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The government has announced a freeze to the NHS prescription charges, first time in 12 years, to help people ease with the cost of living and ensure prescription medication remains accessible. Charges for prescriptions will remain at £9.35 for a single charge or £30.25 for a 3-month prescription prepayment certificate (PPC), the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said, adding that the measure will help save £17 million. The 12-month PPCs will remain at £108.10 and can be paid for in instalments, meaning people can get all the medicines they need for just over £2 a week, it added. The NHS low income scheme will also help with prescription payments, with free prescriptions for eligible people in certain groups such as pensioners, students, and those who receive state benefits or live in care homes. "The rise in the cost of living has been unavoidable as we face global challenges and the repercussions of Putin's illegal war in Ukraine. While we cannot completely prevent these rises, where we can help, we absolutely will," Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said. "This is why I am freezing prescription charges to help ease some of these pressures and put money back in people's pockets."

Violent and abusive behaviour against pharmacists is impacting on recruitment and retention of staff in the sector, according to the Pharmacists' Defence Association (PDA). The trade union for pharmacists told BBC Breakfast TV on Wednesday (May 8) that its members have continuously raised workplace safety concerns due to an alarming rise in the incidents of abuse and violence against pharmacy staff. The PDA union has been calling for adequate risk assessments and preventative safety measures to be put in place in pharmacies whist adopting a zero-tolerance approach to violence and abuse. With several significant and worrying incidents involving PDA members, including a pharmacist being threatened with a knife recently, further research was conducted in April 2022 to establish the extent and impact of such behaviour on pharmacists. Forty-four per cent of the respondents in the survey reported that they or someone that they worked with had experienced physical or violent abuse in the last month.

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has raised its concerns over rising cost of rent for its members. The association highlighted that pharmacy spending is shrinking, and therefore, the NHS Property Services must ensure viability of health centre pharmacies. In May, the NPA wrote to NHS Property Services to voice its concerns over the rising cost of rent after some of its members reported demands for a three-fold increase in rent. Many pharmacies operate in premises of which NHS Property Services is the landlord. In a letter last month to chief executive Martin Steele, NPA said: "The past years have seen far fewer patients in health centres and therefore using the on-site pharmacy - whilst the situation will change somewhat as we move out of the pandemic we expect a permanent impact on workload as practices handle more of their interactions virtually. "The NPA encourages NHS Property Services to review lease agreements involving community pharmacies and consider favourable changes to terms that are in line with current financial realities affecting the sector. This could avoid the loss of a pharmacy service to communities and the resulting loss of rental income to NHS Property Services."

The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has been in dialogue with the senior management of NHS Property Services to bring down the rent for community pharmacies based in NHS health centres. Association said: "Community pharmacies based in NHS health centres are struggling to make ends meet due to expensive rental rates." It is calling for pharmacies to have the ability to renegotiate rental rates part way through a contract. Gareth Jones, Director of Corporate Affairs at the NPA, said landlords need to take into account that pharmacy spending power is shrinking and the previous formula used to set rental rates is no longer fit for purpose. "It no longer makes sense to calculate based on historical assumptions about how many prescriptions the co-located GP will generate for the pharmacy," he said.

The result from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS)'s survey showed that pharmacists witnessed 'the cost of living is having an impact on whether people can afford prescription medicines in England'. RPS has long campaigned to remove prescription charges for people with long-term conditions in England because they create a financial barrier to patients receiving the medicines needed to keep them well. The charge currently stands at £9.35 per item prescrib9ed and an annual rise usually occurs in April. Prescriptions are free for people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. One in two pharmacists who responded to the survey said they've seen an increase in the last six months in patients asking them which medicines on their prescription they can 'do without' due to affordability issues. One in two pharmacists had seen a rise in people not collecting their prescription, whilst two out of three pharmacists reported an increase in being asked if there was a cheaper, over-the-counter substitute for the medicine they had been prescribed.

The British Generic Manufacturers Association (BGMA) has raised concerns over the rise in the VPAS rate for 2023 to 26.5 per cent. The Department of Health Social Care (DHSC) today announced that the 2019 voluntary scheme payment percentage for 2023 will be 26.5%. The 2019 voluntary scheme for branded medicines pricing and access is an agreement between the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. BGMA believes that the high VPAS tax for 2023 risks more medicines shortages, rising prices for the NHS via reduced competition, and new medicine launches to the UK being deferred. Mark Samuels, Chief Executive of BGMA, said: "Raising the VPAS tax to 26.5% will damage the UK's medicines supply because it will make some products lossmaking. It is more than a five-fold tax increase from 2021, and no industry can cope with this unpredictable and exceptional tax volatility.

The Pharmaceutical Services Negotiating Committee (PSNC) has raised concerns over the impact that high medicine price rises are having on contractor. Recently, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has granted the final list of price concessions for December 2022. The latest additions bring the total number of concessionary prices granted for the month of December to 198, surpassing the previous record of 159 granted in September 2022. PSNC has heard from hundreds of community pharmacy contractors who are paying inflated prices for antibiotics used for the treatment of Strep A and who have rightly been concerned about the lack of certainty around the final reimbursement prices for these medicines. It added: "We welcomed the involvement of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to look into the pricing of antibiotics. But the number of reports we are getting from contractors about medicines price rises are just not acceptable and this goes far beyond the antibiotic crisis."

In a significant uptick reflecting growing awareness and acceptance of mental health challenges among new and expectant mothers, NHS records reveal a striking surge in specialist support sought by over 57,000 new mothers over the past year. This figure represents a substantial 33 per cent increase compared to the 2022 data findings indicating a heightened demand for perinatal mental health services in England. Last year, the number of women accessing perinatal mental health services was 43,053 individuals. Specifically, between March 2023 and February 2024, a total of 57,170 women accessed these services, representing a significant rise from the 43,053 women who received support between March 2022 and February 2023. Contextually, this surge in demand is significant given that approximately 600,000 women give birth in England each year.

A new Attention-Deficit-Hyperactive disorder (ADHD) taskforce has been launched by National Health Services England (NHSE) to counter the challenges faced by many suffering from the neurodevelopmental condition. The ADHD taskforce aligns with the NHS Long Term Plan's vision to revolutionise mental health services, with a specific emphasis on bolstering community-based care and reducing reliance on inpatient services. The NHS has partnered with the government to tackle the escalating demands including increasing funding, improving system efficiency, altering the service provision model, and clinical prioritisation by bringing together expertise from across a broad range of sectors, including the NHS, education and justice, to help provide a joined-up approach in response to concerns around rising demand. Over the past two decades, there has been a significant expansion in the acknowledgement and successful medical interventions for ADHD, leading to a steady rise in clinical requests throughout the UK.

Britain almost doubled the number of visas awarded to foreign migrants coming to work in the health and care sector last year, government data showed, adding to pressure on prime minister Rishi Sunak over immigration ahead of the next general election. Immigration is one of the top three concerns for voters as the country gears up for an election expected later this year. Trailing the opposition Labour party in the polls, Sunak has vowed to bring it down. But data released on Thursday by Home Office was the latest set of statistics to show the scale of the challenge he faces. Britain granted 337,240 work visas in 2023, 26 per cent higher than in 2022, with the rise largely driven by those coming to the country to work in the care home sector. That follows figures released in November which showed annual net migration to the UK hit a record 745,000 in 2022 and has stayed high since. Visas under the 'Skilled Worker - Health and Care' route almost doubled, Thursday's data showed, rising by 91 per cent to 146,477 last year.

Parents are advised to check their children's hair often as cases of head lice infestations are increasing in the UK amid rising temperatures. Superdrug has reported a significant 121 per cent surge in sales of its head lice treatment spray, according to Wales Online. The high-street chemist explains that head lice are particularly prevalent during this time of year as the warmer weather triggers infestations. Head lice and nits (head lice eggs) are very common in young children and are picked up by head-to-head contact. The pesky insects make your head feel itchy. The National Health Service (NHS) recommends taking immediate action against head lice as soon as they are detected. It is not necessary to see a GP for head lice treatment.

Pharmacist Support has released its 2023 Impact Report, revealing significant growth in digital access and well-being initiatives. The report shows a 49 per cent increase in website visits and a corresponding 47 per cent rise in pages viewed compared to the previous year. These improvements reflect the charity's investment in digital infrastructure to enhance access to critical services for pharmacists nationwide. Additionally, calls to the peer support scheme, Listening Friends, increased by 74 per cent , aided by the introduction of an online referral form. The charity also reported a 23 per cent rise in financial grants awarded, amounting to £193,528, through a new online grants portal.

Confirmed Covid-19 cases are rising in India, with 30 cases reported so far, a sharp rise from the five cases until 2 March, with the Ghaziabad man in the state of Uttar Pradesh testing positive.

India is witnessing a rise in confirmed Covid-19 cases. Credit: CDC on Unsplash Visit our Covid-19 microsite for the latest coronavirus news, analysis and updates

Rising chronic illnesses and an aging population are threatening to bankrupt the National Health Service, Labour's Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said on October 11. Streeting announced a substantial £1.1 billion injection to strengthen the NHS with the goal of clearing the backlog and introducing additional clinics on evenings and weekends. The frontbencher outlined a reform agenda to ensure NHS is back on its head for the future of healthcare in the UK. Streeting said that a Labour government will not waste "money we don't have"- instead aims to revolutionise the NHS by shifting its focus from hospitals to communities. "Our emphasis is on transitioning from an analogue to a digital framework and prioritising prevention over sickness-oriented healthcare," he noted.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has raised alarm over rising cases of extensively antibiotic-resistant Shigella infections, mainly in gay, bisexual, and other men who have physical relationship with men (GBMSM). There has been a 53 per cent increase in cases since the beginning of 2023, mostly driven by a cluster of antibiotic resistant strain called Shigella sonnei, with 97 cases reported this year until November, compared to just four cases last year. According to UKHSA, Shigella sonnei infections are difficult to treat as the strain does not respond to the antibiotics typically used to treat the bacteria. While it has been found across England, cases are concentrated in London (45), the North West (21) and South East (12). Shigella is an infectious gut infection that can cause symptoms like diarrhoea (sometimes mixed with blood), stomach cramps and fever, which are commonly mistaken for food poisoning.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that there has been a continued increase in cases of whooping cough (pertussis) across England since the start of this year. According to new data published by the agency on Thursday (7 March), 553 new cases of whooping cough were confirmed in January alone, compared with 858 cases for the whole of last year (2023). The country is witnessing a surge in whooping cough cases after a prolonged period of low case numbers, attributed to restrictions and reduced social interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic. England recorded the highest number of whooping cough cases in 2016, recording 5,949 cases. As the ongoing rise coincides with a steady decline in the vaccination rates among pregnant women and children, UKHSA has strongly encouraged mums-to-be to get the maternal pertussis vaccine so that their young baby is protected against this serious disease.

Challenges in accessing the NHS waiting list are pushing more and more people toward private-funded alternatives for access, diagnosis and treatment, thereby increasing the demand for private health cover. According to a report published by health data provider LaingBuisson, the demand for private health cover, including medical and dental insurance and cash plans, has surged to its highest levels since 2008. The UK's overall health cover market reached £6.7 billion in 2022, an increase of £385 million from the previous year. During the period from 2020 to 2022, the market experienced annual growth rate of 6.1 per cent, a significant increase compared to the average annual growth rate of 1.7 per cent observed between 2008 and 2019, the research found. A total of 4.2 million people were subscribed to medical cover schemes in 2022. When dependents covered by these policies were included, the number reached 7.3 million - the highest count since 2008. LaingBuisson's analysis showed that medical cover volumes were steady through most of the 2010s, but began to increase alongside rises in the NHS waiting list from 2018.

As the population continues to age, the number of dementia cases in the UK could increase to rise to 1.5 million by 2040, a new study has predicted. The study report from Future Health also cautioned that over half a million people with dementia could remain undiagnosed by 2040, representing an increase of nearly a quarter of a million compared to the current figure, if there is "no progress in improving diagnosis rates." At present, approximately 850,000 individuals in the UK are living with dementia, with an estimated 315,000 cases going undiagnosed. Sponsored by Lilly, the study also highlighted significant variations in diagnosis rates across the four nations. Despite improvements, England's dementia diagnosis rate stands at 64.6 per cent, falling short of the two-thirds target.

The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) has raised concerned about rising cases of scabies in the UK, and suggested that the current shortage of medicines is contributing to the outbreak. Usually, this skin condition is treated using topical creams or oral medication in more severe cases, but shortage of scabies drugs has been reported since May 2023. Both permethrin 5% cream and malathion liquid, which are two main topical treatments for scabies, are in limited supply in the U.K. Paula Geanau, a spokesperson for BAD, told Fox News Digital on Friday (19 January) that the rate of scabies is double the seasonal average, with three cases per 100,000 of the population recorded at the end of November by the Royal College of GPs.

A new survey by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has made a concerning revelation about the rise in nursing students contemplating quitting. Nearly half of nursing students in England are contemplating quitting their courses before completion. This alarming trend threatens the NHS England Long Term Workforce Plan, published a year ago, which aims to significantly expand the nursing workforce by 2036/37. The survey also highlights a dramatic 20 per cent decrease in the number of students enrolling in nursing degree apprenticeships over the past two academic years. This decline underscores the urgency of addressing the challenges faced by nursing students, including increasing financial pressures due to the cost of living, insufficient teaching and supervision, and mental health issues as the primary reasons for consifdering quitting.