Published27 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondentFive babies have died from whooping cough as cases continue to rise in England, health officials have announced.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported 1,319 cases in England in March, after just over 900 in February, making the 2024 total nearly 2,800.It fears it could be a bumper year for the bacterial infection. The last peak year, 2016, saw 5,949 cases in England.The infection can be particularly serious for babies and infants. Half of cases seen so far this year have been in the under-15s, with the highest rates in babies under three months of age.Known as pertussis or “100-day cough”, the infection is a cyclical disease with peaks seen every three to five years. UKHSA has said a steady decline in uptake of the vaccine in pregnant women and children and the very low numbers seen during the pandemic, as happened with other infections because of restrictions and public behaviour, were both factors.The agency said a peak year was therefore overdue and urged families to come forward to get vaccinated if they had not already.’Extremely serious’In September 2023, the number of two-year-olds who completed their routine six-in-one vaccinations, which includes protection against pertussis, was 92.9%, compared with 96.3% in March 2014. Uptake of the maternal pertussis vaccine, offered to women in every pregnancy, also dropped – from more than 70% in September 2017 to about 58% in September 2023.Check if your child has whooping coughDr Gayatri Amirthalingam, from UKHSA, said: “Vaccination remains the best defence against whooping cough and it is vital that pregnant women and young infants receive their vaccines at the right time.”Whopping cough can affect people of all ages, but for very young babies it can be extremely serious.”Our thoughts and condolences are with those families who have so tragically lost their baby.”The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, with a runny nose and sore throat. But after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing bouts that last a few minutes and are typically worse at night. Young babies may also make a distinctive “whoop” or have difficulty breathing after a bout of coughing.The bacteria spread through coughs and sneezes, so experts advise members of a family in which it has been diagnosed to stay at home until three weeks after the symptoms began, or 48 hours after the patient started taking antibiotics.More on this storyWhooping cough cases show sharp risePublished23 JanuaryRelated Internet LinksNHS Whooping CoughThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published20 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EmmaBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondentThe NHS needs more doctors, and this year saw a record number of applications from medical students to start junior doctor training. But problems behind the scenes have meant many have not yet been found jobs. What has gone wrong?When the email of congratulations arrived in her inbox last month, Emma could not have been any more excited. Inside was meant to be the details of her first job as a junior doctor.On the brink of graduation from Warwick Medical School, the 29-year-old was due to find out about where she would working for the next two years.But despite the email being titled congratulations, next to each of her placements for her two-year foundation course, the first rung on the doctor training ladder, was the abbreviation TBC.She had been given what is called a placeholder job. “I’ve been told I will have a job, but that they don’t know where yet and it could take until three weeks before I am due to start in August for me to find out. All I know is it will be somewhere in the West Midlands South region.”It is incredibly unsettling. It makes you feel unvalued and an inconvenience. The NHS is short of doctors and yet they cannot find me a job.”I am renting at the moment, but depending on where I am placed I may have to give notice to my landlord and move.”Emma was one of more than 1,000 medical students in this position when the emails initially went out. That was nearly one in nine of those who have applied to start junior doctor training this summer.Since then the numbers have dropped to 800 as NHS trusts have created new roles and some students have already decided not to take up their place.Part of the problem is that there has been an increase in medical students this summer to start junior doctor training, with just over 9,700 accepted by the UK Foundation Programme, up from 8,655 in 2023.Some of these will have come from abroad, and under immigration rules the NHS cannot prioritise UK-trained students.The increase is welcome given the need to train more doctors, with the government in England aiming to double the number of medical student places by 2031.But it has meant NHS trusts have struggled to keep up and ensure they have enough training posts for new graduates. ‘A lottery’The British Medical Association has this week written to the health secretary to warn it is “exceedingly concerned” about the placeholder situation, after being inundated with complaints from worried medical students.Its letter says many are reporting they may only be told where they will be three weeks before their August start date, when work schedules are meant to be confirmed at least eight weeks in advance.All they know is what part of the UK they are going to be working in after being allocated to one of 18 foundation school areas in March. Some cover very large areas. There is one each for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, while in England, one covers the whole of Yorkshire and Humber. Medical students have also had to cope with a change in the way their regions are allocated. As part of the process, they have to list each foundation school in order of preference.Previously people were allocated according to merit – with each student ranked according to how they had performed during their studies and in an application test.But this year that has changed and has been done randomly. The logic behind it was that the previous system was stressful for students and was particularly unfair on those from deprived backgrounds and ethnic minorities. They tended to perform less well, and therefore were more likely to be posted to regions they did not favour, according to the UK Foundation Programme.However, overall it has resulted in more students not ending up with one of their top five choices – more than 730 compared to just over 430 last year.Image source, Getty ImagesBMA medical students committee deputy chairman Rob Tucker says while students understood the logic behind changing the system, he feels “something has gone wrong” given what has happened. “Students feel like they are in a lottery. It all depends what number the computer algorithm spits out.”And he is worried it will lead to more people dropping out and not progressing on to the next stage of training.”Having more students with their bottom choices, and so many with placeholder jobs, increases the chances of more medical students walking away.”It’s very hard if you end up in a part of the country you don’t want to work [in] and then if you don’t know where you are going to work in that particular region until as little as a few weeks before you start, that’s not fair.”It costs a lot of money to train a doctor. It’s good value if they work for the NHS for 30 or 40 years, but not if you lose them straight away.”‘Bottlenecks’There is sympathy for their plight among those running the system.Speaking at the Royal College of Physicians annual conference last month, North London Foundation School deputy director Dr Celia Bielawski said the deaneries were working hard with NHS trusts to create the new junior doctor posts needed.”We have an increasing number of international medical graduates applying for foundation training every year, and the government is very keen that we should take these doctors as we need to train up additional doctors to go up through the ranks. “At the moment we don’t have places for all of them, but we are all actively working, creating additional posts and I’m confident that they will all be placed. “We have to get trusts to agree to take them, that’s one of the fundamental issues and bottlenecks with all of this. But we’ll get there, I am sure.” Prof Sheona Macleod, director of education and training at NHS England, is confident the situation will be resolved too, saying: “We will get there because we’ve committed to finding them a post.”But she also pointed out that under the previous system, medical students could still find themselves without a job initially as some would be placed on a national reserve list after the first round of job offers.”We have made sure people know where they are going, as in what region, which is different to the past.” But she added: “The numbers have meant that the anxiety for the students looking at finding places hasn’t gone away and we’re very aware of it.”Additional reporting by Catherine Snowdon.

Published9 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondent@nicktriggleThere is, it seems, an epidemic of illness among the working-age population. This week the Office for National Statistics once again warned about the number of people being driven out of the jobs market because of ill-health.And on Friday the government in England said it wanted to change the way they are supported alongside a crackdown on what it calls the “sick note” culture.But it is not just those who are out of work who are affected. Research by the Health Foundation shows there are as many people aged 16 to 64 in work whose health limits what they can do as there are out of work because of ill-health.Overall, it estimates nearly a fifth of the working-age population in the UK has what it calls a work-limiting condition.In fact, the think tank believes the problem has become so bad that it is threatening the economic potential of the country.Long time brewingSo why are working-age people so ill? Christopher Rocks, who heads up the Health Foundation’s work in this area, says it is a “complicated” picture.He says while there has been a lot of focus on the issue since the pandemic, the trend has actually been developing for the past decade at least.”The 2008 financial crisis had a major impact on society – we saw an economic downturn and public spending cuts. That had an impact on people’s health in many different ways. The pandemic and subsequent cost of living crisis exacerbated trends, but the signs were there before Covid hit. “Access to health care has become more difficult, while those fundamental building blocks of health – such as good housing and adequate incomes – are under strain.” How that has affected people varies depending on their age and where they live. Research published this week warned the numbers with major illness was set to increase significantly. with the people in the most deprived areas suffering the most – many with multiple conditions. The work, also published by the Health Foundation, found there were three main conditions causing a significant burden of ill-health: chronic pain, type 2 diabetes and mental health problems. Each is a reflection of the different challenges facing the country.Suffering in painChronic pain is known as the invisible condition, says the charity Versus Arthritis, because it so often goes unseen. But it can have a devastating impact, stopping people from working and socialising and even robbing them of their independence. Caused by underlying inflammation or damage to the body’s tissues, chronic pain usually refers to persistent or recurrent pain that has gone on for more than three months. It is most commonly associated with conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis or joint problems, related to the back, shoulder or neck.The fact that the population is ageing – a greater proportion of the working age population is in their 50s and 60s – is a major cause of the numbers going up.But the situation has been made worse by the increasing difficulty people face getting treatment, says Tracey Loftis, head of policy at Versus Arthritis. The hospital waiting list has been rising pretty consistently for the past decade as spending on the health service has been squeezed.And Ms Loftis points out joint treatment, such as knee and hip replacements, has some of the longest waiting times of any speciality. “Behind every statistic is a person living with unimaginable pain, many of whom are struggling,” she adds.‘Unbearable’ – the condition affecting one in four The struggle of the youngThen there are mental health conditions, such as anxiety and depression. These are increasing in all age groups, but particularly so among the young. A report by the Resolution Foundation in February found young people were now more likely to experience a mental health problem than any other age group – a complete reversal of the situation two decades ago when they were least likely to.It found more than a third of 18- to 24-year-olds are reporting symptoms of mental illness.The finding prompted some to question how real the trend was. Were young people just more open to talking about their mental health struggles?Dr Shari McDaid, of the Mental Health Foundation, says: “No doubt that is a factor in the figures that are being reported, but we cannot underestimate the impact the past few years have had. The young people of today were the toddlers and infants of the 2008 financial crash.”They have lived through the turbulence and conflict of Brexit and then there was the pandemic – what happened with lockdown and schooling affected a generation of young people during their most formative years. “They have then had the cost of living crisis to deal with with young people starting their working lives with huge financial stress and working in poor quality and insecure jobs. We know adverse events are cumulative – the more you experience the more likely you are to struggle.”But she also says you cannot ignore the impact of social media, citing the bullying many have experienced and the way it induces body image worries because of the “highly idealised” way they are presented.Social deprivation and diseaseThe fact type 2 diabetes features in the top three causes is another consequence of the changing nature of society – our diets and increasingly sedentary lifestyles.The risk factors of type 2 diabetes are multiple and complex. They include age, family history and ethnicity, but being overweight is a major cause. Nearly three quarters of adults are overweight or obese – and that, according to Diabetes UK, is translating into an increase in cases of type 2. While less common, rises in the under 40s are particularly sharp.Image source, Getty ImagesSocial deprivation is a crucial risk factor, with rates of type 2 diabetes more than twice as high in the most deprived areas than they are in the least deprived. Income, education, housing and access to healthy food are all strongly linked to developing the disease, says the charity. Tackling all of this is a huge challenge, particularly with public finances so tight. The Health Foundation’s report this week said it would require a cross-government approach to address the underlying causes of ill-health, as well as extra investment in the NHS, councils and voluntary sector.”You need a healthy workforce if you want a healthy economy,” adds Mr Rocks.Employers also needed to do more, the report said, including improving working conditions, supporting the wellbeing of their staff and making reasonable adjustments for those whose health limits what they can do.The experience Lee Vaughan, 50, who works as a leisure centre manager in Sheffield, illustrates how those with health problems can be supported. He has struggled with chronic pain for decades. In his early 20s he had to have a hip replacement because of arthritis.His pain is made worse by emotional triggers when he is stressed, tired, frustrated or worried.”Over the years I have learnt to live and manage the pain, but it can be really debilitating. I’ve had to take time off work. Fortunately my employer has been very understanding. They’ve made adjustments and I now work part-time.”That’s really important – without that support I would have had to have left my job.”More on this storySunak sets out plans to tackle ‘sick note culture’Published1 day agoAround the BBCBBC 5 Minutes On – Sick Leave – What’s behind the rise?

Published24 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondentOne in five people in England are waiting for hospital care, a survey by the Office for National Statistics suggests – a much higher proportion than official NHS figures indicate.The ONS survey suggests there are 9.7 million people waiting for treatment, an appointment or a test.That is more than 50% higher than the 6.3 million recorded by NHS England.But the NHS figures don’t include patients who have started treatment and are waiting for follow-up care.These are dubbed ‘hidden waits’ – an issue which the BBC investigated earlier this year.This poll, which has been carried out by the ONS for the first time, is the clearest indication yet of the total number of people facing hospital waits.One million on more than one NHS waiting listSunak admits he has failed to cut NHS waiting listsNearly 90,000 people were surveyed by the ONS during January and February for NHS England. Some 21% reported they were waiting for care. Of those who were waiting, 14% had been waiting for more than a year. That suggests there are 1.3 million people in this position – again much higher than official figures suggest.’Frustrations’The ONS also asked people about GP services. Of those that had tried to use a GP in the past month, 31% described contacting their surgery as difficult and 20% said their overall experience was poor.Dr Margaret Ikpoh, of the Royal College of GPs, said: “We know how much our patients value the care that GPs and our teams offer, and we share their frustrations when they struggle to access it when they need to.”She said years of underfunding and poor workforce planning were to blame.A spokeswoman for NHS England urged caution when interpreting the findings of the survey, which was carried out as a pilot and relies on people self-reporting their waits. She said progress was being made, pointing out the waiting list had fallen for four months in a row and long waits were well down from their peak.And she said the majority of people were happy with their experience of GP care with more appointments being made available than ever before.More on this storyOne million on more than one NHS waiting listPublished9 November 2023NHS waiting lists hit record high in EnglandPublished13 July 2023Around the BBCPublic satisfaction with NHS at lowest ever level, survey shows – BBC News

Published27 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondentTens of thousands of people with type 1 diabetes in England are to be offered a new technology, dubbed an artificial pancreas, to help manage the condition.The system uses a glucose sensor under the skin to automatically calculate how much insulin is delivered via a pump. Later this month, the NHS will start contacting adults and children who could benefit from the system. But NHS bosses warned it could take five years before everyone eligible had the opportunity to have one. This is because of challenges sourcing enough of the devices, plus the need to train more staff in how to use them.In trials, the technology – known as a hybrid closed loop system – improved quality of life and reduced the risk of long-term health complications.And at the end of last year, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said the NHS should start using it.Type 1 diabetes: ‘People don’t know how hard it is’Artificial pancreas to revolutionise diabetes careType 1 diabetes trial to identify at-risk children Nearly 300,000 people in the UK have type 1 diabetes, including about 29,000 children. It means their pancreas fails to produce insulin, an important hormone that helps turn food into energy.They have to closely monitor levels of sugar, or glucose, in the blood and give themselves insulin every day of their lives, via either injections or a pump. And this new technology does that automatically, virtually mimicking the function of a pancreas – although it still requires information on food intake to be inputted at mealtimes to work accurately. The new technology is intended to help prevent people with type 1 diabetes experiencing life-threatening low or high blood glucose levels, which can lead to unconsciousness and can even be fatal. And it also helps to improve overall blood sugar control, which means the chance of complications – like heart disease, eyesight problems and kidney disease – decreases.Scotland is also offering the technology, and Wales and Northern Ireland could soon follow suit.Gemma Lavery, 38, from Plymouth, who is using the device after being part of an NHS pilot scheme, says it has transformed her life. “I no longer have to worry about work-related stress affecting my blood-glucose levels, as the closed loop helps to sort this out before it becomes a problem,” she says. “I can have a full night’s sleep without worrying about regular low glucose levels hindering my morning routine and I have found that my diabetes is more stable.” ‘Incredibly exciting’Prof Partha Kar, NHS national speciality advisor for diabetes, said the move was “great news for everyone with type 1 diabetes”. “This futuristic technology not only improves medical care but also enhances the quality of life for those affected,” he added.NHS England diabetes clinical director Dr Clare Hambling said the technology “holds the power to redefine the lives” of people with type 1 diabetes.She added: “Type 1 diabetes is an easily missed diagnosis, so if you are concerned about symptoms – the four ‘T’s – going to the toilet, passing urine more frequently, with thirst, feeling tired and getting thinner, please come forward for support.”Diabetes UK chief executive Colette Marshall said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see this technology being rolled out. “This really is a landmark moment.” Nice approved the NHS roll-out of the system last December, with the NHS later setting out a five-year plan for how to provide it for those eligible.Nice recommends its use for those with type 1 who are in certain categories, including children and under-18s, pregnant women, and those with a HbA1c reading – a way of recording long-term blood sugar levels – of 58 mmol/mol, or 7.5%, or higher.More on this storyArtificial pancreas to revolutionise diabetes carePublished1 April 2022Type 1 diabetes: ‘People don’t know how hard it is’Published9 May 2022Game-changing type 1 diabetes drug approved in USPublished18 November 2022Type 1 diabetes trial to identify at-risk childrenPublished14 November 2022Related Internet LinksType 1 diabetes – NHSJDRF UK – Type 1 diabetes researchDiabetes UKDiabetes Community, Support, EducationThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published9 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondentPublic satisfaction with the NHS has dropped again, setting a new low recorded by the long-running British Social Attitudes survey.Just 24% said they were satisfied with the NHS in 2023, with waiting times and staff shortages the biggest concerns.That is five percentage points down on last year and a drop from the 2010 high of 70% satisfaction.The poll – the gold-standard measure of the public’s view of the health service – has been running since 1983.The key NHS targets that have never been metCancer waiting times in 2023 worst on record12-hour A&E waits in winter ‘becoming normalised’More than 3,000 people were polled by the National Centre for Social Research across England, Wales and Scotland in the autumn.The findings on the NHS, published by the Nuffield Trust and King’s Fund think tanks, show once again that performance has deteriorated after a new record low was seen last year.In total, since 2020, satisfaction has fallen by 29 percentage points. Of the core services, the public was least satisfied with A&E and dentistry.The survey also showed satisfaction with social care had fallen to 13% – again the lowest since the survey began.The major reasons for dissatisfaction were long waiting times, staffing shortages and lack of funding.When asked about government choices on tax and spending on the NHS, 48% backed increasing taxes and spending more on the NHS, but 42% preferred to keep taxes and spending the same and 6% backed reducing taxes and spending less.Those with the highest incomes were more likely to want to increase taxes and spend more.’I feel let down’Samuel Wilson, 45, who lives in Worthing, West Sussex, has been left unable to work due to mobility and pain problems following two hip replacements. He is now awaiting further treatment. “I can’t walk very far without excruciating pain,” he says. “I feel let down. The NHS is there to help you, not make things worse. I feel they have treated me disdainfully. The nurses are polite, I’ve found, and even my surgeon. “But they are not providing the level of care required. And they know they are not providing the level of care required but trying to deal with them is like banging your head against a brick wall.” Jessica Morris, from the Nuffield Trust, said the findings were worrying. “As we approach a general election, political parties should be frank and realistic about the challenges ahead of them if they are to turn this situation around.     “Despite such low levels of satisfaction, the public continue to back the principles underpinning the NHS. “The public has not fallen out of love with the idea of a publicly funded, free-at-the-point-of-use NHS, but they are losing confidence that it will support them and their loved ones in the best possible way when they need it.” The Patients Association said it was “dismayed” by the survey results.And Royal College of Nursing general secretary Prof Pat Cullen said: “Enough is enough”.”Voters must now make NHS and care services the central issue of the general election,” she said. “An NHS that was once a world-leader is now treating patients in corridors, doorways, and store cupboards. The status quo has become intolerable.” But a Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said progress was being made, with some signs that the waiting list was falling, while investment was being made in key areas, such as GPs.”We are fully committed to a faster, simpler and fairer NHS, free at the point of need,” he said.A Scottish government spokesperson said other research showed people in Scotland were more satisfied with the way the NHS was run than this survey suggested.What’s your recent experience of the NHS? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSayUpload pictures or videoPlease read our terms & conditions and privacy policy

If you are reading this page and can’t see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. More on this storyHow’s the NHS coping in your area?Published14 MarchNeed an op? The hospitals with the worst waitsPublished14 MarchHealth workers will get promised paymentsPublished1 day agoGP explains viral online post on ‘stretched’ NHSPublished18 hours ago

Published8 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, PA MediaBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondentJunior doctors in England have voted in favour of continuing strike action in their pay dispute.Some 98% of members of the British Medical Association who voted backed further walkouts on a turnout of 62%.There have been 10 walkouts so far by junior doctors since the first one in March last year.The British Medical Association (BMA) has asked for a 35% pay rise, but ministers have described the pay claim as unreasonable.Two-thirds of junior doctors are members of the BMA.The vote result means the union has a strike mandate for another six months.Junior doctors committee co-chairs Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi said:   ”It has now been a year since we began strike action. “That is a year of too many strikes. The government believed it could ignore, delay, and offer excuses long enough that we would simply give up.”We ask the health secretary to come forward as soon as possible with a new offer – and make sure not a single further strike day need be called,” they said. What are junior doctors paid – and how much to settle?Why talk of a UK doctor exodus is prematureJunior doctors received a pay rise averaging nearly 9% this financial year – and during talks at the end of last year, the option of an extra 3% on top of that was discussed.But those talks ended in early December without a deal being reached.The BMA is after a 35% pay increase to make up for what it says is 15 years of below-inflation pay rises.There have been no formal talks since those negotiations ended and the BMA is boycotting the pay review process for next year, refusing to provide evidence to the independent pay review body that makes recommendations on pay rises.Junior doctors in Wales and Northern Ireland are also involved in strike action.But consultants in England are voting on whether to accept a revised pay offer from ministers after putting their strike action on pause.More than 1.4 million operations and appointments in total have been cancelled because of strike action by health workers including doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals since December 2022.The disputes involving the majority of the other health workers have been resolved. More on this storyInside top hospital as it deals with doctors’ strikePublished6 JanuaryHospitals call on junior doctors to return to workPublished4 JanuaryGive us credible offer and we’ll end strikes – BMAPublished3 JanuaryJunior doctor strikes return, after talks collapsePublished5 December 2023Thousands of appointments hit by doctor walkoutPublished27 December 2023Junior doctors and consultants to strike togetherPublished25 September 2023Related Internet LinksBritish Medical AssociationHospital Consultants and Specialists AssociationNHS ConfederationThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published19 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondentPaying dental practices 25% more to see patients would help keep dentists in the NHS, the profession’s leaders say.The British Dental Association said increasing the activity rate from £28 to £35 in England would be just enough to stem the flow of dentists to the private sector in the short term.They warned government plans set out in February did not go far enough.But ministers defended the reforms and said they were working on a wider overhaul of the whole dental contract.They said the measures set out in the dental reform plan last month had already increased payments as well as introducing premium rates to take on new patients and a £20,000 golden hello for dentists to work in the areas with the worst access.Dentist shortages to be tackled with cash incentiveDriving hundreds of miles for dentist ‘unacceptable’A BBC investigation in 2022 found nine in 10 NHS dental practices across the UK were not accepting new adult patients for treatment on the NHS.It found the lack of NHS appointments had led people to drive hundreds of miles in search of treatment, pull out their own teeth without anaesthesia or resort to making their own improvised dentures.While the number of NHS treatments has started to rise, it is still below pre-pandemic levels.Dental practices are paid what is called a unit of dental activity (UDA) rate.Basic check-ups are classed as one UDA while complex work, such as bridges, crowns and dentures, is classed as 12 UDAs.In evidence to the House of Commons’ Health Committee, BDA leader Shawn Charlwood said: “We aren’t being greedy. It is completely affordable. You simply cannot recruit at the low UDA rate.”The BDA said the higher payments would be used to increase the wages of staff, including dentists, nurses and therapists, rather than leading to more profit for dentists that own the practices.Mr Charlwood said he believed increasing the rate would have a “significant impact” but it could only be an interim measures as an overhaul of the dental contract was needed.Thea Stein, of the Nuffield Trust think-tank, said retention of the workforce was a major issue and agreed the government plans still did not go far enough and would leave the sector “grappling” with the problems it was facing.But health minister Andrea Leadsom said the measures that were being put in place under the dental reform plan should help incentivise dentists to stay in the NHS.But she added: “We will be monitoring [the impact] carefully.”She said the government was already working towards a more substantial reform of the dental contract to address recruitment in the longer term.More on this storyMouth-cancer deaths fear over NHS dentist shortagePublished8 November 2023Woman takes 200-mile round trips for NHS dentistPublished14 July 2023Full extent of NHS dentistry shortage revealedPublished8 August 2022Related Internet LinksBritish Dental AssociationHealth and Social Care CommitteeThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Published32 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondentPatients in parts of England are facing an uphill struggle to see a GP, experts say, after an analysis showed wide regional variation in doctor numbers. The Nuffield Trust think tank found Kent and Medway had the fewest GPs per person, followed by Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes. It comes as ministers have struggled to hit the pledge to boost the GP workforce by 6,000 this Parliament.But the government said it had plans in place to tackle shortages.Last year, it published a 15-year workforce plan – the first time such a strategy had been developed.Under-doctored regionsBut Dr Billy Palmer, of the Nuffield Trust, said: “Solely boosting the number of staff nationally in the NHS is not enough alone – the next government should set a clear aim of reducing the uneven distribution of key staffing groups and shortfalls to tackle unfairness in access for patients.”The think-tank report found while the government had met its target to increase the number of nurses by 50,000 this Parliament, the rises had not been felt evenly, with some specialist nurse posts, such as health visitors and learning-disability nurses, seeing numbers shrink.Dr Palmer said minimum numbers of GPs may have to be set for local areas – and better incentives to attract them to those with the fewest.Gloucester – the area with the most GPs per person – had 45% more than the most under-doctored regions.The areas with the fewest GPsKent and Medway: 2,702 patients per GPBedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes: 2,573Lincolnshire: 2,572 Lancashire and South Cumbria: 2,520 South East London: 2,488 Figures weighted for health and age of populationProf Kamila Hawthorne, who chairs the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “Without immediate action to alleviate the pressures on general practice, the future of the profession – and the care we’re able to deliver to patients – is uncertain.” While the recruitment and retention of GPs has proved challenging, the government said there were still 2,800 more now than at the start of the Parliament.And the Department of Health and Social Care said the workforce plan would lead to a rapid expansion of training places. “We are working hard to grow the NHS workforce,” a spokesman added.More on this storyMillions miss out on seven-day GP accessPublished30 July 2018

Published14 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, PA MediaBy Nick TriggleHealth correspondentUnions representing senior doctors in England have given their backing to a improved pay offer in England.But it will now be put to consultant members of the British Medical Association and smaller Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association to see if they are willing to accept.The deal put forward includes an extra £3,000 for those a few years into their consultant careers.Consultants have staged four strikes in their pay dispute so far.The BMA said the new deal includes an extra 2.85% – worth £3,000 – for those between four and seven years into their consultant careers, on top of the 6% all consultants got in April.The previous offer meant those at this stage got no additional uplift, while other consultants were getting up to an extra 12.8%.BMA consultants committee chair Dr Vishal Sharma said it was a “hard fought-for offer”.He said alongside the extra money, the government has agreed to reform the body which makes recommendations about doctor pay.”Ultimately, each consultant will have their own decision to make, but the BMA’s consultants committee believes the offer marks significant progress in reaching our aims of reforming the pay review process and preventing further pay cuts,” Dr Sharma said.