Wales' new deputy chief medical officer is appointed
As well as being named the deputy chief medical officer for Wales, he will also serve as national clinical director for NHS performance and improvement.
The appointment follows a recommendation from the Ministerial Advisory Group on NHS performance and productivity.
Dr Calvert has spent more than 16 years working in Gwent and is known for his dedication to improving healthcare delivery across Wales.
Dr Calvert joins the Welsh Government from his previous role as medical director and deputy chief executive at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.
He is a graduate of Oxford University and holds a PhD in epidemiology.
He also completed a master of public health at Harvard University as a Fulbright scholar.
Dr Calvert said: "I am honoured to take on this role at such a pivotal time for the NHS in Wales.
"I look forward to working with colleagues across the NHS and government to build on our shared commitment to high-quality, equitable healthcare for all."
His career includes national advisory roles and clinical leadership positions.
He has served as national specialty advisor for severe asthma and led the National Asthma Audit at the Royal College of Physicians.
Professor Isabel Oliver, chief medical officer for Wales, said: "I welcome Dr Calvert and I am very much looking forward to working with him.
"He brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the role.
"Dr Calvert will help strengthen medical leadership in Wales and his post will include responsibility for Wales providing clinical leadership to NHS performance and improvement and improving our clinical services across the NHS Wales."
Jeremy Miles, health secretary, said: "Dr Calvert's experience will prove invaluable to the role of deputy chief medical officer, and he will provide clear clinical leadership from the top in his new role with NHS performance and improvement."
Dr Calvert will begin his new responsibilities in August.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
2 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
ADHD prescriptions soar to £13m after thousands of Scots diagnosed as experts issue TikTok warning
Experts believe the huge increases may be being driven by awareness of ADHD being raised on social media sites like TikTok MEDS SURGE ADHD prescriptions soar to £13m after thousands of Scots diagnosed as experts issue TikTok warning A SPIKE in the number of Scots with ADHD has seen the annual cost of drugs prescribed for the condition rocket to around £13million. The alarming figures for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were driven by an increase of almost 50 per cent among adults in the last two years — from 14,160 to 21,173. 1 Data on NHS spending revealed the bill for five medicines used for ADHD soared by 40 per cent Credit: Getty Drugs used to treat it, such as Ritalin, were prescribed to 25,904 people in 2022/23. But that jumped by a third to 34,440 in 2024/25. Separate Public Health Scotland data on NHS spending revealed the bill for five medicines used for ADHD soared by 40 per cent from £9.1million in 2021/22, to £12.8million in 2023/24, as dispensed items leapt from 206,548 to 288,143. Experts warn the rise in sufferers and costs is making it harder for our crisis-hit health service to deliver safe care. The stats emerged two weeks after we revealed devolved benefits handouts for Scots with ADHD are set to hit £100million only three years after the payments were introduced. Dr Pavan Srireddy, vice-chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said: 'The impact on mental health services has been immense. 'Teams that were already stretched are struggling to meet demand, leading to lengthy waiting lists. 'This growing pressure is compromising the ability of services to deliver safe, timely and effective care.' And Dr Srireddy warned: 'The current situation is neither sustainable nor safe.' But many medics fear the problems will only get worse because they reckon the condition is actually underdiagnosed. Do you or your child have ADHD- Here's the NHS test as Brits waiting two years for diagnosis Symptoms include being easily distracted, forgetful, having difficulty following instructions, losing personal items often, being impulsive, restless and making quick decisions without considering consequences. The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland and other experts believe the huge increases may be being driven, in part, by awareness of ADHD being raised on social media sites such as TikTok. But there are also fears of misinformation being spread online about the condition. One study identified that more than half of the info on TikTok relating to ADHD was inaccurate. Geraldine Mynors, co-founder of the Scottish ADHD Coalition, said: 'A large number of adults have never been diagnosed, or were diagnosed as children but fell out of the system as teenagers. 'Therefore, there has been a big unmet need for help. 'Studies show that perhaps 1.5 per cent to three per cent of the population have it — and we are still very far short of this in terms of adults in treatment.' Concerns have also been raised about shortages of drugs, especially for children with severe cases. We previously told how ADHD benefit claimants on a standard rate for Adult Disability Payment get almost £4,000 a year. They don't need a formal diagnosis of having the condition in order to get approval for payouts. But they must have supporting information from medical specialists. Some legal firms are even offering sufferers 'no win, no fee' services to help them with claims. The Donaldson Trust charity said: 'A national approach to collecting and publishing ADHD assessment data is essential to identify service gaps and improve outcomes.'
Rhyl Journal
3 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
First doctors in UK to graduate through part-time study celebrate
The University of Edinburgh group has completed an 'innovative' five-year programme, known as HCP-Med for Healthcare Professionals, which aims to offer people already working in health the flexibility to become doctors. It is open exclusively to existing healthcare professionals, clinical scientists and veterinary surgeons living and working in Scotland. The course has been designed to address the increasing demand on the healthcare workforce in Scotland and has a strong emphasis on GP placements. The first three years of the undergraduate course are conducted part-time and mainly online, so that students can study in their own time while balancing work and other commitments. After completing their remote studies, students then join the university's full-time undergraduate medical programme for the final two years and carry out a range of clinical placements in GP practice and hospital wards. Dr Jen Kennedy, programme director HCP-MED, said: 'We have lots of incredibly talented people working within the NHS in Scotland who may have missed the traditional route to become doctors. 'By creating this new pathway and widening access to medical degrees, we are able to nurture their talent and use their valuable experience to enhance the healthcare workforce.' Calum MacDonald, who started his career as a staff nurse in an intensive care unit in Glasgow, is part of the first cohort of students who graduated from the programme on Saturday. His experience working in intensive care and subsequent training to become an advanced critical care practitioner, a role he has held since 2016, led him to consider a career as a doctor. He became a father in his second year of the course and the programme enabled him to stay in Glasgow and balance work with part time study and family life. Now a newly qualified doctor, he has secured a foundation post in Glasgow and will rotate across seven specialties. He said: 'I'm very proud to fly the flag for the HCP-Med programme – it's been a challenging but incredibly rewarding journey. 'Being able to continue working as a nurse while studying medicine was a huge financial incentive. I am delighted to be graduating today and am excited to start my placement as a junior doctor in Glasgow.' He is considering specialising in anaesthetics or general practice. Alongside the part-time study, students receive full funding from the Scottish Funding Council which the university said makes it an attractive route to retrain for those already working within the healthcare industry. Professor David Kluth, head of Edinburgh Medical School, said: 'I am very proud that Edinburgh is the first university in the UK to offer this innovative part-time programme. 'We are committed to doing all we can to empower individuals to reach their full potential and to widen access to medicine for future generations. 'The students on this programme bring with them a rich diversity of backgrounds, experiences and skills – from prior careers to lived experience of the communities they will serve. 'This breadth of talent and perspective is vital in building a more inclusive, adaptable, and effective medical workforce for Scotland.'
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Dr Zoe reveals how you can get free bowel cancer tests on the NHS – and who needs prostate checks
Some men are at higher risk of prostate cancer and are more likely to benefit from having PSA tests ASK DR ZOE Dr Zoe reveals how you can get free bowel cancer tests on the NHS – and who needs prostate checks OUR resident specialist and NHS GP, Dr Zoe Williams, shares her expert advice. Today, Dr Zoe helps a reader who is concerned that they are no longer being sent poo tests. 2 Dr Zoe Williams helps Sun readers with their health concerns 2 If you're aged 50 to 74 and registered with a GP you will automatically get a bowel cancer screening home test (FIT test kit) through the post every two year Credit: Alamy Q: I'M a man aged 81 and I'm no longer sent poo tests. Do you think I should request one, and should I request a prostate test too? A: Thank you for writing in, I think this is something that many readers will relate to. If you're aged 50 to 74 and registered with a GP you will automatically get a bowel cancer screening home test (FIT test kit) through the post every two years. The age limit was recently lowered to 50, after The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign called on the Government to extend testing to save lives. If you're aged 75 or over, you can ask for a home test kit every two years by calling the bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 6060. Similarly, women who are 71 or over can still choose to have breast screening every three years, but they will not be automatically invited, so will need to proactively request a screening appointment. As far as your prostate is concerned there isn't an NHS screening programme for prostate cancer as of yet. But men can request a PSA blood test from the age of 50 years. It's important to research the pros and cons of doing so first so that you can make an informed decision. Prostate Cancer UK has some helpful resources on its website, including a risk checker. How to check your prostate cancer risk Some men are at higher risk and are more likely to benefit from having PSA tests. These include black men over the age of 45, men with a family history of prostate cancer who are over the age of 45 and men with confirmed genetic risk factors for the disease, for example the BRCA2 gene variation.
