Proposals to split county councils into smaller unitary authorities risk leading to worse social care services, higher costs, and staff shortages, according to a report released by the County Councils Network (CCN). The CCN’s new report, ‘Local Government Reorganisation: Analysing the impact on people services’, suggests forthcoming government decisions on the size of new unitary…
The rising trend in NHS waiting lists has persisted for the third month in a row, putting the government’s pledge to tackle NHS waiting times at risk. Figures released this morning by NHS England show the number of incomplete pathways (patients waiting for treatment) increased by over 50,000 in August 2025, reaching 7,415,000. This marks…
The new Open Data Service for Wales is here. The Welsh Government has launched a new version of its open data service StatsWales. The platform has for long been a significant source of public data in Wales, and the updated site promises a more modern, flexible and user-friendly experience. The new service features: An open…
Adult care home occupancy remained above 86% in September. This comes as the government announced new investment to boost wages for social care workers. Statistics published this morning by the Department of Health and Social Care show an occupancy rate of 86.4% in care homes as of 15 September 2025. The data collected reveals a…
NHS staff numbers are rising as the government seeks to cut waiting lists, but a new report warns key targets are unlikely to be met. Statistics published this morning by NHS England show a 2.3% year-on-year increase in full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, bringing the total to 1,374,557 in June. This also represents a small rise…
NHS waiting lists have risen for the second consecutive month, despite a record number of cancer checks and treatments in July. The figures cover a period that included five days of industrial action. This morning, NHS England published new referral to treatment waiting times figures for July 2025, revealing an increase of 33,000 in open…
Universities face further strain as the number of English entrants decreases, amidst government funding cuts and a continued fall in international student numbers. This follows government efforts to crack down on international students, with a leading think tank warning of the potential harm to struggling UK cities. This morning, the Department for Education released new…
Latest NHS workforce figures reveal a 2.3% increase in staff numbers, amid feelings of marginalisation among disabled NHS staff and students. This morning, NHS England released new NHS workforce figures for May and June 2025. The statistics show a total of 1,373,863 FTE staff members in May and 1,374,557 in June, with the latter seeing…
UK house prices increase by nearly 4% over the year, as private rent growth begins to slow, new figures show. This morning, the Office for National Statistics published an updated statistical release on house prices and private rents in the UK, revealing a year-on-year house price increase of 3.7% in June 2025. Comparatively, the annual…
NHS sees slight increase in waiting lists after a year of improvement, amid doubts over healthcare needs being met. The latest NHS waiting times data follows a Nuffield Trust report showing that recent improvements in waiting lists are not necessarily due to improved treatment delivery, but rather to a higher number of appointments being removed…