“From a GP’s perspective, the waits now for hospital treatment, for elective care and for investigations are becoming unacceptable, and we’re having to support all our patients who are waiting for that treatment, who need that really to help them move on with their lives – and we’re trying to support them. It’s one of the big reasons we’re seeing such a rise in demand.”

Watch the interview on BBC news here.

Our NHS colleagues from India have fought hard to save lives in the UK. The NHS would have buckled to its knees without them.

Dr Jenny Vaughan, Vice Chair of DAUK, interviewed on Newsnight showing support to the people of India in these tough times. 

Two directors are due to step down at a hospital that asked staff for fingerprints and handwriting samples as it hunted a whistleblower.

An inquiry into West Suffolk Hospital’s handling of the affair is due to report imminently.

Nick Jenkins will leave his role as medical director, while chief operating officer Helen Beck is to retire.

The NHS trust that runs the hospital in Bury St Edmunds thanked both of them for their “dedication and leadership”.

In a letter to staff, seen by the BBC, West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust’s chief executive Dr Stephen Dunn made the announcement, but made no reference to the independent inquiry.

Trust management were accused of carrying out a “witch-hunt” after staff were asked for fingerprints and handwriting samples in an attempt to find the author of a letter that was sent to the husband of a deceased patient.

An inquest was told about a series of errors in the treatment of Susan Warby, who died five weeks after bowel surgery in August 2018.

The 57-year-old was given glucose instead of saline fluid through an arterial line in one operation, suffered a punctured lung during another and a week later contracted a fungal infection.

Two months later, her husband Jon received the anonymous letter that highlighted concerns about her treatment and suggested questions about the role of a particular doctor should be raised.

The hospital trust spent more than £2,000 in 2019 commissioning fingerprint and handwriting experts in an effort to identify the author. 

The Doctors’ Association described the trust’s actions as a “witch hunt” and said they highlighted a “toxic culture”.

The hospital, which serves constituents of Health Secretary Matt Hancock, later apologised to the staff involved.

Christine Outram MBE was commissioned by NHS Improvement to carry out an independent review into the events arising from the letter and the hospital’s handling of the affair. 

It was due to be completed in April 2020, but it has yet to be published.

Read the article in full here

‘As the government faces mounting criticism that well-connected people made millions out of Britain’s PPE crisis, Panorama investigates who won out.’

‘More than £12 billion was spent in the first six months of the pandemic on contracts to provide personal protective equipment.’

‘Reporter Richard Bilton meets one man who made £40 million on a deal and speaks to others who felt ignored in favour of less experienced suppliers. As the government refuses to reveal the full details of all its so-called VIP deals, the programme reveals the high-profile connections to one lucrative contract.’

Watch the full programme here

“Just getting up for my night shift that I’ve had to pick up because two of our colleagues have come down with COVID and so now there is a rota gap.”

“I caught COVID in the first wave and I followed all the COVID PPE guidelines, you know, all the PPE that I had couldn’t stop me from getting COVID. I felt really sad and scared for the people who were saying that they did not have PPE because it’s just such a terrible disease. It’s very scary.”

Dr Pushpo Hossain

“This is the story of the UK government’s desperate 12 billion pound scramble to kit out the NHS for COVID. And the tens of millions of items of PPE bought at taxpayers expense that now can’t be used as planned. It’s pretty devastating for those who work on the front line and know so much money is being wasted when it could have been invested in our frontline services.”

DAUK’s Dr Katie Sanderson, talked to BBC Today about what it was like in March compared to today. She talks about the more hopeful situation dealing with Covid patients now due to the increased knowledge on the ground compared to previously, but also highlights her fears for another spike in cases in January. She reiterates how important it is to be sensible, and how every death now feels preventable due to the ongoing roll out of the vaccine.”
#protectthefrontline

Dr Samantha Batt-Rawden, an intensive care registrar and President of The Doctors’ Association UK, says NHS staff are facing “devastating” abuse online and at protests.

She thinks it’s driven by coronavirus sceptics and anti-lockdown activists.

In response Dr Batt-Rawden, who is president of the Doctors’ Association UK, started her own campaign for people to post blue hearts on social media to show their support for health workers.

#NHSBlueheart