Nursing in Practice

16/11/2025

Nurses and other non-GP staff spending 42 minutes a week on access changes

Non-GP clinical staff including nurses and pharmacists are spending an average of 42 minutes a week implementing new online access changes, a survey has suggested.

Projected out to the entire non-GP clinical staff full-time equivalent (FTE) workforce in England (34,255), this equates to more than 145,000 10-minute appointment slots being lost each week.

Non-GP clinical staff including nurses and pharmacists are spending an average of 42 minutes a week implementing new online access changes

16/11/2025

Fresh call to recognise long Covid as occupational disease for nurses

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and British Medical Association (BMA) have jointly criticised the government for failing to recognise long Covid and severe Covid-19 complications as occupational diseases for health and social care workers.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and British Medical Association (BMA) have jointly criticised the government's inaction on long Covid

16/11/2025

Call for ‘urgent clarification’ on maternity investigation delays

The chair of Parliament’s Health and Social Care Committee (HSCC) has written to the government expressing serious concern and calling for ‘urgent clarification’ over delays to the independent investigation into maternity and neonatal care.

The independent investigation, led by former government minister Baroness Amos, was launched by the government in June to examine serious failings in maternity and neonatal services and ensure lessons are learned to improve care for mothers and babies across England.



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16/11/2025

Flu vaccine remains effective as mutated strain drives early spread

The flu vaccine seems to be providing ‘strong’ protection against severe illness despite the emergence of mutated strain behind the early spread of the virus this season.

UK Health Security Agency officials published data that the flu vaccine is currently 70-75% effective at preventing hospital attendance in children aged 2 to 17 years and 30-40% effective in adults.

The flu vaccine appears to be providing ‘strong’ protection against severe illness despite the emergence of mutated strain

16/11/2025

Vulval skin conditions – the essentials for nurses in primary care

In the second in our miniseries on v***al health, GP and women’s health specialist Dr Louise Clarke outlines what nurses need to know about common v***al skin conditions

The v***a is the external female genitalia including the cl****is, mons p***s and l***a. Like other areas, it can be affected by skin conditions, some of which are more commonly found on the v***a than elsewhere in the body.

***a

GP and women’s health specialist Dr Louise Clarke outlines what nurses need to know about common v***al skin conditions

15/11/2025

University launches domestic abuse training for nursing students

A first-of-its-kind programme to provide nursing students specialist training on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls has been launched in Northern Ireland.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Northern Ireland has partnered with Women’s Aid Federation NI and Queen’s University Belfast to offer the Unlocking Safety Initiative – an annual programme to be delivered to pre-registration nursing students as part of their degree.

NHS

A first-of-its-kind programme to provide nursing students specialist training on domestic abuse and violence against women and girls

14/11/2025

Record numbers join NHS ‘soups and shakes’ programme for type 2 diabetes

A record number of people with type 2 diabetes enrolled in the NHS’s ‘soups and shakes’ diet programme in 2024-25, with over 13,000 participants joining the initiative aimed at supporting weight loss and potential remission.

The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme nearly doubled its enrolment compared to the previous year (6,401 in 2023-24), marking the highest uptake since the programme was launched.

A record number of people with type 2 diabetes enrolled in the NHS’s ‘soups and shakes’ diet programme in 2024-25

14/11/2025

Diabetes specialist nurse funding vital to neighbourhood health service, says charity

Local systems have been urged to prioritise investment in diabetes specialist nurses as part of the government’s shift towards a neighbourhood health service.

Diabetes UK suggested the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) – used by primary care networks (PCNs) to employ staff to work across GP practices – could be used to support the development of more diabetes specialist nurses, pharmacists, dieticians and other health professionals with specialist expertise in diabetes.

Local systems have been urged to invest in diabetes specialist nurses as part of the shift towards a neighbourhood health service.