RECENT NEWS

The Royal College of Nursing’s online induction programme for new healthcare assistants, First Steps for Health Care Assistants, has a new look and a number of new features.

A recent vote in European Parliament has recommended improvements to the regulation of nurses working throughout the EU through the introduction of language checks and more rigorous competency requirements.

South London Healthcare NHS Trust, the most financially challenged NHS Trust in England, will be dissolved by October 2013 to address the risk it carries for ongoing patient care and the pressure it is placing on other parts of the NHS, according to Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.

Robert Francis QC’s long-awaited final report into the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust scandal has now been published, highlighting the appalling suffering of many patients.

A review of bureaucracy in the NHS by the NHS Confederation has assessed the progress made in reducing the bureaucratic burden on organisations in the past three years, and looks at where new burdens may lie as a result of changes to the NHS architecture.

WARDRAY PREMISE has a wide range of images in their Relax & View image collection. The company offers quality backlit wall and ceiling units designed to improve the aesthetics of a room.

Electrical safety specialist, BENDER UK, is celebrating achieving industry’s flagship standard for occupational health and safety best practice at its headquarters in Ulverston, which houses product testing facilities and delivers, sales, service, project management and technical support.

Infections such as norovirus increase healthcare costs and time, so improving hand hygiene compliance is one way to both lower costs and improve patient safety.

At the recent Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc) annual conference, held in Blackpool, the problematic issue of protein detection and removal was high on the agenda. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The Guardian has recently reported on a warning from the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) that many hospitals lack enough staff in some areas to ‘keep people safe’.

New guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) supports the use of an ultrasound bone healing device that can replace surgery for patients with ‘problem’ fractures, potentially.

A non-invasive ultrasound test is set to reduce the need for liver biopsy across the NHS following a guide published by the NHS Technology Adoption Centre (NTAC).

Leading scientists in the field of tuberculosis (TB) recently gathered to discuss how to improve national prevention strategies for the control of TB. UK is one of few countries in Western Europe which has seen an increase in the number of active TB cases in recent years.

Vanguard Healthcare has published its findings, following a joint venture study with the British Association of Day Surgery (BADS), to evaluate and quantify the cost advantages to the NHS of deploying temporary facilities to reduce waiting times for ophthalmic surgical procedures.

Health Minister, Dr Dan Poulter has announced plans for a new system to help doctors and nurses spot children suffering from abuse and neglect, which will be rolled out in 2015.

Following the launch of the NICE Quality Standards for nutrition, the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN) has unveiled its enhanced nutritional care Commissioning Toolkit and supporting summary guide and is calling for the National Commissioning Board to prioritise nutrition and hydration as fundamental elements of improving dignity and care.

University of Leicester scientists have presented new evidence on how a chemical found in red wine can have significant health benefits.

A national survey of NHS accident and emergency (A&E) departments has shown that waiting times are getting longer. However, most people surveyed said that they still had confidence and trust in the health professionals who treated them.

Patients who undergo surgery for oesophageal cancer have a much greater chance of long-term survival if the operation is carried out by a surgeon who has performed it many times before, according to a large-scale study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

Researchers have found that directing short bursts of radio waves at nerves surrounding the kidneys can lower blood pressure, for up to one year, in patients with hypertension which has not responded to medication.