NHS delays mean ‘death sentence’ for some patients, says Wes Streeting

Some NHS patients have received a “death sentence” due to delays within the health service, Wes Streeting has said, as Keir Starmer stressed the need for more use of AI and technology.The health secretary was speaking alongside the prime minister at the launch of what they described as the “biggest national conversation about the future of the NHS since it was founded 76 years ago”.But while Keir Starmer tried to take an optimistic tone, alluding to the benefits and opportunities that could arise from a public conversation, Streeting warned the NHS is in “such a poor state, I’m amazed we’re not still using carrier pigeons”.Streeting said: “The NHS is going through what is objectively the worst crisis in its history, whether it’s people struggling to get access to their GP, dialling 999 and an ambulance not arriving in time, turning up to A&E departments and waiting far too long, sometimes on trolleys in corridors, or going through the ordeal of knowing that you’re waiting for a diagnosis that could be the difference between life and death.“Worse still, receiving a prognosis that amounts to a death sentence that could have been avoided, because the NHS didn’t reach you in time

Can Harris’s proposed ‘at-home Medicare’ end the dreaded ‘spend down’ of senior assets?

A new proposal for “at home Medicare” by the Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris, could help ease the burden of the cost of elder care for many families, experts say.However, Republicans have already criticized the proposal as too expensive, a reminder of the political difficulties of enacting healthcare expansions in the US.Paying for a home health aide out of pocket is far out of reach for most families. The median cost of a home health aide, someone who helps elderly people and disabled with basic tasks such as cooking and bathing, is $33 an hour or $6,292 a month, according to the financial company Genworth. The average retirement income of an American is $4,191

White women most likely to get HRT prescriptions in England, study finds

Menopausal women of Chinese and black African backgrounds are about 80% less likely to receive hormone replacement therapy than white women, according to a large-scale study.HRT is one of the most common treatments for menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings, poor sleep and vaginal dryness. It can also help maintain muscle strength and prevent osteoporosis.But a 10-year study of nearly 2 million women in England has found worrying inequalities in women’s access to HRT.Academics at the University of Oxford examined HRT prescriptions issued in England to 1,978,348 women aged 40 to 60 over a 10-year period

Number of people with chronic pain in England to rise by 1.9m by 2040

Almost 2 million more people will be suffering from sore backs, necks and other body parts by 2040 due to a surge in chronic pain caused by England’s ageing population, new research shows.The number of people in England aged 20 and over with chronic pain is set to soar from 5.345 million in 2019 to 7.247 million by 2040, according to projections by the Health Foundation thinktank.That 1

Half of UK workforce lack access to workplace health support, report finds

Almost half of the UK workforce lack access to workplace health support including winter flu vaccinations and checks for cardiovascular diseases, a report has found.The analysis, by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), looked at data from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (DBEIS) and found that more than 10 million UK workers lack access to services including basic health checks, vaccinations, and smoking or weight loss support, provided by their employer.The report found that the UK’s current workplace health system could further exacerbate existing health inequalities, given that people in lower paid industries, such as hospitality and agriculture, are even less likely to have access to health protection interventions at work.A common type of health check used by employers is an NHS-run programme that checks for signs of conditions such as cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.The paper calls for the government to establish a national health and work standard that would establish a minimum level of support, to which employees should be entitled

Wes Streeting unveils plans for ‘patient passports’ to hold all medical records

Wes Streeting is to unveil plans for portable medical records giving every NHS patient all their information stored digitally in one place on Monday, despite fears over breaching privacy and creating a target for hackers.The health secretary is launching a major consultation on the government’s plans to transform the NHS from “analogue to digital” over the next decade. It will offer “patient passports” containing health data that can be swiftly accessed by GPs, hospitals and ambulance services.New laws are also set to be introduced on Wednesday to make patient health records available across all NHS trusts in England. It will speed up patient care, reduce repeat medical tests and minimise medication errors, he said