New data lifts lid on agonising wait for mental health treatment
This figure, which rose from 1.3 million in March 2024, is in addition to the 7.4 million people on the NHS physical health waiting list.
Dr Lade Smith, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, warned that mental health care is being rationed and downgraded, not prioritised by the government.
The government's recently launched 10-year NHS plan recommits to expanding mental health teams and specialist A&Es but lacks specific commitments to reduce existing waiting lists.
The lack of sufficient community care is forcing more patients into A&E, as highlighted by the NHS's director for mental health and a mother whose autistic daughter was hospitalised due to lack of community support.
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The Sun
26 minutes ago
- The Sun
NHS nurses set to join doctors' miserable 5-day walk out after ‘rejecting latest pay deal'
NURSES are poised to reject a pay rise from the Government- paving the way for fresh NHS strike chaos. The Royal College of Nursing is understood to have 'overwhelmingly' voted down the 3.6 per cent offer in an indicative ballot, warning it will be 'entirely swallowed up by inflation'. 2 2 But while the majority backed action, turnout fell short of the 50 per cent legal threshold needed to trigger a walkout. It means more disruption may still be on the cards if the union pushes for a full vote. A union spokesman said: 'The results will be announced to our members later this week. As the largest part of the NHS workforce, nursing staff do not feel valued and the government must urgently begin to turn that around.' It comes as thousands of resident doctors in England, previously known as junior doctors, kicked off a five-day strike on Friday after pay talks between the Government and the British Medical Association collapsed. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said disruption to the NHS was not possible to eliminate but insisted it was being kept to a minimum. The RCN represents hundreds of thousands of frontline nurses across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland's nurses have already accepted a separate two-year deal worth 8 per cent, keeping them the best-paid in the UK. Nurses were offered less than almost every other public sector group this year. Doctors, teachers, armed forces and prison officers are all getting more. RCN boss Prof Nicola Ranger has led calls for fairer pay and warned that ministers are ignoring a growing crisis in the profession. She fumed last month: 'Nursing is an incredible career, but despite being the most valued profession by the public we continue to be weighted to the bottom of the NHS pay scale.' Speaking at a global conference in Helsinki, she added: 'I'm with nurses from around the world asking why it is our ministers in the UK who have once again put nursing at the back of the queue when it comes to pay.' More than 26,000 nurse roles are currently vacant, with student recruitment collapsing and resignations 'skyrocketing', the union says. Nurses made history in winter 2022-23 by walking out for the first time ever - holding four separate two-day strikes. But the RCN failed to secure a new strike mandate in 2023 after a re-ballot missed the 50 per cent turnout threshold. Members have now rejected three government offers in a row: 5 per cent in 2023-24, 5.5 per cent last year, and now 3.6 per cent for 2025.
BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
York man with rare blood type makes 100th donation
A man with a rare blood type who made his 100th donation this year is encouraging others to give Boocock, from York, has been donating his rare B-negative blood for 40 years, after being inspired by his uncle, also a long-term 61-year-old is one of fewer than 20,000 B-negative blood donors in England, according to NHS Blood and NHS said it had lost almost 1,000 B-negative donors in the last year - or 5% of the B-negative donor base. When Mr Boocock was 21 and working for his uncle, he asked why he would regularly donate blood."I hadn't realised that when I was quite young, my auntie had an operation that went slightly wrong, and she needed over 20 units of blood to make it through," he said."That got me thinking, that's 20 people that can only donate once every few months."I thought, I've got spare in my body, so why don't I volunteer?" 'Not going to stop' By donating over the years, Mr Boocock found out that his blood was suitable for newborns, who can only be transfused with blood lacking cytomegalovirus (CMV), a mild and common virus that most people catch as a child."Occasionally when I donate, they say this one will be going to the neonatal ward," the donor said."That's quite a nice thought that it's going straight to a little baby perhaps that doesn't know they need it."The NHS has appealed for younger donors to give blood, as up to 200,000 new donors are needed each year to replace those who stop donating. "I liken donating blood to a bank account, basically," Mr Boocock said."Unless you put some in, how could you rely on there being some there when you may need it?"After 73 donations, his uncle had to stop for health reasons - which encouraged Mr Boocock to keep going."Once I passed that, I thought, I'm not going to stop now. Let's see how many I can keep going with, until I no longer can," he said."Hopefully that will be for many years to come." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Is it true that … natural salt is healthier than table salt?
Flaky sea salt, pink rock salt, fleur de sel … Thanks to a generation of TV chefs sprinkling gourmet seasonings on dishes with flair, it feels instinctive that these natural, premium versions of sodium chloride are somehow healthier than humble table salt. And many of them market themselves that way – claiming that lower levels of processing and higher levels of minerals like potassium and magnesium make them the superior choice. But Sonia Pombo, a registered nutritionist and head of research and impact at Action on Salt, disagrees. 'The evidence linking a high intake of salt to raised blood pressure is very well documented,' she says. (Overconsumption is also linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer, osteoporosis and kidney problems.) 'Some of these companies may try to convince the public they're better,' she says. 'But if you look at the tiny amounts of magnesium or potassium in these salts, it's laughable. If you want micronutrients, eat a piece of fruit.' The benefits of electrolytes, too, are often overstated, she says. Saline drinks can be helpful if you're recovering from a stomach bug or training like an elite athlete on a restricted salt diet. But for most of us? 'They're not really necessary – we're already eating too much salt.' In the UK, adults are advised to consume no more than six grams of salt a day. The most recent figures show we eat 40% more than that – but even six grams isn't a target to aim for, Pombo says. 'We can survive and thrive on as little as one gram per day.' If you're worried about how much salt you use, the only 'better' kind is low-sodium salt. The real answer is to gradually reduce consumption – slowly, so you don't notice the difference. Cook at home more often and beware of hidden salt in products like bread and sauces.
