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Community pharmacies in England could soon be allowed to make cancer referrals to hospitals under new plans to improve early detection of the disease. An NHS pilot scheme, which starts later this year as a pilot in an undisclosed number of places of England, will see community pharmacy staff spotting signs of cancer in people who might not have noticed symptoms. Pharmacy teams will be trained to spot red flags, such as patients with symptoms such as a cough that lasts for three weeks or more, difficulty swallowing or blood in their urine, and send them for scans and checks without needing to see a GP if they think it could be cancer. Amanda Pritchard, the NHS chief executive, will unveil the plans at the NHS Confed Expo conference in Liverpool on Wednesday (June 15), and say: "These plans have the power to truly transform the way we find and treat cancer, and ultimately spare thousands of patients and their families from avoidable pain and loss." The plans include new "roaming liver trucks" - which will be parked near GP surgeries, in town centres and food banks - to encourage people most at risk of getting liver cancer to get "on the spot scans" for diagnosis.

When you visit a hospital, one of the last things that come to mind is worrying about legal aspects and what rights you might have - or lack. But these issues and your understanding of them are more important than ever. Knowing exactly what hospitals can legally and cannot do to you is an essential part of ensuring your protection as a patient when going in for care. In this blog post, we'll break down the legal details behind being treated at a hospital so that you can feel more confident when making healthcare decisions. Let's dive into the legal aspect of visiting a hospital, outline what hospitals can and cannot do to us, discover our rights as patients, and review any other considerations worth keeping in mind! OVERVIEW OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAW AND HOW IT RELATES TO VISITING A HOSPITAL When going to a hospital, concerned patients and their families should be aware of the legal risks posed in medical malpractice cases. These potential issues can have life-altering consequences if misdiagnoses, wrong medication administration, or improper treatment occurs. Now, whether you seek damages for your injuries at Staten Island University Hospital or in a different hospital in your hometown, it is important for visitors to understand that the law has set forth regulations regarding acceptable standards of care expected by our nation's hospitals. Those regulations can include procedures of qualified professionals that protect patients from financial exploitation and physical or emotional distress caused by medical negligence. Understanding how this information applies to you will help you protect yourself legally if your rights are violated while visiting a hospital.

The recent industrial action by junior doctors and hospital dental trainees, which is considered the longest strike in NHS history, caused a significant impact on the NHS services. Data published by NHS England showed that 113,779 inpatient and outpatient appointments were rescheduled due to the strike, which began on Wednesday 3 January at 7.00am and finished at 7.00am on Tuesday 9 January. Junior doctors make up around half of all doctors in the health service, but 25,446 staff remained absent from work at the peak of the last week's latest action. The ongoing dispute between junior doctors and government over the 2022/23 pay award has disrupted more than one million hospital appointments so far. The junior doctors' strike in December 2023 impacted 86,329 hospital appointments, and their previous action in October saw over 86,000 appointments cancelled.

Derriford Hospital is set to move its outpatient pharmacy to a bigger unit, which will be twice as big as the current size. The new pharmacy, due to open in Spring 2024, is located adjacent to the hospital's on-site Costa Coffee shop in the multistorey car park building. University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said work is ongoing on the new 155 square metres pharmacy, but measures such as covered seating has been implemented. Additionally, the pharmacy's opening times would be extended during the weekends to benefit patients who are unable to attend during the week, the Trust said, noting that demand for its services has grown by 25 per cent. Kandarp Thakkar, Chief Pharmacist & Clinical Director of Medicines Optimisation, said the pharmacy serves thousands of outpatient appointments each week.

"Patients deserve choice, but wherever they go they will find vacant nursing posts and overstretched services," responded Professor Pat Cullen, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive, to the introduction of the new pilot scheme for out-of-hospital patient care. The NHSE and the DHSC have announced a new pilot scheme commencing in autumn "offering patients a choice of where they receive out-of-hospital care". Under the initiative, individuals requiring treatment outside of hospitals will have the opportunity to select from a range of providers across both the NHS and the independent sector. Patients can select their care provider for in-hospital consultant-led services post-GP consultation, offering a choice from at least 5 providers with details on waiting times, distance, and quality.

Great news for multiple sclerosis patients! The NHS has introduced a new 10-minute injection that can slow the progression of disability while reducing hospital treatment time by over 90 per cent. Currently, MS patients in England receive ocrelizumab (Ocrevus), manufactured by Roche, through twice-yearly intravenous (IV) infusions that can last up to four hours. Now, around 9,000 NHS patients in England will be able to receive the drug via a quick 'under-the-skin' twice-yearly injection. It takes just ten minutes, enabling patients to spend less time in the hospital receiving treatment. This roll-out follows approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), making the NHS one of the first healthcare systems worldwide to offer this new MS injection. Drug stocks are expected to be available in the coming weeks.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting reiterated his commitment to reducing NHS waiting lists during his visit to Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust's Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot on Friday. Streeting toured the Berkshire hospital, which is helping tackle backlogs of planned operations with dedicated surgical services, thereby cutting local waiting lists. The health secretary spoke to staff and patients at the hospital before meeting regional health representatives to discuss the issues facing services at a town hall event. His visit follows his recent call for an independent investigation into the NHS, pledging to be honest about the state of the health service and serious about fixing it. "The NHS is broken. Millions of patients are waiting too long for treatment, often in pain and discomfort," Streeting said.