The Lowdown

Programme to address the overuse of medications gets cut - The Lowdown A programme that successfully reduced NHS medicine costs and improved patient safety has been forced to close due to a lack of funding, just as NHS medicine costs appear set to rise sharply. The…

Programme to address the overuse of medications gets cut due to a lack of funding, just as NHS medicine costs appear set to rise sharply
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NHS shakeup shutting out community voices? - The Lowdown One consistent thread running through the Government’s proposed NHS reorganisation is a reduction in local accountability to the communities served by NHS bodies. The cutbacks in Integrated Care Board...

NHS shakeup shutting out community voices? - John Lister

lowdownnhs.info/analysis/acc...

Quarter of practices face 'unsustainable' demand following online access change, LMC warns Almost a quarter of GP practices have warned they are facing unsustainable demand following changes to online access introduced this month, an LMC survey has revealed.

Quarter of practices face 'unsustainable' demand following online access change, LMC warns

Private equity and the NHS: how does it work, and what could be the impact? - NHS for Sale Private equity is the very worst of capitalism. It has no long-term interest in companies, their employees, clients or the communities where they are based. Private equity operates only to ... <a titl...

How private equity works and why we need to be concerned for the NHS - an explainer

www.nhsforsale.info/private-equi...

Private equity takeover of hospitals led to rise in Medicare emergency patient deaths, says study Study found seven more deaths per 10,000 patients in private equity hospitals’ versus non-private equity hospitals

Private equity takeover of US hospitals led to rise in patient deaths.

Cuts to staffing/investment; high debt, profiteering; worse patient outcomes.

More deaths in nursing homes, increased post-operative complications

Why is UK Govt handing the NHS to PE? Why no investigation of the impact of PE?

Private equity - "decimated" US hospitals according to report - now targeting the NHS - The Lowdown In late August the release of a report by US senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) on the destruction of hospitals in his home state of Connecticut, and across the US by private equity companies highlights on...

Private equity – “decimated” US hospitals according to report – now targeting the NHS

lowdownnhs.info/private-prov...

Keeping track of Labour’s policy contortions - The Lowdown So it’s official: the rumours of Treasury refusal to pay up the costs of redundancy and early retirement payments for staff whose jobs were to be axed in the planned abolition of NHS England (NHSE) an...

Keeping track of Labour’s policy contortions - John Lister

lowdownnhs.info/analysis/kee...

Labour in denial over unfair treatment of mental health patients? - The Lowdown Mental health patients are waiting nearly 12 times longer than those needing physical health treatment, despite Labour’s manifesto pledge to give both ‘the same attention and focus’ – raising question...

Labour in denial over unfair treatment of mental health patients

lowdownnhs.info/mental-healt...

NHS chiefs warn of flaws in new league tables - The Lowdown Labour’s 10-year plan, published in July (seriously weakened by a lack of funding and an effective implementation strategy), promised to publish “easy-to-understand league tables, starting this summer...

NHS chiefs warn of flaws in new league tables

lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/nh...

New ICB figures show uneven trends on use of private sector? - The Lowdown New figures published earlier this month show the extent to which some Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) have increased their use of the private sector since Labour took office last July, and the extent t...

New ICB figures show uneven trends on use of private sector since Labour took office

lowdownnhs.info/analysis/new...

How real is the claimed improvement in NHS performance? - The Lowdown Jim Mackey’s September 19 circular to local health chiefs claims England’s NHS has been “continuing to improve waiting times in electives, cancer and for emergency care.” Is this true? It’s a mixed pi...

How real is the claimed improvement in NHS performance? - John Lister

lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/ho...

Dorset NHS hospital aiming for 500% increase in private patients to pay for buildings - The Lowdown University Hospital Dorset (UHD) NHS Foundation Trust based in Bournemouth and Poole has launched a tender seeking a private healthcare company as a long-term joint venture partner in order to substan...

Dorset hospital aims for large rise in private patient work to pay for reorganisation

lowdownnhs.info/private-prov...

Labour forced to change course on NHS subcos: now roll back outsourcing - The Lowdown After months of dispute, the government has decided to bring an end to the farce of NHS Trusts forming wholly owned subsidiary companies – subcos – to avoid tax and to threaten staff terms and conditi...

Labour forced to change course on NHS subcos: now roll back outsourcing

lowdownnhs.info/comment/labo...

Mackey wrong-footed as Treasury refuses to cover £1b redundancy costs  - The Lowdown NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey seems confused. On September 19 he sent out a boisterous, upbeat circular to chief executives and chairs of all 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), trusts and ...

Mackey wrong-footed as Treasury refuses to cover £1b redundancy costs

lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/ma...

New ICB figures show uneven trends on use of private sector? - The Lowdown New figures published earlier this month show the extent to which some Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) have increased their use of the private sector since Labour took office last July, and the extent t...

New ICB figures show uneven trends on use of private sector since Labour took office

lowdownnhs.info/analysis/new...

NHS chiefs warn of flaws in new league tables - The Lowdown Labour’s 10-year plan, published in July (seriously weakened by a lack of funding and an effective implementation strategy), promised to publish “easy-to-understand league tables, starting this summer...

NHS chiefs warn of flaws in new league tables

lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/nh...

Labour in denial over unfair treatment of mental health patients? - The Lowdown Mental health patients are waiting nearly 12 times longer than those needing physical health treatment, despite Labour’s manifesto pledge to give both ‘the same attention and focus’ – raising question...

Labour in denial over unfair treatment of mental health patients

lowdownnhs.info/mental-healt...

Mackey wrong-footed as Treasury refuses to cover £1b redundancy costs  - The Lowdown NHS England chief executive Sir Jim Mackey seems confused. On September 19 he sent out a boisterous, upbeat circular to chief executives and chairs of all 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), trusts and ...

Mackey wrong-footed as Treasury refuses to cover £1b redundancy costs

lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/ma...

Don't miss today's Morning Star, with a wraparound from us.

In an NHS that already has 100k vacancies, govt plan to make yet another 100k redundant, including frontline clinical roles.

How's this going to shorten waiting lists? We all deserve better.

If it sounds crazy - that's because it is.

Labour forced to change course on NHS subcos: now roll back outsourcing - The Lowdown After months of dispute, the government has decided to bring an end to the farce of NHS Trusts forming wholly owned subsidiary companies – subcos – to avoid tax and to threaten staff terms and conditi...

Labour forced to change course on NHS subcos: now roll back outsourcing

lowdownnhs.info/comment/labo...

Dorset NHS hospital aiming for 500% increase in private patients to pay for buildings - The Lowdown University Hospital Dorset (UHD) NHS Foundation Trust based in Bournemouth and Poole has launched a tender seeking a private healthcare company as a long-term joint venture partner in order to substan...

Dorset hospital aims for large rise in private patient work to pay for reorganisation

lowdownnhs.info/private-prov...

How real is the claimed improvement in NHS performance? - The Lowdown Jim Mackey’s September 19 circular to local health chiefs claims England’s NHS has been “continuing to improve waiting times in electives, cancer and for emergency care.” Is this true? It’s a mixed pi...

How real is the claimed improvement in NHS performance? - John Lister

lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/ho...

Private equity - destroyer of US healthcare - now targeting the NHS - The Lowdown In late August the release of a report by US senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn) on the destruction of hospitals in his home state of Connecticut, and across the US by private equity companies highlights on...

Private equity – destroyer of US healthcare – now targeting the NHS

lowdownnhs.info/private-prov...

Say no to new PFI in our NHS - Labour conference action You can still stop the government's plan for new PFI in our NHS

Private finance has been a disaster for our public services. ❌

Say no to new #PFI in our #NHS. 🏥

Join us at #Labour conference to urge the government to change course ahead of their final decision in their autumn budget on 26 November.
Or you can email your MP today 👇

First Farage platformed notorious UK anti-vaxxer, Aseem Malhotra, who insinuated that Covid vaccines caused the Royal Family’s recent cancers.

Now he’s openly trashing scientific method & evidence, pretending neither can be trusted & facts are a free for all.

This is deeply dangerous populism.

Nigel Farage's 'repugnant' migrants plan torn apart as NHS would 'collapse' Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been warned his 'morally repugnant' plans to scrap the main route to citizenship for migrants could push the NHS to the brink of collapse

Nigel Farage's 'repugnant' migrants plan torn apart as NHS would 'collapse'

"The effect on the NHS and social care workforce would be no less than catastrophic. It'll be impossible to maintain vital public services," warned UNISON's Christina McAnea
www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

A&E doctor's message to Nigel Farage about his plans for NHS comes with warning An overseas A&E doctor who has trained and worked in the UK for a decade has said she is 'appalled' by Nigel Farage’s plan to scrap indefinite leave to remain if Reform is elected

With the NHS already suffering huge workforce shortages, Reform’s latest immigration announcement will create uncertainty for thousands of workers.

RDC’s Dr Jinnie Shin has spoken out against the proposals. Read more: www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

Fears of new PFI-style ‘disaster’ as firms handed £6m to advise on using private funds for NHS clinics Exclusive: Consultants and lawyers hired to advise on using public-private partnerships to build ‘neighbourhood health centres’ in England

Fears of new PFI-style ‘disaster’ as firms handed £6m to advise on using private funds for NHS clinics

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

BMA votes to oppose 10 year plan for NHS - The Lowdown BMA leaders have voted to oppose the government’s 10-year plan for the NHS. The vote, at a special meeting of BMA representatives, called on the government for safeguards to GP independent contractor ...

BMA votes to oppose Government's 10 year plan for the NHS unless changes are made

lowdownnhs.info/news/bma-vot...

GPs to enter dispute with Government over contract changes - The Lowdown GPs in England have voted to re-enter dispute with the Government from 1 October, the BMA has announced. The dispute centres around the contract changes set to begin 1 October which will mean GP surge...

GPs to enter dispute with the Government over contract changes that they say are unsafe for patients and surgery staff

lowdownnhs.info/safety/gps-t...