Health and Wellness

NHS staff suspected of improperly and unlawfully accessing patients’ medical records will face immediate suspension and have their access to NHS computer systems cut off, under a zero-tolerance crackdown on “snooping staff”. NHS England has asked every trust to act immediately when staff are suspected of accessing patient records without proper justification — suspending them

Thousands of patients with suspected brain tumours could get a diagnosis sooner, as the NHS launches a major pilot of a rapid genomic test. The world-first NHS pilot of the test, which is being extended across specialist centres in England, will mean patients receive a definitive brain tumour diagnosis in days rather than weeks. The

The NHS is expanding Martha’s Rule to all hospital A&E departments and waiting rooms to further boost patient safety for some of the most vulnerable patients. The initiative will see patients, loved ones and staff in busy emergency departments able to call a dedicated Martha’s Rule phone number to trigger an urgent review if a

More patients than ever before were seen within four hours in A&E this summer, despite record demand on the NHS. The NHS faced the busiest summer in its history this year, with A&E attendances in June, July and August topping 7.2m (7,268,445), the highest ever total for the summer period, and more than 240,000 more

Patients will be able to get quicker, more convenient treatment for migraines, acne and 3 other everyday conditions at hundreds of pharmacies in England from autumn, without needing to see their GP first. People will be able to walk into their participating high street pharmacy and get on-the-spot treatment for acne, migraines, scabies, ear infections