Some announcements

• Thousands of new jobs will be unlocked across the healthcare sector to make sure there are enough jobs for every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England.
• Hundreds of thousands of newly pregnant women can now self-refer online to get their “all-important” first midwife appointments quicker, ensuring the best and most personalised care for their baby.
• UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warns people about the signs and symptoms of botulism following adverse reactions after receiving cosmetic procedures involving botulinum toxin. The number of clinically confirmed cases of iatrogenic botulism reported between 4 June and 6 August 2025 is now 41. Clinicians are advised to look out for botulism in people who may have had a recent aesthetic procedure. This is to provide them with appropriate treatments, which can include giving anti-toxin.
• Professor Susan Hopkins CBE FMedSci has been appointed UKHSA’s new CEO and will assume her new role in September, bringing extensive experience from her current position as UKHSA’s Chief Medical Advisor. Her career includes serving as National Strategic Response Director for COVID-19 from 2020 to 2022 and as Deputy Director for Antimicrobial Resistance within Public Health England’s National Infection Service. Professor Hopkins is an infectious disease clinician, epidemiologist and public health leader. Beyond her UKHSA responsibilities, she holds a professorship at University College London and continues her clinical practice as a consultant in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust.

The aftermath of the Resident Doctors’ strike from 25 to 30 July brings agreement between the Government and BMA to resume talks about this dispute, which we welcome. The NHS maintained as many services as possible. The joint priority must be working to deliver the necessary changes set out in the NHS 10-year plan and avoiding any further industrial action.

The NHS’s more robust approach was to keep services open for patients with staff from right across the NHS working round the clock. The NHS maintained 93% of planned care during the action meaning operations, tests and procedures were carried out despite the disruption, as well as dealing with urgent and emergency cases. Early data indicates that less than a third of resident doctors chose to strike with the number of strikers down by 7.5% (1,243) compared to the previous round of industrial action with most resident doctors choosing to join the NHS-wide effort to keep the services open.

Public advised: stop using certain non-sterile alcohol-free wipes. During investigation of an outbreak, certain wipes were found to be contaminated with Burkholderia stabilis. The following products have been found to be affected: 

• ValueAid Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes
• Microsafe Moist Wipe Alcohol Free
• Steroplast Sterowipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes

Testing also revealed contamination of Reliwipe Alcohol Free Cleansing Wipes, although the contamination was deemed to be with a Burkholderia strain not related to the outbreak cases. While the overall risk to the public remains very low, it is important these types of wipes are not used for the treatment of injuries, wounds, or broken skin, and that they are not used to clean intravenous lines.

The latest monthly update on measles cases in England shows that an additional 145 measles cases have been reported since the last publication on July 3. Cases continue to be predominantly in children under the age of 10 years, with London and parts of the Northwest driving the increase most. Since 1 January there have been 674 laboratory confirmed measles cases reported in England, an increase of 145 cases since the last report. 48% (322/674) of these cases have been in London, 16% (111/674) in the Northwest, 10% (65/674) in the East of England. Please remember the recent 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.

Government extends the National Breastfeeding Helpline to provide round-the-clock support for families. £18.5 million is invested this year in infant feeding support through Family Hubs and the Start for Life programme. Support forms part of the mission to give children the best start in life under the government’s Plan for Change  

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.

UKHSA data 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.

More patients in mid and south Essex are reporting positive experiences and taking advantage of new ways to access their GP practice. The recently published national GP Patient Survey reveals that overall patient experience in mid and south Essex has improved compared to 2024, up to 72%. It also showed that around seven million appointments were delivered in mid and south Essex GP practices in 2024, 5% more than 2023. Another example of improvements made by the NHS, albeit the increase in demand is greater.

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.

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.

New figures show general practice has delivered over 7 million more appointments in the past year compared to last year, taking the total to a record 380 million.

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/