communities getting critical access to medical services.” With this new rule, she adds, HHS is fundamentally reorienting its mission away from expanding access to health care.  At the very end of the George W. Bush administration, HHS officials attempted to issue a similar administrative ruling to clarify protections for medical workers who opposed abortion, but it was quickly suspended and later rescinded under Obama. Conservatives argued that this was a destructive move, and that HHS officials maintained a purposefully narrow approach to enforcing conscience protections during Obama’s tenure, potentially discouraging religious medical workers from filing complaints.


thedailyecho--2019-11-12--Richard Price of Care UK scoops National Association of Safety and Health in Care Services award

A WINCHESTER-based expert on care home safety scooped a national accolade for his service.  The Best Practice Award was given to Richard Price, Care UK’s head of health and safety, by the National Association of Safety and Health in Care Services (NASHiC).  It recognises the commitment, work and investment that has gone into further boosting fire safety in Care UK’s 120 homes across England and Scotland.  The 46-year-old said: “We have 10,000 residents, many of whom are frail and unable to evacuate by themselves in an emergency.  “We also have a chief executive who is passionately committed to health and safety and who wanted to raise profile and understanding within the wider business.  “As a result, we had everything we needed to take us to the highest possible level of compliance.”  As well as appointing a new fire risk assessor to achieve high level reviews in all homes, Richard and his team spent time devising and implementing training for colleagues in home fire drills.  He added: “ We did everything possible to ensure residents and colleagues are given exceptional protection, including creating an enhanced five-tier approach to risk rating that better enables our property services team to prioritise actions and manage risk.  “I am very proud of the hard work the wider team within the business have put into improving fire safety compliance and I am also very proud that Care UK understood and was prepared to take on the investment and enormous commitment, seeing the importance of leading from the front.”


thedailyexpress--2019-11-12--Corbyn can't be trusted with the NHS: Labour to leave health service BILLIONS worse off

Labour is promising a £40 billion cash injection by 2024, a real terms hike of £26 billion. But the party’s plans to introduce a four day working week would wipe out the benefit and mean the budget was effectively cut, according to the Conservatives. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Labour have let the cat out of the bag: they won’t increase the NHS budget, they will cut it. This is further proof that they aren’t fit to be in government.  “Jeremy Corbyn's plans for a 4 day working week will cripple our economy and cost the NHS billions every year. That leaves a huge funding shortfall in Labour's plans and it is patients who will pay the price for Corbyn's incompetence. Corbyn's Labour also have no policies to deal with the pressure that their plan for unlimited and uncontrolled immigration would put on our NHS.” The Tory analysis found that Labour’s pledge to push up funding to £129.3 billion next year would be reduced to £123.2 billion once the cost of a four day working week was factored in. Conservative plans would put funding at £127 billion in 2020. The party claimed Labour would leave the NHS worse off by £5 billion over the course of the next parliament. Labour has insisted it would phase in the plans to cut employment contracts to 32 hours weekly and the reforms would be negotiated sector by sector.  The party warned the rich they will pay more to cover the cost of the so-called NHS rescue plan. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the 4.3 per cent funding increase for health spending over the next four years would be paid for from Labour's proposals to reverse corporation tax cuts and tax the wealthiest people in society. The party said it will focus on prevention measures to stop people getting sick and tackling health inequalities. Mr McDonnell is expected to say: "The world-class health service we all need and depend on needs proper funding.  "Labour's policies to tax the richest in society and invest for the future through our social transformation fund mean we will be able to improve millions of lives.” But the Institute of Economic Affairs said the funding plans were irresponsible. Mark Littlewood, director general at the think tank, said: “The endless billions of pounds that are being pledged to the National Health Service in this election cycle are not costed, not responsible, and crucially are not going to cure the health system’s long-term ails. “The NHS remains an international laggard in terms of health outcomes and has some of the highest rates of avoidable deaths in western Europe.” Niall Dickson, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents organisations across the healthcare system, said further details were needed from parties about their plans to tackle the crisis in social care.


thedailyexpress--2019-12-15--Boris Johnson’s NHS PLEDGE: I’ll make it law to protect health service

His historic pledge will be part of the Queen’s Speech on Thursday and emerged as the Prime Minister celebrated the “blue revolution” in former Labour heartlands which propelled him to election victory last week. The shock result saw the Tories finish with 365 seats, Labour with 203 and the Lib Dems with 11.  Symbolically speaking in ex-Labour PM Tony Blair’s former seat of Sedgefield, which the Tories seized on Thursday by 4,513 votes, Mr Johnson thanked those Labour voters who had switched for the first time. He said: “I want the people in the North East to know that we will repay your trust. “Everything I do as your Prime Minister will be devoted to repaying that trust. We believe that talent is evenly distributed across this country but that opportunity is unfairly distributed. “We are going to reconcile that as a one-nation Conservative government, the people’s government.” Mr Johnson will become the first PM to guarantee NHS funding in law. The settlement will see annual increases to its budget, adding £33.9billion each year by 2023-24.    Surrounded by the new intake of MPs from northern seats, the PM spelled out what else an unblocked parliament would do. He told them: “When we get down to Westminster, remember we are not the masters, we are the servants now. “Our job is to serve the people of this country and to deliver on our priorities – and our priorities and their priorities are the same. “It is getting Brexit done but it is also delivering on our NHS, our education, safer streets, better hospitals, a better future.” His Queen’s Speech will also prioritise justice reform, bringing in tougher sentences and keeping dangerous criminals behind bars. There will also be reforms to help commuters, stop politically correct councils boycotting goods from Israel, plans to set up an executive in Northern Ireland and to reform the rental market.    Last week’s blue revolution saw fa succession of former Labour safe seats turn Tory, often for the first time in their history. Sarah Atherton, who took Wrexham with a majority of 2,131, is determined to retain the loyalty of voters. She argued that frustration about Brexit swayed the local electorate, adding: “I think we’ve got those votes on loan.” Lee Anderson, a former Labour activist, won Ashfield with a majority of 5,733 and has no doubts about what drove the blue revolution. He says the combination of Brexit and the antipathy towards Jeremy Corbyn was “just too much for anyone to stop us”. One of the biggest upsets came when Mark Fletcher ousted veteran Dennis Skinner from Bolsover with a majority of 5,299. He said: “It was like an out-of-body experience. I’m not quite sure if this has all been a dream. I’m just proud and overwhelmed that the people of Bolsover put their faith in me and the Conservative Party.”    Richard Holden, a former government adviser, was cheered when he saw off Corbyn’s heir apparent Laura Pidcock in Durham North West. He said: “It is very clear to me that people lent us their votes, so we will have to work hard to prove we deserve to be elected again.” Much of the behind-the-scenes credit for the triumph in Labour heartlands has gone to Tatton MP Esther McVey, who founded the Blue Collar Conservatism campaign earlier this year. She and activists from the movement toured the country supporting candidates in Labour seats. Ben Bradley, who surprisingly won Mansfield in 2017, took 64 per cent of the vote there last week. He said: “The blue collar group will be very influential in the way things move forward.”


thedailymirror--2019-03-30--Overstretched health visitors say babies will DIE because of service cuts

Over-stretched health visitors today warn that children will die unless cuts to their service are reversed.  Nearly a third of health visitors have case loads topping 500, a survey reveals – twice the recommended safe level set by the Institute of Health Visiting.  And 42 per cent said they fear they will soon have a “tragedy” on their hands due to an at-risk child slipping through the net.  IHV chief Dr Cheryll Adams, said: “Unless cuts are stopped now, we’ll see a further reduction in health visitors and more negative outcomes for children.”  Since October 2015, the number of health visitors in England has been cut by a quarter – from 10,309 to 7,852.  And the number of training places has dropped from 2,787 in 2013/14 to 448 last year.  The trained nurses visit new parents at home to offer support and to pick up on signs of abuse.  But they are no longer able to carry out the mandatory five checks – before birth, at birth, eight weeks after birth, after the first year of life and when the child is two-and-a-half.  Many checks are delegated to non-qualified staff and some are not carried out at all. Only 88 per cent of families received their mandatory one-year visit – and of these only 35 per cent saw a qualified health visitor.  Dr Adams said the drop in health visitor numbers had coincided with increasing need, as more families plunge into poverty due to Tory austerity.  Nearly 70 per cent of health visitors reported an increase in use of foodbanks in the last two years. There is also a postcode lottery of good and bad service.  Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Tory cuts to health visitors are yet another betrayal of children.”  A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: “Under the Long Term Plan for the NHS we will consider whether there is a stronger role for the NHS in commissioning health visitors.”


thedailyrecord--2019-03-20--Scottish Government probe into Carstairs mental health services sparks closure fears

The Scottish Government is to review the delivery of mental health services for some of the country’s most dangerous patients – sparking fears it could lead to the state hospital closing.  Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey is setting up a group to carry out the review which could see some patients moved to medium secure units.  The move comes after whistleblowers at Carstairs contacted the Record to highlight concerns, including dangers staff face from violent patients.  Management at the hospital were ordered by Government to get their house in order following the string of allegations.  We revealed last month that the cost of keeping a patient at Carstairs, run by its own health board, has doubled in the past 10 years.  Patient numbers have halved while the £30million annual budget has been maintained.  Haughey said changes in the way forensic mental health services are delivered means a review is timely.  But Carstairs staff said: “It might be the start of shutting down the hospital because it’s been rumoured for years they want to close it down, especially with the fall in numbers.”  Dr John Crichton, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said with the number of patients in high security falling over recent years, a review of how patient needs were met at the most appropriate level of security was welcomed.  The state hospital said they welcomed the review and added: “The Board also welcomes a focus on improving mental health services in prisons, while ensuring that those being released from prison have access to continuing mental health support in the community.”


thedailyrecord--2019-04-18--Health chief no-show at Dumbarton meeting on the future of services

No health chiefs turned up to hear the views of the 200 residents at a meeting in Dumbarton - despite agreeing to attend.  Jonathan Best, chief operating officer for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said he would come along on the night but didn’t turn up or send anyone in his place.  Hundreds turn out to express their view on West Dunbartonshire health services  There were groans across the room as Jackie Baillie, who jointly arranged the summit with campaign group Hospitalwatch pointed to the empty seat beside her, which had been labelled with ‘health board ‘.  The Dumbarton MSP said the health board had been invited so they could hear the views of the local community.  She said: “Jim Moohan and I were at the consultation in Alexandria and we decided to hold additional meetings so people knew what the health board were planning.  “The health board agreed they would come but there is an empty seat beside me.  “We gave them the dates for the meeting but unfortunately, despite having 39,000 employees, nobody was available to come tonight.  “I am disappointed at that.  “But everything we say tonight will be recorded and communicated to the health board because I think it is really important.”  A spokeswoman for the health board said: “Jonathan Best, chief operating officer for NHSGGC, was invited at short notice to this meeting organised by Jackie Baillie but unfortunately was unable to attend due to other commitments. “  She said he would be in attendance at the meeting in Helensburgh, adding: “We are happy to attend meetings in future.  “We have recently held meetings with West Dunbartonshire HSCP in Alexandria and Clydebank as part of our own programme of engagement. Jonathan also meets regularly with Mr Moohan and fellow representatives of Hospitalwatch to ensure that regular dialogue is maintained and, like Hospitalwatch, we value this regular opportunity to link in with this local group.”  For more local news, click here


thedailyrecord--2019-04-24--Health board misleading people of West Dunbartonshire on future of services

Health board "misleading" people of West Dunbartonshire on future of services

Health bosses have been slammed for “misleading” people in West Dunbartonshire as they make plans for how services will be delivered in future.  Dumbarton MSP Jackie Baillie rejected claims by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that residents “agree with the direction of travel” they are setting out as part of their Moving Forward Together strategy.  The Labour member argues, because the health board hasn’t stated what their plans are but are seeking people’s views, it would be impossible for residents to back proposals.  This has been disputed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde who say the strategy “sets out our vision to transform health and social care to meet rising demands and make best use of our resources in the future”.  Jackie said: “NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde state that members of the public are happy with the direction of travel of their Moving Forward Together programme.  “But the health board have continuously told the public that they have no detailed plans for the programme.  “I am not convinced that people can develop an opinion on the programme if they don’t know how the changes will affect them.  “At the two public meetings I held in Dumbarton and Helensburgh, my constituents were clear that they want services retained at the Vale of Leven hospital.  “The health board must develop proposals and then come back to the public to hear their views.”  Jackie and members of campaign group Hospitalwatch recently held meetings in Dumbarton and Helensburgh, which over 300 people attended to share their views on health services.  The health board had 26 people turn up to a meeting they held on their Moving Forward Together strategy in Alexandria.  An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokeswoman hit back at the claims.  She said: “We are not misleading the public. We are contining our public meetings across Greater Glasgow and Clyde to share the vision for health and social care as set out in our Moving Forward Together strategy.  “This is a joint approach with our health and social care partnerships.  “Our strategy sets out our vision to transform health and social care to meet rising demands and make best use of our resources in future.  “It sees new models of care being developed that will support people to live longer healthier lives at home or in a homely setting, with more care being provided in or close to people’s homes in the community.  “When patients need a level of care or treatment that cannot be provided in the community, they will have access to world-class specialist hospital care.  “We have already held two sessions to hear feedback about local priorities and how they align with the strategic vision set out in Moving Forward Together to transform health and social care.  “We also attend as many local meetings with local groups and charities as possible and full details on the feedback from the West Dunbartonshire meetings are available on our Moving Forward Together website.  “There has been broad support for this vision from people attending our local meetings.  “The idea of being able to access more services in the local community has been welcomed.  “We are now in the next stage of working with local communities to develop specific cases for change which will enable us to deliver this commitment.  “We are taking this new approach to create more meaningful engagement.”


thedailyrecord--2019-07-02--Call for mental health services shake-up at NHS Tayside

The chairman of the independent inquiry into mental health services in NHS Tayside has spoken of a “learned helplessness” in the service where “nobody is taking responsibility for a decision.”  At a NHS Tayside board meeting on Thursday, David Strang outlined three key concerns from his interim report - the biggest one being the need for restructuring.  The former HM chief inspector of Prisons Scotland was commissioned to conduct an independent inquiry into mental health services following a series of allegations made about the NHS Tayside service.  The then interim chairman and interim chief executive, John Brown and Malcolm Wright, launched the inquiry last May.  All 33 issues raised were evidenced by two or more people and happened in 2018 and 2019.  Mr Strang did not mince his words when he confronted last week’s board with the service’s failings.  He told those present there was a gap between policy and practice, explaining that the policy was “excellent” but it was “very clear that policy was not being adhered to.  He also raised concerns over leadership, saying: “In my mind, the importance of good leadership is really important. I describe the oversight as complicated. Some are delegated to the integrated joint board, some hosted and some to NHS.  “Senior people have said to me that it’s complicated. They feel disempowered from decision-making because it has to go through so many people. A lack of clarity does not aid good leadership.”  His final and “most important” concern was the need for a strategic review of the mental health services.  He said: “The scale of the need for this must not be underestimated.  “My fear is that you may be tempted to minimise how bad things are for patients and families.”  He highlighted a “chronic shortage” of consultant psychiatrists - there are 12 vacancies. Mr Strang urged the board to consider how they are going to deliver an end-to-end mental health service.  He said he had spent the past 13 months looking at evidence of what has happened and has had heard of what is going to be done, but said that it was “critical” the board to act now.  Mr Strang said: “I would love to see evidence of how things have changed. Significant change needs to take place. It’s not an impossible task. My hope is that the contribution of the inquiry will support the delivery of improvements.”  Chairman John Brown said: “I am reassured that there is no doubt as to where the problem is.  “There is a lack of strategy that is clearly defined - even our inpatient review did not resolve that.  “It’s about creating capability and capacity in the system. There are risks to patient safety in the system and the quality of care until we address that.”  He later added: “If I am honest, it has taken us longer than I thought to get this far. We need to try and understand why that is.”  Mr Strang said he had spoken to psychiatrists and nurses who had really good ideas that had been heard. GPs had sent letters about child and adolescent mental health service referrals and not heard back.  He said: “Nobody is taking responsibility for a decision. There is a learned helplessness.”  He said there was a need for staff to feel valued and pointed to fundamental management issues.  Board member Dr Norman Pratt said it was like “herding cats” getting consensus.  But Mr Strang said: “You do not need consensus - you just need ideas.  “It’s about the role of leadership - making decisions and taking it on.”


thedailyrecord--2019-11-15--Junior doctors to keep training in Tayside mental health services

Junior doctors will be allowed to continue training in mental health services at NHS Tayside.  The announcement was made at the latest NHS Tayside board meeting following a visit by the General Medical Council (GMC) last month.  Concerns had been raised by interim medical director Professor Peter Stonebridge that NHS Tayside could be stripped of junior doctors.  At the September meeting of the Perth and Kinross Integration Joint Board, he told members that due to a shortage of consultant psychiatrists there was a fear it might not be deemed a safe training environment.  However, following the visit “no patient safety concerns were raised”.  A strategic update presented to NHS Tayside’s board says the deanery’s visit “covered all grades including, foundation years trainees, GP trainees, core trainees and higher specialist trainees.”  A report with good practice, areas for improvements and recommendations is due to be published this month.  Professor Colin Melville, medical director and director of education and standards for the GMC said: “It’s crucial doctors get the best possible support from the start of their career and we won’t hesitate to take whatever action may be necessary to make sure our standards are met.  “We are working closely with the health board and NHS Education for Scotland to identify next steps and ensure ongoing improvements in the General Adult Psychiatry programme.”  Training in General Adult Psychiatry at NHS Tayside has been in the GMC’s enhanced monitoring process since 2018 due to concerns about the safety of learning environments.  Enhanced monitoring allows the GMC to address concerns about training and find a sustainable solution. If concerns are not addressed then the GMC can place conditions on their approval in order to ensure standards are met.  The GMC has not placed any conditions on NHS Tayside’s General Adult Psychiatry programme but will continue to monitor it.  Once the report from their last visit is published, the GMC will agree the next steps with both NHS Education for Scotland and NHS Tayside.  In a separate issue, NHS Tayside has confirmed the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is monitoring governance across its mental health services.  Members of the RCP attended the last board meeting as part of this.


thedailyrecord--2019-11-18--Health bosses: "No-one will be turned away from Vale Hospital GP service"

Health chiefs have reassured patients that no-one will be turned away from getting urgent access to a GP at the Vale of Leven Hospital amid claims a mum was told to take her child to a unit in Glasgow instead recently.  Jackie Baillie MSP also says she has been contacted by constituents left frustrated after showing up at the unit only to find out it is closed.  However health chiefs have reassured that, if patients contact NHS24 ahead of attending at the out-of-hours service, they will be directed to the nearest available facility and they will not be turned away.  More roadworks misery for drivers in Alexandria and Balloch  Jackie Baillie MSP has expressed her worries that the service could hit crisis point soon with plummeting temperatures.  She said: “It’s getting worse. I have had people contacting me saying they are being sent to Gartnavel and to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley because out-of-hours at the Vale isn’t open.  “They will end up at the front door of A&E which is already struggling.  “This will be a hard winter and people should not have to travel to access a service such as this.  “Out-of-hours is a service where people need to be seen locally and want to be seen locally. The health board need to recognise this.”  Hospitalwatch chair Jim Moohan remains optimistic that the situation will improve but said that there had been some issues recently including a situation where a mum showed up at the Vale with her child but, due to the GP out-of-hours unit being closed, were sent to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital instead.  Doctors locally are understood to be in the process of taking over the running of rotas at the GP out-of-hours service but this is yet to be finalised with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde saying “the exact format of this has not yet been agreed and work is still progressing”.  The unit, which gives patients access to a doctor urgently outwith normal health centre opening times, has been plagued by problems for several years with closures at short notice due to staffing difficulties.  Speaking about the most recent closures, a spokeswoman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “Every patient across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) who requires GP out-of-hours care needs to contact NHS 24 in the first instance.  “Access to the GP out-of-hours service via NHS 24 will ensure patients receive safe and high quality patient care by the right service at the right time. If patients call, they will be directed to their nearest out-of-hours service which is open at that time.  “No patients are turned away but if they turn up without having called NHS24 first and the out-of-hours centre is closed, they are redirected to the nearest centre which is open.  “The majority of shifts at all our GP out-of-hours centres are filled but when we don’t fill all our shifts we need to allocate staff to ensure adequate geographical cover is provided and that demand is met.”  When the Vale of Leven unit is closed, people are redirected to either the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley or to the nearest site in Glasgow.  During closures, a GP home visiting service is available as normal for patients assessed by NHS24 as requiring this and patient transport is also made available to those without their own means of getting to another hospital.  The spokeswoman stressed that closures at short notice due to staffing problems are not unique to the Vale of Leven Hospital and that work is currently ongoing to try and improve the “front door” services.  She said: “We recently hosted a workshop to look at a redesign of the ‘front door’ services, including what further work could be done to help provide a more sustainable out-of-hours service at the Vale of Leven Hospital.  “We will continue to work with local clinicians and stakeholders to develop these proposals.”  For more local news, click here


thedenverpost--2019-09-04--UCHealth pledges 100M toward mental health services in Colorado

UCHealth pledges $100M toward mental health services in Colorado

UCHealth said Wednesday it will spend at least $100 million on behavioral health care in the next five years, making it the latest health system in Colorado to invest in such services as officials seek to curb Colorado’s high suicide rate.  Through the investment, UCHealth said in a news release that it will improve access to behavioral health services through its primary care physicians and build a new inpatient behavioral health unit at the University of Colorado Hospital on CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus.  The nonprofit said the behavioral health unit, which will have 20 to 30 beds, could open by late 2023.  “Attending to our patients’ behavioral health needs in a timely manner is critical to their overall health and well-being,”  said Dr. Neill Epperson, professor and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the CU School of Medicine, in a prepared statement. “This comprehensive approach to mental health and substance abuse treatment has the potential to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of Coloradans.”  In Colorado, 1,181 individuals died by suicide in 2017, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  UCHealth’s announcement follows a similar one made by Vail Health earlier this year. Vail Health has pledged to invest $60 million toward behavioral health services in the Eagle River Valley in the next 10 years.  Subscribe to bi-weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.


theduran--2019-12-04--UK government denies it will sell off National Health Service to Trump

Submitted by InfoBrics, authored by Johanna Ross, journalist based in Edinburgh, Scotland…  ‘A plot against the whole country’ declared Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn as he brandished a wad of leaked documents last week which he said proves that the UK National Health Service would indeed be ‘on the table’ when it came to US trade talks. Corbyn said the NHS was ‘up for sale’ if the Conservatives were to win the December election whereas Labour would ‘never let Donald Trump get his hands on our NHS’. Arguably it was a strategic move on Corbyn’s part to counter the previous day’s disastrous interview with the infamous Andrew Neil, but regardless its motivation, the exposure of the dossier was a blow to the Conservatives who have also recently lost their significant lead against Labour in the polls – down to just nine points.  The accusations that Boris Johnson is not telling the whole truth over Trump and the NHS come at a time when the UK Prime Minister is facing questions over his record on lying. He had repeatedly denied that the NHS would be included in any trade discussions with the Trump administration, and had previously issued a version of the 451 page document, but with many pages blacked out. However the Labour leader said that, as a result of the leak, Johnson’s denials of such a deal with Trump were now ‘left in tatters’.  The Tory party has dismissed the documents as being significant, claiming they were simply readouts from meetings of the UK-US trade and investment working group (which reportedly took place from July 2017 till a couple of months ago). They attacked Corbyn by saying he was trying to divert attention from the issue of anti-semitism in his party. However there are some serious implications from the leaked papers which cannot be ignored.  Firstly, there is the issue of patenting, which could have a considerable impact on the pricing of medicines. Jeremy Corbyn indicated that discussions regarding a lengthening of patents had already been concluded between the sides, which would mean more expensive drugs. He gave the example of Humira, a drug used to treat Crohn’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis: ‘It costs our NHS £1,409 a packet. In the US, the same packet costs £8,115. Get the difference: £1,409 in our NHS, £8,115 in the USA,’ Corbyn said. Furthermore, he went on to explain that one of the reasons for US drug prices being so high in comparison to the UK, was that there was a patent regime ‘rigged for the big pharmaceutical companies.’  BBC journalist Andrew Neil attempted to suggest in an interview with Shadow International Trade Secretary, Barry Gardiner, that drug patents did not in fact amount to the ‘sale of the NHS’ and that there was ‘no evidence in the documents whatsoever’ that the NHS was included in the trade deal negotiations. However Gardiner hit back, stating that it was “A ridiculous and naive thing for you to say, and you are too smart a journalist for me to allow you to get away with it”. Gardiner went further to say that although it was not explicitly mentioned in the documents, the implication was made by the references to pharmaceutical services – which of course the Labour party want to bring strictly under government control if they are elected to power.  A second take-away from the documents, according to Jeremy Corbyn, is that the US prefers a No Deal Brexit. “There would be all to play for in a no-deal situation but UK commitment to the customs union and single market would make a US-UK [free trade agreement] a non-starter,” they read. The Conservatives have made light of this however, saying that it was ‘simply fact’ that it wouldn’t be possible to strike a free-trade deal with Trump if the UK were to remain in the single market and customs union.  But with lie upon lie being exposed by journalists and commentators, it’s now proving increasingly difficult to trust a word uttered by the Conservative leader and his party at present. The mantra seems to be ‘Say whatever with as much confidence and bluster as possible, and people will believe you.’ Take for example several of Johnson’s key lines: ‘Get Brexit Done’, ‘20,000 more police officers’ and ‘50,000 more nurses’. They may sound fantastic, but once you dig a bit deeper you realise it’s not worth taking them at face value. Firstly, ‘Get Brexit done’ we’ve heard before – Johnson promised to have the UK leave the EU October 31st ‘come what may’ – but did not deliver it. How is one to therefore to believe he will deliver on this now? As for the 20,000 new police officers – this is extremely misleading as the Conservative party was responsible for taking around 21,000 police off the streets in recent years. And the ‘50,000 more nurses’ myth has been doing the rounds on social media of late as journalists have taken on key Conservatives ministers over the fact that 19,000 of the 50,000 are in fact nurses currently working in the NHS. So the figure is far from accurate.  But will such falsehoods be enough to dissuade a disgruntled British electorate from voting for Boris Johnson? With just over a week to go before the election, everything’s to play for…


theindependent--2019-01-06--NHS plan must not become unachievable aposwishlistapos PM warned as government promotes health

NHS plan must not become unachievable 'wishlist', PM warned as government promotes health service plan

Ministers have been warned not to think of the NHS long-term plan as a “wish list” of new targets and priorities which could be unachievable and further demoralise stretched staff.  In advance of NHS England releasing its long-term plan the Prime Minister and her senior ministers said the plan would improve treatment of conditions like mental health and cancer, and keep patients healthy and at home.  The priorities were welcomed as good aspirations, but health bosses said ministers must not underestimate how far the NHS has “fallen behind” after eight years of austerity.  “It’s not about creating a wish list of a load of things we all want to see,” Chris Hopson, director of NHS Providers which represents hospitals and ambulance services, told Sky News. “It’s about putting forward a ruthlessly prioritised set of priorities that we know we can deliver because we’ve for the staff."  He added: “What [staff will] be nervous about is politicians making a whole bunch of promises that can’t be delivered."  There was little detail on measures of success in transforming these areas, as the Treasury has reportedly been trying to win in return for the £20.5bn investment in the health service by 2021.  More depth is expected in the final report due this week, but the government  said it will include access standards for mental health, to bring it in line with waiting time measures in A&Es and cancer.  This will be backed by £2.3bn to fund counselling for 350,000 more children and 380,000 adults over the next five years.  There will also be £4.5bn a year spent on GP and out of hospital care by 2023, an increase from the £3.5bn announced before Christmas and dismissed as too little by experts.  Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock stressed the ambition to refocus NHS services on out of hospital care.  “The whole purpose of the NHS over the next 10 years needs to shift towards helping people to stay healthy, as much as curing them when they’re ill,” he told Sky News Sophie Ridge, adding that a key part will be making the public take responsibility for their own health.  This will be delivered in part through using technology to target health messages at smokers, heavy drinkers and other unhealthy behaviours creating costs for the health service, he said.  But when pressed on how the government intended to resolve the issue of more than 100,000 GP and nurse vacancies across the NHS and growing pressure on social car – which are adding to the NHS woes  – he said these would be covered in detail in separate plans due later in 2019.  Mr Hancock said the government would train, recruit and retain more staff, and will tackle the use of locum staff who do not want full time contracts: “Let’s take the nurses figure, 41,000 vacancies, 30,000 are currently filled by people working through agencies rather than full time.  “That can be fixed,” he said.  On the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show Theresa May was also asked about how she could deliver on preventative care and social care reform while cutting budgets for smoking and obesity services and after delaying social care reforms.  “You’re saying there’s only one way you can address a particular issue,” the prime minister said. “That is never the case”.  Labour's shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said: "Almost nine years of austerity, cuts and privatisation has meant millions waiting longer for treatment or stranded  - often on trolleys - in crowded A&Es. And now the Tories say they need 10 years to clear up the mess they have made. The NHS needs a credible fully funded plan for the future, not a wish list to help Theresa May get through the coming months."


theindependent--2019-01-07--Long-term NHS plan Does the UK health service provide value for money

Long-term NHS plan: Does the UK health service provide value for money?

The government produced a “long-term plan” for the National Health Service on Monday.  This is designed to outline how the £20bn a year funding boost by 2023-24, announced last year, will be spent.  Labour, unions and various health group say the plan is underfunded and will not fill widening staffing gaps.  The Institute of Economic Affairs, on the other hand, complains that the plan does not allow for greater “competition” or “patient choice” and argues that ministers have refused to heed the lessons from superior and more efficient European health insurance systems.  So just how does the NHS compare to other countries’ health systems when it comes to value for money? Should we be learning from abroad?  According to the 2018 Budget the UK government will spend £166bn on health in 2019-20. That’s around 7.5 per cent of GDP.  Making comparisons with spending with other countries is difficult due to inconsistencies about what is recognised as health spending. Should spending on hospital IT systems, for instance, count?  Another complication is that in some countries a substantial share of health spending comes from social or private insurance.  But the OECD has attempted to produce comparable figures. And this suggests that in recent years the UK’s total spend has been slightly below the average of other rich countries, and quite a bit below the likes of Sweden, Japan, France, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands.  And we spend far less than the US, which is a significant outlier, with total spending on health of 17 per cent of GDP.  Another relevant piece of context when it comes to spending is that, since 2010, the NHS has endured the most severe squeeze in annual funding growth since its foundation in 1948, with real-terms spending up by 1.4 per cent a year on average, compared with 6 per cent a year in the previous 15 years.  Mortality rates for several forms of cancer, stroke and heart attack are worse in the UK than comparable countries. Child mortality around birth is also relatively elevated.  “The reality is that the NHS is not doing as well as its counterparts at saving the lives of patients with many of the most common and lethal illnesses,” concluded a report by the Health Foundation, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Nuffield Trust and the King’s Fund last year to mark the NHS’s 70th birthday.  Almost certainly. Any £166bn budget will have a large number of places where more is being spent than strictly necessary.  A review by Lord Carter in 2016 identified £5bn of possible savings in acute hospitals in England. This included savings from better staff rostering practices to sourcing medical supplies more cheaply.  Yet other systems will have similar efficiencies.  And the OECD research has found that the NHS spends relatively little on overseeing and planning care, relative to other comparable systems.  In 2014, the UK spent 1.5 per cent of its healthcare budget on administration. The OECD average was 3.1 per cent, with 4.1 per cent in France, and 7.9 per cent in the US.  On drug prescribing the UK also seems relatively efficient. We have the largest share of cheaper generic-product prescribing of all our comparator countries, at 84 per cent in 2015 compared with an average of 50 per cent.  The Health Foundation et al report last year concluded that the NHS was “good” relative to peer systems on administrative costs and on antibiotics and generic drug prescribing.  In terms of the length of stay of in-patients the performance was “similar”.  The NHS is far from perfect. There are undoubtedly practical lessons to be learned, from how to manage staff better, to curbing drugs bill inflation, to improving diagnosis and treatment, to preventive medicine.  The question of whether more private provision and moving towards an insurance funding model would drive better health outcomes is a moot one.  Simple underfunding in recent years, at a time when the demands on the system have grown, has arguably been a bigger hindrance than these kind of structural or incentive factors.  If the goal of reform is saving taxpayers’ money the solution is unlikely to be found abroad given that relative expenditure levels in comparable countries are mostly higher.  One thing that we can safely conclude is that those claiming the UK can both have a much better service and also pay less for it are selling political snake oil.


theindependent--2019-01-09--The NHS 10-year plan has cleared a path for total privatisation of our health service

The latest strategy for Britain’s National Health Service has made some bold projections and headline-grabbing commitments. The endgame though is a corporate NHS.  The 1990s internal market introduced competition into the NHS. The NHS Plan 2000 ramped up outsourcing and public-private partnerships, and gave us the disastrous legacy of private finance initiatives, or PFI.  The Health and Social Care Act 2012 doubled private sector outsourcing to 8 per cent of the budget. It also enabled foundation trust hospitals to make up to half their income from private patients. There is a thread running through: a narrative of marketisation and privatisation.  To read this week’s pre-launch coverage of the NHS Long Term Plan, one would be forgiven for thinking it had laudable intentions – until the politically expedient rhetoric is peeled away and the narrative revealed anew.  In the press release, the phrase “out of hospital” care was mentioned only in passing. However, the actual document devotes its entire first chapter to the 21st century transformation of the NHS into US-style integrated care systems.  Building on the 2014 Five Year Forward View, the Long Term Plan is being touted as a way to reverse the damaging competition of the Health and Social Care Act (HSCA). The creation of integrated care combined with devolution will supposedly join up primary, community and hospital services with social care. Integrated care is therefore partly about provision of “care in the community” in order to reduce costs.  However, plans to create networks of GP surgeries and chains of super hospitals – accompanied by closures of individual GP surgeries (7,500 surgeries are slated to be reduced to 1,500 networks) and planned closures at over 60 hospital trusts – pave the way for economies of scale and therefore corporate takeovers.  If you don't believe me then just have a look at the chains of nursing and residential homes run by private equity and hedge funds. The Dalton Review specifically stated that either private companies or NHS trusts could run these super hospital chains.  Integrated care systems (already being rolled out) could ultimately become integrated care organisations with a single provider responsible for regional health and social care. There is presently nothing to stop these multi-billion-pound, 10-year contracts from being won by a private health or insurance company. In other words, far from reversing privatisation, integrated care would consolidate privatisation.  The 3.5 per cent average increase per year in funding for frontline services is welcome. However, it is still below the historical average for the NHS.  It is also worth noting that the funding issue is useful to the government for the way it frames the debate, and distracts from a discussion around privatisation. As I have previously written, the extra funding – announced as a 70th NHS birthday present – comes with strings attached related to the introduction of those US-style integrated care models.  The late Tim Evans – one of the arch-proponents of marketisation – once envisaged – that the NHS would be just “a kitemark attached to the institutions and activities of a system of purely private providers”. But it is true that the major pressures on healthcare costs come not from our ageing population, but from expensive drugs, new technologies and the catastrophic market experiment inside the NHS seeing which has tens of billions siphoned towards marketisation and privatisation.  NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens spent the best part of a decade as a senior executive at UnitedHealth – the largest private health and insurance corporation in the US. Previously as health advisor to Alan Milburn and then Tony Blair, Stevens was one of the architects of market expansion.  There is a term for it: corporate capture. The phrase was used to describe the effect of the revolving door between the financial industry and regulators before the 2008 financial crisis. Now there is corporate capture of health policy by big banks, private healthcare and insurance corporations, the big three management consultancies and the big four accountancy firms.  Meanwhile, digital health and big data could be the new gold rush. Silicon Valley and big tech want to crack open the NHS oyster and then expand globally. Unsurprisingly, the Long Term Plan devotes a section to digital healthcare. It also envisages the expansion of personal health budgets thus potentially enabling top-up co-payments for private health insurance.  The government spin centres on the prevention of heart disease, stroke and cancer. It also focuses on mental health, diabetes, smoking, alcohol and elderly care. Yet public health budgets have been slashed.  World class care is a tough ask after a decade of almost £40bn of efficiency savings, mass service closures and bed-to-population ratios lower than Eastern Europe. There are 100,000 vacancies across the NHS. The axing of the student nursing bursary and the redesign of the junior doctors' contract have served to only exacerbate these issues.  We are told that the Long Term Plan could save up to 500,000 lives over the coming decade. Yet shockingly 120,000 excess deaths have been linked to austerity since 2010. One study found that 30,000 excess deaths in 2015 alone were linked to cuts in health and social care.  This reminds us that health outcomes are correlated with socio-economic. Health secretary Matt Hancock tweeted yesterday about personal responsibility for health. This is health illiterate. In fact, health outcomes are directly correlated with socio-economic status.  Healthcare is not purely a clinical endeavour. If we want to genuinely improve the health of the nation then we not only require publicly funded, provided and owned universal healthcare. We also need to tackle climate change in order to dramatically curb air pollution, we should impose strong regulation on the food, alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceutical industries, and we must address inequality and the root causes of the mental health crisis.  Youssef El-Gingihy is a GP in London and author of the new, updated edition of How to Dismantle the NHS in 10 Easy Steps     The Independent has launched its #FinalSay campaign to demand that voters are given a voice on the final Brexit deal.      Sign our petition here


theindependent--2019-04-07--NHS pay gap aposrisks damaging health service beyond repairapos trade union warns

NHS pay gap 'risks damaging health service beyond repair', trade union warns

A widening pay gap in the NHS “risks damaging the health service beyond repair”, a leading union has warned.  Even the lowest paid NHS staff received a £2,000 pay rise last year but most privately contracted workers did not receive a penny, Unison said, adding that they were being treated like “second class citizens”.  The union’s head of health, Sara Gorton, called on the government to ensure that thousands of low-paid cleaners, porters, security guards and catering staff in hospitals across England are given the same pay rise as their colleagues.  The raise is part of a three-year deal negotiated by health unions, she said.  Patient care and the smooth running of the NHS are already being affected by the growing pay gap as many outsourced staff who have not seen a salary rise in years are forced to leave in search of better-paid work, Ms Gorton said.  “All hospital workers are part of the NHS team and should be paid fairly for the important jobs they do,” she said, on the eve of Unison’s annual health conference. “The days of treating them as second-class employees in the NHS must end. Staff employed by private contractors are expected to deliver the same exceptional levels of service and also work under immense pressure.  “It’s only fair they receive the same pay as colleagues often doing identical jobs but employed by the NHS. With ministers all-consumed by Brexit, the growing crisis in hospitals across the land is being ignored. The government found the money to fund the pay rise for health staff, now it must do the same for those on private contracts.  “A failure to do so risks damaging the health service beyond repair as firms can’t attract or hold on to the staff needed to provide a decent service to the NHS.”  According to Unison, many staff employed by private contractors are on the minimum wage, earning just £8.21 an hour, or £16,052 per year if working 37.5 hours a week.  This is in contrast with the lowest NHS rate of £9.03 an hour, resulting in £1,600 less each year for “identical” jobs.


theindependent--2019-12-11--Stop using the NHS for cheap political stunts – it's an insult to our selfless health service s

Stop using the NHS for cheap political stunts – it's an insult to our selfless health service staff

I am appalled at the depths to which political debate about the NHS has sunk to in this election.  The NHS faces significant challenges – not least an ageing population causing extraordinary demand – and rigorous debate is understandable. Indeed, it is right. But for opposition parties, and elements of the media, to resort to cheap rhetoric and sensationalist stunts is unacceptable and deserves to be treated for what it is – an insult to the intelligence of the British people and a slur on the selflessness of the staff that work in the NHS.  Any voter genuinely concerned about the future of the NHS would do well to reject such amateurism this Thursday.  Hold your nose when you vote. It seems a majority of the electorate do not want Dominic Cummings’ Tory Party, a majority do not want Jon Lansman’s Labour Party and a majority do not want Brexit. Given a different voting system there would be a middle of the road government getting rid of Brexit with another referendum. That just might be in reach if voters steel themselves to vote for Labour, confident that they will not get a majority, but instead a coalition that severely tie their hands.  Parliamentary deadlock. Whichever way we verbalise it, we’re all thoroughly fatigued, frustrated and fed up with government trying to govern without a majority.  But how can we move forward?  The only conceivable way is a vote for the Conservatives so we can allow parliament to do its job, with a majority, and wave goodbye to the present political paralysis. The country has voted for Brexit, let’s get it done. Let’s spend time focusing on, and investing in, our NHS, schools, public transport, national security and all the other critical issues that we’re facing as a country right now.  It’s now mathematically impossible for Corbyn to even scrape a majority, given the SNP surge in Scotland’s central belt, robbing him of the once safe seats.  If Brexit is about taking back our country, then that is what the Labour manifesto does. That is why, 163 economists, proudly signed an open letter on 25 November saying the UK economy needs reform and that Labour deserves to form the next government because it has serious proposals for dealing with Britain’s “deep problems”.  In short, Labour is offering a vital plan for change that will benefit the many and it has the backing of countless economists. The Tory manifesto, on the other hand, just offers more stagnation and policies that only benefit the ultra-wealthy.  Dr Ha-Joon Chang, a leading economist from Cambridge, advocates a need for “a complete overhaul of the economy” and says the manifesto “points to the right direction”. Just one example, a post-Brexit trade deal with the US would hand wads of public money over to US corporations who want to run the NHS. Labour, meanwhile, would stop this and invest significantly in the treasured public service.  Labour want to spend our taxes to invest in Britain and they promise democratic public control of vital services – like healthcare, education, energy, and transport. And it makes economic sense. The current state of our privatised railways and water is a disgrace. Our railways are mostly owned by state-owned rail companies from European countries such as Germany. Therefore, if you are against public ownership, you should be against state-owned companies from other countries that are buying up your own economy.  Labour has also pledged a green industrial revolution of massive public investment to tackle the global climate emergency. If we do not do something radical, then the country will be in deep trouble. We need to revive the productive sector of the British economy – the Tories won’t do that, they do not care about us.  And to contrast Labour’s proposals on new green technologies with the Tories record in government, what has this country’s government done in terms of promoting these new sectors that are not only necessary but are potentially very, very good in generating productivity, growth, and jobs? The answer, of course, is next to nothing.  Countless other economists have also highlighted the Tories’ dismal economic record while backing Labour’s manifesto. Award-winning economist and Green New Deal pioneer Ann Pettifor, for example, has called it “just common-sense economics”. It is.  Currency analysts are forecasting the pound to strengthen if the Conservatives win a majority tomorrow.  They are also forecasting the pound will weaken significantly if Labour wins a majority.  In a very gentle and respectful response to Paul Knowles (Letters, 09 December) and his daughter’s comments – wishing her a full recovery – my husband and I attended an NHS rally in London where speakers included representatives of trusts, consultants, GPs, nurses and midwives, patients and their relatives, and NHS suppliers. The overriding message was “NHS against Brexit” and we have since marched on that.  The negative impact of Brexit on the NHS is going to hit us all very hard. So while acknowledging Mr Knowles’ heartfelt comments, please do not assume he speaks for the NHS. The NHS is against Brexit. They are therefore against a Tory government.  On the last day of campaigning before the general election, Boris Johnson hid in a fridge to escape Piers Morgan’s questions.  This is the latest shameful episode in Johnson’s campaign which has been characterised by cowardice and a refusal to submit his policies to scrutiny.  Unlike other party leaders, Johnson has refused to be interviewed by the BBC’s Andrew Neil or ITV’s Julie Etchingham.  Last week, Boris Johnson cancelled a public speech he was to have delivered in Rochester because five protesters were present to call him out over his racism and the devastation caused by Tory austerity.  The next time Boris Johnson hides in a fridge, the merciful thing to do to such a coward is to shut the door on him.


theirishtimes--2019-01-24--Mental health services to be hit as psychiatric nurses set for overtime ban

The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) is to put in place an overtime ban on a number of days in the weeks ahead, starting next Thursday, as part of a campaign for improved pay to tackle recruitment and retention difficulties.  An overtime ban will have a significant impact on mental health services across the country, psychiatric nurses have claimed.  The PNA said mental health services were very reliant on overtime and staff provided by agencies.  PNA general secretary Peter Hughes said the HSE spent €1million per week on nursing staff from outside agencies for psychiatric services and a further €300,000 on overtime.  Psychiatric nurses are to escalate their industrial action to a series of strikes towards the middle of February.  Meanwhile, members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) are to stage a 24-hour strike on Wednesday.  The PNA and the INMO are meeting with public service management on Thursday in an attempt to avert the planned industrial action  INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said community services as well as hospitals would be affected by the work stoppage on Wednesday.  She said public health nurses and community general nurses would deal with emergency calls.  Ms Ní Sheaghdha said community nursing day centres would be closed.  She also said community nursing units would not operate as normal during the first day of strike but would be involved in subsequent stoppages.  Arriving at the talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) Mr Hughes said the PNA had held talks with the HSE on contingency arrangements to apply if the overtime ban went ahead next week.  “We have given a list to the HSE of the areas where the overtime ban will apply. If there are not sufficient staff to take over a unit, then our members will not be taking over those units,” Mr Hughes said.  He said health service management needed to put forward “significant, realistic proposals” .  Ms Ní Sheaghdga said the union had had a lot of discussion internally since the first round of talks at the WRC on Wednesday and that its position had not changed.  She said there was a “massive crisis in recruitment and retention in nursing and midwifery”.  “We have to look at the conditions nurses and midwives are working under and we also have to look at their remuneration. Otherwise we are going to continue with the cycle of constant recruitment but no net increase in your workforce.”


theirishtimes--2019-02-06--HSE warns of challenges in ensuring safe mental health services

The HSE has said it experienced “significant challenges” in ensuring a safe service in several mental health facilities in Dublin, Cork and Galway on Wednesday as a result of an overtime ban by psychiatric nurses.  It said it also expected that the situation was “likely to worsen significantly at the change of shift in residential facilities” on Wednesday evening.  Members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) have had an overtime ban in place since Tuesday as part of its dispute over pay and staffing issues. However, this was extended to a full 24 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, leading to difficulties being experienced in a number of mental health facilities.  The HSE said it was “continuing to engage and negotiate with the PNA in every location to ensure patient safety is maintained”.  The PNA said there had been issues in a number of locations on Wednesday morning where there were insufficient staff to take up duty and relieve nurses coming off shifts. Some night duty personnel were unable to leave for several hours after their shift officially ended.  The PNA said difficulties were experienced at Phoenix Centre on the North Circular Road in Dublin, at St Ita’s in Portrane, Co Dublin, and in Portlaoise, Mullingar and Ballinasloe.  Meanwhile about 50,000 people are likely to be affected by a third 24-hour strike by members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) as part of a similar campaign over pay and staffing.  The HSE said as a result of the work stoppage all out-patient, in-patient and day surgery appointments scheduled for Thursday had been cancelled.  “Discussions are ongoing with the INMO in relation to securing exemptions to allow for major surgeries, including cancer, to proceed. In the event that any procedures do go ahead patients will be contacted directly by the hospitals,” the HSE said.  It also said that as a result of the strike minor injury units would be closed, and that routine community nursing services and health centre nurse clinics had also been cancelled.  “Public day centres and day hospitals for older people or people with disabilities will close. All planned admissions, including respite and rehabilitation, to public community nursing units and specified centres for people with intellectual disability, have been cancelled.”  There was no indication on Wednesday of any immediate interventions or new proposals emerging aimed at resolving the nurses’ dispute. Informed sources suggested on Wednesday that discussions were still continuing within the Government on new initiatives that could be put forward to try break the deadlock.  The Government has insisted that it will not offer additional payments to nurses, although it said on Monday it was willing to discuss staffing, education and other non-pay issues. Nursing unions rejected this proposal.  A spokeswoman for Minister for Health Simon Harris said: “The Government continues to proactively seek innovative ways to resolve this dispute. The Minister for Health is eager the two parties engage to seek a resolution to this dispute. Significant numbers of patients will be affected again [on Thursday]. The Minister believes it is imperative this dispute ends.”


theirishtimes--2019-02-07--Irish health service to be hit by multiple strikes next week

Key parts of the country’s health services are now facing strikes on four days next week as industrial unrest in the sector continues to escalate.  Nurses and midwives as well as psychiatric nurses are scheduled to stage work stoppages on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week – following on from today’s strike action – as part of the ongoing dispute over pay and staffing.  Last night ambulance service staff said they would go on strike on Friday of next week in a separate row over trade union representation rights.  The 500 members of the National Ambulance Service Representative Association, a branch of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), are to hold further stoppages on February 28th and March 1st.  The ambulance personnel already held a 10-hour stoppage on this issue in late January.  About 50,000 people are likely to be affected by today’s nurses’ strike, the third 24-hour stoppage by members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation as part of a campaign over pay and staffing.  The Health Service Executive said as a result of the work stoppage all outpatient, inpatient and day surgery appointments scheduled for today had been cancelled.  The Government has insisted that it will not offer additional payments to nurses, although it said on Monday it was willing to discuss staffing, education and other non-pay issues. Nursing unions rejected this proposal.  Separately, an overtime ban introduced by psychiatric nurses has resulted in what the HSE called “significant challenges” in ensuring a safe service in several mental health facilities in Dublin, Cork and Galway yesterday.  The HSE said it expected the situation was “likely to worsen significantly at the change of shift in residential facilities” yesterday evening.  Members of the PNA have had an overtime ban in place since Tuesday as part of its dispute over pay and staffing issues. However, this was extended to a full 24 hours on Wednesday and Thursday, leading to difficulties being experienced in a number of mental health facilities.  The HSE said it was “continuing to engage and negotiate with the PNA in every location to ensure patient safety is maintained”.


theirishtimes--2019-02-07--Nurses strike Health service is embarrassing says frontline GP

Nurses’ strike: Health service is embarrassing, says frontline GP

Dr Michael McGloin, who heads up the Primary Care Centre in Athenry, 25km (15.5 miles) east of Galway city, says the nurses’ strike action is just another symptom of a crumbling health service.  Eight public health nurses, who work at the busy care centre, are on strike along with three nurses who work at the centre’s stretched mental-health day hospital.  Services were suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday. Dr McGloin said he does not know what will happen when the service is cancelled for three days next week.  “Our public health nurses work here seven days a week. They hold clinics every day, tending to post-surgery patients, carrying out pregnancy and baby developmental assessments, and so on. The service is stretched to the limit already.”  He said there will be a strike for three days and patients are being told to go to their GP if there is something urgent.  “At the moment, we don’t know what the impact of the strike action will be on hospital out-patient lists locally, but what we do know is that there are already hundreds and hundreds of people waiting.  “I had a woman come in to see me yesterday. She had pneumonia and I wanted to send her to hospital immediately but she absolutely refused to go. She said she would take her chances at home rather than face into A&E, where she knew she would be left lying on a trolley and subjected to Dickensian-style treatment due to nursing shortages.”  “The whole thing is crumbling and nothing’s being done to stop it,” Dr McGloin said.  “Take, for example, the Autistic Spectrum Disorder Clinic, which is based here at the Athenry Care Centre. It offers support to children with autism from counties Galway and Roscommon who don’t have an intellectual disability. At present, children have to wait two-and-a-half years to be assessed and then another two-and-a-half years to be seen to avail of the support. And once they turn 18, they’re discharged with no service after that.”  Dr McGloin says he has become embarrassed by the health service. “We have Canadian medical students here regularly and five years ago I would have boasted about how comprehensive and how good our health service was, and now, it’s an embarrassment. There is just no certainty about anything anymore.”  He contends the primary-care model is the only thing that works at present. “We are picking up all the pieces but we just do not have the capacity for any more,” Dr McGloin said. “I am close to retirement and I’m working harder now than I ever did.”