RECENT NEWS

A survey of UK surgical workforce members, recruited via surgical organisations, has found that sexual misconduct in the past 5 years has been experienced widely, with women affected disproportionately.

The results of the latest annual survey of hospital inpatients published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) show patient satisfaction levels have remained largely static since 2021, but indicate a longer term decline in most areas compared to previous years. They also highlight growing frustration with waiting times and reveal that four in ten people scheduled for planned treatment said their health deteriorated while waiting to be admitted.

Ministers have rejected a call by the Public Accounts Committee to pay higher salaries to boost the NHS’s digital workforce to allow it to compete with the private sector.

Researchers at ESC Congress issued a stark warning that hours of inactivity during childhood could be setting the stage for heart attacks and strokes later in life. The study found that sedentary time accumulated from childhood to young adulthood was associated with heart damage – even in those with normal weight and blood pressure.

At this year’s ESC Congress, the shocking cost of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the EU was revealed in the most comprehensive analysis since 2006. Figures presented at the conference showed that CVD cost the EU an estimated €282 billion in 2021. Health and long-term care accounted for €155 billion (55%) of these costs, equalling 11% of EU health expenditure. The analysis was a collaborative effort by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the University of Oxford, UK.

People and businesses are invited to share their views on how to make non-surgical cosmetic procedures safer as thousands complain of ‘botched’ procedures.

GP practices in Slough are achieving significantly improved hypertension outcomes following the introduction of a new digitally led approach to identifying, diagnosing, and managing patients with hypertension (high blood pressure). It is hoped that their successes will serve as a blueprint for other primary care services nationwide.

An award-winning team of GP educators is helping GPs reduce stress and use time more effectively through an innovative, free set of training resources designed to promote calm, enjoyable consultations.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria get extra nutrients and thrive when antibiotics kill ‘good’ bacteria in the gut, according to new research led by Imperial College London scientists. The study could lead to better patient risk assessment and ‘microbiome therapeutics’ treatments to help combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

All NHS regions should properly consult patients on how to improve outcomes, says the Medical Technology Group in its latest report. Research into the structures, policies and processes of the country’s 42 Integrated Care Systems found that, while there are examples of best practice, 40 percent of them have no formal patient involvement in Board meetings and subcommittees in place.

Air Sentry has been announced as a sponsor of the World Health Organization's Inaugural European conference on Indoor Air. While the event in Geneva is already oversubscribed, the event can be joined online for free. If you are unable to attend live, registration will also give access to the recorded conference for later viewing.

An exciting innovation competition has launched with the aim of inspiring the workforce of NHS Ayrshire & Arran to improve patient care.

Elsevier Health's 'Clinician of the Future 2023' report has found that almost half of all doctors and nurses are eager for physicians to utilise AI in the future, to support their clinical decision-making, further affirming the need to drive a technological shift in healthcare.

​The London Clinic and Bupa UK Insurance have launched a new Specialist Centre for prostate cancer, giving Bupa customers rapid access to diagnostic tests and treatment from leading oncology experts.

Innovators seeking to bring their products to the NHS are still facing a lengthy and complex process, according to the Medical Technology Group. In its latest 'Deja Review' report, the MTG warns that patients and clinicians are missing out on the benefits provided by medical technology.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data has highlighted ethnic and socio-demographic inequalities in mortality rates for common physical health conditions.

​ Nuffield Health Warwickshire Hospital has taken delivery of a Mako robot, which enables consultant surgeons to carry out more precise knee and hip replacements, with patients likely to experience less pain and faster recoveries after the robot assisted surgery.

Drug treatment times for some NHS cancer patients will be cut by up to three quarters, thanks to an anti-cancer injection that takes as little as seven minutes to administer.

Ahead of the next general election campaign, Alzheimer’s Research UK has set out a series of calls for party leaders to tackle the increasing pressure that dementia places on society, the NHS, and the economy.

An NHS England pilot at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) to give patients and their carers more flexibility over their follow-up appointments is now benefitting over 30,000 patients. Embedding Patient Initiated Follow Up (PIFU) in outpatients is enabling a personalised approach to follow-up care and has avoided 29,000 unnecessary appointments in one year.