News Archive

August 2021

BMA calls for ‘honest conversation’ with the public to halt abuse against healthcare staff

The Nursing Times reports a survey of more than 2,400 doctors and medical students carried out by the British Medical Association (BMA) in early July this year found 37 percent had experienced verbal abuse from patients or their friends or families in the past month, while 16 percent reported they had been threatened and 2 percent physically assaulted in the same time period. More than half (53 percent) said no action was taken following these experiences.

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August 2021

Worrying’ numbers of pregnant women in intensive care with Covid

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August 2021

Women not receiving NHS support after miscarriage, say campaigners

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August 2021

 England drives a record rise in student nurse numbers despite falls in 2 devolved nations

The Nursing Times reports a record number of students have been accepted onto nursing courses across the UK for 2021, but a breakdown of the latest data shows a drop in incoming students in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Yesterday, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) published its latest analysis for 2021 which revealed 26,730 people have been accepted onto nursing courses across the UK – an 8% increase from 2020.

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August 2021

NHS England maternity services may need overhauling to ensure safety, say experts

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August 2021

CDC urges pregnant women to get Covid vaccine, finding no increased risk of miscarriage

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August 2021

Hundreds of maternity incidents in one year prompt 1,500 safety instructions to hospitals

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August 2021

Antibody testing programme to be rolled out across the UK for COVID positive people

Sky News Online reports an antibody testing programme for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 is to be launched across the UK. The Government’s new programme is intended to produce data on antibody protections for people following infection by different coronavirus variants. From Tuesday, 24^th August anyone aged 18 or over in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, will be able to opt in to the programme when receiving a PCR test.

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August 2021

CCG confirms plans for Nottingham maternity inquiry

Independent Onlinereports that in letters to families it is stated that maternity concerns at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust are not “historic” and set out details for an independent inquiry into maternity care at the trust. In a letter to families seen by The Independent, it is said the planned review could also uncover new incidents of poor care where families were not aware of what happened to them. The investigation is being commissioned by the NHS after an investigation by The Independent newspaper and Channel 4 News revealed a number of baby deaths and children left brain damaged over a 10-year period.

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August 2021

Volunteers may be required to fill staffing shortfalls at English care homes

Guardian Online reports that large numbers of volunteers could be needed this winter to tackle rising staff shortages in care homes. This shortage is said to have been added to by the requirement for all care home workers to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus, many providers have said. As the health secretary, urged care workers to book their vaccination in time to meet the 11 November deadline for all staff in registered care homes in England to be fully vaccinated, the Independent Care Group said operators could be forced to hand back contracts to councils or close care homes and relocate residents because of a staffing crisis, which is being exacerbated by ongoing vaccine hesitancy among a minority of staff. It is calling  for retired nurses, doctors, carers, to be trained and DBS-checked to fill vacancies in case of a feared “winter meltdown” in staff numbers.

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August 2021

The NHS fears a ‘mass exodus’ of staff as mental health absences increase in 2021 

Independent Online reports that NHS leaders have warned that the health service is facing a “mass exodus” of staff in the year ahead unless exhausted staff who are struggling are given more support. It comes as the latest figures show that mental health absences among NHS staff have soared during the spring and early summer – as an increasing number of staff suffer from burnout.

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August 2021

Voluntary retirement from the NHS: why do nurses want an early exit?

The Nursing Standard reports almost 75,000 nurses and other staff in the NHS took voluntary early retirement in the past decade in England and Wales. The figure has prompted a  call for a  renewed focus on retaining experienced older staff. Data obtained by Nursing Standard show 3,894 nurses, health visitors, midwives and physiotherapists took early retirement between April 2020 and March 2021, compared to 2,292 in 2010-2011.

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