Child with pneumonia forced to sleep on hospital floor
A child with with suspected pneumonia was forced to sleep on the floor of Leeds General Infirmary due to lack of beds.
On 3 December, four year old Jack Williment was rushed into Leeds General Infirmary by ambulance after falling ill. However, chaos in the A&E department meant there were wasn’t a bed for Jack until 13.5 hours after he entered hospital.
Dr Yvette Oade, chief medical officer at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Our hospitals are extremely busy at the moment and we are very sorry that Jack’s family had a long wait in our Emergency Department.”
The news triggered criticisms of the current government and calls for Boris Johnson to personally apologise to the family.
Read more on the BBC.
Food labels should say how much exercise is needed to burn off the calories
Food labels saying how much exercise would be needed to burn off the calories could be more effective at helping prevent obesity than just listing the amount of calories, UK researchers have said.
The Royal Society for Public Health says most people do not understand the meaning of calories and fat levels, and has called for the introduction of “physical activity calorie equivalent or expenditure” (pace).
An exploratory study by Loughborough University has suggested that the labels would help people indulge less.
Read more on the BBC.
Woman operated on without proper anaesthesia
A woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, has said she has been left with PTSD and recurring nightmares after feeling her skin being cut during gynaecological surgery at Yeovil Hospital in 2018.
Medical lawyers have said that the woman was given a spinal rather than a general anaesthetic and this was not sufficient to mask the pain of the surgery.
Following legal submissions, Yeovil district hospital NHS foundation trust has admitted liability for the mistake.
Read more in The Guardian.
Lounging around at Christmas could permanently damage health.
Two weeks of inactivity over the Christmas period could have long-lasting health implications, new research suggests.
Scientists at the University of Liverpool tracked people’s health over two weeks and found that a fortnight of inactivity is enough for muscles and bones to get weaker and the heart and lungs to become less efficient.
The study found that the risk was particularly bad for older people, who were likely weaker or in worse health to begin with, and could suffer from ‘significant’ deterioration.
Read more in The Telegraph.
Quote of the week
In the build-up to the election, Chris Hopson, Chief Executive at NHS providers, called for more support and forward thinking from the government.
“Once again we see politicians responding to popular support for the NHS, presenting themselves as its advocates and champions, but not really addressing what’s needed to sustain the NHS long-term.”
Read more on the BBC.