RECENT NEWS

New findings published by the National Patient Safety Agency show greater numbers of hospitals are treating their patients in cleaner, better maintained environments. The Patient Environment Action Teams (PEAT) programme assesses all hospitals and inpatient units with 10 or more beds.

Pressure ulcers can cause serious pain and severe harm to patients and cost the NHS billions of pounds each year to treat. Yet in the majority of cases they can be prevented if simple measures were followed. As part of its “10 for 2010” programme, the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) is urging NHS organisations across England and Wales to work towards preventing all pressure ulcers.

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that the reduced effectiveness of breast screening in women in their 40s is mainly due to their tumours being harder to detect, rather than because they grow faster. Previous research has suggested that breast screening is less effective in women in their 40s than in older women.

A new national charity which aims to help the fight against cancer has been launched at Westminster. ACORRN (Academic Clinical Oncology and Radiobiology Research Network) – Action Radiotherapy wants to raise £5m to improve radiotherapy treatment for patients.

Employers in the NHS are being urged to build a culture where staff are able to expose bad practice. A new guide, Speak up for a Healthy NHS, will advise employers how to set up arrangements to ensure staff feel comfortable and secure if they want to report bad practice.

Childhood cancer survivors may have an increased risk of death from other forms of cancer, cardiac and cerebrovascular causes more than 25 years after their initial illness, UK scientists have found.

Health and social care organisations are continuing to develop systems and services to manage controlled drugs more effectively and to share information on concerns and best practice at a local and national level, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has reported.

The urology team at Musgrove Park Hospital is celebrating following news that they have reached the Paris finals of a prestigious international award for their work with the new Mediplus Suprapubic Foley Catheter.

NHS Central Lancashire’s community matrons have introduced an innovative remote patient care management tool to help chronically ill patients monitor and manage their health at home and remain independent for longer.

Healthcare company, B.Braun Medical, has made a substantial donation of surgical instruments to the Royal College of Surgeons (RCOS).

NHS organisations across London have come together to boost the mammography facilities at The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust provided by medical equipment solutions company Asteral.

Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley, has announced that hospitals should be responsible for reducing the number of emergency readmissions, and support treatment at home, as part of a single payment.

A new report published by The King’s Fund shows that having a choice of hospitals is valued by the majority of patients. However, it is not yet operating as intended and has not so far acted as a lever to improve quality and increase competition.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) is urging NHS organisations across England and Wales to follow guidelines aimed at reducing patient falls.

Deb has launched the Deb Hand Hygiene Awards 2010, in conjunction with IPS Education and Professional Development Committee, to promote the importance of improving hand hygiene in the health sector.

New advice is being developed to improve NHS standards on sedating anxious young patients. There is currently no national guidance, which means those aged 19 and under who need sedation before a therapeutic or diagnostic procedure might be given drugs that may be ineffective or unsafe.

The Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) has announced four key pathways under which masterclasses and specialist sessions will feature at this year’s AfPP 2010 Congress and Exhibition (14-16 October 2010).

The National Audit Office has reported that most PFI hospital contracts are wellmanaged and the evidence indicates that they are currently achieving the value for money expected when the contracts were signed.

Nine out of ten women with breast cancer who undergo mastectomy or breast reconstruction surgery say that their care was of a high quality, according to the National Mastectomy and Breast Reconstruction Audit.

A procedure which involves “cooling” newborn babies who are at risk of severe disability or death due to oxygen deprivation, has been deemed “safe and effective” enough for NHS use, according to NICE.