Hospital capacity crunch: East Kent Hospitals NHS trust declared a critical incident at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford, warning of “extremely long” A&E waits as beds are full and urgent services face “extremely high” pressure. Drug pricing & patents: A JAMA study finds the US patent system is increasingly used to extend exclusivity for small-molecule drugs via “patent thickets,” delaying generics and keeping prices higher longer. Anti-discrimination in healthcare jobs: The EEOC sued Mercy Health over the alleged firing of a Youngstown orthopedic surgeon for being Jewish, citing possible religious discrimination. Prison healthcare rights: The Trump administration urged the US Supreme Court to let federal prisons restrict certain transgender medical care, including surgeries. Mental health infrastructure reversal: Tennessee scrapped plans to move Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute to Birmingham Highway, saying it will review other sites. Public health & safety: FDA issued a nationwide Class II recall of chlorthalidone tablets after dissolution-spec failures; separate reports include a shooting in San Bernardino and a man driving into a Kroger pharmacy entrance after locked restrooms. Care access for kids: Philippines DepEd and PCMC launched a hospital-based learning continuity program for children with long-term conditions. Heart care milestone: Sidra Medicine highlighted a complex congenital heart surgery using intraoperative conduction mapping to reduce pacemaker risk. Community health: Spencer Hospital in Iowa announced a free Breast Cancer Awareness Walk for Oct. 4.