Last week was the busiest yet for the NHS this winter, amid sky-high virus rates which have left hospitals ‘jampacked’ with patients. New data published today shows that more hospital beds were occupied last week (w/e 12 Jan) than at any point so far this winter (97,636), with 96% of adult general and acute hospital […]
Hundreds of people with Jewish ancestry in England have been identified as being at increased risk of cancer and offered risk-reducing options, as part of a new NHS genetic testing programme. New data shows that over 25,000 free saliva test kits have now been requested and delivered as part of the NHS Jewish BRCA Testing […]
NHS staff have ramped up the flu vaccination campaign by jabbing almost a quarter of a million more people this winter compared to last winter. Services across the country have faced extreme pressures from one of the worst winters on record with 5,408 patients a day in hospital with flu in the first week of […]
Hundreds of thousands more people will be sent a home-testing kit that can help to detect signs of bowel cancer, as the NHS expands its lifesaving screening programme to those aged 50 in England. People aged 50 and 52 are now starting to automatically receive a home test kit every two years by post when […]
Online searches for NHS advice on common childhood illnesses surged in 2024, according to new figures compiled by NHS England. Five of the ten most visited health conditions on the NHS website last year mostly affect children, with three of them seeing significant increases compared to 2023. Visits to the hand, foot and mouth disease […]
NHS staff experienced the busiest year on record for A&E and ambulance services last year, new figures show today, as flu continues to pile pressure on hospitals into 2025. There was an average of 5,408 patients a day in hospital with flu last week, including 256 in critical care – 3.5 times higher than the […]
Hundreds of thousands of patients will be able to get directly referred and booked in for tests, checks and scans by their GP for a range of conditions as part of a radical new plan set to be launched by the NHS and government next week. People with conditions such as breathlessness, asthma in children […]
New NHS data covering the Christmas and New Year period shows flu cases have continued to skyrocket, with over 5,000 patients hospitalised with the virus at the end of last week. Last week (w/e 29 Dec) there were an average of 4,469 patients with flu in hospital each day – almost 3.5 times higher than […]
The proportion of patients being diagnosed with cancer at an early stage in England has risen to its highest ever level, according to new NHS analysis. Latest data on 13 of the most common cancers, such as breast, prostate and lung cancer, shows that nearly three in five patients are now being diagnosed at stages […]
NHS national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: “The winter flu season has not only hit the NHS early this year, but it is potentially on track to be one of the worst we have ever seen, as the ‘quad-demic’ continues to increase pressure across services. “Frontline NHS staff are currently under significant pressure […]
Nurses, doctors and surgeons are among dozens of NHS staff on the 2025 New Year Honour list, released today (Monday 30 December). The head of the NHS, Amanda Pritchard, praised the dedication of those recognised in what has again been another challenging year for the health service. This year staff have dealt with record levels of demand but also […]