National Health Service

[SteveH]

A translation error on a Welsh language sign at a hospital has had people in stitches with the notice sending out a very different message. The sign was spotted by a visitor to Llandudno Hospital earlier this week and the Facebook post received several comments, many of which poked fun at the mistake.   

The sign reads (in English): "To raise alarm please ring bell", with the Welsh translation underneath saying: "Codi braw ffoniwch gloch." Unfortunately, the Welsh roughly translates as: "Raise a fright, phone the alarm." 

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/hospital-gets-welsh-language-sign-26996489?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

'Key individuals' named in latest scathing BCUHB report 'suspended'

Mr Millar, who said he was given an anonymous copy of the report, said the findings include "false accounting and the manipulation of documents, which amount to fraud".

He said: "These were done in the knowledge of senior members of staff at the health board, including the chief executive and the Finance Director. The junior staff who pushed back against these appalling practices were overruled by their superiors and there, then, were deliberate efforts to hide those actions from Audit Wales and the forensic investigators from Ernst and Young. It absolutely stinks."

cont https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/23549304.key-individuals-named-latest-scathing-bcuhb-report-suspended/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

PS.
A leaked version of the report said finance officials at Betsi Cadwaladr deliberately made incorrect entries in their own accounts.
Betsi's interim chairman said the health board had not yet published the report so as not to incriminate people.

Dyfed Edwards said there was a "process in place to deal with the specifics".

Accountancy firm EY's report, shown to BBC Wales, said Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board wrongly accounted for millions of pounds.

It alleged EY's work was "hindered" by the alteration of a document and the deletion of a recording of a meeting.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65739247

[SteveH]

Nurses across nearly all parts of Wales will strike for 12 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday in an ongoing dispute over pay.

The industrial action means thousands of planned care appointments will be impacted.

Aneurin Bevan health board, in south east Wales, is the only one not to be affected.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Wales' chief said members needed "more commitments" from the Welsh government.

She added that the ballot for further action would reopen in July.

The Welsh government said it was "disappointed" that strike action was continuing.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65815004

[SteveH]

The UK government has called on Wales' health minister to publish a report that alleges financial mismanagement at the NHS board for north Wales.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies has written to Eluned Morgan "expressing serious concern" about a report by accounting firm EY.

It said Betsi Cadwaladr health board wrongly accounted for millions.

The report said that there had "been systematic cultural failings in the finance team and leadership".

The Welsh government has so far refused to publish the document, saying "Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is awaiting legal advice on whether or not they can release the report".

The investigation, seen by the BBC, said finance officials at the board deliberately made incorrect entries into the accounts.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-65821814

[SteveH]

A troubled health board has seen one of its independent board members resign just one week after being appointed.

Lesley Singleton's name only appeared on Betsi Cadwaladr health board's website last week.

The previous 11 independent board members controversially resigned in February, claiming Health Minister Eluned Morgan forced them to quit.

Concerns were raised after Newyddion S4C revealed Ms Singleton was employed by the health board until last year.

Ms Singleton had sat around the board table during her time as director, meaning in her new role she would be scrutinising decisions made by the health board she recently worked for.

cont from BBC report 31st May  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-65770052

[SteveH]

The decisions made in Cardiff and London that have left the Welsh NHS 'on its knees'
'Deliberate underfunding' has starved Wales' health service of funds for over a decade

The NHS in Wales is in dire straits thanks to deliberate underfunding from both the Welsh Government and Westminster. A special report from WalesOnline has found that political decisions made by the Welsh and UK Governments have starved Wales' health service of funds for over a decade.

The investigation found that since 2010 the UK Government has cut the cash coming to Wales while simultaneously the Welsh Government failed to pass on equivalent amounts of funding to the NHS that was being spent in England. Whether you are a patient waiting up to six years for a procedure, a member of staff watching your real terms year-on-year pay plummet as you?re asked to do more work with less resource or simply someone who has even a cursory look through the data - Wales? health service is in a serious trouble.

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/decisions-made-cardiff-london-left-27104835

[SteveH]

Health bosses are warning of major disruption and pressure on the NHS in England, as the hot weather combines with the latest junior doctor strike.

British Medical Association members will walk out for 72 hours from 07:00 on Wednesday.

It is the third strike in the pay dispute and is expected to lead to the cancellation of much routine care.

And with the heat placing extra demands on A&E units, bosses urged people to use services sensibly.

Junior doctors, nearly half the medical workforce, will walk out of both routine and emergency care.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65896395

[SteveH]

Betsi Cadwaladr: Health board struggles to find new boss

A troubled health board has failed to recruit a new chief executive, despite "an intensive search" and offering a salary of ?225,000.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, covering north Wales, has had four leaders in the past four years.

The Welsh government put it back into special measures in February over patient safety concerns.

But management said a search for a new chief executive has so far proved unsuccessful.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65925608

[DVT]

Ss they have carried on for part 6 months or more without someone in that role it does beg the question of what does that person actually do for that amount of money.

Surely 225k would be better spent on some more nursing staff who are the people that actually do the work in hospitals?

[SteveH]

White Gables Dental Practice in Colwyn Bay has notified patients that it is relinquishing their "small NHS contract".

It states: "We have taken the decision to relinquish our small NHS contract, which means that the provision of your dental care will change from September 1 2023.

"We will only be offering private or Denplan dental services from that date onwards.?

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/23602674.colwyn-bay-dental-practice-end-nhs-servies-go-private/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

This raises the question of how much tourism costs the local NHS services, BCUHB in particular, and are they compensated proportionally, I doubt it 

Summer tourism surge sees North Wales hospital plan extra heli-pad
Existing helicopter landing site could be removed and two new landing pads built at Ysbyty Gwynedd

It comes amid reports that the the hospital's catchment area "doubles" in the summer months - due to an increase in holiday makers visiting the Eryri mountains and North Wales beaches. The application has been made by Jason Dean of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board through agent Mathew Roberts of TACP Architects Ltd.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/summer-tourism-surge-sees-north-27188835

[SteveH]

UK's high rate of avoidable deaths linked to NHS woes

People in the UK are less likely to survive treatable conditions, such as breast cancer and stroke, than those in other rich nations, a study has found.

The review, by the King's Fund think tank, said the problem may be directly linked to the performance of the NHS.

It said below-average spending on the UK health service led to fewer staff and equipment than systems elsewhere.

But the study showed the NHS was very efficient within its budget, with less cash spent on admin than other nations.

The government says the NHS is one of the most efficiently run healthcare systems, and that investment is happening to further improve services.

Ahead of the 75th anniversary of the creation of the NHS next month, the think tank compared the UK's health service with the performance of 18 other health systems, including those in Europe as well as Japan, the US and Australia.

cont stats  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-65992173

[SteveH]

Betsi health board heading for 134m deficit in 'ambitious' plan for year
The under-fire board were discussing the annual plan for 2023/24

The under-fire North Wales health board faces a ?134m deficit in its budget this year - although this will be an "ambitious" reduction on the last financial year. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board made its budget projection in an annual report it will present to health minister Eluned Morgan.

Last year the budget had a 196m deficit and a plan has been put in place to reduce that. Chris Stockport, Executive Director of Transformation, Strategic Planning and Commissioning, said the plan was "ambitious" but that it would still mean a projected deficit of 134m.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/betsi-health-board-heading-134m-27201314

[SteveH]

NHS in Wales and GPs face collapse, BMA union says

GP services "will collapse in Wales and the NHS will follow" soon after unless urgent support is provided, the British Medical Association (BMA) has warned.

As patient levels rise, numbers of GP surgeries and doctors are falling amid inadequate resources and unsustainable workloads, BMA Cymru Wales has claimed.

It has written to the Welsh government, urging more funding and staff help.

The Welsh government said it was acting to cut pressure on GPs and increasing services by community pharmacists.

Launching its Save Our Surgeries campaign, the BMA said the number of GP practices in Wales had decreased by 18% in the past decade from 470 to 386.

It said the equivalent number of full-time GPs had also dropped by 456 (21.7%), from 1,901 to 1,445.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66030700

[SteveH]

Medical degrees could be shortened by a year and there will be thousands more university places for medical students, in a major plan to boost the NHS workforce in England.

The plan, which has been delayed for more than a year, has been called "historic" by NHS leaders.

But Health Secretary Steve Barclay admitted patients would not see some of the benefits for several years.

Critics say poor working conditions in the NHS could undermine the plan.

The NHS has been beset by strikes this year, and the dispute with doctors is still continuing.

Pay does not feature in the plan - instead, it focuses on increasing training places for medical and nursing students and a new apprenticeship scheme for doctors.

A consultation on whether five-year medical degrees could be shortened by a year will also be launched.

cont   https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-66052274