FEATURE ARTICLES

The European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) is urging the adoption of new guidelines across Europe to improve safety for patients receiving chemotherapy. A call for action was issued to an audience of oncology nurses at a recent conference in Switzerland. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The changes facing the NHS are ever increasing – from service redesign, new ways of working and the 18-week target, to the Working Time Directive, patient choice and care closer to home. JACKIE YOUNGER discusses how this organisational development should be managed.

The Healthcare Commission says that serious system failures, including patient identification, are leading to unnecessary exposure to ionising radiation. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Immobile patients who are being left to sit for up to 18 hours face an increased risk of pressure ulcers as a result. New guidelines are under development to improve current practice. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

A survey of NHS staff reveals that while there is much to celebrate, including high levels of job satisfaction, serious concerns remain which must be addressed. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

A report has recommended that commercial CT scanning services should no longer offer full body scanning of asymptomatic individuals and that regulation of such services is urgently required. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Ongoing technology advances mean that robotics will increasingly be used in operating theatres and diagnostic units, a London conference was told. NICHOLAS MARSHALL reports.

From a “check up at the check out” at Sainsbury’s, to sponsorship of hospital wards by large corporations, the commercial sector is creeping further and further into the NHS. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Poor team working, insufficient training, administrative burdens, a lack of clear leadership and an absence of central targets are undermining patient safety in maternity services, an independent inquiry has concluded. The sector has a good track record, but more needs to be done. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The Government has ambitious plans to improve cancer care in the UK, but its Cancer Reform Strategy has been met with cynicism. Leading cancer charities say that the plan is well-meaning, but question whether it can be implemented. LOUISE FRAMPTON examines the challenges ahead.

The safety of medicines is a major concern for both the medical community and pharmaceutical industries alike. Against this backdrop, The Clinical Services Journal reports on a recent conference organised by the MHRA focusing on current experience and future directions within this area.

New research reveals that the average patient length of stay in hospital following standard surgery can vary by up to three weeks depending on the NHS Trust. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

LOUISE FRAMPTON talks to Sue Ward, president of the Medical Women’s Federation, about the “feminisation” of the medical profession, the issues that this raises for workforce planning, and the barriers that need to be addressed.

KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS, technical editor of The Clinical Services Journal, discusses the evidence for best practice when preparing patients for surgery.

An independent watchdog has published a report measuring the success of Payment by Results. The reform was introduced by the Government with the aim of improving efficiency in the NHS. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Magnetic stimulation is the subject of pioneering investigations in the areas of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, COPD, depression, pain relief and a wide variety of other applications in neurology, psychology and rehabilitation. The technology is advancing fast and new clinical uses are on the horizon. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The use of disposable curtains is one of the key infection prevention measures adopted by a major Trust in London, reports The Clinical Services Journal.

The importance of clinicians working ever more closely with suppliers of medical equipment and modular-constructed operating theatre environments on ways technological advances can be introduced is underlined by Bill Al-Khatib, managing director of Maquet UK. NICHOLAS MARSHALL reports.

The way fatalities are investigated will change after the 6 April, and this will have ramifications for all those involved. LOUISE FRAMPTON looks at what happens when a hospital becomes a “crime scene”.

A Doppler monitoring technique pioneered at the University of Leicester is virtually eliminating the risk of post-operative embolism following carotid endarterectomy. Now work is underway to eliminate the need for monitoring in the first place. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.