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A Labour Party analysis of NHS trust figures has revealed that around 148,000 people died last year while waiting for treatment in England. This is more than double the figure recorded in 2017/18, which stood at around 60,000 deaths. It even surpasses the mortality rate observed in 2021, during the peak of the Covid pandemic. The Labour Party obtained the data through a freedom of information request sent to every NHS trust in England. Out of the 169 acute and community trusts contacted, 80 responded. The total number of deaths reported by the respondents was 61,396. Extrapolating this figure to all trusts would suggest a total of 148,227 deaths.

A recent report by the Company Chemists' Association (CCA) has revealed a significant disparity in patient engagement with the Pharmacy First service across the UK. In response, Santosh Sahu, Founder and CEO at Charac, has emphasised the need for technological reform to address "the interoperability gap between pharmacists and GPs". Sahu identified the lack of GP referrals for Pharmacy First consultations as a key issue, attributing it to inadequate IT infrastructure. He urged the sector to "implement technological reforms to enhance interoperability between pharmacists and GPs, enabling them to share patient records, identify care pathways, and address health needs more effectively".

"I dread the day, the accountant turns to me and says 'this isn't working' - as an owner, we shelter our patients and teams from the financial pressures we feel on a daily basis," shares S.G Barai Pharmacy owner, Reena Barai. Today, S.G Barai Pharmacy in Sutton, Surrey joined pharmacies nationwide in the #SaveOurPharmacies day of action, organised by the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) to spotlight the critical funding crisis facing community pharmacies across the UK. Recent figures reveal that over the past decade, more than 1,400 pharmacies have closed in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, with additional closures looming in Scotland due to financial pressures. The NPA reports that three-quarters of pharmacies are operating at a loss, exacerbated by real-terms cuts to funding. "We turned our lights off and wore black today to symbolize the precarious situation pharmacies like ours are facing," said Reena Barai who owns the pharmacy.

The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on Thursday regarding falsified semaglutide medications used for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity in select countries. This WHO Medical Product Alert addresses three falsified batches of the specific brand Ozempic that were detected in Brazil (October 2023), the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (October 2023), and the United States (December 2023). These falsified semaglutide products were distributed through the regulated supply chain. Novo Nordisk, the genuine manufacturer of Ozempic, confirmed that the three products mentioned in the alert are falsified and were not produced by the company. Healthcare professionals, regulatory authorities and the public are advised to remain vigilant regarding these falsified batches of medicines. Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products, urged stakeholders to stop any usage of suspicious medicines and report them to relevant authorities.

Cervical screening is one of the best ways to protect women from cervical cancer, which claims nearly two lives daily in England, according to NHS England. Therefore, all women and those with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 64 are encouraged to attend cervical screening when invited. Sadly, 3 in 10 of those eligible for cervical screening do not take up the potentially life-saving offer, as revealed by the NHS Cervical Screening Programme, England 2022-2023 annual report. Pharmacist Thorrun Govind, also a Healthcare Lawyer (Brabners LLP), underscores the significant role pharmacists and pharmacy teams can play in promoting cervical cancer screening. The former Chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) in England told Pharmacy Business: "Pharmacists and pharmacy teams are a trusted part of the local community. They therefore have a key part in promoting cervical cancer screening."

Pharmacies across Northern Ireland are in financial turmoil, reporting that they are dispensing prescription medicines at a loss due to inadequate reimbursement from the Department of Health (DoH). This crisis has led to the closure of almost a dozen pharmacies over the past 18 months, with many others struggling to stay open. Siobhan McNulty, who runs Melvin Pharmacy in Garrison, County Fermanagh, described the dire situation. "We're dispensing medicines at a loss," she said. "The reimbursement rates don't match the cost of the drugs, and we're left to cover the gap." McNulty relies on sales of non-pharmaceutical products to keep her business running.

The latest GP Patient Survey 2024 by the National Health Services (NHS) involving 2.56 million patients has revealed encouraging insights into patient experiences with pharmacy services across England. Along with pharmacies, GPs, and dentistry services were also surveyed highlighting the vital role these services provide in healthcare delivery. Among the key findings, 89.3 per cent of respondents reported utilising at least one pharmacy service in the past year, highlighting the widespread reliance on these facilities. Of those who used pharmacy services, an overwhelming majority of 86.8 per cent expressed satisfaction with their experience. The survey identified 'picking up prescriptions' as the most commonly accessed service, with 75.8 per cent of patients utilising this facility.

A total of 7,599 whooping cough cases have been recorded in England from January to May 2024, according to new data released by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). In January 2024, there were 555 cases, followed by 920 in February, 1,427 in March, 2,106 in April, and 2,591 in May. While the majority of cases (over 53 per cent) occurred in individuals aged 15 years or older, who typically experience milder symptoms, a significant number (262) were reported in babies under 3 months old, who are at the highest risk of severe complications and death from whooping cough. Since the outbreak began in November last year, there have been nine infant deaths (one in December 2023 and eight between January and May 2024). Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a bacterial infection affecting the lungs. This cyclical disease peaks every 3 to 5 years, with the last increase seen in 2016.

The National Health Service(NHS) has reported a record number of attendances at Accident & Emergency (A&E) departments and emergency admissions for any June, reflecting significant pressure on healthcare services amidst hot weather and recent strikes by junior doctors. Last month, hospitals across the UK handled over 2.29 million A&E attendances and more than 536,884 emergency admissions, marking increases of 3.1 per cent and 7.2 per cent respectively compared to the previous year. Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, acknowledged the strain on frontline teams: "Frontline teams are continuing to work exceptionally hard under significant pressure to provide the best care they can for patients."

A pioneering study looking into the possibility of combining existing therapies to slow down cancer growth is showing encouraging early results. Elly Earls reports. A first-of-its-kind medical study at The Care Oncology Clinic on Harley Street, London, has started work on evaluating whether the use of a combination of safe, tolerable, existing, generic therapies could slow down cancer growth and improve survival times in patients for whom other treatments are no longer available or working.

MIPS 2019 performance year is about to end. Only a little time is left until eligible clinicians can report for MIPS healthcare. MIPS put forwards the opportunity to get incentives and bonuses aside from the regular payment model.

Before we go into the details, the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) comes under the direct obligation of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA), the law that regulates the incentive program across the US.

P3 Healthcare Solutions is been offering professional medical billing services for quite some time now. The process starts from the consultation session where providers are informed about every detail from coding, billing to the latest strategies for smoothly running the revenue cycle. We aim to empower physicians with transparent and accurate billing practices.

Healthcare IT makes the use of technology for better outcomes. Such applications will facilitate the reimbursement process and providers in general. P3, as an MIPS consulting service, assimilates with technology to report on behalf of the providers and value-based care will only benefit from these technological marvels.

Engagement of patients or consumers of health care is what's required of the system currently. Many health IT vendors continue to work in that direction resulting in a considerable increase in patient engagement.

P3Care investigates the QPP MIPS 2021 proposed rule and how it will impact the healthcare industry. MIPS consulting firms constantly bring reimbursements.

P3Care investigates the QPP MIPS 2021 proposed rule and how it will impact the healthcare industry. MIPS consulting firms constantly bring reimbursements.

We are dealing with a public health emergency, and CMS has proactively come forward to facilitate clinicians in Quality Payment Program (QPP). This year, the final rule for QPP MIPS data submission required some flexibility to accommodate the pressure.

Improvement activities (IA) - MIPS 2020 submission is incomplete without it - is easy to submit with the right MIPS consulting firm. Find out more about it.

Improvement activities (IA) - MIPS 2020 submission is incomplete without it - is easy to submit with the right MIPS consulting firm. Find out more about it.

Before implementing any EHR, EMR, or PM, clinicians must ask the right questions to see if the system adds value to their workflow or not. We have a list, read more.

CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) launched an alternative payment model - Primary Car. In this program, eligible clinicians can submit quality measures including for Advance Care Plan at the end of the performance year.