Concern over waiting time policies for Powys patients
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Daily Record
8 hours ago
- Daily Record
NHS in Scotland 'stuck in analogue age' as health boards shell out millions on pagers
Labour claimed the continued reliance on the devices proved the SNP Government was failing to equip the NHS for the 21st century. Scotland's NHS is " stuck in an analogue age" after it was revealed that health boards have shelled out millions of pounds on pagers in recent years. The devices were widely used in the 1980s and 1990s for instant communication before being replaced long ago by smartphones. Scottish Labour said the continued reliance on the devices proved the SNP Government was failing to equip the NHS for the 21st century. Data obtained by the party found health boards had spent at least £4,596,608 on pagers since 2018/19, with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spending almost £1.8 million and NHS Lothian spending close to £1 million. But the total figure is expected to be higher as some health boards failed to respond to a freedom of information request. Spending on pagers increased in at least seven health boards, while rising by 8 percent overall between 2018/19 and 2024/ Labour is now calling for improvements to hospital WiFi to reduce reliance on outdated technology like pagers and improve service delivery. At least 13 fax machines — used for sending messages instantly before emails — are still in use in Scottish hospitals. Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour health spokeswoman, said: "The UK Labour government is setting out a blueprint for NHS England's digital future, but the SNP, Scotland's NHS is still stuck in an analogue age. "The SNP has been in power for as long as the iPhone has existed, yet all analogue John has invented is excuses. Getting reliable WiFi in Scottish hospitals is the bare minimum the Scottish Government should do to bring our NHS into the 21 st century. "While English patients will soon be able to book appointments by app, the SNP can only promise a pilot for dermatology appointments in Lanarkshire. "Only Scottish Labour can take our NHS out of the SNP's analogue age — that's the new direction Scotland needs." It comes after Wes Streeting last week branded John Swinney an "analogue politician". The UK Health Secretary took a swipe at the First Minister as plans were announced to expand the NHS app available for patients in England. The Scottish version has yet to launch. Streeting said: "The UK Labour government is embracing technology to deliver a better NHS for patients and their families, giving them more control and transparency over their treatment. "In John Swinney the SNP have an analogue politician in a digital age and patients in Scotland are missing out. The SNP have record funding and complete control of the NHS in Scotland. "There are no excuses for [not having an app in place] and it just shows why Scotland can't afford a third decade of the SNP." A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'This spend of £4.6 million since 2018/19 must be seen in the context of an NHS budget that was more than £100 billion over the same period. 'While innovation and use of digital technology is essential to ensure the health and social care system's long-term sustainability, health boards should deploy the technology that enables NHS staff to best serve the needs of patients. "We expect health boards to embrace the latest tools, but also understand that pagers may be more practical and preferred in some cases. 'We have already taken significant steps through our Operational Improvement Plan and Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework to set out clear actions to harness digital innovation, improve access to treatment, shift the balance of care into the community and strengthen prevention.'
Powys County Times
11 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Powys Teaching Health Board 'to blame for waiting times'
Health officials should be blamed for Powys residents waiting longer than English patients to be treated in hospitals across the border, a senior councillor has said. Yesterday (Thursday, July 10), Cllr Beverley Baynham brought forward a notice of motion in front of councillors on this issue. The cost-cutting measure by Powys Teaching Health Board (PTHB) came into force on July 1 and means that some residents in parts of Powys will face longer waiting times for planned care at English hospitals such as the Royal Shrewsbury or Hereford County hospitals. This is due to PTHB implementing NHS Wales waiting time targets, which are slower than those in England. Cllr Angela Davies said: 'It is really concerning to Powys residents who go over the border, there is nothing in this motion to object. 'We're merely tasking the Welsh Government to adequately fund PTHB as we ask them to fund our local authority so that they can deliver the service that residents require.' She proposed moving straight to the vote. Deputy council leader, and Labour group leader, Cllr Matthew Dorrance then came in and said that his group would be supporting the motion but had concerns on the second point of the motion. The part under concern said: 'Calls upon the (Labour) Welsh Government to provide immediate funding support to PTHB, addressing the challenges of cross-border healthcare commissioning.' Cllr Dorrance said: 'It's important that we come together on this issue and the whole council speaks with one voice 'This Welsh Government are a significant partner and of course they are important in this debate, but they do fund the health board to the tune of over £400 million a year.' He pointed out that health and social care receives over 55 per cent of the Welsh Government's budget. Cllr Dorrance continued: 'I don't believe this is merely about money or resources we know from the evidence that has been presented by PTHB this is about demand management and invoice avoidance. 'So, it's delaying elected care so that the invoices are coming later so that they have an opportunity to deal with their deficit. 'That's what I strongly believe this is about – it's not about the Welsh Government these are decision being taken by the health board on how they deliver health care in this rural setting, and they need to be held to account for their decision.' He added that the Welsh Government had pumped in an extra £600 million into the Welsh NHS this year due to having two Labour government's working together. The motion then moved to a vote and 53 councillors voted in favour of the motion with one councillor abstaining.
South Wales Guardian
a day ago
- South Wales Guardian
Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and more UK supermarket recall warnings
Food recalls can be issued for a variety of reasons. For these products, it includes metal and plastic being found in frozen food, breakfast food that may contain insects, chocolate that may contain small stones and packaging errors resulting in foods presenting serious risks to those with allergies. We have rounded up the ongoing product recalls you should be aware of. If you have bought any of the items mentioned below, you can contact your retailer for a full refund. Woodstock Foods is recalling its Woodstock Vanilla Crème Crowns because of undeclared hazelnuts. The sweet pastry treats, which look like custard-filled Danish pastries, are a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to hazelnuts (nuts). Monday 7 July 2025: Woodstock Foods recalls Woodstock Vanilla Crème Crowns because of undeclared hazelnuts (nuts): The 12 x 50g packs, batch code 224934, best before January 2026 are being recalled. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product. An FSA spokesperson said: "If you have bought the above product and have an allergy to hazelnuts (nuts) do not eat it. Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund. For more information, please telephone Woodstock Foods on 0787 639 4406." (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) Unilever has recalled a number of Wall's Mini Milk ice cream lollies because they contain allergens not included on the label in English. The strawberry and chocolate flavours are affected by the recall, which has been issued because they contain milk not mentioned on the label in English and may also contain nuts (pistachios), peanuts and soya, making them a health risk to anyone with a milk or nut allergy. The affected lollies have the following batch codes: L5123, L5126, L5127, L5128, L5129, L5141 and L5142. An FSA spokesman said: 'Unilever is recalling the above product and has been advised to contact the relevant allergy support organisations. 'Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product. 'These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. 'If you have bought the above product and have an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents and/or an allergy to nuts (pistachios) and/or an allergy to peanuts and/or soya, do not eat it. 'For further information and a refund, please contact the Unilever careline team at ukicare@ Aldi has issued a recall and apologised to its customers as one of its products poses a potential health risk to shoppers. The FSA has warned any Aldi customers who have purchased the affected food not to eat it. The supermarket chain is recalling its Inspired Cuisine Baby Potatoes with Herbs and Butter because it contains milk which is not mentioned on the label. The packaging error means the product is a possible health risk to anyone with an allergy or an intolerance to milk or milk constituents. Tuesday 24 June 2025 - Aldi recalls Inspired Cuisine Baby Potatoes with Herbs and Butter because of undeclared milk #FoodAllergy The affected potatoes come in packs of 385g and have use by dates up to and including July 1. A spokesman for the FSA said: 'Aldi is recalling the above product from customers and has been advised to contact the relevant allergy support organisations, which will tell their members about the recall. 'The company has also issued a point-of-sale notice to its customers. These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. 'If you have bought the above product and have an allergy or intolerance to milk or milk constituents, do not eat it. 'Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund. For more information, please visit or call customer services on 0800 042 0800.' Recommended Reading: Popular bakery product recalled with 'do not eat' warning Asda, Matalan and Amazon recalls as shoppers told 'stop using them immediately' FSA issues 'do not eat' warning over chocolate that may be a 'food safety risk' An Aldi spokesman added: 'We apologise that this product did not meet our normal high standards and thank you for your co-operation.' The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is warning parents not to let children under the age of seven drink iced slushie drinks this summer if they contain glycerol. An FSA board meeting this week endorsed the advice and called for clear communication to parents and carers to help manage glycerol intake in young children. The FSA said: 'Slush ice drinks can contain glycerol as a substitute for sugar to prevent them from freezing solid. 'Consumed at high levels, glycerol can cause very low blood sugar levels and unconsciousness in young children. The FSA Board meeting begins today at 9am in Birmingham. Here's the agenda and meeting papers for today's meeting: Here's where you can watch it live: 1/2 'Businesses are advised to only add glycerol at the minimum quantity technically necessary to achieve the slush effect. 'While glycerol is found in some other foods, it is added at much lower quantities than in slush ice drinks.' Lidl is recalling one of its products because it may contain pieces of metal. The FSA has warned anyone who has purchased the recalled item not to eat it. The recall affects Lidl's Harvest Basket Hash Browns. The impacted hash browns come in packs of 750g, have a best before date of May 24, 2027, and a batch code of 5144L. Thursday 12 June: @LidlGB recalls Harvest Basket Hash Browns because they may contain pieces of metal #FoodAlert An FSA spokesman said: 'Lidl GB is recalling the above product. A point of sale notice will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product. 'This notice explains to customers why the product is being recalled and tells them what to do if they have bought the product. 'If you have bought the above product, do not eat it. 'Instead, return it to your nearest store for a full refund. For further information contact customer care on or 0203 966 5566.' Asda, Matalan and Amazon recalls as shoppers told 'stop using them immediately' FSA issues 'do not eat' warning over chocolate that may be a 'food safety risk' 'Do not eat' warning issued as 'unsafe to eat' sweets recalled A Lidl spokesman added: 'If you have bought the above product we advise you not to eat it. 'Customers are asked to return this product to the nearest store where a full refund will be given. 'We apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your cooperation.' Shoppers who purchased some Dubai-style chocolate products have been warned the food may not meet FSA standards. Some of the imported Dubai-style products could pose a risk to consumers with allergies, the food safety watchdog warned. Those with food allergies should be careful when buying the popular chocolate as some imported products may not be intended for sale in the UK and could lack a full ingredients list or allergen labelling, the FSA said. The watchdog said it had identified a number of products that posed a health risk to consumers with allergies. Some of these products may also contain additives and colours which are not allowed on the UK market, it added. The FSA said it was surveying and sampling the products to work out the scale of the issue, and working with allergy charities in the meantime to raise awareness of the risk with consumers. It said that 'most' Dubai-style chocolate available in UK shops was safe. The FSA said: 'If in doubt, don't buy it and report any concerns to your local authority.' By law, labels must list all ingredients and clearly highlight any of the 14 regulated allergens. The FSA advised consumers to look out for labelling details to check whether a product is intended for sale here. By law, products made to UK standards should have labels in English containing the name of the food – for example, milk chocolate with pistachio paste filling – a list of ingredients with allergens emphasised, the weight of the food in grams and a best before or use by date. Labels must also include the name and address of the UK or EU business responsible for the product information. If the food is not from the UK or EU, the name and address of the importer must be included. Multiple Jolly Rancher sweets sold in the UK have been recalled as they contain products that make them 'unsafe to eat' and they do not comply with UK laws, the FSA has warned. Four Jolly Rancher products have been recalled, as the FSA has told anyone who has bought them not to eat them. The affected products are the Jolly Rancher Hard Candy, Jolly Rancher 'Misfits' Gummies, Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1, and the Jolly Rancher Berry Gummies. The recall covers all pack sizes, batch codes, and best before dates of the sweets listed above. They contain Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons, (MOAH), and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons, (MOSH), making them unsafe to eat. Wednesday 11 June 2025. Food Alert "For Action": To Consumers who have purchased and Food Businesses who have purchased and sold Jolly Rancher products manufactured by The Hershey Company #FoodAlert The FSA said: 'For consumers, don't buy them, and if you've eaten these products, there should be no immediate cause for concern, as food safety risk is low, but don't eat any more. 'These products contain mineral oil, which isn't allowed in food in the UK and may pose a food safety risk if consumed regularly over a sustained period of time.' The FSA said that the Hershey Company, who produces Jolly Rancher sweets, had been working collaboratively to remove unsafe products from the UK markets. It added that while the parent company had decided to stop supplying the UK market in 2024 some businesses still continued to import the products for sale in the UK. An FSA spokesman said: 'Although the levels consumers are exposed to are likely to be low, they may present a risk to health because they contain Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons, (MOAH), and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons, (MOSH). 'Consumption of the affected sweets is of toxicological concern, especially in younger age groups and where consumers eat a lot of the products or eat them regularly. 'MOAH can cause damage to DNA and has the potential to increase the risk of cancer, particularly if consumed in high quantities over a prolonged period of time. MOAH is a genotoxic carcinogen, therefore no exposure is without risk to human health. 'We are asking enforcement authorities to make immediate contact with businesses who may have been supplied with or received the affected products, and to take action to ensure that the non-compliant and potentially unsafe products are withdrawn from the market and where sold at retail, recalled. 'We are also asking the Local Authorities to inform the FSA of product recall and withdrawal actions. 'If you have bought any of the above products, do not eat them. Instead, dispose of them at home. 'If you are concerned, notify your Trading Standards department or environmental health department in the local authority you purchased it.' Popular chocolate bars sold at a number of UK supermarkets have been recalled as they may contain 'small stones'. Tony's Chocolonely is recalling certain batches of two of its chocolate products because of the 'potential presence of foreign objects'. The chocolate bars which may contain the small stones are the Dark Almond Sea Salt Bar 180g and the Everything Bar 180g. Only certain product codes of the chocolate are being recalled. (Image: Tony's Chocolonely) These are the Dark Almond Sea Salt Bar codes and best before dates affected: These are the Everything Bar codes and best before dates affected: A spokesman for Tony's Chocolonely UK said: 'We are extremely sorry to have to issue this recall, and for the inconvenience that this will cause people who purchased these products. 'Whilst the probability of a product being affected is low, we always put the safety and satisfaction of our consumers first and that is why we have made the decision to recall these products. 'We apologise to consumers and our partners for the impact this will have. 'This recall only affects these specific products and lot codes. All other Tony's Chocolonely products remain safe to consume and are not impacted. 'Do you have a bar with the impacted lot number(s)? Please don't eat the chocolate. Instead, we kindly ask you that you return the product to the store where you bought it for a refund or replacement.' Tesco has recalled one of its products from supermarket shelves across the UK because they may pose a health risk to customers. The supermarket giant has recalled one of its Tesco Free From Meal Kits because they contain undeclared soya. The presence of soya, not mentioned on the label, makes them a potential health risk for anyone with an allergy to soya. The affected products are the Tesco Free From Katsu Curry Meal Kit, affecting all products with a best before date up to and including December 12. Tony's Chocolonely recall as chocolate may contain stones 'Do not eat': Products sold at Tesco, Asda, Iceland and more recalled 'Stop using it immediately': Asda apology to customers as product recalled A spokesman for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said: 'Tesco is recalling the above products from customers and has been advised to contact the relevant allergy support organisations, which will tell their members about the recall. 'The company has also issued a recall notice to its customers. 'These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. 'If you have bought the above products do not eat them. Instead, return them to any Tesco store for a full refund. For more information contact Tesco Customer Services on 0800 505 555.' Iceland has issued a 'do not eat' warning to its customers over a product that may contain pieces of plastic. The supermarket is recalling its Iceland Vegetable Lasagne because of the risk of plastic in the dish, making it unsafe to eat. The affected products have best before dates of July 23, 2026, and July 30, 2026. A spokesman for the FSA also told anyone who has purchased the dish not to eat it. Wednesday 19 March. Iceland Foods Ltd recalls Iceland Vegetable Lasagne because it may contain pieces of plastic #FoodAlert They said: 'Iceland Foods Ltd is recalling the above product. The company has issued a recall notice to its customers. 'These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. 'If you have bought the above product do not eat it. Instead, return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund. For more information, please call 0800 328 0800.' An Iceland spokesman added: 'We are taking the precautionary measure of recalling the dates codes of the above product because it may contain hard pieces of plastic making it unsafe to eat. 'Only the best before date codes listed in this notice are affected. 'If you have purchased any of the above product, DO NOT eat it.' A popular breakfast choice sold at Tesco, Ocado, Amazon and other outlets has been recalled because it may contain insects. Rude Health Foods Ltd is recalling its Rude Health Chocolate Crunch Granola because of the possible presence of insects. The affected product is the 400g box of granola with a best before date of October 24. The FSA has warned anyone who has purchased the granola not to eat it but return it to wherever they bought it for a full refund. Thursday 20 March - @rudehealth recalls Rude Health Chocolate Crunch Granola because of the possible presence of insects #FoodAlert A spokesman said: 'The product listed above might contain insects, which may make them unsafe to eat. 'Rude Health Foods Ltd is recalling the above product. Point of sale notices will be displayed in all retail stores that are selling this product. 'These notices explain to customers why the product is being recalled and tell them what to do if they have bought the product. 'If you have bought the above product do not eat it. Instead, return it to your local store for a refund. For further information, please contact Rude Health Foods Ltd at hello@ Iceland 'do not eat' warning as product may contain 'hard pieces of plastic' Holiday warning as mosquito bite leaves student paralysed for a month AA issues roundabout warning to drivers as millions risk fine for common mistake A Rude Health Foods spokesman added: 'No other batches of the chocolate crunch granola or other Rude Health products are affected by this recall. 'If you have bought the above product we advise you do not consumer it. 'We sincerely regret any inconvenience caused to our customers.' If there is a problem with a food product that means it should not be sold, then it might be 'withdrawn' (taken off the shelves) or 'recalled' (when customers are asked to return the product). The FSA issues Product Withdrawal Information Notices and Product Recall Information Notices to let consumers and local authorities know about problems associated with food. In some cases, a 'Food Alert for Action' is issued. This provides local authorities with details of specific actions to be taken on behalf of consumers.
