RECENT NEWS

MRSA bloodstream infections in the NHS have reached record low levels, with fewer than 100 infections recorded in a single month for the first time. The Health Protection Agency has published the monthly data for MRSA and Clostridium difficile for June 2011.

Robot-assisted surgery can overcome many of the difficulties posed by laparoscopic surgery in gynaecological procedures, according to a review published today in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist.

The fourth annual report on the safer management of controlled drugs regulations has been published by The Care Quality Commission (CQC). The report finds that there has been progress, with many instances of good innovative practice in the management of and sharing of concerns about controlled drugs.

A study comparing health spending and mortality rates suggests that the NHS is one of the most cost-effective health systems in the world. Dr Colin Pritchard of Bournemouth University and Dr Mark Wallace of Latymer School, London, compared the mortality rates of 19 Western countries between 1979 and 2005.

Men’s chances of getting bowel cancer in Great Britain have doubled since the mid 70s – according to new Cancer Research UK figures. Their lifetime risk has increased from around one in 29 to around one in 15.

A recent “Tea and Coffee consumption and MRSA nasal carriage study” from Matheson et al highlighted how both tea and coffee are associated with a lower likelihood of carrying MRSA in the nasal cavity.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) quality standard is now available on the NICE website.

New studies by SSI and The Research Intelligence Group (TRiG) show that two-thirds of patients around the world feel disrespected by their physicians. Unclear communication is a prime reason for dissatisfaction.

The RCoA has offered its support for the establishment of a formal register of volunteer medical personnel for response to emergencies overseas.

A new online toolkit has been developed with the NHS to showcase best practice in staff engagement at 10 NHS organisations. The toolkit was launched by the NHS Employers organisation and the Department of Health at the NHS Confederation conference.

A new group has been set up to tackle the £300 million lost every year in the NHS because of medicine wastage. The group will also identify how people can be better supported in taking their medicines as prescribed – helping to improve their long-term health outcomes and ensuring better value for the NHS.

A report from the Health Foundation has found that moving care from hospitals into the community improves patient satisfaction.

Professor David Sanders, consultant gastroenterologist at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital (Regional GI and Liver Unit) and University of Sheffield has been awarded the Cuthbertson Medal 2011 by the Nutrition Society.

A non-invasive test that measures blood oxygen levels in newborns could help detect more congenital heart defects, says new research.

The Royal Marsden Hospital in London, and The Barts Cancer Centre at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in London are two of the five academic oncology centres in Europe and the US to have installed a CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery system.

The Infection Prevention Society Scottish Branch is to hold its Annual National Conference on the 27 October 2011 at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow. The event is free-of-charge for all attendees.

Asthma symptoms are commonly triggered by allergens in the environment, such as pollen and dust mites. These stimuli can cause the airways to tighten within minutes, causing breathing difficulties which range from mild to severe.

A radiosurgery treatment system, called the Novalis Tx, which is said to have the ability to destroy cancerous cells virtually anywhere in the body in a 20-minute session, has gone into service in The Christie at Salford Royal, a new radiotherapy centre in the North West.

The first patient has been enrolled, in Hamburg, Germany, for a pan-European study to determine whether an early comprehensive rhythm control strategy for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) will benefit patients.

Work has commenced on a National Review of Asthma Deaths (NRAD) across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The project has been commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and is led by The Royal College of Physicians (RCP), in partnership with a consortium of professional and patient bodies concerned with asthma.