Health and care sector latest developments
Health leaders call for £3 billion funding boost
Health leaders have called for more funding at the Autumn Budget, warning that services will have to be cut unless £3 billion more is allocated to the NHS.
The BBC reports a joint statement from NHS Confederation and NHS Providers, which explains that the costs of redundancies, strikes, and paying more for medicines have led to the need for such a funding boost.
Chief executive of NHS Confederation, Matthew Taylor, has argued that the cost pressures risk "derailing progress on key waiting time targets and the wider reforms that are essential to getting the NHS back on track."
A spokesperson for Department of Health and Social Care emphasised the government's "unwavering commitment to properly funding the health service we all rely on."
Health experts push for passage of tobacco and vapes bill
Over 1,200 health professionals are calling on parliament urgently to pass the tobacco and vapes bill after a six month delay has allowed approximately 124,600 young adults to begin smoking since its introduction.
Organisations including Action on Smoking and Health, The King's Fund, and major disease charities argue that continued delays undermine what they describe as a transformative opportunity to protect future generations from nicotine addiction and its deadly consequences.
The bill is currently in committee stage at the House of Lords, with advocates stressing that swift action is essential to prevent thousands more young people from starting smoking.
Streeting deepens row with BMA
The health secretary has deepened his latest row with the BMA, saying the government will not be "held to ransom" by the union.
The Times reports comments from Wes Streeting over the weekend, where he argued that he could offer a variety of benefits to resident doctors, but the costs of strike action would jeopardise this.
Streeting also said he was "battling cultural challenges" in the health service, explaining that the current state of affairs undermines public trust.
Record number of people travel abroad for healthcare amid NHS delays
A record 523,000 UK patients sought medical treatment overseas in 2024, a 50 per cent rise in two years, as NHS waiting lists hit 7.41 million despite significant government funding.
According to The Telegraph, popular destinations such as Turkey, Poland, and Romania attract patients with lower costs for dental, cosmetic, and surgical procedures though inconsistent regulation abroad increases the risk of complications.
Health secretary Wes Streeting called the situation unacceptable, pledging NHS reforms and public awareness campaigns about the dangers of medical tourism, as experts warn many people are resorting to risky options out of desperation.
Racism against nurses sharply increases, RCN reports
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) reports a 55 per cent increase in racist incidents targeting nurses over the past three years, with cases expected to exceed 1,000 in 2025 compared to 700 in 2022.
As The Guardian notes, the union describes the trend as shameful and attributes part of the problem to anti-migrant political rhetoric that they believe encourages racist behaviour.
RCN is pressing employers to strengthen workplace protections and is urging politicians to abandon inflammatory language about migrants, stressing that the healthcare system depends on nursing staff from diverse backgrounds.
The Department of Health and Social Care has acknowledged the disturbing statistics and announced that the Prime Minister has ordered an urgent review of racism within the NHS, while affirming that discrimination will not be tolerated.
Integrated health organisations actually a form of contract, says NHS England
The ‘integrated health organisations’ (IHOs) proposed in the government’s 10-Year Health Plan are not organisations but a ‘contract-based delivery method’, according to the 2026/27 planning guidance issued by NHS England today.
NHS England’s medium-term planning framework said IHOs would not be a new type of organisation in their own right. Instead, they will enable existing organisations, perhaps working in partnership, to manage the health and care budget for designated populations through new contractual leavers.
The guidance said IHOs ‘will be a contract-based delivery method, not a new organisational form’ and ‘will work with the wider provider landscape to deliver high-quality care efficiently, including through sub-contracting arrangements and, where appropriate, delegation of commissioning’.
This means eligible providers are unlikely to have to undergo significant structural changes to become an IHO.
The guidance added: ‘IHO contract holders will work to deliver the shift of resources from hospital to community through an integrated and preventative delivery model aligned to neighbourhood health working.’
NHS to trial blood test for life-threatening conditions
NHS hospitals are trialling a 15-minute blood test, which could speed up the diagnosis of life-threatening conditions in children.
The test could distinguish between bacterial and viral infections quicker than current methods, allowing for faster treatment of illnesses such as sepsis or meningitis.
National clinical director for children and young people, Professor Simon Kenny, said the test could "speed up diagnosis and allow focussed treatment, as well as freeing up resources to treat more patients".
Lucy Powell named Labour's new Deputy Leader
Former Commons Leader Lucy Powell was named on Saturday as the new deputy leader of the Labour Party.
Sky News reports that Powell received 87,407 votes to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson's 73,536, on a turnout of just 16 per cent. The broadcaster suggests that the contest was widely seen as a referendum on Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. Following her victory, Powell dismissed ideas that she was elected to “write an alternative policy platform” but would rather “make sure Labour values and beliefs are right at the heart of the conversation, and that we're giving a really clear sense of who we're for”.
