London, Feb 17: More than 60 children in north London have been infected in a measles outbreak, with several hospitalised, amid concerns over low uptake of the MMR vaccine in the capital.
Health authorities have flagged falling vaccination rates as a key factor behind the outbreak, prompting the government to launch a renewed campaign promoting childhood immunisation.
In a separate development, NHS England is planning a significant expansion in the use of private providers to deliver diagnostic services as part of efforts to cut waiting times.
Under the proposal, private firms would carry out one-third of the additional nine million diagnostic tests required over the next three years, increasing the independent sector’s share from 20 per cent to around 30 per cent. The expansion is expected to focus largely on imaging services.
While NHS England emphasised the importance of strong partnerships with independent providers to meet targets, some NHS leaders and the Royal College of Radiologists have voiced concerns over potential resistance within the system, long-term sustainability and the need for greater investment in the NHS workforce.
Meanwhile, several NHS ambulance trusts are grappling with ageing fleets, delays in sourcing replacement parts and slow delivery of new vehicles, leaving ambulances off the road and affecting 999 response times in certain regions.
The South Central Ambulance Service declared a “business continuity incident” after high levels of vehicle downtime compounded winter pressures. Other trusts have also reported significant numbers of vehicles out of service, impacting operational capacity.
Additionally, NHS England has begun recruiting nearly 50,000 people living with schizophrenia and severe depression for a major study aimed at improving understanding of severe mental illness.
The study will analyse participants’ DNA alongside detailed questionnaires to identify factors influencing risk and severity, with the goal of improving diagnosis and enabling more personalised treatments.
NHSE’s national medical director for mental health and neurodiversity, Adrian James, said the research could “lead to the dawn of a new era of personalised treatments for patients with conditions including schizophrenia and severe depression.”
