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Daily digest 4 August 2015

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Daily digest

Hospitals told to seek more cuts

Hospitals have been told to draw up emergency plans to reduce their spending dramatically, following a warning from their regulator that their current budgets are unaffordable.

Monitor, the regulator for all foundation trust hospitals, sent a letter urging hospital bosses to ‘leave no stone unturned’ in finding cost-cutting measures.

(£) Read more on the Times website

Thousands of patients risk ‘being stripped of cancer drugs’

Up to 10,500 cancer patients could be denied life-extending drugs under secret plans to slash the government’s flagship fund.

In meetings held behind closed doors last week, officials discussed removing up to 37 treatments from the Cancer Drugs Fund list because it is running out of money.

This is more than half of the drugs currently provided and includes treatments for breast, prostate, bowel, skin and lung cancer, which are the last resort for terminally ill patients.

Officials are looking to restrict the number of treatments routinely provided as the fund keeps going over budget.

Read more on the Mail Online website

Older people urged to beat dementia by taking up sport

Older people will be encouraged to take part in sport under a new government drive to beat dementia, reduce the risk of cancer and ‘keep older hearts healthy’.

The government warns that a lack of exercise is a ‘hidden killer’ which contributes to one in six deaths in Britain – the same proportion as smoking.

Minister for sport Tracey Crouch says she wants to end the ‘embarrassment’ and ‘intimidation’ that older people feel about taking part in sport.

Read more on the Telegraph website