The Government has suffered a further defeat at the hands of peers demanding strengthened safeguards for vulnerable people detained in care homes or hospitals.The House of Lords backed by 277 votes to 192, majority 85, a change to draft legislation to give the person being looked after and their representatives…

Some NHS 111 patients are to be booked appointments with their local pharmacist, officials have said.Patients in London with minor illnesses who call the NHS helpline can be sent to a nearby pharmacy instead of seeing a doctor.NHS England said specially trained 111 operators can refer patients with minor health…

A Denbighshire nurse is putting his best feet forward in a bid to provide better support for the mental health patients in his care. Joe Lewis, who is based at Glan Clwyd Hospital’s Ablett Psychiatric Unit, is running 5km every day during November to raise money to fund therapeutic activities…

Cuts to smoking cessation services, sexual healthcare and obesity services are "misguided", Labour has said.The party said that reductions in spending on public health in England are "shortsighted" and will put additional strain on the NHS.It comes after it published new analysis on the amount of money spent on public…

Police have been left to pick up the pieces amid a national crisis in mental health care, a watchdog report has warned.Stretched forces are responding to tens of thousands of cases that would be better dealt with by other agencies, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS)…

Mental health trusts are being asked to review deaths for "red flags" to improve patient treatment and prevent failings being repeated in light of the death of a teenager with learning difficulties.Inspections of deaths that occurred after one of four scenarios should prompt further investigation under guidance published on Tuesday…

More than 8,200 women in England and Wales could have survived their heart attacks had they simply been given the same quality of treatment as men, new research has found.Researchers at the University of Leeds said the actual number of lives lost to unequal care is likely to be much…

A woman has been arrested after a health worker was stabbed in a hospital car park.Emergency services were called to Ailsa Hospital in North Ayrshire at around 10am on Thursday after the 42-year-old community support worker was attacked.Officers have now held a woman on an unrelated matter, but she is…

Only a "small fraction" of children who need mental health support were able to access services last year, the Children's Commissioner for England has said, as she called for every school to have an NHS counsellor available for pupils.A new report by the champion for young people has laid bare…

Patients at Scotland’s highest security psychiatric hospital are being impacted by low staffing levels, according to a report.An evaluation by the Mental Welfare Commission indicated emergency measures taken to control the State Hospital budget earlier in the year had resulted in a reduced number of employees and resources being stretched.The…

Health teams working in the community are to get a multi-billion funding boost in a bid to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions, the Prime Minister has announced.Theresa May pledged £3.5 billion a year in new real-terms funding for primary and community healthcare by 2023/24 as part of the forthcoming NHS long-term…

A book which chronicles the struggles of NHS staff and the politics surrounding the health service has been honoured at the National Book Awards.Comedian and former doctor Adam Kay (pictured) earned three awards at the ceremony, hosted by Zoe Ball, for his diaries titled This Is Going To Hurt, penned…