RECENT NEWS

Millions of people currently take statins to lower their cholesterol. However, Justin Smith, the author of a controversial book, $29 Billion Reasons to Lie about Cholesterol: Making Profit by Turning Healthy People into Patients, claims to have uncovered evidence to show that “most people do not need to lower their cholesterol”.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has issued a rapid response report on "Mitigating surgical risk in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty for fractures of the proximal femur".

A report by the Healthcare Commission shows that patients remain concerned about how Trusts deal with their complaints. The way complaints are handled is still the number one issue raised by complainants, accounting for 19% of cases reviewed, up from 16% last year.

A review to clarify the rules on organ transplants for NHS patients and non-UK EU residents, has been announced by Health Secretary Alan Johnson. A number of organs from UK deceased donors are transplanted into non-UK resident EU nationals each year.

Oesophageal doppler monitoring (ODM) saves lives, reduces surgical complications, and shortens patient stay, according to the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme.

More accurate disease classification now means some young children with neuroblastoma will have less intensive treatment with better survival, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Results from a large international trial have shown that there is a strong link between diabetics who have an abnormal heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) and an increased risk of other heart-related problems and death.

The National Patient Safety Agency has officially launched a “Never Events” policy which outlines serious patient safety incidents that should not occur.

The House of Lords EU Committee has welcomed a proposal from the European Commission for a Directive on patients’ rights to cross-border healthcare, but called for improvements and warned that, due to the unpredictable impact of the provisions in the Directive, it must be carefully monitored on implementation.

A survey of healthcare assistants (HCAs) shows that 85% support regulation of their profession and 89% are prepared to pay towards it. The survey was conducted by Ipsos MORI, on behalf of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

Survival for childhood bone cancer is slightly lower in the UK than in any other Western European country, according to research published in the British Journal of Cancer.

England should follow the example of Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, and abolish all prescription charges, the BMA has commented.

More overseas junior doctors will be able to take up a two-year training placement in the NHS, Health Minister Ann Keen has announced.

NHS staff are more likely than ever to raise a patient safety concern as new data, released by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), demonstrates an upward trend in safety reporting.

A call to double the number of people on the NHS Organ Donor Register (ODR) to 16 million has been achieved – 12 months before the planned date.

A package of measures designed to speed up access to new drugs and treatments for NHS patients, was announced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and Health Minister Lord Darzi.

Although the Infection Prevention Society Annual Conference and Exhibition, Infection Prevention 2009, commences 21 September, well over 75% of the exhibition space has already been sold. The exhibition is about 50% larger than in 2008 and already more stands have been sold than were taken last year.

Responding to news from the Department of Health, predicting a surplus of £1.735 billion in the NHS, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has issued a statement that this must be directed straight into frontline services.

People with Type 2 diabetes are being prescribed medication too readily after diagnosis without giving healthy lifestyle changes a chance. A Diabetes UK-funded study of 652 people newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes showed that 36% were prescribed diabetes tablets within a month of diagnosis.

Screening might help to detect ovarian cancer before symptoms develop. The first analysis of screening for ovarian cancer currently being investigated in the UKCTOCS (UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening) trial has been published in Lancet Oncology.