Six patient deaths linked to use of ‘substitute' doctors by NHS
Professor Gillian Leng, the president of the Royal Society of Medicine, was asked by Wes Streeting, the health secretary, to examine the role of physician associates (PAs), a group of 3,500 NHS staff who assist doctors but do not have a medical degree.
Leng's 134-page report concluded there had been cases where PAs had been used as a substitute for doctors in the NHS, which was 'clearly risky and confusing for patients'.
She said that, in future, PAs should be renamed physician 'assistants' and wear lanyards, badges and uniforms that make it clear to patients that they are not trained doctors.
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Reuters
43 minutes ago
- Reuters
Director Francis Ford Coppola doing 'fine' after cardiac procedure in Rome
LOS ANGELES, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Francis Ford Coppola, the acclaimed American director of "The Godfather" movies and "Apocalypse Now," underwent a non-emergency cardiac procedure in a Rome hospital and is doing fine, he and a U.S.-based representative said on Tuesday. "Mr. Coppola went in for a scheduled update procedure" performed by renowned Italian-born cardiologist Dr. Andrea Natale "and is resting nicely," the representative said in response to Italian media reports that the director was hospitalised. "All is well." Coppola, 86, has been a patient of Natale for more than 30 years, the representative said. The filmmaker was admitted on Tuesday to the Policlinico Tor Vergata, a public hospital in the Italian capital, news agency ANSA reported. The U.S.-based representative declined to give any details about the nature of Coppola's medical procedure, but said: "There was not an emergency. He went to the hospital in a car. He had a scheduled appointment." Coppola posted a photograph of himself on Instagram appearing relaxed and smiling with a message reassuring fans, "I am well." "Da Dada (what my kids call me) is fine, taking an opportunity while in Rome to do the update of my 30-year-old afib procedure with its inventor, a great Italian doctor - Dr. Andrea Natale," it said. He did not elaborate further. The term "a-fib" in medical parlance is short for atrial fibrillation, a type of abnormal heart rhythm. Natale, currently the executive director of the Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute, is an electrophysiology specialist who pioneered several treatments and devices for the treatment of such disorders. Coppola was in Italy to promote his latest movie, the science-fiction epic "Megalopolis," a $120 million self-funded production about a visionary architect's quest to transform a futuristic version of New York City called New Rome into a utopian community. The film, which has drawn mixed reviews and struggled at the box office following its 2024 debut at the Cannes Film Festival, was reported to have received a special screening at the Magna Graecia Film Festival in Catanzaro, Italy. The Italian-American director has won five Academy Awards, four of them for his work on the first two films in "The Godfather" trilogy, widely considered by cinema buffs to rank among the greatest movies of all time.
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Wes Streeting warned alcohol measures ‘are not sufficient' to stop harm
Government plans to tackle problem drinking 'are not sufficient to address the scale and complexity of harm', leading health experts have warned. Academics, medics and charities from around the country have urged ministers to take 'ambitious' action to tackle the 'scale of the current crisis'. The Government recently set out plans to improve the health of people in England over the next decade. But in a letter to Health Secretary Wes Streeting, shared with the PA news agency, experts said that the public 'want and deserve' more action to tackle the harms. 'As experts from across alcohol policy, health and treatment, we urge you to revisit the current approach to tackling alcohol harm and commit to an ambitious, evidence-based strategy that reflects the scale of the current crisis,' the letter states. 'The 10-Year health plan for England offered a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shift gear and deliver genuine preventative action that would reverse the rising rates of alcohol-related hospitalisations and deaths we have seen in recent years. 'While the introduction of mandatory alcohol labelling and increased support for community-led schemes is welcome, these measures alone are not sufficient to address the scale and complexity of harm.' The letter has been signed by 34 health leaders from leading health organisations including the Alcohol Health Alliance; the Royal College of Physicians; the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine. The 10 Year Health Plan for England, which was published last month, sets out plans to tackle harmful drinking through alcohol labelling, which will include health warning messages. The document also sets out proposed changes to no and low (NoLo) alcohol products and pledged support for community-led schemes to reduce alcohol harm. Before the 10 Year Plan was released there was speculation over whether the plan would include a ban on alcohol advertising. It was also reported that ministers were exploring the possibility of minimum unit pricing (MUP), a policy which sets the lowest price an alcoholic drink can be sold for. In the new letter, experts have called for a series of measures to tackle alcohol harms, including: – A call for the introduction of MUP in England, as seen in Scotland and Wales. Minimum unit pricing for alcohol was associated with a 13% decrease in deaths from alcohol consumption in Scotland, according to a new study. Read this and more in our latest issue: — The Lancet (@TheLancet) April 21, 2023 – Giving local authorities the power to regulate hours of sale and online deliveries of alcohol. – For advertising regulations for alcohol to be 'aligned' with those for foods high in fat, salt and sugar. – A change to alcohol tax, linking duties to inflation and ending 'cider exceptionalism'. – More funding and support for local alcohol care teams. The group stresses that 'alcohol is not just the problem of a few'. It points out that every year alcohol contributes to more than a million hospital admissions. And the experts said that across the UK, 30% of the adult population engage in 'risky drinking', and almost one in 25 of all new cancers are estimated to be linked to alcohol. The 10 Year Plan states: 'While many people enjoy a drink in moderation, 4% of people drink as much as 30% of alcohol consumed each year.' But it adds that the estimated total 'societal cost' of alcohol harm in England was £27.4 billion per year in 2021/22. The authors conclude: 'The public want and deserve action, and we stand ready to work with Government to deliver real progress. 'By taking meaningful and co-ordinated action now, the burden of alcohol harm can fall significantly within the term of this Government, with visible results for families, the NHS, crime, and the economy.' The Department of Health and Social Care said it will continue to consider the most effective interventions to reduce alcohol harms. A spokesperson said: 'As we shift from sickness to prevention through our 10-Year Health Plan, we will make it mandatory for alcoholic drinks to display health warnings and nutritional information. 'To improve drug and alcohol treatment services and recovery support in England, the Government has also provided an additional £310 million in 2025/26, on top of the public health grant.' A spokesperson for the Portman Group said: 'Whilst overall alcohol consumption and harms such as binge drinking, underage drinking and anti-social behaviour continue to fall, and the vast majority of people drink within the chief medical officer's low-risk guidance or not at all, we share concerns around rising deaths and those who continue to drink to harmful levels. 'We support further targeted and tailored measures aimed at this group to manage the complex, often interrelated issues underlying harmful consumption and back calls for the further rollout of alcohol care teams and greater integration of care pathways. 'As the alcohol industry regulatory body for marketing, we welcome the chance to work constructively with the Government on the proposals within its 10 year plan to help more consumers make an informed choice and drink moderately.' – Other signatories on the letter include representatives from: the Institute of Alcohol Studies; Alcohol Change UK; the Royal College of Surgeons of England; the Royal Society for Public Health; the British Society of Gastroenterology; World Cancer Research Fund; the Association of Anaesthetists; the Association of Directors of Public Health; the British Association for the Study of the Liver; the Medical Council on Alcohol and the British Medical Association.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Women can now claim almost £1,000 for 'gifting' their eggs and demand has never been greater. But for many the procedure is painful, has been linked to serious health conditions and leaves a lifetime of troubling questions
Leena Khan was a 21-year-old university student when she saw the Facebook advert seeking egg donors: giving would be a selfless act, the fertility clinic said. 'I've always gone out of my way to help people,' says Leena – and with £750 expenses offered, the money would help fund her studies. As far as ideas go, she says, 'it didn't seem crazy'. Within months of donating, however, Leena started suffering painful, heavy periods.
