Alex Silvester, Alexandra Mullock, Eileen Perrins and many more share insights on the subjects that matter to healthcare professionals in November’s Healthcare Today Digest.

When the Royal College of Ophthalmologists said that SpaMedica was delivering three-quarters of all independent-sector cataract training placements in England, it marked a key moment in the evolution of NHS workforce delivery.

What began as a temporary response to rising surgical backlogs has evolved into a vital pillar of clinical education, with SpaMedica now hosting trainees across every English NHS deanery. But as chief medical officer Alex Silvester argues expanding surgical capacity is only one part of a much larger equation.

This issue, he talks about why training must follow patient choice, the myth of the independent sector’s over-reliance on cataract surgery, and how long-term NHS partnerships are key to safeguarding the future ophthalmic workforce.

Also in this issue, Alexandra Mullock, professor in health law and policy at the University of Manchester, says that despite the defeat of the assisted dying bill, the debate is far from over; Institute of Health Visiting’s Eileen Perrins talks about unsafe caseloads and postcode lotteries in care; and much more…