RECENT NEWS

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.

A University of Leicester research study has been conducted to examine the usefulness of a monitoring device in the early management of septic patients in an emergency department. The results of the study are likely to improve care of patients with sepsis in the future and ultimately to save lives.

The Royal Society of Health has welcomed the decision to introduce a national HPV vaccination programme, but has expressed concerns over the choice of vaccine. The Department of Health has decided to use Cervarix, one of two HPV vaccines on the market.

In an open letter to the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson, a coalition of leading scientists have criticised the Government’s underinvestment in dementia research amid warnings of “catastrophic” economic consequences.

A team of specialists from the Northwest Heart Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital have successfully undertaken the first percutaneous aortic valve replacements (PAVR) in the North of England. During the procedure, an artificial valve is transported to the heart through a small hole made in the groin.

NHS Trusts that follow new NICE guidelines on keeping surgical patients warm risk contaminating operating theatres, because they recommend systems which cannot be cleaned, a clinician has warned. Concerns have been raised following research carried out by Dr Scott Augustine, the anaesthetist who first invented the forced air warming technique.

Sheffield based B. Braun Medical is providing a state-of-the-art laboratory for the training of doctors at the Royal College of Surgeons’ (RCS) London headquarters.

The King’s Fund has warned that poor implementation of polyclinics could create significant risks for patient care, following a major analysis of the opportunities and risks.

A survey of services for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) by the Royal College of Physicians’ Clinical Effectiveness and Evaluation Unit (CEEu) and the MS Trust shows that the NHS is still failing to implement the 2003 NICE guidelines on the management of MS patients.

The dramatic rise in Britain’s teenage drinking problem became evident when the latest figures from the NHS revealed that one patient in 10 admitted to hospital with alcohol problems is under 18.

A clinical study presented at the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America claims that catheters impregnated with the antibiotics minocycline and rifampin not only reduce the risk of bacteraemia, but also the likelihood of bacteria developing antibiotic resistance.

At the annual meeting of British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) it was revealed that discussions with NICE have opened the way for patients with prostate cancer to have continued access to cryotherapy – a promising therapy threatened by earlier NICE guidance published in February.

Half of the public believe that in ten years’ time they will have to pay towards some NHS services they need as a patient, according to new research published by the British Medical Association (BMA). The BMA commissioned researchers, Hamilton Lock, to conduct a survey of over 1,000 members of the public about the effectiveness of changes to the NHS over the past decade and to seek their views on commercial companies providing healthcare to NHS patients, as well as future funding of the NHS.