Head of the health service in England is to retire
Sir David Nicholson is to retire. His departure comes three months after the critical report into unnecessary deaths at Stafford Hospital.
Hunt set to launch a series of reforms to GP service
Jeremy Hunt will say that every patient should have a doctor who is responsible for their care 24/7 when he announces reforms to GP service.
Health Secretary to announce Out of Hours shake-up
A&Es are getting 'closer to the cliff edge' as ITV News has learned the Health Secretary is to unveil major reforms of Out of Hours care.
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Campaigner: Nicholson has not accepted responsibility
Cure the NHS campaigner Julie Bailey said NHS boss Sir David Nicholson had not accepted responsibility for what happened at Stafford and is simply "waiting for his retirement".
"We're disappointed that he's not going immediately to be honest", she said, "this man presided over the biggest disaster in the history of the NHS, he'll be leaving with a huge pension pot and with his knighthood intact but he'll be going eventually and then we can start to cure the NHS."
Iodine levels in mothers linked to children's IQ scores
Adjusting the results for external factors likely to affect these scores, such as parental education and breast-feeding, researchers found children of women in the iodine-deficient group were significantly more likely to have low scores of verbal IQ, reading accuracy and reading comprehension.
The lower the mother's concentration of iodine, the lower were the average scores for IQ and reading ability in the children.
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Professor: Iodine deficiency can pose 'risk' to infants
The lead researcher in a report which suggests pregnant women and those planning to have children should nurture their iodine intake said iodine deficiency can pose a "risk" to infants.
– Professor Margaret Rayman of the University of SurreyOur results clearly show the importance of adequate iodine status during early pregnancy, and emphasise the risk that iodine deficiency can pose to the developing infant, even in a country classified as only mildly iodine deficient.
– Dr Sarah Bath, a co-author and registered dieticianPregnant women and those planning a pregnancy should ensure adequate iodine intake; good dietary sources are milk, dairy products and fish. Women who avoid these foods and are seeking alternative iodine sources can consult the iodine fact sheet that we have developed, which is available on the websites of the University of Surrey and the British Dietetic Association.
Kelp supplements should be avoided as they may have excessive levels of iodine.
'Adequate iodine intake' needed for pregnant women
Women planning to have children and those who are already pregnant should ensure adequate iodine intake, authors of a new report have said.
The study found that a lack of iodine, found in milk, dairy products and fish, can lead to reduced mental development in their children.
It is essential for producing the hormones made by the thyroid gland, which have a direct effect on foetal brain development, it said.
A group of researchers from Surrey and Bristol universities undertook a long-term health research project in which more than 14,000 mothers enrolled during pregnancy in 1991 and 1992, and the health and development of their children has been followed in detail since.
A&E doctors warn they 'cannot guarantee safe care'
Top A&E doctors have warned the NHS that they are no longer able to guarantee safe care for their patients.
In a leaked letter from 20 emergency medicine chiefs from the West Midlands seen by The Independent the doctors warn of"toxic overcrowding" and "institutional exhaustion."
All of our EDs [Emergency Departments] have been under immense pressure for the last few months.
There is toxic ED overcrowding, the likes of which we have never seen before.
Nurses and doctors are forced to deliver care in corridors and inappropriate areas within the ED, routinely sacrificing patient privacy and dignity and frequently operating at the absolute margins of clinical safety.
– Leaked letter from top A&E doctorsWhat is entirely unacceptable is the delivery of unsafe care, but that is now the prospect we find ourselves facing on too frequent a basis.
Nicholson will leave NHS with '£2 million pension pot'
The Telegraph claims that retiring NHS boss David Nicholson will leave with a £2 million pension pot.
The paper says that Sir David, 57: "earns £290,000 a year including performance bonuses and “benefits in kind”, has also been criticised over his expenses claims, with almost £50,000 claimed during 2011-12 in travel expenses."
Read more: Head of the health service in England is to retire
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Head of the health service in England is to retire
Sir David Nicholson is to retire. His departure comes three months after the critical report into unnecessary deaths at Stafford Hospital.
Read the full storyNHS boss Sir David Nicholson to retire next year
The Head of the NHS in England, Sir David Nicholson, has said he will retire early next year.
Sir David oversaw one of the service's worst ever scandals in Mid-Staffordshire, where he admitted to personal failings - but at the time he resisted calls to resign.One MP said today, she was 'sickened' that he will now be able to leave on his own terms.
Political Correspondent Libby Wiener reports:
Sir David Nicholson 'planned his departure a month ago'
The letter announcing his retirement of Sir David Nicholson suggests he planned his departure more than a month-and-a-half ago.
Although it is dated May 21, one paragraph says: "In getting ourselves ready for the 1 April 2013 we should..." which implies that the letter was drafted before April 1 - the day that the controversial NHS reforms were implemented.
Sir David goes on to say that he has stayed in the role to oversee NHS reforms come into place.
He thanks NHS England's chair Professor Sir Malcolm Grant for support and understanding "with regard to the complexity of my role".
Professor Grant replied: "Thank you for your letter conveying your intention to retire as CEO of NHS England. I was sorry but not surprised to have it.
"Your career within the NHS over 35 years has been exceptional, and your leadership through the radical changes of the past two years has been fundamental to their success."
Praise for Sir David Nicholson from NHS confederation
Commenting on the announcement by NHS boss Sir David Nicholson that he will retire next year, Chief executive of the NHS Confederation Mike Farrar said:
"Despite the difficulties of recent months, today's announcement provides an opportunity to focus on Sir David's contribution to the NHS over the past three decades, the significant achievements over the lifetime of his career and during his time as the chief executive of the NHS.
"Sir David came into office as NHS chief executive in 2006 and immediately led a major recovery from the deficit that the health service faced at that time.
"Over subsequent years he led the delivery of a remarkable reduction in waiting times for urgent and elective care, with access to treatment improving faster than almost any comparable health system.
"There have been significant improvements in patient outcomes and a huge reduction in healthcare acquired infections. In recent years, he presided over the largest structural reform in the history of the NHS."
