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Rebecca Thomas

Health correspondent @rebeccasmt

Rebecca Thomas is the Independent’s Health Correspondent. A health journalist for six years, she has a particular focus on patient safety. In 2022 Rebecca won the Health and Science Journalism award at the British Media Awards for her “proper revelatory journalism” in her coverage of the worsening A&E crisis in the NHS. She was also shortlisted for journalist of the year at the 2023 Press Awards.

<p>‘Fundamentally, we must change attitudes and behaviour,’ says Navina Evans, NHS workforce chief </p>
Health

Top health chief slams ‘shameful’ level of sexual harassment in NHS

Health

King Charles: What kind of cancer treatment is available to him

Government finally sets up national register after cosmetic breast surgery scandal that ruined British women's lives
Health

Women had breast implants removed after NHS misinterpreted a scan

A £1.2 billion deal between two data management and software companies could push up costs for the NHS by reducing competition, a regulator has found (PA)
Health

Stroke patients wait more than a day for ambulances

<p>Left to right: Louise Murmut, Julie Montacute, and paramedic Rebecca McLellan</p>
Health

NHS figures show 15,000 died in mental health trust care in a year

Health

Sick notes: The figures behind the PM’s ‘crackdown’

<p>Police and safeguarding officials failed to investigated allegations of abuse by family of Clive Treacey (pictured) </p>
Health

Calls for regulator of care workers to protect adults from abuse

<p>Researchers hopeful of a new treatment for the aggressive disease </p>
Health

Breakthrough gives hope of new treatment of rare blood cancer

Health

Scandal of care home sex predators free to target the vulnerable

Pharmacists have warned that hundreds of community pharmacies have closed in the last five years, which has heaped more pressure on overstretched GPs (Julien Behal/PA)
Health

Brexit making shortages of life saving medicines ‘new normal’

<p>Dementia</p>
Health

Give dementia patients fewer antipsychotic drugs, say researchers

<p>Mental health accounts for almost a quarter of record levels of NHS staff absences, according to official data (PA)</p>
Health

More than 75 per cent of NHS staff are struggling with mental health

Diabetes test ‘may be inaccurate for thousands of South Asian people in UK’, new research has found (Peter Byrne/PA)
Science

Diabetes test my give false results to thousands of South Asian people

Science

Diabetes test my give false results to thousands of South Asian people

Diabetes test ‘may be inaccurate for thousands of South Asian people in UK’, new research has found (Peter Byrne/PA)
<p>Health secretary Victoria Atkins said she would work to close loopholes for private online providers (Jeff Moore/PA)</p>
Health

NHS gender care taken over by ‘ideology’, health secretary claims

Health

NHS faces Me Too moment as boss calls for harassment to be stamped out

<p>The review was commissioned following a sizeable uptick in referrals to gender identity services </p>
Health

Trans children failed by NHS amid toxic debate on gender identity

<p>Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said criticism over Labour’s NHS reforms were ‘water off a duck’s back’ </p>
UK Politics

Wes Streeting: NHS won’t get extra cash from Labour without surgery

<p>Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said criticism over Labour’s NHS reforms were ‘water off a duck’s back’ </p>
UK Politics

Wes Streeting: NHS won’t get extra cash from Labour without surgery

<p>Mental health accounts for almost a quarter of record levels of NHS staff absences, according to official data (PA)</p>
Health

Health workers suffering ‘burnout’ amid NHS staffing crisis

Health

NHS staff shown porn and offered money for sex, new figures reveal

<p>Figures uncovered by The Independent show an average of 126 deaths in emergency departments on a Monday </p>
Health

Why Mondays are the deadliest day to go to A&E

<p>Prostate cancer cases to double by 2040, new research suggests</p>
Health

Prostate cancer cases to double by 2040, new research suggests

<p>Contaminate eye gel used to treat dry eyes </p>
Health

One death and dozens of infections ‘linked to contaminated eye gel’

<p>NHS waiting list recovery could take ‘years’, according to a new IFS report (Jeff Moore/PA)</p>
Health

NHS waiting list could be 2 million higher than thought

<p>Staff of the new MET Medical ambulance service, which will cover St Albans and Hertfordshire and has around 25 private ambulances </p>
Health

Private ambulance service opens amid hours-long NHS delays

<p>Kate Middleton </p>
Health

What is preventative chemotherapy? Kate Middleton’s cancer explained

<p>NHS waiting list recovery could take ‘years’, according to a new IFS report (Jeff Moore/PA)</p>
Health

NHS waiting list could be 2 million higher than thought

<p>Staff of the new MET Medical ambulance service, which will cover St Albans and Hertfordshire and has around 25 private ambulances </p>
Health

Private ambulance service opens amid hours-long NHS delays

<p>Kate Middleton </p>
Health

What is preventative chemotherapy? Kate Middleton’s cancer explained

<p>The risk to health increases the longer a patient spends in A&E, according to the study </p>
Health

Long A&E waiting times ‘needlessly killing 250 people a week’

Health

Long A&E waiting times ‘needlessly killing 250 people a week’

<p>The risk to health increases the longer a patient spends in A&E, according to the study </p>
<p>Luby was admitted to Basildon Hospital A&E in Essex in January after attempting to take an overdose</p>
Health

NHS nurse ‘treated like an animal’ during mental health crisis

<p>Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Rob Behrens has held the post since 2017 (Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman/PA)</p>
Health

NHS must stop sending eating disorder patients to die, watchdog says

Some 161 risk factors for dementia were examined in the new study (Joe Giddens/PA)
Health

Drinking less alcohol cuts dementia risk, new research suggests

Health

Public satisfaction with the NHS at record 40-year low

Health

Public satisfaction with the NHS at record 40-year low

<p>Users of the hospitals within the trust said they were discharged ‘too soon’ and left feeling worse than when they had arrived</p>
Health

Nottingham killer’s hospital releases mental health patients too soon

Health

A&Es cannot properly care for most vulnerable patients, doctors warn

<p>The Royal Manchester Children's Hospital is investigating the allegations (file photo) </p>
Health

Hospital investigating claims boy had poor care ‘because he is Jewish’

<p>Analysis predicts dramatic declines in global fertility rates (Victoria Jones/PA)</p>
World

Falling birth rates will leave UK reliant on immigration until 2100

<p>A new funding pot has been announced for the NHS and social care over winter (PA)</p>
Health

NHS will need £8.5bn extra a year over next four years

Health

Doctors urge ministers to roll out jab for ‘dangerous’ winter virus

<p>One in three hospital patients in England arriving by ambulance last week had to wait more than half an hour to be handed over to A&E teams (Jeff Moore/PA)</p>
Health

Black ambulance staff more likely to face bullying and discrimination

<p>NHS England first triggered the review following ‘extreme challenges’ faced by ambulance services in 2021 and 2022</p>
Health

Exposed: Secret NHS report that shames the ambulance service

Health

Calls for public inquiry into NHS sexual abuse scandal

<p>Alice and Lewis Jones with Ronnie, who suffered a catastrophic brain injury during his birth </p>
Health

Parents watched 18 month old die after Shrewsbury hospital failings

Health

Covid patients wrongly issued with DNR orders, says watchdog

Health

Covid patients wrongly issued with DNR orders, says watchdog

<p>The government has admitted the accounts of poor care uncovered by The Independent were ‘unacceptable’ and ‘fall well below the standard of care we expect’ </p>
Health

Scandal of elderly patients being ‘treated like animals’ on NHS wards

Health

50,000 will die from pancreatic cancer by 2029, charity warns

<p>An MRI scanner (Medical Illustration/NHSGGC/PA)</p>
Health

NHS patients exposed to excess radiation from out of date machines

<p>Matthew Caseby, 23, was a personal trainer who lived in London </p>
Health

Hospital fined after young patient killed by train

<p>Matthew Caseby, 23, was a personal trainer who lived in London </p>
Health

Hospital fined after young patient killed by train

<p>Daniel Tucker died after being discharged from Nottingham Healthcare Foundation Trust </p>
Health

Pro-suicide website slammed by coroner after tragic death

<p>Michelle Russell has been an NHS nurse for 30 years </p>
Health

Watchdog for NMC slammed dropping sexual harassment case

<p>Among the backlog of cases are 83 nurses and midwives who face such serious allegations that their work has been restricted (stock image) </p>
Health

Revealed: Scandal of rogue nurses free to work on NHS hospital wards

<p>The number of applications for places at primary schools in the capital has fallen this year, figures show </p>
Health

Almost 70,000 children missing out on mental health treatment

Health

Staff assaulted patients at scandal-hit hospital which treated killer

<p>Long waits for hospital treatment in England have got worse, though the overall waiting list has fallen (Peter Byrne/PA)</p>
Health

NHS waiting list recovery ‘could take years’ report reveals

<p>Dame Esther Rantzen said she wanted ‘to say goodbye fairly gracefully’ to her friends and family</p>
Health

Dame Esther Rantzen makes fresh call for assisted dying vote

<p>Cancer cases are predicted to soar in the coming years, according to new analysis (Rui Vieira/PA)</p>
Health

Breakthrough paves way for more effective breast cancer treatment

Health

The horrific reality of life on an NHS ward

<p>The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) issued an apology for the distress caused to the family of the woman, who was in her 50s (Alamy/PA)</p>
Health

Police playing ‘chicken’ with patients by refusing mental health calls

Health

Health secretary urges patients to report sexual abuse to police

Health

Health secretary urges patients to report sexual abuse to police

<p>Martha Mills died after doctors failed to admit her to intensive care (Mills/Laity family photograph/PA)</p>
Health

NHS to roll out ‘Martha’s rule’ following 13-year old’s death

<p>Despite repeated suicidal intentions to staff up to two days before his discharge, Daniel Tucker was still released from the hospital and took his own life within hours of leaving the building</p>
Health

Suicidal man died hours after being discharged from scandal-hit ward

Health

Revealed: Scandal of 1,374 hospital sex attacks – and just 26 charges

<p>Wes Streeting says NHS chiefs will have to ‘get used to the fact that money is tight’ even if Labour wins power </p>
Health

Flu admissions soar threefold as hospitals face worsening pressure

<p>Wes Streeting says NHS chiefs will have to ‘get used to the fact that money is tight’ even if Labour wins power </p>
Health

Flu admissions soar threefold as hospitals face worsening pressure

<p>More than 30,000 cases of measles have been reported across Europe between January and October 2023, the World Health Organisation has said (Owen Humphreys/PA)</p>
Health

Measles outbreaks spread to more areas of England

<p>Baroness Helen Newlove was reappointed as interim victims’ commissioner in October 2023 </p>
Health

Act now to stamp out sex abuse in mental hospitals, says victims’ tsar

<p>Nazir Afzal</p>
Health

Former chief prosecutor to probe nursing regulator over ‘poor culture’

<p>Proteins in the blood can predict dementia years before a diagnosis, research shows </p>
Science

Proteins in blood can predict dementia 15 years before diagnosis

<p>The Huntercombe Group is facing a legal challenge from nine former patients</p>
Health

Revealed: Patients made pregnant and raped in mental health wards

<p>Junior doctors have taken part in a series of strikes over the past year, including a recent six day walkout, the longest in the history of the NHS (Jonathan Brady/PA)</p>
Health

Junior doctors announce new strike dates in NHS row

<p>Top NHS medic warns ‘winter pressures continue to hit the NHS hard’ </p>
Health

Record 180,000 patients suffered ‘degrading’ 12 hour waits in A&E

<p>Buckingham Palace announced Charles has been diagnosed with a form of cancer (Hannah McKay/PA)</p>
Health

Tens of thousands will find incidental cancer like King Charles

<p>Michelle Russell worked for North East London Foundation Trust </p>
Health

Nurse reveals 8 years of hell after raising sexual harassment claims

News

The NHS nurse fighting to be heard | On The Ground

<p>Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in UK women</p>
Health

Cancer deaths in UK set to rise by more than 50% by 2050, experts warn

Health

Sexual assault in mental health to be probed following Indy expose

<p>An average of 2,226 patients were in hospital each day with the flu last week </p>
Health

Flu and norovirus hospital admissions hit new winter high

Health

Patients at risk of suicide and harm over unsafe hospital discharges

<p>Men were found to be more prone to online gambling during lockdown than women</p>
Health

Record number of people seeking help for gambling problems

<p>Between 1959 and 1985, the hormone was used to treat around 1,800 people in the UK</p>
Health

Evidence of Alzheimer’s passed between humans in medical procedures

Health

Patients at risk of suicide and harm over unsafe hospital discharges

<p>Men were found to be more prone to online gambling during lockdown than women</p>
Health

Record number of people seeking help for gambling problems

<p>Between 1959 and 1985, the hormone was used to treat around 1,800 people in the UK</p>
Health

Evidence of Alzheimer’s passed between humans in medical procedures

<p>The number of healthcare assistants working in NHS mental health services has more than doubled since 2009 </p>
Health

Plea for action over unregulated staff after NHS abuse scandal exposed

Health

Revealed: The sex abuse scandal that shames our NHS

<p> </p>
Health

‘My sexual abuse hell on a NHS mental health ward’

Health

Triple killer was patient at NHS hospital where 30 staff suspended

<p>Chair of the British Medical Association has said plans are ‘bordering on negligent’ </p>
Health

Doctors warn over ‘dire’ staffing at weekends as overtime pay is cut

<p>Ian Russell said long CAMHS waiting times were a ‘tragedy’ and ‘intolerable’ for children and families </p>
Health

Father of Molly Russell slams mental health waiting times as ‘tragedy’

<p>An internal investigation is taking place at Highbury Hospital following the allegations </p>
Health

More than 30 staff suspended from NHS mental health hospital

<p>Norovirus cases in hospitals in England have jumped sharply</p>
Health

Covid and norovirus admissions soar as NHS warns over cold weather

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