RECENT NEWS

Cancer Research UK has said that it is “deeply concerned” over NICE’s decision to reject four kidney cancer drugs including: bevacizumab, sorafenib, sunitinib and temsirolimus. Following a preliminary review, NICE has ruled that although the drugs are clinically effective, they are not good value for money for the NHS.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has issued a Rapid Response Report to healthcare professionals in the UK to offer guidance for arterial line use following reports of problems with infusions and sampling.

Low levels of vitamin D may contribute to chronic pain among women, according to a study published in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases.

The National Biomedical and Clinical Engineering Conference is scheduled this year for the 15 October at the National Motorcycle Museum. This popular conference attracts a large audience drawn mainly from the EBME profession.

Scientists at Swansea University have discovered a new type of antibiotic in maggot secretions that can tackle up to 12 different strains of MRSA, as well as E. coli and C. difficile. The antibiotic, named Seraticin, is derived from the maggot secretions of the common green bottle fly (Lucilia sericata) and scientists hope to develop it into an injection, pill or ointment.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has issued guidance on the prescription and administration of vinca alkaloids, a series of intravenous chemotherapy agents, in response to reports of four fatal and serious incidents in which doses of vinca alkaloids intended for intravenous administration were injected in the spine, causing paralysis and death.

In proposals, outlined in the report Medical revalidation – principles and next steps, doctors will be required to renew their professional registration every five years, in order to provide assurance that they are practising to the standard that patients, the public and the profession expect. It will also play a part in putting quality at the heart of NHS care – a key element of the proposals outlined in Lord Darzi’s report High quality care for all.

Trial results from the Institute of Cancer Research that found a new drug, abiraterone, produced significant falls in PSA levels and some tumour shrinkage in men with advanced prostate cancer.

Patients with high blood pressure are up to 600% more likely to develop dementia according to new research, released by the Alzheimer’s Society. High blood pressure led to a six-fold increase in vascular dementia, the second most common form of dementia in the UK.

InHealth has been working closely with the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to provide a crucial new mobile MRI service at two of its community hospitals in Northumberland, which will save local patients a 100-mile round trip for specialist examinations.

A team at the Royal Free has discovered that patients who achieve remission after chemotherapy develop a type of immune cell called “natural killer cells” which kill any tumour cells left after the chemotherapy treatment.

Plans are being drawn up for surgeons to receive performance-related bonuses, linked to mortality, infection and cost-effectiveness. The proposal is being discussed by Imperial College Healthcare Trust in London which runs five hospitals including Charing Cross, Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte’s.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has called for more action to be taken to increase awareness of type 1 diabetes and its devastating complications, following shocking statistics released by Diabetes UK.

Although surgery is generally very safe, a report by the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has highlighted concerns that many inherent risks are not fully appreciated. The latest data published in the report shows that the National Patient Safety Agency received 129,416 reports of potential errors involving surgical procedures during 2007.

With major surgery now occurring at a rate of 234 million procedures per year – one for every 25 people – and studies indicating that a significant percentage result in preventable complications and deaths, WHO has launched a new safety checklist for surgical teams to use in operating theatres, as part of a major drive to make surgery safer around the world.

By demonstrating outstanding progress, the electro-biomedical engineering (EBME) department at Bedford Hospital has won the UK’s first Clinical Engineering Team of the Year Award.

New research published by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) programme has assessed methods for predicting and preventing pre-eclampsia, which accounts for complications in up to 8% of all pregnancies.

New research shows that the manner in which blood is collected from patients for some blood tests can alter the results. Clenching the fist during blood taking could lead to some patients being directed to their nearest A&E department as a heart emergency. When the test is repeated using correct blood collection technique, it may be found to be a false alarm.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has alerted the NHS to the risks associated with inserting chest drains, commonly used on patients with chest trauma, collapsed lungs, or after surgery, to remove air and fluids.

Medica and Nuffield Health have announced a diagnostics partnership which they claim will create the largest remote radiology reporting network in the UK. Nuffield Health Diagnostics said that the agreement has the potential to deliver substantial benefits to the NHS and independent healthcare sector through reduced cost and increased availability of services across all the major modalities. Under the terms of the agreement, Nuffield Health Diagnostics has acquired Medica for an undisclosed sum.