NHS earwax removal must be available to all
Cornwall is one of the areas of the country where you now have to pay privately to have earwax safely removed. The cost of this can be considerable for those on limited incomes, which causes some to undertake dangerous procedures themselves to clear their wax, or go to an unregulated and possibly dangerous practitioner, or simply live with reduced hearing.
The double whammy is that you can't get an NHS hearing check – and thus NHS-funded hearing aids if you need them – or access to other treatment unless you have had your earwax removed at your own expense. RNID, the national hearing-loss charity, has published a report, Stop the Block, highlighting the issue.
As your article rightly says, people need good hearing to stay socially connected. Without good-quality social interactions, people can become withdrawn, isolated, depressed and ill.
The withdrawal in many areas of this apparently minor service to remove earwax is having a serious impact on some people's lives. The free NHS service must be reinstated for everyone.Marna BlundyWest Cornwall HealthWatch
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
New NHS plan will ‘fundamentally rewire' health service
A new 10-year NHS plan will 'fundamentally rewire' the health service and put care on people's doorsteps, the Prime Minister has said. Sir Keir Starmer will use a speech in London on Thursday to unveil his vision for the NHS, which will focus on 'three big shifts' in the way the health service operates. The new plan, which will be published by the Government on Thursday, sets out how the NHS will move from analogue to digital, treatment to prevention, and from hospital to more community care. The 'status quo of hospital by default will end', according to the Government, with care shifted into neighbourhoods and people's homes. By 2035, the intention is that the majority of outpatient care will happen outside of hospitals, with less need for hospital-based appointments for things like eye care, cardiology, respiratory medicine and mental health. New neighbourhood health services will be rolled out across the country to bring tests, post-op care, nursing and mental health teams closer to people's homes. The aim is to give people access to a full range of services, leaving hospitals to focus on the sickest, with neighbourhood health centres opening at evenings and weekends. These will be staffed by teams including nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, palliative care staff and paramedics. New services will also include debt advice, employment support and stop smoking or obesity services – all of which affect people's health. Community outreach, with people going door to door, could also reduce pressure on GPs and A&E, the Government said. The plans also outline training for thousands more GPs, as the Government pledges to 'bring back the family doctor' and end the '8am scramble' to get an appointment. Sir Keir said: 'The NHS should be there for everyone, whenever they need it. 'But we inherited a health system in crisis, addicted to a sticking plaster approach, and unable to face up to the challenges we face now, let alone in the future. 'That ends now. Because it's reform or die. Our 10-year health plan will fundamentally rewire and future-proof our NHS so that it puts care on people's doorsteps, harnesses game-changing tech and prevents illness in the first place. 'That means giving everyone access to GPs, nurses and wider support all under one roof in their neighbourhood – rebalancing our health system so that it fits around patients' lives, not the other way round. 'This is not an overnight fix, but our Plan for Change is already turning the tide on years of decline with over four million extra appointments, 1,900 more GPs, and waiting lists at their lowest level for two years. 'But there's more to come. This Government is giving patients easier, quicker and more convenient care, wherever they live.' Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the plan would deliver 'one of the most fundamental changes in the way we receive our healthcare in history'. He added: 'By shifting from hospital to community, we will finally bring down devastating hospital waiting lists and stop patients going from pillar to post to get treated. 'This Government's Plan for Change is creating an NHS truly fit for the future, keeping patients healthy and out of hospital, with care closer to home and in the home.' In a bid to free up time, GPs will be encouraged to use artificial intelligence to take notes, while technology will be used to speed up the answering of calls to surgeries. Dental therapists, who tend to carry out some of the straightforward work of dentists, could undertake check-ups, treatment and referrals, according to the plan. And there will be a new requirement for newly-qualified dentists to practise in the NHS for a minimum period, intended to be three years, according to the Government. Ministers also want to improve access to dental care for children, such as by allowing dental nurses to give fluoride varnish to children in between check-ups. Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary, Professor Nicola Ranger, said: ''A neighbourhood health service is a bold vision and it needs nursing staff in the driving seat. 'The Prime Minister must back up his plan with a clear one to turn around the shortage of nurses in all local communities. 'Moving care away from overcrowded hospitals is urgent and necessary but it will prove impossible whilst this part of the healthcare workforce is so depleted and undervalued. 'Crucial teams of district nursing and health visiting staff, who keep patients well and safe at home, have fallen by thousands in the last decade or more.' Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, said: 'Top quality community services, like district nursing, end of life care and rehabilitation, are, in pockets of the country, already working around the clock to fit care around patients' needs, working closely with GPs, charities and council staff. 'This approach is essential if we want to end the disjointed ways of working that too often leave patients to do the time-consuming and often bewildering job of joining up their own care.' She said, however, that a lack of detail on how it will all work 'casts doubt on whether it will stick'. She added: 'What's more, care closer to home doesn't mean care on the cheap. 'While ministers are always keen to cite examples of community services saving money, often this kind of care costs more, not less… let's be under no illusion, this is not a money-saving measure.' Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King's Fund, said: 'As the Government publishes its 10-year plan for health today, what patients, the public and those working in the NHS will want to know is, why it will be different this time, and how soon it will lead to improvements? 'When will it mean people can see a GP more easily, or get mental health support for their child, or not wait hours in A&E? 'There is plenty to welcome in the details we've seen so far, with the biggest changes outlined being about how people access NHS services, with the rollout of new neighbourhood health centres and a much greater role for the NHS app. 'At the King's Fund our call for a fundamental shift of care from hospital to community and a more people-first approach has been echoed by successive governments, so, whilst welcome, the vision itself is not new, the radical change would be delivering the vision.' 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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Major new NHS plan vows to end ‘8am scramble' for GP appointment
The NHS is set for a radical overhaul with a new 10-year plan aiming to "fundamentally rewire" the health service, shifting care directly to people's doorsteps, the Prime Minister has announced. Published by the government today, the ambitious strategy outlines "three big shifts" in how the NHS will operate. These include a transition from analogue to digital services, a greater emphasis on prevention over treatment, and a significant move from hospital -centric care towards community-based provision. The plan signals an end to the "status quo of hospital by default," with a clear intention to relocate care into local neighbourhoods and individuals' homes. By 2035, the majority of outpatient services are expected to be delivered outside traditional hospital settings, reducing the need for hospital appointments for conditions such as eye care, cardiology, respiratory medicine, and mental health. To facilitate this transformation, new neighbourhood health services are set to be rolled out nationwide. These will bring essential services like diagnostic tests, post-operative care, nursing support, and mental health teams closer to communities, making healthcare more accessible and integrated into daily life. The announcement comes as Sir Keir Starmer is also expected to unveil his own vision for the NHS later today, which will focus on "three big shifts" in the health service. The aim is to give people access to a full range of services, leaving hospitals to focus on the sickest, with neighbourhood health centres opening at evenings and weekends. These will be staffed by teams including nurses, doctors, social care workers, pharmacists, health visitors, palliative care staff and paramedics. New services will also include debt advice, employment support and stop smoking or obesity services – all of which affect people's health. Community outreach, with people going door to door, could also reduce pressure on GPs and A&E, the Government said. The plans also outline training for thousands more GPs, as the Government pledges to 'bring back the family doctor' and end the '8am scramble' to get an appointment. Sir Keir said: 'The NHS should be there for everyone, whenever they need it. 'But we inherited a health system in crisis, addicted to a sticking plaster approach, and unable to face up to the challenges we face now, let alone in the future. 'That ends now. Because it's reform or die. Our 10-year health plan will fundamentally rewire and future-proof our NHS so that it puts care on people's doorsteps, harnesses game-changing tech and prevents illness in the first place. 'That means giving everyone access to GPs, nurses and wider support all under one roof in their neighbourhood – rebalancing our health system so that it fits around patients ' lives, not the other way round. 'This is not an overnight fix, but our Plan for Change is already turning the tide on years of decline with over four million extra appointments, 1,900 more GPs, and waiting lists at their lowest level for two years. 'But there's more to come. This Government is giving patients easier, quicker and more convenient care, wherever they live.' Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said the plan would deliver 'one of the most fundamental changes in the way we receive our healthcare in history'. He added: 'By shifting from hospital to community, we will finally bring down devastating hospital waiting lists and stop patients going from pillar to post to get treated. 'This Government's Plan for Change is creating an NHS truly fit for the future, keeping patients healthy and out of hospital, with care closer to home and in the home.' 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'Moving care away from overcrowded hospitals is urgent and necessary but it will prove impossible whilst this part of the healthcare workforce is so depleted and undervalued. 'Crucial teams of district nursing and health visiting staff, who keep patients well and safe at home, have fallen by thousands in the last decade or more.' Thea Stein, chief executive of the Nuffield Trust, said: 'Top quality community services, like district nursing, end of life care and rehabilitation, are, in pockets of the country, already working around the clock to fit care around patients' needs, working closely with GPs, charities and council staff. 'This approach is essential if we want to end the disjointed ways of working that too often leave patients to do the time-consuming and often bewildering job of joining up their own care.' She said, however, that a lack of detail on how it will all work 'casts doubt on whether it will stick'. She added: 'What's more, care closer to home doesn't mean care on the cheap. 'While ministers are always keen to cite examples of community services saving money, often this kind of care costs more, not less… let's be under no illusion, this is not a money-saving measure.' Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King's Fund, said: 'As the Government publishes its 10-year plan for health today, what patients, the public and those working in the NHS will want to know is, why it will be different this time, and how soon it will lead to improvements? 'When will it mean people can see a GP more easily, or get mental health support for their child, or not wait hours in A&E? 'There is plenty to welcome in the details we've seen so far, with the biggest changes outlined being about how people access NHS services, with the rollout of new neighbourhood health centres and a much greater role for the NHS app. 'At the King's Fund our call for a fundamental shift of care from hospital to community and a more people-first approach has been echoed by successive governments, so, whilst welcome, the vision itself is not new, the radical change would be delivering the vision.'
Spectator
an hour ago
- Spectator
For the NHS, it's Wes or bust
Labour swept to power on a pledge to 'save the NHS'. As shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting said he would go 'further than New Labour ever did' to clear the health service's backlog and, to achieve this, he claimed old taboos would be torn up, including the use of the private sector to improve services. Failure to clear the backlog now will be hugely politically consequential for this government. Partly because of how important the NHS is to the voting public, but more so because of the emotional resonance the service and its 'free-at-the-point-of-use' model has for Labour, both its MPs and its supporters. If the party that founded the NHS cannot save it, who can? That is why the NHS has been mostly immune to Rachel Reeves's new austerity. At each fiscal event and budget, it has received consistent funding increases. Yet behind the headline figures lies the real question: will this money yield returns – or simply vanish into the system, absorbed by wage demands and patchwork firefighting? That is a question which the Ten Year Health Plan, published this week, seeks to answer. The prescription it offers is a familiar one. It bears the unmistakable imprint of the former health secretary Alan Milburn, architect of Labour's early-2000s health reforms who has now returned to advise Streeting. His tools are back: league tables and performance targets tied to executive bonuses. Foundation trusts will be empowered to meet centrally imposed benchmarks, such as the four-hour waiting time in A&E target. Structural reforms introduced while the Conservatives were in power – Integrated Care Systems and various independent watchdogs, including Healthwatch England – are being dismantled. Power is returning both to the centre and to hospital management. There is a reasonable case to be made for this – waiting times fell dramatically during the New Labour years. The last Conservative government's lack of willingness to challenge the NHS leadership after the failed 2012 reforms allowed for hundreds of useless quangos to spring up; the 'NHS Race and Health Observatory' being chief among them. There is plenty of fat to cut. But being more New Labour than New Labour is not a certain route to success. The fiscal context in 2001 – when Gordon Brown began to release funding for public services from the Treasury – is very different today, with Britain teetering on the verge of a sovereign debt crisis. In 2001 there had been a £15 billion surplus. Last year the deficit was almost £150 billion. The increases in day-to-day spending that Rachel Reeves is able to offer the NHS at the expense of other departments are substantial in cost but not impact. Thanks in part to demographic pressures, the NHS needs 3 per cent increases in spending to keep the service it provides running. Doctors and nurses are already being balloted for strikes in the next year, which will end with any extra money being swallowed by wage increases. New Labour was also able to reach record levels of capital investment through the Private Finance Initiative, the use of which was vociferously defended by Milburn, who dubbed it 'the only game in town'. But Reeves's Treasury has specifically stated there is no chance of a 'PFI 2.0' taking place. In short, there isn't any money. Can good management compensate for the absence of large-scale investment? And can targets and structural clarity deliver improvement without the 5 per cent real-terms annual increases of the early 2000s? On the former, this question has been threaded through debates on public-sector reform since Margaret Thatcher embraced an NHS internal market in the 1980s. It divides those who argue that output follows input – hire more staff, build more hospitals, spend your way out of crisis – and those who insist that quasi-market reforms can improve efficiencies without extra money. It was the key point of difference in Labour between the modernisers, who saw a mixture of devolution and incentives as the key for better public services, and the traditionalists, who believed that it was a question of staffing and money. Ask Tony Blair why the NHS got better in the 2000s and he would say it was the targets. Gordon Brown would say it was money. The next four years will provide an opportunity to settle the debate. Unless Wes Streeting, a capable person whatever his perceived flaws, manages to improve the NHS substantially in the next four years – showing that only taxing and spending more can improve public services – then we will be faced with an uncomfortable truth: the NHS has no future. If reform cannot deliver efficiencies, it is the model itself which is broken. We simply cannot sustain 3 per cent increases in real terms spending on the NHS year-on-year with an ageing population, just to keep it afloat. It is not a matter of political principles or willpower. The sums do not add up. If politicians will not be honest with the public about that, then they will have to hear it from the IMF. It really is Wes or bust.
