The media recently highlighted the fact that NHS England has announced: “The NHS is set to radically overhaul the way MRI, CT and other diagnostic services are delivered for patients . . . . Community diagnostic hubs or ‘one stop shops’ should be created across the country, away from hospitals, so that patients can receive […]
Category: Hospitals and IPC
A review of where the UK is in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic 1. Policy failure Richard Horton, editor of the prestigious medical journal ‘The Lancet’, described the management of COVID-19 as the “greatest science policy failure for a generation” in his book on the pandemic. Currently the numbers of newly diagnosed patients are […]
In the middle of March 2020, it was clear that the NHS would not have the capacity to deal with the increased demands of the Covid-19 epidemic. This lack of spare capacity is clear evidence of continuing government failure to invest in the NHS to provide the required flexibility to meet unplanned needs. As a necessary but panic measure to deal […]
Doctors in Unite reiterate our opposition to any scoring system being used as a blanket cut-off to people accessing hospital care. We understand that conversations with patients about their wishes with regard to treatment and end of life care can be very helpful to ensure dignity in dying, but these must be undertaken with the […]
The co-chair of Keep Our NHS Public, Dr John Puntis, joins the podcast today to discuss the use of DNARs during the coronavirus pandemic.
It is an insult for the government to claim that a life assurance pay out of £60,000 to the families of a health or social care worker who dies of COVID-19 in any way compensates for the loss of life. Despite their protestations that they “will do whatever it takes”, this again shows the scant […]
IWMD this year is unique in falling in the middle of the UK lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of appropriate PPE has thrown millions of public facing workers into harms way as they do not have the right tools to protect themselves from infection. In this environment it is vital that IWMD is […]
Since the start of the lockdown we have called for contact tracing and widespread testing as the only means to establish the true prevalence of COVID-19. This is what the World Health Organisation urged all countries to do from the very beginning. We welcome Matt Hancock’s announcement of testing for symptomatic key workers and their […]
The solidarity expressed through weekly applause for the NHS, carers and key workers has been truly inspiring, and a great source of support for all staff. But we need those in power to do more than just clap for us. The NHS and local authorities have been starved of resources for the last ten years. […]
We deplore the involvement of Capita in the administration of retired doctors’ return to the NHS workforce. Reported delays of over two weeks to inclusion back on the performers’ list, while NHS 111 remains overwhelmed, are unacceptable. Valuable, willing expertise is being underused at a time of national crisis. Inexperienced call handlers are being recruited […]
Doctors in Unite 