Debunking common patient myths and misconceptions: ‘I’ve got my usual cough – it’s gone to my chest with green phlegm, so I need antibiotics’ This statement illustrates one of two common presentations with a cough, alongside the newly named ‘Schrödinger’s cough’ (a cough at once so bad as to need antibiotics, and so mild that…
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The NHS has had its efficiency targets doubled in ‘crackdown’ on ‘wasteful’ spending from Rishi Sunak, in a move the RCN has dubbed a ‘false economy’. Ahead of his spring statement on Wednesday, the cMr Sunak today announced that the annual NHS efficiency target will be doubled to 2.2%, which he said will free up…
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Simone Garland is a registered mental health nurse working in the health and social care sector. She is also a wellbeing coach at mental health service The Wandering Mind. Here Simone outlines how to spot anxiety in patients, in light of the significant rises in mental health issues expected post-pandemic. Anxiety is a common mental…
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BME groups faced a ‘triple whammy of threats’ to their finances, mental health and virus risk during the Covid-19 pandemic, a report has found. The research, published yesterday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), looked at different ethnic groups in the UK, just before the pandemic and in April this year during national lockdown….
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The NHS is preparing for a ‘triple whammy’ of rising Covid-19 infections, a major treatment backlog and reduced capacity because of infection control measures this winter, senior health leaders warned today. An NHS Confederation report, which interviewed 250 senior leaders in the English NHS, stressed the need for extra investment and support for frontline services…
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The reality: Yes, all suspected mini stroke or TIA (Transient Ischaemic Attack) cases are classed as a medical emergency and should be seen by the specialist stroke team at a hospital within 24hours.   Mini stroke or TIA is defined as a transient episode of neurological dysfunction caused by focal brain, spinal cord or retinal ischaemia without evidence of acute…
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Way back in 2016, when I was the chair of New NHS Alliance, one Friday night I sent an idea in a tweet to my colleague and friend Louise Brady.

As the Covid-19 pandemic emerges, comparisons have been made between the new coronavirus and seasonal flu. With the help of the advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other scientific resources, science journalist Helen Quinn has separated facts from fiction, in our Covid-19 v seasonal flu guide for practice nurses.

Women’s health specialist nurse Eppy Sewell on how the coil can be life-changing for younger women

Dr Joan Myers OBE, a Queen’s Nurse and Royal College of Nursing London council member, on her rewarding two-week mission to Ghana.