RECENT NEWS

The Department of Health is encouraging pregnant and breastfeeding women to boost their intake of vitamin D in the darker winter months.

A report published in the Lancet journal has concluded that statins should be considered as standard therapy for all diabetics, apart from children and pregnant women.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in collaboration with the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has issued guidance to the NHS on how to improve processes to ensure that any medication patients are taking prior to admission to hospital is properly documented on admission.

General Healthcare Group has agreed terms with Nuffield Hospitals for the purchase and sale of nine hospitals.

The Department of Health is encouraging pregnant and breastfeeding women to boost their intake of vitamin D in the darker winter months. Healthcare professionals say more children than ever are presenting with vitamin D deficiency which can cause seizures and rickets.

Seventy-nine patients and around 200 staff had to be evacuated from London’s Royal Marsden Hospital in Chelsea – one of the world’s top cancer treatment centres – on the early afternoon of January 2 after a major fire broke out, destroying part of the building’s roof and damaging a number of other areas.

A new “remote access” stereotaxis catheter laboratory has opened at London’s Heart Hospital. Funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), it is the first of its kind in the UK and one of only 40 worldwide. It expected to save the NHS both time and money.

A nurse has been struck off after failing to wash her hands following the treatment of a patient with MRSA. Yvonne Zanele Cemane was found guilty of allegations of misconduct by the Nursing and Midwifery Council and a failure to observe basic hygiene practices was reported to have been a contributing factor in the decision.

Latest figures on written complaints against NHS organisations have been released by the Information Centre for health and social care.

Dr Weigert and staff at Martin House Children’s Hospice would like to thank all those who donated money to the charity at the Association of Perioperative Practice conference and exhibition.

Life expectancy is at the highest level ever, deaths from cancer, heart disease and stroke are falling, and infant mortality is at its lowest level ever according to the Health Profile of England 2007, published by the Department of Health.

The first national clinical audit to investigate the care received by patients who have fallen and fractured bones (hip, wrist, arm, pelvis or spine) shows that an inadequate service is being provided by most local health services, and that there are unacceptable variations of care across PCTs and Trusts in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Royal Philips Electronics recently unveiled a range of futuristic design ideas for the healthcare sector based on the company’s “sense and simplicity” concept at London’s Earls Court exhibition centre. Drawing on the expertise of anthropologists, sociologists and engineers, the concepts took a holistic approach to “wellbeing” coupled with the view that healthcare is becoming more consumerdriven.

Patients being fed through nasogastric tubes could soon be receiving a safer and more secure treatment as a result of a new system developed by the University of Hull. Feeding tubes usually need to be inserted into the stomach, but because there is currently no definitive, safe and reliable method of verifying where the tube is being placed, they can sometimes be misplaced. If they are inserted into the lungs, for example, this can lead to serious and sometimes fatal consequences.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) released new data on patient safety incidents relating to nutrition and hydration in hospital.

The Government has admitted that it has shifted the “goal posts” in relation 18-week waiting times and is no longer looking to achieve its 100% target.

AUK-wide survey of emergency emissions has concluded that care for female heart failure patients lags behind that offered for men. The study, published in Heart journal, examined 9,500 admissions and found that women were less likely to receive recommended investigations such as ultrasound scans or drug treatment such as beta blockers. They were also less likely to be given treatment to prevent worsening of their symptoms when they left hospital.

Health Secretary Alan Johnson announced the go-ahead to build a new £228 million hospital in Pembury, Kent. The new redevelopment will house 512 en suite bedrooms and be the first 100% single room facility in England enabling much better isolation of patients with infections. It is expected to be completed by 2010.

2. Braun Medical has called on hospitals throughout the country to conduct regular audits of surgical instruments to boost patient safety. The company claims that some NHS Trusts are unsure how many instrument sets they have, or have ineffective systems in place for checking on their condition.

Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York have found that having more years of formal education delays the memory loss linked to Alzheimer’s disease.