Health and care sector latest developments
Top NHS boss backed surgeon whose failures contributed to deaths
Sir Jim Mackey, chief executive of NHS England, backed a doctor whose failures contributed to several deaths to resume her career as a heart surgeon.
He told the family of a patient who died following an operation carried out by Karen Booth that the consultant surgeon should be ‘supported’ to continue working at the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, once she had undergone retraining.
An NHS investigation found problems in Ms Booth's cases included clinical errors, carrying out operations she was not skilled or experienced enough to perform, and failing to call for help when she should have.
Sir Jim declined to answer most of the BBC's questions but said: “We have taken concerns from all parties extremely seriously and this has been a really complex case in what is a very specialised clinical field, and it had been ongoing for several years.”
Dr Zubir Ahmed's ministerial portfolio has been confirmed by DHSC
Dr Zubir Ahmed, who is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health Innovation and Safety, will have a portfolio covering:
- NHS data and technology
- medicines and medtech
- life sciences, research, and innovation
- international and trade, including devolved governments
- patient safety
- blood, transplant, and organs
- disabilities and SEND
- hospital discharge and clinical pathway reform.
His appointment means Baroness Merron has a reduced portfolio. She is now Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Women's Health and Mental Health, with a portfolio covering:
- mental health
- women's health
- maternity
- gender identity services
- Covid-19 Inquiry.
More than 60,000 cancer patients in England ‘not getting necessary radiotherapy’
More than 60,000 cancer patients a year are not getting the radiotherapy they need at all, while some patients in England face waits of up to six months to begin the treatment, according to research.
The Guardian reported that the situation is so dire that nearly 100 heads of radiotherapy and oncology – three-quarters of England’s radiotherapy leaders – have warned in an open letter that the government is failing patients.
International experts agree that more than half (53 per cent) of all cancer patients will typically need radiotherapy, but in England, only 35 per cent actually receive it. According to exclusive analysis of the latest NHS data by the charity Radiotherapy UK, that means 181,023 patients should have received radiotherapy but only 120,569 did, leaving 60,455 cancer patients a year in England who are not getting any radiotherapy cancer treatment at all.
The leading oncologist and chair of Radiotherapy UK, Prof Pat Price, said as a result, ‘thousands of cancer patients risk dying prematurely either because they are not getting radiotherapy at all or because of huge delays in starting radiation treatment’.
Confed and Providers agree merger
Following communications to staff and members this morning, the Health Service Journal has reported that the boards of NHS Providers and the NHS Confederation have agreed ‘provisionally’ to merge in April next year.
Former NHSE director to chair health alliance
Former NHS England chair Richard Meddings has been appointed to the same post at Birmingham Health Partners, an alliance of six of the city’s NHS trusts, two of its universities and the local health innovation network.
Mr Meddings joined NHSE in 2021 and stepped down in March, when health secretary Wes Streeting decided he wanted a new chair.
While at NHSE, he was also a non-executive director of Genomics England. He took up these posts in the health sector after being a non-executive director of HM Treasury and chair of Teach First, a charity that coordinates teacher training to improve education standards in deprived areas.
These roles in the public and third sectors followed 30 years working in financial services and banking.
