RECENT NEWS

The National Performance Advisory Group (NPAG) has announced the appointment of Lawrence Barker as the new Facilitator for its Clinical Engineering Best Value Groups.

Taking place in Birmingham 29th and 30th January 2024, the Birmingham Orthopaedic Oncology Meeting will explore current concepts in Chondrosarcoma and Infected Oncology Reconstructions and gain a global consensus on diagnosis and treatment.

A collaborative study between Warwick, King’s College London and several NHS sites funded by a Wellcome Trust Innovator Award has demonstrated how AI can analyse X-rays and diagnose medical issues just as, or more, accurately than doctors.

UKHSA has published its first HECC report, drawing together the latest evidence on how our changing climate is already impacting on the nation’s health and publishing future projections based on a plausible worst case scenario.

Following its successful fundraising of C$4.91 million (US$3.62), Canadian life sciences company Ondine Biomedical will continue accelerating commercialisation of its nasal photodisinfection technology. The solution aims to replace topical antibiotics for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) and kills all types of pathogens – bacteria, viruses and fungi – without causing antimicrobial resistance.

A major clinical trial, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has shown that people with inflammatory conditions are able to improve the antibody response from a COVID-19 booster vaccination by interrupting their treatment for two weeks immediately after having the vaccine.

Equipped with Aplio i800 / Prism Edition ultrasound machines, the Devon hospital – a COVID-19 response unit turned community diagnostics hub – has helped reduce the local NHS patient waiting list from six weeks to less than two weeks

Physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs) will soon be regulated by the GMC, improving patient safety and supporting plans to expand medical associate roles in the NHS to relieve pressure on doctors and GPs.

The opportunity to use GPs and primary care networks to reduce health inequalities between the richest and poorest areas hasn’t been fully realised, according to new research published by the Health Foundation.

Visits to see loved ones in care homes, hospitals and hospices will be protected under plans announced by the government. Changes will be made to the law so that visits are a fundamental standard of care, putting them on par with having access to food and drink and properly qualified staff.

Chronic cough is a commonly presented respiratory illness seen by clinicians across both primary and secondary care, with potentially up to 10% of people in the UK experiencing its impacts. Building on the British Thoracic Society (BTS) Guideline on Chronic Cough in Adults that was published in 2006, this new BTS Clinical Statement aims to capture the progress that has since been made in the diagnosis, treatment and management of the condition.

Persistent regulatory ambiguity and NHS procurement processes are risking the deprioritisation of the UK market for HealthTech innovation, the latest survey of the industry can reveal.

Patients can now have hysterectomies as day cases thanks to a new partnership and a procedure introduced recently at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.

New analysis from the NHS Confederation has set out the impact that low levels of capital investment has had over the last decade. The NHS won't be able to deliver faster and more productive patient care unless capital budgets are nearly doubled to at least £14.1 billion, according to the analysis.

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective at preventing HIV acquisition and should be used more widely by eligible groups, a landmark new study into PrEP’s real-world effectiveness has confirmed.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published the latest evaluation report into the government’s progress towards reducing HIV transmission. The report shows that there has been a continued decline in HIV transmission but progress has slowed particularly among women and ethnic minorities.

More needs to be done to support and empower general practice staff and patients themselves to address the safety risks that can arise from phone, video and online consultations, according to a new UK-wide study of remote consulting in general practice.

VentriJect, a Danish MedTech start-up seeking to revolutionise the way cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is measured, won the 2nd place award at the 'Healthcare Innovation World Cup' earlier this month for its innovation that enables CRF to be estimated without the need for exercise and in less than three minutes.

The number of patients in hospital with norovirus last week was almost triple the number during the same period last winter, new NHS figures show.

Local health and care systems lack a shared understanding of the causes of hospital discharge delays in their area and of the best ways of tackling them, says a report from The King’s Fund.