RECENT NEWS

According to new data, Patients who fail to keep hospital appointments cost the NHS more than £600 million a year – enough to run two medium-size hospitals, the BBC reported.

Rates of oral cancers, such as cancers of the mouth, tongue and lip, have increased by around a quarter in the past decade among people in their 40s, according to figures from Cancer Research UK.

A new study, reported in The Telegraph, has found that non-alcoholic drinks with a high sugar content can cause fatty liver disease.

ParAid Medical has come to the aid of one of the country’s air ambulance services with its neo-natal aeromedical transport systems. The air ambulance service based on the Isle of Man, operated from Nobles Hospital in Douglas, is equipped with a Piper Chieftain aircraft.

Together, the IET and the IoN are pleased to present a one day seminar focusing on micro and nano scaled bio-medical devices. These exciting technologies offer huge potential and ultimately promise to shape and revolutionise the future of healthcare worldwide. The event entitled: Bionic Health: "Next Generation Implants, Prosthetics and Devices" will take place in London in October, and will be reviewed in depth by The Clinical Services Journal.

BD Medical Diabetes Care has announced the full UK availability of its new patient support literature in versions designed specifically for different age groups. The guides clearly and simply describe best practice for blood sampling and self-injection of insulin using language and imagery appropriate for each age group: children; teenagers; adults and older patients.

A Health Committee report has stated that the NHS has failed to collect evidence about whether patients are any safer after a decade of initiatives to stop harm.

The environment of inpatient units has improved and high standards of food and privacy and dignity have been maintained across the NHS over the past year, according to research by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA).

The chairman of the BMA’s Consultants Committee has warned that the health service is entering a “dark and dangerous period” due to the economic crisis.

The number of people who die or are severely disabled by stroke each year could be substantially reduced through a cheap blood test and simple inexpensive treatment.

Plans to scrap some centrally driven targets and proposals for giving doctors and nurses control of their budgets were recently announced by Health Minister Lord Darzi.

The majority of surgeons are not reporting “sharps injuries” they receive, according to a paper published in the Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Luton and Dunstable NHS Foundation Trust has launched the UK’s first Patient Admittance Pack to help cut healthcareassociated infection rates (HCAI).

Perioperative groups have issued a statement calling for safe staffing levels in obstetric theatres, following the results of recent studies into obstetric resources.

Thousands of people in England are unaware that they are at risk of developing heart disease due to an undiagnosed genetic condition, according to the Royal College of Physicians.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) is calling on health practitioners and staff across England and Wales to follow recommendations, issued to improve patient safety for children and young people.

The General Medical Council has announced that it has appointed The King’s Fund’s chief executive Niall Dickson as its new chief executive.

The Royal College of Anaesthetists, the professional body representing anaesthesia in the UK, is introducing an interactive e-Learning resource to support training and professional development in anaesthesia.

A study in the June 2009 British Journal of Dermatology, reviewing data from a 13-year period in the eastern United Kingdom, has concluded that the melanoma “epidemic” is unlikely to be genuine.

US scientists have identified a single gene that they believe plays a vital role in the development of atherosclerosis. The caveolin-1 (Cav-1) gene was found to promote the development of atherosclerotic lesions when switched on.