RECENT NEWS

Patients are coming to harm due to failures in the way critical clinical information is electronically communicated when they are discharged from hospital, according to HSSIB’s latest report.

NHS Resolution’s Annual Report for 2024/25 shows that it received 14,428 new clinical negligence claims and reported incidents in 2024/25. £3.1 billion was paid out in 2024/25 for compensation and associated costs on all of NHS Resolution’s clinical schemes, compared to £2.8 billion in 2023/24. £1.3 billion of the total clinical negligence payments in 2024/25 related to maternity.

In one of the first cases in the world, a baby was born at Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital (RMC), in Israel, to a woman who had undergone uterine transposition surgery. This ground-breaking procedure is designed to preserve fertility in women diagnosed with cancer in the pelvic organs before undergoing radiation treatment. This baby is the sixth in the world born to a woman who has undergone this procedure.

Exposure to a class of synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - often called “forever chemicals” - may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study led by Mount Sinai researchers.

Molecules exhaled in the breath may help detect blood cancer, according to new research from Queen Mary University of London. The findings could enable the development of a blood cancer breathalyser, providing a rapid, low-cost way to detect disease. This tool may be particularly useful for areas with limited access to specialist equipment or expertise.

A new study, led by experts at the University of Nottingham, has found that the COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated people’s brain health, even if they were never infected with the virus.

Using gene therapy to treat hereditary deafness is safe and effective in both children and adults, according to new findings from a multicentre clinical trial.

Thousands of premature babies at risk of life-threatening infection can now be protected against the common respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) this winter, with a single long-lasting injection available on the NHS for the first time.

Patients living with debilitating conditions are set to receive improved care closer to home. The government has committed to changing attitudes and transforming care for patients with ME/CFS, according to the government.

NHS managers who commit serious misconduct will not be able to take up other senior NHS roles, under plans to boost patient safety. The new proposals set out by the Department of Health and Social Care will mean any leader who silences whistleblowers or behaves unacceptably will be banned from returning to a health service position.

Perioperative hypothermia is associated with poorer patient outcomes – including increased risks of surgical site infection, cardiac complications and bleeding, as well as an associated increase in treatment costs, prolonged hospitalisation and mortality. The issue was an important topic of discussion at EBME Expo.

At EBME Expo, CSJ’s editor caught up with Vicky Roberts, from ZOLL, to discuss the latest digital advances for the EBME sector. ZOLL develops and markets medical devices and software solutions that help advance emergency care and save lives. High on the agenda at EBME Expo was the need to increase clinical and operational efficiencies through the effective management of smart medical devices.

At EBME Expo, Chris Williams, from Idox, spoke to CSJ about the key trends and innovation taking place around real-time tracking in healthcare. Idox’s iAssets solution has been successfully deployed across numerous NHS Trusts, including Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, where it has improved asset tracking and maintenance processes.

Sandwell and Birmingham NHS Trust has purchased neonatal equipment from Central Medical Supplies (CMS), for the new neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital in Smethwick, which opened at the end of last year. CMS is a specialist supplier of neonatal and developmental care products.

UK Biobank has announced a major milestone in one of the world’s most ambitious medical research initiatives: over 100,000 participants have now undergone whole-body MRI scans using 1.5T and 3T MRI systems from Siemens Healthineers.

Wassenburg UK has announced a significant leadership change. The current MD Rakesh Javer departs at the end of July to embark on an exciting new chapter in his career.

New data published by the General Medical Council (GMC) reveals that more than one in five trainee doctors have felt hesitant about escalating patient care.

A ground-breaking medical device designed to improve the safety and comfort during prostate biopsies is now available to more healthcare providers across the UK, thanks to a new distribution agreement.

CVD has been identified as a national priority, with the government’s ‘health mission’ featuring a commitment to reduce premature deaths from heart disease and strokes by 25% within a decade. However, CVD prevention is not taking place at the scale needed and wide inequalities in CVD mortality rates continue to persist. The King’s Fund explores the issues in a new report, 'Shifting to prevention: How integrated care systems can tackle cardiovascular disease.'

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine, funded by Breakthrough T1D, are evaluating GTT@home, a new finger-prick, at-home glucose tolerance test, to monitor early-stage type 1 diabetes (T1D) in individuals with T1D autoantibodies. Developed by Digostics, the test offers a simpler, less invasive alternative to clinic-based OGTTs. The study aims to assess its accuracy, usability, and acceptance, potentially paving the way for wider use in early T1D detection and monitoring.