Each winter, the NHS faces extra pressures. Hospitals become busier as cold weather, flu and other winter bugs lead to falls, chest infections or heart problems.
NHS England and local clinical commissioning groups are leading a review of specialist cancer and cardiovascular services in north and east London and west Essex.
Government plans to introduce new checks on doctors’ language skills took a big leap forward as detailed proposals on how the checks will work were unveiled by Health Minister Dr Dan Poulter.