The Lowdown
@thelowdownnhs.bsky.social
Independent healthcare and NHS news, analysis and comment appearing bi-weekly at https://lowdownnhs.info/
Backed by the NHS Support Federation, a not-for-profit organisation campaigning to protect our NHS https://nhscampaign.org/
Backed by the NHS Support Federation, a not-for-profit organisation campaigning to protect our NHS https://nhscampaign.org/
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The Lowdown
@thelowdownnhs.bsky.social
· Jan 23
Keep up to date with the latest healthcare and NHS news, analysis and comment by signing up to our free, bi-weekly digital newspaper: lowdownnhs.info/about
Reposted by The Lowdown
Reposted by The Lowdown
Impact Statement shows why Labour’s 10-Year Plan is going nowhere - John Lister
lowdownnhs.info/analysis/imp...
lowdownnhs.info/analysis/imp...
Impact Statement shows why Labour’s 10-Year Plan is going nowhere - The Lowdown
A new document on the state of play in England’s NHS is sounding the alarm on Labour’s vague “10 Year Plan,” which was eventually published in July, a year after they had taken office, and to less tha...
lowdownnhs.info
February 8, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Impact Statement shows why Labour’s 10-Year Plan is going nowhere - John Lister
lowdownnhs.info/analysis/imp...
lowdownnhs.info/analysis/imp...
Impact Statement shows why Labour’s 10-Year Plan is going nowhere - John Lister
lowdownnhs.info/analysis/imp...
lowdownnhs.info/analysis/imp...
Impact Statement shows why Labour’s 10-Year Plan is going nowhere - The Lowdown
A new document on the state of play in England’s NHS is sounding the alarm on Labour’s vague “10 Year Plan,” which was eventually published in July, a year after they had taken office, and to less tha...
lowdownnhs.info
February 8, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Impact Statement shows why Labour’s 10-Year Plan is going nowhere - John Lister
lowdownnhs.info/analysis/imp...
lowdownnhs.info/analysis/imp...
Reposted by The Lowdown
Bitterly disappointing that the UK has lost its Measles elimination status again.
"UN health body says Britain is one of six countries in Europe and central Asia where disease has become re-established"
"UN health body says Britain is one of six countries in Europe and central Asia where disease has become re-established"
UK loses WHO status as measles-free after rise in deaths and fall in jab uptake
UN health body says Britain is one of six countries in Europe and central Asia where disease has become re-established
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Bitterly disappointing that the UK has lost its Measles elimination status again.
"UN health body says Britain is one of six countries in Europe and central Asia where disease has become re-established"
"UN health body says Britain is one of six countries in Europe and central Asia where disease has become re-established"
Reposted by The Lowdown
Over 26,000 have emailed their local trust to keep Palantir out of the NHS.
Will you join them?
https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=PalantirNHS&utm_medium=social_media
Will you join them?
https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=PalantirNHS&utm_medium=social_media
Say no to Palantir in the NHS
NHS England is rolling out software to run our health records from Palantir - fight back
notopalantir.goodlawproject.org
January 24, 2026 at 8:00 AM
Over 26,000 have emailed their local trust to keep Palantir out of the NHS.
Will you join them?
https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=PalantirNHS&utm_medium=social_media
Will you join them?
https://notopalantir.goodlawproject.org/email-to-target/stop-palantir-in-the-nhs/?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=PalantirNHS&utm_medium=social_media
Reposted by The Lowdown
Private equity bids £1.5bn to buy Spire, which runs nearly 40 of the UK's biggest private hospitals.
Attraction - Govt handing more of the NHS to private sector, higher prices, higher profits. PE builds monopolistic control.
Public money will buy less.
Attraction - Govt handing more of the NHS to private sector, higher prices, higher profits. PE builds monopolistic control.
Public money will buy less.
Buyout firms plot £1.5bn takeover of private hospitals giant Spire
Bridgepoint and Triton Partners are among the private equity groups interested in a take-private deal for Britain's biggest private hospitals operator, Sky News learns.
news.sky.com
January 24, 2026 at 9:26 AM
Private equity bids £1.5bn to buy Spire, which runs nearly 40 of the UK's biggest private hospitals.
Attraction - Govt handing more of the NHS to private sector, higher prices, higher profits. PE builds monopolistic control.
Public money will buy less.
Attraction - Govt handing more of the NHS to private sector, higher prices, higher profits. PE builds monopolistic control.
Public money will buy less.
Reposted by The Lowdown
Reform MP Andrew Rosindell tells the BBC that he "would not object" to scrapping the NHS and replacing it with private insurance
January 25, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Reform MP Andrew Rosindell tells the BBC that he "would not object" to scrapping the NHS and replacing it with private insurance
Reposted by The Lowdown
Thousands of children facing 'catastrophic' waits for NHS community care www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Children's early development at risk with year-long NHS waits
A quarter of the 300,000 children waiting for community NHS care have spent more than a year waiting.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 26, 2026 at 7:26 AM
Thousands of children facing 'catastrophic' waits for NHS community care www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by The Lowdown
Almost a quarter of UK GPs are seeing obese children aged four and under
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Almost a quarter of UK GPs are seeing obese children aged four and under
Exclusive: Almost half of GPs have seen children up to the age of seven who have obesity, research finds
www.theguardian.com
January 25, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Almost a quarter of UK GPs are seeing obese children aged four and under
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
www.theguardian.com/society/2026...
Reposted by The Lowdown
Poverty is deepening.
🔎 Our #UKPoverty2026 report was launched this morning.
People in very deep poverty now make up the biggest group of people in poverty, at 6.8 million people.
This is unacceptable for the fifth richest country in the world, and it has consequences.
🔎 Our #UKPoverty2026 report was launched this morning.
People in very deep poverty now make up the biggest group of people in poverty, at 6.8 million people.
This is unacceptable for the fifth richest country in the world, and it has consequences.
January 27, 2026 at 7:54 AM
Poverty is deepening.
🔎 Our #UKPoverty2026 report was launched this morning.
People in very deep poverty now make up the biggest group of people in poverty, at 6.8 million people.
This is unacceptable for the fifth richest country in the world, and it has consequences.
🔎 Our #UKPoverty2026 report was launched this morning.
People in very deep poverty now make up the biggest group of people in poverty, at 6.8 million people.
This is unacceptable for the fifth richest country in the world, and it has consequences.
Reposted by The Lowdown
Division and racism harm our NHS, our profession, and patient care. That’s why the BMA stands with the
Together Alliance against the far right.
We'll see as many of you as possible at the anti-racism demonstration in London on 28 March. Find out more 👉 togetheralliance.org.uk
Together Alliance against the far right.
We'll see as many of you as possible at the anti-racism demonstration in London on 28 March. Find out more 👉 togetheralliance.org.uk
January 23, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Division and racism harm our NHS, our profession, and patient care. That’s why the BMA stands with the
Together Alliance against the far right.
We'll see as many of you as possible at the anti-racism demonstration in London on 28 March. Find out more 👉 togetheralliance.org.uk
Together Alliance against the far right.
We'll see as many of you as possible at the anti-racism demonstration in London on 28 March. Find out more 👉 togetheralliance.org.uk
Critical incidents signal emergency departments beyond safe limits - John Lister
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
Critical incidents signal emergency departments beyond safe limits - The Lowdown
News reports trumpeting the reduction of England’s waiting list back to below 7.4 million (a reduction of 1.2%) were largely drowned out of media attention by a wave of “critical incidents” in which h...
lowdownnhs.info
January 21, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Critical incidents signal emergency departments beyond safe limits - John Lister
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
Reposted by The Lowdown
New report highlights growth of corridor care as ambulance handover times fall
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
New report highlights growth of corridor care as ambulance handover times fall - The Lowdown
As winter has set in, ITV reports have been predictably focused on the proliferation of “corridor care” in England’s NHS. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has wrung his hands and ensured NHS England and...
lowdownnhs.info
January 19, 2026 at 9:36 AM
New report highlights growth of corridor care as ambulance handover times fall
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
Reposted by The Lowdown
Reposted by The Lowdown
Streeting admits that the financial squeeze on hospitals is undermining patient care.
lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/st...
lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/st...
Streeting admits that the financial squeeze on hospitals is undermining patient care. - The Lowdown
After months of pressure from ministers to aggressively reduce deficits while simultaneously addressing the waiting list, NHS leaders are now facing a confusing shift in messaging from Health Secretar...
lowdownnhs.info
January 21, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Streeting admits that the financial squeeze on hospitals is undermining patient care.
lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/st...
lowdownnhs.info/hospitals/st...
New report highlights growth of corridor care as ambulance handover times fall
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
New report highlights growth of corridor care as ambulance handover times fall - The Lowdown
As winter has set in, ITV reports have been predictably focused on the proliferation of “corridor care” in England’s NHS. Health Secretary Wes Streeting has wrung his hands and ensured NHS England and...
lowdownnhs.info
January 19, 2026 at 9:36 AM
New report highlights growth of corridor care as ambulance handover times fall
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
lowdownnhs.info/emergency-ca...
Reposted by The Lowdown
Things haven't worked out well for many #NHS hospitals either, faced with increasing PFI payments to private firms each year, taking up significant amounts of tax-payer funded NHS budgets:
lowdownnhs.info/topics/pfi/p...
Many thanks @thelowdownnhs.bsky.social
lowdownnhs.info/topics/pfi/p...
Many thanks @thelowdownnhs.bsky.social
PFI keeps coming back for more - The Lowdown
In June the New Statesman magazine published a study of hospitals funded through Private Finance Initiative between 1997 and 2018, and headlined the fact that some have been spending more on PFI annua...
share.google
January 9, 2026 at 2:40 PM
Things haven't worked out well for many #NHS hospitals either, faced with increasing PFI payments to private firms each year, taking up significant amounts of tax-payer funded NHS budgets:
lowdownnhs.info/topics/pfi/p...
Many thanks @thelowdownnhs.bsky.social
lowdownnhs.info/topics/pfi/p...
Many thanks @thelowdownnhs.bsky.social
Reposted by The Lowdown
'These [PFI] contracts pay private companies to maintain buildings in return for being allowed to generate profits'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
School pool barricaded as repairs contract ends with work unfinished
A BBC investigation finds building issues across city schools after a firm contracted to carry out repairs went into liquidation.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 9, 2026 at 2:26 PM
'These [PFI] contracts pay private companies to maintain buildings in return for being allowed to generate profits'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
