RECENT NEWS

Uptake for the first year of the new singles vaccination programme shows that almost 62% of 70 year olds and almost 60% of 79 year olds received the shingles vaccine.

Only a minority of gout sufferers in England receive the recommended treatment to cure their condition, according to a new study.

A recent report suggests that encouraging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle may prevent around 80,000 cases of dementia in the UK each year. The report is being presented at the World Innovation Summit for Health, chaired by former health minister, Lord Darzi. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Lord Darzi argues that while ‘the most urgent task remains finding a cure’, lifestyle changes play an important part in reducing the risk of dementia.

Patients at risk of recurrent blood clots can now be offered an alternative to warfarin, which some patients find inconvenient due to the need for careful monitoring and regular visits to clinics for blood tests.

Spire Healthcare, the private hospital group, has taken a significant step towards the development of a major new cancer centre in Chelmsford, Essex. After the successful build, opening and popularity of its Specialist Care Centre in Bristol, Spire submitted a request on December 12 for planning permission next to Baddow Hospital at the Essex Healthcare Park in Chelmsford, with the view to build a similar facility to serve the city and wider Essex and adjoining counties areas.

The NHS Cancer Drugs Fund (CDF)has published the outcome of its review of drugs included in the Fund. The budget for the CDF will grow from £200 million in 2013/14, to £280 million in 2014/15, and an estimated £340 million from April 2015. This represents a total increase of 70% since August 2014.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued a new quality standard which sets out priorities for healthcare professionals on the use of antibiotics to prevent and treat infections in newborn babies.

Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new way to selectively insert compounds into cancer cells – a system that will help surgeons identify malignant tissues and then, in combination with phototherapy, kill any remaining cancer cells after a tumour is removed. The findings, published in the journal Nanoscale, have shown success in laboratory animals.

Long-term survival rates following laparoscopic surgery for bladder cancer are comparable to those of open surgery, according to a study published in BJU International.The findings, which come from the largest study to date with long-term follow-up after this type of minimally invasive surgery, indicate that prospective randomised trials comparing these two bladder cancer surgeries are warranted.

Public Health England (PHE) is calling for more pregnant women to come forward for the free flu vaccination as a report shows how fatal the virus can be for pregnant women.

New research suggests that people who arrive at hospital emergency departments with acute heart failure should have their blood sugar levels checked on arrival. This simple and inexpensive measure could identify patients at high risk of early death, further hospitalisations, or the development of more health problems, such as diabetes.

A novel Parkinson's vaccine (Affitope PD03A) will now be tested in a clinical Phase I trial in Austria by an EU-funded consortium. The vaccine was developed by the Austrian biotech company AFFiRiS AG and targets a protein called alpha-Synuclein.

MR CLEAN, a ground-breaking study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, has showed that intra-arterial treatment for acute ischaemic stroke patients improves patient outcomes.

A new combination of two different approaches – virotherapy and immunotherapy – is showing promise as a treatment for pancreatic cancer, according to new research from Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

BMI The London Independent Hospital has unveiled its newly enhanced intensive therapy unit (ITU). The new department, which has undergone a £40,000 investment, will allow the hospital to expand the level of critical care it is able to provide in London and the international healthcare market.

Following a recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) patient being discharged from a Glasgow hospital and transferred by military plane to a specialist north London centre, Bioquell technology was called into action. The company was commissioned to deploy its hydrogen peroxide vapour (HPV) technology – the gold standard in biodecontamination.

The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt has announced measures to tackle sepsis, involving the NHS, Government and national health bodies.

Results from the National Lung Cancer Audit (NLCA) show that a substantial number of patients are needlessly dying of lung cancer as a result of local variation in care. While some patients may not be eligible or able to have surgery but can receive radiotherapy, surgical treatment represents the best chance of cure of the disease.

A number of senior health policy makers, clinicians and patients have spoken about the need for more patient involvement in their care and how they should be consulted in the shaping of new NHS services in the future.

Midwives’ overtime claims are costing more than giving them the recommended 1% pay award rejected by the Government and NHS employers, according to the Royal College of Midwives (RCM).