RECENT NEWS

An international team led by researchers from the Universities of Leicester and Cambridge has announced a breakthrough in identifying people at risk of developing potentially fatal blood clots that can lead to heart attack.

A new survey from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) recommends that hospitals need to increase the availability of senior doctors in acute admissions units, particularly at weekends.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has revealed that it has received a number of complaints from users stating that the quality of some surgical instruments is unsatisfactory.

A new report from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) says that staffing levels should be given much higher priority throughout health organisations, given the clear link between failing care and poor staffing levels. In order to help healthcare providers look at their staffing needs the RCN has published a range of indicators that need to be monitored by providers, commissioners and regulators.

The third report from the National Heart Failure Audit, which analysed more than 21,000 patient records, suggests about 32% of heart failure patients will die within a year of their hospital admission. However, the mortality rate falls to 23% for those are seen by a cardiologist or have access to specialist heart failure services. In-patient mortality is also twice as likely for a heart failure patient if they are on a non-cardiac ward; at 12% compared to 6%.

The number of people living with HIV in the UK reached an estimated 86,500 in 2009, but more than a quarter - almost 22,500 - were unaware of their infection, according to figures released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).

BMA chairman of council, Dr Hamish Meldrum, has claimed that the NHS is already "a victim of cuts", in his response to the Health Committee’s report (England) on public expenditure. Although the Health Committee states that finding efficiency savings is not about cuts, the BMA issued a statement that "this is not borne out by decisions taken on ground".

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has become the first organisation in Europe to produce a surgical checklist for interventional radiology aimed at improving safety across the NHS.

Services caring for England’s premature and sick babies are still being stretched to the limit and not meeting minimum standards according to a report launched by Bliss, the special care baby charity.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has issued guidance for all NHS organisations across England and Wales aimed at reducing delays in the provision of blood and blood components to patients in an emergency situation.

The cost of hiring locum or temporary doctors for NHS hospitals in England has increased to more than £ ¾ billion a year since the introduction of EU regulations to reduce doctors’ hours, the Royal College of Surgeons has reported.

Women who have had the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine could need only two HPV screening tests for the rest of their lives, according to new calculations being presented at the NCRI Cancer Conference in Liverpool. In addition, HPV testing could provide a more accurate cervical screening method than the current smear test, which looks for abnormal cells.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has issued a series of recommendations to all NHS organisations across England and Wales aimed at improving care and minimising risk associated with anti-cancer medicines. A themed review of patient safety incidents involving anti-cancer medicines, was produced following 4,829 patient safety incidents reported to the NPSA between 1 November 2003 and 30 June 2008.

The NHS Apprenticeship Programme will receive £10 million to create new NHS apprenticeships, Health Minister Simon Burns has revealed.

NHS heart surgery patients in England and Wales have a greater chance of survival and recover more quickly than almost anywhere in Europe according to the first ever comparative study of cardiac operations data from across the continent.

A study conducted in the Netherlands and published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) confirms an earlier report from the US, that the use of a surgical safety checklist significantly reduces surgical morbidity and mortality.

Scotland’s acute hospitals are “generally clean and improving”, according to the first annual report of the Healthcare Environment Inspectorate (HEI). However, more work needs to be done in key areas, most notably in the cleaning of hospital equipment (including commodes and mattresses) and infection control policies being up to date on wards.

Almost 27,000 NHS posts in the UK are already earmarked for cuts, with almost 18,000 in England alone, the Royal College of Nursing has revealed. This is more than three times the number of posts identified by the RCN in England in April, and could leave patients vulnerable and services at risk. The loss of 26,841 staff is the equivalent of closing almost six hospitals the size of the Royal Free in London, or nine hospitals the size of Alder Hey in Liverpool.

Perioperative practitioners are now being invited to submit their applications for this year’s Hilda Winifred Mears Award to be in with a chance of winning £1,000 towards a trip overseas as a medical volunteer. Hilda Winifred Mears was a former member of AfPP, who held many perioperative posts both within the UK and abroad. Hilda died in 2008 and has left a legacy to the Association which is used to fund the Hilda Winifred Mears Award.

This year, the central theme of 'Speaking up and Speaking Out' was addressed throughout the AfPP Congress as part of a sustained campaign to improve patient safety.