Plans to give patients new rights to NHS treatment have failed to impress doctors' leaders.

An official investigation is to examine why people with serious learning difficulties have died while under NHS care, after alleged neglect led to at least six fatalities, ministers will reveal today. The health secretary, Alan Johnson, is setting up an inquiry which will look at whether the quality of treatment that doctors, nurses and other health service staff gave to such vulnerable patients c...

That great Stalinist monolith, the National Health Service, appears to want to sack employees if they discuss their religious beliefs with colleagues or patients. "A little-noticed document published by the Department of Health last month gives warning that attempts by doctors or nurses to preach to other staff or patients will be treated as harassment or intimidation under disciplinary procedures...

The government was at loggerheads with doctors' and nurses' leaders last night over plans to give NHS patients in England personal budgets to buy physiotherapy, home nursing and other healthcare services. Alan Johnson, the health secretary, introduced a health bill that includes powers to make direct payments to people with long-term medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes and Parki...

Patients will die if the government pursues plans to stop doctors working more than 48 hours a week, the president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England warned last night. The intervention came as a confidential report for the Department of Health revealed around 80% of doctors believe patient safety will be jeopardised if NHS workers are ordered to work fewer hours to comply with the Europe...

Family doctors are to be given control of £70bn of National Health Service expenditure with which to buy patient care in the biggest single transfer of power and accountability in the NHS's 60-year history

Patients and members of the public may sit on official bodies overseeing doctors and hospitals under revised plans to reorganise the NHS being drawn up by the Government.

Patients are being put at risk by European laws that allow potentially incompetent foreign doctors to work in the NHS while undermining training in Britain, some of the country's most senior doctors warn.

Commenting a poll released today that reveals doctors are not telling cancer patients about new drugs that could extend their lives because they may be difficult to obtain on the NHS, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said:"It is shocking that vital information is being withheld from patients because doctors are worried about funding issues."Instead of giving patients and docto...

Commenting on reports that Health Minister Andrew Lansley has denied plans to shut down NHS Direct, Dave Prentis, General Secretary of UNISON, said: “This is great news for patients and for staff at NHS Direct. The service that NHS Direct offers is tried and tested and is of great value to the public, as the outcry