Resident but recently absent Doctors were on strike from 25 to 30 July. We will learn the impact they had soon. The NHS maintained as many services as possible. The failure of the Government and BMA to reach agreement over pay must be resolved. Talks restarting must solve this dispute Polls suggest the strikers don’t have so much patient and public support this time. The joint priority must be working to deliver the necessary changes set out in the NHS 10-year plan.

NHS Mid & South Essex Integrated Care Board has made the following key decisions:

• Community outpatient and ambulatory care services at St Peter’s Hospital, Maldon will remain for up to five years while the local NHS works to develop a new local health hub.
• A split-site stroke rehabilitation model will be introduced to improve access and reduce the travel burden, with services based in Rochford and Brentwood.
• The freestanding midwife-led birthing unit previously at St Peter’s will be permanently relocated to Braintree, with antenatal and postnatal outpatient care remaining in Maldon.

Almost 1,500 extra procedures a year will now be offered at Braintree Community Hospital, following the opening of a new £1.3m procedure room. This will free up main operating theatres for more complex surgeries such as knee and hip replacements and will help reduce waiting times and improve access to care for patients.

New data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has revealed that treating urinary tract infections (UTIs) cost NHS hospitals in England an estimated £604 million in 2023 to 2024. UTIs occur when bacteria enter the urinary system including the urethra, bladder or kidneys. Most lower urinary tract infections (those in the urethra or bladder) cause mild discomfort and go away on their own, or may require a short course of antibiotics, but for some can progress to more serious infections, including upper urinary tract infections affecting the kidneys, leading to bloodstream infections and sepsis.

Some things you can do to prevent UTIs include:

• Stay hydrated; drink enough fluids regularly
• Don’t hold it; avoid holding your pee and visit the toilet
• Prioritise personal hygiene; especially if you suffer from incontinence.

In June the performance of our three local acute hospitals at Broomfield, Basildon & Southend included:

• 75.4% (70.5% in May) of patients were seen within 4 hours in A&Es; that’s good;
• 22 minutes (25mins in May) was the average time for ambulances to hand over patients compared to 26 minutes (27 mins in May) in East of England and 37 minutes (38 mins in May) nationally; that’s good;
• 58.8% of patients (62.1% in May) received cancer diagnosis results within 28 days; this decline for the second month running is concerning; the Mid & South Essex Integrated Care Board discussed this at it’s most recent meeting in public and is giving this close attention.

For those with Netflix, staff from Broomfield Hospital and Southend Hospital have appeared on a new factual TV series, joining the platform’s growing collection of real-life medical documentaries, with a spotlight on the London Major Trauma System, its patients, and the professionals working to save lives. Southend Emergency Department team and Broomfield’s Plastics team have featured as one of several hospitals that appear over the six-part series.

Independent academic report into “Accessibility to Healthcare Services in SWF, the Dengie & Maldon” published by SWF Health & Social Care Group.

“Huge thanks to Emily Cramb for her 1st class report. We don’t think such a report has been done before. We believe in the best places for healthcare services. As many such best places as possible should be local. But some have to be in centres of excellence to provide best quality care. If ‘best place’ isn’t local it must be accessible; with mutually convenient appointments; be able to get there and back reasonably easily by private vehicle or public transport; and be comfortable. We’ll now work with our local NHS to ensure accessibility is integrated as a vital aspect of health and social care services. We’ll promote this to the whole NHS. Integration is good; it should be wider and include accessibility.”

Read the full report at accessibility-to-healthcare-services-report-swf-hscg-warwick-medical-school-vf.pdf . Details of the challenges of accessibility from places in the area to get to the three local acute hospitals are in the Report’s Appendix 7.

Recently the first UK death from measles for over a decade sent shockwaves around the country. The dangerous decline in MMR vaccination rates continues. Several seriously ill children were in Merseyside hospitals. A potential outbreak could “spread like wildfire”. Please get full vaccinations for measles and all other serious conditions as we’re seeing increases in many life-threatening illnesses because of reduced immunity.

Covid infections are starting to rise again. Most other infections are at the usual relative summer lows.

The Government says that:

• More than 2,000 extra GPs have now been hired across the country since last October after action to slash red tape
• An independent survey shows progress on ending the 8am scramble, with patients finding it easier to contact GP practices
• Plan for Change is shifting care out of hospital and into the community as government brings back the family doctor

The Plan for Change brings back the family doctor. The average GP is responsible for 2,300 patients, and the new tranche could deliver over 4 million additional appointments per year.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has welcomed the 10 Year Health Plan for England as an “ambitious, future-focused plan for a world-class NHS that truly delivers for patients and the public. The Plan sets out how {CQC’s] role will be further strengthened to make [it] ‘the most effective, modern and patient-orientated healthcare regulator in the world’.”

The 10 Year Health Plan for England sets out steps to make the NHS fit for the future. The three ‘shifts’ are: from hospital to community; from analogue to digital; and from treatment to prevention. Delivering as much as possible locally is a reminder of the 2008 plan; let’s hope it’s delivered this time. We must remember that the oldest, frailest patients are more analogue users than digital users. Prevention is preferable to cure. Our full article about the Plan, the local implications from it, what the Government has said about it, and the King’s Fund’s analysis is at: https://swfhealthsocial.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/nhs-10-year-plan-july-2025.pdf . More Public Health news is on our website and in our weekly e-newsletters. SWF Library provides online services and helps with internet access. For welfare information and subscription to our newsletter, email swfhealthsocial@outlook.com , or leave voicemails on 01245 322079. https://swfhealthsocial.co.uk/