Are declines in hospital beds contributing to patient deaths?

The NHS in England is facing increasing pressure as the number of available hospital beds are declining. An investigation by Professor Sir Brian Jarman, Emeritus Professor and Imperial College School of Medicine (ICSM) has found that the average occupancy levels for hospitals in England have reached more than 89% and not gone below the recommended

Health crisis for middle-aged Britons

Eight in ten middle-aged adults are either not exercising enough, drinking excessively or weigh too much according to Public Health England (PHE). Officials say those between 40 and 60 years old are neglecting their health due to being too busy worrying about their children, ageing parents or work. Figures from the Health Survey for England

Nurses are the most trusted profession in the UK

A poll has revealed nurses have been named the most trusted profession in the UK. The results showed 93% of the 1,019 participants would ‘generally trust’ a nurse, compared to 91% for doctors and 88% for teachers. This is the first time that nurses were included in the Ipsos MORI Veracity Index’s annual survey. Participants

How have our apprentices found their time with Athona?

We recently teamed up with The Lightbulb to launch our apprenticeship scheme for ambitious young people looking to start their career in recruitment. The apprenticeship scheme is designed to offer school leavers the chance to learn a range of employable skills, including sales, administration and communication. Since the scheme started, we’ve had six apprentices join

Dementia breakthrough as game aims to diagnose disease

Researchers have discovered a way to test our sense of direction as part of the most extensive dementia study ever conducted. Sea Hero Quest was designed to create the world’s largest sourced data set to improve the understanding of spatial navigation. The game involves using a smartphone screen to sail a boat around desert islands

25% rise in student doctor places for NHS

The number of medical school places will increase by 25% in a bid to make NHS England ‘self-sufficient’. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt announced there will be 1,500 additional training places available each year, however he has called for greater loyalty to the NHS in return. The trainees will need to work for the NHS for

Lifestyle illnesses costing NHS over £11bn a year

Illnesses linked to lifestyle choices such as poor diet, drinking and smoking are costing the NHS over £11bn each year. Public Health England (PHE) has said that unless they are tackled more effectively the NHS will become unaffordable. It warns preventable illnesses such as diabetes and bronchitis are becoming an ‘untreatable epidemic.’ Dr Rebecca Wagstaff

New digital NHS 111 service announced

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has detailed plans to expand the current NHS 111 non-emergency phone line service. The new digital service will allow patients to enter their symptoms online and receive personalised advice or a call back from a health professional. The NHS.uk website will be relaunched with patients being able to book appointments, access

Platinum HTE audit result for nursing division

Athona is proud to announce it has scored platinum in this year’s Health Trust Europe (HTE) work audit for nursing. The team received a final score of 99.47% platinum and 188 out of 189 requirements were successfully evidenced. This is the division’s first audit against the HTE work for nursing since securing a place earlier

Should GP appointments be longer?

The British Medical Association (BMA) has called for GP appointments to be longer following doctors being forced to see up to 60 patients a day. The current standard slot is 10 minutes, however the BMA GPs committee (GPC) believe that increasing the appointments by five minutes would help improve decision-making and service. NHS England has

Afternoon Tea with Dr Effie

Athona attended afternoon tea for one of our fantastic doctors who is trekking through the Sahara Desert this October to raise funds for The Royal College of Pathologists Global Health Work. Stella and Tanya were honoured to attend Dr Effie’s afternoon tea earlier this month, held at the beautiful Marygreen Manor, Brentwood. They have both

Scientists launch study to spot early Alzheimer’s

British researchers are hoping to spot Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear, with the help of 250 volunteers. The £6.9million study could revolutionise the treatment of Alzheimer’s and lead to drugs to halt its process before irreversible damage is done to the brain. Experts believe the clear symptoms of Alzheimer’s, such as severe memory loss, confusion and

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