A senior doctor is warning today that the heavy reliance of the NHS on locum doctors is leading to a dangerous state of affairs and putting patient safety at risk. The comments come in today’s BMJ from Professor Chris Isles who points to a poorly regulated locum sector in the UK based on his own experiences in trying to fill his medical staff rota.

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Children and young people who misuse alcohol are left without the appropriate help at times because of inconsistencies in the services designed to help them, according to a report today. The report from independent inspectors says Youth Offending Teams have made good progress in identifying and addressing alcohol misuse but further improvements need to be made.

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The Guide sets out arrangements to safeguard adults in the local authority area and it describes how Overview and Scrutiny committees can contribute to better safeguarding in this complex and sensitive area of public service.

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