RECENT NEWS

​British Thoracic Society (BTS) and the Intensive Care Society (ICS) have collaborated to produce a Model of Care for Specialised Weaning Units (SWU). This Model of Care document provides guidance on the standards of care, resourcing, and infrastructure for this enhanced care area.

The Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Syndicate in Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) has announced a £3 million Collaborative Discovery Programme for drug discovery innovators to accelerate the development of new treatments for people with CF.

Sleeping less than five hours a night is associated with a 74% raised likelihood of developing peripheral artery disease (PAD) compared with seven to eight hours.

A clinically-led programme to reduce the impact of hospital theatres on the environment has resulted in a volatile anaesthetic gas being removed from the NHS Scotland supply chain. Used for anaesthesia during surgery, desflurane has a 14-year atmospheric ‘lifetime’ and a global warming potential 2,500 times greater than carbon dioxide.

The James Paget University Hospital in Norfolk is piloting a state-of-the-art prehabilitation programme that helps newly diagnosed cancer patients prepare for their treatment. Initially the service will be offered to people in the Great Yarmouth and Waveney area diagnosed with colorectal cancer with plans to extend this to other cancer patients as the pilot evolves.

Eight elective surgical hubs have been awarded accreditation as part of a pilot scheme to ensure the highest standards in clinical and operational practice.

A new initiative to check for liver cancer in high-risk communities has been rolled out as part of a major NHS drive to catch more cancers earlier and save lives.

More than 100,000 patients have been treated in NHS virtual wards in the last year, with 16,000 patients treated in January alone. Virtual wards allow patients to get hospital-level care at home safely and in familiar surroundings, helping speed up their recovery while freeing up hospital beds for patients that need them most.

Tens of thousands of patients across the country could benefit from quicker, earlier diagnoses and more effective treatments for a range of conditions, as the Government invests nearly £16 million into pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) research.

The ABHI UK Pavilion at Arab Health 2023 saw its most vibrant and successful year to date, with organisers confirming record attendance.

Microorganisms live in or on almost every part of the human body and play an important role in the regulation of normal human processes. As a result, changes in the number or type of microorganisms, also known as the microbiome, can contribute to disease and altered responses to therapy, including cancer treatment.

A population data linkage study using anonymised primary and secondary care health records in Swansea University’s SAIL Databank has revealed that in 2020 and 2021, fewer people in Wales were diagnosed with long-term conditions than expected.

Contracting a lower respiratory tract infection in early childhood is associated with a higher risk of dying from respiratory disease as an adult, according to new research.

Treatments for peripheral artery disease (PAD) were largely developed in men and are less effective in women, according to a review published in European Heart Journal – Quality of Care and Clinical Outcomes, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The paper highlights the biological, clinical and societal reasons why the condition may be missed in women, who respond less well to treatment and have worse clinical outcomes.

Analysis by the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) has shown that for the first time, nine out of 10 independent hospitals have ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ overall ratings from the health and care regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has opened a state-of-the-art facility which will contribute greatly to the UK’s ability to develop and manufacture new gene and cell therapies.

People across England stand to benefit from a project to identify radical new approaches to prevent cardiovascular disease and reduce pressure on the NHS, following the appointment of Professor John Deanfield as Government Champion for Personalised Prevention.

Women across England will benefit from tailored healthcare and support by new women’s health hubs - improving access and quality of care for services for menstrual problems, contraception, pelvic pain, menopause care and more.

Less than two thirds of staff in the NHS would be happy with the standard of care in their organisation if a friend or relative needed treatment, according to the national NHS staff survey 2022. The proportion who would recommend their organisation as a place to work is also declining, and almost one in three staff “often think about leaving”.

A team from Guy’s and St Thomas’ have become the first in the world to operate through a patient’s mouth using the Versius robotic surgery system.