Denis Campbell

London

Health Policy Editor at The Guardian

Health Policy Editor at The Observer

Guardian and Observer health writer. [email protected]

Articles

NHS England chief rules out big rise in health service funding

5 days ago | theguardian.com | Denis Campbell

Ministers have “maxed out” the amount of money they can give the NHS and it will no longer get big increases in its funding because of tight public finances, the health service’s new boss in England has said. Sir Jim Mackey, who took over as NHS England’s chief executive last month, said the state of the public finances meant the country could no longer afford big increases in spending. “We are pretty much maxed out on what’s affordable.
Hospitals in England reducing staff and services as part of NHS ‘financial reset’

6 days ago | theguardian.com | Denis Campbell

Hospitals in England are cutting staff, closing services and planning to ration care in order to make “eye-watering” savings demanded by NHS bosses. Rehabilitation centres face being shut, talking therapies services cut and beds for end-of-life care reduced as part of efforts by England’s 215 NHS trusts to comply with a “financial reset”.
Plan to cut NHS manager jobs ‘reckless,’ say critics

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Denis Campbell

Ministers have admitted they did not assess the impact of axing thousands of NHS managers before pushing ahead, sparking charges that the controversial cull is “reckless” and “a huge risk”. The NHS’s 42 regional integrated care boards (ICBs) in England have been told to slash their running costs by 50% by the end of the year, in a move that will lead to around 12,500 job losses.
Profits from NHS England eye care outsourcing same as 100 PFI contracts, research finds

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Denis Campbell

Profits made from treating NHS eye patients by five private firms are so large they equal those made by the 100 with private finance initiative (PFI) hospital contracts, research shows. The disclosure has led to calls for ministers to cap what can be “eye-watering” levels of profit made by private operators when they take over key public services.
NHS in England urged to become ‘early intervention service’ on cancer

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Denis Campbell

Too many people are at risk of becoming “martyrs” by not getting symptoms of cancer checked out because they do not want to burden the NHS, a report warns, which calls for earlier testing to diagnose those at higher risk. The report, by the health consultancy Incisive Health, sets out ways in which the NHS in England can catch more cancers early and thus save lives by becoming more of an “early intervention service”.
One in four patients in England find errors in medical records, watchdog says

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Denis Campbell

Almost one in four patients in England have found mistakes in their medical records such as errors over their illness, drugs they have taken or treatment they have received. The blunders have led to patients missing out on diagnostic tests or treatment, being refused care or being given medication they did not need, research by an NHS watchdog has found. In some cases, their official medical history wrongly said they had illnesses they had never had.
Ultra-processed food increases risk of early death: international study

2 weeks ago | taipeitimes.com | Denis Campbell

By Denis Campbell / The Guardian Consuming large amounts of ultra-processed food (UPF) increases the risk of an early death, according to a international study that has reignited calls for a crackdown on UPF. Each 10 percent extra intake of UPF, such as bread, cakes and ready meals, increases someone’s risk of dying before they reach 75 by 3 percent, according to research in countries including the US and England.
Ultra-processed food increases risk of early death, international study finds

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Denis Campbell

Consuming large amounts of ultra-processed food (UPF) increases the risk of an early death, according to a international study that has reignited calls for a crackdown on UPF. Each 10% extra intake of UPF, such as bread, cakes and ready meals, increases someone’s risk of dying before they reach 75 by 3%, according to research in countries including the US and England.
Being shouted at by parents can alter child’s brain, experts tell UK MPs

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Denis Campbell

Being shouted at by their parents reshapes children’s brains and makes them more likely to have mental ill-health and struggle to maintain friendships, MPs will hear on Monday. Verbal abuse by adults can leave children unable to enjoy pleasure and seeing the world as threatening, experts in child development and mental health will tell a meeting at Westminster. “As children we believe what we are told, deeply folding the words of adults into our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
NHS in England failing to record ethnicity of those who sue over maternity care

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Denis Campbell

The NHS is facing criticism for not recording the ethnicity of people who sue it over poor maternity care, despite black, Asian and minority ethnic women experiencing much greater harm during childbirth. Health experts, patient safety campaigners and lawyers claim racial disparities in maternity care are so stark that NHS bodies in England must start collating details of people who take legal action to help ensure services improve.