People turn to private health care to beat long NHS waits, says watchdog

In England, where there are 1,821 sonographers, vacancy rates have doubled since 2019 – from 12% to 24%, their analysis found. In the south east of England, 38% of posts were vacant, with 30% vacant in the North West. Only 11% were unfilled in the North East and Yorkshire.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Community Minor Injury and Illness Units and GP practices across the county will continue to provide services and if people have an urgent care need, but are not sure which service to use, they are asked to visit 111.nhs.uk in the first instance or call 111 for advice.”

The amount of flu circulating has started to fall in England, latest data suggests. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said it was encouraging news heading into Christmas, but warned the virus could always bounce back in the new year. The UKHSA uses a range of different measures to monitor flu rates, including sample testing…