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 […]

Issued at 8.20am on Monday 17 December 2018 Temperatures/weather conditions are not expected to exceed Cold Weather Alert threshold criteria in any region from 17 December 9.00am until further notice. More details about this weather alert are available on the Met Office website.

Proposals have been revealed today setting out how the NHS will ensure it is the safest healthcare system in the world. The commitment includes a proposal for some of the most important types of avoidable harm to patients to be halved over the next five years in areas such as medication errors and Never Events, […]

Senior leaders at NHS Improvement and NHS England have reaffirmed their commitment to race equality across the NHS’s workforce in a new strategy, that has been approved today, as a key driver for improving patient care and experience. In our public board meeting, our chair Baroness Dido Harding stated the NHS must ‘turbo-charge’ its efforts […]

Issued at 8.59am on Thursday 13 December 2018 There is a 70 per cent probability of severe cold weather, icy conditions and snow between 6.00am on Friday 14 December and 9:00am on Monday 17 December in parts of England. This weather could increase the health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services. […]