'Startling' waiting times for children's community healthcare
The RCPCH has called on the Welsh Government to deliver on its long-standing ambition of care closer to home by investing in early years support and ensuring adequate staffing across disciplines like community paediatrics, speech and language therapy, and mental health.
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Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Scots mum left wheelchair-bound after 'toxic reaction to antibiotic'
"I'm limited, I can't the leave house by myself. I need a wheelchair to go outside." A fit and active Scots mum suffered a toxic reaction to an antibiotic leaving her unable to walk and wheelchair bound. Aneta Malachowska, 41, previously went to the gym five times a week and took an active role in her two children's lives. The mum-of-two, from Edinburgh, now relies on her husband to cook and take charge of childcare as she reels in the aftermath of the drug's rare side effects. Speaking to Edinburgh Live, Anita spoke about the "devastating" impact the antibiotic had on her life. She said: "I'm limited, I can't the leave house by myself. I need a wheelchair to go outside." The fitness enthusiast underwent surgery for an abscess on one of her fallopian tubes in June 2024. Afterwards she was prescribed a fluoroquinolone antibiotic to treat inflammation that cropped up from the surgery - but she soon noticed irregularities in her health. Within days, a sensation emerged in her left left. It soon spread to her right leg and she began having difficulty walking. Aneta described the pain as "fireworks exploding in both my calfs". She said: "The pain was constant all day long, everyday. It was really difficult to walk and some days I couldn't walk more than 2000 steps." Aneta's condition continued to deteriorate in the following months. She tried to return to her work as a pharmacy technician, but her mobility was limited and she was experiencing extreme pain in both legs. Eventually, she became bound to a wheelchair, losing the ability to walk. The mum learned she had developed tendinopathy and muscle atrophy, noted side-effects of fluoroquinolone antibiotics. In 2023, the UK Government released a warning to healthcare professionals against prescribing fluoroquinolone antibiotics for "non-severe or self-limiting infections" due to "the risk of disabling and potentially long-lasting or irreversible side effects". Its use is recommended only when other antibiotics would be ineffective for treatment. Aneta constitutes one of the rare cases where fluoroquinolones resulted in disastrous side-effects. The mum - whose children are aged nine and 17 - spoke on the lasting impact the drug has had on her life a year on. She said: "I'm a mum and I can't do the stuff I used to do with my kids. We can't just go outside for a walk or go for run together because I'm mostly in the house. "It has impacted my life greatly because I'm not able to pick up my daughter from school, I can't do shopping anymore. My husband had to start doing all it himself and he still does. "I'm limited, I can't the leave house by myself. I need a wheelchair to go outside. I was very active before this happened. I went to the gym every day and went running on the weekends. It has massively impacted my life." Edinburgh Live spoke to Professor David Dockrell from the University of Edinburgh who studies infection and inflammation. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Although fluoroquinolones have been used for decades, the drugs are associated with musculoskeletal complications in rare cases, said Prof Dockrell. He said: 'The tendons can become inflamed. It can be difficult for tendons to heal and this can result in tendon ruptures and other problems. This has become more apparent over the years, although it remains a rare complication. "There are still times we need to prescribe [fluoroquinolones] when the benefit for a certain infection outweighs the potential risk. What we wouldn't do is routinely use them for everybody for common infections where there may be safer alternatives. And when there are safer alternatives, we would try to use those. Aneta has launched a fundraiser to help cover the cost her living expenses, treatments, supplements, and anti-inflammatory diet. If you would like to support her, you can do so here.
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.'
Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Wales Online
More than 140 new ambulances for Wales as part of multi-million pound investment
More than 140 new ambulances for Wales as part of multi-million pound investment The Welsh Ambulance Service will replace older ambulances which are no longer fit for purpose, replaced by newer vehicles. Ambulances outside a Welsh hospital (Image: Wales Online ) A multi-million pound investment will see more than 140 modern ambulances responding to emergencies throughout Wales. The new vehicles will be fitted with the latest technology, materials and products, according to the Welsh Government. The five-year Welsh Ambulance Services fleet strategy involves the replacement of older ambulances which are no longer fit for purpose, replaced by newer vehicles. As part of the first phase of the strategy, 142 new ambulances will be introduced to the current roster, following an investment of £22.45m by the Welsh Government. Electric and hybrid vehicles will be prioritised in the wider strategy, which runs until 2030. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here . It is hoped this will cover all vehicles covered by the Welsh Ambulance Service in order to reduce carbon emissions, when the changes are introduced in July. This will also include the non-emergency Patient Transport Service, which transports people to hospital appointments and patients between hospitals. The Welsh Ambulance Service is also implementing improvements in how it reacts to the most serious emergency incidents. Article continues below A Welsh Government spokesperson said the changes are "designed to save more lives". It is also hoped it will improve outcomes for people who have suffered a cardiac arrests, a serious illness, incident or accident. Jeremy Miles, Health Secretary, said: "This investment shows our commitment to ensuring the Welsh Ambulance Service has the modern, reliable fleet it needs to deliver exceptional care for people across Wales. "The ambulance service plays a critical role not just in emergency response, but also supporting patient flow through the wider healthcare system. "By replacing 142 vehicles, we're improving the resilience of our emergency response capabilities and supporting our environmental goals.' Chris Turley, executive director of finance and corporate resources at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: "We're very grateful to the Welsh Government for the continual investment, which enables us to operate a modern, efficient and fit-for-purpose fleet." Article continues below 'Embracing the latest technologies and innovations whilst working in partnership with staff and trade union partners is essential to provide the best possible experience for patients, as well as an ergonomically-friendly working environment for staff, who spend the majority of their working day aboard these vehicles. "As the national ambulance service for Wales, spread over an area of 8,000 square miles, improving air quality is something we're very committed to, so these cleaner and greener vehicles reinforce our commitment to reduce our environmental footprint in alignment with the Welsh Government's net zero strategic plan.'
