Commenting on the NHS strategy announced yesterday, Dr Hamish Meldrum, Chairman of Council at the BMA, said:

"We welcome the government's commitment to maintaining NHS funding in England and to protecting frontline services. However, the scale of the challenge in carrying out many of the plans in this document should not be underestimated. Redeploying budgets and staff, or reconfiguring services, is never straightforward.

"NHS staff are pivotal in delivering effective services to patients, and we welcome the Health Secretary's commitment to supporting and engaging with with us. The BMA will respond positively to such engagement. However, the repeated talk of "pay restraint" when what is really meant is no pay rise at all, is demoralising. While healthcare workers clearly understand the financial pressures on the NHS, and will want to act responsibly, they should not be punished for a situation which is not of their making.

"Doctors have been highly critical of ... Read more »

The NPHS influenza surveillance scheme, which records reports of diagnoses of flu from more than 300 GP practices across Wales, shows that the rate of influenza consultation remains stable. Further detail can be found on the NPHS website.

The report from 29 November estimates there were 39.7 cases of a flu-like illness diagnosed by GPs out of every 100,000 people in Wales - this is the equivalent of 1,191 people in Wales contacting their GPs in the last seven days with flu like symptoms. Not all of these people will have swine flu and not everyone with flu like symptoms will contact their GP.

The report also shows levels of influenza activity in each county of Wales. On 29 November, the rate of diagnosis of flu-like illness at a local level ranged from 23.7 per 100,000 people in Rhondda Cynon Taf to 72.1 per 100,000 people in Carmarthen ... Read more »