Devon MPs concerned over proposal to move coronary care
'Urge everyone to call 999'
They added the NHS was "committed to working with our cardiology clinical leads" to "ensure their thoughts were captured" and shared with NHS Devon to help inform its decision.The spokesperson also said: "We continue to urge everyone to call 999 or visit our emergency department if they have a chest pain or a suspected heart attack."Mr Darling has pressed for an urgent meeting with the board to explain the rationale behind the potential change. In a letter to the board's chief executive following the debate, he said: "Your cardiologists have told us that for residents in Torbay, Dartmouth or elsewhere in South Devon their chances of full recovery from a heart attack could be severely impacted by the extra time needed to get to Exeter."In our view this does not provide equitable care for all – would you agree?"
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
32 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Starmer thanks NHS worker who looked after his brother
Sir Keir Starmer's brother Nick died on Boxing Day in 2024 aged 60, having been ill with cancer. In a video posted on social media to mark the 77th anniversary of the health service, the PM said that advanced nurse practitioner Ben Huntley made sure that his brother 'felt cared for and respected'. In the clip, Sir Keir is shown speaking to Mr Huntley in Downing Street, while other members of the public also meet with NHS staff who helped them. The NHS has always been there for my family. Today, on its 77th anniversary, the entire country says thank you. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) July 5, 2025 The Prime Minister said: 'My mum worked in the NHS and then she was very, very ill, for most of her life. And the NHS became our absolute lifeline. 'My sister worked for the NHS, my wife works for the NHS, and it was the NHS that looked after my brother who we lost last Boxing Day to cancer. 'Ben, you looked after him. I think from the moment he was in all the way through, and you made sure that he felt cared for and respected.' The PM later added: 'That meant a huge amount to me and my family and, on all of our behalves, I say through you a very special thank you to the NHS.' Earlier this week, Sir Keir told the BBC's Political Thinking that he 'made it my business to be there in the hospital' when his brother was told about his diagnosis 'so that I could begin to help look after him'. 'It's really hard to lose your brother to cancer, he was a very vulnerable man,' the Prime Minister said. He shared details of 'going up in the porter's lift into the back of the intensive care unit' and wanting to protect his brother's privacy. He told the same interview that US President Donald Trump asked about his brother in a call a 'few days' after he died.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Experts warn millions diagnosed with ADHD may not have it - they're likely suffering another, common disorder instead
A major new analysis has fueled concerns over the accuracy of tests that diagnose ADHD, suggesting many of those told they have the disorder are in fact suffering depression. Scientists from Scandinavia and Brazil analysed common methods of diagnosing adult ADHD described in nearly 300 medical studies. Many of these diagnostic tests are currently used by doctors in the UK to spot the condition. The findings showed that in nearly half the studies, the scientists failed to rule out other causes of ADHD-like symptoms, such as depression. This means, they concluded, that the diagnostic test used may be unreliable, and therefore providing inaccurate results in the real world. 'You don't actually know if subjects have other mental disorders such as depression or schizophrenia,' the experts wrote in their report. The latest findings come amid a rapid rise in adult ADHD diagnoses in the UK, with cases rising 20-fold over the last two decades. It's a phenomenon that has raised the concern of some of the country's top psychologists and spurred a NHS investigation, launched in March. Experts have warned that rogue private clinics are over-diagnosing the condition and have questioned the widespread prescribing of powerful stimulant drugs to treat it. In the latest analysis, scientists found that a psychiatrist or psychologist made the diagnosis in only 35 per cent of ADHD cases examined. Adults in the UK can only be formally assessed for ADHD on the NHS by a psychiatrist, psychologist or specialist ADHD nurse. In some cases discovered by the researchers, it was explicitly stated that the assessment and diagnosis of ADHD was made by subjects themselves. One patient was reported to have reached their diagnosis with the help of a computer, the researchers explained. 'In psychiatry, we really need that all diagnoses, not just ADHD, are made with the same uniform criteria and by trained professionals,' said co-author of the study, consultant psychiatrist Dr Julie Nordgaard from the University of Copenhagen. 'Otherwise, we cannot rely on the results or compare them across studies. 'Especially in a situation where a diagnosis such as ADHD in adults is increasing, we need to be very thorough and have a solid foundation. 'Otherwise, we risk too many people getting a wrong diagnosis and not being able to give them the most effective treatment. 'Or they risk receiving unnecessary treatment that causes side-effects.' Symptoms of depression can often mimic those of ADHD, research has shown. A neurodevelopmental disorder, ADHD affects concentration, impulse control and activity levels. Common symptoms include restlessness, distractibility, forgetfulness, difficulty following instructions or managing time, and making impulsive decisions. Depression, which affects roughly one in six adults in the UK, can look remarkably similar. Those with the mood disorder often experience poor concentration, low energy and disturbed sleep. Both ADHD and depression can also cause changes in appetite, restlessness and irritability as well as difficulty initiating and completing tasks. Schizophrenia, though less common—affecting just one per cent of the UK population —can also resemble ADHD in some cases. Traditionally characterised by psychotic symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, schizophrenia can also cause attention problems, particularly in its early stages. The researchers concluded it's impossible to know which disorders and symptoms were actually being affected by the treatments investigated in the trials. 'This makes the research results from many of these clinical trials difficult to utilise,' said associate professor at the University of Copenhagen Dr Mads Gram Henrikson. The study comes just months after the latest NHS figures revealed more than 549,000 people in England were waiting for an ADHD assessment at the end of March 2025—up from 416,000 the previous year. Of those currently waiting for an assessment, around 304,000 had been waiting at least a year—and 144,000 for two years or more, as NHS services struggle to keep up with spiraling demand. More than two-thirds (382,000) were aged between five and 24. Last year a MailOnline investigation revealed that doctors were dishing out powerful ADHD drugs at 10-times the rate in some parts of England than others. NHS data shows as many as one in 100 people in some areas are taking ADHD medications, compared to just one in 1,000 in nearby regions. Commenting on the findings, experts warned of over-diagnosis and 'mass-prescribing' could be putting public health at risk. University College London psychiatrist Professor Joanna Moncrieff, a vocal critic of medication overuse, said ADHD diagnosis is 'incredibly subjective'. 'One psychiatrist may think almost everyone has it, while another thinks very few do,' she said. 'We all have ADHD symptoms to some extent.' She added that private clinics are often quicker to diagnose than the NHS, making a diagnosis more likely in the independent sector. Professor Moncrieff said patients were increasingly demanding an ADHD diagnosis as the 'answer' to problems they are experiencing in areas like their work. 'This concept of ADHD has got out there and everyone is reinterpreting their difficulties in the light this new idea, 'I'm not bored and don't like my job, I have ADHD',' she said. 'Stimulants make people feel good, they make them feel confident, they make people feel a little bit euphoric, energetic, so of course people are going to be rating themselves as doing better.' Rising interest in ADHD is thought to be fueled in part by celebrities sharing their diagnoses — including Katie Price, Love Island's Olivia Attwood, Sheridan Smith and former Bake Off host Sue Perkins. Attwood said it caused 'a lot of stress' in her teens, while Price said it explained why she never felt there would be 'consequences' for her actions. Perkins said the diagnosis made 'everything make sense'. Social media has also been blamed, with users praising ADHD meds for calming them and boosting focus. NHS prescriptions have doubled in six years to 230,000, with the sharpest rise—nearly 60 per cent in a year—among women in their late 20s and early 30s. Use among 25 to 39-year-olds has increased five-fold since 2015. In response, NHS England launched a taskforce to assess the scale of the condition. ADHD is also behind a surge in disability benefit claims. One in five now relate to behavioural conditions, with over 52,000 adults—mostly aged 16 to 29—listing ADHD as their main condition.
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
£1m heart transplant hero's dad urges schools to teach about organ donation
Mini marvel Beatrix Adamson-Archbold spent almost 15 months in hospital waiting for a donor - now her dad is calling for better education to raise awareness of the gift of life A life saving transplant can cost the NHS more than £1m, leading to calls for better education about organ donation in schools. Mini marvel Beatrix Adamson-Archbold spent almost 15 months in hospital as she waited for her heart transplant. Now thriving at four years old, she is a testament to the miracle of organ donation. But her dad Terry Archbold told of the extraordinary costs to the NHS for her care prior to the op in June 2023 at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle. Beatrix spent 30 days in paediatric intensive care, at a cost of £2800 per day, a total bill of £84,000. There were also 425 days in the high dependency unit at an average of £1800 per day, which comes to £765,000. The Berlin Heart device fitted to keep her alive prior to the op costs up to £120,000 in the UK. The estimated bill for the transplant operation itself is £36,000 for staff and theatre time. And replacement Berlin Heart ventricles throughout Beatrix's stay in hospital cost in excess of £40,000, a bill of more than £1m. Durham police officer Terry, 47, believes school lessons about organ donation for children of all ages would raise awareness, increase the number of donors and reduce the cost burden on the NHS. He said: "You add up the cost of all the equipment, time on the high dependency unit, the time of the nurses and doctors and surgeons, and it comes to more than £1m. "The bottom line is that, if we carry on on the trajectory that this country is on, then the waiting list for donations grows month by month. "We will have situations where there is no capacity for adults and children. And more lives will be lost. And that terrifies me." Terry, of Burnopfield, Co Durham, added: "I have been into schools and the kids are so receptive to the idea of donation. "The questions and the insight, it was amazing to see their grasp and their compassion. School lessons work in Canada and Greece and they are starting to teach these lessons in Northern Ireland." He gave the example of Kayleigh Llewellyn, 18, of Seaham, Co Durham, who is going to train a paramedic. The Mirror campaigned to change the organ donor law in England and told how Kayleigh's life was saved by a heart donor in 2019. Terry added: "Fast forward 30 years. Kaylee is a qualified paramedic. A single act of donation by her donor has saved not just her life, but the hundreds of lives saved by Kayleigh every day in her job. "Every single patient, every person she saves can be traced back to the moment that her donor family decided to save her life. All thanks to one selfless act of organ donation. It is absolutely mind blowing." Terry and Beatrix's mum Cheryl Adamson, 42, a council worker, have seen both sides of the transplant journey. In 2018, they lost their daughter Isabel (c) when she was stillborn and they donated her heart for medical research. Terry has written to the Prime Minister calling on the Government to make organ donation a statutory part of the National Curriculum. He is being supported in his crusade by Sergio Petrucci, who won a Pride of Britain award for his work with the Red Sky Foundation, and Orgamites, the group which teaches about organ donation in schools. The Government is considering an independent review on the national curriculum with Professor Becky Francis and her expert panel giving their recommendations.
