NHS England has recruited 300 more family doctors and thousands more nurses, pharmacists and other staff to work alongside GPs delivering better care in the community. There are now 7,302 more full time equivalent (FTE) health professionals working in primary care than three years ago, NHS Digital figures released today show. That exceeds NHS England’s […]

Almost 14,000 families have opted for a home birth in a single year, which might include the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as mothers-to-be are offered greater choice over the care they receive thanks to the NHS Long Term Plan. If Baby Sussex is born in the familiar surroundings of home, they will be among […]

New and expectant mothers across the country can now access specialist mental health care in the area where they live, NHS England announced today. The landmark rollout of specialist perinatal community services across the whole of England, means that mums and mums-to-be who are experiencing anxiety, depression or other forms of mental ill health should […]

The NHS has appointed England’s first Chief Midwife to improve care for new and expectant mothers and their children and promote safer births as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, announced today that Professor Jacqueline Dunkley-Bent will be the first to take on the new role, to […]

England’s top nurse today pledged to ensure the voices of nurses and midwives will be valued and heard across the NHS. During her maiden speech at the chief nursing officer (CNO) Summit in Birmingham, Ruth May said that the profession, while often considered by the public to be the most trusted, is too often undervalued […]

A pioneering advice line staffed by midwives has seen tens of thousands of new and expectant mothers get guidance on labour, breastfeeding, sleep and other health problems. Women can get advice over the phone 24 hours a day, 365 days per year from the Surrey Heartlands Pregnancy Advice Line. The dedicated phone line is one […]

A record breaking number of male school leavers have applied to be nurses following NHS England’s successful “We Are The NHS” recruitment campaign. The number of 18-year-old men applying to study nursing has increased by more than 50% in a decade, according to new figures from UCAS, the body that arranges university courses. Since last […]

Evaluation shows clinical improvements across 19 sites led to maternity staff helping to save more than 160 babies’ lives. An estimated 600 stillbirths annually could be prevented if maternity units adopt national best practice says NHS England. Clinical improvements such as better monitoring of a baby’s growth and movement in pregnancy, as well as better […]

Today, as the NHS launches the biggest recruitment drive in its 70 year history, new research has shown the special place that its staff hold in the nation’s heart. Nurses and doctors top a public poll as the most trusted and respected professions in the country, according to research carried out for the major new […]

Professor Jane Cummings has announced that she will be retiring from the role of Chief Nursing Officer for England after more than six years in the role, and nearly 40 working in the NHS. She has recommended to the Board that the Chief Nursing Officer should be the executive nurse lead for both NHS England […]