RECENT NEWS

​A blood test which could help thousands of people receive earlier, more targeted, lung cancer treatments is being trialled by the NHS. The circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) test, which will be offered to 10,000 patients by next March, can identify genetic variants in a tumour through a simple blood sample.

Researchers from the University of Birmingham have received funding from Cancer Research UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to create a new ‘lollipop’ diagnostic for mouth cancer using a novel smart hydrogel.

UK start-up Presymptom Health has raised £1.5m in follow-on seed and grant funding that will help accelerate time to market of its AI-driven sepsis and infection tests - with the company aiming to roll-out its technology to the NHS from mid-2025.

Using a combined scanning technique on patients with early-stage breast cancer improved treatment in almost three out of ten cases in a trial presented at the 14th European Breast Cancer Conference.

Portakabin, a leader in modular construction, has handed over a brand-new state-of-the-art decontamination suite, considerably upgrading and improving endoscopy patient care for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.

A new study shows how whole genome sequencing for Legionella could be used when culturing isn’t an option. The work points to new avenues for public health surveillance of infectious diseases.

There are more black and minority ethnic (BME) staff in senior positions in the NHS than at any point in its history, according to an annual report into race equality across the NHS.

A pioneer in wearable tech, Ultrahuman has announced a $35 million equity and debt investment round. The series B funding round saw participation from venture capital firms Blume Ventures, Steadview Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, Alpha Wave and Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal. Ultrahuman will deploy the funds towards building further manufacturing capacity and deeper research in the health tracking space.

Since April 2022, Barnsley’s 240,000 citizens have benefitted from more accessible diagnostic testing thanks to a state-of-the-art Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) situated in the Glass Works shopping mall in the heart of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. With the aim of expanding healthcare services to the local community, the project involved installing Aquilion Prime SP, a CT from chosen supplier, Canon Medical Systems.

People are more likely to feedback about commercial services and products than their experiences of health and social care, according to new research by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and health and care champion Healthwatch England (HWE).

Sodexo Health & Care has reinforced its long-standing relationship with the Royal Stoke University Hospital (RSUH), part of the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM) and Haywood Hospital, part of the wider Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT).

The Association of British HealthTech Industries (ABHI) has announced a comprehensive package of support to help UK companies successfully navigate the complexities of the Chinese market.

A daily fibre supplement improved brain function in over 60s in just 12 weeks. The study, published in Nature Communications, showed that this simple and cheap addition to diet can improve performance in memory tests associated with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease.

Fewer middle-aged people are dying from cancer in the UK than at any point over the last 25 years, a new study from Cancer Research UK has revealed.

A change in how British people and health professionals talk about death is needed to avoid delays in crucial conversations about end-of-life care, resulting in traumatic consequences for patients and their families, England’s Health Ombudsman has warned.

The six NHS health boards across the North of Scotland have gone live with a joint electronic medicines management platform to enhance clinical decision-making and reduce the risk of errors.

HSSIB’s latest investigation has found that not involving temporary NHS staff in serious incident investigations may ‘undermine’ its ability to improve patient safety.

Latest figures show NHS waiting lists decreased slightly for the fourth month in a row in January, but remained high - prompting the Royal College of Surgeons to call for reform and increased investment to tackle the issues.

The NHS is set to roll out artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the number of missed appointments and free up staff time to help bring down the waiting list for elective care.

The government has announced action to tackle potential bias in the design and use of medical devices, as it accepts recommendations from a UK-first independent review into equity in medical devices.