RECENT NEWS

The Department of Health is to provide £1.6 million to Macmillan to improve services and support for those living with and beyond cancer, Health Minister, Ann Keen announced.

A multi-disciplinary team of scientists from the University of Leicester could be potentially paving the way for the development of a powerful new strategy for both the early diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer.

Building work to eliminate mixed-sex accommodation in hospitals across England has started with over 700 projects planned across 200 organisations, Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced.

The British Association of Urological Nurses (BAUN) has announced a free study day aimed at urology and oncology nurses working in both the community and the acute sector, as well as nursing professionals with an interest in the management and treatment of prostate cancers.

Significantly more patients have rated their hospital wards and bathrooms as “very clean” and more have noticed doctors and nurses washing their hands between patients, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has revealed, following its national inpatient survey.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA Council, has written to the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, to request that he intervenes to ensure that the UK does not lose further doctors as a result of recent changes to the immigration system.

Researchers from the MRC Centre for Outbreak Analysis and Modelling at Imperial College London, working in collaboration with the World Health Organization and public health agencies in Mexico, have assessed the threat presented by the new strain of influenza A (H1N1) in Mexico.

Despite many improvements in stroke services over the past decade, a quarter of patients in the National Sentinel Audit for Stroke 2008 were not offered the best treatment for stroke – a stay in a dedicated stroke unit.

The Department of Health will have to contribute £2.3 bn in additional savings, as part of £5 bn “efficiencies in spending” across the public sector in 2010/11, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced.

Nurses and other frontline healthcare staff are being alerted to the risks of accidentally inserting shorter-length urinary catheters – intended for use only in female patients – into male patients.

In 2007, the National Audit Office reported that primary care Trusts (PCTs) could save more than £200 million a year without compromising patient care if cheaper, generic medicines were prescribed.

Research, published by the University of Leicester and University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, warns of a six-month time lag before effective vaccines can be manufactured in the event of a pandemic flu outbreak.

Extra nurses and an experienced assistant director of nursing are being deployed to Stafford Hospital to boost frontline staff and further improve patient care as part of a package of measures in the wake of Health Secretary Alan Johnson’s response to recent reports into the standard of care at the Trust.

The Wellington Hospital in North London, an independent hospital, has installed an Artis zee ceiling-mounted system from Siemens Healthcare for use in general angiography and other interventions.

In 2007 (the last full year of statistics available) the numbers dying in England and Wales from C-difficile were 8,324, and from MRSA were 1,593.

Combat contamination control with the SteriClean range of alcohol wipes and sprays.

The latest data on UK cancer survival show that England’s cancer plan is a step in the right direction, Cancer Research UK believes.

Healthcare excellence and innovation was recently recognised at the Medilink UK Awards 2009. Sponsored by Xiros, the Medilink UK annual awards celebrate cutting edge technologies, outstanding business achievements, international success and collaboration.

Findings of the sixth annual survey of NHS staff show a decline in the number of workers who experienced bullying, harassment or abuse by patients or their relatives, while nine out of 10 felt they “made a difference” for patients.

The Care Quality Commission (which recently replaced the Healthcare Commission) has commended the majority of NHS Trusts for improving infection control.