Nurse news

• Selling tobacco, herbal smoking products and cigarette papers

  11-08-2026 12:00 via gov.uk
  
  Changes to age of sale rules and related regulations for tobacco and herbal smoking products and cigarette papers from 29 October 2026 and 1 January 2027.
  
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• British Menopause Society appoints nurse as director of clinical practice

  25-08-2026 16:49 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  The British Menopause Society (BMS) has appointed Kathy Abernethy as director of clinical practice – a new role within the society. A nurse by background, Ms Abernethy is a founding member of the BMS, having joined its first council in 1990. She has since served as chair and is a current trustee. She has also...Read moreThe post British Menopause Society appoints nurse as director of clinical practice appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Future of nurse-led services in small Welsh town uncertain

  25-08-2026 16:48 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  A consultation has been launched over the future of nurse-led services operating from a local branch surgery in Wales amid issues over where the care will be delivered from. The nurse-led branch surgery at Shalom House in St Davids was set up in November 2024, operating on weekday mornings and providing clinics mostly focused on...Read moreThe post Future of nurse-led services in small Welsh town uncertain appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Millions of women to be offered self-testing kits against cervical cancer

  25-08-2026 13:51 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  Self-testing HPV kits are to be rolled out to almost four million women who have not attended cervical screening appointments from today, NHS England (NHSE) has announced. It is hoped that the launch of the at-home tests will encourage more women to complete the screening to detect HPV, which can increase the risk of cervical...Read moreThe post Millions of women to be offered self-testing kits against cervical cancer appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Unison urges government not to weaken worker protection proposals

  25-08-2026 10:17 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  The government must not water down proposed protections for health and care workers on zero-hours and similar contracts, Unison has warned. The union said ministers must resist pressure from employers seeking to weaken proposed rights, including guaranteed hours and payments when shifts are cancelled at short notice. A consultation on the reforms opened on 2...Read moreThe post Unison urges government not to weaken worker protection proposals appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Concerns raised as NMC fitness to practise caseload tops 7,000

  24-08-2026 17:48 via nursinginpractice.com
  The Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) fitness to practise (FtP) caseload has exceeded 7,000 cases – its highest level in recent years, according to the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) for Health and Social Care – a situation described by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) as ‘deeply concerning’. According to the minutes of a meeting...Read moreThe post Concerns raised as NMC fitness to practise caseload tops 7,000 appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Public ‘not considering safety checks’ when booking private Botox or scans

  24-08-2026 16:22 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  One in four (26.5%) people are not considering safety checks and even less say they are using a ‘verified’ source when booking non-surgical aesthetic treatments, therapy or a private ultrasound, research has shown. The Professional Standards Authority (PSA) commissioned new research into how much time and research consumers put in when booking appointments such as...Read moreThe post Public ‘not considering safety checks’ when booking private Botox or scans appeared first
  
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• RCM ‘strongly against’ nurse-first routes into midwifery

  24-08-2026 16:14 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has expressed its opposition to ‘nurse-first’ routes into midwifery – outlining risks to student access and costs and the need for ‘nurses to stay in nursing’ for the benefit of the healthcare system. The midwifery union has urged the government, health services, regulators, education commissioners and the Nursing and...Read moreThe post RCM ‘strongly against’ nurse-first routes into midwifery appeared first on Nursing
  
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• Unions ‘refuse’ to engage in government health visitor project amid strikes

  24-08-2026 13:29 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  Health unions are refusing to engage in a Welsh Government programme focused on health visiting services amid an ongoing dispute over job descriptions. Health visitors from the Cwm Taf Morgannwg (CTM) University Health Board have been striking since February over claims that health visitors have been incorrectly paid at a Band 6 rate, when their...Read moreThe post Unions ‘refuse’ to engage in government health visitor project amid strikes appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Story of pioneering Welsh nurse remembered on stage

  24-08-2026 11:46 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  The story of a pioneering Welsh nurse who is also remembered for defying Florence Nightingale has been brought to the stage. Betsi Cadwaladr was 65 when she nursed alongside Ms Nightingale during the Crimean War. Now, Her Story Theatre Company, based in Newport, is bringing her story to life by performing the show, called Betsi,...Read moreThe post Story of pioneering Welsh nurse remembered on stage appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Marine bites and stings: recognition and treatment

  24-08-2026 11:32 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  As rising numbers take to open-water swimming, including sea swimming, in the UK amid ongoing heatwaves, Dr Alex Kew, who leads the bites and stings service at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, offers guidance on first aid and follow-up care for jellyfish, weever fish, sea urchin and stingray...Read moreThe post Marine bites and stings: recognition and treatment appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Menopause and sexual health updates to feature at Nursing in Practice Scotland 2026 

  21-08-2026 12:46 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  The agenda for Nursing in Practice Scotland 2026 is now live – with a full day of CPD-accredited education designed for nurses working across primary care and community settings.  View the agenda, explore the full programme and register for your free place today at our event held on 30 September in Glasgow.  Among this year’s sessions are two practical updates...Read moreThe post Menopause and sexual health updates to feature at Nursing in Prac
  
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• New Northern Ireland health minister announced

  21-08-2026 10:37 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  A new health minister for Ireland has been announced following the resignation of Mike Nesbitt this week. Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) member of the Northern Ireland legislative assembly (MLA) Robbie Butler was appointed to the health minister position on Thursday (20 August). On his first day in post, Mr Butler, who is the former deputy...Read moreThe post New Northern Ireland health minister announced appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Nurses’ jobs at risk from older people’s care unit closure, union warns

  21-08-2026 09:56 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  Nurses and healthcare assistants face redundancy or transfer following a decision to close Bridlington Care Unit (BCU) in Yorkshire, the union Unite has warned. The board of York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has backed the permanent closure of the elderly care unit in a move towards community-based care for patients who no...Read moreThe post Nurses’ jobs at risk from older people’s care unit closure, union warns appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Nurses and families urged to speak out over children’s nursing shake-up

  20-08-2026 17:53 via nursinginpractice.com
  Healthcare staff and families are being urged to respond to plans to overhaul children’s health services in Suffolk amid union warnings that specialist nursing support for vulnerable young people and parents is at risk.  Unison has called on residents and staff to make their views known as Suffolk County Council consults on a redesign of its Healthy Child...Read moreThe post Nurses and families urged to speak out over children’s nursing shake-up appeared first on
  
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• Fresh call to scrap immigration changes as care workforce ‘plunges’

  20-08-2026 17:09 via nursinginpractice.com
  The union Unison has made a new appeal to the Home Office to reverse proposed visa changes amid concerns it will cause ‘irreparable damage’ to the care workforce. It comes after latest data analysed by the union shows the number of new international recruits hired into care jobs ‘plunged’ from 105,000 in 2023/24 to 30,000...Read moreThe post Fresh call to scrap immigration changes as care workforce ‘plunges’ appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Menopausal hormone therapy associated with lower dementia risk, study suggests

  20-08-2026 15:12 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  Women on menopausal hormone therapy are at a reduced risk of developing dementia, a new study has suggested. The authors stressed that while the research did not show that hormone therapy prevents dementia, it found that women using oestrogen-only hormone therapy had fewer biological signs associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The observational study also found that...Read moreThe post Menopausal hormone therapy associated with lower dementia risk, study suggests appeared first on Nursing i
  
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• Better investment and workforce data needed in general practice nursing

  20-08-2026 15:04 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  The Scottish Government has been urged to use its upcoming budget review to prioritise investment in primary care and general practice nursing. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Scotland said more funding for the profession and improved data collection on the general practice nursing workforce was needed to help tackle pressures in primary care....Read moreThe post Better investment and workforce data needed in general practice nursing appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Clinical quiz: Providing pre-travel health advice

  20-08-2026 12:45 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  Pre-travel health consultations can raise complex questions, particularly in patients who are pregnant, immunocompromised, travelling at short notice or visiting friends and relatives in countries where infectious diseases are endemic. Nurses working in general practice and the community need to be able to assess individual risks, give clear and up-to-date advice, and recognise when vaccination...Read moreThe post Clinical quiz: Providing pre-travel health advice appeared first on Nursing in Pra
  
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• NICE recommends weekly insulin jab for type 2 diabetes in final draft guidance

  20-08-2026 12:24 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  Hundreds of thousands of adults with type 2 diabetes could be offered a once-weekly insulin injection under new draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). NICE has recommended insulin efsitora alfa, also known as Onswik and made by Eli Lilly, which could cut the number of injections for people currently...Read moreThe post NICE recommends weekly insulin jab for type 2 diabetes in final draft guidance appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Concern for nursing in Northern Ireland as health minister resigns

  20-08-2026 11:57 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has raised concerns over the resignation of Northern Ireland’s health minister and has vowed to ensure that delivering a pay award for the profession will remain a key priority for his successor. Mike Nesbitt announced his resignation this week, crediting a disagreement with Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Jon...Read moreThe post Concern for nursing in Northern Ireland as health minister resigns appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Official Statistics: Sex ratios at birth in the UK: 2019 to 2023

  18-08-2026 14:36 via gov.uk
  
  Analysis of male to female birth ratios in the UK for the period 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2023.
  
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• Official Statistics: Sex ratios at birth in the UK: 2018 to 2022

  18-08-2026 14:35 via gov.uk
  
  Analysis of male to female birth ratios in the UK for the period 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022.
  
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• Official Statistics: Adult social care provider statistics, England: quarterly update to August 2027

  18-08-2026 11:03 via gov.uk
  
  Official statistics on the number of people receiving adult social care services, and information on adult social care settings.
  
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• Practice nurses urged to help shape protection of ‘nurse’ title efforts

  18-08-2026 09:02 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  Nurses working in GP practices and other community settings have been urged to have their say in the government’s consultation on protecting the title of the ‘nurse’. Chief executive of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) said community nursing has ‘historically been underrepresented in national policy making’ and that decisions about the profession are...Read moreThe post Practice nurses urged to help shape protection of ‘nurse’ titl
  
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• Official Statistics: Adult social care provider statistics, England: quarterly update to November 2026

  17-08-2026 17:41 via gov.uk
  
  Official statistics on the number of people receiving adult social care services, and information on adult social care settings.
  
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• Official Statistics: Children’s public health nursing: workforce and activity, 2025

  17-08-2026 17:37 via gov.uk
  
  Official statistics in development on healthy child programme activity, school nursing services and associated workforces in England in 2025.
  
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• Interview: QICN chief pledges to ‘keep pushing’ for practice nurses

  17-08-2026 11:30 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  In an exclusive interview with Nursing in Practice, Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) chief executive Steph Lawrence reflects on her first year in post. While exploring the challenges facing the profession – especially those in general practice – and diving into her priorities for the future, she emphasises the need for better recognition and...Read moreThe post Interview: QICN chief pledges to ‘keep pushing’ for practice nurses appeared first on Nursing
  
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• Nurses on frontline of Ebola outbreak ‘still waiting to be paid’

  17-08-2026 10:30 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is demanding that immediate action is taken to ‘pay and protect’ nurses responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Nurses and health workers have been on the frontline of the response since the outset of the outbreak earlier this year, but according to...Read moreThe post Nurses on frontline of Ebola outbreak ‘still waiting to be paid’ appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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• Vaccinations and immunisation online event returns this September

  14-08-2026 15:45 via nursinginpractice.com
  
  Our free vaccinations and immunisation online event returns on 24 September – with a brand-new agenda, new speakers and updated topics focused on the 2026 flu season. Attendees can also earn up to 5.3 CPD hours across the event, which is brought to you by Nursing in Practice 365 and Pulse 365. The event is...Read moreThe post Vaccinations and immunisation online event returns this September appeared first on Nursing in Practice.
  
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