8am: Get to work and most importantly…coffee
Looking around the practice a lot of things have changed since Covid 19 came into play. I have never seen the surgery so empty. The reception area has just a couple of staff at either end of the room answering phones and the waiting room is now as quiet as Jeremy Hunt’s leaving party at the junior doctors HQ. On the outside you would have thought this place was closed.

8.30am: Start the telephone triage list
There is one list for all of us working today. Every patient that rings in for an appointment gets put on this list to be rung back by a doctor or nurse. You just keep going till it is done (which is usually about the time the practice closes). This is a massive change to how we normally practice. Nowadays any face-to-face consultation is only done as an absolute last resort. We don’t want people to be put at risk of Covid 19 by leaving their houses and coming to the practice, likewise we want to make sure the practice staff are not put at risk. We do have some aprons, face masks and gloves to use if we do see someone who we suspect has Covid 19, but the evidence that these help anyone is as flimsy as the see-through pinnys we clumsily wrap around our necks.

Personally, I had always found telephone consults to be quite stressful since you can’t physically examine the patients and you could potentially miss out on vital clues you could have picked up face to face. To be fair, judging by the few patients we have been bringing to the practice and the fact that we haven’t seen much in the way of disasters, it has opened my eyes to how much can be managed over the phone. Maybe this is something we need to look at in the medical community after all of this is done….?

We sadly get far more calls from people struggling mentally with lockdown than with the symptoms of coronavirus. I spoke to one lady in her 90s who was in tears as she felt so lonely.

Normally she has a few visitors a week who stop for a cup of tea and a chat but that stopped when lockdown started. I found myself really struggling to know what to say to make her feel better, as our training didn’t prepare us for anything like this. The hard truth is most people are struggling with how this is affecting their life and that we are all feeling a little vulnerable right now. As it turns out I’ve sometimes found that just talking as two people, and not as a doctor and a patient, has often helped these people feel better – after all it’s what she was missing.

12:30: Lunchtime
I settle for a homemade sandwich at the desk….there are a lot of calls today so it will be tight whether we all finish by the time the practice closes today. This is something that hasn’t changed with Covid 19.

1pm: Hurrah – a patient in the flesh!
The only face to face patient of the day…a baby check and immunisations.
We are still doing childhood vaccines and combining it with the 6-8 week baby check…we don’t want an outbreak of any other illnesses and it has been suggested that if we don’t keep up with this we could get another measles outbreak – the last thing we need! Its so nice to see a patient face to face, especially a very cute baby, which is a good distraction as I find myself blurring the lines between clinical examination and peekaboo.

5.30pm: The End!
Finally the telephone list is done and the last patient is sorted. As is usually the case the last patient ended up being quite complicated and so I land up with a one week old baby with a red eye (which is always a concern if you are under 4 weeks of age). I have the usual run around whilst ringing the automated switchboard, explaining for the 50th time that I wanted a “paediatrician’ and not “a clown on a mission” – although after 5 minutes I’ll settle for this. Finally (and mercifully) an actual person answers the phone and gets me a paediatrician to speak to who agrees the baby needs to come to hospital immediately.

6pm: Start of the shift in the Covid 19 Hot Clinic.
This is where patients with symptoms of Covid 19 have been triaged by the out of hours teams to attend for face to face assessment to see if they need direct admission to hospital. There is also another parallel clinic running to see people with no Covid 19 symptoms and it is safer this way to avoid patients mixing and spreading Covid 19. To prevent the patient groups mixing the clinic has been set up like Fort Knox (minus the guns).

The Covid 19 patients are given an exact time to attend, and advised in the strongest possible terms to stay in the car and call us when they arrive. At this point, if we are ready for them, a nurse in PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) attends to them, presenting them with gloves and a mask and escorts them into the building. They are then taken to a room to be examined by me for either sending home or admission to hospital depending on what they need.

There is a good amount of PPE at the moment but I am not sure how long that will last, and it does appear that the guidance on what is safe changes daily. We put on a surgical gown and plastic apron then gloves, goggles, surgical face mask and face shield. We keep the same scrubs and surgical gown on throughout the shift and change everything else between patients. The room and equipment is deep cleaned by the nurse after every patient to make sure we reduce the risk of viral transmission from the room, and we all try and stand 2m apart at all times except from the clinical examination.We try and do this as quickly as possible to prevent us getting Covid 19. This is fine by me as after 10mins in PPE you start to overheat and begin to perceive your breath. And those who are wear glasses end up more so due to the perils of steamed up glasses.

At the moment, the level of PPE feels pretty safe, although it’s not quite like what we have seen in some other sites – it appears different areas of the UK can independently decide what they choose to use as long as it meets the current government guidelines.

There was one lady booked in tonight who was very unwell. She could barely string a sentence together without gasping for breath so we immediately called 999 for her. It’s scary just how quick people can deteriorate with this condition – in all my years as a doctor I have never seen anything like this. A sobering thought and one I make a mental note to share with my friend today who was planning on sunbathing in the park at the weekend.

10pm: Home time
We have to change out of the surgical gown and bag everything we’ve used to get cleaned. When I get home I make sure I immediately have a shower. You can’t be too careful working in the Covid clinic and even with the best PPE there’s a risk of some contamination when you take it off. After dinner on the sofa I reflect on a day in General Practice where I have only seen 2 patients in the flesh, but am so exhausted I seem to be falling asleep half way through my favourite episode of “Tiger King”. 2020 has turned out to be an interesting one…

Dr Serena Alim
GP

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With the current lockdown, a lot of business are beginning to the feel the bite with most business activities (even online ones) grinding to a screeching halt.

But did you that there are a range of packages the government has rolled out to support business ride through this trying times?

Here what we think you need to know:

1. STATUTORY SICK PAY (SSP) RELIEF PACKAGE FOR SMEs

The government has announced that it will pay up to 2 weeks’ SSP per eligible employee who has been off work because of COVID-19. If you employ people in your business and anyone is off sick or in isolation due to coronavirus, please ask them to get an isolation note from the NHS. This can be obtained online at https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note

2. BUSINESS RATES RELIEF FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

A £25,000 grant will be provided to retail, hospitality and leisure businesses operating from smaller premises, with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000.

The government will also provide funding to support small businesses that already pay little or no business rates because of small business rate relief (SBBR). This will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to businesses currently eligible for SBRR or rural rate relief, to help meet their ongoing business costs.

Please note that Business Rates related grants are only available to businesses that have a business premises that has been registered with the local council for the purpose of Business Rates.

If your business meets the above mentioned criteria, then please contact your local council directly in order to apply for the Business Rates Grant.

3. CORONAVIRUS BUSINESS INTERRUPTION LOAN (CBIL)

A new temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, has been launched to support small and medium sized businesses to access bank loans and overdrafts. The government will provide lenders with a guarantee of 80% on each loan. The Scheme will support loans of up to £5 million in value. Businesses can access the first 12 months of that finance interest free, as government will cover the first 12 months of interest payments.

Please contact your Bank directly in order to apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan (CBIL).

4. HMRC’s TIME TO PAY TAX SERVICE

All businesses and self-employed people in financial distress, and with outstanding tax liabilities, may be eligible to receive support with their tax affairs through HMRC’s Time To Pay service. These arrangements are agreed on a case-by-case basis and are tailored to individual circumstances and liabilities.

If you are unable to pay any of your tax liabilities as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak, you can call HMRC’s dedicated helpline on 0800 0159 559 to request for the payments to be spread out over a period of time.

5. VAT PAYMENT DEFFERMENT

If you’re a VAT registered business and have a VAT payment due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020, you have the option to delay any VAT payment due within this period. The VAT payment deferred will be payable by 31 March 2021.

Please note that you will still be required to file the VAT returns as usual.

Any VAT payments that become due for payment after 30 June 2020 cannot be deferred and will have to be paid as normal.

6. CORONAVIRUS JOB RETENTION SCHEME

The scheme is open to all UK employers that had created and had a PAYE payroll scheme in place as at 28 February 2020. It is designed to support employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

Employers can claim for 80% of furloughed employees’ (employees on a leave of absence) usual monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month, including the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions on that wage. The claim will need to be submitted through an online portal which is expected to open by the end of April 2020.

For salaried employees, the employee’s actual gross salary as of 28 February 2020 will be used to calculate the 80% grant payable by the government.

If you are a PAYE employee who has been classified as a ‘Furloughed employee’ by your employer then you should still receive 80% of your salary. Please contact your employer to clarify this if you are not sure.

If you are a company director and take salary from your company, then you may be able to claim 80% of your monthly wages from HMRC.

7. CORONAVIRUS SELF-EMPLOYMENT INCOME SUPPORT SCHEME

This scheme will allow self-employed individuals to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for 3 months.

Please note that this scheme is only available to individuals who are self-employed i.e. people who trade in their own individual name. If you work as a contractor through a limited company, then this scheme is not applicable to you.

The eligibility criteria for this scheme is as follows:

• You should have submitted the tax return for 2018-19 as a self-employed sole trader/partnership.
• You should have traded during the tax year 2019-20
• You intend to continue to trade in 2020-21 tax year
• You have lost trading/partnership trading profits due to COVID-19
• Your self-employed trading profits must also be less than £50,000
• If you have multiple sources of income then half of all your income should come from self-employment

You do not need to do anything right now to apply for this scheme. HMRC will contact you by end of May 2020 if you are eligible for the scheme and invite you to apply online. Once HMRC has received your claim, they will contact you to tell you how much you will get.

8. COMPANY DIRECTORS EARNING SALARY & DIVIDENDS

If you are a company director earning salary & dividends from your company then you have the following support available:

• You can apply for Business Rates Relief if your business qualifies subject to the criteria in point number 2 mentioned above.
• You can apply for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan as mentioned in point number 3 above.
• You can delay payment of Taxes as mentioned in point number 4 & 5 above.
• You may be able to claim 80% of your monthly salary as mentioned in point number 6 above.
• You cannot claim any grant under the self-employment income support scheme mentioned in point 7 above since you are classed as a Director & Shareholder of a Limited Company which is not the same as a self-employed.

Credits: AACSL Accountants

Source: http://www.gov.uk

Find out more about support for employers and businesses by following this link to Government official page.

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Into this mess enter Babylon Health with their ‘GP at Hand’ mobile service application. Allowing patients to have appointments without leaving the comfort of their own home. Decreasing pressure on GP services and giving patients what they want, when they want it. So why are GPs so against what seems like a win-win situation?

Who are Babylon Health?

A health innovation company using mobile apps to allow patients to have access to a GP 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These consultations occur over a video platform so patients do not have to attend in person. The app also has a ‘symptoms checker’ which can be used to help direct patients based upon the information they input into the app. It is important to state GPs are a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service and has been for many years but this point seems to be lost on the general public and one of the selling points of Babylon.

How has Babylon Health changed the NHS landscape?

Their initial business model involved charging patients for each appointment as any private provider would. However, in 2018 the group entered into a partnership with Fulham and Hammersmith Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) allowing patients from all over London to register with the provider using a small surgery as its ‘base’ of operations. These patients would be registered with the company as any patient registering with an NHS GP. This small branch of some 2000+ patients suddenly grew in size with up to 400 patients registering every day. At last count they had registered over 50,000 from all over London. There were certain caveats such as patients with complex needs not being able to register. They also advertised that patients could be seen by a clinician immediately but neglected to mention that it could take take six weeks to become registered.

Why Do GPs fear this change if this reduces their burden of patients?

A large component of GP funding stems from something called ‘capitation per patient’. This is a set lump-sum payment made on an annual basis to a practice from NHS England and is based on the number of patients registered with the practice. This fee provides some, if not all, of the care provided by a practice. A key cornerstone of this payment is that the payment is independent of the amount of care provided. This means that patients who register with a practice but rarely attend are effectively supplementing the needs of those who are complex conditions and need regular attention. In 2017/18, this payment amounted to £152.04 per registered patient. Thus, if patients get drawn away from practices, so does this funding.

So what? Who cares? Aren’t they paid too much anyway?

You may be one of those who think that GPs, or doctors in general, are grossly overpaid. However, a reduction in funding would have many varying consequences, not least for the salaries of doctors. The funds provided to a practice are used to fund all manner of services, from nursing staff to additional services such as baby immunisations, to rent and maintenance for surgeries. If the pot at their disposal is smaller, practices will be less equipped financially to fund these services. Not to mention there will be even less money for them to procure clinicians for their patient population as their rates of pay would not be competitive.

How can this impact on GP services within your location?

One of the major problems is that a lack of funding may lead to a collapse of GP services altogether. Practices which rely on their core contract funding and procure salaries for staff and allied healthcare services would no longer be able to sustain their list sizes. This would mean as practices close, patients would be redistributed to neighbouring services who again may be unable to cope with numbers. Gone would be the days of seeing your local GP. In addition, the model Babylon propose is fine for those who are tech-savvy and without co-morbidities which preclude a video-based assessment. But what of the most vulnerable groups within our population?

What about Babylon health?

If they are managing the demand for now this may not necessarily be the case in the future. This could leave NHS England in a difficult spot should the app provider suddenly be unable to cope as has been seen with many private providers down the years. For them, it is a contract. For patients and GPs, it is their health and their livelihood. Can Babylon health help supplement the pressured NHS system without leading to all-out war with practices? Or will this change become a major turning point in the contracting of health services within the UK, forcing GPs to work in tandem with the app?

It is important to point out this situation is not the making of Babylon health. They have merely found a gap in the market and used current technological advances to carve out a niche. The real question is whether their model is sustainable.

What does irritate me as a clinician, a patient and a taxpayer is why a similar model has not been set up by NHSX. Why has the much anticipated ‘NHS App’ gone from all singing all dancing to barely fit for purpose?

As the NHS seems unwilling to support GPs, Federations are having to fill the void by proposing and funding their own apps. The Birmingham and Solihull CCG have recently launched their own app which now rivals much of the functionality of Babylon.

If all the NHS are using Babylon for is a much-needed stimulus to drive innovation within the NHS, Babylon may inadvertently end up saving the current GP model unbeknown to itself. I guess only time will tell.

Source: https://gpblogger.com/

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A study was recently conducted by Cranfield University and Middlesex University, commissioned by the GMC, which looked into the referral process to fitness to practise procedures.

The Fair to Refer? report found BAME physicians are more than twice as likely to be referred as white doctors, resulting in them having a higher chance of being investigated, and subsequently, given a warning or sanction.

The research, conducted by Dr Doyin Atewologun, reader in gender, inclusion and leadership at Cranfield University, together with Roger Kline, research fellow at Middlesex University Business School, discovered why more BAME doctors were called for referral than white colleagues.

The most common reasons were the lack of induction or support in transitioning to new social, cultural and professional environments for BAME doctors. They were also not often given “effective, honest or timely feedback” on their practises, stemmed out of the fact that many managers from different ethnic groups try to avoid awkward conversations.

It also found some doctors in isolated roles have a lack of learning experiences, mentors and resources to build up their practical skills and bedside manner, while some physicians are still treated as ‘outsiders’ by their colleagues and bosses. Therefore, they find it difficult to ask for advice and support from their leaders.

Dr Atewologun stated:

“The factors behind disproportionate representation of certain groups of doctors in fitness to practice referrals are multiple and intricately linked, with ‘risk factors’ for certain groups of doctors and ‘protective factors’ for others layering upon one another to create a cumulative positive impact for some and a cumulative negative impact for others.”

Chief executive of the GMC Charlie Massey went on to say workplaces with “just and fair cultures” are necessary for effective and supported doctors, as well as “strong clinical leadership that fosters trust and confidence in employees”.

The organisation wants to encourage more support for BAME doctors, so problems can be solved at an earlier stage without GMC intervention.

To achieve this, the study offers several recommendations, including focusing on learning from an incident as opposed to looking for someone to blame for it; encouraging engaged, positive and inclusive leadership across the NHS; and providing better support for doctors new to the UK or the NHS and for those who have a particularly isolating role, such as locums and SAS doctors.

As well as improving support for BAME doctors, the GMC recently committed itself to helping physicians and medical students with disabilities more.

Its Welcome and Value Guidance advises training providers on how to help those with disabilities “fulfil their potential”.

For a medical events for doctors, take a look at our schedule.

For related articles, see below. 

• https://www.gmc-uk.org/news/news-archive/disabled-doctors-to-get-increased-support-thanks-to-new-gmc-guidance
• https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/press/news-2019/poor-support-and-isolation-are-factors-in-bame-doctors-getting-more-gmc-referrals
• https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l4391
• https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/25/nhs-treating-minority-ethnic-doctors-as-outsiders
• https://www.gponline.com/lack-support-behind-higher-gmc-referral-rate-bame-doctors/article/1588686
• https://www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-regulation/nhs-has-institutional-problem-of-more-bame-doctors-getting-gmc-referrals/7025401.article
• https://medicsevents.co.uk/publication/new-gmc-guidance-offers-more-support-to-disabled-doctors/

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The organisation is now set to work alongside colleagues in NHS primary care to help increase confidence in its assessment of the losses to fraud where this is concerned, forming a basis for fraud prevention activity.

It will also be focusing its attention on pharmaceutical contractor fraud, working with the NHS Business Services Authority to find areas of loss to fraud and identify potential problems with contractors that provide community pharmacy services.

Another key area being prioritised is procurement and commissioning fraud, with fraud risk vulnerabilities set to be measured in this area in order to develop updated prevention guidance. The aim is to work in a collaborative fashion with colleagues throughout the health service to deliver work that will result in a measurable reduction in this kind of fraud.

Improving fraud outcomes across the NHS is also a priority, with a drive to increase the number of sanctions imposed because of local counter fraud activity, as well as improving the quality of referrals to enable enforcement action.

The headline targets for the year 2019-2020 are £22 million in detected fraud, £100 million in prevented fraud and £5 million in recoveries from fraud losses.

“By setting clear goals based on the national intelligence picture of fraud risks and working with colleagues across the NHS to deliver them, we can make sure counter fraud work at both national and local level is focused on achieving measurable outcomes.

“In order to measure the impact of NHS counter fraud work we will use a set of financial targets, which for the first time this year include a measure of the value of prevented fraud,” interim CEO of the NHSCFA Susan Frith said.

The body also recently published a reference guide to help healthcare professionals find information and resources on the different types of fraud that affect the NHS. It forms part of a wider programme of work that intends to increase understanding of fraud risks, while providing prevention advice and guidance to help mitigate the risks.

There are different sections that cover the likes of staff and patient fraud, or issues with suppliers, NHS systems or third parties (people or organisations not associated with the NHS but trying to gain financially from it).

If you or a colleague identifies NHS fraud, suspicions or concerns can be reported to the NHSCA by calling the free 24-hour reporting line, or filling in a form online. All reports will be treated in confidence and you’re also able to report anonymously. If you’re an NHS employee, you can report suspicions of fraud to a local counter fraud specialist.

Need information on medical events? Get in touch with us today.

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The government needs to take action on drug shortages, or risk patients suffering harm or even dying, one doctor has warned.

Writing for the Guardian, Zara Aziz, a GP partner in inner-city Bristol, explained that drug shortages are not only bad news for patients, but are also wasting doctors’ time. She revealed that she has to identify and prescribe alternatives when a patient’s regular medication is out of stock. In some cases, this requires additional consultations.

She noted that in Bristol the most common shortages are currently for EpiPen, certain tablets that are used to treat high blood pressure, some contraceptives and hormone-replacement therapies, and even a formulation of morphine that’s used in palliative care.

“This poses safety issues as patients risk running out of medication, suffering adverse reactions or not taking medicines properly for fear of running out,” she asserted. Another consequence is that it adds to the stress many patients undergo.

Dr Aziz pointed out that 60 per cent of hospital pharmacists in the UK are currently reporting drug shortages, with a number of factors exacerbating the problem.

They include the fact that the manufacturers of some generic drugs are targeting more profitable markets overseas, new regulations that mean the manufacturing process takes longer, and certain unethical manufacturers stockpiling drugs in a bid to push wholesale prices up. Brexit is another factor that’s adding to the problem, she said.

Pharmacists have been warning about drug shortages since the beginning of this year, when the number of medicines listed as being in short supply climbed from 45 in October last year to 80 in January.

To find out about CPD healthcare conferences happening in the UK, contact us today.

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The organisation alleges in a statement of objections that between 2013 and 2018 Focus, Alliance Pharmaceuticals, Medreich and Lexon reached an agreement not to compete for the supply of the prescription-only drug to the NHS.

Prices paid by the NHS for the drug climbed by approximately 700 per cent between 2013 and 2017, with the price of a pack of 50 tablets rising from £6.49 to £51.68. This meant that between 2014 and 2018, the NHS incurred annual cost increases from about £2.7 million to approximately £7.5 million, despite the fact that the number of packs dispensed dropped.

A CMA investigation has provisionally found that the four companies collaborated through two separate agreements, one between Focus, Lexon and Medreich, and the other between Alliance Pharmaceuticals and Focus.

Alliance supplied the drug exclusively to Focus, which then paid Lexon a share of the profits earned on the onward sales of Prochlorperazine. Lexon then shared these payments with Medreich.

CMA senior director of antitrust Ann Pope said: “Agreements, where a company pays a rival not to enter the market, can lead to higher prices and deprive the NHS of huge savings that often result from competition between drug suppliers.

“The NHS should not be denied the opportunity of benefitting from an increased choice of suppliers, or lower prices, for important medicine.”

Competition law is intended to protect both businesses and consumers from anti-competitive behaviour, safeguarding effective competition so as to create open and dynamic markets, while enhancing innovation, productivity and value for customers.

Research carried out last year revealed that the majority of businesses are indeed aware of anti-competitive behaviours, such as the fact that price fixing with other firms can result in imprisonment and that it can be against the law to attend meetings where competitors agree on prices.

Interestingly, the proportion of companies putting on training sessions and having discussions at senior level regarding this side of the law remains the same as it was four years ago, with six per cent saying training sessions have taken place in the last 12 months and 18 per cent saying senior-level discussions have been held.

And 68 per cent admitted that they have poor awareness of the penalties that non-compliance with competition law could result in, consistent with the result seen four years ago.

Anyone aware of anti-competitive behaviour or market issues can notify the CMA, filling out a form online and emailing it to the organisation about any concerns. Unless indicated otherwise, the CMA will assume that the information provided is intended to be used as the organisation sees fit and is to be shared or disclosed as far as is necessary, following legal requirements.

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Earlier this month, the organisation released its Welcome and Valued Guidance, which advises training providers about what they need to do to ensure those with disabilities are “able to fulfil their potential”.

This includes the adjustments they have to make, allocating specific contracts, how to agree confidentiality agreements, and different action plans that might be relevant.

GMC’s medical director and director of education and standards Professor Colin Melville said: “There are already many disabled doctors who are making great contributions to healthcare across the UK, but there are often inconsistencies in the support they receive while they are training and learning.”

He added the new guidance will help “by providing advice for medical schools and training locations about what they can do to make sure students and doctors with disabilities are supported”.

Dr Hannah Barham-Brown, who is disabled herself, gave the GMC advice to be able to produce the guidance.

She said the report will help medical staff who have disabilities, as they are an “asset to the NHS and should be treated as such”.

The new guidance outlines what is expected of healthcare training providers and employers with regards to the adjustments they need to make for disabled students and members of staff. It also gives suggestions on how medical schools and postgraduate training organisations can apply their duties in a practical way.

To find out if a medical event for doctors with disabilities is coming to an area near you, take a look here.

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Labour MP Tessa Jowell, who died last year from a brain tumour, has left an important legacy, as the government has agreed to roll out a potentially life-saving treatment in all NHS hospitals across the UK.

Baroness Jowell was told she had glioblastoma in May 2017, and in the year between her diagnosis and her death, she campaigned for better funding and treatments for brain cancers.

This included the roll-out of 5-ALA, a liquid that uses fluorescent dye to highlight cancer cells under ultraviolet light. After the patient consumers the ‘pink drink’, their malignant cells show up, enabling surgeons to target them specifically so they can be confident the entire tumour is removed and can spare the healthy brain cells.

The treatment was available in some NHS clinics previously, but health secretary Matt Hancock has just revealed it will now be offered in all neurological centres.

Professor Ashkan, who was one of the first doctors to use 5-ALA, told Sky News: “This drug helps us because it can differentiate and delineate a tumour a lot better than it would be under ordinary white light, so the better we can see, the more clear the margins.”

This will provide a “better outcome for patients” as surgeons can remove more of the tumour with fewer risks.

Mr Hancock revealed the treatment can be nationalised thanks to an extra £33.9 billion being ploughed into the NHS from the government, which will be necessary as the drug is £1,000 per person and the equipment in each facility will cost more than £30,000.

To find out about the latest developments in healthcare treatments, look for medical events taking place near you.

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Official NHS figures show that nine million people a year are seeing their crucial appointments and operations cancelled, with slots routinely called off at the last minute – nearly triple the number seen ten years ago.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the figures reveal that at some hospitals up to one in every four appointments for outpatients is being cancelled, with people in the south-east and south-west most likely to face such issues.

In all, 8.93 million slots were cancelled in hospitals around England in 2017/2018 – up from the 3.25 million in 2007/2008.

Charities have described the new figures as concerning, saying that a focus on NHS key targets means that not enough attention is being paid to the millions of people whose consultations are now being delayed – sometimes repeatedly.

Health secretary Matt Hancock was quoted by the news source as saying: “We must do everything we can to spare the uncertainty, discomfort and potential harm this can cause while being unafraid to challenge existing ways of doing things to make them work better for patients. The outdated model of outpatient services needs a fundamental overhaul.”

He went on to say that smarter use of tech like online booking systems and digital appointments will help save both time and inconvenience for patients while freeing up resources and staff where outpatient clinics are the better option.

In September last year, University College London research showed that one in seven operations in hospitals around the UK are cancelled on the day of surgery.

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