Hospice campaigners getting 'no answers' over centre's future
Campaigners trying to save an inpatient unit at hospice said they were still waiting for answers from the charity's bosses, almost a year since it closed.The 26-bed inpatient unit at Marie Curie in Woolton, Liverpool, closed last July because of a shortage in specialised nursing staff.A public meeting was held last night by the Save Our Hospice group, which is urging the charity to provide more clarity over the unit's future.A Marie Curie representative thanked campaigners for their "continued passion and support" and said staff, volunteers and the local community "will be the first to hear about any developments and decisions".
"We are shouting and screaming for support here and we are being ignored," campaigner Kate said."We are asking where is the money going? Where is the support? Why is this happening? We are not having answers, and we want to know why."If there isn't any money then tell us because we would like to then obviously try and support there being some money."We want to fundraise, we want to do whatever it is we can. What are the issues, because we would like to help."A Marie Curie North West representative said: "We know the local community is concerned and many are finding the current situation difficult."We would like to thank the group for inviting us to give an update at this meeting and for their continued passion and support."Moving forward, we would hope to be able to participate in these meetings together with NHS Cheshire & Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB), who have responsibility for commissioning end of life care."The charity said it would post regular updates on its website and said staff, volunteers and the local community "will be the first to hear about any developments and decisions as and when they happen".
Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
35 minutes ago
- Sky News
NHS patients filming medical treatment for TikTok and Instagram, radiographers say
Patients are filming their NHS medical treatment for TikTok and Instagram, potentially putting them and others at risk, medical professionals have said. Ashley d'Aquino, a therapeutic radiographer working in London, said a rising number of patients are choosing to film their treatment for social media. The Society of Radiographers (SoR) said it is causing healthcare staff unnecessary anxiety when they are trying to carry out their job and is putting patient confidentiality at risk. The organisation added that distracting staff and making them uncomfortable could compromise the delivery of their medical treatment. The SoR is calling for the NHS to implement policies to prevent patients from photographing or filming clinical procedures without permission. Ms d'Aquino, who is a union rep, told the SoR's annual delegates' conference that members of staff had approached her over patients recording some of their cancer treatment. She said one worker agreed to take photos for a patient, "but when the patient handed over her phone, the member of staff saw that the patient had also been covertly recording her to publish on her cancer blog". "As NHS staff, we wear name badges, so our names will be visible in any video. It makes people feel very uncomfortable and anxious," Ms d'Aquino explained. Filming treatments also puts patient confidentiality at risk, another worker explained. A radiology department assistant from the south coast said she was using a cannula on a cancer patient when the patient's 19-year-old daughter started filming the procedure without asking for permission. "She wanted to record the cannulation because she thought it would be entertaining on social media," she said. But in the next bay, a patient was having consent taken for a virtual colonoscopy, which is "an invasive and potentially embarrassing procedure". The consent, including names and dates of birth, could have been recorded on the video, putting the patient at risk. "There are people who come into our department who have a limited social media presence because of risks to their safety. Patients filming make them feel unsafe in their own hospital," she said. The department assistant said she had sleepless nights worrying about whether she did her job properly in this situation. Filming treatments affects all healthcare workers, according to Dean Rogers, SoR director of industrial strategy and member relations. He said all hospital trusts should have policies in place around patients taking photos and filming procedures to stop people filming without staff knowledge and permission. "Hospitals need to ensure that they meet the needs of patients while also looking after staff members' wellbeing," Mr Rogers said. "And, in this case, safeguarding the one simultaneously safeguards the other - allowing healthcare professionals to do their job in safety, while also protecting patients' privacy and helping them to receive the best possible care." Ms d'Aquino acknowledged that there may be some valid reasons for patients to record medical conversations, for example, to "enhance their understanding and retention of medical information" by making audio recordings of consultations.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
GPs can prescribe weight loss jabs on the NHS from today - but strict eligibility criteria in place
Why you can trust Sky News GPs will be able to prescribe weight loss jabs on the NHS from today. - with strict criteria for the first year of the rollout. Initially, only those with a body mass index of over 40 who have at least four other health problems linked to obesity will be eligible. 0:21 Some doctors have raised concerns about the additional workload this new programme will bring, while pharmacists fear it could lead to supply shortages. While an estimated 1.5 million people are now taking weight loss drugs across the UK, they could previously only be accessed through specialist services or private prescriptions. Dr Claire Fuller from NHS England said: "We urgently need to address rising levels of obesity and prioritise support for those who are experiencing severe ill health - and greater access to weight loss drugs will make a significant difference to the lives of those people." She added: "While not everyone will be eligible for weight loss drugs, it's important that anyone who is worried about the impact of their weight on their health discusses the range of NHS support available with their healthcare professional." 1:22 The chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs welcomed NHS England's decision to pursue a phased rollout, and said current workloads must be factored in to ensure the jabs can be prescribed safely. Professor Kamila Hawthorne went on to say: "While weight loss medications have a lot of potential benefits for patients who are struggling to lose weight and who meet all the clinical criteria for a prescription, they mustn't be seen as a 'silver bullet' to aid weight loss. "We also need to see a focus on prevention, stopping people becoming overweight in the first place so they don't require a medical intervention later." 9:19 Her remarks were echoed by the National Pharmacy Association's chairman Olivier Picard, who says "prescribing these medications alone misses the point". He argued that they need to be part of a comprehensive strategy that includes lifestyle coaching, exercise and nutritional guidance - but many GPs currently "lack the bandwidth" to provide this support. "As a result, we could end up in a situation where patients are prescribed the medication, lose weight, and then experience rebound weight gain once the course ends - simply because the foundational lifestyle changes weren't addressed," Mr Picard added. Estimates suggest about 29% of the adult population is obese.
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Ministers urged to provide more graduate training slots for UK medical students
A doctor-turned-MP has called on the Government to provide more guaranteed graduate training slots for UK medical students, ahead of the doctors' union voting on a motion which will urge Whitehall to take urgent action. Dr Peter Prinsley, a retired ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist who was elected for Labour last year, said thousands of British medicine graduates were missing out on doing further training every year because of a lack of places combined with the pressures from international medical graduates in the NHS. The British Medical Association has said about 20,000 applicants will miss out this year, if the number of available posts are the same. It added that according to the latest figures, there were 4.7 applications per post. The MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket said it had led to graduates moving abroad to do further study who sometimes do not return. He added there should be reserved spaces for UK graduates to be able to specialise and do further study. Dr Prinsley told the PA news agency: 'The problem is that we've got a distorted competition ratio for the professional training slots. 'It should be a reasonable expectation that if you graduate from the UK medical school, you should have a reasonable chance of getting into higher professional training. 'There should be some competition. It shouldn't just be that you automatically progress with no effort, there should be a bit of competition, but the competition ratios have been hugely distorted by the requirement of the hospitals to provide junior doctors to staff their rotas.' It comes as Wes Streeting said UK medical graduates will be given priority for NHS jobs under the upcoming 10-year health plan. The Health Secretary told medical website on Thursday: 'I want to make sure that if you go through your medical training here in the UK, that you're able to work in the UK.' Mr Streeting added it was 'completely bonkers' to invest in training doctors but not ensure they can stay in the UK to work. The latest figures from the BMA showed there were 33,108 medical graduates applying for around 13,000 posts. This includes 12,305 UK graduates and 20,803 from overseas. The number of international medical graduates has doubled in two years, the figures show, while the UK ones have only risen by a third. The sharp rise in the number of international medical graduates has been down to the increased demand for doctors in the NHS to fill hospital vacancies. In 2023 more than two-thirds of new doctors (68%) joining the NHS were non-UK graduates, up from 47% in 2017. In a statement, the Department for Health and Social Care said the Government should not be 'over-reliant' on overseas recruitment. Doctors can go on to do further training after two foundation years in the NHS. If they apply and miss out on further study, they then move on to so-called foundation three status, where they can work as locums and apply for jobs within individual trusts. Some, however, opt to move abroad to work or study. The number doing another foundation year has risen in recent years. In its latest workforce report, the General Medical Council said the number of doctors not going into speciality training had grown and was a 'sizeable' part of the workforce. Dr Prinsley said he believes priority should be given to UK graduates and physician associates – who have less training – could be used to fill some of the roles taken up by overseas recruits. He said: 'The change that we need is not very difficult. We just need to make a situation in which we prioritise the UK training slots for the UK medical graduates. If we've got any slots we can't recruit to, then, of course, we extend it.' He added: 'The problem has two solutions. We need less international medical graduates being recruited by the hospitals. We need to find an alternative way of staffing the rotas to run the hospitals. 'There's a sort of golden mean, which would allow us to sort out the ratios of international medical graduates to British graduates, and also provide a meaningful role for these graduates as physician associates.' The British Medical Association will discuss the issue at its annual conference in Liverpool on Monday. In a motion put forward by members in the East Midlands, it asks the Government to 'significantly increase the number of training posts available for resident doctors'. It echoes a similar call by the Royal College of Physicians, who wrote in February 'UK graduates must be supported and enabled to enter postgraduate training schemes to continue their training in the NHS'. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We are committed to building home-grown talent and ensuring UK medical graduates can find work in Britain – our 10 year health plan will tackle bottlenecks in the system. 'Internationally-trained staff remain an important part of the workforce but we should not be over reliant on overseas recruitment.'
