Fear of more baby deaths as ministers stand firm on jailing pregnant women
News Archive
CQC: Maternity services “require improvement” at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford
ITV reports that maternity services at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford are no longer rated as good, after an unannounced inspection by the CQC (Care Quality Commission) identified a number of issues with the service. The CQC said that until changes are made to maternity services, the rating has dropped to “Requires improvement”. The inspection, which took place in May this year, highlighted a number of areas of concern. The BBC has covered the same story.
Covid: Schools aren’t ‘infection hubs’ says public health Medical Director
The BBC reports that Public Health England’s medical director has said schools are not “drivers” or “hubs” of Covid infection. Dr Yvonne Doyle said she understood parents’ nervousness about schools returning after the summer in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. She stressed that lots of measures to reduce the risk of Covid spread remained in place. But Prof Callum Semple, a government scientific adviser, said with most adults vaccinated, schools were likely to be a “greater part of the problem”.
Jeremy Hunt MP: Taxpayers must pay more to fund social care
The BBC reports that the former Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt MP, has said taxpayers should pay more to help fund social care. But Mr Hunt, who led the NHS between 2012 and 2018 and is now Chair of the Health Select Committee, warned against raising national insurance or income tax. Instead he said he favoured a new “health and care premium” paid by all including working pensioners. Some media reports have suggested the government is looking at a rise of at least 1% in national insurance rates. In their 2019 election manifesto, the Conservatives pledged not to increase the rate of income tax, VAT or national insurance.
Rise in national insurance could fund post-Covid boost for NHS
Campaigner ‘mystified’ over staff changes in north Wales psychiatric services after patient deaths
The son of a woman who was treated on a beleaguered mental health unit in North Wales says he is “mystified” by the removal of members of staff following the deaths of two patients.
David Graves’ mother was placed on the controversial Hergest Unit for psychiatric care in Ysbyty Gwynedd in 2013.
He believes that recent steps taken by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in the wake of two patient deaths “seem to ignore the blindingly obvious conclusions” from reports that point to other decisions leading to “tragic loss of life and harm to the most vulnerable patients.”
Mental health patients still dying in North Wales due to ‘cover-up culture’
Politicians across the region have lined up to demand full publication of a 2013 report into mental health services which has ‘yet to see the light of day’. People with mental health problems are still dying in North Wales because of a “cover-up culture” within the region’s health board, it has been claimed.
Over the past three years there have been 25 cases of patients coming to harm, according to Llyr Gruffydd, Plaid Cymru’s North Wales MS.
Late last year a man died at the Ablett Unit at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan, and in April 2021 a woman from Caernarfon took her life at the Hergest Unit at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor. Mr Gruffydd claimed problems remain because Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is “refusing” to release a 2013 report commissioned after staff raised concerns over patient safety.
#CarryTheirNames
The impact of the death of a baby during childbirth or shortly after birth is indescribable for the mother, the family and those who support maternity care. The #CarryTheirNames campaign run by MAMA Academy is an opportunity for all those families who have been affected by the loss of a baby to honour and remember them, and to hear about the important maternity safety work led by MAMA Academy .
Please join me in supporting this campaign. Find out more here.
A tragic, avoidable scandal: Why hasn’t a report into a Welsh mental health unit been released?
Mental health services present one of the greatest challenges for our NHS – and sadly it’s a growing challenge.
That’s why it’s important we learn lessons from previous experiences and we are honest in acknowledging mistakes and failures.
Mental health services in the north of Wales were identified as one reason why Betsi Cadwaladr health board needed to be taken into special measures more than six years ago by the First Minister, who was then the health minister.
That was a clear statement and an acknowledgement of previous failings and mistakes. In that respect, the move was to be applauded – even if it was inevitable.
Betsi managers ‘relocated’ after woman’s death at North Wales mental health unit
Two managers were relocated after a woman was found dead at a North Wales mental health unit, it is claimed.
The incident at Ysbyty Gwynedd’s Hergest Unit in Bangor came on April 20 this year, some five months after the Welsh Government announced it was bringing Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board out of special measures.
The provisional cause of death has been given as hanging at an inquest into her death which opened in May.
Tonight Plaid Cymru claimed that it may have been “premature” to bring the health board out of special measures in November last year.
Strain on mental health care leaves 8m people without help, say NHS leaders
Covid-19: More than 75% of UK adults now have had both vaccinations
BBC Online reports the Government said more than 75 percent of UK adults have now received two Covid-19 vaccinations. A total of 39,688,566 people have now received both doses, while another 7 million have only had a single dose, according to the latest figures. Meanwhile, Sky News Online reports government data shows the UK has recorded 23,510 new COVID-19 cases and 146 more coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period. The figures compare with 25,161 infections and 37 deaths reported on Monday, while last Tuesday 21,691 cases and 138 deaths were announced.