NHS England will increase funding for children’s hospices to as much as £25 million a year, chief executive Simon Stevens announced today. Medical advances mean the NHS can help seriously ill children and young people with more complex health issues live longer, more fulfilling lives. NHS England’s hospice grant programme currently provides £11 million a […]

NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens has today backed a scheme that lets overweight football fans train at their club’s stadium, encouraging them to get fit and live a healthier, more active life. Five clubs from the English Football League Trust are already taking part in the Football Fans in Training (FFIT) programme, first run […]

Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, today thanked the hundreds of thousands of staff who are caring for patients over Christmas and praised their hard work during the Health Service’s 70 birthday year. The NHS chief said the milestone had showed that, as the country has hotly debated its future, people were united in […]

Weight worries and pregnancy are among the health concerns that drive thousands of people to seek medical advice on Christmas Day, new data shows. They are among the most popular searches on NHS.uk, the NHS’s official website, on December 25 in recent years. More than people searched information on pregnancy on Christmas Day. With traditional […]

People should look out for signs of depression and dementia among older family members and friends over Christmas, NHS England expert Professor Alistair Burns urged today. Problems that may have been hidden can come to the surface or be easier to spot as families or friends get together over the festive season, Prof Burns said. […]

Spinal surgery for spina bifida for babies in the womb is among new, innovative treatments that will be routinely available on the NHS for the first time, NHS England announced today. The cutting edge procedure for unborn children with spina bifida, whose spine and spinal cord do not develop properly, allows pregnant women to be […]

NHS England will help fund so-called ‘drunk tanks’ to take the pressure off hospital and 999 services over Christmas and New Year, chief executive Simon Stevens announced today. Supervised areas where revellers who have over-indulged can be checked over and even sleep it off, rather than being taken to casualty or monitored by the police, […]

A warning alert has been issued on the risk of harm from inappropriate placement of pulse oximeter probes. Patient Safety Alert – Risk of harm from inappropriate placement of pulse oximeter probes Measurement of oxygen saturation, using a pulse oximeter probe, is routinely undertaken as part of patients’ vital signs during diagnosis and ongoing monitoring. Oximeter probes […]

Thousands more veterans who struggle with civilian life will benefit from new and expanded NHS services, including mental health support, as part of the NHS’ long term plan. A new dedicated crisis service will provide intensive support to scores of the most vulnerable former soldiers, sailors and air men and women battling alcohol, drugs and […]

All patients across England can now access general practice appointments in the evening and weekends, NHS England has announced today. The extended access means that patients will be able to see a doctor, nurse or other member of the practice team at a time convenient to them – providing an estimated nine million extra appointments […]