NHS organisations will need to intensify partnership working with local authorities and the voluntary sector to tackle health inequalities resulting from COVID-19, the head of the NHS has said. Sir Simon Stevens confirmed 11 more parts of the country will be formally designated “integrated care systems” (ICS) from December 2020 serving a combined population of […]

Issued at 9.28am on Wednesday 2 December 2020 There is a 60% probability of severe cold weather/icy conditions/heavy snow between 6.00pm on Wednesday 2 December and midday on Monday 7 December in parts of England.  This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Find out more about staying […]

A joint National Patient Safety Alert has been issued by the NHS England and NHS Improvement National Patient Safety Team, British Thoracic Society (BTS) and Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists (ARNS), on the risk of deterioration due to rapid offload of pleural effusion fluid from chest drains. National Patient Safety Alert – Deterioration due to […]

Issued at 09.31am on Sunday 29 November 2020 Temperatures/weather conditions are not expected to exceed Cold Weather Alert threshold criteria in any region from 29 November 2020 10.0oam until further notice. More details about this weather alert are available on the Met Office website.

An innovative blood test that may spot more than 50 types of cancer will be piloted by the NHS in a world-leading programme, chief executive Sir Simon Stevens announced today. The Galleri blood test, developed by GRAIL, can detect early stage cancers through a simple blood test, and will be piloted with 165,000 patients in […]

Issued at 9.59am on Thursday 26 November 2020 There is a 60% probability of severe cold weather between 6.00pm on Thursday 26 November and 6.00am on Monday 30 November in parts of England.  This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. Find out more about staying well this […]

Doctors and nurses working to combat Hepatitis C in the homeless during the pandemic, the team behind the UK’s first virtual reality lung rehabilitation programme launched this year and the research team working on the COVID-19 vaccine have all been recognised in the regional round of the NHS Parliamentary Awards, announced today. MPs and NHS […]

Below is a comment from the NHS on today’s announcement by the government of funding for the health service. NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said: “As well as caring for seriously ill and vulnerable coronavirus patients, our hardworking nurses, doctors, therapists and other NHS staff are looking after many other patients, some of whose care […]

People with mental health worries are being urged to seek help in a new phase of the NHS’s Help Us Help You campaign. Although mental health services have been running throughout the pandemic there was a marked dip in referrals despite evidence that coronavirus is making problems more common. Now a new NHS campaign will […]

The NHS will launch a network of more than 40 ‘long COVID’ specialist clinics within weeks to help thousands of patients suffering debilitating effects of the virus months after being infected. The clinics, due to start opening at the end of November, will bring together doctors, nurses, therapist and other NHS staff to physical and […]